Spiritual Warfare Flashcards
Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare
The world (culture) The flesh (evil desires) The devil (Spiritual forces)
Ephesians 1
- And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
[the world]
- Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
[The devil]
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
[The flesh]
- Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. {desires: Gr. wills}
Spiritual Warfare
Warfare between the kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Darkness.
It is bringing the power, perspective, and passion of the truth and life of the gospel against everything that sets itself against the truth of God.
2 Cor 10 3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) {through God: or, to God}
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; {imaginations: or, reasonings}
Strongholds
A fortress
How does the world call the works of the flesh good?
Galatians 4:19 -21
sexual immorality = freedom to express yourself
selfish ambition = self-assertiveness, and pride
drunkenness = life of the party
Galations 4
Galatians 4:
16 But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!
Battle of values
self-sufficiency vs community
wealth key to status vs character
self-display accomplishments and possessions vs
pride vs humility
power vs service
possessions vs generosity
money vs mercy
political power vs peaceful proclamation
jail vs sanctification and regeneration
military vs missionary
free press vs free witness
revenge vs forgiveness
consuming vs giving
Battle of values
self-sufficiency vs community
wealth key to status vs character
self-display accomplishments and possessions vs glorifying God, boasting in Christ
pride vs humility
power vs service
possessions vs generosity
money vs mercy
political power vs peaceful proclamation
jail vs sanctification and regeneration
military vs missionary
free press vs free witness
revenge vs forgiveness
consuming vs giving
How did Jesus deal with demons
a single command “get out”
Jesus did not perform an elaborate ritual, or ask for a hierarchy, or ask for their commander’s name.
He did not use the demon’s name to expel it. The only time Jesus asked for a name, was to demonstrate the severity of the situation that the demoniac was in. He did not use the demon’s name to expel it, and the only reason he permitted the demons to go into the pigs was to illustrate the nature of the demons.
Jesus also never told demons where to go. He did not tell them to go to the pit or anywhere else.
Jesus did not ask the demon what legal right(sin) he has to possess the person.
What is the trap we should avoid when casting out demons?
falling prey to pride and self-sufficiency
Luke 10:20
“Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven
Was the authority to cast out demons unique to the apostles?
Christ gave the authority to the 12, then the 72, then
evidence of people casting out demons beyond Pentecost
Phillip (not an apostle, not one of the 12 or 72, not with Jesus) casts out demons
No bible verse that suggests it expires
Are demons real?
Yes
throne, dominions, principalities, powers
Colossians 1:15
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,
16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him.
Ephesians 6
11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
What influence can demons have on believers?
3 positions
- Gospel encounter
- Power encounter
- Truth encounter
Gospel encounter
- Demonic spirit and Holy spirit cannot inhabit the same body
- If someone is a believer, they have the holy spirit, therefore demonic spirit can’t be inside me
- No conclusive evidence that anyone possessed in the bible was a believer
- No possessed Christians in the new testament
- No instructions on exorcism in the bible
- Never is the command for a believer to deal with demons by casting them out, but only to stand and resist, meaning that they are dealing with an external temptation.
- Demons can tempt but not control
2 Corinthians 6:14-16
14 Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
The problem with this view is that Paul is saying “don’t be yoked with unbelievers” not “you can’t be yoked”. He is warning them exactly because it is possible. And nowhere in the verse does it say that a demon can’t influence or possess a believer.
In Job and in Zacharia, we find Satan himself in Heaven before God.
Power Encounter
- Christians can be demonized and controlled, but not completely possessed
- Legal right is given through unconfessed sin
- Legal right is revoked by confessing sin
- Deal with the hierarchy of demons
- 3 kinds of sin: personal, generational sin, spiritual sin
Ephesians 4: 25-27
25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. 27 Do not give the devil an opportunity [foothold].
generational curses
exodus 20
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me, 6 and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
The problem with this view is that it does not say that sin gives legal rights for demons, just that sin gives satan room to maneuver. Also, a lot of the information that informs this view comes from people involved in deliverance asking the demons themselves.
Another problem is that it does not conform to the model given to us by Christ. Christ did not ask for hierarchies, or for the name of the commander. Christ simply just said, “shut up, get out”. Christ did not expel demons by a method, but rather by the power of the spirit.
Truth encounter
- Two kingdoms, light and darkness
- Anyone in the kingdom of darkness is under the authority of satan.
- Once in the kingdom of light, satan has no more power and authority over us but still attempts to tempt us
- we have the power to resist
- Satan can still exercise influence and control in our lives if we believe the lies of demons, even to the point where we can be dominated by a demon, but they don’t have any legitimate authority
two kingdoms
Colossians 1
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
What are some things that the scientific worldview cannot explain?
The existence of evil
Morality
The existence of spiritual realities
On the opposite end of the world view spectrum, with science or materialism on the one side, we have the spiritual world view, what is that all about
That matter is an illusion (Maya)
Everything is spirit or energy (Brahman, Atma)
Hinduism, some sects of Buddhism,
polytheism, animism: everything is or has a spirit, that needs to be controlled (plant spirit, etc)
What is the Biblical worldview?
Monotheism (only one God)
High order spiritual beings, prince Micheal on one side, prince of Persia, Greece, satan on the other side
These are beings that hate God and Jesus and are in a desperate war against him
The spiritual beings are battling each other in the heavens
The battle is to get worshippers for themselves. If we make covenants with those gods they will give us things
If there is only one God, then who are the other Gods mentioned in the 10 commandments?
First commandment:
exodus 20:3
3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
Who are the other gods that one can have before God?
exodus 15:11
11 Who among the gods
is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
Who are the other gods that are unlike God?
exodus 23:32
32 Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods.
Who are the other gods that you can make a covenant with?
Deuteronomy 12:2
2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.
Who are the gods that are differentiated from the idols that represent them?
judges 11:23
23 “Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? 24 Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess. 25
Who is the gods that can give things?
1 Kings 11
5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.
Who are these Gods that have names?
Daniel 10
A messenger angel tells Daniel that he is battling and was delayed by the Prince of Persia and that Micheal “one of the chief princes” came to deliver him from the Prince of Persia. And once he has defeated the prince of Persia, then the prince of greece will come. The princes referred to here are the princes of the kingdom of darkness, and are the gods behind the idols of the cultures.
Rev 12
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
The angelic princes battling in the heavens
who was molek?
the detestable god of the ammonites 1 Kings 11:8
Who was chemosh?
The detestable god of the amonites 1 Kings 11:8
How did Daniel describe the messenger angel that appeared to him?
Daniel 10:4
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
Why is it that specific entities or “gods” are associated with specific nations, cultures or ethnicities?
The below verse is a reference to the tower of babel (Gen 11) when God divided the nations and gave them over to their gods [heavenly princes, angels] for their persistent sin. Before this time there was only one language and one culture, but after this event, God divided the nations according to the number of heavenly princes or angels and delivered the nations over to their “gods” or angels. This is why the book of Daniel talks about the “Prince of Persia” and the “Prince of Greece” as these are angels [Demons] that rule over those nations.
Deuteronomy 32
- Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.
8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of God [heavenly princes]
9 For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
