Pastor’s Blog 9.18.19
Ephesians 6:11-20 TPT
Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.
Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph. Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.
In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One! 17–18 Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken Word of God.
Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers. And pray also that God’s revelation would be released through me every time I preach the wonderful mystery of the hope-filled gospel. Yes, pray that I may preach the wonderful news of God’s kingdom with bold freedom at every opportunity. Even though I am chained as a prisoner, I am his ambassador.
Back in the 1980’s, there was a strong movement and emphasis on spiritual warfare and deliverance. The charismatic church manifested the militant side of the Lord’s nature and the reality of the unseen world was realized by many. As with all doctrines, too much of one thing usually ends up with some error and this was no different. However, error does not erase the truth and the truth is told clearly by the Apostle Paul in this passage of scripture. We are in a battle that involves the unseen realm. The average Christian does not engage in warfare the way Paul described in Ephesians 6.
Principalities affect the principles of a culture. The first thing we need to realize is that all these evil spirits are operating with the permission of God.
There is not a demon anywhere that does not have permission to be there. We actually give the devil permission to operate in our personal lives when we yield to the influence of the spirit. It is not that the devils have more power than us, we yield our authority to them when we do their desires, which are in alignment with our fleshly or carnal nature. Remember what Jesus said to the disobedient:
John 8:39-47
39 They answered and said to Him,”Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
41 You do the deeds of your father .” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father — God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father , you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” NKJV
What is the source of the new doctrines of “inclusion” and “grace” (perverted grace) that seems to provide an escape from repentance and permission to continue a life of sin after receiving the Lord? These new doctrines are designed to please men.
Galatians 1:6-12
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men ? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. NKJV
The source of these doctrines are from the principalities we call religious spirits. They are continually working to pervert the word of God and twist it to please men and not God. The Lord visited me in a dramatic way back in 1984, and told me that “religious spirits work to produce false security in the hearts of His people.” This can be through the deception of self-righteousness through dead works, or the twisted truth of “sin is no big deal for a believer”. Thank God there seems to be a new release of the power of the truth from the Spirit of God! Some leaders are waking up from the deception and are beginning to speak the truth about the false security that so many have been living in.
We have to dress for battle as we confront the rulers of this dark world because the battle is real! I encourage you to look again at your armor and check to make sure a spirit of deception has not convinced you to take a piece of two off!
Be blessed!
- Date - September 18, 2019
- Author - David Chisholm
