“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. Ephesians 6:12 KJV
Please read this verse from the Amplified Bible:
“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood – contending only with physical opponents – but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.”
The Phillips translation says:
“For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organizations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil”.
It should be clear to all that the devil has hordes of powerful thoughts and behavior patterns that have dark demonic influence manifesting in this present time. The spirit of Cain is working in religious men to build in the worldly systems of today, just like mankind's building of worldly systems in former days.
We are sons of God in the midst of many worldly orders, including church orders ruled by those set on personal gain. We wrestle against the controlling thoughts of every demonic rulership because a spiritual quickening has come forth from trusting God that fills us with the faith of a son. We have a spiritual recognition of the truth, even to experiencing the same power and victory over the evil one of which Jesus spoke when He said:
“The prince, evil genius, ruler of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me – he has nothing in common with Me, there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, he has no power over Me!” John 14:30 Amplified
It should not be difficult for the people of the Lord to understand that:
“The whole world lieth in wickedness.” I John 5:19
The Amplified Bible correctly translated the later part of that verse:
“The whole world around us is under the power of the wicked one.”
The world's governmental systems are positioned under an evil power of man, under wickedness voicing lies continually. The best of man’s governments are working in the power of lies, under THE LIES OF THE WICKED ONE. Is not the personality of the devil in the spirit of those who serve him? The Christian right believe that there is at least something to be done in the politics of this and other nations of this world, in the educational programs of this world, in the establishment of religious standards for this world, in its fashions, philosophies, and economics.
Yet wrestling with these present inadequate standards that govern, the Christian right has all come short of removing the lies and corruption ruling in the vast majority of human HEARTS. We are rather devoted to a HIGHER GOVERNMENT, a spiritual government hidden in the unseen, one held together by not one lie nor any killing. Somehow it must sink into Christian thinking that the governments of men are one and all PRODUCTS OF RELIGIOUS MEN WITH CARNAL MINDS. The devilish spirit that controls patriotic men in the earth is powerful and must be considered at every turn.
Some Americans have been taught to believe that our present political system, democracy, or republicanism, is somehow an expression of the kingdom of God simply because it was formed into a country by mostly religious Christian men. But Christians should not be busy trying to preserve and perpetuate this passing order of imperfection. It is so full of flaws that it is steadily disintegrating into corruption before our very eyes, as God demonstrates for all to see:
“Be not loving the world, neither that which is in the world. If ever anyone is loving the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for everything that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of living, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing by, and its desire, yet he who is doing the will of God is remaining for the eon.” I John 2:15-17 concordant
Many Christians still hope that our present political system has the integrity and wisdom to solve the immense problems facing our planet. The nations are increasingly weakening, forming depraved societies with explosive personal situations. Surely, think we, the Democrats or Republicans will come up with the answer! Certainly a Reagan, or a Bush, or an Obama, or a Kennedy is what this nation and the world needs to stabilize its path. If only we could elect enough conservatives, or liberals, or the “right” Christians!
How many Christians have swarmed to the polls around here to vote for some candidate they were led to believe in by propaganda? The candidate’s shrewdly managed techniques created an image that was billed as a good honest politician, not too conservative nor religious, but someone who cares about our problems.
They only awaken later to the unvarnished reality that that POLITICIAN is likely to be corrupted by other politicians who dominate. Their thinking becomes more and more like the very system that is producing the problems and, wrestling for influencing control, they find they must COMPROMISE with the ruling factors of this age. This is, truthfully, as scripture declares:
“…under the power of the wicked one..”
We should now willingly allow Our Father's Heavenly Kingdom, our Father’s spiritual government, to become established WITHIN OUR EARTHLY BODIES. His government will first awaken our spirit, then teach about God’s Spirit until we are “renewed in mind” to make advancement in spiritual matters, overcoming the influence and power of the wicked one in heavenly spheres.
We are taking an understanding walk with God into a maturity, a higher spiritual understanding not controlled by the wicked one in any way. Christians are not to be controlled by a government of lies or work for any half truths mixed with the beastly ambitions of the natural minded man.
While in the earth, we Christians should have the Spirit of God separating us from all of man’s hidden agendas and selfish desires. God is able to expose every false hope, every greedy ambition, every offensive action, every cross word, false prophecy, broken commitment, and forgotten involvements. His Spirit, the spirit of Christ, is releasing us from forming a bond with the powers of sin in those governmental organizations that hold us to realms of frustration and death! We have been FREED TO FOLLOW THE LORD, and are found applying HIS judgment to the things happening in the world and the church world around us.
POLITICS— the political process of the United States (or any other country)— is a reflection of the voting masses of carnal minded citizens whose thoughts are determined by present circumstances. Candidates are promoted by propaganda, deceit, image building, shrewdness, and compromising power struggles with worldly men as their standard business methods. These are not God’s ways.
Yet God directs earthly governments to help the poor, provide peace, and justice for all that is based on and in compliance with the teachings of His Word and Spirit. Christian involvement in politics should be a product of the Spirit of God leading them, from their hearts, to help poor people. That is the message from the Lord Jesus.
BOARD MEETINGS — What authority does any Board member of your church or denomination have over God’s appointed ministers? Does money control the church? Do meetings take place as the Spirit of God would direct? Do board members really know what God wants to do with the fellowship? Or do they use the board discussion to benefit their cases with convincing arguments to gain 51% of the vote to control what they want?
ORGANIZATION — Was the organizational structure of today’s church systems produced by the sovereign headship of Jesus Christ? Does it function as a living expression of the Spirit, with gifts and ministries given to the true body of Christ for its edification and perfection? Or has it been fashioned by men out of their own traditional efforts to organize God’s people into some unscriptural standards from unscriptural beliefs, loaded with “boards” and “board members” and “committees” and “presidents” and “vice-presidents” and “superintendents” etc. etc., ALL patterned after the order of worldly organizations and institutions?
PASTORS — Were the elders and/or pastors of your church raised up and established by God in their ministries to provide guidance to the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit? Or were they ‘voted in by the sheep’ through a ‘democratic’ voting process? Many church systems are ruled by a hierarchy of church officials who hold the power to place who is in and out, just like other worldly institutions! Nowhere in New Testament scriptures were the ministry gifts of Jesus “placed” into effect by a board because they had supernatural unction given of the Holy Spirit!
MEETINGS — Are our meetings conducted under the Headship of Jesus Christ, led by the anointing of the Holy Spirit with each member of the body free to contribute to the mutual edification and growth of the one body as moved upon by the Spirit?
"What, then, is it, brethren? Whenever you may be coming together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a language, has a translation. Let all occur to edification." I Corinthian 14:26-27 concordant
Or, do we, like most American Christians, just sit back in comfortable seats facing a platform, as in a theatre, and watch the ‘show’ put on by the ‘pastor,’ the ‘song leader,’ the ‘worship team, and “choir” from the stage?
“Now He, answering, said, "‘He Who is sowing the ideal seed is the Son of Mankind. Now the field is the world. Now the ideal seed, these are the sons of the kingdom. Now the darnel are the sons of the wicked one. Now the enemy who sows them is the Adversary. Now the harvest is the conclusion of the eon. Now the reapers are messengers. Even as the darnel, then, are being culled and burned up with fire, thus shall it be in the conclusion of the eon.
The Son of Mankind shall be dispatching His messengers, and they shall be culling out of His kingdom all the snares and those doing lawlessness, and they shall be casting them into a furnace of fire. There shall be lamentation and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the just be shining out as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matthew 13:37-43 concordant
Christians taught a natural interpretation of the book of Revelation have taken statements about the conclusion of this age and have painted some very lurid and frightening pictures of war, judgment, and holocaust which they say will destroy this earth and bring the END OF THE WORLD! These very thoughts strike terror into the human heart.
The Wuest Expanded Translation of Matthew 13 reads:
“And the harvest is the consummation of the age, and the harvesters are angels [messengers]. Even as therefore the bastard wheat is gathered and is burned in the fire, thus shall it be at the consummation of the age. The Son of man shall send His angels on a mission, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all those who create stumbling blocks for others, and those who practice lawlessness.”
The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament gives a literal, word by word, translation from the Greek:
“And the enemy who sowed them is the devil; and the harvest [the] completion of the age is, and the harvest men angels are. As therefore is gathered the darnel, and in fire is consumed, thus it shall be in the completion of this age.”
So you can stop looking for the sudden destruction of this planet. Begin looking, instead, for the destruction of false ideas about the scripture for what is really about to happen in God’s people. It is the closing, conclusion, consummation, and completion of the salvation of Jesus Christ in His people. This is the FULL SALVATION not available in the PENTECOSTAL AGE MIXED WITH MAN’S IDEAS.
God is gathering everything that offends heaven out of us. There are cleansed places to worship God in spirit and truth. God has made us fit into places that keep the spiritual Feast of Tabernacles. This Feast has within the full fruit of the spirit to abide within us, reigning over all past shortcomings. All unrighteousness, every darkness, every bondage broken, is dealt with as they have their death swallowed up of God’s Life.
God’s Spirit keeps showing, unveiling the coming King of NEW HEAVENS who is forming a NEW EARTH in which God rules in righteousness. This brings the blessings of God upon all the families of the earth as heaven and earth belong to God. One thing we should realize is that not only is Satan a great DECEIVER, but he himself and his servants are totally DECEIVED. He would not oppose God if he knew what he was doing.
Jesus still prays and intercedes for us with prayers asking forgiveness: “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Somehow the devil is deceived by the very lies which he tells, duped by the very deception which he propagates. Our heavenly Father is the creator of the whole vast universe. As Isaiah states, “He forms light, and creates darkness: He makes peace and creates evil,” and as such is its present ruler. The scriptures make this very plain:
“The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” Daniel 4:17-25
The evil one also serves God, in that measure of power which GOD has ceded to him. God has allowed it, in fact, God ordained it so! The serpent, the devil, Satan, the dragon is like God’s dog on a leash. He can only go as far as the master permits and purposes. Christians do not serve a puny little God who is weak, so timid that He runs from Satan’s every appearance.
God is, has always been, and always shall be, the supreme ruler of the universe. The prince of darkness has power in the earth only by concession, in order to bring about what God has decreed shall be. Yet, now Christ Jesus is king of a heavenly Jerusalem in which He has all power and NOW has come a time to display it to those who follow Him:
“All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18
“ALL power” means “all power.” The earthly opposition to Jesus’s rule even went so far as to crucify the future King, the Prince of Peace. But that seeming defeat for Jesus’s cause was the signal victory! On the third day that crucified One arose from the tomb, thus breaking the power of death's sway and bringing life and immortality to light, a full deliverance of body, soul, and spirit.
God raised Him up, filled His spirit, soul, and body with Life that dismissed death. He arose to a dimension that sends forth a call to every child of God to arise from the bondages of death's clutches. We trust in what He says, what He is showing us by spirit because:
“Verily, verily, I am saying to you that he who is hearing My word and believing Him Who sends Me, has life eonian and is not coming into judging, but has proceeded out of death into life. Verily, verily, I am saying to you that coming is an hour, and now is, when the dead shall be hearing the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall be living.
For even as the Father has life in Himself, thus to the Son also He gives to have life in Himself. And He gives Him authority to do judging, seeing that He is a son of mankind. Marvel not at this, for coming is the hour in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and those who do good shall go out into a resurrection of life, yet those who commit bad things, into a resurrection of judging.” John 5:24-29 concordant
We trust God to be true to those who hear His voice and come out into a resurrection of life, freed from vanity, free to know God as He is, as a member of His family:
“For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory about to be revealed for [in] us. For the premonition of the creation is awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God. For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God." Romans 8:18-20 concordant