WHY MUST WE ENGAGE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE?
In Ephesians 6:12 Paul uses the word AGAINST four times in connection with the devil, but only one of those classifications deals with the natural world of flesh and blood. He uses the word AGAINST three times to classify satan’s kingdom and our spiritual enemies as:
1. rulers and powers
2. world forces of this [present] darkness
3. spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly (supernatural)
places.
When truth is repeated in Scripture like this, it is always for the sake of emphasis.
“For our struggle is not AGAINST flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but AGAINST the rulers, the powers, AGAINST the world forces of this [present] darkness, AGAINST the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.
HOW SHOULD WE STAND AND CONDUCT OURSELVES IN THE BATTLE?
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, HAVING TIGHTENED THE WIDE BAND OF TRUTH (personal integrity, moral courage) AROUND YOUR WAIST AND HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (an upright heart), and having strapped on YOUR FEET THE Gospel OF PEACE IN PREPARATION [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the HELMET OF SALVATION, AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD.”
When God repeats Himself He is emphasizing something very important.
God called Moses, He said Moses, Moses (Exodus 3-4)
God called Saul, He said Saul, Saul (Acts 9:4)
God called out Samuel, Samuel, Samuel three times.
(1 Samuel 3:8)
This leads us back to Eph. 6:12 where the Holy Spirit repeats himself 4 times using the word “against” that is taken from the Greek word pros. The word pros always depicts a forward position or a face-to-face encounter. In John 1:1 pros is used to describe the reincarnate relationship between the Father and Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus] and the Word was with God…” Word in this context is taken from the word “pros”. A more accurate rendering of this verse would be, “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus] was face to face with God”.
This word word “pros” or “against” has the same meaning in Ephesians 6:12 in relationship to our encounter with the devil. When we as Christians come into direct contact with evil spirits Ephesians 6:12 could be better translated: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but face to face AGAINST principalities and eyeball to eyeball AGAINST powers, head to head AGAINST rulers of darkness of this world, and shoulder to shoulder AGAINST spiritual wickedness in high places.” Sounds like football to me!!!
IN PREPARING FOR SPIRITUAL BATTLES WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT OUR ENEMY?
POWERS: The Greek word for powers is exousia and it denotes delegated authority from satan for the demonic realm under him to do whatever he commands.
Principalities: The Greek word, Archas denotes ancient times and depicts individuals who hold the highest and loftiest positions of rank and authority in his kingdom that satan confers on them.
The Rulers of the darkness of this world: The Greek word kosmokrateros is the compound of the words cosmos and kratos. Kosmos denotes order or arrangement, and the word kratos has to do with raw power. When these two words are compounded together into Kosmokraterous the new word depicts raw power that has been harnessed and put into some kind of order. This word was technically used by the ancient Greeks to describe certain aspects of the military. Satan organizes his demon spirits in rank and file, gives them orders and assignments, and then sends them out like troops who are committed to kill. Kosmokrateros is a military term that has to do with discipline, organization, and commitment.
Spiritual wickedness in high places: The Greek word poneros denotes something that is bad, vile malevolent, vicious, impious, or malignant.
Once Christianity matches the discipline, organization, and commitment that the enemy posses in his camp, we will begin to move into the awesome demonstration of God’s power. This is the wickedness we are dealing with and it is horrible. Paul begins Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle”. The Greek word for wrestle is the word “pale” where the Greeks get the name for their huge gym the “Palaestra” or house of combat sports. Three kinds of athletes primarily worked out at Palestra: (1) Boxers, (2) Wrestlers, and (3) Pankratists.
(1) Boxers wore sharp metal laced gloves and they fought to the death or when one gave up. (2) Wrestlers had rules but it was brutal and the oldest of Greek sports. (3) Pankratists could kick, punch, bite, gouge, strike, break fingers break legs, and do any other horrible thing you could imagine… there were no body parts off limits and basically no rules.
DEFINITIONS
EKKLESIA: A COMMAND GROUP LED BY APOSTLES ASSISTED BY THE MINISTRY OFFICES OF PROPHETS, EVANGELISTS, PASTORS, TEACHERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORTING MINISTRY GIFTS THAT SERVE THE ASSEMBLY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPANDING GOD'S KINGDOM ON EARTH.
APOSTOLIC CENTER: AN APOSTOLIC CENTER IS A CHURCH COMMAND CENTER LED BY AN APOSTOLIC EKKLESIA COMMAND GROUP.
THE 9 PRINCIPLES OF WAR: 9 GUIDES TO JUDGMENT WHILE ENGAGED IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE AGAINST THE UNSEEN REALM OF THE SATANIC AND THE DEMONIC FORCES OF DARKNESS.
THE 9 PRINCIPLES ARE:
UNITY OF COMMAND, OBJECTIVE, OFFENSIVE, MASS POWER, ECONOMY OF FORCE, MANEUVER, SECURITY, SURPRISE, AND SIMPLICITY.
JONATHAN CAHN IN HIS BOOK, “RETURN OF THE GODS”, IDENTIFIES 3 POWERFUL FALSE GODS KNOWN AS THE DARK TRINITY THAT MUST BE DEFEATED BY APOSTLE LED EKKLESIA SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
(1) BAAL: CONNECTED TO STORMS, AGRICULTURE AND FERTILITY.
(2) ISHTAR: PLAYS ON THE DESIRES OF ROMANCE, BEAUTY, AND PLEASURE THROUGH UNHINGED PROMISCUITY.
(3) MOLECH: CHILDREN WERE SACRIFICED AS PART OF MOLECH WORSHIP BEING PASSED THROUGH A FLAME OF FIRE.
OUR SOCAL EKKLESIA
MISSION STATEMENT
As OUR SOCAL EKKLESIA we issue a Dishonorable Discharge of government officials, corporate decision makers, media influencers who do not have the character validated and justified by faith in an alignment with Our Lord.
We discharge them from their high places, we diminish their reach and we lay hold of the occupancy of their territory with the Lordship of Christ and stewardship to those whom Jesus deems a deployment of grace for their destiny to be stewards over the Earth.
“The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” 1 Corinthians 10:4 AMPH
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