By ACMTC Staff
“Leave no room or foothold for the devil-give no opportunity to him.”
Ephesians 4:27 (Amp.)
“Neither give place to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:27 (KJV)
The Objective of war is to defeat the enemy. How one goes about the process varies from strategy to strategy, from tactic to tactic. But one thing is evident, we are never to leave an unguarded or vulnerable place open for the enemy. As Christian soldiers our war is against the MIGHTY FOUR: Principalities, Powers, Rulers of darkness, and Wicked spirits in high places. (Eph. 6:12)
As the Amplified Bible states: “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood –contending with only physical opponents– but against the despotism, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of the wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.”
All wars that occur have their counter part in the spirit dimension. Wars are started, fought, won or lost because of the workings of the Big Four. If those who belonged to the carnal military organizations around the world would read the Bible, they would discover that they are being used as nothing more than dupes and puppets to act out the devil’s desire to KILL, STEAL AND DESTROY! They would discover that the way God fights, through prayer and spiritual warfare, is how the real battles are won. They would discover that God has wisdom far greater than the generals at the planning tables. True, because of the sinful, greedy, rebellious nature of mankind, physical wars, with all the death and destruction they bring, are bound to be with us until Jesus Christ ends the carnage. Yet each person is ultimately accountable for their actions, and it is far better to join the army that sheds no blood and fight in the spirit to save souls than to maime, murder and destroy fellow human beings for the sake of nationalism, patriotism or because you were “paid to”.
It’s quite foolish to see professing Christians loitering around without their armor or weapons. While they claim to be soldiers of the cross, in reality they are prisoners of the devil–obeying his subtle commands (sometimes not so subtle). We are never to leave a place for the devil, for he is always on a “search and destroy” campaign. He probes our defenses, looking for that empty moment, the unoccupied post of duty, in which he can penetrate and begin his covert work. Our only safety is to fill everything we are with holy purposes and achievement dedicated to God. We must be so full of God’s spirit power that there is no room left for our enemy. How foolish it would be for a company commander in a kill zone not to place a defense perimeter around his occupied encampment. Yet we, in the most deadly war of all, many times fail to keep our guard up, therefore giving a place to the enemy of our souls. How many Christians do you know that are standing, watching, and guarding their territory for our Captain Jesus Christ? We must hang our heads in shame for all the fraternizing that Christians do with the enemy camp–the world, demons, and the flesh.
When we fail or delay the performance of a duty we are giving place to the devil. When we say to the lord in answer to his command, “Allow me to first go and. . .” we are offering an unfulfilled, unguarded place to the devil. Satan loves it when Christians procrastinate and delay in obeying God’s commands, just as a natural soldier loves the delay and hesitation of his opponent in real war. Many times the enemy uses the strategy of “peace talks”. He gets the other side to cease fire while all the time he works covertly to build up his forces, resupply them, and make new plans of attack. Little do we realize that in our vacant hours, our cease fire hours, our enemy strengthens himself during our reluctance to take the offensive. Peace talks with the enemy is none other than reinforcement for the devil’s side. The awful shape of our church today bears this out.
When we perform our duties halfheartedly, we offer the other half as a place for the devil. He loves the halfhearted, the compromising, the fun and games professing Christian. They offer only a little resistance in the war against sin. A quasi soldier always offers chances to the devil, who then moves in for the kill. Churches all across America are literally full of halfhearted Christians, the compromising, professing soldiers who are easy prey for the Big Four. In fact, they bear more resemblance to Boy Scout clubs, rather than Christian soldier training camps. Their pastors are like Scout Masters, more concerned with social events and outings than with rasing up warriors for Christ.
When any of us who recognize the threat, stop resisting the attacks of the enemy, we give them an easy victory. Not only a victory but we put the name of God to open shame. Have you ever met a person who has been invaded by demons and all uncleanness and that same person once confessed Christ? Could such a thing have been prevented? Of course, but only by continuously filling their post of duty, contending for their faith, and giving no place to the enemy. (Eph. 6:12)
1) PRINCIPALITIES.
THIS GREEK WORD IS USED TO DESCRIBE THINGS IN A SERIES: MAGISTRATES, RULERS AND LEADERS. A SERIES OF RULERS OR LEADERS DESCRIBES THEIR RANK AND ORGANIZATION. THE ENGLISH WORD “PRINCIPALITY” IS DEFINED AS, “THE TERRITORY OF JURISDICTION”, OR, “THE PRINCE OF THAT COUNTRY THAT GIVES TITLE TO A PRINCE”. DEMONS ARE ASSIGNED OTHER VARIOUS NATIONS, STATES AND CITIES.
2) POWERS.
THE GREEK WORD FOR “POWERS” IS TRANSLATED AS “AUTHORITIES”. DEMONS WHO ARE SET OVER TERRITORIES ARE GIVEN AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT ORDERS GIVEN BY SATAN.
3) RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD.
THE WORD IN GREEK FOR “WORLD RULERS” IS TRANSLATED “LORDS OF THE WORLD” OR “PRINCES OF THE AGES”. THIS EMPHASIZES THE ENEMIE’S INTENTION TO CONTROL.
4) SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES.
THE KEY WORD IS “WICKEDNESS”, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT WHICH IS DESTRUCTIVE AND INJURIOUS IN CHARACTER.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT SATAN WARS AGAINST US, BUT HIS PRIMARY TACTIC IS TO BEGIN WHERE HE STRUCK ADAM AND EVE, IN THE MIND. THE MIND IS WHERE SATAN STRIKES US THE HARDEST USING “IMAGINATIONS, ARGUMENTS, THEORIES, REASONINGS AND EVERY PROUD AND LOFTY THING THAT SETS ITSELF AGAINST THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD”. (II COR. 10:5)
THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE IS GOD AND THAT HIS WORD IS TRUE. IF SATAN CAN GET THE CHRISTIAN TO LOOK AT PEOPLE, AND SELF INSTEAD OF GOD AND HIS WORD, THEY WILL THEN BE MORE RECEPTIVE TO HIS THOUGHTS OF FEAR, WORRY, SELF-PITY, DOUBT, ANGER ETC. UNTIL WE ALL LOSE OUT WITH GOD. THROUGH THESE SUBTLE ATTACKS UPON OUR THOUGHT LIFE WE BECOME MORE VULNERABLE TO SIN, SICKNESS, DEFEAT, UNHAPPINESS OR OTHER KINDS OF UNPLEASANT SPIRITUAL FORCES. SATAN’S PRIME OBJECTIVE IS TO BRING US INTO A PLACE OF COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD, THE FLESH OR HIMSELF THAT WE MAY BECOME WEAK AND INEFFECTUAL IN OUR BATTLE AGAINST HIS KINGDOM.