Our Eternal Adventure Chapter 8
With A Little Help From My Friends
One of the iconic musical performances of all time occurred at the Woodstock Concert in the summer of 1969. This weekend event on Max Yasger’s farm in rural upstate New York was a defining moment in Pop Culture for that era. The documentary film captured the performances by The Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Santana and others, and set a moral tone for my generation.
A late add-on to the show which performed Saturday afternoon was Joe Cocker and the Grease Band. According to my dear friend and co-worker Tom Keogh, an eyewitness sitting 50 feet from the stage, this relatively unknown singer from England gave a most noteworthy performance of a Beatle’s song from the Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. As Joe introduced it, it was the song ‘With A Little Help From Me Friends’.
Ringo Starr made this song famous on the Beatles album as he asks ‘What would you think if I sing out of tune would you stand up and walk out on me’. In spite of his off key singing, ‘he gets by with a little help from his friends, gets high with a little help from my friends and gonna try with a little help from my friends.
This song declares a significant principle found in Acts 12:
Principle: In the Body of Christ, we get by with a little help from our friends.
Which friends? Why do we need their help? Who are their adversaries?
Acts Chapter 12;
About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he arrested Peter during the Passover celebration and imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod’s intention was to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. Acts 12:1-5
As Chapter 12 opens, Jesus’ intimate friend James, one of the famous “Sons of Thunder”, is arrested by King Herod, and executed. What???
How could this happen to one who was so close to Jesus? Why would Jesus allow one in his inner circle to die prematurely? Doesn’t this go against an often-preached doctrine that when you receive Jesus as your Lord, then Life becomes a series of blessings, one after another after another after another?
Biblically, we see that this is not the case. In fact, the Bible describes much suffering in the lives of those First Century believers, even death at the hands of the religious and civil authorities. First it was Jesus himself, brutally beaten and killed in a most horrible manner- death by asphyxiation on a cross, then Stephen by stoning, and now James, killed with a sword. Over the past two millennium there have been hundreds of thousands who have been martyred for their faith.
It only makes sense if we understand that this life is only the first step in our eternal life. Jesus is active now, and has been in the 2000 years since his own death on the cross. Death is only the end of this life and the beginning of the next. Every believer over these years who is not living now on Earth is presently with Jesus. Listen to this ‘conflict of interest’ that is affecting Paul:
For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, but it is better for you that I live. Phil 1:21-23
It is clearly a Biblical Principle: When we take our last breath here on Planet Earth, our next conscious thought will be in the presence of Jesus Himself.
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. Acts 12:5
Prayer is an important element of our spiritual lives. It is the essential communication with our Heavenly Father that must become part of our daily activity if we are to be effective in the purposes of God in our lives. It is a mysterious activity that involves listening to God, and responding to the things He is telling us. God places His desires in our heart, and then askes us to partner with Him to see those desires fulfilled.
Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalms 37:3-5
Cultivating an intimate relationship with God through faithful obedience and enjoyment of His presence results in a transformation of our desires and goals in this life. Prayer is aligning ourselves with God, and asking Him to accomplish what He will in our life. If we commit our ways and our prayers to the Lord with faith in Him, then those things He wills and we then desire, He says He will do them!
Notice what Jesus says about prayer:
But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Matthew 6:6-8
Not if, but “when your pray.” Prayer is considered a normal and necessary part of our relationship with God.
It is unfathomable reality- God desires us to partner with Him in His plans and purposes for mankind on Earth. In this case, the disciples were asking God to release Peter from jail. This he apparently laid on their hearts to ask, as He has a plan to miraculously do just that!
Luke continues the story:
The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, chained between two soldiers, with others standing guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter.
The angel tapped him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.
So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was really happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate to the street, and this opened to them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.
Peter finally realized what had happened. “It’s really true!” he said to himself. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jews were hoping to do to me!” Acts 12:6-11
Peter is arrested and taken to jail and immediately the other disciples begin faith-filled fervent prayer for Peter’s release.
Peter is released, with a little help from a friend – an angel.
Who are these angels? What do they do? Why is this story included in our First Century Ministry Manual?
Obviously our knowledge of these beings are important to our lives here on Earth.
The reality of angels is confirmed in thirty-four different books of the Bible. Paul had a great sense of angelic beings from his own walk as he talked about visiting the third heaven where he saw things that he couldn’t relate in his writings (2 Cor 12:3-4). Later, he advised the early believers in Jesus to be careful about the way that we are behaving in the church because of the angels (1 Cor 4:9). To the church in Corinth, he said that a woman there should have her head covered “because of the angels” who were obviously watching (1 Cor. 11:11).
The Bible relates that there are different kinds of angels. There are cherubim that guard the holiness of God and seraphim that are always before the throne crying “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Is. 6:3). Then there are archangels. We have the naming of Michael in Jude 9 and Daniel 10 as an archangel. There are also angelos, the messenger angels. This is the infantry-troop-type of angel doing work: sometimes bearing messages, sometimes creating disturbances, or maneuvering behind the scenes. As the writer of Hebrews said:
Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. Hebrews 1:14
It is very important to understand the nature of these very important players in the spiritual world. Whether you realize it or not, we are interacting with them - the ‘good’ angels and the ‘fallen’ ones - on a regular basis in our ministry and personal lives. There is a lot of popular mythology about angels and demons which is set clear by the Bible’s description of these created beings.
Angels are not gods, because the Lord created them:
Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being. Psalm 148:2-5
They are invisible to man until they want to be seen.
Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam fell face down on the ground before him. Numbers 22:31
Angels are not robotic, computer-like creatures but rather have emotions:
“In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10
They are not all knowing and rather curious about mankind:
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven¾things into which angels long to look. 1 Peter 1:12
These Angelic Beings are around us as we walk through our days, and sometimes we sense their presence. John the Baptist’s father, Zacharias, had an interesting encounter with and angel while he was serving in the temple. Gabriel came to deliver the message that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son, despite their old age. Even though he had prayed for years for a child, Zacharias still could not believe his ears! The entire account is in Luke 1:5-25.
The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” Luke 1:19-20
From this passage of Scripture we can see that angels can move freely through space and time and can alter human physiology. Have you ever had a sudden ailment, or one suddenly healed?
Angels also serve us as “lifeguards”:
For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear him, and he rescues them. Psalm 34:7
This is what happened to Peter as he sat in the jail. An angel arrived and rescued him!
Angels are used to provide for God’s people. We see a great example of this in the life of Elijah:
Then he (Elijah) lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and saw some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. 1 Kings 19:5-6
Angels also act as guides:
As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Acts 8:26
How many angels are there? According to Jesus, there are at least twelve legions (there are 4,500 to 6,000 troops in a Roman legion!).
“Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:53
There are three angels mentioned by name in the Bible (kjv): Gabriel, Michael, and Lucifer. It seems that one of these chief angels, Lucifer, decided that he was worthy of the praise and worship that God received. That’s when the problems began. Ezekiel describes what happened:
“You were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone. . . . I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you.” Ezekiel 28:12-15
There is not a lot in the Bible that elaborates on this subject; however, if you piece three Biblical passages together, you get a pretty good idea of how it all happened: this one from Ezekiel 28, Revelation 12 and Isaiah 14.
Lucifer became known as the adversary, or in Hebrew, satan. At one time in his existence, Satan was the worship leader of the heavenly host of angels. What was Satan’s specific sin? Isaiah tells us that it was pride. The entire account is in Isaiah 14:12-17.
For you said to yourself, “I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.” Isaiah 14:13
Once Satan felt that he was as worthy as the Lord was for honor and praise, he led a rebellion against God, and a third of the angels joined him.
Suddenly, I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. His tail dragged down one-third of the stars, which he threw to the earth. Revelation 12:3-4
Michael and the other angels fought against the rebels and forced them out of heaven and onto the earth.
Then there was war in heaven. Michael and the angels under his command fought the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle and was forced out of heaven. This great dragon¾the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world¾was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Revelation 12: 7-9
‘Thrown down to Earth’? In the early 80’s, Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irvin came to Maui to speak to at a Christian Men’s Meeting on two occasions. Jim was known as the first man to quote Scripture on the Moon (Psalm 121:1-2). He told us that during those four days he was on the Moon driving around the Lunar Rover collecting rocks, he felt the absence of evil. When I asked him latter to explain that comment, he said that it wasn’t just the fact of being in the Moon’s gravity field and atmosphere, but rather in his spirit, he strongly sensed “there is no evil here”.
What an interesting comment! Very few people have had to opportunity to travel away from planet Earth to the Moon; fewer were spirit-filled believers when they traveled there. Are the demons indeed confined only to this planet? Here’s an extraordinary witness!
Now, Satan and his fallen angels have a plan to wage war against the human race, especially the members of the body of Christ.
He stood before the woman as she was about to give birth to her child, ready to devour the baby as soon as it was born. . . .Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and he declared war against the rest of her children, all who keep God's commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus. Revelation 12:4,17
The Rio Coco Honduras / Nicaragua where the spiritual battle rages
This war is very real. One battle happened in the early years of our school project at our home in La Ceiba Honduras, during a meeting of our ministry team. There was a lot of unusual spiritual activity. Many of us were having dreams where demonic images were speaking to us. One evening, I half awoke, feeling a presence hovering over our bed. A bony finger reached out from a dark form and touched me on my right shoulder near the collarbone. I knew that when I awoke, I would have pain there. Sure enough, the next morning, I did. The pain persisted for three weeks, during which time we traveled to Florida. One night I had my family pray for this pain. As they prayed, I had the sensation of a needle being withdrawn from my shoulder. I knew the pain would now disappear. The next morning, I awoke with the pain gone.
Jesus gave us a great description of these fallen angels and how they operate in Matthew 12:43-45. It is worth taking a few minutes to study and draw tactical information out of this passage:
“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and clean. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.” Matthew 12:43-45
From this passage we can see that demons (evil spirits) exist inside and outside of humans; They travel and make decisions; They have individual identities and can remember and make plans; Finally they can unite in battle with others and vary in degrees of wickedness.
Have you had any experiences where you have been under demonic attack? Do you know others who have been influenced by the adversary? During conversations with a friend or someone you just met is there a moment where you realize that your words are hitting a stone wall? That’s because Satan has the ability to keep someone from seeing the truth:
Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. 2 Corinthians 4:4
Have there been times in your life when you begin to think that something is okay to do, even though Scripture teaches it’s not? That’s because demons are experts at deception. They take a little truth and mix it with a big lie. It’s a deadly recipe! Paul told his friends in Corinth:
But I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent. You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 14
Have you found yourself in a situation where suddenly sinful behavior become habitual and has a power over you? That’s because demons set traps for us, so that we will be held captive through spiritual bondage to them.
Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:26
There will be temptations in this life for us to fall away from God’s truth and start believing our own feelings instead. When this happens, we must realize that we are coming under the influence of the evil one. Jesus himself said:
“For you are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
The battle is summed up in this simple but profound statement of Jesus:
“The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (Jesus speaking in John 10:10)
In this battle, being a member of the family of God is so important. When you have the power of the Holy Spirit inside, you can resist and be victorious in this spiritual battle! Here are a few encouraging reminders from the Word:
And don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil. Ephesians 4:26-27
We have the option of allowing Satan into our life by opening a “spiritual door” and literally inviting him in. How do we do this? By allowing our thoughts and emotions to be influenced by him. The Bible says to:
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
If we take all of our emotions and filter them through the Word of God, we will not allow the enemy to have a foothold in our lives. Invading armies need to establish a ‘beachhead’ or ‘foothold’ on enemy territory, so that they can build up their forces for the main attack. Likewise, Satan attempts to cause us to hold on to certain emotions (bitterness, lust, frustration, etc.) that naturally occur but are contrary to the character of God.
As we hold on to them, we literally give Satan a ‘legal right’ to have influence in our lives. That’s why the Bible says to “Watch over our hearts (emotions) with all diligence.” The emotion itself is not often the sin, it’s what you do with it. Holding on to emotions that don’t fall into the category of ‘love’ and ‘others-centeredness’ are usually beachheads for Satan to later mount a major attack.
My father, Sergeant Forrest Bagby, was involved in taking a few beach heads during World War II as a member of the famous 2nd Armored Division, known as ‘Hell On Wheels’. The first one was in Morocco in November of 1942 near Casablanca. Next was Sicily in July 1943. The final beachhead assault happened in June of 1944, when ‘Hell On Wheels’ came ashore at Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion. The first few days were spent securing a small foothold along the coast. Over the next few weeks, many tons of supplies and many more soldiers came ashore. Slowly the Allied Armies advanced against the German Wehrmacht. Finally, a breakthrough occurred in August, and soon Forrest and his buddies were on the outskirts of Paris. Eleven months later, July 1945, Forrest and the rest of the Second Armored Division rolled into the German capital Berlin, the first Americans to arrive there.
How did the Americans defeat the might of the German Army and capture the entire country? By first taking the Moroccan, Sicilian and Normandy beachheads.
Our thoughts are another potential foothold. We are constantly bombarded by thoughts from ourselves, from the world, from Satan and his demonic cohorts. My friend Dr Randall Smith often talks about this during our trips to Israel. Usually this discussion takes place at a 12th century Crusader castle just north of Caesarea Maritima. Listen in as Randy gives us a insightful illustration:
Dr Randy Smith, Caesarea Israel, 2023
The 12th Century Crusader Castle with moat and glacee.
“In 2 Corinthians, chapter 10, there is a fabulous image of the battle to take a human heart and to conquer our own thoughts and beliefs. We have a very interesting second-century Roman document about the collapse of a city fortress wall. It is not an interesting document until you look with the eyes of trying to figure out the strategy of what is happening.
“There are four steps in which you take an ancient city. These mounted, walled garrison cities have a glacis, or an angled wall, at the base of the vertical wall. This is about a thirty-degree angled slope that prevents a battering ram of doing its job effectively by deflecting the force¾it will glance off. The glacis also prevents attackers from having a firm level ground to try to climb up and over the wall¾usually this slope is slippery (from oil), and it makes ground attack more difficult.
“The only way to take a city like this was to bring in shielded men called sappers who would crawl into the sewer pits, the drains at the base of the wall, and take out a section of the wall from below. The problem is that if you are a sapper and are good at your job, you only get to do this once, because the wall usually collapses on top of you.
“When the wall collapses, the second team comes in. They are called the casters. They cast away the bodies of the sappers, and, of course, the stones of the fallen section of the wall, allowing the third group, the infantry, to pour through the breach in the wall. They will begin to take each section of the city, block by block, in a sustained attacked.
“Finally, just in time to take credit for the battle, you have the fourth element, the captains, who come in and put up two poles. There is a pole¾a gallows¾set up for the execution of everyone who will not get with the program, and then a flagpole allows the captives to pledge their allegiance to the new regime.
“Paul picks up on this illustration and uses it with the people of Corinth who are familiar with warfare because they have been soldiers and naval officers. He says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. . . .
“We are the sappers at the bottom of the wall, pulling down these weighty things that have imprisoned us for so long. It seems that, like the sappers, we will die in the process. The reality is you won’t die doing this¾you may feel like you are dying, and there is a spiritual sense that you are dying to yourself, but your physical body will live.
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. . . .
“Now we are like the casters, removing all the plans and strategies that exalt ourselves.
bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. . . .
As the infantry moves in and takes control of each part of the city, we allow God to move into each room of our lives and take control. Finally,
and being ready to punish all disobedience . . .
“The captains bring in the flag and gallows, and everything is placed in order.
“You have a great warfare analogy for a simple conclusion. It is a big grandiose picture to produce one point, which is: How is the life of the believer lived?
One thought at a time.
Go into the base of yourself and remove all the garbage and thoughts of self-importance. The heart of God is an “other-persons centeredness,” which is what He called on the angelic being to be and is exactly what He calls on the believer to be. Dr Randy Smith, Living In The Spiritual World
Randy's favorite car- an original Fiat 500. Amalfi Coast Italia 2007
It is often said that the battleground is the mind. We must analyze every thought to determine its origin and how it lines up with the thoughts and character of God. Things that fall outside the category of ‘from or like God’ are red flags and need to be handled with extreme caution. Thoughts that fall into the category of ‘from the devil’ or overly ‘self-oriented’ should be flushed out. In this way, we will keep the enemy from establishing those footholds that he needs to attack us. Next:
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7
There are two specific steps that James gives us in our spiritual battles.
First, he says to submit, or bring everything in our life under the authority of God. If we don’t, then we have an open ‘spiritual door’ that invites the enemy into our lives. We must bring all those secret sins and areas of disobedience under the authority of our Lord. After all, if He is Lord, then that is our appropriate response.
Once all the doors are closed, then we must resist, or fight against, the thoughts and temptations that the enemy is trying to snare us with.
One good technique when you have a thought that is out of line with God’s thinking or a temptation to do something that you know is not good for you is to quote a Scripture verse that tells the devil who you are (in the spiritual realm) and remind him that he doesn’t have any right to attack you. Keep it up. Jesus had to do that three times in His temptation in the wilderness.
Another technique is to begin praying for someone or something when you are being attacked or tempted. Satan doesn’t like to do things to us that cause us to pray.
Singing praise and worship songs is another effective tactic in your spiritual battles. Not only is your faith affirmed but also there was a reason why God told Joshua to send seven priests blowing ram’s horns to lead Israel’s army as they marched around Jericho.
As we resist the devil in these and other methods, the Bible says that he will flee from us. Many quote this verse as “Resist the devil and he will flee.” That won’t happen without submitting all areas of our life to the Lord and closing all the spiritual doors.
Peter, who experienced many attacks from Satan, gives us a similar strategy:
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that Christians all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:6-9
Peter addresses two potential ways that Satan could pull us away from God in this passage.
First there is the big sin- pride. Pride is not needing God in your life, not submitting all areas to Him. Pride is indeed a bright, bold neon sign inviting the enemy to come into your life!
Fear is another manner for Satan to moves us away from God and his presence. Are you believing God and His promises to you, or are you ignoring them and buying into lies the enemy is telling you? Fear is disbelief.
Not believing God is calling Him a liar. That is sin and a big handle to pull you away from God! That’s why Peter says to give all your worries and cares to God.
Principle: Eliminate pride and fear from your life, and you become an effective spiritual warrior.
Here’s something important to remember:
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Matthew 10:1
Jesus has given His disciples authority over the rebellious angels.
Authority is defined by Websters New World Dictionary as “the power or right to give commands, enforce obedience, take actions, or make final decisions.” When Jesus’ disciples exercised this authority in their ministry, Luke reports that:
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20
As a pilot in the United States Navy, I was given authority by President Gerald Ford and later President Jimmy Carter (via the chain of command) to enforce the laws and policies of the United States in my role as a carrier attack pilot flying an A-6 Intruder, defending the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This meant I could use any of a variety of missiles, rockets, bombs, and even nuclear weapons to carry out United States laws and policies when ordered by my squadron commander.
Using the authority was a different matter. Even though I may have the orders from above to use it, I always had the ultimate choice whether I would use that authority. It took a conscious decision and action on our part to press the bomb release button on the stick or pull the trigger. In spiritual matters, it is the same.
Principle: When you realize you are in a spiritual battle, showing your ‘badge of authority’ is the first step in seeing the enemy back off.
Sometimes, for whatever reason, we don’t do that and try to deal with the situation through our own strength and resources. This is a formula for protracted struggle and ultimate defeat.
The disciples Jesus sent out saw results, and Jesus cautioned them to remember the reality¾it all comes from Him. Without His authority, we are nothing. With that authority and with Him, we are formidable in spiritual battles.
Just as this authority is relationship-oriented, so is the “armor of God,” which Paul describes in Ephesians 6:
Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor (or breastplate) of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. Ephesians 6:10-18
When you read Paul’s description of the armor of God, notice that all the pieces¾the belt of God’s truth, the breastplate of His righteousness, the helmet of salvation bought by Him, the shoes of God’s peace, a shield of faith in God’s promises, and the sword of God’s Word¾all rely on our relationship with Him. It has nothing to do with ourselves; it all comes down from Him.
This spiritual armor is the defense that a close and obedient relationship with God gives you.
- Believing His truth vs. Satan’s lies;
- knowing your relationship as an adopted son or daughter of God Himself, right standing before Him, and the legal rights that go along with that relationship;
- your willingness to share the good news of this relationship;
- your faith in God to protect you; and
- your knowledge that you have eternal life with Him no matter what may happen here in this life;
This is the defensive armor that God offers us.
But there are offensive weapons as well. The ‘sword’ in the spiritual realm is God’s Word—truth to apply to every situation where you feel yourself under spiritual attack; truth about your identity; truth about God’s promises to you; truth about the limited power of the evil one over you.
The other weapon He gives us is prayer—communion with Him. Prayer is our opportunity to align ourselves with God and His will and move with Him to accomplish His plan for our lives and for this world.
Principle: Truth and prayer are powerful dynamics in the spiritual realm.
It is obvious when reading about the lives and ministry of those First Century disciples, they had an acute awareness of spiritual warfare, and the nature of angels and demons. This is demonstrated by the reaction of Peter’s friends after he escapes from the jail.
After a little thought, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”
“You’re out of your mind,” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”
Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally went out and opened the door, they were amazed. He motioned for them to quiet down and told them what had happened and how the Lord had led him out of jail. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.
At dawn, there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while. Acts 12:1-19
“It must be his angel!” Were angelic encounters so common that they would conclude it was not Peter but his angel, and would not bother to go to the gate to see this angel?
Apparently, it was a common experience. If Luke’s readers doubted the existence of angels and the role they play in God’s Kingdom, he concludes this part of the story with another angelic encounter.
20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant, 21 and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. 22 The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”
23 Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. Acts 12:20-23
As Ringo Starr sang in the original version, and Joe Cocker at Woodstock, we all get by with help from our friends.
We Christians have powerful friends in high places. Remember they are there!
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