Our Struggle is Not Against Flesh and Blood: Part III Who are the Rulers of the Darkness of this World?

If you think it is the current President, thought it was any previous ones, or firmly believe whoever holds the oval office in the next administration is the one, then your aim is far too low. No man having flesh and blood could be responsible for the darkness of this world. There are limitations we have in this flesh, especially as individuals, and while the intended purpose from the beginning was that we would have dominion over the things in this world we can thank Adam and Eve for the entrance of the ruler of the darkness of this world.

Men are mere puppets on the menu of the Serpent if they haven’t given both their heart and their will over to God. Here is why it is important that you must give over both, see the Roman road to salvation is two-fold, believing in thine heart that God has raised His son from the dead is only one part. We must confess with our mouth THE LORD Jesus. As Lord, this means he is master, and while many may have no problem believing in their heart he died for them, and are grateful, and that he arose from the dead, but where the rubber meets the road is, if he is Lord! Lord not in only lip service, but in life service.

For Him to be Lord of your life that means you must deny your flesh! You must ask yourself and make a conscious decision that your words and your ways will line up with what He said and speaks to you, not with what you say and think. There was a point where King David came close to failing this test of respecting God’s authority. When he met that crossroad his heart smote him even at the cutting off of cloth of King Saul’s garment. (1 Sam. 24:4-5) I would say his flesh was very much willing to cross this line and most of us in the flesh would have said he had every right to do so. After all, the bounty on his life was based on an unrighteous decision of this very King, he could have ended this tyranny and reign in his stead. Remember, he had already been anointed as such by the Prophet Samuel, but he understood, who was he to touch God’s anointed? We need to understand that when we are tongue-lashing daggers at those who are the rulers of our nation, that the face we are really getting in front of is that of the Almighty. Men this is also important to recognize that when you tear down national authority in front of your family, you open the door for your family to challenge your authority.

Opposing unrighteous policies is one thing, but speaking evil of our present ruler leads to leprosy. (Num. 12:1-10) While many may hold to respecting authority within ranks messianic leadership, then I would suggest you consider whose servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was? (Jer. 27:6) I would suggest you reread Romans 13, Eph. 6:5-9 which tells you how you ought to obey those who have rule over you. As unpopular as this message maybe it is nevertheless needed, there is somebody reading this right now that are wondering why their prayers are being hindered and this could be your key.

King David was blessed with an amazing promise from the Most High that have stretched all the way till today, thousands of years since his reign because he understood respect for authority. Even when authority sought to kill him he remained submitted, first unto God, and secondly unto God’s delegated authority. Whatever King Saul’s faults were it was not David’s job to be his judge. He had one law to keep as it related to King Saul and that was to submit to his kingship and his faithfulness to doing that reaped his eternal rewards.

We are at a crossroads as a people under authority, are we going to continue to fight against flesh and blood or will we instead put on the full armor of the Almighty? David even as a wanted man by King Saul kept his armor, and knew how to use it, do you? The weapons of our warfare they are not carnal, they are not swords, guns, bombs, or slingshots, but the weapons we have are mighty! (2 Cor 10:4) Yah has given us some armor and instructions on how to use it so we are not without what we need in this present dark age. These weapons won’t miss when aimed at the right target. (Eph. 6:11)

Now, remember you need all this armor before you go out to battle. If you miss any, you will be exposed in that area. So here we go, first, we are told to stand. In this war you can’t be fearful the first ones who will burn in that lake of fire is, the fearful. None of this armor will work on a coward, so if there is a fear in you other than the fear of the Almighty then you need to first fill yourself with the word of God concerning this area until you receive the fear of God in you. A healthy, holy, reverential fear of the Almighty will help you conquer the fear of man. Matthew 10:28 tells us who we should fear and why, which makes it a good place to start so you can gain the conviction to stand. Now that you are standing its time to suit up.

The first piece of armor for the standing man is to have his loins girded with the belt of truth. Why would your loins be the first piece of armor? I believe it is because your loins are positioned in the center of your body. It is the part that surrounds your belly. Have you ever had a gut feeling? This gut feeling is powerful many who have the courage to act or not to act usually do so based on it. This gut feeling can be so compelling it can cause one to defy reason. This gut feeling will tell you to pack an umbrella even when the forecast doesn’t predict rain. It is in our gut or bowels we find ourselves moved with compassion for someone. It is important to remain centered because a person who is properly centered will only bow or bend purposely. Those whose faith is centered with the belt of truth is focused on the word of truth. When asked what is truth by Pilate, the answer was already written, His word is truth. (John 18:36; John 17:17)

After we are properly centered with the right source of information we are told to put on the breastplate of righteousness. When we are centered in truth it is easy to stand protected with the breastplate of righteousness. We have already established that in our flesh dwells no good thing, but because of the righteousness of God and our embracing of his truth we are washed in the blood and made righteous in it. Therefore, because we are in Christ, we are no longer held hostage to the dead man we were. The breastplate covers the heart, and the heart pumps the blood that goes to the rest of the body. Therefore, since the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God on our behalf, through him our conscience is purged from dead works so we can stand and serve the living God. (Heb. 9:14) So any sin under the blood of Christ is not free game for the enemy to hold against you. This doesn’t mean he won’t try, remember the believer wouldn’t need any of this armor if we had no enemies.

The next piece of armor is for your feet. We stand now, but soon we will have to walk, and having the right shoes on can keep you from stumbling. Our feet must be shod with the gospel of peace. It is important to remember that we are not the bearers of bad news that is what the world already has; we come with good news. Too often we approach the things of God like it’s something we have to hide or be ashamed of, the world would have us think liberating people from the sin that has them bound is something bad when nothing could be further from the truth. We have the news that will set the captives free. Many drug addicts want to be free, the gospel does that because it’s good news. Many alcoholics, sex addicts, slaves, prisoners of war, prisoners, sick people are all seeking for the truth that is girded about our loins. For freedom that our conscience has because of the pure blood through the eternal spirit we get to have on our chest, but haven’t heard the gospel of peace. Addictions are desirable because the addict has no peace. The gospel of Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha Maschiach) comes with that peace. Those who reject such peace will have the remainder of the dust from our feet to contend with as His peace leaves with us.

When the gospel of peace is rejected we need not fret God provided us another piece of armor, called the shield of faith. He has shielded us with a faith that can put out fires. The first place this word faith appears in the Bible is when Joshua was in battle against the Amalekites. When Moses was seated on a rock with Hur and Aaron on either side of him the word in Exodus 17:12 translated as steady to describe his position on that rock is the word for faith. It’s the perfect picture of God’s intervention in the hand of man with faith being used in the sense of a military tactic. When we know that we are seated in heavenly places with Messiah Yeshua as we stand against the darkness of this present age then we can boldly shield ourselves against the fiery darts of the enemy with every dart intended for us being wielded back to him like a boomerang. This is the effect our faith in the Most High has against the principalities of the darkness of this present age. Our steadiness in the Word and Will of the Almighty translates into a powerful witness of the truth of who he is.

Job is an example for us, that even at the admonition of his wife to curse God and die because of the fiery darts that were coming his way, he stood firmly on his convictions to trust God despite what it cost him. While Job as a man had his faults, he was unwavering in his stand to not curse God. While the enemy may throw our faith back at us as a testimony against us, our faithfulness to stand with God in the midst of the challenge will speak for us.

Because the enemy doesn’t stop, wherever he can find an entrance whether it is a door or a window he will try to find his way in, our Father gave us another piece of armor. This armor is for our head, and it is very important. If the enemy can’t wear your body down, then he will use mind games to take you out. Therefore keep the helmet of salvation securely in place. You know that you are saved, that your life has already been bought with a price and that you have the blessed hope that even if he can take your body out, your soul is secure in him. This was a tactic he tried twice to attack our Savior with, identity. If he can get you to question who you belong to, he can get you to willingly put aside all the other armor that protects you. Knowing you are a new creature in Christ is essential and keeping that helmet of salvation is especially important when going to battle.

Finally, we are given the sword of the Spirit, this is very important to know how to use. When fighting someone who is aiming to kill you it is important to know exactly where you will strike to get the job done. The sword of the spirit is the word of God, but there are two important things you need to know when wielding your sword. Since the sword we are given is the word of God we have to understand what word of the word of God we need to hit the heart. Remember, in this fight, we are looking to win the heart of those who have been deceived by Ha Satan. The right word fitly spoken has the power of conversion, we don’t want to be aimlessly cutting and we don’t want to miss the target. So knowing where you want the sword to strike and what word you need to penetrate that spot to bring about conviction is critical.

I wouldn’t want these spiritual weapons being misapplied, it is important to know that the war we are waging doesn’t start on a physical battlefield, but in a prayer closet. While we do not fight as one who beats the air we are in a battle against a principality who lives in the air. Yeshua understood this more than I think we who read his testimony. There is a lot being said in between the lines we don’t consider when He is speaking. Many times we see that Yeshua would leave the people and get away to himself to spend time alone with the Father. Every time we read that what we read came out of that time, but not necessarily all that was said in that time. This is the same thing we see with Moses when he spent time in the mountain getting the Ten Commandments written in stone. The people saw the stone; they saw the glory that appeared on him after his time with God, but there is a reason the scripture records that the people knew God’s acts, but Moses knew his ways. To know the ways of God requires spending time with Him. There is a lot we are missing if we are not spending that time. Many of us are just content with seeing the hand of God move in our lives, we are seeking the acts, but few desires to know the ways of God. If we forsake fellowship with God, we will always be prey for the enemies menu. We then find our weapons will be of the flesh instead of resting in the power of the Spirit.

Our Struggle is Not Against Flesh and Blood Part II: Know Your Enemy!

Know who your enemy is!

Remember what Ephesians tells us, we do not fight against the flesh (the color of one’s skin); or blood (those who are of your own household), but against principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world. Now let’s look at these three things because knowing your enemy is important so that you shoot the right target. First, he mentions, principalities, and this word principality is the word chief. It comes from the Greek word G757 (ar’kho) which means first. It is a political term. Coming from the west in our minds the President is the highest official, but the question is, is he? I submit to you that the highest ranking official(s) are those who are not subject to our laws, yet are the force behind it. There is a higher power responsible for our governing body that we neither vote for nor see, and the President is a player on the checkerboard.

Consider this, the President, is he not flesh and blood? Since he is flesh and blood how could he fit the description of being the “principality” that we fight against? Having said that, let’s look into this next word that describes who our enemy is, powers. This word powers is “exousia” which means privilege. This is a word that in our culture we are well aware of and we usually associate it with those who are of a particular flesh. Even so, I would submit to you that there is a greater picture that is being presented in this word.

There is a deception that the enemy has planted in the mind of those who have such a thought process. This deception is no different than that which occurred to Judas in Luke 22:3 when Satan entered Judas. There are always two forces at work and if you are not subject to the one then you will be open to the other. Meaning those who are not or will not submit to YHVH is fair game for Ha Satan. The Adversary is the master of deception and will sway you to believe anything your heart is subject to accept. Any demented plan your mind can conjure up is okay as long as it is in opposition to the Most High. This is why scripture admonishes us to understand what the will of the Lord is so that we won’t be pray to the tactics of Ha Satan. (Eph. 5:17)

Finally, we fight against the rulers of the darkness of this world. The whole world lies in wickedness and those subject to this world are not exempt from it, this is why we must walk in the Spirit to overcome the weakness of our flesh. (1 Jn 5:19; Gal. 5:16) This word “ruler” comes from the Greek word Kosmos which is where we get the world, and it means world ruler, HaSatan. If your slingshot is aiming at the President, Judges, or Congressmen, your aim is too low. They are puppets on a much larger string, and like Judas, if they are NOT walking in the Spirit they are food for the devil. Every man in authority is subject to the same failures and temptations. Politicians are not our problem believers who look to flesh and blood rather than using our spiritual artillery. Proverbs 21:1 says the heart of the king is in His hands and as the rivers of water he turns it whither soever he wills. David understood this truth, even with the King seeking to kill him, he refused to lay his hand on God’s anointed. When we grasp that all authority comes from God; we can understand this scripture in Proverbs. Our lack of understanding the will of YHVH and His authority subject us to the curses that we find ourselves reaping.

As bad as things may seem, we have yet to be the target of death threats by our paid politicians. So if this man David, can honor a king seeking his death, what then is our excuse? What acceptable excuse will we present before the Almighty, for our behavior? I shudder to think. Even Paul humbled himself before the Almighty when he spoke against the “ruler of his people” in his day. In his repentance, he received answers from the Almighty. (Acts 23:5) We must remember there is an unseen force behind every evil act, yet those who trust in the Lord prevails.

Our Struggle is Not with Flesh and Blood Part I

From the view of the underdog, it is very easy to believe that the fight we have is with flesh and blood, but the Bible teaches us of a more accurate truth. Our struggle is not with flesh no matter how dark or light their skin is, nor is it with blood, for though we know that the greatest enemy of mankind can often seem like those of our own household. The reality is we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph. 6:12) While the news will tell you the enemy is a woman or man, the posts on Facebook will tell you their black or white, the radio will tell you it’s the Republicans or Democrats. Whether it’s the internet or the television you can find someone who will feed to whatever your bend is. There is no shortage of sources that you can watch that could allow you to vacillate between the two, but the Bible makes this clear if this is your focus you’re wrestling with flesh and blood. If you can see your enemy, handle your enemy, put a name and face to your enemy then you’re fighting the wrong fight.  The enemy that Ephesians is exposing is unseen, the wickedness that exists in a higher place than where we are, we can’t reach it with our five senses. If we are using our manmade weapons of mass destruction we will miss the target.

The good news in this impossible situation just described is if we know who and what we are fighting then we can begin to consider what tools are available to reach the unseen enemy. Ephesians give us the answer on how we can fight this invisible enemy that operates in an area too high for us to reach. Ephesians 6:13 tells us to put on the whole armor of God. As King Saul did to David, so also the world wants to do to you, give you their artillery, even when it’s not working for them.  The world tells you the answer is a bigger gun yet those of us with the big guns still don’t feel secure against this war that is being waged on humanity. It is like Saul trying to suit up David for the run-in with Goliath. Yet, listen carefully to the response David had. He made it clear this isn’t going to work, I haven’t tried these things that you are trying to put on me. When I fought a bear and a lion I was successful with what I had. I’ve tried and seen that this works. (1 Sam 17:39) It is very important that you read up a few verses because you will see that David understood that the true power that he had was not in the physical weaponry, but in a clear trust through tried faith that YHVH would deliver him. David’s denial of King Saul’s armor represented a clear understanding that his tried faith in following YHVH using his slingshot and five smooth stones was more reliable than the untried armor that Saul’s soldiers used.

You don’t need what you think you need to fight the enemy of your soul, you need what God has faithfully used with you to get you through your battle.

David learned a lesson many of us have yet to learn, at an early age. Too often we discredit the gift God has given us thinking that our gift can’t measure up to the bells and whistles that the world would flaunt before us. Our gift of writing or our gift of music seems like a slingshot compared to Goliath’s sword, but the gift God has perfected in you is mightier then Goliath’s sword.