COMBATING DARKNESS

Too often, Christians and Christian ministries do not talk about true spiritual things. Preaching, teaching, and talking are filled with a lot of information about non-spiritual things that are referred to as practical application too life. How to be happy? How to get the most out of life? How to be everything you have always dreamed about, are just of few of the topics that are frequently preached or discussed. However, circumstances and dynamics change so quickly in regards to the practicum of life, it is often impossible to track what is really going on around you or in you.

Life is spiritual; it has a beginning, but no end, because life is eternal. Therefore, we have to understand spiritual warfare and acknowledge the war against the world and the saints of God. The Church and Christian ministries need to be engaged in spiritual teaching and discussion on how to make spiritual application to one's daily life.

There is a very real war being fought between the two greatest super-powers the world has ever known. It is spiritual warfare between the powers of good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness, God and the devil. These evil supernatural forces are mostly unseen and they are locked in fierce combat for the souls of humanity.

Unfortunately, the Church has not dealt with the powers of darkness as an enlightened and united body as it should have. In fact, during much of the history of the church, the church has either minimized or completely ignored the teaching of a personal devil and the activity of his hordes of demons. There have been short seasons in the life of the church when God raised up individuals that made substantial progress into the massive territory over which the devil holds undisputed control. But it has been overlooked by the church at large. This should not be!

In these last days, the Church is receiving and restoring the Pentecostal power and authority that it was birthed in and so intensely demonstrated in the life of the early church. As the Church engages in spiritual warfare with the power of darkness, you discover that the war is very real and dangerous. Additionally, you ascertain that the activity of evil spirits are not limited to just unbelievers. Believers are not immune to the attacks and the spiritual warfare of a raging adversary.

2012 gives us the appearance that the structure of our society as originally founded is in jeopardy of being dissolved. The Church as long as it was solid and fundamental could support the weaknesses in culture and could continue moving forward by being God's mouthpiece. Today, however, the institutional church in most ways is spiritually weak, anemic, and indifferent because the church has not discerned the deception of Satan at work through ministers and members. The church has almost reached the degenerative process that is evidenced by her moral and spiritual decline by actually championing causes of the enemy.

The spiritually mature believer recognizes and understands that Satan and his wicked spirits who move powerfully behind the events of our day are at work against both nonbelievers and believers. Therefore, we must receive the warning and admonishment by the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians and said, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11).

These studies will aide you in your spiritual pursuit of not only recognizing the devices and the work of the enemy, but also being empowered by the Holy Ghost to be victorious and to be more than a conqueror over him. "Deliverance from the power of the evil one comes through definite resistance on the ground of the Cross." - J. O. Fraser

We trust that you will grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and will put the enemy to flight.