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Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Warfare of the Believer
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
Ephesians 6:12 says:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The four basic ranks in Satan's kingdom are: principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high (or heavenly) places.
The most important and powerful of these four classes are the wicked spirits in high (or heavenly) places. The second highest group is the rulers of the darkness of this world. After these two groups are the powers and principalities.
This whole world has been mapped out by Satan, and he has certain detachments of demon spirits stationed in different parts of the world to do difference things. Over every government of the world there is a demon spirit that influences the top man in every nation. The man does not even know it, but he is being manipulated and influenced by these evil spirits. To the extent that the man knows about Jesus Christ, he can resist the influence of these evil forces. They cannot lord their evilness over him. If you have wondered why some leaders in the world have done, or are doing evil things, it is because these demonic spirits are driving them.
There are certain kinds of spirits that inhabit certain parts of this world system. There are sex-perversions spirits, alcohol spirits, drug spirits, tobacco spirits, etc. I am not saying that everyone who smokes a cigarette is possessed by a tobacco spirit, but people who smoke are influenced by these spirits. I know of instances where people have become so addicted to tobacco that they become controlled by it. It is the same with alcohol. Some people actually believe they cannot function without having a drink of alcohol.
There are even religious spirits. These spirits work through religion to bring men into bondage to religion. There are certain spirits that occupy certain territories in an effort to bring destruction, such as poverty. That is why some nations of the world are so poor, because they are being controlled by these poverty spirits. And until the salvation of Jesus Christ and the Word of God are allowed to permeate these areas to break the hold of these spirits, the territories or countries will remain in poverty.
In Mark 15:1-20, the Bible records the event concerning Jesus and the Gadarene demoniac. Jesus was going through a place called Gadara. When He arrived on the scene, a man who was possessed of the devil met him. This man had been living in the cemetery. He was stark naked, dirty, and wild-looking. He had been cutting and torturing himself and was generally in a tormented state.
Jesus discerned the evil spirit that was possessing the man because discerning of spirits operated in His ministry. The Bible does not record all the things Jesus said to these evil spirits, but Jesus and the spirits held a conversation. Finally, Jesus asked the spirit, "What is your name?" The man answered and said, "My name is Legion: for we are many" (Mark 5:9). Only one spirit had actually possessed the man, but that spirit had opened the door and let other spirits come in and they had driven this poor man insane and were literally torturing him.
Jesus commanded the spirits to leave. And they said to Him, "Don't send us away out of this country. There is a herd of swine feeding over there by the mountainside, let us go into the swine." Jesus told them to go. The spirits left the man and he was instantly restored. The spirits went into the swine, and even pigs have enough sense not to be demon-possessed. They ran down the hill and over the cliff and drowned in the water below. It was not the demons that caused the pigs to drown themselves. If it were the spirits that were drowning the swine, they would have had no place to inhabit.
Spirits have to have a physical vessel by which they can manifest themselves in this physical world. That is why they desire to possess people. That is how they can do their greatest degree of harm. However, it they cannot get to their primary target (a flesh and blood, human body), they will take a secondary target, which is an animal of some kind. Failing to get control of an animal, they will go into a house, a building, or a particular geographical area and inhabit it so that they can in some way manifest themselves.
The point of this account is that the spirits asked Jesus not to send them out of that country because that was where they had been assigned to work by Satan. You might wonder where these spirits went after they left the swine. They probably went and tried to find someone else to inhabit. This is all they could do.
Perhaps they did find someone else. We don't know, because the Bible does not say. Personally, I believe they did, because there is always someone who is willing (whether they know it or not) to open the door and let Satan have control.
This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Price's book, "The Way, the Walk and the Warfare of the Believer." You may call us at (800) 927-3436 or visit our website: www.faithdome.org for a complete list of his products.
The Warfare of the Believer
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
Ephesians 6:12 says:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The four basic ranks in Satan's kingdom are: principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high (or heavenly) places.
The most important and powerful of these four classes are the wicked spirits in high (or heavenly) places. The second highest group is the rulers of the darkness of this world. After these two groups are the powers and principalities.
This whole world has been mapped out by Satan, and he has certain detachments of demon spirits stationed in different parts of the world to do difference things. Over every government of the world there is a demon spirit that influences the top man in every nation. The man does not even know it, but he is being manipulated and influenced by these evil spirits. To the extent that the man knows about Jesus Christ, he can resist the influence of these evil forces. They cannot lord their evilness over him. If you have wondered why some leaders in the world have done, or are doing evil things, it is because these demonic spirits are driving them.
There are certain kinds of spirits that inhabit certain parts of this world system. There are sex-perversions spirits, alcohol spirits, drug spirits, tobacco spirits, etc. I am not saying that everyone who smokes a cigarette is possessed by a tobacco spirit, but people who smoke are influenced by these spirits. I know of instances where people have become so addicted to tobacco that they become controlled by it. It is the same with alcohol. Some people actually believe they cannot function without having a drink of alcohol.
There are even religious spirits. These spirits work through religion to bring men into bondage to religion. There are certain spirits that occupy certain territories in an effort to bring destruction, such as poverty. That is why some nations of the world are so poor, because they are being controlled by these poverty spirits. And until the salvation of Jesus Christ and the Word of God are allowed to permeate these areas to break the hold of these spirits, the territories or countries will remain in poverty.
In Mark 15:1-20, the Bible records the event concerning Jesus and the Gadarene demoniac. Jesus was going through a place called Gadara. When He arrived on the scene, a man who was possessed of the devil met him. This man had been living in the cemetery. He was stark naked, dirty, and wild-looking. He had been cutting and torturing himself and was generally in a tormented state.
Jesus discerned the evil spirit that was possessing the man because discerning of spirits operated in His ministry. The Bible does not record all the things Jesus said to these evil spirits, but Jesus and the spirits held a conversation. Finally, Jesus asked the spirit, "What is your name?" The man answered and said, "My name is Legion: for we are many" (Mark 5:9). Only one spirit had actually possessed the man, but that spirit had opened the door and let other spirits come in and they had driven this poor man insane and were literally torturing him.
Jesus commanded the spirits to leave. And they said to Him, "Don't send us away out of this country. There is a herd of swine feeding over there by the mountainside, let us go into the swine." Jesus told them to go. The spirits left the man and he was instantly restored. The spirits went into the swine, and even pigs have enough sense not to be demon-possessed. They ran down the hill and over the cliff and drowned in the water below. It was not the demons that caused the pigs to drown themselves. If it were the spirits that were drowning the swine, they would have had no place to inhabit.
Spirits have to have a physical vessel by which they can manifest themselves in this physical world. That is why they desire to possess people. That is how they can do their greatest degree of harm. However, it they cannot get to their primary target (a flesh and blood, human body), they will take a secondary target, which is an animal of some kind. Failing to get control of an animal, they will go into a house, a building, or a particular geographical area and inhabit it so that they can in some way manifest themselves.
The point of this account is that the spirits asked Jesus not to send them out of that country because that was where they had been assigned to work by Satan. You might wonder where these spirits went after they left the swine. They probably went and tried to find someone else to inhabit. This is all they could do.
Perhaps they did find someone else. We don't know, because the Bible does not say. Personally, I believe they did, because there is always someone who is willing (whether they know it or not) to open the door and let Satan have control.
This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Price's book, "The Way, the Walk and the Warfare of the Believer." You may call us at (800) 927-3436 or visit our website: www.faithdome.org for a complete list of his products.
