Terror in the Spirit World

TERROR IN THE SPIRIT WORLD

Have you ever stepped back and watched the ant farm called the human race and seen the horror of it all? The Scriptures clearly tell us that things will get worse and that violence of all kinds will grow. There are many vicious forms of violence that take place around the world every single day. The ones which elicit most attention from us impact us and are usually parochial in nature or affect our own secure existence. It is human nature.

And along with these episodes of violence comes fear; pungent and raw and heartfelt fear. Fear is an incredibly strong emotion which can elicit all kinds of actions.  Fear will make people go insane. Fear will make people hate. Fear will make people kill. Fear can literally make people obsessive about many things and many people. Fear is the opposite of faith and when it roams the halls of the church it removes all spiritual power and redirects the church into earthly remedies.

But with the first “Fear not!” spoken by Bethlehem’s messengers there came a long list of exhortations that told us not to fear. God has not given us the spirit of fear. We cannot, we must not allow fear to become our motivation for anything. It is diametrically opposed to the gospel and the Spirit filled life. We must fear God and Him alone.

Matt.10: ²⁶ Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

²⁷ What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
²⁸ And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

And herein lies a truth which is so easily discarded in favor of earthly views and the machinations of men. The church is always horrified by these senseless acts of violence which take human lives, but are we horrified by the spiritual terrorism which is openly displayed every single day on all sorts of mediums? We watch people dead and alive being carried on gurneys amidst all the carnage, but we do not see the spiritual carnage being strewn across the world by false teachers and well known heretics.

But our Lord warned us not to fear man who can kill the body but we must fear God. And in these last days do not believe the evil one cannot use creative things to deceive the church. And when we as believers see these acts of terrorism all across the world we will be tempted to concentrate on the temporal and the obvious and thereby we will miss the true warfare in the spirit. The devil wants us to strive to protect the flesh while he damns the soul. It is quite a feat because it is so wily and clever.

These last days will be astonishing by the scope of sin in every area. The church has already compromised to the point of apostasy and the world has made sin an art form. We do not realize how much violence occurs around the world every single day. I am referring to guns and bombs and the like. But how many rapes and child abuse goes on? It is mind boggling even to think of such things. There is violence of all kinds on ever day. A child can be walking along and from the sky, without warning, a drone can drop a bomb and end his life. And this drone can be guided by a man sitting comfortably thousands of miles away in an air conditioned room while sipping on hot coffee. It is surreal.

But there is another form of terrorism that is taking place throughout the evangelical world. And just like these horrific events in Boston we can watch it on television and listen to it on the radio. It is called spiritual terrorism and souls are being metaphorically carried off on gurneys from hell as they breathe their last. People’s hearts and minds are being obliterated in the bloodless carnage. It is practiced openly and legally and in plain sight. And millions upon millions are walking toward it rather than running from it. And instead of church buildings being hospitals for the spiritually wounded many of them have become staging areas for the terror in the spirit.

Yes, I am using metaphorical language but make no mistake; the metaphors do not completely reveal the extent of this spiritual genocide. The weapons are false words and the power is evil. But since this terror comes with many smiles, and since it is employed with many wonderful promises, this kind of terror invites people inside its chamber of death. And once inside this aura of spiritual destruction the victims find good food and good fellowship and a continuing stream of great promises and self affirming words that lift the spirit. You see, even while being spiritually annihilated these victims seem to enjoy it and resist any attempts by others to warn them of their dire situation.

Evil spirits that present themselves as angels of light speak great and swelling words and by them deceive the hearts of many and imprison them into a religious system which has no redemption. And while they promise them all kinds of freedom they are placing them in spiritual bondage and bringing them into a captivity which will cost them their souls. This is no game of dungeons and dragons. This is no church argument over some silly doctrine. This is no envy or ministry jealousy. These are heresies and falsehoods that are designed to bring damnation to souls and keep them from knowing the only truth that can save them. And as I said, the clever and diabolical nature of this spiritual holocaust is that it is accomplished with smiles and songs and radiant faces and financial success and with the promise of a better earthly life.

The leaders of this terrorism do not make videos with black masks and threatening words of hatred. In fact their outreach cannot be more affable and congenial, and their faces glow with care and expectancy. They do not move under the radar and in caves and inconspicuous dwelling places. They travel in private jets and expensive cars and are adorned with the finest clothing. And instead of hiding, they rent huge athletic stadiums or local bar rooms or they even speak at inauguration festivities. Instead of shunning the limelight they invite and orchestrate it!

How can you convince a person that such carnage is being strewn throughout the world when he cannot see it? How can people who are reveling in their own spiritual destruction understand their perilous situation? How can you convince someone who is happy in their earthly success and achievement that what they believe to be a blessing is actually an albatross from hell? And how can you inform a person that the man or woman who they have come to adore is actually a spiritual wolf who is feeding off their eternal souls? The answer is that unless the Spirit enlightens their hearts they both cannot know nor do they desire to know.

But that does not mean we are not to warn them and expose the works of darkness. In fact some of us have been gloriously set free from some of those awful systems. And should we just keep the truth to ourselves? God forbid! Does a man who escapes a fire in his apartment building not turn and try and help others escape? Does he not pull the fire alarm and warn others? Does he not call the fire department? Well how much more are we called by God and a divine duty to lovingly and forcefully and even passionately warn those who are still trapped inside a fire that will one day consume them?

As followers of the Lord Jesus we are still in the world but we are not of the world. We see the carnage around the world and the vicious acts of terrorism and we mourn with those victims. But we also must be aware that there is a massive terrorist effort taking place right now in the spirit realm. Millions of professing believers still do not see it, even many who do not follow these false teachers and blind guides. We will be criticized for what some brethren call ugly and unchristian and unloving. I understand. I understand that they do not understand. We must walk in forgiveness without leaving our post. We must preach the truth in love and we must not allow these heretics to consume us. Christ must consume us and be our daily passion.

But while we hold fast to the cross and walk in His resurrection, we must also speak words of correction and light to all those who are still walking in a pleasant spiritual darkness. Sometimes we do not like it. Sometimes we grow weary. Sometimes we get discouraged. But we cannot, we will not ever deny the truth. And it is His truth from which we  must draw our strength. And the Lord is using His truth to reach some and deliver then out of the hands of the wicked one, and in that we rejoice!

We may not always agree, and we may have different theological perspectives. Some are Calvinists and reformed while others come from a free will perspective, and we may quarrel among ourselves. But make no mistake in this war about which I write we are all brothers in arms against this ever growing spiritual plague. And when one insignificant soul is set free from the clutches of spiritual evil we all rejoice as one! The time is short and the days are evil. Let us pray and speak as if someone’s life depended upon it. It does.

Jesus is the only way to eternal life and His true path is not littered with earthy success and material accoutrements.

Following the true Jesus will cost us.

And if someone says he or she speaks for Jesus and says He will make you rich or healthy or successful on the earth then you must do one of two things.

You either run from that person or die with them.