Spiritual Power Today
“What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him….Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”” (Mark 1:27; Luke 10:17)
Background
This brief teaching has to do with the direction in which I see secular counselling and Christ-centred ministry heading into the future. The former is increasingly embracing the deliverances shamanistic and medium spirituality by incorporating sophisticated models of quantum physics as a mask for demonic powers. (Eph 2:2; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079610723001013#:~:text=Family%20Constellations%20can%20be%20understood,consciousness%20in%20a%20therapeutic%20container) Since the weeds and the wheat grow up under the same circumstances (Matt 13:24-29), there is simultaneously emerging a growing realisation across the Church of our need to share from start to finish in the power of the Spirit of Jesus as the all-sufficient Minister of the Gospel. (Acts 16:7 https://www.tftorrance.org/meetings/purves_response-aar05.pdf ). We will see an intensifying “clash of the kingdoms” in the days ahead (Col 1:13)!
Introduction
Recently I was reflecting on the lack of overt repentance in my ministry compared to that of the Early Church (e.g. Acts 2:38-41; 2 Cor 7:8-13). This Scripture was impressed on me, “But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1 Cor 4:19-20) Notwithstanding confusions about “power encounters” (https://media.thegospelcoalition.org/static-blogs/justintaylor/files/2013/02/Keener-chapter-from-Pauls-Missionary-Methods-2.pdf), the manifestation of the kingdom of God must be understood in terms of the one who “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 1:4). The resurrection of the man Jesus, to “judge the world with justice” (Acts 17:31) separates the power of a vindicating Father from all other ultimately impotent powers (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). Can we ever explain evil?
Evil Must Be Manifested
Jesus’ words are crucial to any efforts to penetrate why God allowed in the cosmos, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44). “from the beginning/ ἀπ’
ἀρχῆς/ap’ archēs” indicates a primeval fall impenetrable to human logic. “The devil made me do it” is a useless cop out, but the unholy trio of “the world the flesh and the evil” is needed to grasp the level of evil in the universe. The moral insanity of global antisemitism has invaded spaces “the Sovereign Lord” has allowed (282 uses in NIV) to alert the whole Church to supernatural dimensions of wickedness long neglected. “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.” (Eph 6:12). We are being presented with a kingdom opportunity for a revelation of Christ’s power versus the “principalities and powers in the heavenly places” (Eph 3:10) which are our aliens in our present residence with Jesus (Eph 2:6). The people of God are being rapidly moved to counter this “home invasion”; “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Phil 3:20-21). The pace of the “clash of the kingdoms” (Col 1:13) is sovereignly accelerating.
Resurgence of the Occult
New Testament Christians were familiar with the practice of occult powers in “power encounters” unfamiliar to us. “Jannes and Jambres” were names given to Pharaoh’s magicians who in Exodus futilely mimicked the divinely sent plagues of blood and frogs; but we have no information of how this took place. Similarly, “Simon the Great/Magician” (Acts 8:9-24) “amazed” crowds by his powers, a word is describing the impact of Jesus miracles in the Gospels (Matt 12:23; Luke 8:56) etc. In Acts 13:6-12 Elymas the sorcerer appears. Paul strikes this false prophet blind, so that the senior Roman official on Cyprus is converted (cf. Elijah versus the prophets of Baal (1 Ki 18)). The “last days” i.e. today witness a resurgence of the occult (2 Tim 3:1-8). This is especially manifest in Revelation’s references to the “magic arts/spells/soceries (pharmakeia/ φαρμακεία) of worldly Babylon (9:21; 18:23). Whether the original metropolis, ancient Rome or modern Beijing/New York is essentially a demonised city. She is the home of the “man of lawlessness… using all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie” (2 Thess 2:1, 9). She has irresistible power to deceive all but “God’s chosen ones” (Matt 24:24).
In Christ, God Must be Glorified
We can understand the inner dynamics of spiritual power as an overwhelming external force, or as an inward holy/unholy presence. Only the latter glorifies Christ. On the cross in the total darkness of sin (2 Cor 5:21) the “power of darkness” (Luke 22:53) and seeming God-abandonment (Mark 15:33-34 cf. 2 Cor 1:8), Jesus’ experience of evil is total. His pain scale is 10/10. So the eye-witness John testifies, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 cf. John 14:30). Yet as Lord Christ conquers the world, the flesh and the devil by faith and sonly obedience. Most Christians I know are too polite to be apocalyptic. E.g. the biblical testimony concerning human depravity is undeniable, “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil continually” Gen 6:5 etc.; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_depravity). This means it is naturally impossible for people to turn to God, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” (Rom 8:7) https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/total-moral-inability). Paul speaks openly of a power at work in his fleshly from which only Christ could deliver him (Rom 7:21-25).
Conclusion
In the coming final conflict between demonic power and Christ’s Spirit only those rooted and grounded in Christ will stand safe (Eph 3:17). The days of easy going Laodicean comfortable Christianity (Rev 3:14-21) are fast coming got an end. The prophetic prediction of the Lord will be established: ““Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt 12:30). But let me not end there, I sense an outpouring of “new wine” kingdom JOY is coming in the Holy Spirit (Matt 9:17; Acts 2:13; Rom 14:17; Eph 5:18-19; 1 Pet 1:8). This will be uncontainable in old forms, structures and institutions. “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 24-25)