A TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS
Are you committed to being a true and faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament Gospel?
Modern Day "Spiritual Warfare" Deception by David Sheldon
What a mess much of the visible church has managed to get itself into with
many of the current and popular spiritual warfare teachings! These
teachings are not aimed at helping us understand and engage in true
warfare. In actuality they are blinding people to the true warfare and
engaging in fake deceiving spiritual exercises which have the appearance of
good and which deception is enhanced by the camaraderie of the deceived.
This deception can often be enhanced by the music and the flag waving and
dancing and all of the visuals attached to the deceptive teachings. Human
flesh often times wants to see things happen or else they don't believe
anything of a truly spiritual nature is taking place. This is most unfortunate in
our modern setting. The flesh can reign supreme and we call it "victory"
because it seems that way to our senses. And based on the rhetoric of
deceivers like C. Peter Wagner in his article in the March 2004 of Charisma
Magazine - things will only get worse for those of us who don't buy into the
deceptions. From our human perspective: true spiritual warfare is when
God's truth in the power of His Spirit engages lies. We are involved in that at
the point of our speech and prayer and witness and walk. God makes
manifest His truth for our ears to hear and God opens the eyes of our heart
to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. (II Corinthians 4:1-4)
Over and over in the Scripture this is seen as the real battle. And the reason
is simply this: Jesus Christ has ALREADY defeated the powers at Calvary
(Colossians 2:15) and has ALREADY been raised and seated at the right
hand of God Almighty (Colossians 3:1) in the position of supreme authority
and it is from our position IN HIM that we fight! We are not now engaged in
helping Him to do it in any way. The entire strategic level spiritual warfare
paradigm is a deception itself. And because He is already sovereignly
seated at the right hand of God - His truth issued through the weakness of
our lives is powerful to deliver people from their bondage to sin. Jesus said
that it was truth that would set the captive free! It still is. Captives are bound
NOT because a provision hasn't been made for their deliverance. Captives
are bound NOT because Jesus Christ is somehow not quite as in charge as
He could be. Captives are bound because they continue to believe the lies
of the world, the flesh and the devil! As such Satan has much more sway
over them via his grip of lies rather than any intrinsic strength (although he is
powerful). God is omnipotent and Satan and his demons are not.
Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare: Rather unbelievably - this is the
introduction into the visible church of an unbiblical understanding of spiritual
warfare. (Clever - huh!) If the demons themselves can seduce people to
"refocus" the theatre of the warfare - they have effectively disarmed God's
people or further deceived apostates. This is clearly what happens in this
teaching. It does the following:
1. It introduces a "dualistic" worldview into "Christianity" - somehow God isn't
quite in charge anymore because of the "presence" of demons over a city.
{This unbiblical concept may or may not have been introduced into many
lives by reading: This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti - See this review}
All of a sudden - the focus is shifted from our "Victorious Savior" Jesus Christ
having ALREADY defeated the powers and been exalted to the Right Hand
of God - to a battle that He can't quite handle without our help. Spiritual
warfare thus becomes a mystical quest against the powers rather than an
obedient walk through employing the Word of God as our sufficiency and
weapon. Real spiritual warfare, from a human perspective, is God's Truth
engaging Satan's Lies. This weapon - the Word of God (see Ephesians 6) is
employed through prayer and obedience and not through some "mystical
engagement" against spirit entities. God's Truth employed through prayer,
obedience and sound teaching - vanquishes the enemies of our souls.
2. It involves "special knowledge" to be "effective." One can't possibly come
against these powers unless they have the "code" to their demise. So the
names, characteristics, history of the "powers" over a person or city
becomes a "magical charm" against them. When in the Holy Scripture are we
commanded to get special knowledge about the nature or character of
demons to be effective in spiritual warfare? The teachings are extra-Biblical
and therefore not for a Christian's consumption.
3. It exalts the Christian position to an unbiblical level. The believer subtly
becomes in charge over the powers with Christ. They are not. Jesus Christ
is. To receive the benefits of Christ's work for us is to be "in Him." Forgiven,
redeemed, regenerated, etc. NOT - in charge over the powers like Him.
4. It tends toward teachings that say Christians can be possessed by
demons. This is nowhere found in Scripture. It in general magnifies the place
of the powers.
5. It tends toward a lack of responsibility for sin for human beings.
Copyright 2006, David Sheldon, all rights reserved. Can be photocopied for
non-profit use only.
For More Articles Like This Go To: www.atrueandfaithfulwitness.com
What a mess much of the visible church has managed to get itself into with
many of the current and popular spiritual warfare teachings! These
teachings are not aimed at helping us understand and engage in true
warfare. In actuality they are blinding people to the true warfare and
engaging in fake deceiving spiritual exercises which have the appearance of
good and which deception is enhanced by the camaraderie of the deceived.
This deception can often be enhanced by the music and the flag waving and
dancing and all of the visuals attached to the deceptive teachings. Human
flesh often times wants to see things happen or else they don't believe
anything of a truly spiritual nature is taking place. This is most unfortunate in
our modern setting. The flesh can reign supreme and we call it "victory"
because it seems that way to our senses. And based on the rhetoric of
deceivers like C. Peter Wagner in his article in the March 2004 of Charisma
Magazine - things will only get worse for those of us who don't buy into the
deceptions. From our human perspective: true spiritual warfare is when
God's truth in the power of His Spirit engages lies. We are involved in that at
the point of our speech and prayer and witness and walk. God makes
manifest His truth for our ears to hear and God opens the eyes of our heart
to see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. (II Corinthians 4:1-4)
Over and over in the Scripture this is seen as the real battle. And the reason
is simply this: Jesus Christ has ALREADY defeated the powers at Calvary
(Colossians 2:15) and has ALREADY been raised and seated at the right
hand of God Almighty (Colossians 3:1) in the position of supreme authority
and it is from our position IN HIM that we fight! We are not now engaged in
helping Him to do it in any way. The entire strategic level spiritual warfare
paradigm is a deception itself. And because He is already sovereignly
seated at the right hand of God - His truth issued through the weakness of
our lives is powerful to deliver people from their bondage to sin. Jesus said
that it was truth that would set the captive free! It still is. Captives are bound
NOT because a provision hasn't been made for their deliverance. Captives
are bound NOT because Jesus Christ is somehow not quite as in charge as
He could be. Captives are bound because they continue to believe the lies
of the world, the flesh and the devil! As such Satan has much more sway
over them via his grip of lies rather than any intrinsic strength (although he is
powerful). God is omnipotent and Satan and his demons are not.
Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare: Rather unbelievably - this is the
introduction into the visible church of an unbiblical understanding of spiritual
warfare. (Clever - huh!) If the demons themselves can seduce people to
"refocus" the theatre of the warfare - they have effectively disarmed God's
people or further deceived apostates. This is clearly what happens in this
teaching. It does the following:
1. It introduces a "dualistic" worldview into "Christianity" - somehow God isn't
quite in charge anymore because of the "presence" of demons over a city.
{This unbiblical concept may or may not have been introduced into many
lives by reading: This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti - See this review}
All of a sudden - the focus is shifted from our "Victorious Savior" Jesus Christ
having ALREADY defeated the powers and been exalted to the Right Hand
of God - to a battle that He can't quite handle without our help. Spiritual
warfare thus becomes a mystical quest against the powers rather than an
obedient walk through employing the Word of God as our sufficiency and
weapon. Real spiritual warfare, from a human perspective, is God's Truth
engaging Satan's Lies. This weapon - the Word of God (see Ephesians 6) is
employed through prayer and obedience and not through some "mystical
engagement" against spirit entities. God's Truth employed through prayer,
obedience and sound teaching - vanquishes the enemies of our souls.
2. It involves "special knowledge" to be "effective." One can't possibly come
against these powers unless they have the "code" to their demise. So the
names, characteristics, history of the "powers" over a person or city
becomes a "magical charm" against them. When in the Holy Scripture are we
commanded to get special knowledge about the nature or character of
demons to be effective in spiritual warfare? The teachings are extra-Biblical
and therefore not for a Christian's consumption.
3. It exalts the Christian position to an unbiblical level. The believer subtly
becomes in charge over the powers with Christ. They are not. Jesus Christ
is. To receive the benefits of Christ's work for us is to be "in Him." Forgiven,
redeemed, regenerated, etc. NOT - in charge over the powers like Him.
4. It tends toward teachings that say Christians can be possessed by
demons. This is nowhere found in Scripture. It in general magnifies the place
of the powers.
5. It tends toward a lack of responsibility for sin for human beings.
Copyright 2006, David Sheldon, all rights reserved. Can be photocopied for
non-profit use only.
For More Articles Like This Go To: www.atrueandfaithfulwitness.com
HOME
Rick Warren
Forty Days: False Gospel
Forty Days: A Closer Look
Forty Days: Which Jesus?
PDL: God's Wisdom
PDL: Exalting the Fallen Creation
PDL: A Purpose-Shaped
Worldview
Antichrist
Will Antichrist Be Revealed
Before the Tribulation?
The Great Harlot
"Mystery" Babylon
"Emerging" Church
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 1
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 2
Church Growth Movement
Schuller, Hybels & Warren
Review of Schuller's "Self-Esteem"
False Apostles, False
Prophets, False Revival
River of Seducing Spirits
Spiritual Warfare Script
Deception of Spiritual Warfare
Flags & Banners...Spiritual Power
Tools?
Davidic Warfare/Worship?
Jesus of the "Signs" Now the
"Christ" of Apostolic Government
Mystical Christianity?
Tenney's Mystical Deity Chase
Richard Foster: Quaker Mystic?
Willard and "The Way of Jesus"
What Oswald Chambers
Might Have Thought About
Todays "Christianity"
Rick Warren
Forty Days: False Gospel
Forty Days: A Closer Look
Forty Days: Which Jesus?
PDL: God's Wisdom
PDL: Exalting the Fallen Creation
PDL: A Purpose-Shaped
Worldview
Antichrist
Will Antichrist Be Revealed
Before the Tribulation?
The Great Harlot
"Mystery" Babylon
"Emerging" Church
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 1
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 2
Church Growth Movement
Schuller, Hybels & Warren
Review of Schuller's "Self-Esteem"
False Apostles, False
Prophets, False Revival
River of Seducing Spirits
Spiritual Warfare Script
Deception of Spiritual Warfare
Flags & Banners...Spiritual Power
Tools?
Davidic Warfare/Worship?
Jesus of the "Signs" Now the
"Christ" of Apostolic Government
Mystical Christianity?
Tenney's Mystical Deity Chase
Richard Foster: Quaker Mystic?
Willard and "The Way of Jesus"
What Oswald Chambers
Might Have Thought About
Todays "Christianity"