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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Spiritual Warfare - Part 1 (2, 3, 4)
The Unseen Foe behind Rising Evil
by Berit Kjos - July 26, 2011

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress...." Psalm 18:2

[This 5-part series and many more by Berit Kjos, one of my favorites, can be found at http://www.crossroad.to]

"...the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19
"The Bible reveals that the unseen world has rulers and majesties and tremendous beings with whom man can get into communication and be possessed by...”[1] Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest

"...some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons..." 1 Tim. 4:1

Introduction to This Series

We don't hear much about spiritual warfare these days. Most churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the depravity he inspires. God's warnings about compromise with a corrupt world simply don't fit the new image of Jesus as a gentle, tolerant, pluralistic helper.
Since the 18th century's birth of the "Age of Reason," an increasing number of "enlightened" Western leaders and influential "change agents" have tried to discredit the Bible and silence Christian believers. More recently, a vast number of politicians, media masters and educators have joined the battles against Biblical truth and morality.
Karl Marx chose another way to distance himself from any Biblical accountability. He chose to believe in Satan, and he proved it in his writings. His dark poem Oulanem gives us a glimpse of the evil force behind communism:


"If there is a Something which devours,
I’ll leap within it, though I bring the world to ruins—The world which bulks between me and the abyss
I will smash to pieces with my enduring curses."[2]
Satan's captivating lies have sparked wars and cruelty through the ages. Ever since Eve chose to follow her feelings rather than God's wise guidelines, humanity has faced assaults from "the evil one" -- often through his human pawns. [5] Call him Devil, Deceiver, Satan, or serpent; it doesn't matter. It's all the same haughty oppressor:
"...that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world..." Rev. 12:9
From the beginning, this liar has been seeding doubt, depravity, despair and death. Through the ages, he has inspired idolatry, witchcraft, deadly curses, magical arts, and sensual, blood-thirsty "gods" that he could use to control people and corrupt cultures. He continues to blind people to warnings such as this:
"There shall not be found among you anyone who... practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer [fortuneteller], or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord..." Deut. 18:10-12
Satan knows well that no nation can maintain true freedom apart from God's moral law. Quenched by propaganda for immorality, hedonism and anti-Christian solidarity, the Biblical values that made America kind, generous, honest and successful are now fading fast -- even in churches. A youth pastor sent me this conflicting message:

"I am a strong Christian and love the Lord with all my heart. The problem is I really enjoy reading the [Harry Potter] books and nothing about them conflicts with my spirit..."

Another visitor who called herself "a young solitary witch" wrote this revealing message:
"I am a [Harry Potter] fan for several reasons. ... You are not just drawn into the story but into that world. Then through talking about them with fans you fall further and further in love with the characters, you analyze them and worry about them until they feel real to you. Then you have, in a way, become a part of that shared universe, and it is a wonderful place to be."
When a nation turns from God's ways to decadence, our Lord withdraws His blessings and protection. And when Satan has his way, disaster reigns. Remember, the evil one rules a hierarchy of like-minded demonic beings:
"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... Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day..." Eph 6:12-13
That "evil day" may soon bring persecution -- as it did to the persecuted Christians in the Soviet Union. Twentieth Century Communism should be a warning to all of us. Western countries like America, the UK and Germany are still hosts to unthinkable secret societies and occult ceremonies. Some of those elite and empowered servants of darkness may well become tomorrow's tyrants.
Are we ready to "stand firm" in Jesus Christ, wearing His armor as we face the battles ahead?
The Deceitfulness of Evil (Genesis 3)

God created a sinless world. But it didn't take long before His perfect creation was tarnished. When the serpent tempted Eve to reject God's warning, she fell for his lies. Adam followed in her steps and shared the devastating consequences: the loss of God's precious nearness. Humanity was consigned to a corrupt world, where Satan would spread his lures and wreak havoc throughout the earth.

Remember the serpent's first enticing lie? Then as now, the dialectic process encouraged compromise and lowered resistance to the planned deception. Ponder this familiar process:
"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?
"And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.
"Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." Gen 3:1-6

Eve hadn't forgotten God's command. It just didn't seem that important. The serpent's smooth questions and pleasing assurances won her heart, and she agreed. The old dialectic brainwashing process touted by Communist leaders from Marx to contemporary UN leaders effectively moves the issue from facts and truth to feelings and tempting experiences. [See chart]

That's why this mind-changing process has become the world's main tool for conforming minds to the new agenda! Our education establishment works hand in hand with UNESCO to transfer the love and loyalties of America's school children from God to a corrupt global government. They know the transformational tactics well.
Meanwhile, today's suggestive books, movies, music and violent games are fast reinforcing this transformation of mind and values.
Depravity, Death and Deliverance
The years that followed were anything but easy for Adam and Eve. Their son Cain killed his brother Abel. Then, as centuries passed and people multiplied, corruption spread. In Genesis 6 we are told that,
"...the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually....The earth also was corrupt before God and... filled with violence." Genesis 6:5, 11
Satan and his followers had been busy. Remember, the evil one commands a huge "army" of like-minded warriors.
But in the midst of the widespread depravity, Noah served God. While his neighbors mocked him for building a massive ship on dry land, Noah stood his ground and followed God's precise instructions:
"Make yourself an ark of gopher-wood....The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. ...You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks." Genesis 6:14-16
This huge ark was actually 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It looked like a long, massive box, shaped to ride on the rough waves. It was large enough to house a zoo with samples from every "kind" of land-based animals. For example, one kind of cat would preserve the genetic structure of lions as well as of domestic kittens. Most animals were probably young and small. But there was plenty of room for elephants, giraffes and ostriches as well.
In other words, this was no small tub-boat with a few cute animal heads popping up! But such false images in children's Bible stories have served Satan's purposes well. It makes the flood sound like a fable, thus undermining the authority of God's Word!
The Battlefield Widens
After the flood, the population again spread and multiplied. And with it grew the seeds of idolatry, war, tyranny and destruction.
"...this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood....The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. ...Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. ...And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel... " Genesis 10:1-10
"And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves...” Genesis 11:4
The tower they built didn't last long. Nor did their quest for unity and admiration. Instead,
"the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth..." Genesis 11:8-9
God wasn't pleased with man's vision of global oneness. Do you wonder what He thinks of the United Nation's plan to eradicate Biblical Christianity and replace it with a more useful and tolerant spirituality? These two UNESCO [UN Education, Culture, and Science agency] Declarations may help answer that question:
Who Won?
God did! He always wins -- even when the victory looks more like defeat to us! He is the sovereign King and Creator over all, and His wisdom and long-range plans for our lives far surpass our finite understanding. Everything is under His command:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
With our narrow vision of His heavenly plans, we may be tempted to complain. To resist that lure, we need to trust God, to know His Word, and to remember His wonderful promises. No matter what challenges we face, He is still with us -- strengthening our faith and teaching endurance in the midst of our struggles.
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ... taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always...." Eph. 6:10-18
1. Oswald Chamber, Oswald Chambers Daily Devotional Bible, p. 652
2. Richard Wurmbrand, Was Marx a Satanist? (Diane Books, 1976), p.12.
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