Spiritual warfare and the kingdom: Satan, demons and principalities
This subject is one that can be a contentious issue. We in the west live in a materialistic world. What-you-see with your two eyes is what-you-get, kind of approach. In other parts of the world, they are more aware of these spiritual/supernatural/unseen things. In the Bible there are a number of things which we can see that are unusual which are mostly accepted in orthodox Christianity, such as the virgin birth and the resurrection. Yet there is a lot more you can find once you start digging around. This post is going to deal a little with the dark side. It has its tentacles in various places.
I have a list of people on the main page which this post comes under who have influenced me in regard to the supernatural. Frank Viola is another of those influencer’s, he didn’t get on the list as he’s a recent discovery. He is promoting the Gospel of the Kingdom. I have yet to read his book ‘Insurgence, reclaiming the gospel of the kingdom‘. I have been reading some of his posts and listening to the related podcast. The first couple of podcasts when the show started give a framework of what this gospel isn’t and what it is. I really like what he has to say so am promoting it here.
Frank is all about bringing the church back to middle ground and more specifically emphasising the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). He has some really important things to say. If you sign up to his weekly email you get two free eBook’s which are very challenging and stimulating. One on what discipleship is and isn’t
and the other is about
You also get three mp3s about the new reformation which I haven’t listened to yet. I know they’ll be excellent judging by what he is saying over all!
In episodes 30, 31 and 32 of The Insurgence Podcast (I listened on Google podcasts. If you use Podbean, show notes are available) he speaks with Dr Michael Heiser who I reference here on my website. He writes a number of books on supernatural characters and the unseen realm from a biblical perspective. Here is a free video that is about the book – ‘Unseen Realm‘ by Faithlife on YouTube.
The Insurgence podcast episodes referred to above is where they talk about Satan, demons and principalities which relate to the supernatural world. This is real folks and the content is sound and unsensational. All episodes are around 45 to 60 mins and cover practical helps and theology about the unseen world.
Be prepared to have your eyes opened to the origin of evil, depravity, and all kinds of bad. If you’ve not heard this stuff before especially in Episode 31 (separate link on demons) it might shock you and make you rethink your view of reality. It is a very coherent argument this supernatural worldview expounded and explored by Frank and Michael.
In the principalities episode they talk about issues which are in the public domain and relate to advances in technology and what is going on behind the scenes as it were, with ideologies. It might scare some people what is said but it would appear this is the way things are heading with technocracy. Mike talked about how in some quarter’s consciousness is being seen as something we could separate from ourselves as human beings. He goes into that without pushing into it in too much detail. It made me think of C S Lewis’ novel That Hideous Strength which is part three of his Cosmic Trilogy. This book deals with the idea of a brain being separate from a body.
There are some references to America specifically in the podcast. Not being an American I don’t know so much about President Eisenhower’s warning back in the 50s, but it certainly sounded relevant to the conversation and far seeing of the president.
I like the way Mike describes how the dark powers don’t need to act strong (they don’t have the ultimate power by the way) just smart, using the herd to move things along. He speaks of media and other technologies being used even today to promote or propagate an agenda which is taking us in a direction similar to that of the people in Genesis 11
‘Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves;’
Genesis 11.3
The point that Frank makes towards the end of the final episode is there’s not a lot we can physically do about it. What we do need to do though is our jobs as believers and as church. (See this challenging post about the church). It’s good to know some of the ways of the kingdom of darkness but not to focus on it. Listen to what Frank says about what we should do. It involves participating as a co-heir with Christ and following his commission by doing that we will bring the Kingdom of Jesus in and win in the end.
And to finish:
“The best thing I can say about Frank Viola is this: When I read his books—and I read them all—I don’t think much about Frank Viola. I think about Jesus. And I learn to love Him more. This book is no different (God’s favourite place on earth). Read it, and you’ll find yourself thinking, if you’re like me, ‘I knew Jesus was great, but… Wow!’ And that, at least from me, is as good as it gets.”
Brant Hansen
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Radio personality and blogger
From the very beginning, God wanted his human family to live with him in a perfect world—along with the family he already had in the unseen world, his heavenly host. That story—God’s goal, its opposition by the powers of darkness, its failure, and its ultimate future success—is what this book is about, just as it’s what the Bible is about.
Michael S. Heiser, Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World And Why It Matters
(A distilled version of Unseen Realm – and an easier read)