The Dark Spiritual Powers

Perhaps one of the most overlooked scriptures in the Bible's New Testament is this one: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

That was included in the apostle Paul's letter to the early church at Ephesus. What did Paul mean? He clearly meant that much of the trouble in the world is caused by dark spiritual powers that inhabit the heavenly realms. When most people think of the heavenly realms, they certainly don't think of demons. Rather, they think of God and angels.

But those demonic powers exist and they're under the authority of Satan who the Bible identifies as "the god of this world." (2 Corinthians 4:4) Those evil spirits are tasked with spreading Satan's lies across the world by influencing its civilizations. That includes politics, education, entertainment, the arts, religion and the media.

And their primary task is this: to prevent the salvation of every human being on the planet by denying or distorting God's grace revealed through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel declares this: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus Christ), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." (John 3:16-18)

Though Paul's caveat wasn't a new revelation, it was necessary because the early churches--like many modern churches--had fallen into the trap of attempting to do God's will by humanistic means rather than by the power of God's Holy Spirit.

For example? Politics. Many Christians are convinced that they can change the world simply by electing the right candidates. That's a dangerous fallacy because politics is often corrupted by Big Money. Besides, politicians reflect the culture they come from.

If they're mendacious and corrupt, that's because they come from a culture that tolerates and approves of such behavior. They certainly aren't going to change their behavior once they gain office. Rather, they're going to use that behavior to maintain their grip on power.

And so, just how do Satan's fallen angels spread their influence? Specifically, through the physical senses. Since all human beings are born into sin and are separated from God (Romans 3:23), they belong to Satan. (John 8:44) 

As such, he either influences them directly through their minds (hallucinogenic drugs, occultism, eastern religions etc.) or through the culture. But either way, the message is always the same; there is no personal God, there is no heaven or hell, good and evil are the same, there are no rules and death is just an illusion. Does that sound familiar? It should. That's the message taught by the eastern religions. That's the message that folks get when they encounter "spiritual beings" while on powerful drug trips.

And that's the message being promoted by the education, media and entertainment industries throughout the world. That message provides the foundation for all the moral depravity that plagues the world today. That message has led to an explosion of crime, violence and moral decadence over the past 60 years. It's the same message that Satan's been promoting since the dawn of history when he deceived Adam and Eve in the primordial Garden of Eden.

That's the message that motivated Paul to warn the early Ephesian church. How do we heed that message? By raising up our children on biblical values rather than on godless worldly values. By making those biblical values relevant to children so that they won't abandon them later in life when they're confronted with Satan's lies. By becoming knowledgeable in God's wisdom by studying and meditating on His word. By a consistent, dedicated prayer life.

And by putting into practice what Paul admonished the Ephesians to do: "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:13-18)

Though Paul wrote that letter nearly 2,000 years ago, it was meant for all the churches then and now. Had the Christian church heeded that message, we wouldn't be experiencing all the trouble we're seeing in the world today. But we are because the church ignored that message. And the results speak for themselves.