Jeff Carter
In Ephesians 6, Paul uses the imagery of spiritual armor that we are to “put on” to prepare us for war. But he mentions something about our enemy that indeed does pull back that curtain a bit for us. He says our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against “rulers,” “authorities,” “powers of this dark world,” and against “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” What Paul reveals is that as we go about our daily lives in the realm of the “seen” world, there is, all the while, a battle raging in the unseen world.
Several times in Scripture we are given a peek into that unseen world:
- In 2 Kings 6, when Elisha awoke to find that he was surrounded by the Aramean army bent on his destruction, his servant panicked. But God opened the eyes of the servant to see the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire. There was an entire angelic army, unseen to the naked eye, poised to strike, ready to defend them.
- In Daniel 10, we read how Daniel had been mourning and fasting and praying for his people for 3 solid weeks when an angelic messenger arrived with the answer to his prayer. The angel said for 21 days his path had been blocked by “the prince of the kingdom of Persia;” some sort of demonic enemy sent to interfere with this angelic mission. The archangel Michael then came to help free him to complete his task.
- The New Testament describes how demonic forces are organized and actually have a hierarchy. They are referred to as: “angels, principalities…powers” (Rom 8:38); “rulers and authorities” (Eph. 3:10); and “thrones or dominions” (Col 1:16). From Daniel we also learn these demonic forces are territorial in some respect. The “power” that opposed this angel was specific to Persia.
What these examples display is that beyond the pale of the visible world there are spiritual forces at work; in a realm we are normally not privy to.
In the very popular book “The Screwtape Letters” C.S. Lewis goes behind the scenes, as it were, and imagines what it might be like for a senior demon to train a junior demon in the ways of spiritual warfare. Although this is a fictional imagining of the workings of Satan and his minions, it does serve to open our eyes and imaginations to a world that we often do not even think about.
While there are many ‘takeaways’ from this kind of discussion, a couple of thoughts certainly arise. First of all, while knowledge of this reality is helpful to enable us to properly prepare for the battle and to put our struggles in context, we also need to maintain perspective and keep a balanced viewpoint about our involvement in this realm.
It is deceptively easy to be drawn into the enticing world of power-encounters and demonic warfare—and even involvement in deliverance ministries where stories of the daily reality of demonic possession and oppression in third-world nations can cause us to wonder why more of this is not more apparent in our western world. But you will search in vain to find an invitation in scripture to seek out such encounters. But at the same time, we need not overly panic over the reality of this reality. The attitude Elisha models for us is “do not fear.” God’s power is greater and He is working behind the scenes in ways we cannot imagine, to protect us and save us.
To illustrate this caution, C.S. Lewis related that J.R.R. Tolkien, to whom Lewis had dedicated Screwtape Letters, had warned him that delving too deeply into the craft of evil would surely take its toll. Lewis admitted he found this to be true when he wrote in his preface:
“Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment… though it was easy to twist one’s mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long. The work into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst and itch. Every trace of beauty, freshness and geniality had to be excluded.”
So, we ought not fear, but we also cannot give in to an over-zealous fascination and preoccupation with this subject. It is unseen for a reason. We need to trust that God is in control.
A second thought that arises from this discussion involves the daily headlines we are highlighting in our “Israel News” section of the HaDavar website. On an almost daily basis there is some new story focusing on the goings-on in Iran or Lausanne, or over in Yemen, that can easily cause consternation about these very tense times we are living in, and how these events might play out. The Middle East is literally on the brink of all-out war over the threat that a nuclear Iran poses to not only the region, but the entire world.
We see Iran, through Isis, filling the void that Obama left when he prematurely withdrew forces from Iraq. We see Iran, through the Houthis, attempting to take over the geographically and strategically significant nation of Yemen. We see Iran and Russia joining forces in arms deals—possibly setting the stage for the beginnings of an Ezekiel 38-39 scenario. We see the U.S. doing very little to protect their strongest ally, Israel, from the extermination threats of an inevitably nuclear Iran.
All of these political machinations can strike fear in the hearts of those who realize we are living in a post “mutually assured destruction” world. These weapons of mass destruction are no longer in the hands of sane, rational, sensible leaders. What are we to do with this sometimes overwhelming dread that inexplicable world events can engender in us?
In Romans 13:1 God gives us another behind the scenes reminder. He says through Paul that there is no authority in the world, except that which is established by God. In addition to the angelic/demonic warfare that exists in the unseen spiritual world—conflicts that can center in upon specific political regions—we are given the confidence that nothing that happens upon the world stage happens without the express permission of God.
Not only is there spiritual warfare going on behind the scenes, but God is at work raising up nations and kings and rulers according to His good pleasure—who will accomplish His will in His time. Yes, behind the scenes is a world of warfare that we need to be armed and equipped to engage, but the good news is that God is on the throne. He is sovereign. He is in control. And no matter what the political environment we find ourselves in; no matter the spiritual warfare we are drawn into, we can rest in the confidence that nothing worries God. Everything will work out according to His plan.
– Jeff
Update from Josh and Irena
I have now 24 students that I meet from week to week. I have been able to share about our Lord and Savior with each and every one of them. I have a very unique position here in Czech in that Czechs listen to me and open up to me simply because I am American. Most Czechs are atheist, but searching. Communism has sure left its scar here. We try our best never to miss an opportunity to serve as Yeshua’s ambassadors here and we trust Him for changing hearts. It’s been fantastic so far and we so much appreciate HaDavar’s support and love. For now we are just going to continue teaching. We are still open to Israel whenever the right time comes.