Spiritual Warfare

“You are the anointed Cherub that covers; and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you.”  Ezekiel 28:14-15

The Lord does things in threes.  He reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He created us as spirit, soul, and body.  He created three archangels: Michael (warrior), Gabriel (messenger), and Satan (worshipper, as the anointed Cherub).

“You have been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering… the workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was prepared in you in the day you were created.”  Ezekiel 28:13

Satan was created to be an “instrument” of worship.  Within him was the workmanship and capability of a powerful and mighty pipe organ.  He led all creation in the worship of God, but because of pride, he fell from this place of ministry and responsibility, and corrupted both man and the earth.  After deceiving Eve, the Lord appeared to Satan and said:

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  Genesis 3:15

I have asked, “Lord, why don’t you get rid of Satan?”  The Lord responded and said “I am not going to do this, as you are to do it; the seed of the woman is to bruise Satan’s head.”  That is, we, through Christ, are to defeat Satan and the fallen angels.

So then, how are we to do this?

“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.”  Ephesians 6:12

In wrestling, the winner is the one who has successfully weakened and displaced the strength of his opponent.  We are called to displace the strength of Satan by taking his place as a “worshipper” of our Lord.

Because Satan was created to worship before the throne, as he “walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire” in the presence of the manifested glory of God, we are also to be  “lifted” into “high praises” with the choirs of heaven, in which we experience an open heaven and the manifested glory of God.  As we approach the end-time, many are beginning to hear these choirs of heaven, as they sing with us.

“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.”  Psalm 149:6

With this “two-edged sword,” we are to “bruise his head” (render Satan helpless and unable to function) through our being lifted into a realm of “pure worship” that merges into the harmony of heaven.  This can be pictured as being like an airplane going through the sound barrier, which takes it into a new dimension of flight.

However, this “bruising of his head” has not been as effective as it should be.  This is because the necessary “harmony” is missing in much of the worship music today.  This heavenly harmony is a high level of unity in the Spirit, expressed in worship, which enables us to rise up into the heavens (our going through the sound barrier) so these fallen principalities can be “displaced.”  Many of our musical styles have prevented, or hindered this level of “harmony.”

As mentioned, the Lord does things in threes.  Man is made up of three parts, spirit, soul, and body.  Music also is made up of three parts, melody, harmony, and rhythm.  Melody corresponds to the spirit.  Harmony corresponds to the soul and aligns itself to melody, even as our souls must come into alignment with our spirits.  Rhythm corresponds to the body.

The Lord sang creation into existence, which involves a “melody.”  Job 38:7 speaks of the morning stars singing together at creation.  In other words, harmonizing or coming into alignment with the song of the Lord.  Revelation also speaks of this alignment when referring to “the voice of many waters,” or many speaking as one.

Many of today’s music styles place “rhythm” at the forefront.  Driving rhythms and worldly styles dominate our services.  The order of melody, harmony, and rhythm is reversed, and many times the melody is obscured.  It is difficult in this environment to bring forth the song of the Lord, or to harmonize with it.

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out in to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  Revelation 12:9

Jesus said:

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils (demons)….”  Matthew 10:8

Demons are disembodied spirits, probably from a pre-adamic creation that was totally destroyed, in which the earth “became without form and void.”  Jesus said that we are to cast these demons out of individuals, whom they have entered and possess.

Satan is an angel, a separate created being, who fell from his high calling.  One third of the angels joined with him, and also were cast out of heaven.  These cannot be cast out of an individual, as they were never within a person.  Instead, the Word tells us that we are to “wrestle” against these fallen principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world.

As we “wrestle” (worship), we weaken them by replacing their strength with our strength.  Because Satan led the worship of heaven, we displace his strength and power with our “worship.”  The more we worship, the greater the displacement.

During a meeting in our nation’s capitol, as we worshipped in a high level of harmony, we began to go through the earthly barrier into the heavenly realm.  Suddenly, there came an unusual witness that we were affecting the principalities that darken the heavens over Washington DC.  As we worshipped, these principalities, powers, and the rulers of darkness, began to go into disarray.

They could not stand this high level of “worship” in the harmony of heaven.  A flow of pure worship of the Lord will bring terror into their being, and they become weakened and lose their “ability to function.”

The heart of spiritual warfare is worship.  It is not our pronouncements, casting out, or our trying to command principalities, that will cleanse the heavens.  Rather, it is our worship that flows up and unites with the harmony of heaven that will defeat them.  When we come together in union, and enter into this high level of worship, we literally “bring down” principalities from their place of control.

Judicially, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.  However, experientially, we must come up into this place of spiritual authority, as the enemy is entrenched there.  Therefore, he has to be pushed out.  We can do this because we have the right to be there, not the enemy.

“To the intent that now to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”  Ephesians 3:10

Worship does enable us to better hear and respond to the Word.  But there is far more.  As we worship, we are becoming a worshipper.  It is through the worship of a “worshipper” that principalities are hindered and brought down.

When we begin to understand why we must move away from the beat of present day church music, and begin to worship in harmony, we will “become” a worshipper, and begin to displace Satan.

It is the sound of heavenly worship that will bring this release, the body of Christ coming into alignment with the Chief Musician and Head of the Church, Jesus Christ.  This “harmony” in the Spirit expressed in sound will displace the enemy.

“He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted and none hinders. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.  Yea, the fir trees rejoice at you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since you are laid down, no feller is come up against us.”  Isaiah 14:6-8

At this present time, the ability or opportunity, to worship in harmony is not available in many worship services.  Therefore, we have to push through, with determination, in order to truly worship.  Our part is to “wrestle” and displace Satan.

In order for our worship to become more effective against the enemy, we must sanctify and purify our lives.  As we do this, our worship will take on a higher authority and we will take from Satan the “ground” that he has usurped.

As a result, he will lose his hold on individuals, and nations.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the meek; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.”  Isaiah 61:1-3

As we worship, the Lord will begin to move, and much will be accomplished