Ministering: Pastor Seyi Osanyinbi
In the course of this teaching, we have considered warfare from different perspectives; individual, family, communities and in churches. From Genesis 3, we understand that Lucifer who had no right to operate on earth was offered access by the serpent by giving his faculties for use.
Today, he still looks for people who will accommodate him. When you see people misbehave, there are spirits responsible for their misbehaviour and those spirits should be fought/resisted using the weapons of light. In biblical history, every time Satan comes, he was using people; the Pharisees, Herod and others. In churches, he has ministers sent by him. Therefore, you should be careful what ministry you become a part of. Without discernment, you have no hope in these last days because we live in a time of war. War was declared the day Jesus rose from the dead and you joined His army (which has only one purpose) when you gave your life to Christ.
Our major priority in prayer and action should be how the kingdom of God will come. God has only one major objective, which is, His kingdom being built here on earth. The church does not exist for herself; our primary objective is to go to the nations and disciple them. We should replicate the Kingdom in the minds of people to make them do as written in Mark 16:16-18. The primary assignment of the pastor of the church is not to visit church members but to equip and train them for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12).
What is called eternal life is the knowledge of God that affect how you behave as you live your life here on earth. Usually, you should not punish an ignorant person but someone who knows and walks against the knowledge of truth deserves a punishment. The church, which is the body of Christ, is the means through which God will make His enemies His footstool. Either willingly or forcefully, the work of God will be completed but whether you will be a part of it is your choice (Revelation 10:7).
We have come to understand that the church is ground and pillar of truth and not where you are raised to be a billionaire. God is not interested in how many millionaires are made by these worldly-minded ministers. Likewise, you cannot and should not build a ministry of helping people fight the enemies in their lineage. Every Christian should be taught how to fight his battles and how he/she can help their brothers/sisters fight for each other. This does not mean deliverance ministry is not necessary. Take note of this, when you go for deliverance you do not go there to pray to God to deliver the oppressed but you go there to cast out devils.
Today, let us look at the operation of demons at the governmental level. The Bible has so many stories of the operation of devils in governments.
2Samuel 24:1; 1Chronicles 21:1
These texts narrate the same incident but from a different perspective. According to the narration in 2Samuel 24, God wanted to punish Israel and moved David against them to number Israel. However, in the Chronicles account, it was reported that it was the devil who moved David. To understand why this was so, it is not unlikely that David’s pride in the military prowess and successes of Israel could have made God let Satan attack David who provoked him to go against God’s clear instructions on why and how to conduct a census in Israel. Joab knew that David was wrong about numbering Israel because here David was doing it out of pride. By that act, God pulled away His protection over Israel. When a man is alone, demons are there to provoke his mind. But note that the angel who killed the people did not kill anyone of the household of David but innocent people of the nation.
1 Kings 21:25-29
Ahab was the only King that the Bible said that he sold himself to work wickedness. He gave Lucifer unhindered access to his life and his wife Jezebel encouraged him. Jezebel has been mostly mentioned in cases of indecency and seduction but note that Jezebel does not operate in whore houses but in government. Ahab practised illegitimate use of authority. With the help of his wife, Jezebel, Ahab took the vineyard of Naboth after getting him killed based on false testimonies. God pronounced judgement upon both of them but Ahab repented and God did not bring the evil in his days but he terminated his government. From the narratives from 1 Kings 22:23-28, we see three years go by before God began to execute His judgement against the house of Ahab. The discourse that took place in the courts of heaven showed how God permitted an evil spirit to go deceive him and get him to go to war against the Syrians without a genuine reason. The spirit became a lying spirit in the mouth of his false prophets whose spiritual occupation was to make money using their gifts in the king’s service.
Today many people prophesy out of the desire to satisfy their hunger (Philippians 3:18-19). Do not become a false prophet because of hunger. Get work to do and maintain your integrity in ministry. Ahab knew the other prophets were lying but did not tell them to stop. Matters of government are decided in the courtroom of heaven. Therefore, when we come to God when He is seated as a judge, we do not relate with Him as a father. If we do, that is an entrance by a wrong protocol.
Spirits are fighting us when they provoke governmental entities to do things that affect us. And usually, their children are not affected but you and I are the ones that will be affected by their bad decisions which often are caused by these wicked spirits. Therefore, we need to pray for the people in government if we will enjoy a quiet and peaceable life. The country is what it is today because the churches have not prayed as they should. Looking at all the problems involved in getting things done in the country, you will agree that everything is stacked up against us. Satan has pushed us out of peaceful and honest living (1Timothy 2:2). Therefore we must wage war against these enemies and fight them even at the governmental level.