Monthly Archives: September 2014

Spiritual Warfare – Did The Cross Work?

Apologetics, , ,

SPIRITUAL WARFARE – DID THE CROSS WORK?

Before we answer this question, we need to ask another. When did the cross happen? We must answer this question from two perspectives:

  1. From the perspective of eternity, the cross was a fait accompli from before the foundation of the world. Although it happened at a specific point in history, Jesus was “the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8.

Although the cross took place at a point in history, it is central to history and everything, past, present and future is affected by it. Hence, in the Old Covenant, the Israelites were to put their faith, not in a slain animal, but in the Lamb, symbolised by the animal sacrifices, who was yet to come but whose blood was shed from the perspective of eternity.

  1. From the perspective of time, the death of the Messiah has to take place in full view of human beings, and He had to suffer as a human being, to make His sacrifice effective for all time.

Peter explains:

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to your from you forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” 1 Peter 1:18-20.

The Greek word proginosko, translated “chosen”, actually means “to know beforehand” or “to foresee” (Strong’s Analytical Concordance No G4267), implying that God set up the plan beforehand.

Although the cross is the central point of history, Jesus was manifested and crucified at a point in time for people to see and believe and to make effective what was already viewed as complete from eternity.

Now we must answer the first question: Did the cross work?

The Old Covenant

Assuming that the enemy of our souls is behind the evil perpetrated by men and nations, how did God teach His people to deal with him under the Old Covenant?

We have already examined some powerful examples of spiritual warfare in the Old Testament. Now the principle:

Two Scriptures in the Psalms immediately come to mind.

  1. Psalm 8:2

“From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

Praise is the most powerful weapon in the mouths of the weakest and most vulnerable of people to shut down the enemy’s deception.

  1. Psalm 149:1, 4-9.

“Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints…for the Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all His saints.

God’s weapons against the enemy make His saints invincible – praise and the “double-edge sword” (Hebrews 4:12) the word of God – the weapon Jesus used to defeat the devil: “It is written…”

Truth whether it is declared or sung in praise, or spoken to unmask the enemy, is the most powerful way to empty the enemy of his power because his power over people depends on the faith they put in his lies.

There is no evidence in the Old Testament that God instructed or taught His people to engage spiritual powers or carry out any rituals apart from those He instructed them to do. Behind those instructions lay their confidence in God and their obedience and worship. His promise was consistently, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The Lord will fight for you.”

The New Testament

There is no change in strategy in the New Testament except that believers now understand the reason for their confidence and have been given authority to stand in the victory Jesus won at the cross.

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” 1 John 3:8b.

Jesus exposed the devil’s strategy and took away his power through the cross.

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15.

The devil uses lies to induce people to believe that he has power over them and holds them captive through fear. Jesus unmasked him publicly, both by His words and by His death. To the religious leaders He said:

“Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father the devil and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:43, 44.

The disciples went out in the confidence of Jesus’ victory, not to deal with the opposition, but to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. Whenever they encountered direct opposition, they ordered the enemy out on the authority of Jesus’ victory. Paul’s council in the face of enemy activity was to stand in the power of the truth (Ephesians 6:10-18). James’ council was to submit to God in humility and to draw near to Him by dealing with personal sin (James 4:6-8).

The greatest problem is the enemy within – giving way to the weakness of the flesh upon which the devil preys until we fall into sin or being neutralised by believing the lies the enemy tells us about God or ourselves. This is his way of rendering God’s people powerless to be His witnesses.

John said: “…Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4, 5.

To be continued…

 

 

Spiritual Warfare – The Strategy Of The Early Church

Apologetics, , , , ,

THE STRATEGY OF THE EARLY CHURCH

Immediately after Jesus’ ascension, the disciples followed His instruction and implemented the strategy He gave them.

“When the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word with signs that accompanied it.” Mark 16:19, 20 (NIV).

The example of Ephesus

If ever there was a test case for the effectiveness of the strategy of the apostles, and in particular, the apostle Paul, it was the city of Ephesus.

The City Of Ephesus

“Ephesus once had a great harbour, but because of the lack of tides in the Mediterranean to clear out the debris, the harbour tended to silt up. It was probably from this harbour that Paul set sail for Macedonia after the Ephesian riot (Acts 20:1).

“The main street of the city was the Arcadian Way which led from the harbour to the theatre. The street was over 100 feet wide and paved with marble slabs. The street was often used for parades and ceremonies, and was flanked on either side by rows of columns 50 feet deep. The street was named in honour of the emperor Arcadius (A.D. 383-408) who enlarged and restored it. At night the street was lit by lanterns.

“The great theatre at Ephesus gives us some idea of the elegance of the ancient city in the time of Paul. The construction began during the reign of Claudius (A.D. 41-54) and was completed during the reign of Trajan (A.D. 98-117). This massive structure measured 495 feet in diameter and seated an estimated 25,000 people. The great uproar over Diana of the Ephesians took place here (Acts 19)…”

The Temple Of Diana

“The disturbance over Diana of the Ephesians is one of the most prominent stories in the book of Acts (Acts 19:23-41). There were 33 temples in the Greco-Roman world where Diana was worshiped. After Paul’s preaching in Ephesus had harmed the local silversmiths who made statues of Diana, Paul’s companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, were dragged into the theatre. The disciples would not allow Paul to go into the assembly.

“The Temple of Artemis (or Diana, according to her Roman name) at Ephesus ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As the twin sister of Apollo and the daughter of Zeus, Artemis was known variously as the moon goddess, the goddess of hunting, and the patroness of young girls. The temple at Ephesus housed the multi-breasted image of Artemis which was reputed to have come directly from Zeus (Acts 19:35). The temple of Artemis in Paul’s day was supported by 127 columns, each of them 60 meters (197 feet) high. The Ephesians took great pride in this grand edifice. During the Roman period, they promoted the worship of Artemis by minting coins with the inscription, ‘Diana of Ephesus.'” (Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, pp. 345-346).

“The temple was four times as large as the Parthenon. Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79) said the temple was constructed on marshy soil to safeguard it against earthquakes.

“For over a thousand years this goddess with her temple provided a focal point for the rich religious, economic, and cultural life of her worshippers. Now hardly one stone can be seen of one of the most famous buildings in the world, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. Built on marshy ground not far from the Cayster River, it arose on a site occupied from time to time by several temples of which at least one dates from pre-Greek days. It faced west, toward the sea and the setting sun. Pliny the Younger tells us that the columns in front of the temple were carved with notable events in the life of the Greeks and that the statue of Artemis stood in the inner sanctuary. Some of the statuary from this temple is displayed in the New Hofburg Museum in Vienna. This temple was the first in the world to be constructed entirely of marble.” (Everett Blake and Anna Edmonds, Biblical Sites In Turkey, p. 119).

“After years of archaeological research the ruins of the temple were discovered in 1877 by J. T. Wood. The platform on which the temple stood was 418 by 239 feet, and the temple itself was 342 by 163 feet and had over one hundred columns supporting its roof.” (Homer Hailey, Revelation, An Introduction And Commentary, p. 120).

“The Hellenistic temple which Paul saw was destroyed in A.D. 262.

“The original temple of Diana crumbled into the dust many centuries ago. It was rebuilt and became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was to this temple Alexander came. The Macedonian wanted his name carved on one of the 127 pillars. He offered all the riches of his eastern campaign for the privilege. The city fathers turned down the offer. But nobody refused Alexander. The Ephesians did. They talked him into a calm acceptance by saying ‘If we put the name of another god on her temple it will upset her.’ So the mightiest mortal on earth couldn’t even buy the privilege to have his name on a pillar in the temple of a god. Years later Paul wrote to a group of Ephesians telling them they were the temple (not of a god) but of the Almighty God.” (Jim McGuiggan, The Book Of Revelation, p. 44).

“The goddess who had largely given Ephesus its wealth and importance — so that it was a kind of Lourdes of the ancient world — was at the core of so much human thinking. She derived from those early manifestations of religious belief, the mother-goddess figures to be found from Asia Minor to the Cyclades, and westward to Sicily. The embodiment of the female principle, she represented not only fertility but resurrection in the shape of new birth, the eternal return of life to the earth and, as found in a number of early carvings, the ‘Tree of Life’. As Isis she bore the divine son, Horus; and as Artemis she was the Mother of Wild Things, the goddess of all animals. The Isis-Artemis conception embraced everything. It could be taken at any level; from the simple peasant’s conception of the divinity who would ensure that his beasts and land were fruitful, to the intellectual idea of an all-creating mother who sustained the whole universe.” (Ernle Bradford, Paul The Traveler, pp. 194-195).

Paul in Ephesus

“The apostle Paul first visited Ephesus on the return from his missionary journey where he “entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews” (Acts 18:19-21).

“On his second journey, Paul came to Ephesus and taught the twelve disciples who knew only the baptism of John (Acts 19:1-7) and “went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). He later taught in the school of Tryannus for two years, and as a result, “all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:9-10).

“Ephesus was full of wizards, sorcerers, witches, astrologers, diviners of the entrails of animals and people who could read one’s fortune by the palm of the hand. And yet, after the preaching of Paul, the magicians publicly burned their books, “so the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:19-20). Timothy and Erastus were with Paul, but he sent them to Macedonia, while “he himself stayed in Asia for a time” (Acts 19:22).

“At the end of his third missionary tour, in the spring of A.D. 57, Paul stopped briefly at Miletus, “for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost” (Acts 20:16). Paul met with the elders of Ephesus at Miletus (Acts 20:17-38). In his final words to these elders he told them of his deep sorrow that they would see his face no more (Acts 20:38).

http://www.biblelandhistory.com/turkey/ephesus.html

There is no evidence in the book of Acts of any of the modern practices of so-called “spiritual warfare” that preceded or accompanied the preaching of the gospel in Ephesus. Yet so great was the power of the gospel that the city was transformed, and the power of Artemis so weakened that it took humans (Demetrius and the silversmiths) to defend her, when in actual fact it was their business of selling silver images that was affected and that bothered them more than the majesty of the goddess!

(Incidentally, Paul often asked the churches to pray for believers and for him, not for the places he visited and the unbelievers to whom he preached. What was the burden of his requests?

Ephesians 1:15-19: that believers will know who they are and what they have in Christ;

Ephesians 3:14-21: that believers will know and experience the fullness of Christ’s love in order to come to fullness in Him;

Ephesians 6:19: that he would have the right words fearlessly to make known the mystery of the gospel.

Paul was concerned about the effectiveness of the messengers and the message and not the power of the opposition).

The outcome of Paul’s time in Ephesus was the spread of the gospel throughout the province of Asia (Acts 19:10); healings and deliverance from evil spirits (Acts 19:11); the fear of God and the name of Jesus held in high honour among Jews and Greeks in Ephesus (Acts 19:17); the destruction of the scrolls of witchcraft and sorcery by new believers (Acts 19:18-20); and the riot instigated by Demetrius and the silversmiths because Diana’s influence was waning and they were losing business (Acts 19:23-40).

There is not a word mentioned about principalities, powers, strongholds, altars or intercessory prayer to deal with the opposition.

THE BOOK OF REVELATION

I do not propose to write a commentary on the Book of Revelation in this section, but just to examine the way in which spiritual warfare was conducted on two fronts – on earth and in heaven.

First of all, Jesus’ appearance to John on the Island of Patmos sent a clear message to him and to his readers – Jesus is in charge of the churches (ch 1-3) and of history. He has the right to open the scroll (ch 4, 5) while all the creatures in heaven are engaged in perpetual worship.

As the Lamb opens the seals on the scroll, there is evidence of warfare on earth between those who worship God and those who worship the dragon, but always under God’s authority and while the multitudes in heaven worship Him. Whatever happens on earth, happens by God’s permission and always works towards His ultimate purpose – the victory of the Lamb and His followers and the final overthrow of Satan and the vanquishing of everything evil.

In chapter 12 comes the triumphant cry after Satan’s defeat and overthrow:

Then I heard a loud voice from heaven say:                                                                                     Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,                             and the authority of His Christ.                                                                                                       For the accuser of our brothers,                                                                                                         who accuses them before our God day and night,                                                                           has been hurled down.                                                                                                                           They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb                                                                 and the word of their testimony;                                                                                                they did not love their lives so much                                                                                                 as to shrink from death.                                                                                                                   Revelation 12:10, 11

Again, no mention of intercessors and pulling down strongholds – only the power of the cross and of lives that bear witness to its power.

Throughout the book of Revelation, history is played out on earth under God’s supervision while worship continues ceaselessly in heaven until the final overthrow of the world system – called Babylon – and the counterfeit woman. The unholy trinity of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet are dispatched and God’s restoration plan consummated when heaven comes down to earth and the Bridegroom returns to be united with His bride and to set up His reign on earth.

To be continued…

Intolerant But True!

Bible Study, , , , ,

INTOLERANT BUT TRUE!

“The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:31-36.

Whose words are these? Jesus’ words? John the Baptist’s words? The Apostle John’s words?

My guess is that they are a little aside that John wrote to interpret John the Baptist’s defence of his lesser position as the friend of the bridegroom, not the Messiah. Sounds like Jesus, doesn’t it? Again, my guess is that, during John’s years as an intimate friend of Jesus, first as His disciple during His earthly ministry and then as an apostle to the world, he began to think like Jesus.

Over the years of his walk with the Lord, John saw in Him a man, but much more than a mere man. Jesus had spoken about heavenly things with such authority that He must have been there before His sojourn on earth. Unlike other humans who only came into being at their conception, Jesus existed long before His time on earth.

We cannot conceive of anything we have not actually experienced. How can we? No matter how lively an imagination we might have, whatever we conjure up is only fanciful. It has no foundation in fact. Science fiction is only that and only useful for entertainment. Jesus was not into sci-fi; He spoke about reality based on truth. This is the difference between Him and those who have created religious beliefs out of their imagination.

Why is it that people refuse to accept His testimony? The religious leaders clung tenaciously to their ideas and interpretations of the Torah because they believed that they were right. Underneath that was the need to impress the people and to hold onto the power they had over them by setting up and policing the rules they had made around the Torah. Underneath that, however, was something far more sinister and closer to the bone – they were greedy and wicked at heart.

Jesus diagnosed their problem, and the problem of everyone who refuses to believe in Him:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” John 3:19, 20.

John uncovered another amazing truth about the man, Jesus. It was His anointing by the Holy Spirit that made Him the man He was. Contrary to what we may think, Jesus set aside His deity when He came into the world, and lived and acted only as a man. He steadfastly chose to live in submission to the Father and not use His divine power to do anything.

At His baptism, He was affirmed by the Father and anointed by the Holy Spirit for His role as Messiah. Satan hounded Him to act independently of God but, to His dying breath He chose to be a true Son by trusting and obeying the Father, not doing His own thing. The Father, in turn, entrusted Him with the role of atoning sacrifice, and gave Him the highest name and authority in heaven and on earth.

Unfortunately for those who reject Jesus and declare that Christians are intolerant by insisting that He is the only way to the Father, they will discover in the end that they were wrong. The Bible could not have stated it more clearly:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Spiritual Warfare In The New Testament

Apologetics, , ,

SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament Model

The New Testament church was born into an environment no different from anywhere in the world today. In the Roman Empire, idolatry, witchcraft, immorality, greed and every kind of wickedness was the order of the day. Added to this was the cult of Caesar worship, punishable by death for those who refused to comply, and the religious fervour of the Jews who had rejected their Messiah and did everything they could to stamp out the infant church, targeting the apostles and persecuting the believers wherever they could, headed up by Saul of Tarsus until his dramatic encounter with the living Christ.

If there was ever a reason to identify and deal with powers and strongholds, it was then.

Jesus sent His disciples into all the world with a commission to make disciples. What were their weapons and what would their strategy be?

  1. The gospel.

Paul declared to the Roman church in the heart of the Roman Empire:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Romans 1:18 (NIV).

But Paul, what about the powers of darkness that hold sway over the whole Roman Empire? The power of God lay in the preaching of the gospel, not in intercessory prayers and pulling down strongholds.

  1. The truth

Jesus stated categorically, principalities and powers or not, that it is the knowledge of the truth that sets people free.

“To the Jews who believed in Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31, 32 (NIV).

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” John 8:34-36 (NIV).

  1. The word

How much power does the Word of God have to effect change in the lives of people?

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.” Hebrews 4:12, 13 (NIV).

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 (NIV).

  1. The Holy Spirit

To play down the efficacy of the work of Jesus is to empty the Holy Spirit of His power. According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit has the power to convict the world of sin (without the necessity of dealing with demons or strongholds).

“Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin…” John 16:7b-8a (NIV).

  1. The cross

For the apostle Paul, it was the message of the cross that brought people to faith in Christ.

Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up, from the earth, will draw all me to myself. He said this to show what kind of death He was going to die.” John 12:32, 33 (NIV).

And so it was Paul’s passion to proclaim the power of the cross.

“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NIV).

  1. The resurrection

The power of the cross stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus.

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:16-20 (NIV).

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, and who, through the Spirit of Holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:1-4 (NIV).

  1. Jesus’ yoke

The concept of a yoke in Scripture is an interesting one. The Israelites were an agricultural people and their ancient script (called paleo Hebrew), and language grew out of their originally nomadic lifestyle. Their understanding was based on their senses rather than abstract ideas like love, faith, etc.

The name of God (El) was made up of two pictures, aleph being an ox head and lamech being a staff. An ox head denoted strength and a shepherd’s staff, authority. Hence God was the strong one who had authority, the mighty one.

“The ancient Hebrews considered the yoke as a “staff of the shoulder” (see Isaiah 9:4). When ploughing a field, a farmer would place two oxen in a “staff” – one was the older and more experienced and the other the younger and less experienced. The younger was to learn from the older. Again the two pictographic letter, the ox and the staff, are found in this image of action. This concept of “learning through association” can be found in the Hebrew word, alaph, (H 502) and contains the same pictographs.

“The Hebrews did not perceive God as some might omnipotent entity but as “the mighty one,” the older ox in the yoke who teaches them, the younger ox in the yoke.” (Benner, Jeff, The Living Words – Volume 1, Published 2007 by Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc).

This was the thinking which lay behind the association of a rabbi with his disciples, young men whom he selected and called to follow him with the understanding that they would be so closely bonded to him, like two oxen in a yoke, that they would learn to be just like him and imitate him in everything they taught and did.

The implication of Jesus’ yoke

Jesus took His disciples to the “red light district” of Israel – Caesarea Philippi – where two of the most powerful religious cults in the Roman Empire were being practised.

“Caesarea Philippi is a large archaeological site containing elaborate building projects erected by Herod Philip and Agrippas II in the area of Dan, at the foot of Mount Hermon in northern Israel. In addition to magnificent Roman structures, Caesarea Philippi is also known for Banias, a collection of springs and pagan worship sites linked to the cult of Pan. The centrepiece of this ancient worship site is a huge cliff and grotto, which contains the remains of numerous altars, caves, temples, and courtyards. This is the location at Caesarea Philippi where Jesus met with his disciples and finally asked the question, “Who do you say that I am?”

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 16:13-17)

“Caesarea Philippi’s location was especially unique because it stood at the base of a cliff where spring water flowed. At one time, the water ran directly from the mouth of a cave set in the bottom of the cliff.

“The pagans of Jesus’ day commonly believed that their fertility gods lived in the underworld during the winter and returned to earth each spring. They saw water as a symbol of the underworld and thought that their gods travelled to and from that world through caves.

“To the pagan mind, then, the cave and spring water at Caesarea Philippi created a gate to the underworld. They believed that their city was literally at the gates of the underworld – the gates of hell. In order to entice the return of their god, Pan, each year, the people of Caesarea Philippi engaged in horrible deeds, including prostitution and sexual interaction between humans and goats.

“When Jesus brought his disciples to the area, they must have been shocked. Caesarea Philippi was like a red-light district in their world and devout Jews would have avoided any contact with the despicable acts committed there.

“It was a city of people eagerly knocking on the doors of hell.”

Jesus’ Challenge

“Standing near the pagan temples of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” Peter boldly replied, “You are the Son of the living God.” The disciples were probably stirred by the contrast between Jesus, the true and living God, and the false hopes of the pagans who trusted in “dead” gods.

“Jesus continued, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (see Matt. 16:13 – 20).

“Though Christian traditions debate the theological meaning of those words, it seems clear that Jesus’ words also had symbolic meaning. His church would be built on the “rock” of Caesarea Philippi – a rock literally filled with niches for pagan idols, where ungodly values dominated.

“Gates were defensive structures in the ancient world. By saying that the gates of hell would not overcome, Jesus suggested that those gates were going to be attacked.

“Standing as they were at a literal “gate of Hades,” the disciples may have been overwhelmed by Jesus’ challenge. They had studied under their rabbi for several years, and now he was commissioning them to a huge task: to attack evil by binding His yoke on people held captive by every “yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1), and to build the church in the very places that were most filled with moral corruption.

“Jesus presented a clear challenge with his words at Caesarea Philippi: He didn’t want his followers hiding from evil: He wanted them to storm the gates of hell.”

http://www.followtherabbi.com/journey/israel/gates-of-hell/

From this background it is clear that Jesus saw His church as a counter-culture based on the solid rock of His identity as the Son of God and His teaching that presented God as Father and God’s character as gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and full of love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6).

This was the “yoke” Jesus modelled and taught, in contrast to the strict legalism of the other rabbis of His day. He gave His disciples authority to “bind” His yoke of mercy and compassion on all His followers and to “loose” them from the yoke of pagan idolatry which made them slaves of sin, and the religious legalism which strangled God’s life out of them and made them into slaves of law.

His church would infiltrate the culture of its day and, like yeast in a lump of dough, slowly transform society through the transformed lives of its people, bringing God’s will and the standards of His kingdom to earth, and reflecting Himself in the lives of His people.

Not even the spiritual darkness of paganism and power of hell would be able to withstand the compelling witness of people transformed and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to live like Jesus (John 2:6),and to do the works that Jesus did (John 14:12), reflecting the nature of God’s loving rule over His people.

This is the vision Jesus had for His church which He imparted to His disciples over the course of three and a half years. He taught them how to do the works of the kingdom by example and by giving them opportunity to practise under His supervision.  He gave them power and authority over disease and demons and sent them out to do the work in preparation for their worldwide mission.

On this occasion Jesus also gave His mandate to His followers – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom.” Before He ascended to heaven, He gave them this instruction, “Go…make disciples of all nations…” He would use the building bricks of the disciples we make, to build His church, blending diverse people into a unity that reflected His intimate unity in the Godhead, an impossible task outside of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Even when Jesus sent His twelve disciples, and later the seventy two, ahead of Him into the towns and villages where He was planning to go, it was not to do spiritual warfare but to preach the gospel and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1, 2; Luke 110:1-16). They were to interact with the people, and show and announce the kingdom by their gracious attitude towards those who gave them hospitality and those who received their message.

The outcome was astonishing.

“The seventy two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’”

“He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’” Luke 10:17-21(NIV).

If anyone were to teach the disciples how to deal with demonic powers it would have been Jesus. After all, He was the one who bore the brunt of the enemy’s attacks. Yet He did not instruct them on how to deal with the opposition except to cast out demons and to preach the kingdom of God.

He unmasked and dispatched the devil and His minions once for all at the cross.

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle over them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15.

To be continued…

Spiritual Warfare In The Old Testament

Apologetics, , ,

SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Galatian Church syndrome reworked

One of the areas where the “Galatian Church syndrome” seems to have re-emerged, i.e. that the cross needs our help to be effective, is in the modern world-wide prayer movement in which altars, strongholds and powers over localities and countries are being “identified” and intercessors raised up to deal with these powerful spirits who hold people and nations captive.

There is no denying that such powers exist and that people are held captive to their deception but I question the way that the problem is dealt with by this movement. Is it Biblical?

What is “spiritual warfare”?

Let’s first examine what is meant by “spiritual warfare” in the understanding of today’s church and the way in which it is currently being handled.

In some parts of the church it is assumed that it is the responsibility of believers, and in particular a special group of believers called “intercessors” firstly to identify the “altars”, the idols, the specific powers and strongholds over towns, cities, regions and countries and the spirits operating in those areas that keep people in bondage. It is then their task to pray these demonic powers down, to break their power over towns, regions etc., so that the gospel will be effective. This requires a great deal of effort, denouncing and declaring until they are satisfied that the spiritual warfare has been effective.

It requires time and effort by specialised people who not only have to identify the particular spirits they have to deal with and spend time interceding, but they also have to go around training “ordinary” believers in the art of “spiritual warfare”.

Another area of “spiritual warfare” relates to curses in general and to “generational” curses in particular.

There is a belief among some believers that many of the trials and hardships that we experience are attacks of the devil. People are vulnerable for various reasons, some of which are identified as “curses”. If your father, for example, was involved in witchcraft, ungodly practices or, heaven forbid, Free Masonry, then you are vulnerable and anything that goes wrong in your life means that you are under a curse. You are a victim and you need someone who has a deliverance ministry to rescue you.

You may have sinned and now God is punishing you by allowing you to suffer adversity. You need “powerful prayers” to break the curse and get the devil off your back.  “Spiritual warfare” is, therefore, the task of the intercessor or the person with a deliverance ministry to deal with demons or strongholds over people or groups of people by “powerful” prayers invoking the name of Jesus, or carrying out rituals like prayer walks, praying on site, or discerning and pulling down strongholds, principalities and powers or breaking curses over individuals or families.

Examples from the Old Testament

Now let’s examine this model against the backdrop of the Scriptures; first the Old Testament which seems to be the pattern from where some of these practices come, and then the New Testament.

Abraham

As a brand new believer in Elohim, Abraham moved to the land of Canaan at God’s command, a land riddled with idolatry and wickedness. How did he cope with the situation?

As he moved from place to place in the land, he established a network of altars and worshipped the Lord God who had appeared to him in Ur. The writer of Genesis made sure that every reader was aware that the Canaanites were in the land (Genesis 12:6-9; 13:7). What was the implication? In spite of the fact that the Canaanites were evil and in charge, Abraham worshipped God publicly wherever he went.

After he had parted from Lot, God appeared to him with this promise:

“Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever… Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you. So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great tree of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.” Genesis 13:14-18 (NIV).

How did Abram respond? He believed God’s promise and worshipped Him.

The children of Israel

How did the Israelites respond when they received the report of the ten spies regarding the strength of the Canaanites in the Promised Land? Instead of listening to Joshua and Caleb, believing God’s promise and obeying His instructions, they were afraid of the Canaanites, complained about their leaders and wanted to return to Egypt. Instead of worshipping God, they rebelled because they thought it was up to them to win the battle.

“That night all the people of community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and whole assembly said to them, ‘If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ And they said to each other, ‘We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’” Numbers 14:1-4 (NIV).

They did not believe God’s promise, they grumbled and rebelled and eventually died in the desert. Their offspring were the ones who conquered the land through the power of God.

Elijah

Elijah was God’s prophet in Israel at a time when Ahab and Jezebel reigned in the northern kingdom. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. She brought with her the worship of Baal with its evil practices. God judged the nation with a severe famine. Elijah emerged from hiding from the murderous intention of King Ahab to challenge the prophets of Baal to a contest to determine who was God in Israel.

The story is well-known but what interests me is how Elijah handled his part in the contest. It was not his responsibility to deal with the power of Baal. He repaired the broken altar of the Lord, and created an impossible situation by dousing the sacrifice, the altar and the surrounding ground with water. Then he worshipped the Lord and prayed that God would reveal His power. The fire fell from heaven and consumed everything including the water. There was no contest because the power claimed by the prophets of Baal was a lie.

Conclusion

Even in the Old Testament the way in which spiritual warfare was conducted was to unmask the devil’s deception by believing God, obeying His word and worshipping Him.

This pattern is repeated over and over again in the Old Testament. Whenever Israel as a nation received God’s promise and worshipped Him, acting in obedience to His instruction, they were victorious. Three examples come to mind;

  1. The conquest of Jericho:

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See I have delivered Jericho into your hands along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men…Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams horns in front to the ark…On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse…’” Joshua 6: 1-5. (NIV).

They obeyed and Jericho fell.

  1. Victory of Judah and King Jehoshaphat over Moab and Ammon:

Jehoshaphat was faced with a coalition of fighting men from Moab and Ammon. He prayed to God in the presence of the people at the temple in Jerusalem. One of the Levites, Jahaziel, prophesied:

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17.

Jehoshaphat and all the people bowed in worship before the Lord. The next day, as the people went out to meet the enemy, Jehoshaphat encouraged them:

“’Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.’ After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendour of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

                        ‘Give thanks to the Lord,

                        For His love endures forever.’”

2 Chronicles 20:20b-21.

We know the end of the story very well. God defeated the enemy and all they did was to gather the spoils. The outcome was amazing.

“The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of   the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for the Lord had given him rest on every side.” 2 Chronicles 20:29-30 (NIV).

  1. Hezekiah and the Assyrian threat

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was on the march. His predecessor, Shalmaneser, had already overrun Samaria and carried the Israelites into captivity. Now it was Judah’s turn. Hezekiah paid the tribute Sennacherib demanded but Sennacherib was bent on capturing Jerusalem. He sent officials to intimidate the king and the people of Jerusalem. He sent a threatening letter to Hezekiah via his messengers which Hezekiah took into the temple and spread out before the Lord. He worshipped the Lord and laid his case before Him.

God spoke through the prophet Isaiah in response, promising His miraculous deliverance without an arrow being shot. That night the angel of death passed over the Assyrian army camp and wiped out the entire army of 186,000 soldiers. Sennacherib withdrew and returned to Assyria where he was murdered by his two sons.

The common denominator in these victories was twofold; obedience to God and worship, the essence of spiritual warfare! They did what God told them to do and there was no contest.

To be continued…