The sun was beginning to dawn and we had been praying all night against a certain principality. The problem was not in discerning the presence of the demonic ruler as most of us were able to identify it but we weren’t able to cast It out. We had tried everything and nothing seemed to be working against it. On the contrary it seemed to be growing stronger, how much ever we prayed . The young men with me were at the brink of exhaustion and giving up.
During those days, was mentoring a group of young men (2003/2004). We prayed every single day in the nights for nearly a year. In those times God would reveal many things to us that were hindering revival, and we would pray through each time but this time it was different as we hit a block and weren’t able to push through.
As everyone was ready to give up, I heard the Spirit say, ” Each one of you must repent of pride first “. As we started repenting, we could sense a huge relief sweeping across that place and the principality fled. We didn’t need to cast it out at all.
Then the Spirit said ” It was a principality of pride”.
It was a valuable lesson that the Spirit was teaching us that day on “HOW TO STAND”!
Now in this warfare, it easy to get fixated on demons. One of the other important lessons that the Spirit taught me was to be fixated on Christ always and not to change focus on to them when they manifest. It also came through a valuable experience. Several times prior, in discerning demonic presence, had directly confronted them changing my entire focus towards them. When that was the case; It would take a while, sometimes even days to cast them out.
However, on one occasion as I was sensing a demonic ruler and him hindering God’s work during a service, I felt to exalt God; His majesty and power and His omnipotence changing focus from the devil. Soon, I experienced a download of might and power like never before and all I had to do was mention the name of Jesus ‘once’ against it and it fled. I realized that day; that all God needs to do to cast Lucifer out is to lift His finger or blow with His mouth. That is how much of effort is needed, for Him to cast Satan out and when I am filled with His might, I can also cast Satan out effortlessly as He does. We confront the enemy, KNOWING that our almighty God is with us and in us!! As we are focused on Him, the light that comes out of Him into us dispels all darkness around us. Darkness flees at the speed of light!!
Today one of the deceptions of the enemy is to have believers unnecessarily focus on him and thereby unintentionally giving him a place he did not have in the first place. Then, from there he deceives them to believe that he has power he doesn’t have and not just that, he has them go around in wild goose chases, looking for him. We need to be fixated on Christ ; for from Him flows all power and wisdom (discernment) that is needed for the situation. Unhealthily focusing on the enemy can lead to us to a place of being deceived by him. He is the source of all deception and deceit.
Finally, on the point on confronting principalities and powers; the general argument against it is that they are in the second heavens and so we don’t have authority in those realms. The simple answer to that is, if they are accessing our realms and causing all havoc and confusion; then we have every right to stand against them whether they are doing it from here or up there!
The church needs balance and guidance on this though. We can’t cast these demons out frivolously or according to our whims and likes which seems to have become the general practice. We can’t just walk to places and directly bind or cast out demons in those places. These are rulers of (demons over )people groups and multitudes that have willingly allowed their control and fulfill their evil desires. So, we don’t have a legal standing to cast them out. By confronting them this way many have exposed themselves to unnecessary retaliatory attacks from the enemy without seeing any results.
Now, we have all authority over Satan and all his hordes. We can hold them back in the places the Spirit leads us to share the gospel in. We can cast them out, if they manifest themselves in the natural realm; standing against us.
We can also cast them out when it is time for God’s judgement on them which leads us to some important truths that we need to know. Repentance and continual intercession can help speed up the process of God’s judgements on these demonic princes.
Also, as we approach the end times; we need to understand that it is a time of judgement for these demonic princes and not just for the people on the earth. There will be a lot of percussors to the wrath of God being poured out in fulness on this earth.
As we enter into this phase (may not be there to witness all of it while on this earth), it is very critical that we have learnt to stand in the power of His might, having loved not our lives unto death; learnt to have cast out these demonic princes already. Be ready to share the gospel at all times. For then we can win nations and people groups for the Lord by casting principalities out; fulfilling God’s judgement on them.
The church is largely unaware of the times we are entering into and her place in Christ to bring nations to the Lord. The reason for these articles is to do its small part in enlightening us to our place and purposes in Christ in these end times; to effectively stand for Him; stand against the enemy bringing many people groups to the Lord in this last hour. Amen
