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.
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