Some time ago, I was given an article written by the English preacher Peter Masters entitled, “The Holy War.” It was a thought-provoking, well-written application of Ephesians 6:12 to the world of today. This morning’s message comes out of my considerations of that article. “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.”
It may have been ten or fifteen years, but long ago, I read several of the books of Frank Peretti. Peretti was born in Lethbridge, where I tried to pastor for a while. Then he moved to the State of Washington. Some of his stories sound like they come from our back yard, which makes them that much more real. In one I pictured Davenport or Reardon; in another it was somewhere on the Palouse. Those books were all about spirits, demons and anti-christs – the spirit world. Peretti has an Assembly of God background – he is a Pentecostal, so some of his theology is skewed. His understanding of salvation is faulty, so his evangelism is poor and misleading. But what about his presentation of demonism? Some of it sounds like hyperbole, but if we understand Ephesians 6:12, perhaps he was nearer the truth than most of the rest of Christian preachers.
Satan exists – there is such a thing as the Devil.
That there is a being whose sole purpose is evil, ungodly and anti-god, there should be no doubt. He is clearly exposed in the pages of God’s Word. There is a “wanted poster” contained in every Bible; it reveals his name and shows his picture. It also describes his past and his purpose. Sadly – very sadly – a lot of Christendom tends to allegorize what the Bible says about Satan. That is because it is a part of his purpose to cover his intentions.
From the beginning, when he was known by other names and with a different persona, it became Lucifer’s desire to replace Jehovah and to take over the rule and glory of God’s creation. And since the pinnacle of creation is man, a great deal of Satan’s attention has been on us. After drawing a third of God’s angels into his rebellion, he quickly approached Adam through Eve. From the beginning, his goal has been to bring down the human race, proving God’s failure and lack of authority. He brought about man’s fall by his lies, creating a race of rebels against the Lord. And if he can keep people in rebellion against God, then the Lord will appear to have failed. Of course this is impossible, but Satan, in his hatred, continues in his attempts to bring down Jehovah and wreck His handiwork.
But as I hope you understand, the Son of God has come, and has taken the punishment of sin for His elect, wrenching a few souls out of the hands and family of Satan. The human race will survive eternally in Christ’s people, and the devil will eventually be thwarted. But doubly enraged, and determined not to accept that he is defeated, Satan continues to attempt to bring down Christ’s people so that he can accuse them before God, and claim them for destruction. Satan doesn’t understand grace any better than those he has encouraged to become sinners. So the war rages on – battles are fought continually – matches to the death are waged constantly. And when the Christian doesn’t understand there is a battle, then he is doomed to defeat. Of course, the Lord’s saving grace will never be defeated, but individual Christians can and often are casualties and rendered incapable of further fighting. That is, they can no longer directly bring praise to their Redeemer.
Some Christians think that they can shrink away from the battle and live calm, peaceful lives. They don’t want to think about the hard aspects of the Christian life, and through spiritual disuse, they become weak, contributing nothing to the Lord’s glory. Paul writes – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.” “We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” The word “wrestle” means exactly what you might expect it to mean. We are in the midst of a hand-to-hand struggle where someone, or something, means to dominate and defeat us. We are like a pedestrian walking down a dark road toward home, when we are attacked by a mugger. But we wrestle not against people like ourselves, perhaps strong but with limitations similar to our own. We fight against a vast number of demons (fallen angels), under the orchestration of Satan. They are called “principalities,” “powers,” and “the rulers of the darkness of this world.” These bring super-human power against us, augmented by centuries of experience in tempting mankind. No Geneva Convention applies in this battle, and there are no rules barred. Lies, violence, deceit, dishonesty, disguise, affection, hatred – their arsenal is limitless. There is no mercy or compassion with the hosts of Satan, just hate, venom and malice, all designed to consume us for the shame of Jehovah.
What, precisely, are Satan’s aims?
We know that as far as believers are concerned, Satan wants to lure us into personal sin, unfaithfulness and faithlessness. He wants to break our fellowship with God, forcing us to loose our usefulness to Him. He wants to render this church incapable of serving God, rendering us powerless in winning souls. In attacking churches, Satan aims at perverting the Truth, bringing in what Paul calls “doctrines of demons.”
For centuries, the Devil has found general society an easy target. It is so easy to corrupt God-denying people, and then to elevate them into positions of leadership. It might be political leadership, or it could be educational and intellectual influence. Satan wins and enlists entertainers from just about every field – football players to actors and singers. Then through them, he brings an army of evil ideas and influences into society, despite what Godly churches might say trying to stop them. Satan wants American society to be filled with legal marijuana, atheism, homosexuality, unbelief and fear. In this he thinks he strikes a blow at Almighty God, further defiling the human race and offending its Creator
Paul reveals a little about the command structure of the devil’s army. He wants to impresses upon us the power which confronts us, showing us our need of divine help. He mentions principalities, powers and rulers, at the heart of whom is Satan as commander-in-chief. The Devil’s highest subordinates are “principalities.” which means – the first in line, or arch-demons. Jehovah has his archangels, Satan has his archdemons. This term suggests that these creatures, under Satan, help design his strategies and their implementation. In earthly terms, we may imagine senior generals, deciding what will be the most effective policies to achieve their ends in any particular region, in any specific age. They orchestrate it worldwide, deciding that in some regions they will employ scientific humanism, while in others they will promote Islam or some other false and soul-destroying religion. Every strategy is conceived with immense cunning, nothing being haphazard. Here it might be Mormonism, over there it could be Pentecostalism, but there it is Catholicism.
The second rank in the command structure is called “powers’” – meaning rulers of particular jurisdictions. It follows that these are not so much the planners but the regional enforcers of the policy. If high command determines that Islam will seize minds in one land, while Catholicism will consume souls in another, and atheism in yet another, then these “powers” will apply this policy. “Powers” implement locally the details of how people will be tempted, and how society will be dragged down into an increasingly debased condition. After “powers” we learn of “the rulers of the darkness of this world.” Evidently this is a level of command whose specific duty is to keep the people in spiritual blindness, dazzling them with alternatives – even by alternative beings. If people should be inclined to be religious, so that scientific humanism will not succeed with them, then “powers” will implement a works religion, or some sophisticated religious superstition. Perhaps it is some sort of New-age angel over here and astrology over there. “The rulers of darkness” arrange the darkness that will descend upon minds confusing them. The apostle also uses a term which would seem to sum up all the hosts of Satan, speaking of “spiritual wickedness in high places.” Literally, this means “above the sky” – in other words the realm of spirits – fallen angels – demons. There are vast numbers of these infantrymen in Satan’s army, constantly tempting, and implementing the policies of their superiors, and they are intensely cruel. There are likely more of these demons than saints of God upon the earth at any time – billions They have been humiliated by the victory of Christ on Calvary, but they will not accept that humiliation. In their fury and jealousy they are desperately determined to bring down society in order to bring down the saints and to destroy Christ’s churches, with ultimate purpose of bringing down Jehovah. These demons have been doing this for centuries, organizing the infiltration of sound churches by weak or corrupt influences, and persuading the unsaved world to reject God’ authority.
With this in mind Paul gives his exhortation.
“‘Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day.” In a sense, every age is an “evil day,” but Paul probably refers those periods when Satan’s officers launch his special and particularly vehement assaults. I believe that we are in one of those particularly evil days. There has never been a day when it was more necessary to put on the whole armor of God.
There are religious leaders who negatively popularize the name of Satan, but in doing so they promote him. By that I mean, there have been men who have popularized the idea of casting out demons. Some on their television shows and other media, have demonstrated how easy it is to cast out Satan. They stroll into a room, confront the supposedly demonized person and dismiss those who possess him. And then the happy, freed-man joyfully promises to bequeath his little fortune to the exorcist. The man made it appear so easy, sending demons packing with his casual, southern drawled command. But this approach absurdly underestimates the powers of darkness. We cannot play parlor games with the devil, approaching them nonchalantly and telling them what to do. Generally speaking, while the humble exorcist proudly went about his business, the demons made a fool of him. Most of those Charismatics of the 80’s and 90’s were filled with a hundred other heresies. Perhaps with Satan’s permission they actually did cast out a few demons, but their victims then fell pray to those other heresies. Things like baptismal regeneration, temporary salvation, a faulty and infallible Christ. The Lord Jesus spoke of this sort of thing in Matthew 12 – “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” Even in exposing Satan, the Devil often has his own way. Most Christians underestimate Satan, so he goes on his way with victory after victory.
We need to be very cautious with the powers of darkness. We do not have to be terrified of them, because Christ will protect His saints. The soul of the saint is in no eternal danger from any of Satan’s “principalities” and “powers.” But we still have to be careful of them, vicious and hateful as they are, praying for help and deliverance from their temptations, and not attempting face-to-face confrontation. We combat the demons of hell not by speaking to them, shouting at them or commanding them. They are defeated when we submit ourselves to Christ, who alone has the power to defeat them. We withstand them by praying for strength to resist personal temptation; by teaching the Word as clearly as we possibly can; and by exhorting and admonishing one another with love and patience. And we need to warn the unsaved about sin and the world’s spiritual tempters.
Even though our little church is an insignificant part of the battle for the Lord’s glory, we ARE a part of it. And therefore Satan has ordained some of his “powers” to work upon us – as a church and as individuals. Together, they would love for us to become even less spiritual and more secular and worldly. I was talking to one of my neighbors the other day. This family attends one of the local mega-churches – one where contemporary music is performed. As we chatted, it was suggested that I bring my grand-daughter to the father/daughter dance which was to be held at the church. When the camel gets his nose in the tent, you can expect the rest of the camel eventually. Christian dance should not be a surprise once Christian rap or Christian rock-and-roll have entered. Where will it stop? Christian beauty pageants? Christian tattoo parlors in the church building? The fence must be built early and guarded faithfully or a whole herd of camels will be getting in.
Satan wants us to stop preaching the gospel; so he pushes our attentions toward other subjects. He would love for us to focus on prophecy if it meant our neglect of propitiation. He will encourage the preaching rules of law, if it will mean less preaching on regeneration. And he loves for us to focus on the constitution, if it keeps us from preaching conversion to Christ.
Christians need to realize that the hosts of darkness watch us closely. We are watched as individuals, and some monitoring demon soon notes if we neglect areas of worship and devotion, passing on to his superiors that we are vulnerable. Soon we will be manipulated into some inappropriate, sinful pursuit, until eventually it takes hold of us and rules our life.
Christians must never forget that they are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” When we first entered this world, it was as citizens of Satan’s family, society and kingdom. When we are born again, we are plucked away from him with the divine purpose “to show forth the praises of our Redeemer.” And that cannot be done while crawling back to Satan’s world and ways. How can we walk with one foot in the world, and the other in the kingdom of Christ? We are not strong enough to compromise with worldly things and remain unaffected. Our old, pre-conversion tastes and ways will soon ruin our new spiritual walk, and make us weak believers who make no real progress, and who cannot be used by the Lord. Christ wants us to be different from the world, and every minute of compromise gives him great offence.
There may be someone here who has scoffed at much of what I have said this morning. That is completely understandable, if you are still under the delusions of Satan. Laughing at the doctrine of Satan is the doctrine of Satan. Snickering at the Biblical doctrine of the Devil, is snickering at the Bible and its divine Author. And that, my friend, is evidence of your lost soul – your condemnation.
The first step to understanding the Devil is freedom from his control. Christ Jesus was speaking to a group of His earthly country-men who were laughing at His lesson the way that some would laugh at mine. You can read of this in John 8:31-36, but I’m going to paraphrase that conversation to make it mesh with the rest of this message. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which refused to believe what he was saying, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We are not Satan’s slaves, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the slave of sin. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
We come into this world slaves of Satan and slaves of sin. Christ came into the world that we might have life and freedom from that slavery. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” What are these times of refreshing? Among other things, it will include the destruction of Satan and those who slavishly serve him. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” – delivered. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Beginning with “the helmet of salvation.” Will you not bow before the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith?