Post by Paddy by Grace on Jan 27, 2009 12:57:21 GMT -7
Israel1 sent this to me in pm a while back and this will be it's home for all of you that need some help. God is raising up an army of Prayer Warriors. He has been for a long time now, but it is even more urgent than ever before. All one has to do is look at what is going on everywhere in the world to see why. Read this and then Join the Army! Raise up a mighty shout unto Our Lord! IT IS TIME!!!!!
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Beloved Prayer Warriors, In this post I hope to give you some ammunition and knowledge, in dealing with the Strongman. Hosea 4:6 says : " My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge " . I SAY : Lord, let it not be so with us...
So, Here are some instructions and hints, to help all those willing to go the distance, and allow God to use them in the office of Prayer Warrior. All of what I'm about to reveal has been tried and tested, and found to be useful...
May the Lord of Light, open ours eyes that we may fight the good fight of faith, and set the captives free.
Let's start with these scriptures :
Ephesians 6:10-12 ... Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS MIGHT. 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.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Now in seeing that the scriptures are definitely speaking of the spiritual realm, not the natural, the Prayer Warriors fight is also in the spiritual, and not the natural. The things mentioned are all of one, just different aspects of the one. The Prince of the power of the air, that is : head of all principalities, powers they have, which is deemed wickedness. The HEAD of these, are non other than Satan himself.
Let's break this down some...: Principalities :
Noah Webster's Dictionary
1. (n.) A territory ruled by a prince or sovereignty; hence, superiority; predominance; high, or the highest, station.
2. (n.) A prince; one invested with sovereignty.
3. (n.) The territory or jurisdiction of a prince; or the country which gives title to a prince; as, the principality of Wales.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINCIPALITY
prin-si-pal'-i-ti: In the Old Testament the word occurs but once (Jeremiah 13:18, "your principalities shall come down"). Here the King James Version margin "head tires" is properly preferred by the Revised Version (British and American) for mera'ashoth (from ro'sh, "head"), "head-parts."
In the New Testament "principality" occurs for arche, "rule," generally in the plural, referring
(a) to men in authority (Titus 3:1, "Put them in mind to be subject (the King James Version; "in subjection," the Revised Version (British and American)) to principalities (the King James Version; "rulers," the Revised Version (British and American)), and powers" (the King James Version; "to authorities," the Revised Version (British and American));
(b) to superhuman agencies, angelic or demonic (Romans 8:38 Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:12 Colossians 1:16; Colossians 2:10, 15). Paul was keenly sensible of the dualism of mind and body and of the law in his members warring against the law of his mind (Romans 7:23), and of the temporary victory of the evil, residing in the flesh, over the good of the spirit (Romans 7:14).
This dualism was objectified in Zoroastrianism, and among the Babylonians the several heavenly bodies were regarded as ruled by spirits, some good, some evil. The same belief, appropriated by the Jews during the captivity, appears also in Greek thought, as e.g. in Plato and later in the Stoics. The higher spheres, which hold the even tenor of their way, were in general regarded as ruled by good spirits; but in the sublunar sphere, to which the earth belongs, ill-regulated motions prevail, which must be due to evil spirits. The perversities of human conduct, in particular, thwarting, as was thought, the simple, intelligible divine plan, were held to be subject to rebellious powers offering defiance to God. While Paul clearly recognized a hierarchy of such powers (Colossians 1:16, "thrones or dominions or principalities or powers"), it is not certain that he had elaborated a system of eons to serve the purposes of metaphysical theology and ethics, such as appears among the Gnostics, although they evidently believed they were developing his thought. In 1 Corinthians 2:6 he repudiates the wisdom of this world (aion) and of the rulers of this world aion), and declares (Ephesians 6:12) that the Christian has to contend with "the world-rulers of this darkness," and proclaims the triumph of Christ over "the principalities and the powers" in the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 2:15). The same personification of such agencies or powers appears also in another passage, where the rendering of English Versions of the Bible obscures it (Ephesians 1:20, 21 "when he raised him (Christ) from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all (read "every") rule (Revised Version; "principality," the King James Version), and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world (aion), but also in that which is to come"). Not the least interesting passage is Ephesians 3:10, where the church is said to be the means of revealing to "the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places" "the manifold wisdom of God."
Now a principality is likened unto a say, in our present understanding in the natural, a Governor, over a state. Or, has rule, over a state. In this command, there are many lesser authorities under that rule, that has their own limited rule ( like mayors, down to police ). Power, upon power, goes to the head of the controlling area. Now even the Governor, has controlling powers above him, going on up to the President. Now in the spiritual realm, we can see that the "president", is like unto Satan. The Prince of the power of the air. The Prince of the power of the air, is controlling all the lesser powers under him.
We can gain some insight by reading the warfare going on in the heavens in Daniel 10 th. Chapter. Daniel was fasting and seeking a revelation from God. Verse 12 we see that as SOON as Daniel began seeking the Lord, the answer was on the way, but, the angel of the Lord was hindered by spiritual warfare ( angels fighting angels ). In reading this chapter, we can glean a lot of how things are in operation in the heavens. We see a Prince that had rule over Persia, that tried to stop the answer from getting to Daniel. Thus, re-enforcements were called in, so the answer could come forth.
These lesser powers, are ones we "usually" wrestle with.
Very seldom do we have to deal with THE prince ( well, for now ). But, in the course of our warfare, we deal with the lesser, those called the Strongman.
Here is a short cut for me....an answer to a question regarding Proverbs 21:22 . A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
I believe , in short, that this verse ( surely a spiritual nugget ), is saying : Why mess with the fruit, when you can cut down the tree.
It is about thought patterns. The evil ones , whether through whispers in the mind, or, through people, enter thoughts that are perversions of the purity of Gods mind. If ONE of these thoughts become enticing, and gains root in the mind, it gives entrance to other thoughts of perverse nature, and eventually a network of perverse thoughts are built. These thought patterns gain strength. We are admonished to be firmly " rooted and grounded in Gods Word ". These perverse thought patterns, however, if given leeway, will become rooted and grounded. Now that said, the Wisdom of Proverbs 21:22 is thus :
It isn't the fruit (evidence) we need to deal with. It is the confidence of the tree. Or, the thought patterns, being evident, can be eliminated, by, dealing with the POWER of the thoughts projected ! KJV says : A wise man scaleth the city OF THE MIGHTY, and CASTETH DOWN the strength of the confidence thereof. ( thank God for the KJV because it isn't so diluted ! ). The STRENGTH is the POWER of the deception. In Ephesians 6:12 , we read : 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.
This said, we see that the STRENGTH of the confidence , is a power, maintained by evil spirits of perverted thoughts.
Thus, we go after the spirit, the strongman ! The one with the power ! Without doing that FIRST....we cannot prevail against the thought patterns. The confidence of those thought patterns, MUST be dealt with , before the Word can replace it !
Jesus also puts this into perspective in Luke 11:21, when He was accused of casting out demons ( evil spirits ) by the power of Satan.
" When a strongman armed , keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace : But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherin he trusted, and divideth his spoils ".
Saints, it is the POWERS that enforce the thoughts of evil. Spiritual wickness in high places. So, when we do spiritual warfare, we deal with these evil spirits, these strongmen, and bring down the confidence of the lesser spirits that have whispered lies and deceit, building a fortress in the mind of the captive.
WE are stronger than the Strongman saints ! WE have been anointed to reveal that JESUS now has control in the heavens and in earth : Matthew 28:18 ... And Jesus came and spake unto them saying : All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth ". WE as the body of Christ, here in this natural world, have the power over ALL the power of the enemy ! WE are to show this power ( Ephesians 3:10 ... To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be know BY THE CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God. ) !
1st. Peter 5 : 8 , 9 Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.
Acts 26 : 18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to Light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.
Luke 10 : 19 Behold I give unto you Power to tread on serpents, and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy : and NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU !!!
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So, now we see that our portion is to combat the evil influences in the heavenly. But... how ?
Saints, EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS, even if you are not a seasoned warrior ! Every time a saint prays, that person is doing warfare ! The angels of the Lord hears, and go into action. There are, however , ways to make your Warfare much more powerful !
Now you can say what you want, but you will never get far by using YOUR thinking ! Even Jesus used the Word when Satan came to Him ! Ya GOT to have the Sword of the Spirit imbedded in you ! This is without controversy. It is written......It is written......IT IS WRITTEN !!! Find the right scriptures, and keep reading them intil they become a part of you . Then, when contending, USE THEM !
Saints, when we are weak in the flesh, we become STRONG in the spirit ! Way too many prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, because of lack of faith ! Here this rebuke and admonishment from the lips of Jesus :
Matthew 17:14-21
And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son : for he is a lunatick, and sore vexed : for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water, and I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you ? How long shall I suffer you ? Bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil ; and he departed out of him : and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out And Jesus said unto them : Because of your unbelief : for verily I say unto you , If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove ; and NOTHING shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Now let's look at this carefully : First, the disciples had been going around casting out devils. They hadn't had a problem . All of a sudden, they run into an obstacle of faith. A STRONGMAN ! Even with more than one disciple, together, they couldn't do anything with this problem.
Looking at the prayer life, and fasting life of Jesus, we see that He was ALWAYS prepared to come against the principalities, powers, and evils of the spiritual realm. So when He confronted this Powerful principality (mountain ), He had no problem.
Jesus challenged the Faith of the disciples, then gave advise of how to BUILD up this faith to the point of being effectual ! PRAYER and FASTING ! Getting more in touch with the spiritual realm...
One more thing : Jesus called the spiritual force a MOUNTAIN ! No, He was not talking about a hunk of dirt ! The whole teaching and expression was about confronting SPIRITUAL . He could have just as easily said Principality.
Ephesians 6:12 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.
And again in Ephesians 2 : 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the Power of the air, the SPIRIT that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
So, we see the same disciples, that has been WITH Jesus, seeing all the miracles, wonders and signs, already has cast out devils, and healed the sick, now with A LACK OF FAITH. Was it a situation like as unto Peter walking on the water ? Suddenly disbelieving because of what the NATURAL eye was seeing ? I think so. Some of the confrontations of Satanic oppressions seem much too much, IN THE NATURAL WAY OF LOOKING !!! Thank God, that through fasting and prayer, we can dig a little deeper, and find FAITH in time of need ! HALLELUIAH !!! So I want to encourage you saints, to dig a little deeper, and find the FAITH it takes to overcome the obstacles the Prince of the power of the air, confronts you with !
Let ALL of the promises of God be : YEA, and AMEN !!!
When we get tired of not being able to walk as Jesus, talk as Jesus, do as Jesus, then let us get serious enough to DIG A LITTLE DEEPER ...
DENY the flesh, and take on the spiritual...
FASTING :
When The Holy Spirit finally got my attention, He gave me a hunger for His Word, and everything I read I took it to heart. During this time I was blessed with finding out the importance of fasting. The denial of the flesh has in itself many benefits. Here are some I experienced :
First, I found out discipline. All my life the fulfilling of the lust of the flesh is the only thing I had known. When I was hungry, I ate. When I was thirsty, I drank. Going without these I found to be completely contrary to what I knew, and believe me, my flesh put up a terrific battle ! When those hunger pangs start, everything of the flesh cries out : Food, food, food !!! The hunger pangs go away after about the 4th. day, thank God, but to get to that point sometimes take a few times of trying and failing. I started with one day and graduated. The longest time i have fasted at one time is 10 days ( I think, it may have been more, because I lost track about then ). All fasting is good, even if for one meal, but, you experience much more AFTER 4 days.
In fasting after 4 days, when the hunger pangs are gone, then you come to another benefit: Feeling the spirit inside you. Man what a blessing ! To actually be in touch with the life inside is quite an eye opener, and the longer you fast, the more prominent. In 7 plus days, it seems like you are spirit. You no longer feel flesh. There has been times that I felt supernaturally strong ( I was ) . Although my body was weak, an inner strength took over and every day that passed, I felt STRONGER ! I understand what it meant when I read when Jesus , after the baptism, coming back from being drove into the wilderness, came back " IN THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT ". Halleluiah !!!!
I have felt like, after 7 days, I could take one hand and snatch up a tree and throw it.
Another great benefit is that the Word becomes more intense, more alive ! Revelations come forth, because the Word is Spirit, and you are in touch with the spiritual realm. Your thinking becomes different, because you aren't thinking of fulfilling the lust of the flesh...
PRAYER LIFE : Wow !!! Talking about speaking straight to God ! I remember during a time of fasting, praying seemed to be so religious, repetitive, that I asked God to give me a deeper prayer life, and that is when I began " travail of the spirit ". The spirit would double me over, groaning, praying for things beyond MY understanding, sometimes for hours...
The importance of fasting is beyond any words I can come up with...
If you want a deeper walk with God, fast.
Now let's go a little deeper : Those that have a "prayer language" that goes beyond YOUR mind......ya need to use it !
Build Yourself Up !
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves, on your most HOLY faith, praying in the Holy Ghost ( Jude 20 )
There was a time that, after I came to the fullness of the understanding of this scripture, I didn't want to pray in the prayer language, because I wanted to know just exactly what I was praying about, and knew the spirit was praying in the perfect understanding, going PAST my mind...
That was a time of great trials, of which I was pretty tired of, and knew the spirit would just keep me in them. Thank God I finally came around to Gods way of thinking, and welcomed the intercession.
Many gifts are given , mostly for the edification of the saints, but this gift is mainly for the building up of the believers PERSONAL relationship with God, and the things that are to confront us in the spiritual realm that we know little of how to combat.
This kind of praying give instant benefits, and benefits that are to come. It is in FAITH, because one has to TRUST God and His Wisdom and ability to work things out...even though we know the praying could be putting trials on us.
Romans 8 : 26, 27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities : for we know not what we should pray for as we ought : but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the HEARTS, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
My heart cries out to those that have this gift, saying, don't allow it to become stagnant : Utilize it daily !
So in our battles, we ourselves, need to use this great gift from the Holy Spirit, to strengthen us .
Earlier, I mentioned "travailing in the spirit". I CANNOT EXPRESS ENOUGH THE EXTREME POWER IN THIS !!! It is the Spirit of the Lord inside us, when given leeway, praying for situations in the MOST PERFECT WAY. If you don't travail, when you are before the Lord in your prayer closet, ASK Jesus for this wonderful and effective gift . Devils will tremble as soon as you go into travail !!! Angels will immediately go into action !!! And things will be accomplished ! Halleluiah !!!
HALLELUIAH !!!
Saints, we all need to really consider the effect we, as the body of Christ, can have over this whole world.
St. Matthew 16 : 19 And I will give unto thee the KEYS of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth SHALL be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt LOOSE on earth SHALL be loosed in heaven.
Now each of us can fight alone, but believe me, it is SO MUCH BETTER if we join forces :
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ... Two are better than one ; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow : but woe to him that is alone when he falleth ; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat : but how can one be warm alone ? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him : and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Matthew 18:18-20 ... Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything, that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
Saints, the Lord is looking for some recruits ! Much to be done ! Satan is raking havoc in this world ! Let's step up to the plate ! Deny ourselves, and free Gods people !!!
WAR ! WAR ! WAR !!!
Spiritual Warfare I (updated version)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places...
Biblical Reference: Ephesians 6 : 12-18
The Enemy: an unseen, wicked, relentless, fierce, formidable, determined, and well organized "spiritual army of darkness" (bent on hindering God's plan on earth and striking the very heart of God, the dearest of his creation: humankind, thru deception and murder)
1. satan/lucifer, the fallen angel: the commander in chief of this "dark army"
2. the principalities
3. the powers
4. the rulers of the darkness of this age
5. the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places
Know your Enemy: The Abaddon
(Rev9:11) The Accuser of the Brethren
(Rev12:10) The Adversary
(1Pet5:8) The Angel of the Bottomless Pit
(Rev9:11) The Apollyon
(Rev9:11) Beelzebub
(Mat12:24, Mark3:22) Belial
(2Cor6:15, 2Sam23:6) The Devil
(Mat4:1) The Dragon
(Rev20:2) The God of This World
(2Cor4:4) Lucifer
(Isa14:12) The Murderer
(John8:44) The Father of Lies
(John8:44) The Prince of Demons
(Mat12:24) The Prince of the Power of the Air
(Eph2:2) The Prince of the World
(John14:30) The Roaring Lion
(1Pet5:8) The Ruler of Darkness
(Eph6:12) The Serpent
(Gen3:4, Rev20:2) The Tempter
(Mat4:3) The Unclean Spirit
(Mat12:43) The Wicked One
(Mat13:19) Our Weapons
(Illustrated by the Apostle Paul as a Typical, 1st century, Roman Soldier's Weaponry):
The Belt of Truth
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The Sandals of the Gospel of Peace
The Shield of Faith
The Helmet of Salvation The Sword of the Spirit (The Word of God)
Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit
Ephesians 6 : 12-18
Luke 10:20 ... Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you ; but rather rejoice , because your names are written in heaven.
HALLELUIAH !!! Soldiers of the Army of the Lord : CHARGE !!!
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Beloved Prayer Warriors, In this post I hope to give you some ammunition and knowledge, in dealing with the Strongman. Hosea 4:6 says : " My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge " . I SAY : Lord, let it not be so with us...
So, Here are some instructions and hints, to help all those willing to go the distance, and allow God to use them in the office of Prayer Warrior. All of what I'm about to reveal has been tried and tested, and found to be useful...
May the Lord of Light, open ours eyes that we may fight the good fight of faith, and set the captives free.
Let's start with these scriptures :
Ephesians 6:10-12 ... Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS MIGHT. 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.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Now in seeing that the scriptures are definitely speaking of the spiritual realm, not the natural, the Prayer Warriors fight is also in the spiritual, and not the natural. The things mentioned are all of one, just different aspects of the one. The Prince of the power of the air, that is : head of all principalities, powers they have, which is deemed wickedness. The HEAD of these, are non other than Satan himself.
Let's break this down some...: Principalities :
Noah Webster's Dictionary
1. (n.) A territory ruled by a prince or sovereignty; hence, superiority; predominance; high, or the highest, station.
2. (n.) A prince; one invested with sovereignty.
3. (n.) The territory or jurisdiction of a prince; or the country which gives title to a prince; as, the principality of Wales.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINCIPALITY
prin-si-pal'-i-ti: In the Old Testament the word occurs but once (Jeremiah 13:18, "your principalities shall come down"). Here the King James Version margin "head tires" is properly preferred by the Revised Version (British and American) for mera'ashoth (from ro'sh, "head"), "head-parts."
In the New Testament "principality" occurs for arche, "rule," generally in the plural, referring
(a) to men in authority (Titus 3:1, "Put them in mind to be subject (the King James Version; "in subjection," the Revised Version (British and American)) to principalities (the King James Version; "rulers," the Revised Version (British and American)), and powers" (the King James Version; "to authorities," the Revised Version (British and American));
(b) to superhuman agencies, angelic or demonic (Romans 8:38 Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:12 Colossians 1:16; Colossians 2:10, 15). Paul was keenly sensible of the dualism of mind and body and of the law in his members warring against the law of his mind (Romans 7:23), and of the temporary victory of the evil, residing in the flesh, over the good of the spirit (Romans 7:14).
This dualism was objectified in Zoroastrianism, and among the Babylonians the several heavenly bodies were regarded as ruled by spirits, some good, some evil. The same belief, appropriated by the Jews during the captivity, appears also in Greek thought, as e.g. in Plato and later in the Stoics. The higher spheres, which hold the even tenor of their way, were in general regarded as ruled by good spirits; but in the sublunar sphere, to which the earth belongs, ill-regulated motions prevail, which must be due to evil spirits. The perversities of human conduct, in particular, thwarting, as was thought, the simple, intelligible divine plan, were held to be subject to rebellious powers offering defiance to God. While Paul clearly recognized a hierarchy of such powers (Colossians 1:16, "thrones or dominions or principalities or powers"), it is not certain that he had elaborated a system of eons to serve the purposes of metaphysical theology and ethics, such as appears among the Gnostics, although they evidently believed they were developing his thought. In 1 Corinthians 2:6 he repudiates the wisdom of this world (aion) and of the rulers of this world aion), and declares (Ephesians 6:12) that the Christian has to contend with "the world-rulers of this darkness," and proclaims the triumph of Christ over "the principalities and the powers" in the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 2:15). The same personification of such agencies or powers appears also in another passage, where the rendering of English Versions of the Bible obscures it (Ephesians 1:20, 21 "when he raised him (Christ) from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all (read "every") rule (Revised Version; "principality," the King James Version), and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world (aion), but also in that which is to come"). Not the least interesting passage is Ephesians 3:10, where the church is said to be the means of revealing to "the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places" "the manifold wisdom of God."
Now a principality is likened unto a say, in our present understanding in the natural, a Governor, over a state. Or, has rule, over a state. In this command, there are many lesser authorities under that rule, that has their own limited rule ( like mayors, down to police ). Power, upon power, goes to the head of the controlling area. Now even the Governor, has controlling powers above him, going on up to the President. Now in the spiritual realm, we can see that the "president", is like unto Satan. The Prince of the power of the air. The Prince of the power of the air, is controlling all the lesser powers under him.
We can gain some insight by reading the warfare going on in the heavens in Daniel 10 th. Chapter. Daniel was fasting and seeking a revelation from God. Verse 12 we see that as SOON as Daniel began seeking the Lord, the answer was on the way, but, the angel of the Lord was hindered by spiritual warfare ( angels fighting angels ). In reading this chapter, we can glean a lot of how things are in operation in the heavens. We see a Prince that had rule over Persia, that tried to stop the answer from getting to Daniel. Thus, re-enforcements were called in, so the answer could come forth.
These lesser powers, are ones we "usually" wrestle with.
Very seldom do we have to deal with THE prince ( well, for now ). But, in the course of our warfare, we deal with the lesser, those called the Strongman.
Here is a short cut for me....an answer to a question regarding Proverbs 21:22 . A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
I believe , in short, that this verse ( surely a spiritual nugget ), is saying : Why mess with the fruit, when you can cut down the tree.
It is about thought patterns. The evil ones , whether through whispers in the mind, or, through people, enter thoughts that are perversions of the purity of Gods mind. If ONE of these thoughts become enticing, and gains root in the mind, it gives entrance to other thoughts of perverse nature, and eventually a network of perverse thoughts are built. These thought patterns gain strength. We are admonished to be firmly " rooted and grounded in Gods Word ". These perverse thought patterns, however, if given leeway, will become rooted and grounded. Now that said, the Wisdom of Proverbs 21:22 is thus :
It isn't the fruit (evidence) we need to deal with. It is the confidence of the tree. Or, the thought patterns, being evident, can be eliminated, by, dealing with the POWER of the thoughts projected ! KJV says : A wise man scaleth the city OF THE MIGHTY, and CASTETH DOWN the strength of the confidence thereof. ( thank God for the KJV because it isn't so diluted ! ). The STRENGTH is the POWER of the deception. In Ephesians 6:12 , we read : 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.
This said, we see that the STRENGTH of the confidence , is a power, maintained by evil spirits of perverted thoughts.
Thus, we go after the spirit, the strongman ! The one with the power ! Without doing that FIRST....we cannot prevail against the thought patterns. The confidence of those thought patterns, MUST be dealt with , before the Word can replace it !
Jesus also puts this into perspective in Luke 11:21, when He was accused of casting out demons ( evil spirits ) by the power of Satan.
" When a strongman armed , keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace : But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherin he trusted, and divideth his spoils ".
Saints, it is the POWERS that enforce the thoughts of evil. Spiritual wickness in high places. So, when we do spiritual warfare, we deal with these evil spirits, these strongmen, and bring down the confidence of the lesser spirits that have whispered lies and deceit, building a fortress in the mind of the captive.
WE are stronger than the Strongman saints ! WE have been anointed to reveal that JESUS now has control in the heavens and in earth : Matthew 28:18 ... And Jesus came and spake unto them saying : All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth ". WE as the body of Christ, here in this natural world, have the power over ALL the power of the enemy ! WE are to show this power ( Ephesians 3:10 ... To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be know BY THE CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God. ) !
1st. Peter 5 : 8 , 9 Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.
Acts 26 : 18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to Light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.
Luke 10 : 19 Behold I give unto you Power to tread on serpents, and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy : and NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU !!!
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So, now we see that our portion is to combat the evil influences in the heavenly. But... how ?
Saints, EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS, even if you are not a seasoned warrior ! Every time a saint prays, that person is doing warfare ! The angels of the Lord hears, and go into action. There are, however , ways to make your Warfare much more powerful !
Now you can say what you want, but you will never get far by using YOUR thinking ! Even Jesus used the Word when Satan came to Him ! Ya GOT to have the Sword of the Spirit imbedded in you ! This is without controversy. It is written......It is written......IT IS WRITTEN !!! Find the right scriptures, and keep reading them intil they become a part of you . Then, when contending, USE THEM !
Saints, when we are weak in the flesh, we become STRONG in the spirit ! Way too many prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, because of lack of faith ! Here this rebuke and admonishment from the lips of Jesus :
Matthew 17:14-21
And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son : for he is a lunatick, and sore vexed : for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water, and I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you ? How long shall I suffer you ? Bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil ; and he departed out of him : and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out And Jesus said unto them : Because of your unbelief : for verily I say unto you , If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove ; and NOTHING shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Now let's look at this carefully : First, the disciples had been going around casting out devils. They hadn't had a problem . All of a sudden, they run into an obstacle of faith. A STRONGMAN ! Even with more than one disciple, together, they couldn't do anything with this problem.
Looking at the prayer life, and fasting life of Jesus, we see that He was ALWAYS prepared to come against the principalities, powers, and evils of the spiritual realm. So when He confronted this Powerful principality (mountain ), He had no problem.
Jesus challenged the Faith of the disciples, then gave advise of how to BUILD up this faith to the point of being effectual ! PRAYER and FASTING ! Getting more in touch with the spiritual realm...
One more thing : Jesus called the spiritual force a MOUNTAIN ! No, He was not talking about a hunk of dirt ! The whole teaching and expression was about confronting SPIRITUAL . He could have just as easily said Principality.
Ephesians 6:12 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.
And again in Ephesians 2 : 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the Power of the air, the SPIRIT that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
So, we see the same disciples, that has been WITH Jesus, seeing all the miracles, wonders and signs, already has cast out devils, and healed the sick, now with A LACK OF FAITH. Was it a situation like as unto Peter walking on the water ? Suddenly disbelieving because of what the NATURAL eye was seeing ? I think so. Some of the confrontations of Satanic oppressions seem much too much, IN THE NATURAL WAY OF LOOKING !!! Thank God, that through fasting and prayer, we can dig a little deeper, and find FAITH in time of need ! HALLELUIAH !!! So I want to encourage you saints, to dig a little deeper, and find the FAITH it takes to overcome the obstacles the Prince of the power of the air, confronts you with !
Let ALL of the promises of God be : YEA, and AMEN !!!
When we get tired of not being able to walk as Jesus, talk as Jesus, do as Jesus, then let us get serious enough to DIG A LITTLE DEEPER ...
DENY the flesh, and take on the spiritual...
FASTING :
When The Holy Spirit finally got my attention, He gave me a hunger for His Word, and everything I read I took it to heart. During this time I was blessed with finding out the importance of fasting. The denial of the flesh has in itself many benefits. Here are some I experienced :
First, I found out discipline. All my life the fulfilling of the lust of the flesh is the only thing I had known. When I was hungry, I ate. When I was thirsty, I drank. Going without these I found to be completely contrary to what I knew, and believe me, my flesh put up a terrific battle ! When those hunger pangs start, everything of the flesh cries out : Food, food, food !!! The hunger pangs go away after about the 4th. day, thank God, but to get to that point sometimes take a few times of trying and failing. I started with one day and graduated. The longest time i have fasted at one time is 10 days ( I think, it may have been more, because I lost track about then ). All fasting is good, even if for one meal, but, you experience much more AFTER 4 days.
In fasting after 4 days, when the hunger pangs are gone, then you come to another benefit: Feeling the spirit inside you. Man what a blessing ! To actually be in touch with the life inside is quite an eye opener, and the longer you fast, the more prominent. In 7 plus days, it seems like you are spirit. You no longer feel flesh. There has been times that I felt supernaturally strong ( I was ) . Although my body was weak, an inner strength took over and every day that passed, I felt STRONGER ! I understand what it meant when I read when Jesus , after the baptism, coming back from being drove into the wilderness, came back " IN THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT ". Halleluiah !!!!
I have felt like, after 7 days, I could take one hand and snatch up a tree and throw it.
Another great benefit is that the Word becomes more intense, more alive ! Revelations come forth, because the Word is Spirit, and you are in touch with the spiritual realm. Your thinking becomes different, because you aren't thinking of fulfilling the lust of the flesh...
PRAYER LIFE : Wow !!! Talking about speaking straight to God ! I remember during a time of fasting, praying seemed to be so religious, repetitive, that I asked God to give me a deeper prayer life, and that is when I began " travail of the spirit ". The spirit would double me over, groaning, praying for things beyond MY understanding, sometimes for hours...
The importance of fasting is beyond any words I can come up with...
If you want a deeper walk with God, fast.
Now let's go a little deeper : Those that have a "prayer language" that goes beyond YOUR mind......ya need to use it !
Build Yourself Up !
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves, on your most HOLY faith, praying in the Holy Ghost ( Jude 20 )
There was a time that, after I came to the fullness of the understanding of this scripture, I didn't want to pray in the prayer language, because I wanted to know just exactly what I was praying about, and knew the spirit was praying in the perfect understanding, going PAST my mind...
That was a time of great trials, of which I was pretty tired of, and knew the spirit would just keep me in them. Thank God I finally came around to Gods way of thinking, and welcomed the intercession.
Many gifts are given , mostly for the edification of the saints, but this gift is mainly for the building up of the believers PERSONAL relationship with God, and the things that are to confront us in the spiritual realm that we know little of how to combat.
This kind of praying give instant benefits, and benefits that are to come. It is in FAITH, because one has to TRUST God and His Wisdom and ability to work things out...even though we know the praying could be putting trials on us.
Romans 8 : 26, 27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities : for we know not what we should pray for as we ought : but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the HEARTS, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
My heart cries out to those that have this gift, saying, don't allow it to become stagnant : Utilize it daily !
So in our battles, we ourselves, need to use this great gift from the Holy Spirit, to strengthen us .
Earlier, I mentioned "travailing in the spirit". I CANNOT EXPRESS ENOUGH THE EXTREME POWER IN THIS !!! It is the Spirit of the Lord inside us, when given leeway, praying for situations in the MOST PERFECT WAY. If you don't travail, when you are before the Lord in your prayer closet, ASK Jesus for this wonderful and effective gift . Devils will tremble as soon as you go into travail !!! Angels will immediately go into action !!! And things will be accomplished ! Halleluiah !!!
HALLELUIAH !!!
Saints, we all need to really consider the effect we, as the body of Christ, can have over this whole world.
St. Matthew 16 : 19 And I will give unto thee the KEYS of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth SHALL be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt LOOSE on earth SHALL be loosed in heaven.
Now each of us can fight alone, but believe me, it is SO MUCH BETTER if we join forces :
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ... Two are better than one ; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow : but woe to him that is alone when he falleth ; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat : but how can one be warm alone ? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him : and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Matthew 18:18-20 ... Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything, that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
Saints, the Lord is looking for some recruits ! Much to be done ! Satan is raking havoc in this world ! Let's step up to the plate ! Deny ourselves, and free Gods people !!!
WAR ! WAR ! WAR !!!
Spiritual Warfare I (updated version)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places...
Biblical Reference: Ephesians 6 : 12-18
The Enemy: an unseen, wicked, relentless, fierce, formidable, determined, and well organized "spiritual army of darkness" (bent on hindering God's plan on earth and striking the very heart of God, the dearest of his creation: humankind, thru deception and murder)
1. satan/lucifer, the fallen angel: the commander in chief of this "dark army"
2. the principalities
3. the powers
4. the rulers of the darkness of this age
5. the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places
Know your Enemy: The Abaddon
(Rev9:11) The Accuser of the Brethren
(Rev12:10) The Adversary
(1Pet5:8) The Angel of the Bottomless Pit
(Rev9:11) The Apollyon
(Rev9:11) Beelzebub
(Mat12:24, Mark3:22) Belial
(2Cor6:15, 2Sam23:6) The Devil
(Mat4:1) The Dragon
(Rev20:2) The God of This World
(2Cor4:4) Lucifer
(Isa14:12) The Murderer
(John8:44) The Father of Lies
(John8:44) The Prince of Demons
(Mat12:24) The Prince of the Power of the Air
(Eph2:2) The Prince of the World
(John14:30) The Roaring Lion
(1Pet5:8) The Ruler of Darkness
(Eph6:12) The Serpent
(Gen3:4, Rev20:2) The Tempter
(Mat4:3) The Unclean Spirit
(Mat12:43) The Wicked One
(Mat13:19) Our Weapons
(Illustrated by the Apostle Paul as a Typical, 1st century, Roman Soldier's Weaponry):
The Belt of Truth
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The Sandals of the Gospel of Peace
The Shield of Faith
The Helmet of Salvation The Sword of the Spirit (The Word of God)
Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit
Ephesians 6 : 12-18
Luke 10:20 ... Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you ; but rather rejoice , because your names are written in heaven.
HALLELUIAH !!! Soldiers of the Army of the Lord : CHARGE !!!
