Learning Practical
Spiritual Warfare
2008 Edition
Part One
Page 4
4. Fallen angelic RULERS
OF spiritual DARKNESS
[3] RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS
WORLD = The word ruler =
Greek kosmokrator
= a world
system ruler = this is a
lesser ruler than that of the principalities and powers, and
they are over things such as
cities, towns, sections of
cities, over certain areas.
They rule over the spiritual darkness of this world system which
belongs to the devil.
Ephesians 2:2 “ Wherein in time past ye walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: “
John 16:7-11 “ 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send
him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because
they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my
Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the
prince of this world is judged. “
Notice that the lord of this world
system is the devil, but the devil does not own this world. The
bible says in
PSALM 24:1 "THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND THE FULNESS THEREOF;
THE WORLD, AND THEY THAT DWELL THEREIN."
The devil only rules in the world
system of spiritual darkness
where men give him leave to rule them because of their greed or
lust or hate. And
these world rulers fall under the direction of the powers. You
will find sometimes the influence of one of these fallen angels
over sections of your town, or the whole town itself.
Have you ever been walking
(especially at night), and you seemed to cross a boundary and
you could just suddenly feel evil around you, or suddenly your
mood changed for the worse for no reason. You have just crossed
into the boundary of influence of some kind of fallen angelic
ruler.
I have walked into houses where you
could just feel a certain atmosphere demonic in nature radiating
through the walls, such as depression, or wrath, or lust, or
even sickness.
These are still fallen angels with
quite a bit of spiritual influence, but they are much inferior
to the principalities and powers.
5. demons or hosts of wicked spirits
[4] SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH
PLACES =
Greek translation:
hosts of evil spirits in the air (or heavenlies).
These are the demons that seduce or
oppress both Christians and the ones who give themselves over to
them. These are unclean spirits that the bible says can
literally inhabit a person who gives themselves over to them.
Note to possess means to own, and if
you are in fellowship with Christ, you can be oppressed and to a
degree controlled, but they cannot come in and own you. If a
Christian becomes possessed, they had to backslide first.
Demon possessed people have these
unclean spirits. They are the lowest on the list of rank given
here. They are the demonic warriors who follow the orders of
their superiors. They are the strong men that Jesus said takes
the Holy Ghost to first bind them before they are cast out.
The word for spiritual hosts is
pneumatikos; and pneuma = spirit, wind, breath = suggests
that these are disembodied spirits, like the human soul without
the resurrected glorified body. This is why demons seek a house
(a human body), they need one. This would seem to separate them
from angels although most people think that demons who possess
you are fallen angels.
This would separate them into a
different class from an angel who does have a spirit body, much
like the one we will have when we are resurrected. Though it
does not directly say what demon spirits who possess and oppress
people come from, I personally have the opinion that they are
not angels.
The principalities, powers, and
rulers of the darkness of this world are fallen angels. There
is ample scripture to support that. But the bible is definitely
not clear about where unclean spirits came from. And note that
they do appear to be disembodied.
[5] More on Hosts of Wicked Spirits
in the Heavenlies... demons:
Heavenlies
= Greek epouranios = against
the sky.... the first heaven
primarily, although it can mean the stars as well. Usually it
refers to the first heaven.... the visible sky and clouds of the
earth.
Ephesians 2:2 “ Wherein in time past ye walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: “
Job 1:7 “ And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in
the earth, and from walking up and down in it. “
John 16:11 “ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is
judged. “
Who are these wicked spirits? They
are demons. And demons according to Vine’s expository
dictionary of New Testament words is <A‑2,Noun,1140,daimonion>
the neuter of the adjective daimonios, pertaining to a demon, is
also mistranslated "devil," "devils." In
Acts 17:18, it denotes an
inferior pagan deity. "Demons" are the spiritual agents acting
in all idolatry. The idol itself is nothing, but every idol has
a "demon" associated with it who induces idolatry, with its
worship and sacrifices,
Acts 17:8; 1 Corinthians 10:20,21; Revelation 9:20; Deuteronomy
32:17; Isaiah 13:21; 34:14; 65:3,11
Unclean spirits means literally
unclean or morally impure, wicked, or foul spirits. This is a
further description of a demon.
Ephesians 6:13 (KJV) “
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand. “
Ephesians 6:13 (AMP) “
Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to
resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and,
having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your
place].”
We are commanded to put on the whole armor of God in light of
this enemy that has just been described to us. These spiritual
enemies require spiritual weaponry, and God is telling us
through His Word to put on this weaponry and make a stand!
In the evil day, when the attack is on and everything seems set
against you, then you can take
God’s holy armor and stand for Jesus Christ and not be moved!
STAND for
Jesus and do not be moved back. Do not compromise and do not
give up, but clothe yourself in Jesus and make a stand.
God has not called us out of darkness to compromise with the
darkness or to run from the darkness, but to stand as soldiers
of light in the power of God and His might, and to say…
NO FARTHER… evil shall not
win, for we are going to take
this for Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:12 (KJV) And from the days of John the Baptist until
now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent
take it by force.
Matthew 16:18 (KJV) And I say also unto thee, That thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it.
When the day is done and all has been said and done, you are
still there standing in the power of God and the will of God as
His Own, and the enemy has not found victory. You have found
the scripture true that says “Greater is He that is in you than
he that is in the world!” God is greater!
