War in Heaven

WAR IN HEAVEN

The distress and confusion and uncertainty that people are experiencing everywhere in the earth at this time is not just because of our own limited and vulnerable humanity. And it’s not totally because we are in the midst of a global calamity – a pandemic that is getting worse by the day. We are also in the midst of a global spiritual battle. There are spiritual forces that are active in the heavens that have been operating for thousands of years upon the human soul to oppress and deceive and provoke people into reactions of fear and anger and despair, and greed and resentment and malice – imprinted onto the soul of humanity for the first time – then Cain and Abel. In this current world crisis the spiritual activity of the dark powers is ramping up. These powers seek to blind peoples’ minds from believing in an all loving and all- powerful God and to influence them in their minds and will and emotions. These powers intensify the sense of conflict and hostility we are seeing acted out on our streets and on our tv screens and media as news reports in real life - not just a movie. There is a battle going on in the heavens and on the earth. 

THE BIBLE TELLS S WE ARE IN THIS BATTLE STRATEGICALLY 
Ephesians 6:12… be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deception of the devil. because we are not wrestling (pallo/ballo – throw down) against flesh and blood, but against principalities (arche), against powers (exousia – delegated influence), against the rulers (Kosmokrator) of the darkness of this age, the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
So we are not fighting other people - the battle is against spiritual beings.
There are three major categories of spiritual activity involved;

Powers (exousia) influence individuals – To assail peoples’ minds and will and emotions and create confusion, division and separation.
Principalities (arche) influence demographic areas to shape an ungodly culture. This involves cities and regions and towns. It is a feed-back loop of human power struggles being fed by spiritual power bases of darkness and then the earthly confusion and deception and hostility is fed back into the heavens again, and around it goes.
Rulers of darkness (kosmokraters) These exercise strategic global influence to disrupt God’s plan and purpose in the earth and to incite corruption at high levels of government. Much of this corruption is being brought into the light in these tumultuous times.

All of these spiritual entities are under the sovereign power of God and he uses them for his purposes. So why does God allow this? 
So that God’s people will grow in courage and character and faith and spiritual authority and be a demonstration of his Kingdom power in the earth – (Jesus in the wilderness Matthew 14. AND Peter being sifted as wheat Luke 22:31).
There is really no neutral ground. 
Every spirit and angelic power exerts a spiritual energy into the spiritual, emotional, cultural and relational atmosphere in which we live and breathe. 
We either come under the influence of God’s Spirit or under the influence of a dark spirit.
This has been happening since Adam came under the influence of Lucifer in the garden of Eden. Darkness began to hold sway over humanity.
1John 5:19 We know we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway- (influence) - of the evil one).
BUT WE HAVE THE UPPER HAND. Please do not forget the heavenly hosts of good angels that God sends to minister to us – (Hebrews 1:14) and the angels that stand before the throne of the Father on behalf of little children (Mathew 18:10)
 
What do the Scriptures say about where we stand spiritually in all of this?
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image (Eikon – representative NB 2Corinthians 3:18 regarding ourselves) of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or kdominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (again – his purposes)

Jesus was the image (eikon) of God which means he represented the nature and being of his Father and his Kingdom of Light, imprinting his image of Truth and faith and love upon humanity. 
John 1.9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
That was his work for his short time on the earth. Jesus working his image into us through the Holy Spirit.
We are all ‘imagers’, bringing the influence and spiritual energy of Light or Darkness.
An imager imprints that image on the world. We are here to bear the image of Jesus (2Corinthians 3:18) and imprint his influence and energy into this age in which we live.
Satan bears the image of the kingdom of darkness and imprints his pride, rebellion and deception upon humanity.
The dark angels imprinted their images onto the idols that were worshiped throughout the Old Testament. 

So we are no longer having to break through from below because since Jesus was raised up to seated above all powers in heavenly places in god’s kingdom we are now seated there with him.(ephesians 2:6).
We are now above all those angels…but in the old testament everyone was underneath those heavenly powers and here is an example of the Old Testament pattern of spiritual warfare. 
Daniel 10:12 Then the angel said to me, ‘from the first day that you set your heart to understand, your words were heard; and I have come. But the prince power over the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief rulers came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the prince power of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
“O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”
So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

We do not operate that way anymore. Jesus has also given us his power over the principalities and powers that seek to influence us
Colossians 2:15 he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

We now have a new perspective of our place with Jesus ABOVE those powers of darkness.
God has given us a new kind of faith and the grace that empowers us in a new kind of prayer with a new kind of understanding that we are partners with God in his reordering of all things in accord with his will and purpose in the earth - truth and faith and love. This means that we will see the supernatural effect of his working in our lives and in those we bring before him in our prayer. 
We assume our place of authority with Jesus ABOVE the powers of darkness.
We become aware of our measure of faith through which we enter into the grace that empowers us. 
We realise that the battle is ongoing until God’s a victory is apparent for all to see . 
We accept that the current adverse or confusing situation is being used for God’s greater purpose and we give thanks in purposeful prayer. 
We declare that we are serving the purpose of God in our generation.
We choose what we will image and imprint and WE CAN apprehend how we are influencing our world for the will and purpose of God.

We choose this life alongside Jesus as being the centre of purpose and meaning for our lives.