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].Ephesians 6:12
To the Natural Mind, the above scripture about wrestling with principalities, powers and "rulers of darkness of this world", must seem a little spooky, perhaps metaphorical but not 'down to earth'. The natural mind, without Christ sees only the 'battles' and events of earth, with earthly consequences and judges that what is not seen does not exist, and certainly the things that are evident on earth do not appear to have a divine aetiology, but a natural one. As we acquire and learn the 'Mind of Christ' after salvation, we come to understand that what happens in the natural is actually less real than what happens in the super-natural or divine. In other words, while the natural mind sees only the discrete happenings of the world, those with the mind of Christ understand that physical occurrences and struggles are really only a reflection of the divine struggle or battle, which has existed since the beginning.
The concept of divine 'struggle' or warfare is a significant Biblical principle but it also in addition to Christianity shows itself in German and Jewish theology- the
wars of Israel are replete with battles which when fought in the flesh were lost, but when fought in the Spirit under the direction of God were won handily. It is more though than the simple principle of obedience to God, it is the realization that there is a divine battle which has gone on since the beginning, since Eden, which manifests itself in the natural but which can only be won in the Spirit.
Old and New Testaments give examples of the Divine struggle and of natural man falling when he trusts in himself and in only what can be seen without faith.
But this struggle, this battle in the heavenlies which mainfests itself in the flesh, must be critically and carefully understood, and balanced with the attributes of God and His tenderloving kindness which in AGAPE love must be understood as just as important as His power or Omnipotence. When the balance in viewing this struggle relegates God and His Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, to mere warriors in a Universal War, what we have done is create God in OUR IMAGE, not discover Him through His breathed WORD. The struggle and battle are real and divine and essential to walk with God and understand His world. The critical threshold of understanding though, is to not divorce His Character and constant work of Mercy, Love, and Tenderlovingkindness and Life: the Deutsche Christen, [DC] or German Christian [Church} in WWII did exactly that to the extreme and has promoted in this century one of the most dangerous heresies of Church History: that God is like we are, that we can attain to those 'battle ' principles and be 'as god' and that the wars of men are similar or in like kind to the Meta-Wars of Christ and Anti-Christ. Our battle fought in the flesh take on new meaning and power when we fight them in the Holy Spirit and Prayer, and I believe even the natural wars of men are peripheral manifestations of the divine war, but in order to maintain true doctrine, and walk in the true faith, balance and a constant anchor of the WORD are required.
The principles of Divine Battle coupled with the necessary attributes of God's ways based in love and truth will serve as the discussion point for the blogs to follow.
