The Epistle to Ephesians, chapter 6, is a frequent subject of sermons and christian books. Sometimes it’s regarded as a weapon from God. Sometimes it’s regarded as an explanation that our fight is not against flesh and blood. I’d like to suggest one more vision of the passage: the victory is on the «second floor», that is, in the invisible spiritual world.
Before happening in our physical world, this or that event must take place (or get permission for that) in the spiritual world. This is the world where the evil spirits live. What are we talking about? Before we can see a victory in a battle (in preaching Gospel, in getting freedom from debts, in salvation of our relatives, in promotion of our church ministry, in spiritual growth of the newly-born in Christ, in healing etc.), we must get the victory in the spiritual world «on the second floor», in the invisible spiritual world. In the world where the evil spirits are living and acting! If the strong man is not tied up, how can one rob his house? We mustn’t under-estimate the influence of Satan on lives of people, including christians. It can lead us to a failure or disappointment. We shall regard one of the weapons given to us by Christ. I suggest a prayer, fasting and the Word of God as good weapons to oppose the enemy.
EXAMPLE. A sister witnessed what her life was like, before she was born again: «When I was going to visit the church for repentance, somebody stopped me on halfway (we realize it was a demon) and turned me back». It all happened three times. The picture is the following in this situation: the church preached the Gospel in this village, but after that didn’t pray with fasting for the inhabitants of the village and for the sister, so that they could freely go to the church to listen to the sermon. That is, the works of the devil were not ruined. That’s why devil turned her back while she was on the halfway to the church. She wasn’t able to oppose him, because she didn’t have faith yet. Just for such cases it is told that the strong (the ministers) must carry the burdens of the weak (including the newly-borns). I saw thousands of people who repented in year 2000, but most of them were lost straight away. I was among those who assisted the newly-borns. At that time churches didn’t understand they should pray with fasting for newly-borns and for their life in God ten times more, than they pray for their coming to church for repentance. As minister I take all strikes and attacks of satan on myself. Figuratively speaking, I take all satanic attacks and his anger against the newly-borns on myself. I protect them as a bird protects her nestling. And when my pastor responsible for this ministry told the senior pastor that everybody knows how to lead people to Christ, but nobody knows how to keep them in faith, he was excluded from the ministry. Later on this church practically stopped to exist. That is, the church wanted people to become believers without victory «on the second floor» (just without any effort). The lazy and false believers use to say in such cases, that they hand it over to God.
Your salary is delayed? Don’t hurry up to proclaim the Word of God on your boss or accountancy department. Don’t hurry to plead the Father. Just pray with fasting to destroy the works of devil! This can be one of the reasons. Not so many people realize they participate in a spiritual war after coming into the church.
Unless you destroy the works of devil in your life and the lives of people from your parish, you will have problems. The same way as our God doesn’t get tired, the demons also don’t get tired. Their army of «intercessors» — witches, extra-senses, shamans, and those who see visions, are praying day and night (they are working hard for their master), in difference from christians. Their «father» doesn’t leave them any choice, in difference from Christ. If they don’t work hard for demons, they start to feel unwell. That’s why we have obstacles, which must be destroyed in the spiritual world. Paul admitted the fact that satan really opposed him more than once. I will not set many examples. But it’s evident that Paul wrote the believers to attract their attention to the battle, which is necessary to lead on the «second floor», that is, in the invisible spiritual world. Without fasting and prayer you are a «friend» to demons, you are «bounded» by them and you are not fighting in the army of Christ! And you will be conquered by your enemy, not visa versa. It’s especially dangerous when a demon encourages a newly-born to fall into fighting straight away. And the «mature» believers keep applauding. «What a hot believer!» — they say. And then spiritual pressure makes him get out of his senses. And people say: he didn’t stand in his faith. For one hot believer we should stand with fasting as for a 100 sheep! Sometimes when a problem comes, you may call out to God even louder that Jeremiah did! God will not stir a finger until you (not Him) destroy the works of the devil. You can proclaim all words of God and all His promises, — nothing will change. We mustn’t under-estimate our enemy — otherwise we will lose. I’m tired of listening to peoples’ bubbling about the fact that Jesus won the victory and now we have it forever, while these people ignore praying and fasting. For them it’s the same as a hard physical labour for a lazy person (it’s possible for them only once for their whole life). The believers who are led by their lustful desires use to say that fasting is necessary only when somebody is short of faith. They complain: I feel unwell when fasting; I can’t do it because I am working; I have contra-indications to fasting because of my sick pancreas; do you recognize such complaints? But Jesus makes a stress on this word — they will FAST (Mark 2:20). It’s His commandment, not just a desire.
To sum it up, before we can see a victory in the physical world, we have to get the victory «on the second floor», having cancelled all the plans and obstacles which devil and the evil spirits create. The instruments for this is a prayer and fasting combined with the Word of God! Let God help you! Amen!
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