Spiritual Warfare - Part 2 (Seeking After Spirits)

 

A look at what happens when humans interact with the "spirit realm".

~~ Watch the Video ~~

Worship Song

https://youtu.be/t2AyHa5bT70

God, Our Protector | Growing with God (wordpress.com)

Elohim means God and Shomri means Protector.

• David realized that God was his protector; his Elohim Shomri.
• During his time of hiding from Saul David penned the words of Psalm 31.

Outline:

• Introduction
• Traits of Wholeness
• Review Armor of God
• Review of Spirit Realm 1
• The Satan
• The Spirit Realm
• Jesus is Above All
• Thou Shalt Have No Other God
• Elohim Allowed Men to Worship Them
• Wierd Sex?
• Where Did Demons Come From?
• Seeking Spirits
• Melissa’s Testimony
• What The Bible Says About Seeking Spirits

Scriptures:

• 1 Samuel 15:22-23
• Ephesians 6: 10 - 18
• Revelations 12:3-5
• Genesis 1:1
• Job 1:6 - 7
• Colossians  1:15-18
• Exodus 20:3
• Psalms 86:8-10
• 1 Kings 11:33
• Deuteronomy 32:16-19
• 1 Cor 10:18-20
• Genesis 6:1-8
• Genesis 1:1-5
• Jude 1:6-7
• 2 Peter 2:4-7
• Deuteronomy 18:9-14
• Leviticus 19:31
• Exodus 22:18
• Leviticus 20:27

Introduction

1 Samuel 15:22-23 

22 Samuel said, “Does the LORD have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. 23 “For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as reprehensible as false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.”

• Obedience is better than sacrifice
• Divination
• False religion and Idolatry

What is divination?

divination

the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.

What is idolatry?

idolatry, in Judaism and Christianity, the worship of someone or something other than God as though it were God.

Elder Keith just did a sermon showing how some people worship their sports teams.  He said they can be idols.

Those aren’t the type of idols we’ll talk about today but…

Who is the greatest quarterback ever?

Story: Tom Brady

• won 7 of his 10 Super Bowls
• Won Super Bowl on multiple teams
• 10 of 14 conference championships
• won 3 NFL MVP awards
•  243-73 in his career in the regular season
• 35-12 in the playoffs

Why is he so good?

• He claims His wife is a witch
• Pregame Rituals with altars, necklaces, stones
• He believes it

Humans often want to turn to supernatural powers to get what they want.

The Israelites turned to other Gods.

Eve sought after knowledge to make her “like God”.

We’re going to talk about real idols today.

We’re going to talk about seeking from the supernatural.

Natural Isn’t Enough

We are always seeking ways to overcome our natural limitations.  We can turn to God.  The problem comes when we can’t get what we want from God, so we turn to other supernatural methods.

Today we’ll look at the biblical history of the problems that happen when we pursue  supernatural benefits other than God.

I’m pretty sure you’ll hear something today you’ve never heard before.

• It might get weird

Balancing

• Theology
• Church Traditions
• Bible

This is a practical series

Lunar eclipse

Traits of Wholeness

We are in our series called Seeking Wholeness

How can we be:

• Spiritually healthy
• Emotionally healthy
• Mentally healthy

Dealing with life’s current stresses and also being healed from experiences/wounds of the past

We’re not just supposed to have eternal life

• We’re supposed to have: joy, peace, patience, and self control here on earth

Learning not just what The Word instructs us to do, but learning how to implement it in our lives

Traits of Wholeness

• Authenticity
• Honesty
• Kindness
• Not seeking external approval / validation
• Living by values and principles
• Setting Boundaries
• Taking ownership of your responsibilities
• Living with purpose and passion
• Optimism
• Confidence
• Healthy relationships with others
• Not losing control of your emotions
• Free from addictions
• Addressing Conflict with truth and love
• Vulnerability
• Not critical or Judgemental
• Not jealous
• Genuinely applaud the success of others
• Forgive those who have wronged you in the past
• Know that you’re worthy of receiving love
• Not afraid to fail
• Able to manage irrational fear, worry, and anxiety
• Selfless encounters with others
• Not manipulating others trying to control their actions/reactions
• You care about how others feel
• Patient
• Don’t give into peer/social pressure
• Can communicate directly
• Don’t take responsibility for other people's emotions
• Take responsibility for your own emotions
• Slow to anger
• Ability to maturely express your wants, needs and desires
• Being led by the Spirit

We want to become aware of our issues and empowered to manage/fix them.

Review Armor of God

This is the primary way we fight spiritual warfare

Ephesians 6: 10 - 18^

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against [f]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18[h]With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the [k]saints

Belt of Truth

14Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

The Belt of Truth means that we should live a life of “truthfulness”.  

Breastplate of Righteousness

14Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

“Right relationship with God”

Live a morally righteous life

Right relationships

• God
• Others

Sandals of the Gospel of Peace

 15and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;

“Good news” of peace

The gospel of peace refers to the good news of the restoration that is available to humanity because of what Christ did on the cross and the empty tomb

My Identity in Christ

Shield of Faith

 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Faith:

• Your salvation
• In God’s protection (Elohim Shomri)
• God’s provision
• God’s love
• God’s word
• God’s promises

Helmet of Salvation

17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We have the hope of eternal life

My future | my destination

The helmet of salvation protects us against

• Discouragement
• The desire to give up

Knowing that we will be saved.

Sword of the Spirit

What is the Sword of the Spirit?

https://youtu.be/soqxsSOGva4

Our offensive weapon is hearing God (via the Holy Spirit) and obeying His commands.

Hearing from

• The bible
• The Holy Spirit
• Sermon
• Worship

The Sword of the Spirit is a “word in season”.  It is a specific communication from the Holy Spirit that you can use in your life.  Whether it’s conviction, direction, or revelation, it is a rhema word from God.  

The ability to “hear” and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit is the Sword of the Spirit that we need to defeat the devil.

Review of Spirit Realm 1

A word from God is the most effective weapon against the enemy

Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness

Satan tempted Jesus with

1. Immediate gratification / lust of the flesh
2. Proving Himself / pride of life
3. Giving power and material wealth / lust of the eyes

Jesus combatted Him using the Word of God

Applying the Word in His heart

Snake in the Garden

“Did God really say?”

The Snake

• Questioned the authority of God
• Tempted with more knowledge
• Tempted Eve to want to be like God

The Book of Job

The Book of Job

https://youtube.com/shorts/eRv5mIRdpbY?feature=share

We learned in the book of Job

• The Satan exists
• Bad things aren’t always a result of unrighteousness/sin

Elijah in the Cave

Elijah was suicidal when he focused on his issues, but a word from God restored his faith

The Satan

Satan Doesn’t Have a Name

Satan = the opposer = the adversary

• Not a proper name until New Testament
• Always “the satan” in Old Testament

The biblical authors never assigned him a name

Job chapter 1 a definite article is used meaning that it is not talking about a specific being. It is referring to “the challenger“.  He questioned God’s omnipotence and God‘s integrity.  

Lucifer

Lucifer = morning star = Venus

• Latin
• Not a name

The Dragon Fell From Heaven

In revelation 12 the rebel is described as

• The devil
• The great dragon
• A snake
• The satan

Does the bible say ⅓ of the angels followed Satan before the earth was created?

“This is an example of how Christian tradition can become doctrine.

…

There is no verse that states

The original rebel sinned before the episode of Genesis 3”

  —Michael Heiser

Revelations 12:3-5

3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven crowns. 4And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her Child.

5 And she gave birth to a Son, a male, who is going to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.

What time period is this talking about?

In revelations 12 when it talks about a third of the angels falling away, it is in reference to a response to the birth of the Messiah.  This occurs around the time of Jesus.  There is no passage that says a third of the angels rebelled with Satan prior to the fall in Eden.  

The gap theory ^

The gap theory claims that Satan fell between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.  

—There is much proof that this is false (see Chapter 12 of Demons by Michael Heiser)

The Spirit Realm

Any being in the spirit realm was called elohim

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth.

• The Elohim
• Spirit realm and the material realm

Spirit Beings (elohim)

Elohim = God

elohim = god

It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a name of God in modern times

• it is better understood as a title (like God or Lord)

Spiritual beings reside in the Spiritual realm, but can take on material form and exist in our realm

• Angels took on human form

Sons of God (bene Elohim)

Job 1:6 - 7

6Now there was a day when the [b]sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and [c]Satan [ha-satan; the adversary] also came among them. 7The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

Who are these Sons of God?

Sons of God = bene elohim

Spiritual beings but not messengers

Spirit beings, but not technically “angels”; not messengers

Jesus is Above All

Colossians  1:15-18

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Jesus is over everything

Thou Shalt Have No Other God

What is the first commandment?

What commandments did Jesus say were the most important?

No Other elohim

Exodus 20:3

3“You shall have no other gods [elohim] before Me.

• gods  = elohim

Psalms 86:8-10

8 Among the gods [elohim] there is none like you, Lord;

no deeds can compare with yours.

9All the nations you have made

will come and worship before you, Lord;

they will bring glory to your name.

10For you are great and do marvelous deeds;

you alone are God[Elohim].

Elohim Allowed Men to Worship Them

1 Kings 11:33

33 because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess [elohim] of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god[elohim] of Moab, and Milcom the god [elohim]of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.

• Notice that each of these gods and goddesses was each over a different nation
• Each nation had a local god/deity whom they worshiped
• People from other nations would worship the foreign gods of other nations as well

This is how these “angels” fell

• pride

Idols Represent Demons

Deuteronomy 32:16-19

16“They made Him jealous with strange gods;

With abominations they provoked Him to anger.

17“They sacrificed to demons, who were not God,

To gods whom they have not known,

New gods who came lately,

Whom your fathers did not know.

18“You forgot the Rock who fathered you,

And forgot the God who gave you birth.

19“The LORD saw this, and spurned them

Because of the provocation by His sons and daughters.

Were these idols just statues, or did the statues represent real beings?

• They were the elohim
• The sons of God

1 Cor 10:18-20

18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?

20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.

• What does Paul say that sacrifices to idols are being sacrificed to?

• Demons

This means that the pagans were actually sacrificing to demons not just man made statues

• These demons were fallen angels
• These demons were fallen elohim

We know that they are fallen because they allow people to worship them

Wierd Sex?

Fall of the Sons of God

Has anyone heard of Nephilim?

Genesis 6:1-8

1Now it came about, when mankind began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2that the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were [a]beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not [b]remain with man forever, [c]because he is also flesh; [d]nevertheless his days shall be 120 years.” 4The [e]Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of [f]their hearts was only evil continually. 6So the LORD was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved [g]in His heart. 7Then the LORD said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.” 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

These “sons of God” had sex with human women.

This is how they fell.

Nephilim

Their children were giants called Nephilim

Goliath descended from them

Sodom and Ghomora

The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah wasn’t just homosexual sex. It was humans having sex with angels.

Genesis 19:1-5

1Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he stood up to meet them and [a]bowed down with his face to the ground. 2And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we shall spend the night in the public square.” 3Yet he strongly urged them, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4Before they lay down, the men of the city—the men of Sodom—surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people [b]from every quarter; 5and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may [c]have relations with them.”

• The whole town came to have sex with the two angels
• It wasn’t because they were “foreigners” it was because they knew they were angels

Noah Reference With Sodom & Gomorrah

Jude 1:6-7

6 And angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

• Just like the angels start to have sex with humans, and Solomon Gomorrah the human sought to have sex with angels.
• Both were destroyed

2 Peter 2:4-7

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people

• Paul is comparing the sin of Noah’s time with the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. And Noah’s time the angels had sex with the humans. Sodom and Gomorrah the humans had sex with the angels.

Where Did Demons Come From?

The New Testament demons that possess people aren’t the sons of God who possess idols and are worshiped.

Where did the (New Testament) demons come from?

Fallen Angels?

⅓ angels that fell?

• They sentenced to Sheol/bottomless pit

In the old testament, “Angel“ is a functional term. It is a job description.  

Nephilim

The dead giant offspring of the sons of God (Nephilim)

Since they were born in the material world, their spirits are trapped here

Demons are consistently cast as disembodied spirits of dead Nephilim.

Why Humans Got Punished by God

We can see many of the times God punished humans in the Old Testament it was due to humans improperly interacting with spiritual beings.  Mankind continually turned to these beings in order to gain power, material gain and knowledge.  This is why they worshiped them.

He forbid

• Rituals
• Habits
• Gestures

of solicitation to other intelligences

If you get sucked into this realm… You don’t know what you are getting

Seeking Spirits

Why did  people turn to other spirits in the Bible?

• Talk to the dead - Saul/Samuel
• Learn the future
• Protection - golden calf
• National peer pressure

Do people worship idols today?

How do we see people seeking after spirits today?

They may turn to:

• Witchcraft
• Sorcery
• Occult
• Voodoo
• Astrology
• Mysticism
• Horoscopes
• Love spells
• Ouija board
• Psychics
• fortune tellers
• tarot cards

Melissa’s Testimony

“God allows evil to do what evil do so that evil can train you… Not to mess with evil.  You will leave evil alone once evil gets through teaching you.”

– Stephen Darby

What The Bible Says About Seeking Spirits

Deuteronomy 18:9-14

9 “When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God is going to drive them out before you. 13 You are to be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations, which you are going to dispossess, listen to soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.

• God says don’t consult with the dead
• God wouldn’t command you to do something that you can’t do

These things give demons access into your life

Leviticus 19:31

31 ‘Do not turn to mediums* or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

Outline of Biblical Usage:

• necromancer, one who evokes the dead
• ghost, spirit of a dead one
• one that has a familiar spirit

Definition of familiar spirit

1. a spirit or demon that serves or prompts an individual.
2. the spirit of a dead person invoked by a medium to advise or prophesy.

Witchcraft Was an Unforgivable Sin

Witchcraft and sorcery were unforgivable sins in the Old Testament

Exodus 22:18

18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

Leviticus 20:27

27 ‘Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; they have brought their own deaths upon themselves.’”

Are There Good Witches?

Joke: Christian Rock (oxymoron)

• Christian porn

There is no “good” witchcraft

• Seeking any power other than God is wrong (especially for a Christian)

There may be some witches who are good people at times, but the practice is evil and will corrupt you

Satan Makes Sin Look Good - Francis Chan

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx4vKomsO6LuOezDKbzkMQIK1hOPOpxEX1

References

Elohim

Unchained Disciples : Elohim

Fallen Angels and Nephilim

Unchained Disciples : Fallen Angels and Nephilim

Armor of God Bible Study

Unchained Disciples : The Armor of God - Part 1

Unchained Disciples : The Armor of God - Part 2

Spiritual Warfare 1

Unchained Disciples : Spiritual Warfare - Part 1

Demons (book)

Michael Heiser

The Satan and demons question and response

Bible project

What every person needs to know about demons: Francis Chan

Crazy love

Extra

Exodus 20:1-6

1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. 5 “You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Acts 13:6-12

 8But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9But Saul, who was also known as Paul, [b]filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him, 10and said, “[c]You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.