The Angelic Conflict
Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be
sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)
You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to
learn Truth from the Word of God.
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth,"
(John 4:24)
Spiritual Combat
From the moment of Salvation, every believer, regardless of age or sex,
regardless of status in life, is in the midst of a great Spiritual conflict. The
creation of man is the result of this conflict, (But as we ALL now know; this was
God’s plan from the VERY BEGINING. To bring angels and man into His family
--- using FREE WILL; and to show that God’s Thought’s and Virtue’s are
BEYOND AMAZING; Isa 43:10-13) which has existed since some time in
eternity past. It is a conflict in which the fallen angels are pitted against God,
against the elect angels and against believers. Exactly how long this conflict has
been raging is a matter of speculation, since God has not seen fit to reveal this
information to us. The first phase of the angelic struggle was completed before
man was created. Man entered this Spiritual combat from the time that Eve, at
the subtle suggestion of Satan, partook of the forbidden tree in the Garden;
(2Co 11:3) and man will continue to be in combat until the Second Advent of
Christ.
The Church Age in which we now live is unique. It is the age in which Jesus
Christ as the God-Man is glorified: He is seated at the right hand of the Father
in His resurrection body. (Matt 26:64) And therefore, the angelic conflict has
shifted gears. Until the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ, it
was the intent of the fallen angels to frustrate the incarnation of Christ and to
prevent the dissemination of the Promises regarding Him. Since Christ did go to
the cross and is now glorified, the former purpose has changed. Every believer
is the target in the angelic conflict, which has greatly intensified. In fact, the
New Testament uses actual warfare as a basis for illustrating the great Spiritual
battle in which we find ourselves.
In eternity past, God ALWAYS knew about every need believers would
have at every stage of this intensified conflict. (Isa 46:8-10) He knew we would
live in a very difficult period of our own national history, as well as in the
Spiritual history of mankind. He knew about the dramatic rise of Communism
with its anti-Doctrinal and demonic aspects. He knew about the internal
disintegration of our nation through drugs, the rise of Theological liberalism, and
the failure to recognize Divine laws relative to police and military activities; He
knew that confusion with regard to the gospel and the teaching of the Word of
God would result from the satanic utilization of those who choose ecstatic and
emotional criteria rather than the Thinking of Christ; as their "Spiritual routine."
(1Co 2:14-16) Furthermore, He knew that, as individuals’, we would have to
face national crises, personal crises and local church crises, and that we would
encounter an accumulation of pressures at any point where His Word might be
revealed. Accordingly, in the Church Age everything is vitally different from any
previous age, and God’s provision for every believer in this Dispensation --- the
New Covenant Church Age; is phenomenal! (John 17:21-23)
Characteristics of the Church Age
No believer in the past was permanently indwelt by God the Holy Spirit or
had the New Covenant Spiritual life. (John 7:39) In the Old Testament, the Holy
Spirit had a temporary ministry to all believers for learning Truth, (Prov 1:23)
and in order to empower certain people, such as kings, priests, prophets and
the writers of the Old Testament. And a specialized ministry for the Spiritual
ability to perform a God-given task. The permanent universal indwelling of
believers by God the Holy Spirit belongs only to the New Covenant Church Age;
Tribulation and the Millennium.
(Eze 36:26-28; (2Co 6:16; Heb 8:10; Rev 14:4-5) cf. (John 12:26)
Since Jesus Christ is now glorified and is seated at the right hand of the
Father; (Heb 1:13) every believer is an ambassador for Christ and is His
personal representative here on earth during this intensified period of the
angelic conflict! (2Co 5:20)
For the first time in history, every believer is a priest. If you have believed
in Jesus Christ, you are a priest!
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION,
A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the
excellencies of Him, (HIS THOUGHTS AND NATURE) who has called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light. (The Spiritual life of God the Holy Spirit and
Truth) (1Pe 2:9)
This supernatural way of life is in no way connected with any trend toward
asceticism and which excludes every aspect of legalism; further, as well as any
energy of the old sin nature; we also have a supernatural means of execution;
the filling of God the Holy Spirit. (Eph 5:18)
The grace apparatus for perception
Illustration
Through the filling of the Spirit, the believer has access to God’s gracious
provision whereby he can assimilate and Think with God’s Thoughts on EVERY
subject, and this "grace apparatus for perception,’’ (Operation Z) does not
depend upon human IQ or human ability. (1Co 2:12-14) Operation Z depends
upon the true function of the church in which the gift of pastor-teacher was
designed by God primarily for the authoritative communication of Truth under
the Divine Concepts of, (1) Isagogics, which is the interpretation of the Bible in
the framework of its historical setting; (2) Categorical teaching, based on
comparing Scripture with Scripture to determine the Doctrinal classification; (3)
Exegesis, which is verse by verse syntactical analysis of the Bible to determine
its exact interpretation.
To understand the mechanics of the Operation Z, we must understand that
in essence the human soul of man is made up of self-consciousness, mentality,
volition, faith, emotion, and conscience, plus the old sin nature; and for believers
a renewed human spirit. The mentality of the soul includes a left lobe,
(The perceptive lobe) and a right lobe, (Containing the Spiritual conscience and
where the frame of reference and Divine Viewpoint are stored). As Doctrinal
information is received into the left or perceptive lobe of the believer who is
filled with the Holy Spirit, it is understood. The Greek word "gnosis" specifically
refers to Truth that is in the perceptive lobe and understood by means of the
filling of the Spirit.
Once you comprehend the Truth, then you have an attitude toward it;
negative or positive volition. It is not usable until it is believed. Positive volition
expresses itself by faith. By faith this "gnosis" is transferred to the human spirit,
where it becomes "epignosis" or Spiritual Knowledge. The human spirit serves
as a storage place for epignosis,’’ (God’s Thinking) and from there it is cycled
to the right lobe of the mentality, where it serves as a frame of reference and
memory center, vocabulary, categories and where it becomes the new norms
and standards in the new conscience; momentum and Spiritual Wisdom. This
"epignosis’’ in the right lobe is your primary means of Thinking with God’s
Thoughts, (Verses, Promises and Doctrines): Truth! (1Co 2:13; (3Jn 1:4)
The Edification Complex; Divine Dynasphere; Temple; Spiritual Life; Love
Complex of the soul (These names are all synonymous)
Spiritual Thinking or "epignosis" stored in the human spirit is the basis of
the construction of the "Edification complex of the soul.’’ ’’The first "floor" of the
structure is rebound; the second, is the filling of God the Holy Spirit; the third, is
the faith-rest drill; the fourth, is grace orientation; the fifth, is Doctrinal
orientation; the sixth, is a personal sense of destiny; the seventh, is personal
love for God; the eighth, is impersonal love for all mankind; the ninth, is sharing
the happiness of God; and the tenth, is occupation with Christ.
This edification complex enables the believer to become Spiritually mature,
to produce Divine Virtue, and to become Spiritually self-sustaining. Through it
God is able to provide you with everything that He designed for you in eternity
past. Grace found a way! Further, this Temple in the soul is developed only
through constant, DAILY absorption of the Word of God! (Psa 1:2-3)
Now, inevitably, man’s days are going to be short and full of trouble
because he was created as an extension of the angelic conflict. (Job 5:7-9)
Before we proceed with the details of the angelic conflict, it should be made
clear that all of the "flack" you get in your Christian life is not necessarily
because of the angelic conflict. Some things cannot be directly attributed to the
angelic conflict, but to the old sin nature. Of course, the old sin nature is
definitely in the angelic conflict; but if you manufacture your own misery through
mental attitude sins or through emotional revolt of the soul, don’t blame it on the
angelic conflict. If you’re one of those people who say, ’’The devil’s after me,"
you probably know nothing about either the devil or the angelic conflict. The
devil is not omnipresent and therefore can be in only one place at a time. And
he’s after bigger game than you or I. The reason this is so important is that if
you start attributing everything to the angelic conflict, you may forget to
rebound, and you may become a casualty.
Since we must first of all examine creatures which we cannot see,
creatures who hover about us, who indwell some members of the human race;
creatures who have a great deal to do with the course of history; creatures who
influence rulers and kings; creatures who simulate certain things, such as
tongues and healing; creatures that definitely influence people in this world
today, we are going to begin our study of the angelic conflict with the angels
themselves.
Description of angels
The Bible reveals the existence of a higher creation, and the Word of God
is very lucid on this subject. The word "angels" is used repeatedly throughout
the Scripture. Before the canon of Scripture was completed, angels often
became visible to members of the human race. The Age of Israel was
characterized by the appearance of angels. This world, as well as the universe
around us, is filled with angels, and there are untold numbers of these beings.
Many details concerning the angels have been a source of controversy
over the centuries, but few have ever been resolved.
Not all angels look the same; some are described as being very beautiful
and some are not. Apparently they are all male. Only one sex among angels
means that all angels were directly created. This explains in part some of the
events of, (Gen 6:1-5). Also we learn from this passage that at one time in
history fallen angels had sexual relations with the daughters of men.
The best we can do on the composition of angels is that they seem to have
a body, but one which is quite different from ours. Our body is corporeal; theirs
is immaterial. From the name "Lucifer," which is the Hebrew noun "helel,"
(Derived from the verb "halal") meaning "bright and shining one’’ we learn
something of the substance of their bodies. The angelic body appears to be
composed of light; and since light has content, it could make a definite body
and one which could easily become invisible or visible. Their bodies are further
differentiated from ours in that wings are often attributed to them. Not all angels
have the same number of wings. (Eze 1:6; Rev 4:8) Some angels are super
angels in beauty and strength as compared to others. These super angels are
called "cherubs." (Cherubim --- plural from the Hebrew) A cherub is not a little
baby with wings. He happens to be the most beautiful and most magnificent
creature that ever came from the hand of God. Some of the cherubs are
actually named: the leader of the elect angels is called Michael; the leader of
the fallen angels, Lucifer, or Satan or the devil. These two angels are
apparently the most beautiful of all creatures. Lucifer is described in terms that
exceed any other Biblical description of a creature. (Eze 28:12-13) No one is
more beautiful or more personable than Satan. Of course, that eliminates the
usual representation of Satan with a red epidermis, slanted green eyes, a
forked tail and a trident. Gabriel seems to be another of the cherubs. He has a
responsibility that far exceeds the power of any person in the human race.
Gabriel is the one who keeps human dictators or rulers from going berserk,
unless it is a part of God’s plan. Gabriel went to the court of Cyrus in Persia to
keep him from being attacked by demons. (Dan 10:13 --- Gabriel is speaking in
this verse)
Nothing in history escapes angelic observation. There is no major event in
history that does not have and is not a part of the angelic conflict, from the fall
of man to the Second Advent of Christ. Angels were involved in the fall of man,
and angels will be involved in the Second Advent. At the Second Advent, angels
will follow Christ; (Matt 25:31) angels will be involved in a war; (Rev 12:7) and
fallen angels will be removed from the earth during the Millennium.
(Dan 7:11-14; Rev 20:1-3)
The Book of the Revelation is a book of angels. There are: more
references to angels in this book than in any other book in the Bible because
the conflict is entering its last stage before the fallen angels are removed from
the earth; (Dan 7:12) therefore, the intensity of the angelic conflict is portrayed
very clearly.
(Rev 12:4-13) for example, teaches how Satan seeks to destroy the Jews.
He has always tried to destroy them, in fact, and when he is not trying to
destroy them directly, Satan is responsible for anti-Semitism. The rumor that
the Jews are the reason for all the troubles of the world; is from Satan. The
Samaritans under Sanballat, the Chaldeans, the Persians at one time in their
history, the Assyrians many times in their history, the Syrians and even modern
races and peoples have subscribed to this idea; that the Jews are the source of
all trouble.
Under the angelic conflict, Satan has a battalion of teachers, who teach
false Bible Truth to believers, and push false demonic thinking into the souls of
unbelievers through the old sin nature --- "mataiotes." (Vacuum --- Eph 4:17-19)
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the
faith, (The Spiritual life) paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of
demons. (1Ti 4:1)
So whether you realize it or not, all the history which you have read and
the events of the present are related to angels.
Categories of angels
As far as the angelic conflict is concerned, angels exist in two categories:
the elect and the fallen angels. The elect angels, which were always sinless,
even before man was created, and are generally designated in Scripture by one
of two names: "holy," (Mar 8:38) and "chosen." (1Ti 5:21) The fallen angels are
divided into two groups: the imprisoned angels, those "who did not keep their
own domain," (Jud 1:6) and the operative fallen angels, generally called
"demons."
(Mark 5:12; (1Co 10:20-21; 1Ti 4:1; etc.) The imprisoned angels were involved
in the great revolution and infiltration of the human race of, (Gen 6:1-5). They
are locked up in Tartarus, (2Pe 2:4) under the Euphrates, (Rev 9:14-16) and
the half-man half-demon descendents in the Abyss. (Rev 9:1-11)
These categories did not always exist. Prior to history, there was a conflict
in heaven among the angels and a division ensued. Angels were originally in a
state of perfection, just as man was; then, when Satan fell by exercising
negative volition toward God and toward grace, a great portion of the angelic
structure chose to go along with him. "And his tail swept away a third of the
stars of heaven, (Angels) and threw them to the earth... (Rev 12:4) The angels
which followed Satan had the opportunity to live with God, and refused to do
so. (They are going to trial against God)
A trial was inevitable because of the essence of God. God is sovereign
and dominates creatures; He is perfect righteousness and cannot tolerate
anything less than that; He is justice; and righteousness plus justice demands
that a trial be conducted. So the trial was first of all based upon God’s
righteousness and justice.
God is also eternal life, and He provides eternal life for any creature who,
from his own free will, goes the grace way. (Heb 2:2) indicates that angels had
a choice of whatever means of Salvation existed for them. All these creatures
had this choice in common with us. (And if we do not take the deal, "faith in
Christ; and then grow to Spiritual maturity" we will have to take it to trial; and
represent OURSELVES before God! (Rev 20:12; (2Co 5:10) I beg you; TAKE
THE DEAL!) Angels have souls, which include their volition; they have
perceptive ability which is greater than ours; they have some form of
conscience, which is brought out by the third chapter of Genesis. They also
have self-consciousness, (Awareness of their own existence) and they have
faith and emotion. The fallen angels, (And the entire human race) have Satan’s
old sin nature, (John 8:38; John 8:41; John 8:44) which distinguishes them from
the elect angels.
However long it took, the trial was fair in every sense of the word. God is
omniscient He knows all the facts; He is omnipresent He was an observer; He is
omnipotent He has the power to execute justice; He is immutable God is
incorruptible as a Judge; and He is Truth. (Veracity) Satan was a liar from the
beginning of human history; (John 8:44) and those angels who went against
God; and followed Satan, followed a lie.
At the end of the trial, Satan and all the fallen angels were sentenced to
the lake of fire. (Matt 25:41) In this pre-period of history, the period of angelic
creation only, a sentence was passed, but not executed. All during human
history, the sentence is suspended. After the end of man’s history, (The end of
the Millennium with the destruction of the world and the universe; Rev 21:1) the
sentence will be carried out. (Rev 20:10)
Now, we can immediately deduce something from this: if the sentence is
pronounced before man was created but not carried out until after man’s history
is concluded, then man was created by God to resolve something that
happened at the end of that trial. The words "diabolos’’ and "shatan’’ both tell us
what happened because "Satan’’ and "devil" are not names for the super angel
but titles. His name is Lucifer, Star of the Morning. (Isa 14:12) "Satan" and
"devil" means "adversary," and "accuser" or "attorney’’ --- someone who goes
to court and appeals. Satan appealed the case. So, by putting together certain
evidences which occur throughout Scripture, we can begin to see why man was
created.
It is true that man was also created for the glory of God; but that doesn’t
explain many other questions, such as, why sin? Why suffering? Why free will?
Why establishment? The fact that we are here to glorify God is a generality.
When we discover that by means of our old sin nature; we don’t and CANNOT
glorify God, (Rom 8:8) we must dig a little deeper for a more detailed
explanation. Under the filling of God the Holy Spirit and growth to Spiritual
maturity; we can be on the winning side of God’s victory and glorification;
(Rev 21:7) but there is only one thing that really answers all the why’s, and that’
s the angelic conflict. It’s important for us to understand the angelic conflict,
because our existence on the earth after Salvation is directly related to it. So
are the Truths, the Promises, the Commands and the Doctrines of Scripture.
Satan’s objection
The greatest attacks Satan has made against God were made before man
came into the picture. Satan is a super genius; he is smarter than any created
being who has ever lived! (Eze 28:12) Before anyone existed on this earth,
Satan had his back to the wall with a Divine judgment upon himself, and millions
of angelic creatures who followed him. Obviously, Satan would not like the
judgment, and in seeking to do something about it, made a very strong
objection an objection that was, in effect, an appeal which demanded a new
trial, a new case. Based upon a knowledge and understanding of, (Matt 25:41)
and (Rev 20:1-10) his objections can be deduced very simply: How can freewill
be TRULY free if we, (Fallen angels in this case) must obey the Divine Thinking
and Virtue love of God; and How can the Virtue love of God cast His creatures
into the Lake of Fire? The answers are interesting to us, because as human
beings, we have become involved in the same objections from every
namby-pamby, maudlin, addle-brained type of individual! This, of course,
originates from Satan himself, and the answer has to do with angelic and
human free will versus God’s Sovereignty.
Angelic free will had an opportunity under grace and rejected it. Therefore,
while the fallen angels were saying, "Not fair!" God created man in order to
demonstrate to them that His position in grace was valid, that Virtue love can
only express itself through grace, and that God cannot change His essence to
accommodate any creature, whether angel or human being. God’s perfect
character included Virtue love for the angels; but God cannot love in a way that
is inconsistent with His other characteristics. When Satan went negative and
said, "...I will be like the Most High," (Isa 14:13-14) God had to make a
decision, one that was compatible with His righteousness and justice, as well as
with His Virtue love.
The great underlying issue in history is always the essence of God, of
which Virtue love Divine Integrity and Holiness are a part. When you understand
reconciliation and propitiation, you can see that God has done some of the
most astounding things, and yet never lost or compromised one bit of His
essence. In other words, the devil was "ACED" BY GRACE! There is no way
the devil can win! He couldn’t change God, and you can’t change God, nor can
any other human being. In fact, our security is in the fact that He cannot
change. That’s why we have the assurance, "Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever." (Heb 13:8) The big issue in the angelic
conflict is God’s essence! In all of history, we have certain creatures going for
Satan; in prehistory, the angels --- in history --- man. Only God remains intact!
The pattern of angelic rejection
The pattern of angelic rejection has to do with the angels’ free will. We
know that angels had free will because Satan, who is the ruler of fallen angels,
went negative toward God. The first sin of any creature was one of negative
volition, when Satan said to himself five times "I WILL." (Isa 14:12-14) And this
tells us a great deal, because of the negative volition of man; (Adam and the
woman) and the negative volition of Satan; add up to a parallel situation. It also
adds up to another Principle, that God created man to resolve the angelic
conflict and to overrule the objection of Satan.
In, (Heb 2:2) we have the angelic rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ; "…the
word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and
disobedience received a just penalty.’’ This Scripture relates man’s Salvation to
angelic Salvation. Mankind and angels are both involved in the same Principle of
negative volition. We do not know the mechanics of the grace Salvation for
angels; but, since Satan had sinned, every angel had had his opportunity to
make a decision for or against Christ before man was even created.
Resolving the angelic conflict
To resolve the angelic conflict, a creature inferior to angels was created
and placed on one planet. (Psa 8:5; Heb 2:7) Now you have to understand
something about the angels and demons, (Fallen angels): they were created
with the ability to travel throughout the universe with all of its galaxies; and
some of the angels have "CHAROITS." (Isa 66:15; Eze 1:19; Eze 10:13) cf.
(1Ki 7:32-33; (1Ch 28:18) Generally their abode was in the second heaven, and
they had access to the third heaven for angelic convocations. (Job 1:6) Certain
angels, such as Lucifer, lived in the third heaven. (Eze 28:13-15) But when the
angelic fall occurred in the third heaven, and after the revolt that took a third of
the angels with him, he established a headquarters on a very tiny planet which
we call "earth." (Job 1:7) At the rebellion God turned the earth into a block of
black ice. (Gen 1:2; Jer 4:23-26) Under Satan, the earth had become what the
original language describes as ’’tohu wa-bohu," which means that it was
desolate and ruined. So God covered the whole earth with deep darkness,
resulting in an ice pack, ("Ice Age" --- and this is what also ruined the
dinosaurs). It stayed that way for an unknown period of time, during which time
the fallen angels had their trial and were sentenced. The earth had been in
existence for perhaps billions of years; its antiquity is unknown and even carbon
dating cannot help us. But when Satan made his objection, God the Holy Spirit
removed the ice pack and set about reestablishing the earth and putting it in
order. In six days, (Literal days) God reestablished the earth and made it
habitable for a new creature --- man. To put it briefly: in order to resolve the
angelic conflict, an inferior creature, (Man) was placed on one planet,
(The earth) possessing one thing which the angels had --- free will or volition.
(Psa 8:3-5; Heb 2:7)
(Heb 1:1) thru (Heb 2:18) actually give us the whole story.
Volition tested
Now, since God does not desire to force love and obedience from His
creatures, man’s volition must also be tested. Human volition on the earth was
tested in the same manner as angelic volition. As a matter of fact, there were
four similarities involved: (1) both angels and mankind began in status quo
perfection. (2) Both angels and mankind went negative and sinned.
(Isa 14:13-14; Gen 3:5-6) (3) God had to provide for this contingency, which
He had anticipated. Therefore, for the angels He provided a Salvation which is
unknown to us at this time. For mankind He provided a Salvation which is known
to us the cross. (4) For this reason both angels and men are divided into two
categories chosen or elect and fallen angels, and saved and unsaved mankind.
(Heb 2:2; John 3:18) The two categories of mankind can be very simply
stated: positive volition is believing in Jesus Christ; negative volition is rejection
of Christ or for believers --- rejection of Truth.
Because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God
made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and Divine nature, have been clearly seen, being
understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For
even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but
they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
(Rom 1:19-21)
The Test Under Perfect Environment
There were two tests instituted for man’s volition: Adam had two, and
since then, all mankind has one. First, in perfection and under perfect
environment, Adam’s negative volition was tested with a tree. There was just
one tree that was forbidden. The only way he could sin was to go negative and
partake of the fruit of that one tree, and this he did. (Gen 2:17) --- Also
describes the penalty for sin in connection with that tree: "...For in the day that
you eat from it you will surely die." The word "die" refers to Spiritual death;
(Separation from God in time)
Adam did not die physically the moment he sinned. He died SPIRITUALLY!
He was cut off or separated from God. He did not die physically until he was
930 years old. (Gen 5:5) Therefore, "the wages of sin" obviously is not physical
death. (As is taught in just about every Bible school in the United States) The
wages of sin is Spiritual death; and as a result of the fall physical death.
(Rom 6:23; Heb 9:27)
The Test Under Sinfulness
Secondly, Adam’s positive volition was tested under sinfulness, and this
too involves a tree the cross. After he had sinned and had become separated
from God, Salvation was promised to him and to the human race. (Gen 3:15)
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your
seed, (Satan’s) and her seed; (Christ) --- He shall bruise you on the head, And
you shall bruise him on, (And or with the; Psa 41:9; John 13:18) the heel."
Salvation would be provided through the virgin birth of Christ. (Gal 4:4-5)
All Adam had to do to become Spiritually alive again was to exercise positive
volition, (Faith) toward the Lord Jesus Christ, who would provide Salvation in
FULL. The moment Adam sinned, he died Spiritually. We are BORN Spiritually
dead, (Separated from God) though physically alive. However, we too can
become Spiritually alive by the exercise of positive volition, (Faith) toward the
work, (Spiritual death and judgment) of Christ on the cross. The two tests of
mankind’s volition under sinfulness occurs, (After the fall of Adam, man can only
be tested under sinfulness). (1) At the moment he becomes aware of or
conscious of God and; (2) at the moment he hears the gospel. Man’s faith in
Christ, which is a non-meritorious expression of positive volition toward Christ,
resolves the initial phase of the angelic conflict.
(Col 2:14-15; Heb 1:4-14; Heb 2:1-18)
Angelic observation
When you accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, the elect angels rejoiced while
Satan’s crowd groaned. Why? Because you responded to grace from your own
free will!
The issue in angelic observation is, will man, who is inferior to angels but
equipped with the same free will, choose for or against the plan of God? Will
man respond to grace or reject it? (John 3:17-18) The angels can understand
why they are condemned when they observe human beings on the earth placing
their trust in Jesus Christ. Thus demonstrating that the negative free will of man
does necessarily choose against God, as Satan and the fallen angels did in
eternity past. This explains the rejoicing of elect angels over the sinner, who
repents, (Changes his mind about Christ and believers about believing and
Thinking with Truth; Luk 15:7-10).
There are many passages in the Bible that teach that angels are observing
man. First of all, angels observed the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity just
prior to the Church Age. (Matt 4:11; Matt 28:2; Luk 2:13-14; Acts 1:10-11;
(1Ti 3:16) Angels observe believers in Phase Two. (1Co 4:9; (1Co 6:3;
(1Co 11:10; Eph 3:10; (1Ti 5:21; (1Pe 1:12) Fallen angels are organized under
Satan’s Command to resist and oppose believers. They must observe believers
in order to do this. (Job 1:8-12; Job 2:1-10; Eph 6:12)
Angelic observation and participation in this Spiritual conflict constitute a
major reason for putting the emphasis of the Christian life on learning and
Thinking with Truth not simply DOING something. We tend to get off into minor
Concepts and to falsely think in terms of DOING something such as praying,
witnessing, giving or certain other activities of the Christian life. These are
legitimate and bona fide functions; (In fellowship; Psa 66:18) but because of the
angelic conflict and the necessity of orienting to the grace of God and Spiritually
Knowing His will, the great emphasis is on Thinking with Truth. (Php 4:8-9) For
the believer-priest, Truth is the equipment that makes witnessing, praying,
giving, etc., effective. It is only through the filling of God the Holy Spirit and
Thinking with Truth that you are able to enjoy these WORSHIP activities.
(John 4:23-24)
Results of the angelic conflict
Phase One. There are three phases to the plan of God for believers:
Phase One, Salvation; Phase Two, the believer in time; Phase Three, the
believer in eternity. The result in Phase One is Salvation. At the moment he is
saved, the believer enters Phase Two and is positionally higher than angels.
(Heb 2:7) This is the first victory of the angelic conflict. When we accept Christ
as Savior, the Holy Spirit enters us into union with Christ. (Baptism of the Spirit)
So, since the humanity of Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father
and has been made higher than angels, and since we are in union with Him, we
too are made positionally higher than angels. (Eph 1:17-23; Col 2:9-10) This
was retroactively the case for the Old Testament believers.
Phase Two. There is also victory in Phase Two for the believer who
operates under Operation Z and builds THE SPIRITUAL TEMPLE of the soul.
(1Co 3:11-16) Such victory comes from suffering; for it is through suffering,
(Sin nature, thought, people, system, and disaster testing) that the believer
utilizes God’s grace and develops the faith-rest technique to the point of
occupation with Christ. (Rom 5:2-5; (1Pe 1:7-8)
Phase Three. In Phase Three, which begins with death or the harvest,
(Rev 14:14-20) every believer will receive a resurrection body exactly like that
of Jesus Christ. (Php 3:21) Through the possession of this resurrection body,
believers will be experientially: physically superior to angelic creatures; in time
believers are now, positionally: mentally superior to the fallen angels,
(Only by Thinking with the Mind of Christ). cf. (John 8:31-32)
Freedom From Satanic Control
Through the fall of man, Satan gained control of the earth. Satan is spoken
of in Scripture as the ruler and the god of this world. (John 12:31; John 14:30;
John 16:11; (2Co 4:4; Eph 2:2) He did gain control of man on the earth, but
man’s volition makes him a free agent in the devil’s world, and he can choose
between the plan of God and the plan of Satan. (Acts 26:17-18) Salvation,
through faith in Christ; positionally frees man from Satanic control and
domination; (Rom 6:3-6) and experientially through daily intake and obedience
to the Thinking with the that Truth. (Rom 6:17-18)
After Salvation, the great NEED is Spiritual Knowledge of Truth; acquired
by means of Operation Z. The more Divine Thinking the believer has in his
human spirit --- the more Truth he has in the right lobe of his mentality, the more
freedom he possesses in being able to Think independently from Satan.
(John 8:38; John 12:47-50; John 13:17; John 17:13) One of the great issues in
the Christian life is Divine guidance, and the whole basis for knowing the will of
God on any particular point, or in general, is the Bible: God’s Thinking in the
right lobe. (1Co 2:16)
Remember, Truth in the left lobe, the perceptive lobe, does not go straight
across to the right lobe as with human knowledge; it must go through the
process of cycling to the human spirit by faith and then to the right lobe.
Illustration
It can be hindered because of negative volition toward Truth, and it can be
short-circuited by mental attitude sins. (Matt 13:22; Luk 8:13-14) As a
category, mental attitude sins represent the greatest enemy of the Christian life!
Now, to sum up the reasons for the angelic conflict, let us see the answers
to several basic questions of life.
Questions answered by the angelic conflict
Why Does Man Exist? As we have seen, mankind exists to resolve the
angelic conflict. Man approaches the cross with free will; and under God’s plan
--- has the right to express positive volition by faith in Christ and to enter into
God’s game plan --- by being born again. Or, he has the right to exercise
negative volition. When a person rejects the righteousness of God, which is
imputed through faith in Christ --- the work of the cross, (Rom 9:30; (2Co 5:21)
and rejects the administration of the justice of God in pouring our sins out upon
Christ, then God’s righteousness and justice would be compromised if He did
not penalize the unbeliever with the Lake of Fire forever. Therefore, God is just
as fair in casting the unbeliever in the Lake of Fire as He is in providing eternal
life for the believer.
(Col 2:14-15) These passages demonstrate how the cross relates to the
angelic conflict by showing that the angelic conflict would be resolved and the
doom of Satan and the fallen angels would be certain if only one Person would
be born perfect and submit to God’s authority to the point of death!
(Php 2:5-11)
Why Does Sin Exist? Many people, especially idealistic people who tend
toward asceticism, have great difficulty with the origin of sin. First of all, sin did
not originate with God; it is absolutely incompatible with His essence; it is
utterly impossible for Him to sin, to cause temptation, or to be the origin of sin
in any way. We have direct statements of Scripture to the effect that God is not
the author of sin. (Jas 1:13) But even from the standpoint of essence alone, He
could not be. Why, then, did God permit sin?
The fact that man had to be given free will in order to resolve the angelic
conflict also made it possible for man to sin. Actually, Satan set the pattern. His
was the first sin, and it was a voluntary act involving his free will. The fallen
angels followed suit by also making decisions of negative volition. Similarly,
original sin in the human race, involving first the woman and then the man,
stemmed from the exercise of negative volition by each of them.
Had man been created without the freedom to make his own choice,
(Either negative or positive) there would have been no parallel to the case of
Satan and the fallen angels, and the angelic conflict would not have been
resolved. Angelic sin was judged; the sins of the world were judged. Christ
chose of His own free will to go to the cross; He chose to be judged for the sins
of the human race. He was qualified to be judged for sin, having no sin of His
own. (2Co 5:21) So Christ is the issue of Salvation, and since He is the issue,
we have free will. Our free will can express itself in faith in Christ; and we can
be saved; or we can reject Christ and spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
Why Does Suffering Exist? There are numerous reasons for suffering as
far as the angelic conflict is concerned, and we can easily understand that man’
s fall and departure from perfection would inevitably lead to all kinds of
suffering. Equally obvious is the fact that Satan with all his genius is incapable
of handling his own kingdom --- this world. (John 12:31) Suffering exists in this
world to the extent that Satan cannot cope with the problems of the human
race. He would like to create an ideal environment for humanity in his world, and
he has attempted to do so by introducing the false Concepts of socialism, by
declaring all men to be equal, by trying to provide enough money and a job for
everyone; and by supplying so-called "social security" and Obama-care for all,
etc. In every case his solution has failed. The United Nations; (And the League
of Nations before it) represents a satanic effort to create a perfect environment
and to eliminate warfare; however, its interference has only led to greater
problems, and it will continue to do so. Satan is not "like the Most High," and
whatever he has tried by way of cure-alls has merely complicated matters and
intensified suffering.
While the Church is on the earth, God permits suffering, (Sin nature,
thought, people, system, and disaster testing; for believers to grow to Spiritual
maturity) for the purpose of blessing. Through suffering, He demonstrates to
you and to me that His grace provision is greater than the suffering itself; and
that He has provided for every difficult circumstance through believing and
Thinking with Truth; filled with God the Holy Spirit. Now it doesn’t mean that you
are going to be blessed just because you are suffering. It all depends on your
use of the Spiritual life! One of the greatest blessings of suffering comes
through faith-rest which leads to occupation with Christ. When suffering is
caused by discipline, the use of, (1Jn 1:9) turns the cursing to blessing.
Why Does the New Covenant Church Exist? Why has the angelic conflict
shifted gears? Why not the New Covenant with Israel? Why do we have a
change of Dispensation? First of all, the previous Dispensation, the Jewish Age
Old Covenant Age was fulfilled, (Heb 13:20) and Israel as a nation rejected
Christ. (Matt 23:37-39)
Christ started the New Covenant Church Age as a clone of Israel to be the
steward of the Gospel and the canon: the full realm of Scripture. A Spiritual
Kingdom; (Luk 17:21) with God the Father as the author of the plan;
(Eph 4:4-6) with God the Holy Spirit providing a Temple, (Spiritual life) inside
the believer; (1Co 3:16) for the Ruler-ship of Christ --- in progressive growth
levels; (Gal 4:19; Col 1:27; (1Pe 3:15; (2Pe 1:19) but not as a political or racial
kingdom as Israel was. (Gal 3:28; Col 3:10-11) But a Theocracy: God Ruling
each believer personally; through the Shekinah Glory --- the LORD Jesus, the
Christ! (Isa 37:16; Col 2:9-17) CHRIST is the key to the Eternal New Covenant
of the Church, Tribulation and Millennium; made between God the Father and
God the Son; Jesus Christ. (Eph 2:14-16; Heb 13:20)
Since Christ is absent from the earth during this Dispensation, His
Body continues to represent Him as His ambassadors. This Body, of which
Christ is the Head, is composed of all regenerate persons. (Believers)
But in the Church Age, the believer is the battleground for the angelic
conflict, which is now inner, hidden and subtle. Only in the Tribulation will it
come out in the open! (Rev 9:1-11) Which will begin when the G 20 agreement,
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009 G-20 London Summit) is broken in 2012.
(Dan 9:27) To survive in this conflict, we must have training, which comes
through Spiritual Knowledge of Truth. Therefore, we will study a passage of
Scripture which deals with our training and the equipment which God has
provided for us to overcome and to move and to be victorious in the angelic
conflict.
God’s provision for the angelic conflict: the full armor of God
In, (Eph 6:10-17) we have a military analogy to teach us the Principles of
combat in the Spiritual realm.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against
the schemes of the devil.
(Eph 6:11)
This verse begins with an aorist middle imperative of the Greek word
"enduo." It means to put on equipment, to equip ourselves for battle. The aorist
tense refers to any point of time when the believer functions under Operation Z.
The middle voice indicates two things: (1) our positive volition toward the Word
of Truth; (2) and the benefits which are derived by the exercise of positive
volition toward Truth. The imperative mood indicates an order. We are
Commanded to put on "the full armor," which is the Greek word "panoplia" ---
the complete equipment.
There were three kinds of soldiers in the Roman army who had this
complete equipment. First of all, the "hastati." They were the young recruits,
analogous
to new believers or Spiritual babies. "Hasta" is the Latin word for javelin, which
was their chief weapon. The "hastati" were out in the first line of battle. When
they
had thrown their javelins, they passed back through the ranks and were not
used again in the tactical situation. In the second line of battle were the
"principes," the
young, vigorous and strong soldiers, analogous to the Spiritual adolescents.
Finally, the "triarii," who made up the third line of battle, were the most
experienced
veterans; analogous to mature believers.
Comparatively, the adolescent believer has enough Truth,
("Epignosis" God’s Thinking) in his human spirit to be developing a frame of
reference in his right lobe and have a fairly consistent exhale toward God and
production of Divine Virtue love. The mature believer has a complete edification
complex,
(Temple; Spiritual life) of the soul and is a producer of Divine Virtue love.
(Gal 5:22-23) The new believer is simply starting under Operation Z. The
Spiritual moron will never make it. He is a casualty in the angelic conflict. He is
the person who operates on emotion, and who gets involved in every emotional
activity from the Satanic tongues movement all of the way to some system of
social action. Maybe he simply spends his time in little Christian endeavor-type
devotionals, followed by meaningless decisions throwing a fagot, (Piece of
wood) on the fire, dedication, rededication, and all of the other things which are
substitutes for learning Truth.
Now the Principle is that ALL believers must wear the armor, regardless of
their Spiritual growth. Certain things are provided just as much for the new
believer as for the mature believer; and of course this would refer to such things
as the filling of the Spirit, the faith-rest technique, and the occupation with Christ
Principle. The source of these things, (The complete equipment) is of God.
"That you will be able to stand firm... The word for ability is "dunamai"---
ability which is the result of Operation Z and the edification complex, the latter
of which is the chief launching pad or weapon in the angelic conflict. The
present tense indicates that this ability always belongs to the believer on the
basis of the function of Thinking with Truth. The active voice --- every believer
must stand on his own Truth; he must stand in his own armor. Furthermore,
your attitude toward Truth determines your fulfillment of the plan of God, your
orientation to grace, the development and the construction of your edification
complex. What is the primary purpose of the Christian life? To construct an
edification complex; and to acquire maximum Truth in the right lobe.
Once you put on that equipment, you are TO STAND. ("Histemi") It is used
here in a technical military sense, and it means to stand fast under combat
conditions. You see, in the third and fourth chapters and halfway through the
fifth chapter of Ephesians the training period was set forth: every believer has
been given a Spiritual gift; he has been provided with Bible teaching, a grace
apparatus for perception, an edification complex and everything that pertains to
that. When you are trained, when you put on the armor, you are ready for
Spiritual combat. The active voice means that you have to fulfill your own part
on the combat team!
’’...Against the schemes of the devil" (Eph 6:11) is literally "face to face
with the schemes of the Devil" --- therefore, the combat situation, (Sin nature,
thought, people, organization, and disaster testing). You are to put on the
armor of God and you are to have the equipment necessary to face the Devil’s
unseen forces in a Spiritual combat. Satan has an objective, and it involves
strategy which is directed toward every facet of our life; as unbelievers and
BELIEVERS!
The enemy forces
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the
spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12)
We must put on the whole armor because of, (Not "for") Satanic strategy,
because Satan is the ruler of this world, and because we reside in "cosmos
diabolicus." "Struggle" actually refers to combat. It could be any kind of
personal combat, such as boxing or wrestling; but in our context it has a military
connotation and refers to our personal combat with the enemy. "Because our
combat is not with human beings; (Flesh and blood) but, in contrast with
mankind, our combat is with an unseen enemy, the demon army." The angelic
conflict finds the believer pitted against the army of fallen angels as a part of
Phase Two.
Satan’s demon organization
Now, let us notice something of Satan’s demon table of organization,
spoken of in this verse as ’’...against the rulers, against the powers, against the
world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places." First of all, we have "rulers," which is the Greek word
"archon," one of the words for highest rulers. "Archon" was first used in Attic
Greek in the day of the Athenian democracy. The "archon" was the president or
the preeminent decision-maker in Athens the highest ruler.
From the Age of Pericles in the Fifth Century B.C., the word "archon" has
gone through many transitions, but it has always retained its exact meaning. It
is one of those words that went from the Attic Greek to the Alexandrian Greek
to the Koine Greek, all the way down to New Testament times with exactly the
same meaning highest ruler. So the Satanic organization has a certain number
of five-star generals the exact number unknown. There are millions and millions
of demons. (Rev 9:16)
We have a secondary group of rulers called "powers." The Greek word,
"exousias" (Authorities) is comparable to commissioned officers. So at the top,
Satan has an unknown number of "archon," who are army Commanders. Under
them he has an unknown number of corps Commanders, divisional
Commanders, brigade Commanders, combat team Commanders, battalion
Commanders, company Commanders and platoon Commanders!
These also have supporting-type organizations. For example, an infantry
division will have so many batteries of artillery, and in certain terrains it will
often have attached to it various types of armor; it will have supporting
organizations from the quartermaster, (Supply) and transportation corps. There
will be assigned to it a number of engineers with certain responsibilities, along
with special weapons-type organizations. So, then, any military organization has
many supporting organizations attached to it, and that is exactly what we have
in Satan’s table of organization.
The third category is "the world forces of this darkness." This is
"kosmokrator" --- one word in the Greek. "Krator" is ruler and "kosmos" is
world; therefore, a world rulers not "rulers of darkness." The word "darkness"
comes later in the sentence and is the Greek word "skotos." The phrase should
actually read, "World rulers of darkness." Why is this organization called "world
rulers of darkness"? It is Satan’s elite corps of "rangers" that are used in
attacking rulers, national entities and VIP’s. Each "kosmokrator" is in charge of
his own territory.
This elite corps attacks rulers, as in, (Dan 10:13). Daniel’s prayer did not
receive an answer for three weeks because Gabriel was busy fighting the
"ranger" organization of demons, led by the "prince of Persia,’’ Satan’s
"kosmokrator" over Persia. In, (Dan 10:20) another world ruler of darkness is
mentioned; this time it is the "prince of Greece." This same organization attacks
ALL national entities. Any national entity that functions under the Divine
Institution of Nationalism and which evangelizes on the inside and sponsors
missionary activity on the outside is going to be under attack. Also VIP
believers are under attack, as illustrated by the Apostle Paul. In addition, all
believers who are in the vicinity of a VIP believer are under attack. That is the
history of the attack on Corinth. When Timothy, a VIP believer, went to Corinth,
the same thing happened. Before Timothy, it was Apollos. Any time there is
great exposure to the Word of Truth, this specialized satanic organization
attacks.
There is a fourth category in Satan’s table of organization mentioned in,
(Eph 6:12). "Spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. "This
actually refers to the rank and file of demons, which perform numerous
functions. Some of these demons indwell unbelievers and influence believers;
only to induce sickness. When Satan calls out the demons, the unbeliever is
miraculously healed in order to promote some person as a healer. Then there
are those who control the vocal cords, such as the "eggastromuthos,’’
(Ventriloquist) demons; and their control of the vocal cords of unbelievers and
believers; involves a simulation of "tongues" in order to attract people in that
direction.
There are demons who perform certain extra-natural activities for Satan,
such as those recorded in, (2Th 2:9).
Then, too, there are certain members of the human race, who, under
demon possession and or influence, are very brilliant and are able to make
predictions in order to gather followers and to point people in a given direction
usually toward religion, social action, or some form of human old sin nature
works. There are demons designated to encourage sin, though sin is not the
great objective in the satanic system. The old sin nature actually takes care of
the basic sin Concept. The world, (False realities and values) the flesh, (Lust of
the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life) and the devil, (Demonically
inspired false Biblical and non-Biblical thinking) are involved in temptation, but
most of the sins, (Gen 3:4-6) in the human race originate from the old sin
nature, (Jas 1:14-15) (Adam and the woman sinned without a sin nature).
The armor
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist
in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Eph 6:13)
"Therefore" --- because of the angelic conflict, because of Satan’s
strategies, because of the Divine reconnaissance, (Location and organization of
the enemy) and the information found in the first part of our passage we are
given a Command: "Take." This word ("Analambano") means "to take, to
receive or to seize," and to do it over and over again. You don’t put the uniform
or battle equipment on ONCE; you put it on again and again and again! This is a
reference to Divine Thinking, with emphasis on the function of Operation Z, the
daily repeated intake of Truth. Nothing short of this will build up stability in our
Spiritual Thinking; in and for the time of crisis and or prosperity! (2Ti 2:4)
Analogy to the Roman Soldier
(Eph 6:14-17) examines the items of our equipment. You will never look at
any combat soldier without noticing that he has belts and buckles and pockets
and various pieces of equipment, each of which has a very definite purpose. At
the time of the writing of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul was under house arrest
and had a member of the Praetorian Guard with him at all times. Now, a
Praetorian was not an ordinary infantryman; he was in training to become an
officer, and the Praetorian camp was as close as we can come to West Point,
Sandhurst or Saint-Cyr. It was a military academy, and the men who guarded
the Apostle Paul would one day be officers in the Roman Army. And so, as Paul
was writing this particular chapter, he could look up and observe the various
articles of equipment of the Roman soldier who was in attendance.
The Belt of Truth. (The Thinking of Christ) "Stand firm therefore, HAVING
GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE
BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.’
(The filling of God the Holy Spirit; Eph 6:14) cf. (John 4:24) Although the word
"stand" in itself is the ordinary word for standing under almost any condition, in
this instance, with the military uniform involved, it means to stand in ranks, to be
in the proper place in a combat situation. The aorist tense means that it is to be
done in a point of time; the active voice indicates that volition is involved in
obedience to a Command; and the imperative mood strengthens the fact that
there must be obedience to the Command.
Since there are a series of aorist participles occurring in the verses that
follow, it is necessary to stop here and recognize the Principle governing them:
the action of the aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb. From
this structure, we will see that the items of equipment represent training and
preparation so that we may be able to stand fast in the battle situation. The
main verb "to stand," ("Histemi") is given right at the beginning of, (Eph 6:14)
and it has reference to the actual combat situation. Everything else is
preparation for it! Each one of us, as a believer, is in combat; we are in the
unseen angelic conflict. In addition to that, we are in full-time Christian service,
and we are faced with adverse circumstances in the devil’s world and with
various needs in our lives. Each item we are going to examine represents
preparation and training for our combat, which will continue as long as we live
on this earth.
The Greek word for "having girded" is "perizonnumi," and it is an aorist
middle participle, "Peri" means "around" and "zonnumi" means "to put"; that is,
to put around the waist. The Roman soldiers wore a very wide belt, which was
actually the foundation piece for all their military equipment. At one place on it
there was a loop for the "machaira," (Sword) at another point there was a loop
from which a couple of ropes dangled, together with a sack for rations. Items of
equipment were attached all the way around this belt, which was designed in a
manner to insure that it would remain firmly in place at all times and so that the
equipment would be easily accessible when needed. No Roman soldier ever
fought without his belt, for it carried all of his equipment.
This military belt is said to be "Truth," but the Greek word, "aletheia," does
not mean to tell the Truth, in and of itself. It is a technical word, which has the
connotation of God’s Thinking; not in its simple presentation but in its
categories. The belt of Truth, then, is a reference to the whole Principle of
Operation Z. This is the basis for learning Truth or putting on the "belt of Truth."
The Breastplate of Righteousness
(Eph 6:14) goes on to say, "and having on the breastplate of
righteousness." The Greek word for "having on" is "enduo," meaning to "put it
on." It is an aorist middle participle to indicate that over a period of time, if we
are "consistent" in Bible study, we gradually build up an accumulation of Truth in
the human spirit, which in turn will lead to the construction of the edification
complex of the soul. (Spiritual life) Without this edification complex or Doctrinal
structure in the soul, there is no Spiritual maturity and, basically, no happiness
in the Christian life.
"Thorax’" is the Greek word for "breastplate." This piece of armor is a very
interesting article. Most of the ancient peoples wore breastplates, which were
made up of many layers of cloth or linen. Some were made by attaching bits of
horn or hoof to a heavy cloth foundation. Later, they were made of bronze and
even of iron. The Roman breastplate was made of metal and protected the
upper part of the body the vital spots. In order to keep it in place, little rings
were affixed to the lower edge, and it was secured to the belt by means of
thongs which were drawn through the rings. Putting on the breastplate took
some time. In our passage, this breastplate is analogous to learning to stay in
fellowship and build the edification complex. Put on the belt, (God’s Thinking ---
Truth) and the breastplate, (The Filling of God the Holy Spirit --- Temple). We
do not become mature believers overnight. It takes time to develop Temple
complex in the soul. Pressure and suffering accelerate the building of an
edification complex.
The Roman soldiers did not wear any protection on their arms. Being very
offensive-minded, they liked to have their arms free. The hauberk, which was a
chain mail covering for the body and arms, came into use during the Middle
Ages and indicated the defensive-mindedness of that period. But the Romans
had the idea of aggressiveness and wanted freedom to move. And this is
exactly what we have in our passage. The breastplate of righteousness gives
you freedom for production and action. It is not the actual production, but,
rather, the FREEDOM to produce.
The Feet Shod
’’And having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE
GOSPEL OF PEACE.’’ (Eph 6:15) It is inevitable that the Apostle Paul, in
describing the great Spiritual warfare --- the intensity of the angelic conflict ---
should eventually come to the feet. The infantryman moves into battle on foot.
Weapons may change, but warfare demands the presence of the infantry. The
success of the army Depends upon the feet of the army.
The Roman soldier wore a very heavy-soled leather sandal, the soles of
which were studded with cleats to give the soldier firm footing. This sandal was
called a "caligula"; and since they were issued in pairs, the pair was referred to
as "caligulae." These were the Romans’ "GI" shoes, and they were worn only
by the infantry. The aorist tense of "shod" indicates a constant series of
learning certain types of Doctrinal information so that when we arrive at any
particular battlefield; we are ready to use that information. This is our
preparation, this is our readiness: having our feet shod by means of the
readiness of the gospel of peace, (Reconciliation; Eph 2:7-22)
I want you to notice that every believer, not just some believers, is
Commanded to put on these GI shoes. So the first thing we learn from having
on GI shoes is the fact that every believer is in full-time Christian service, of
which witnessing is apart. Therefore, it is imperative that every believer be shod
and ready for action at any time. As we move through life, it is our responsibility
to be, as it were, on our feet and ready to meet situations which demand that
we witness for the Lord Jesus Christ; and provide Truth to believers. (Heb 5:12)
The word for "preparation" ("Etoimasia") means full preparedness. Now,
there is one thing the infantryman does he marches somewhere, often many
miles. Preparation is being able or fully prepared to move on your feet over a
long period of time so that you can arrive at some point, where you can use
your weapons effectively, and work in conjunction with others. One of the worst
things in the world would be to march miles and miles to the battlefield and then
step into battle without shoes! You must arrive with the ability to fight; ready to
go into action, ready to use your weapons. You must be well organized!
Readiness means that you can march for many miles to the battlefield and be
ready to go into action, to be a part of your organization, and to be ready to
function with them as a team.
Our full preparedness is said to be with "the gospel of peace." "The
gospel" refers to a specific type of Truth: about Salvation or the Truth
concerning God: the full realm of Scripture; depending on the context. The
Greek word is "euaggelion." "Eu" means "good"; "aggelion" --- "announcement."
This is generally translated "good news.’’ We have some good news, but it
cannot be communicated unless it is understood. Evangelism does not belong
solely to the pastor behind the pulpit. EVERY BELIEVER must be ready at ALL
TIMES to communicate this good news.
Through the Principle of Operation Z, you must know certain Doctrines,
you must have correct information about Salvation and the Spiritual life. You
must know your subject, and the objective is to communicate the information
accurately and clearly so that the hearer can make a decision.
There was one thing about the Roman soldier with the caligulae on his
feet: he was flexible to move! How you communicate the information is going to
depend upon your vocabulary, your personality, your ability to estimate a
situation, your relaxed mental attitude. The real key, after you have assimilated
a certain amount of Truth, is your flexibility; to THINK with God the Holy Spirit.
(Luk 12:12; Luk 21:14-15) You must never get the idea, even when someone
responds to your communication of Truth, that there is only one way to do it.
The Holy Spirit will handle situations in many different ways. There are MANY
approaches --- stay flexible!
The Shield of Faith
’’In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Eph 6:16) In addition to." Does
not mean that the next item is greater, but in the Greek this is, "en pasin" which
means in addition to the items previously listed: the belt, which represents the
Principle of Divine Thinking; the breastplate of righteousness, which refers to
the Filling of God the Holy Spirit; and the feet shod with the preparation --- for
declaring the gospel and or the full realm of Scripture.
"Taking up the shield of faith..." "Taking" means to "pick up" --- in this case,
to pick up something lying on the ground, just as a Roman soldier would pick up
his shield when he fell in for his formation and for action. Since the action of the
aorist participle precedes the action of the main verb, "stand" --- (And "stand"
means to be in battle array, ready to go into action) and indicates that before
you can go into action you must have the shield. The shield ("Thureos") was a
large shield carried by the Romans to protect the entire body. "Faith" refers to
the Principle of the "Faith-Rest Technique." It consists of, (1) acquiring a
knowledge of the Promises of God, (2) believing and Thinking with these
Promises and Doctrines by faith. (Rom 4:20)
There are five ways to fulfill the Command to pick up the shield of faith: (1)
By the daily function of Operation Z. You need your shield every day.
(Rom 10:17) (2) By the exhale of Truth --- Thinking WITH the Promises.
(Heb 4:1-3) (3) By the filling of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22-23) (4) By picking up
the shield in combat. (1Pe 1:7-8) (5) By occupation with Christ, which is actually
a Spiritually mature extension of the Faith-Rest Technique, (1Pe 1:8 compared
with; Heb 12:2).
"With which" (Literally, "with which shield") you will be able..." "Able,"
("Dunami") is a word for ability or power; but the future tense anticipates the
battle; and indicates that there is a training period before the use of the shield.
And that is exactly the way it is in the Christian life. You begin through the
function of Operation Z, by learning some Promises and then you learn some
Doctrines; and that is the training period.
"...With which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the
evil one." (Eph 6:16) This latter phrase is literally, "missiles which have been set
on fire." The missile itself was called "bele" or "belos," which is taken from
"ballo," meaning a projectile. The word "fire" is a perfect passive participle of
"puroo," which means "having been set on fire" And so we have missiles which
have been set on fire. This type of fire arrow was a very ancient weapon. The
Persians used it in their invasion of Greece in the days of Xerxes, and it is said
to have existed long before then. Herodotus, Thucydides and Livy all make
mention of this weapon. "Of the evil" ("Ho poneros") is literally "Of the evil one,"
and refers to a specific person, i.e., Satan.
In line with Paul’s analogy taken from ancient warfare, the Principle
involved here calls for the use of a shield to meet all of the pressures, all of the
problems of life and the organized opposition of Satan in whatever form it
comes. Further, a shield was used in a flexible manner. The Romans had a
whole manual of arms, (Training routine) for the shield, and they were flexible
and reacted differently to meet each situation.
Throughout the whole realm of the Christian life, there is the Principle of
Thinking Truth and Promises, the Principle of flexibility in handling difficulties and
problems of all kinds, all of which makes faith-rest the basic system --- THAT
IS THE SHIELD; that quenches the missiles which have been set on fire by "the
evil one!"
Thus, God has made provision for your protection from these "flaming
arrows" which Satan projects toward you from all sides and all directions, (Old
sin nature, thought, people, organization and disaster testing).
The Helmet of Salvation
"And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God." (Eph 6:17) The word "take" is an aorist active
imperative from the verb "dechomai." In this verse, it means "to receive," and to
receive gladly or to receive with happiness. The aorist tense is the point of time
when the individual goes into combat. The active voice: each individual makes
the decision for himself. And the imperative mood gives the individual believer
the opportunity of utilizing the helmet of Salvation. Literally, then, "receive the
helmet which is ETERNAL Salvation from the Lake of Fire."
The helmet is something which is placed on the head for protection. Now
the human soul resides inside the head. It is the soul which is said to be saved
at the point of Salvation, (Psa 19:7; Mark 8:36; Heb 10:39) and therefore it is
apropos that the Roman helmet should be used to illustrate the Principle of
eternal Salvation. You are never in the protocol plan of God until you have
personally accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. Since this passage is addressed to
the believer, the helmet of Salvation specifically refers to knowing the Doctrines
pertaining to Salvation, and thus having the assurance of Salvation and eternal
security.
The Roman helmet or casque was by far the best in the ancient world and
was the only one that was absolutely foolproof. It was composed of four parts.
(1) It had a very excellent liner, which was made of skin. This skin lining
emphasizes the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The first reference to skin in
connection with Salvation is found in, (Gen 3:21) where the Lord made Adam
and Eve coats of skin. Since skin is obtained by the shedding of blood, this
lining reminds us that when we are cleansed by the blood of Christ; (That is, the
Spiritual death and judgment of Christ) and that at faith in Christ; we receive the
imputed righteousness of God. (2Co 5:21)
(2) Generally, the helmet was made of bronze, which is tough and durable
and able to withstand anything that hits it. This emphasizes the permanence of
the plan of God in Phase One.
(3) The helmet of the Praetorian who was guarding Paul would have had a
gold crest; and this emphasizes the unique Person of the God-head who is our
Savior Jesus Christ, the God-man. Thus it refers to the Doctrine of the
hypostatic union.
(4) The chin strap gave the helmet stability in battle, and kept it on. This of
course would refer to the Principle of eternal security. Once you have believed
in Jesus Christ, you cannot lose your Salvation from the Lake of Fire.
(John 10:28)
The Sword of the Spirit
Up to this point Paul has referred to items of equipment which are
defensive in nature. In the latter part of, (Eph 6:17) he directs attention to the
only offensive equipment mentioned --- "the sword of the Spirit, which is the
Word of God." The Greek word for "sword" here is "machaira." This was a
Roman invention and was probably one of the most unusual and ingenious
inventions of ancient warfare. Unlike the lengthy, two-handed broadsword,
which was used by the Gauls and the barbarians, the machaira was only about
eighteen inches long; but it was sharp on both edges and had a sharp point. It
was a very maneuverable weapon, and all parts of it could be used. Its
outstanding advantage was that the soldier was never off balance while using it.
The Greek word for "Spirit" here is "pneuma." It refers to God the Holy
Spirit, and it is in the genitive case, that is genitive of source, so that literally we
have "the sword from the Spirit." God the Holy Spirit is the source of this
sword, which is the "Word of God." The word used here is "rhema," which
means "the Saying or the category or the Concept." It is a word for Truth, and it
implies a specific Truth, presented exegetically or categorically; it can also
mean "Spoken through a believer by means of God the Holy Spirit." And "of
God" is again the genitive of source. Thus, we have "the sword from the Holy
Spirit, which is the Truth from the source of God." This is our offensive weapon!
So from a brief study of this passage, we can see clearly that, as
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives have meaning and purpose and
definition; further, we are personally involved in this great conflict. It is also
clear that God has graciously made every provision for the believer in the
present New Covenant Age the Age of the intensification of the angelic conflict.
He has provided the grace apparatus for perception in order that you might
comprehend His Word and know what His will is for your life. There is no
limitation to the things that can be understood; nothing is hidden; everything is to
be comprehended! He has made it possible for you to erect a Spiritual Temple
in your soul in order that you might be equipped to do His will. (1Co 3:11-16)
And, by these provisions, He has made it possible for you to meet the challenge
of the intensified angelic conflict with stability, confidence and complete inner
happiness. (Php 2:2; (1Jn 1:4)
Thus, it is by reason of man’s faith that the angelic conflict is resolved!
Angels observe man’s positive volition as he first receives Salvation through
faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then as he demonstrates
the adequacy of God’s provision through daily study and appropriation of the
contents of God’s Word!
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
(Eph 3:20-21)
End
 |
| |
 |