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Spiritual Warfare
Few topics have more varying beliefs than that of spiritual warfare. Some deny the existence of any supernatural opponent, while others exalt Satan into a rival god. And you’ll find anything in between these two extremes. These variations are nothing new. Even in Jesus’ day, not only did the people have varying superstitions, but there were also groups like the Sadducees, who denied the supernatural. The Sadducees were religious leaders along with the Pharisees, but they denied the resurrection, afterlife, and denied the existence of angels[1].
The only way to deny the spiritual world is to discredit the entire Bible. This includes denying the teachings and resurrection of Jesus. Christ made it clear that each of these exists. This includes Satan.
Unfortunately, people add personal beliefs to the scriptures, take the spiritual world, and create something that does not exist. There is a tendency to make Satan into something more powerful than he is. Once I listened to a sermon on the radio where the preacher said, “Satan is a being of incredible power and we should be afraid of him.”
That isn’t exactly what the Bible says about Satan. Let’s take a peek at the end of all things and see how the ‘mighty’ Satan is bound. Revelation 20:1-3
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
There is an interesting fact in this passage that most people overlook. When God is doing something great, He sends a high ranking angel. When God sent an angel to the prophet Daniel, it was Gabriel. The nation of Israel had been defeated as part of their judgment, but when Daniel began praying for the nation and interceding for them to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness, God declared their future hope.
Gabriel was sent to reveal that Jerusalem and the temple would be rebuilt, and that when the command goes out to rebuild, their Messiah would come 490 years later. This, of course, was fulfilled in Christ. Four hundred and ninety years later, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to proclaim Himself as their king.
When the birth of Jesus was announced, Gabriel was again dispatched to proclaim the news to Mary. Most people have also heard of Michael the Archangel. He stands against Satan and is heaven’s warrior. He also blows the trumpet to call the church home.
Who is sent to collect Satan? We don’t know. And I believe that is the point. I have a theory. When the time comes to end Satan’s reign (for he is called the ruler of this world), God will pick out the lowest ranking angel, give him a chain, and say, “Go get him.” No battle. No war. No struggle. The Bible says an angel – a single angel – waltzes into Satan’s domain, binds him, and casts him into a pit to reserve him until man’s final testing in Revelation 20. Let’s look at another passage that speaks of Satan after he is bound. Look at Isaiah 14:10-17
10 They all shall speak and say to you: ‘Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us?
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.’
12 ” How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
16 “Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
To some, it may seem odd that Lucifer is identified as a man. Angels are often shown in appearance as men – and Lucifer is a fallen angel. This occurs several places in the scripture. A good example is Daniel 9:21, where the angel Gabriel is referred to as, ‘the man Gabriel.’ Daniel also says that he saw Gabriel fly swiftly, so don’t mistake the physical description as though it were actually a human.
Both Gabriel and Michael are referred to as having an appearance like a man, but both are shown to also put men in fear when they arrive due to their spiritual power. In Daniel 10:7, the men who were with Daniel fled out of fear, even though they never saw the angel that was sent to him. Fear also overwhelmed Daniel when he saw Michael. He had no strength to stand until ‘the one having the likeness of a man’ touched him and gave him strength[2]. Though the appearance was like a man, the spiritual presence of these strong angels put mere men into fear. Often they lost strength and fell face down. The manlike appearance doesn’t downgrade the spiritual nature of angels.
I say all of this so we have a realistic view of Satan. When stripped of his authority, people look upon him and are amazed that this could actually be the same Lucifer that disrupted the whole earth. He looks powerless, and indeed he is.
The next logical question is, if this is how people will see Satan, how did he get his power?
According to scripture, Satan was the highest ranking angel in heaven. He was also the light bearer, hence the name Lucifer, son of the morning. According to scripture, until he is stripped of his power, he still is able to transform himself into an angel of light and deceive those who don’t hold to the word of God.[3]
As explained in the passage above in Isaiah, Satan fell when he determined to exalt himself above the Most High – God. According to God’s description of Satan in Ezekiel 28, he was perfect in every way until pride was found in his heart. He was the picture of beauty and the bearer of light. God calls Lucifer the King of Tyre – a city once thought to be undefeatable, and filled with riches and beauty.
Jesus describes the fall of Satan as lightning flashing from heaven[4], banished to the earth[5], and he took a third of the angels (stars) with him[6].
According to the Bible, Satan will be one of the ways God tries man. Those who love the lie and love darkness will follow after the spirit of deception. Everyone claims to love God, but when put to the test, man’s heart is revealed. To fully understand this, consider what we read previously in Revelation. The angel will bind Satan for a thousand years. Afterwards he is released for a short time.
After Satan is bound, the Bible describes the thousand year reign of Christ on this earth. Those on the earth are not only Christians, but anyone who survived the time of tribulation. The book of Daniel describes this time in great detail. Daniel 7:9-14 and Revelation 19:19-20 describe the same event. Christ overthrows the nations and sets up His kingdom.
Daniel adds an interesting comment. Christ calls the kings of the earth, ‘beasts’, strips them of power, but allows them to remain. Calling these people ‘beasts’ is referring to man’s savage nature without redemption. The kingdoms were taken away, but the beasts were allowed to remain for a time. That time is during the thousand year reign.
These are also the nations and families mentioned in Zechariah 14:16-17. Those who remain on the earth are required to worship Christ once a year during the thousand year reign. Those who refuse to come during the Feast of Tabernacles and worship Christ will not receive rain for the coming year. The redeemed are in the city, but any who remain but do not accept Christ are not permitted inside the city gates.[7]
So we can see that during the millennial reign, both believers and unbelievers will remain on earth. This is significant, for it shows how man’s heart will be proven.
For a thousand years, mankind will have no influence by Satan or demonic forces. They will see God in His glory, and see the perfection of earth without evil. Yet what set’s apart those who love God and those who do not? It’s the same thing that caused Satan to rebel from the beginning – pride. Some see the value of God and cherish His mercies. They also acknowledge that He created all things, has the right to be Lord over His creation, and because He is God, He’s also worthy to be worshipped as Lord of all.
The heart of pride says, “I will not have Him rule over me.” It’s the desire to be like the Most High. The lie that deceived Adam and Eve was the promise, “You will be like God.”
When Satan is released, we see the proving of mankind’s heart. After the thousand years, the devil is released, and he will assemble the largest army the earth has ever seen. All those born during that thousand years will either surrender to Christ, or join the effort to dethrone Him. An army of the kindreds of the earth will encamp around the city and prepare for war. (See Revelation 20:7-10)
Let me give a secular illustration that seems to fit this scene that will one day unfold. There’s a book called The Scarlet Pimpernel. The villain spends his life trying to capture his nemesis, the one who sneaks into prisons and sets prisoners free. At the end of the book, the villain thinks he has succeeded when he captures the Scarlet Pimpernel, and he sends his soldiers out to execute his enemy. With satisfaction he stands guard over his enemy’s wife while the muskets fire. Victory is spoiled though. He turns around and there is Sir Percy, the Pimpernel. It turns out that Percy’s men arrived beforehand and took the soldiers prisoner and then staged the execution.
With disgust Percy’s enemy walks up and says, “Why this big charade,” referring to the mock execution.
Percy raises his brows and says, “My dear friend. I wouldn’t think of depriving you of your moment of glory. But alas, a moment is all I can spare.”
This seems to be a good picture of the final battle of Satan. Look at Revelation 20:9
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
Now that’s a disappointing finish for the devil. God allows him to gather the masses from the earth, prepare for battle, but alas, that’s all the time He can spare. In a flash, it’s over. And Satan didn’t even get a shot off.
The point of the war is not to prove God’s power over Satan. That has already been established. It’s to prove man’s heart. Even in the presence of paradise, man in his natural state cannot be satisfied. He is unwilling to submit to God, and therefore, Satan in all his wickedness is considered a better option than abiding with God. Heaven is like hell to those who do not love God. But it is the thrill of eternity to those who do.
Separating Warfare from Superstition
Not one time in the scriptures are we told to fear Satan. In fact, we are told the opposite. Look at the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
We should only fear the one who has power over our body and soul, and that is God alone. People are often needlessly afraid, but there is nothing to fear. Perfect love casts out all fear.[8] If your love for the Lord is solid, fear has no place to take root.
Even so, many unbiblical beliefs abound. A few years back, a man claiming to be an ex-warlock provided free videos that would supposedly teach us how to be protected against demonic forces. Of course, he’s willing to accept donations to help him fight this spiritual battle.
On the tape he warned us about how witches and warlocks place curses on objects in order to get demons into the houses of Christians. Supposedly, these objects were the cause of many of our problems: rebellious teenagers, sickness, financial problems, and all sorts of other woes. This man taught that we should go through our houses and locate anything that could be cursed, and get it out of the house. He even claimed that allergies were the result of demonic forces. If that’s true, I’ve discovered that Flonaise has the power to repel demons.
Let’s think for a moment about this claim. Are we so faithless that we think God’s promises can be overthrown by a witch or cursed object? Can Satan inhabit objects? Of course not! The Bible says an idol is nothing. If anything should be cursed, it would be an idol. Look at 1 Corinthians 8:4-6
4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),
6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
The Corinthian church lived in a pagan culture. The Romans had many religions and idolatry was a common practice. Many people in the church had come out of idolatry. The specific problem Paul is addressing is the question of meat offered to idols. Meat used in pagan rituals was sold at a discount after being offered to idols. Some within the church were buying this meat, but others took offense at the idea that a Christian would eat something offered in a pagan sacrifice.
Paul gives two instructions. First, he addresses the Christians he calls ‘weaker in faith’. An idol is nothing. The meat offered to pagan gods was just meat and there was nothing to fear. If they didn’t feel right about eating this meat, they should abstain and not violate their own conscience.
To those who were eating this meat Paul instructed them to care for those who were weak in faith. He didn’t tell them not to eat it, but to not eat it around those who considered it evil. The only danger was the violation of the individual’s conscience. The idol was a piece of wood, stone, or metal. It isn’t evil. It isn’t good. It is an inanimate object. The meat was not evil or good, but we must always consider those whose faith will be challenged by our liberty in Christ.
A similar question arises on the issue of Christmas trees. I’ve seen this mentioned and it was brought out in the video I spoke of a moment ago. In Jeremiah 10, God is condemning those who go in the woods, cut down a tree, fasten it with nails, and decorate it with gold and silver. The man on the video said, “This is a Christmas tree,” and if we have trees, we are under God’s condemnation.
Of course, if you keep reading in Jeremiah, the Bible calls it an idol. It isn’t a tree, it’s a craftsman who cuts down a tree with his own hands, shapes it into the likeness of a man or animal, layers it with gold, and then bows down to it. God is pointing out an absurdity. The idol couldn’t exist unless it was first crafted into an image, and then it can’t move without being carried. How can anyone be so foolish as to worship their own craft? Look at how God describes these things in Jeremiah 10:5
Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.”
Those who teach superstitious spiritual warfare are teaching others to fear these things, but God said specifically, don’t be afraid of them. They can’t do evil or good. They aren’t a demonic force, nor are they a good force. The same is true for a rabbit’s foot, lucky coin, horse shoe, penny laying face up, lucky shirt, or any other thing we attribute as the source of good or luck. It’s just another form of idolatry, and a denial of the providence of God. The object itself has no power.
When I was about ten, I found a box my father brought back from Japan when he was in service. It was seven or so Japanese gods. To my dad, they were souvenirs. To some in that Japanese culture, these were objects of worship. For a ten year old boy, they were toys. I played with them until they were all broken. To the propagators of superstition, I was playing with cursed objects and bringing demonic forces into my life. But the truth is, they could not do evil, nor could they do good.
The power of the idol is the faith of a person. It isn’t a demonic force attached to the object; it’s a tool by which a man or woman tries to communicate with what they think are gods. Some claim that drums call up demons because pagan religions use them in their worship. It isn’t the drum that calls up demons, it’s the person submitting themselves to the devil through the drums. It makes no difference what the object is. If someone is reaching out to demons, they will find what they’re looking for. It could be a drum, flute, idol, crystals, New Age meditation music, or a hole in the wall. Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 10:19-20
19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?
20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.
The Apostle Paul first explains that idols are nothing and any object offered as a sacrifice to the idol is as harmless as the idol itself. However, after making this clear, Paul then goes on to warn Christians not to participate in these idolatrous practices. When someone tries to reach any god or spiritual force through an idol or ritual, they are actually reaching out to demons.
The only difference between an idol and a toy is the way the person is using it. The same is true for a figurine, souvenir, or any artifact. It has no power; however, you can use it to submit to demons. Whether someone thinks they are communicating with spirits, or touching God, the result is the same. This is idolatry and it is always demonic.
However, if a Christian has an object that has been used for any ritual, it is just an object. It can’t do good, nor can it do evil. Nor can demons hitch a ride on the object. If someone struggles because of a lack of faith, they should avoid these things for their own conscience sake. But be aware that Satan doesn’t have the power to overcome God’s will with any object or curse. Demons don’t sneak into our houses through objects, but through temptation to sin. We reap what we sow – whether it’s sin leading to death, or obedience leading to righteousness.[9]
The curse is not something that comes from without, it is something that comes from our own hearts. Let’s take a moment to explore what the Bible says about curses.
Curses, foiled again!
I’ve seen people petrified with fear over the idea of curses. One man once explained a near miss at a local drug store. He bought something and paid with a ten. His change was $6.66. The man refused his change and bought something else. “That’s the sign of the devil,” he said.
The number 666 means nothing in our lives. This number comes from Revelation 13:18. The irony is, the Bible calls this the number of man, not the number of the devil.[10] It’s referring to a man declaring himself to be God. A number can’t curse you. Even in the curse of Revelation where this is mentioned, the curse is to those who choose to swear allegiance to the new human religion and deny God.
Do you realize that there is only one who can curse? Nowhere in the Bible do you see God’s people cursed – or anyone cursed, without the Lord. The real curse is found in Deuteronomy 11:26-28
26 ” Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse:
27 “the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today;
28 “and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.
This hasn’t changed. Those who are in Christ are under the blessing. Those who choose other gods – including themselves – are under the curse. Those who put their trust in anything but the Lord are already under the curse.[11] Sin is a curse and it has consequences. If someone steals and then is condemned to prison, did God curse them? In a sense, yes. He warned that to disobey is to choose the curse.
People want a ‘precious promises God’, but the truth is that God’s promises are found in obedience. If you obey, you are blessed. I can claim every promise in the Bible, but if I am walking contrary to the Lord, my words mean nothing. The same holds true for curses. If I’m walking in obedience, a curse from the mouth of an enemy means nothing. If every witch, Satan worshiper, and pagan priest on earth gathered together to pelt my life with curses, it means nothing. A preacher can’t curse me. A pagan can’t curse me. Consider the promise of Psalm 128:1-4
1 Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.
2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD.
This is the word of the Lord. It’s a promise. Is Satan more powerful than God? Absolutely not! How then can we think that this promise can be nullified by an object or curse? If I fear the Lord and walk in His ways, but then Satan can send a pagan to curse me, it would make the word of God null and void. Have faith in God. If you obey and walk with God, not one promise will fall short and no force on earth can stand against the Lord’s blessing.
Consider the attempted curse of Balaam. When Israel was heading toward the Promised Land, Balak, the King of Moab was afraid of them and considered Israel to be a threat to his kingdom. When his priests couldn’t curse Israel, he thought the only hope of doing so would be the words of a prophet of God.
Keep in mind that before scripture was written, a prophet was the way God communicated His word to the people. One requirement of a prophet in the scriptures is that they must be 100% accurate. Anything short of that would create confusion and make it impossible to know what word was true and what was false. Balak’s reasoning was that if a prophet of God cursed Israel, it would have to come to pass. Being a superstitious pagan, he thought the power was in the words themselves.
The king of Moab sent messengers to Balaam to hire him for the job. As he journeyed to the land of Moab, God sent an angel with a drawn sword to stand before the prophet. This is where we see the story of Balaam and the angel speaking through his donkey.
The donkey he rode suddenly stopped and refused to go forward. He began beating his donkey as his rage grew and the angel first spoke through his donkey, and then opened his eyes. When the angel was revealed, Balaam saw him standing on the path where the donkey wouldn’t walk. A sword was drawn and pointed at the rebellious prophet. The message was loud and clear. If Balaam attempted to speak anything other than what God spoke to him, the prophet would be struck down before the words left his mouth.
The reason wasn’t that Balaams words meant anything. It was because a false prophecy would cast doubt on the previous words spoken through the prophet.
Three times the king of Moab took the prophet to a place in the mountain where he could see and curse the people of God. Three times the Lord put a blessing in the mouth of the prophet. Enraged, King Balak said, “I would have given you all these treasures, but you keep blessing my enemy and not cursing them.”
Balaam answered, “The Lord has blessed them, and I cannot reverse it.”
The same is true for you. If the Lord has blessed you, not a force on earth can reverse it. The only thing Satan can do is lure you out of God’s will and tempt you into sin. But that requires your willing participation.
[1] Acts 23:6
[2] Daniel 10:18
[3] 2 Corinthians 11:14
[4] Luke 10:18
[5] Revelation 12:12
[6] Revelation 12:4
[7] Revelation 21:24-27
[8] 1 John 4:16
[9] Galatians 6:7-8, Romans 6:16
[10] Revelation 13:18
[11] Jeremiah 17:5-8