The Man behind the man:

Evil spirits in the kingdom of man.

By Neetheam Al-muhaisen

The Fall of Lucifer

12

“How you are fallen from heaven,

O [d]Lucifer, son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground,

You who weakened the nations!

13

For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north;

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I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

I will be like the Most High.’

15

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,

To the lowest depths of the Pit.

[Isaiah 14:12-15]

As above, so below. The Role of spirits in the affairs of men

We read that Lucifer, then an angel of God, seeks to war upward against God. He sets his will against God, I will, I will, I will, I will, I will, is referenced 5 times over, and in each his will is pointed towards self-exaltation. A stubborn will and a prideful heart are the characteristics of Satan.

In Ezekiel 28: 1-19 we are introduced to two characters, the prince of Tyrus and the king of Tyrus. The person referenced as the prince of Tyrus in the first part of the chapter is clearly a human. He is a man that sets himself up as God. ‘Yet thou art a man and not God’. The King of Tyrus however, is different. He is referred to as the ‘Anointed cherub that covers’ and as having stood in the very presence of God, ‘the holy mountain of God’. The prince of Tyrus, an earthly ruler, has the same spirit, and wages the same warfare against God as the King of Tyrus, who is a fallen Angel. They both work together in warring against God. The fallen anointed cherub referred to as the King of Tyrus is the principality and power in control of the kingdom of Tyrus. It is none other than lucifer. So we see the principle, that there was war in heaven and these same warring evil powers have come to the kings of the earth to control the minds of the rulers, to continue the struggle against God. And in doing so, these earthly rulers exhibit the same characteristics as the fallen angels. Self exaltation and a will set against God. “As above, so below”.

In Egypt demons were in control of Pharaoh and his dominion. Pharaoh’s pride is exhibited in this verse. ‘And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go’. – Exodus 5:2. We also see that God will not simply overthrow the earthly government of Pharaoh but will judge the spiritual principalities and powers behind Egypt. Exodus 12:12 – For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

In Babylon, sorcerers, mystics, and charmers sought to influence king Nebuchadnezzar, themselves influenced by evil spirits. We may also note that Persia and Greece had spiritual principalities and powers wrestling for control of those nations. In Daniel 10: 10-14 and Daniel 10: 20-21 we read of an angel that comes to Daniel who was withstood for 21 days by someone noted as “The prince of persia”. In the texts just stated we have three princes. The ‘prince of persia’, the ‘prince of Grecia’, who shall come after the war with the prince of persia has finished, and we have, ‘Your prince’ referred to as Michael. The angel that came to Daniel leaves to pursue his war with the Prince of persia. The prince of persia, the prince of Grecia, are terms denoting wicked spiritual powers seeking to control those nations. Michael is Daniel’s prince, so he is the prince who stands for the people of Israel. Tyrus had a King who controlled it, Lucifer. Pharaoh was under the control of quote “The Gods of Egypt”. Persia and Greece had satanic forces seeking to influence their king’s noted as ‘prince (s)’.

In each successive age Satan seeks to control the nations that are preeminent. In revelation 13: we read of a nation that has horns like a lamb but speaks as a dragon. Yet again, the serpent of old is at work to gain dominion. The first beast (kingdom) from the sea noted also in Revelation 13 quote “..Receives its power, seat, and great authority, from the dragon.

So, what are the characteristics of nations under the control of Satan? Pride, self-exaltation, and tyranny. These nations, like the prince of Tyrus, end up warring against God by intercepting worship for themselves. They are mere men, but act as God. All the while satanic agencies unite with them to deceive the world and war against Jesus.

Waging spiritual warfare

Spiritual warfare takes on great intensity in the New Testament. It spikes in occurrence and frequency. Casting out demons makes up a good portion of the gospels, and was part of the ministry of the early church. In Luke 11: 21-23 we see reference to a ‘strong man’ who guards a house. No one is able to plunder that house unless a stronger man comes and overpowers that strong man. Again, in Matthew 12:29 we read of a ‘strong man’ that must be bound before one can enter his house and ‘spoil his goods’. In the old testament many great prophets were sent, strong men in their own right, in a sense that God gave them power and authority. But in the contest between the strong man (Satan), it is Christ (‘The stronger man’)that can bind him and rescue the lost soul from damnation. This is because Christ has the power to forgive sins. Once sins are forgiven what right does the devil have to a soul? Satan is bound, and the soul rescued. Jesus warned his disciples that some demons could only be cast out by ‘prayer and fasting’. Jesus’ ministry started with 40 days and nights of prayer and fasting in the wilderness where Satan confronts him, Christ resists the devil, and overcomes him. Even the demons declare that Jesus is the ‘Holy one of God’.

13You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15In this way, he disarmedd the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. – Colossians 2: 13-15

The passage above shows a direct correlation between the forgiveness of sins and the disarming of spiritual powers. By prayer and fasting we can humble ourselves and obtain forgiveness of sins, through confession and repentance. We can fast for our nation, pray for our loved ones, and humble ourselves. And spiritual ‘strong men’ will be removed out of the way allowing for freedom from oppression.

Perhaps you can assemble with others and fast and pray in a group for the power to overcome spiritual wickedness, and for the ministry of healing? By asking the life of Christ to dwell in us, seriously and with faith, strongholds can be broken!