"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," (Eph. 6:12).
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you," (Luke 10:19).
I believe we are living in the last days. Second Timothy, Chapter Three warns us that in these "last days perilous times shall come" (vs. 1). The chapter then goes on to describe what these times would be like and then verse twelve reveals "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution".
History tells us that, excluding Judas Iscariot who committed suicide, all the original apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ died as martyrs. We know that James, the brother of John and one who was in the inner circle of Jesus, was the first to be killed (Acts 12:2). The ruler of the darkness at that time was Herod and when he saw that the Jews were pleased with the death of James, he had Peter arrested and thrown into prison, meaning to kill him also.
Nevertheless, the church went into unceasing intercession on Peter's behalf and God supernaturally delivered him. What would have happened if the church had not prayed? What might have happened had the church prayed for James? We know that Peter was eventually crucified upside down, but the church had exercised power over the enemy's power to deliver Peter until he had fulfilled his number of days upon the earth.
Look at Luke 10:19 above. Jesus gives us power [exousia] over all the power [dunamis] of the enemy. The two words for power in the verse are not the same. The power that Jesus gives us is "the right or the authority or the strength to exercise jurisdiction" or His dominion, over all the miraculous power, strength, or violence of the enemy.
Some Christians teach that Satan has no power; but all you have to do is look at the world we're living in and you'll see his hand working upon all seven mountains of influence in society [religion, family, government, business, media, arts and entertainment, and education]. Jesus was manifested in order to "destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8). Read Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2. There is a Wicked one coming, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders," (vs. 9). Deception is coming upon all those who love not the truth. Increased persecution is at the door of every true Christian. Jesus tells us plainly in John 16:33b, "...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Prayer matters. Sometimes prayer can save a life. At other times it simply strengthens us enough to endure the suffering that is coming. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. He knew there was a bitter cup to drink; and even when He was victorious in prayer, He still had to drink the bitter cup. It was the hour and power of darkness that prayer prepared Him to face.
Don't stop praying or believing God, regardless as to how God chooses to answer your prayers. In these perilous times, many Christians will be thrown in jail or killed. Churches in various countries even now are being forced to close. I suggest to you that it's not necessarily a bad thing... as long as the people of God remain true to Him.
In Chuck Pierce's book, The Future War of the Church, he shares a vision God gave him of the traditional church structure. He saw the church becoming more and more rigid and controlled; God was calling people out of that structure and into a new one called My Kingdom Authority. The old structure began to look more like a prison than a church while the new structure was made totally of light and became more and more glorious as each person moved into it. The book was written in 2001 and he prophesied that over the next twelve years God would be establishing this new structure and once it was completed people would rapidly transfer into it. That timing brought us to the year 2013.
Are you sensing what God is doing? It's a time for the light to shine in this dark world like never before. The Body of Christ is coming together across denominational lines. God is breaking down the barriers that have divided His Church and He's making us one. Many home fellowships are being established as believers are learning to "exhort one another daily, while it is called Today..." (Heb. 3:13). The writer of Hebrews further admonishes us to not forsake "the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching," (Heb. 10:25).
Do you see the day approaching? What day is he referring to? Perhaps it is the day of the Lord. Unlike the days of creation when He brought forth new things, that Day is a day of destruction in which He "erases" all the things that went wrong... even the memory of it from our minds [Isa. 65:17; Rev. 7:17; 21:4]. Amos 5:20, "Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?" A time will come when the sun will be darkened, the moon and the stars of heaven will not give their light to the earth (Isa. 13:10). Because we are children of the light, that day is not supposed to overtake us as a thief (I Thess. 5:3-5). In the end, the power of darkness will be destroyed by the very brightness of Christ's coming ( 2 Thess. 2:8) and when the Lord establishes His eternal kingdom and the New Jerusalem, there will be no darkness there (Rev. 21:23; Rev. 22:5).
The signs of the times are manifesting on an earth that is travailing and awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God. Earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, erratic weather patterns, and what man has dubbed as "global warming" or "climate change". Indeed the earth will heat up [Luke 12:49; Acts 2:19; 2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 8:5,7]. These curses are the result of man's sin and rebellion against God; therefore no political power or scientific discovery can avert the judgment that is upon us; only repentance. Nevertheless, as the book of Revelation outlines for us, the more judgment comes to bring men to repentance, the more they will curse God and harden their hearts against him.
The beauty of this time is that clear distinctions are being made between sheep and goat, wheat and tare, light and darkness. It will be known to which kingdom each person belongs. The light will make everything manifest. Those who are sealed by God may suffer but they will stand strong. Revelation 13:7 speaks of the enemy being given the ability to "make war with the saints, and to overcome them...". Nevertheless, Jesus has told us not to fear them "which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell," (Matthew 10:28).
Jesus faced the hour and power of darkness and emerged victorious. He lives within us. We too shall triumph in the Lord. I encourage you to live for Him, not day by day, but moment by moment. Jesus saw a joy beyond the cross and it gave him strength to endure the suffering. Let's look beyond the darkness and recognize what awaits us on the other side!
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