Ephesians 6:12 – Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the authorities, against the ruler of this world, the darkness of this age, against the spiritual iniquity in the heavens.
Part 1 ~ The Conflict
There are two levels on which we must contend with the devil: on a personal level, and also for all those that we are called to preach the Gospel to. We are engaged in this battle against fleshly lusts warring against our soul (1 Peter 2:11; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). We are in an up-close and personal conflict with the enemy of God and man as we wrestle against the powers of darkness seeking to stop our influence. In Greek wrestling matches, the loser would have his eyes gouged out. We are in a desperate conflict for our sight and must have Spirit-knowledge to be successful. It is Satan’s desire to overthrow our effectiveness as the saints of God, and so he continually wars against us. All those who Satan holds as prisoners to sin, sickness, and disease (through the spiritual blindness he has imposed upon them), we have been empowered to set free (Luke 10:19, 4:18; Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Therefore, Satan fights ruthlessly to stop us. But if we walk in the light as Christ Jesus is in the light and depend upon the Spirit of the Lord, then every power of darkness that opposes the people around us will have to flee; for the darkness cannot resist the light.
To be successful in our conflict, it helps to know as much as possible about our enemy. This is why the intelligence corps of the army plays such a vital role. The Bible gives us all the insight that we need to understand how Satan will try to stop us. The first information about him we need to fully appreciate is that his very name “Devil” means accuser. He is the source of all accusation, slander, and criticism – no matter what form it comes in. It is vitally important we recognize that he will attempt to neutralize us with this attack. Another one of his names is “Satan,” which means adversary. He is the source of the pride of life, rebellion, and arrogance. He is a liar, a murderer, and the one who creates divisions. We must understand how every dimension of his nature comes as an offensive designed to destroy us (or at least to neutralize us). Jesus has defeated all the powers of darkness and assured us absolute victory in this conflict, but we must walk in the Spirit. God has ordained the light of His glory to shine through us, and that every demon power be cast out and rendered ineffective by the anointing He has given to us (Mark 16:17-18; Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15; 2 Corinthians 1:21).
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
