Monday, January 27, 2020

"..for you are destined for all things.." Ephesians 6:12-13 (TPT)


Paul recognized that Jesus died to save human beings and that we are not engaged in warfare against anyone in the created earth who is either man or woman, but our battle is against the lesser gods (Elohim) that ruled the earth. 

There was a divine council of the sons of God that were placed by Yahweh upon the earth to rule and judge rightly over the affairs of humankind. This counsel consisted of kings, rulers, and princes, all of which are from a hierarchical system that was chosen to fill the gap until humanity would once again establish their rightful rule once again on the earth. 

These “sons of God” rebelled and became haughty, thinking that they could easily defy Yahweh’s eternal purposes of humankind being the rulers of the earth when they could do it themselves.

Asaph wrote psalms 82, and it contains a description of the rebellion of these sons of God and their inability to rule justly and to demonstrate Godly character.

“God takes his place in his own assembly. He pronounces judgment among the gods:
“How long are you going to judge unfairly? How long are you going to side with wicked people?” Selah
Defend weak people and orphans. Protect the rights of the oppressed and the poor. Rescue weak and needy people. Help them escape the power of wicked people. Wicked people do not know or understand anything. As they walk around in the dark, all the foundations of the earth shake. I said, “You are gods. You are all sons of the Most High. You will certainly die like humans and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God! Judge the earth, because all the nations belong to you.” 
Psalms 82:1-8 (GW)

This is what Paul was referring to in Ephesians 6:12-13. 

These rebellious sons of God still exist today, and they are seeking to undo the rule of humankind on the earth at any cost. They want the power to control and to destroy anything that stands in their way. They work with humankind in ways to influence their mind and thoughts with the means of destroying themselves. 

These “demon-gods” or “principalities” are very strong and focus on technology and information based on crushing and dismantling anything built upon the knowledge of our God and His rule and reign through His people on the earth. 

They attack families, and especially the minds of individuals, to draw and corrupt their identities away from a God-centered design. They have found it is easier to go after the mind in small ways to corrupt little by little over time to reach a place of denial of God’s ways. 

They attack Churches and anyone who stands for a conservative ideal to disprove or discredit them that following God’s design may seem laughable and out of touch with reality. Recently the attacks against Churches have been physically hostile with armed assault.

Paul declares that our only defense against these entities is putting on the full armor of our God. These weapons are more excellent than the tactics of these demon-gods for God's weapons are based truth. 

Paul uses God’s armor as a metaphor to get across that we must be in Christ completely to be victorious.

“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.”
Ephesians 6:14-18 (NIV)

In effect what Paul is saying to withstand the onslaught of these “demon-gods” or “principalities” we know five things concerning the armor of God:
  1. The truth of our God’s love for us and what we were created for, which is to rule and reign with Christ that is our identity; we are royal sons and daughters of the one true king.
  2. We must stand in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not our own, for He is the only truly righteous one who has right standing before God the Father. We stand because He stands. 
  3. We have the testimony of what our God has done through the victory of Jesus and how He has overcome sin and death.
  4. We do not go forward by sight; we go forward by faith. Faith is trusting in what we know to be the truth and trusting our God for the victorious outcome that will give Him glory.
  5. We need His salvation which is His protection over our mind so we can confront slanderer directly without his deception tricking us.
  6. We need the Holy Spirit to speak with us to direct us, guide us, and protect us.

I know it’s weird that we were left with a world that is so messed up both naturally and spiritually, but that is where we are called to be overcomers, and it is like Paul says, “for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.” 

I truly believe that!  Do you?
Be Blessed!
Stephen Barnett

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