Good vs Evil, Battle for Eternity, Angels, Demonic Forces

Spiritual Warfare

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. There are great battles over the future of our souls in unimaginable realms.

We are all surrounded by unseen “Electromagnetic Waves” that are created by television, radio, Wi-Fi, micro and cellular communications… We all believe that they exist, yet prior to the 20th century one would have never imagined or believed that this would one day be a reality. Before the 20th century people also didn’t believe in germs, atoms, computers or the unseen multi-dimensional universe that has been exposed mathematically by modern physics.

Angelic Battles in Heavenly Realms

The spiritual world, referenced in the Bible, also surrounds us in the same ways. Yet unfortunately today, most still do not accept and/or concern themselves with this reality. As Christians though, we learn to detect this realm that surrounds and affects us daily. Instead of irony or coincidence with life, we witness divine direction, the effects of prayer and the wisdom and guidance found in the Bible. The true reality of the universe is that there is a vast realm of spiritual warfare going on in unseen dimensions over the lives of all human beings.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,

against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and

against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12

The origins of this warfare began in the unseen spiritual dimensions that the Bible references as realms and the heavens. Notice in Ephesians 6:12 and Genesis 1:1, the words "realms" and "heavens" are both plural.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1

This great battle between powerful spiritual forces is detailed in the book of Revelation. This is when one of the most powerful angelic figures (often referred to as Satan, the Devil or Lucifer) made the decision to rebel against God.

"Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon,

and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough,

and they lost their place in heaven. 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." - Revelation 12:7-9”

As this previous verse reveals, Michael has unique authority as an archangel. This is verified in the book of Jude where it says:

"But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil,

was disputing about the body of Moses,

he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment,

but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” - Jude 1:9

All of the evil and the spiritual warfare that exists on Earth, began with the fall of Satan. This individual is described in most detail in the book of Ezekiel.

“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you:
carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper,
lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they were prepared.

14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.

16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.

17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."

- Ezekiel 28:12-17 (NIV)

Ezekiel 28 teaches us that Cherubim are powerful and majestic angelic creatures who surround God’s throne. Before his change of heart, Satan was once a guardian cherub. Ironically, after Adam and Eve succumbed to the devil’s temptations in the garden and were cast out, God sent cherubim to guard Eden (Genesis 3:24).

Satan is described as the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Yet he was still not satisfied. Despite Satan's magnificence and lofty status in the heavens, his heart was hardened by pride and jealousy. Not satisfied with worshipping God; instead, he now wanted to be worshipped.

Ultimately, Satan and a third of the angelic servants, now called fallen angels, decided to rebel and follow him. They were also self-serving, jealous and vindictive toward God and His creation. In truth, Satan is powerful but not all-knowing and not in all places as once. He is not able to know us all personally, but he does have a very dangerous weapon against humanity as he uses fallen angels, known as demons, to influence human beings individually.

Gods Protection

The good news is that Christians who are strong in faith and scripture and are vigilant regarding the threat from dark spiritual forces, are immune from demonic influences.

"But the Lord is faithful.

He will establish you and guard you against the evil one"

- 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

- James 4:7 (NIV)

As mentioned throughout this website, God's love for the human race supersedes everything. Mankind does not deserve or earn God's love or the redeeming salvation of Christ. These are gifts by the grace of God. The only requirement is faith in Christ's sacrifice and eternal salvation.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

- John 3:16 (ESV)

Unfortunately, many people do not have the knowledge or the awareness of the far-reaching threat that exists from unseen demonic forces. The stronger a person's relationship with God, the more likely they are to be surrounded by angels. The further away someone is from God, the easier it becomes for demons to approach, deceive and influence the naive and spiritually weak.

Understand, everyone has weaknesses and bad habits, but without a sincere relationship God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we become more vulnerable to harmful influences whether it’s demonic forces, the wrong crowd, bad habits or earthly desires.

The Bible teaches us that angels can actually walk among us on occasion. Sometimes they will communicate with us like a regular person. These encounters might be for our benefit, to help us find our way, test of faith, our kindness, our resolve, or willingness to behave in a righteous manner.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

- Hebrews 13:2 (ESV)

“The two angels came to Sodom in the evening,

and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom.

When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them

and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said,

“My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house

and spend the night and wash your feet.”

- Genesis 19:1-5 (ESV)

Angels are often called to protect and serve humans. Angels are the Lord's workers that watch and keep records over the deeds and actions of every human being. Angels have our best interest in relation to God's plans for our lives and will rejoice over our faith and service. This angelic concept created the notion of guardian angels.

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"

- Hebrews 1:14 (ESV)

"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

- Luke 15:10 (ESV)

All human contact with the spiritual realm is stark, it’s either angelic or demonic. This is why using mediums and sorcery is strictly forbidden in the Scriptures, as it is direct pathway to demonic forces.

Demonic Warfare Against Mankind

Demonic forces often prey on humans with by taking advantage of our good intentions, curiosities and habits. Unfortunately, today's popular culture has increasingly romanticized the dangerous beliefs in the occult, ghosts, sorcery and communicating with the dead.

Western society has seen rapid growth with the occult in everything from books, movies, music and TV shows. The acceptance of ghosts and witches, often portrayed as a caring individual trying to offer help, has become a common occurrence in society. We are not taught to fear evil or the super-natural; in fact, our popular culture has depicted the occult and sorcery as being vogue.

The Bible provides a strict warning to those who get involved with the occult, communicating with the spiritual realm through other channels outside of prayer and scripture. This is mainly because God is protecting us from mediumship, the skill or practice of using a spiritual medium, which is a form of deception since there is no middle ground, only doorway into the demonic realm.

'And when they say to you,

“Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,”

should not a people inquire of their God?

Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?'

- Isaiah 8:19 (ESV)

“If a person turns to mediums and necromancers,

whoring after them, I will set my face against that person

and will cut him off from among his people."

- Leviticus 20:6 (ESV)

Why consult the dead, when we can turn to the living God?

God’s rational is not just about rules or our protection from the demonic, it is about building a relationship with Him. When someone gets involved with the occult, they start relying on signs instead of the scripture, dreams over doctrine, feelings rather than faith.

If this scenario progresses, their wisdom and discernment will fade, compounding their spiral into spiritual darkness. Dabbling in sorcery will transition someone from curiosity to captivity like a tangled web of spiritual confusion, all because someone was innocently searching for answers to questions that the Scriptures, the holy Spirit and prayer could have truthfully provided within their best interest.

Today's secular concept of ghosts or communicating with the dead is pure fiction. In fact, ghosts do not exist. Any supernatural experience via the occult or through the use of mediums and sorcery will be with demons who use deception to prey on the naive.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once,

and after that comes judgment,

- Hebrews 9:27 (ESV)

There is no middle ground in the spiritual world. There are no ghosts looming on earth in a halfway realm. The dead can’t reach or communicate with us. Upon death, souls go to either a place of rest or torment. There is no in-between.

What makes the occult so dangerous is that Demons don’t want to scare you, they want to deceive you, infiltrate you. The fallen angels often provide comforting lies to lure you into a relationship with the single goal to harm you or so they can possess and/or lead you astray from the Lord. This can often be in the form of promoting bad habits or thought patterns, desires and addictions, whether envy, lust, anger, depression, etc.

While fallen angels can influence the thoughts and desires of the lost and the curious in many ways, Demons often rely on the use mediums found in the occult or even Ouija boards to access your weaknesses and deceive you. The Bible warns us to avoid mediums and sorcery.

"And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."

- 2 Corinthians 11:14 (ESV)

If a person is ever suspicious about a supernatural communication, one can ask, does this teaching or spirit acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God who came in human flesh? If a spirit denies the humanity or deity of Jesus, it is not of God.

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit,

but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,

for many false prophets have gone out into the world."

- 1 John 4:1 (ESV)

To test a spirit as mentioned in 1 John 4:1-6, examine whether the teacher or message confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (fully God and fully human). A spirit or false prophet (teacher) that denies this incarnation is not from God but is the spirit of the antichrist.

How to Test Spirits and False Prophets (1 John 4):

The Core Doctrine Test (v. 2-3): The primary litmus test is to ask: Does this teaching acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God who came in human flesh? If a spirit denies the humanity or deity of Jesus, it is not of God.

The Apostolic Teaching Test (v. 6): Those who know God listen to teachings of the apostles and the scriptures. Any message inconsistent with biblical doctrine is a sign of a false spirit.

The Fruit Test (1 John 4, Matthew 7:15-20): Examine the character and conduct of the teacher. A true teacher will show evidence of the Holy Spirit (love, righteousness), while false teachers often display "evil fruits" or behaviors inconsistent with the gospel.

The Listener Test (v. 5-6): Consider who listens to them. If a teacher is popular with "the world" (unbelievers) because they speak worldly things, they are not from God.

In Summary

Scripture tells us that Satan took one-third of the angels (Revelation 12:4). Considering that the angelic host numbers more than 10,000 x 10,000 (Revelation 5:11), that is a sizable group.

Like electromagnetic waves, mankind is literally surrounded by legions of Satan’s evil-doers.

“We know that we are children of God,

and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” - 1 John 5:19

“Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!

But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!

He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” - Revelation 12:12

Satan and the fallen angelic army all know that they have permanently been cast out of heaven. Since they will never be able to go back, they are extremely jealous of mankind.

Because of God's love for humanity and the salvation of Christ at Calvary, we thankfully have the opportunity, while Satan and his demons already had theirs. Their bitterness and hatred inspire them to do evil against mankind and to distract humanity from the reality of God’s love and the spiritual warfare that exists around us all. Today our materialist popular culture and the distractions of high technology are some of their best weapons as the message of the Bible and our own spirituality fades across modern society.

Thankfully, we are also surrounded by millions of God’s angelic stewards who keep records of our deeds. For those who develop an honest relationship with God and live by the scriptures, these stewards will increasingly exist to protect us and help us as we live our lives. Christ refers to the purpose of angels in the ‘Parable of the Weeds’ found in Matthew 13:

"The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom.

The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace,

where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 13:38-42 (NIV)

For mankind today, a materialistic technology driven society is increasingly dangerous, as the true reality of spiritual warfare is being forgotten. The spiritual battle for the eternal souls of mankind, fought in the unseen multi-dimensional universe, is actually more relevant than any war that we witness or read about here on Earth. We can't see or comprehend just how vast and amazing this reality is. Physicists using String theory claim that there are at least 11 dimensions... There may actually be many, many more.

Unfortunately, today's popular culture is a major disservice in that it creates a variety of sensational false narratives about the unseen spiritual realm described in the Bible. We often see images of Satan as some guy in a red leotard with horns and a long tail. This image is not found anywhere in the Bible. We also see stereotypical characters ranging from Casper the ghost to endless Hollywood inspired movies about vampires, goblins, and zombies. One of the most outrageous narratives is one of God with a long white beard sitting on a puffy cloud that floats around in the sky.

This trend has led to the revelation that the occult and witchcraft have become the largest growing belief system in the Western World.

As the Western world continues to forget about the Bible, society will continue to incrementally fall prey to Satan's deceit. For today's Christians, and the greater church in general, we can grow in discernment through fellowship, learning from the scriptures and relying on each other.

Fellowship with other Christians is now more important than ever...

"For where two or three are gathered in my name,

there am I among them."

- Matthew 18:20 (ESV)