Spiritual Warfare Part 1 Note: 1.260.000 web sites!

Spiritual Warfare Part 1Note: 1.260.000 web sites! “For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” NET2 Corinthians 10:3

NETEphesians 6:11-13 • “Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. • 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. • 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.”

How do we do battle as Christians? • We go through more than mere struggle on earth—there is an unseen reality • Classic demonology describes Satan and 1/3 of the angels who fell with him (demons) • Their primary focus is deception and destruction of humanity, to stop God’s purpose on earth, esp. blinding unbelievers to believe lies and fantasies • Paul’s focus is on the victory of Christ over demonic powers yet the warning of “seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim 4:1) • James give assurance that if we resist Satan he will flee (James 4:7) • Revelation describes the ultimate casting out of Satan to give us confidence that our’s is the winning side.

Pentecostal Spiritual Warfare • A major feature of this movement • Applied as a necessary element to spiritual growth in holiness • Obstacles to faith, prayer life, general obedience are seen as demonic oppression from a combination of sin and demonic influence • Obstacles are removed thru prayer, deliverance from demons, confession of sin • Linked to evangelism by the concept of driving out the demons before evangelism can occur (i.e., Frank Peretti’s fictional, “This Present Darkness” and “Piercing the Darkness”)

Spiritual Warfare Movement Assessed • Spiritual warfare metaphor has shifted to Spiritual combat techniques, where Christians seek more power over demons (concepts from Peretti) • Moreau and Hiebert have traced animistic thought invading charismatic discourses • A dualistic cosmology is appearing in warfare concepts • Ideas coming from Greco-mystery religions and Zoroastrian myths • Satanic Ritural Abuse (SRA) of the 80’s and 90’s gave exaggerated claims that are taken as historical. • Folkloric stories about the occult and demons are accepted as unquestioned facts.

Warfare Prayer • Ground-level spiritual warfare (GLSW): • Deliverance ministry where one is set free from demonic possession or oppression • Strategic-level Spiritual warfare (SLSW): • Battle territorial principalities controlling nations (or people groups) • Key to taking cities for God and planting churches • Daniel 10 – his prayers are hindered by a principality called the prince of the Persian kingdom (10:13) – not a person but a territorial spirit who controls the Persian kingdom • God displaces the spirit (v. 20) and another principality, “prince of Greece” comes in his place • The change in the spiritual realm brings change in the natural realm • Ezek 28:1-19 focus on nation of Tyre. • Natural leader, ruler of Tyre, v. 1-10. • Principality called the king of Tyre (v. 11-19) – identified as Satan

Warfare Prayer • Satanic tactics revealed in Gen 3: Seductive ideas to disobey as in 1 Samuel 24:1 (1 Chr 21:1) when David numbered Israel • Satan’s destructive aim is limited by God in Job 1-2: natural events controlled by Satan • Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes would see the “horses and chariots of fire” protecting him from Syria’s army (2 Kings 6:15-19)

Territorial Spirits • A pagan concept that holds certain spirits rule over a geographic area. Promoted by, among others, adherents of Kingdom Now theology. This includes Peter Wagner), many of whose ideas on Spiritual warfare are extra-Biblical or un-Biblical • Some Christians accept the notion of 'territorial spirits' as readily as pagans, the only difference being that they believe that such 'spirits' should be confronted through authoritative prayer and commands issued 'in the Spirit'. Territorial Spirits by Charles Hoole • These are supposedly revealed through the gifts of Words of Wisdom and Discerning of Spirits

Territorial Spirits • Peter Wagner, head of Global Harvest Ministries in Colorado Springs, Colo., is in the vanguard of the movement. He defines three levels of spiritual warfare: • "Ground-level" involves casting demons out of individuals; • “Occult-level warfare" involves more organized "powers of darkness" [They target at this level New Age thought, Tibetan Buddhism, Freemasonry, etc.] • “Strategic-level warfare" directly "confronts 'territorial spirits' assigned by Satan to coordinate activities over a geographical area."

Spiritual Mapping • The heart of SLSW, COINED BY George Otis in 1990 as a way of “superimposing our understanding of forces and events in the spiritual domain onto places and circumstances in the material world.” • Intercessors groups and prophetic groups in the majority church are enlisting believers to: • Identify spiritual strongholds (sins, injustices and sin patterns) in areas of the country through “Holy Spirit led research” (The Observatory) – this becomes very occultic and animistic • Prayer walk those areas and pray that those strongholds be broken • Release spiritual blessings through so called prophetic acts • This determines the specific geographical boundaries that particular demons have power over and control. These are overlaid over maps

Spiritual Mapping: Specific ObjectivesPeter Wagner, 1993 • To enter into spiritual warfare with the purpose of fighting spirituality for our nation until we are victorious • To do spiritual mapping that enables us to know so far as possible the enemy’s plans, strategies and plots… • Spiritual victory will result in affecting the nation through revival, reform and social justice, all of which are caused by the free moving of the Holy Spirit in the country

Spiritual warfare/mappingDawson, 1989 • Procedure: • Define each territory with precision • Assign a team and leaders to each territory • Do spiritual mapping • Discern the enemy’s situation over the assigned territory • Disseminate the information needed for spiritual warfare • Five-step spiritual warfare practice: • Worship • Waiting on the Lord for insight • Identifying the sins of the city • Overcoming evil with good • Travailing until birth

Aberrations of the Spiritual Warfare Movement • Movements like the “Toronto Blessing” and “Pensacola Outpouring” have resurrected, repackaged and reintroduced the heretical doctrines. • The Word-Faith movement is permeated with these teachings. • While talking about renewal and revival, so-called "apostles" and "prophets" like Paul Cain, Bob Jones, and Rick Joyner actually lead unsuspecting Christians back into these old heresies. • Theonomists and reconstructionists are actively promoting the ideas exposed here. Some are working hard at trying to make North-America the testing ground for a militant form of "Christianity"

Kingdom Now Theology • Holds that Jesus can not return unless and until "the Church" subdues and rules the earth. • Kingdom Now theology comes in various flavors, goes by a number of different names, and permeates several related movements. • Latter Rain Movement -- Identity Movement • Manifest Sons of God, -- Restoration Movement • Dominion Theology -- Reconstruction Movement • Five-Fold ministry. -- Shepherding/Discipleship • Kingdom Message --Positive Confession • Pat Robertson (CBN, Christian Broadcasting Network, 700-Club) is a major proponent of Kingdom Now theology. • Other proponents include Bill Hamon (and other so-called '‘prophets,'' Larry Lea, Thomas Reid, and many prominent leaders and teachers of today's controversial renewal and revival movements.

Spiritual Warfare Part 2Note: 1.260.000 web sites! 3For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ. NET2 Corinthians 10:3

Latter Rain Movement • Began in the 1940’s emphasized “imparting” spiritual gifts and building on present-day foundation of apostles and prophets. We can sum up the Latter Rain or Dominion teaching this way: • The Church must be restored and equipped to rule by the five-fold ministries (Eph 4:11) – Mike Bickle, Paul Cain prophets • It must come to perfection and complete visible UNITY. • Out of the purified church will come a spiritual elite corps, a Corporate Christ who possess the Spirit without measure • They will purge the earth of all wickedness and rebellion • They will judge the apostate Church • They will redeem all creation, and restore the earth • They will eventually overcome death itself in a counterfeit of the Rapture • The Church will thus inherit the earth, and rule over it from the Throne of Christ.

Manifest Sons of God Movement • This teaching is part of what is known as 'dominion theology' which teaches that an elite army of 'overcomers' will either destroy or subdue all the enemies of Christ until they eventually gain power and authority throughout the world. • The government of the nations will be upon their shoulders and when all the secular authorities, governments, princes and kings have finally submitted to them, Christ will return and they will present the kingdom to him. • Source: Clifford Hill, "Prophecy Today," Vol. 7, No. 1 Eng., as cited in "Joel's Army," 1991, Jewel van der Merwe, Discernment Min.

Manifest Sons of God Movement • The teaching that in the last days, a "new breed" of Christians will arise - the "Manifest Sons of God" - who will have super-natural spiritual power and be instrumental in subduing the earth. This movement is also referred to as "Joel's Army." • It is claimed that these people will be perfected into their "glorified bodies" prior to Christ's return. That perfection will allow them to subdue the earth for Jesus. • Proponents of this doctrine also claim Christians, having a "divine nature," become "gods." They say Christ came into us as a "seed" and grows into a "prophet." • Thus Christ does not physically return, but returns within us. The rapture, according to this doctrine, will be of the wicked - not of believers.

Manifest Sons of God Movement • The doctrine also includes the idea that Jesus was sent as a "pattern" for the corporate church (Corporate church in this context means that the church becomes Christ. Christ is considered not complete without us because he is the head and we are the body). • The current church, according this this view, has the "spirit of the anti-Christ." • This teaching is akin to gnosticism • This teaching is promoted in some of today's controversial Renewal and Revival Movements (e.g. by Paul Cain).

Manifest Sons of God Movement • Gnostic aspect of “Manifest Sons of God” movement seen in four ways: • Claim to perfection is through progressive revelation beyond the Scriptures • Written Word of God held in low esteem and experiential knowledge very high • Word of God is perceived as a symbolic book • Claim that the “god-man” dwells in every member and is waiting to be discovered and manifest by the believers.

Absurd teachings of the Manifest Sons • Sam Fife, one of original “apostles” of Manifest Sons, claimed to be “I AM” • First Premise: both OT and NT have a literal meaning, then a spirit meaning – all of the spirit mysteries of the Word are not yet revealed (progressive revelation) • Second, the Bible is not the final authority for Truth, but the “spirit” is final authority, then the “witness of the corporate ministry” • Whatever the corporate spirit in them leads them to do, even without Scriptural support, they must do. • Since Jesus went into oblivion, and does not exist as an individual entity apart from his spiritual body (the Church), that we should not expect to see him come again at the second advent. – Rather the “Lord’s coming” refers to the appearing of Christ IN a group of people, God’s elect.

Joel’s Army (New Breed) • Joel 2:10“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble” – the End-time Army • Vineyard Ministries’“prophets” declare that the army is to execute judgment and dominion throughout the Earth through the Spirit fulfilling Joel 2:28 – this is the “new thing” God is doing • Greatest revival the church has ever known • Greatest baptism of the Spirit • Greatest Army (Joel’s Army) – invincible, immortal, divine • Greatest purging (inquisition) • Greatest ministry (Prize of the Ages) • Greatest miracles, supernatural signs and wonders beyond what the Apostles and prophets of old ever did

War Cries and Terminology • A manifestation practiced by some adherents of certain renewal and revival movements, particularly the Toronto Blessing Movement. Said to be useful in spiritual warfare. Nowadays it is often accompanied by the “Warrior Anointing.” • War themes and war terminology play an important role in the Toronto Blessing Movement. People often claim to have prophecies, dreams or visions about the American civil war • Rick Joyner has prophesied there will be a civil war among Christians - on one side those who go along with is seen as "the current move of God", and on the other side those who oppose it. • The movie "Braveheart" has been embraced by many within the Toronto Blessing Movement as illustrative of the spiritual warfare they feel called to.

Warrior Anointing • Taught and promoted by John and Carol Arnott, pastors of the Toronto Christian Fellowship. The Warrior Anointing was introduced after Carol Arnott prophesied about a "Golden Sword". • The anointing is said to ... bring "deliverance from your enemies." The visible effects of receiving this "anointing" include roaring, shouting and grasping the hands above the head, then swinging them up and down as if one was actually holding a sword and attacking an enemy. • The term is used to describe someone who is said to have a special measure of spiritual power and authority. In their theology, the anointing is ever-increasing as long as one yields to God (and goes along with what is seen as "the current move of God").

John Wimber on End-time Army “The opportunity of joining the “new breed,” an elite group of believers endowed with supernatural power that would enable them to be part of the army of “dead warriors” that God was said to be raising up in our generation. According to John Wimber this is a type of “Joel’s Army” who will overcome all opposition to the gospel and eventually subdue the nations. This teaching is part of what is known as “dominion theology” which teaches that an elite army of “overcomers” will either destroy or subdue all the enemies of Christ until they eventually gain power and authority throughout the world. The government of the nations will be upon their shoulders and when all the secular authorities, governments, princes and kings have finally submitted to them, Christ will return and they will present the kingdom to him.” (Prophecy Today, vol 7, No. 1, England, )

Dominion Theology • Satan usurped man’s dominion over the earth through the temptation of Adam and Eve • The Church is God instrument to take dominion back from Satan • Jesus connot or will not return until the Church has taken dominion by gaining control of the earth’s governmental and social institutions– some say, complete eradication of all disease (Winter).

Eye witness account • Subject: "New" Manifestation from Toronto Date: Wed, 23 Jul 97 08:16:38 PDT I attended a "revival" meeting last night at Lake Boren Christian Center A/G near Renton, WA (near Seattle) where John Arnott was the featured speaker. Lake Boren, also known as the Seattle Revival Center, has become "Toronto Northwest." At this meeting Arnott introduced a "new anointing" he calls the "Sword of the Lord." With this "anointing" comes a "new boldness, a new power." He also called it the "Warrior Anointing." It promises to bring "deliverance from your enemies." The visible effects of receiving this "anointing" include roaring, shouting and grasping the hands above the head, then swinging them up and down as if one was actually holding a sword and attacking an enemy. Arnott cautioned the crowd not to "take the sword if you have any "secret sin because that sword may turn on you." After explaining all this, most of the 600+ people attending lined up to receive this new "anointing" from John Arnott as he grabbed upraised hands and said, "Receive the sword." With this "anointed" touch most of the people fell down and began moving their arms back and forth (as described earlier) while on the floor. Some stood and repeated this same movement.

Eye witness account • One man I observed actually hit a woman in the side with his "sword." There were many other "manifestations" occurring throughout the service which I had heard about but had never seen first hand until last night. I hope this isn't the future of the A/G. It is interesting to me that, without exception, the leaders and "seekers" at both Toronto and Brownsville have indicated that they "don't understand" everything that goes on but just accept it as coming from God. It seems to me that what you "don't understand" CAN hurt you! If you happened to see people jumping into a river (to use their term) and then coming out jerking, falling down, roaring, shaking, unconscious, bowing, barking, blowing, looking drunk and disoriented, acting like they are attacking an unseen enemy, you would want to know what is in the water that causes them to act in such a manner. It could be a toxic chemical that at first causes euphoria, then later brings paralysis or insanity. What I saw last night was a disgrace to the cause of Christ. I trust that the Lord will somehow lead these people to His Truth that is untainted the toxins of mis-understanding.. Dan Van Hoy vanhoy1@integrityol.com

The Networking Church of the emerging apostolic movement • This New Apostolic paradigm shift is called the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) from the Five-Fold Ministry structure (Eph 4:11) • It is about changing the governance structure of the global church • These super warrior-apostles or prophets claim to possess supernatural powers and authority who are to “uproot, tear down, destroy, turn upside down, build and to plant” • It is not based on Scripture, but on the RHEMA word. (Note: they teach that the Bible is not the absolute authority for truth, but that believers must follow their spirit rather than their mind and subjectively determine truth: if you feel a “deep peace, and unexplainable joy and a sensation of love and rejoicing… This sensation is the confirmation that the Spirit is bearing witness with our spirit that all is in order…” (Bill Hamon, in Torres, p. 94) • but on General Systems Theory, a networking theory with roots in the occult! • Peter Wagner is key publicity to movement • Hector Torres in his book, The Restoration of the Apostles and Prophets, describes the apostles • “Extraordinary authority in spiritual matters” • He rules over pastors and leaders and “makes demands that seem autocratic, but they are accepted willingly by the Christians, as they recognize his gift and the authority that goes with him” • “Apostles are the spiritual architects as they establish the foundations upon which God can build His Church” (p. 117) • “The apostolic anointing will keep the Church on the cutting edge … spiritual frontiers … They are sent to new regions geographically as well as spiritually. They expand our spiritual horizons and release us from spiritual boundaries and limitations of tradition and past experience” (p. 127)

Apostolic Movement • Torres writes, “Apostles and apostolic people will be people of warfare…” (p. 135), but who is the enemy? • “Those who insist on denying the ministries of the apostle and prophet…” (p. 121), these are called false apostles and prophets. • These demonic strongholds have “fortified themselves in every region of the world to resist the advancement of the Kingdom… Apostles have the ability to confront and pull down these strongholds.” (pp. 135-6) What are they? • “Strongholds are the mind-sets of people in a particular territory. These mind-sets are fortified places that keep out truth and hold in lies … Spiritual warfare involves demolishing these mind-sets…” • These are anyone who opposes the new “truths” and “revelations” of the super-apostles • “The Church needs apostles to help set it in order. They help organize and mobilize the believers into an army … Apostles have the ability as generals and commanders to mobilize the saints for war … Apostles are given the rank and authority to do this.” (pp. 143) • “As an officer in the Church, the apostle is also an executive. He is a person who executes power in the Church. In other words he has the power and authority to execute the plans and purposes of God. …The purposes of God will not be fulfilled or carried out without the apostolic ministry being restored to the Church.” (pp. 145-6).

Holy War – World Prayer Center armed with technology and faith • Source: Dallas Morning News, Sep 17, 1998 The people at the World Prayer Center describe their sleek new building as a base for waging spiritual warfare. They aren't exaggerating by much. • They've got prayer warriors battling Satan. They've got a combat plan for saving souls. They've got a situation room full of data and computers. They've even got a director who sounds like a general. • "Missionaries are the ground troops," says the Rev. Joseph Thompson, director of the World Prayer Center, a new $5.5 million building endorsed by an array of evangelical groups. "Prayer is the air war in our battle." • The World Prayer Center, officially opening this weekend, is expected to become the nerve center of an emerging worldwide evangelical prayer movement. Using phone, fax and Internet, evangelicals are trying to link 50 million Christians in 120 nations in targeted prayer. • The prayer center will have a bookstore devoted to spiritual warfare. And it will include an office for "spiritual mapping," a method of tracking names, income levels, racial and ethnic makeup and other demographic information about cities and regions of the country. • "It's a kind of spiritual technology," said Margaret Poloma, a religion sociologist who studies prayer at the University of Akron. "Americans are great at pulling things together into programs and using technology, and that's what this represents."

Church-based training in Kingdom Theology • International School of Ministry (ISOM) • Good Shepherd Ministries International (ISOM) – in 10,000 locations, 141 nations in 60 languages!