Spiritual Forces of Wickedness

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against 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.” (Ephesians 6:10-12 NASB1995)

 

When I woke up this morning I had the phrase “earth angel” in my mind. I know that is a title of a secular song from 1954, which is about someone who is “in love with” someone who he believes is that perfect being who he had always longed for who fulfills all his dreams. But then I got thinking about “earth” (of this world) and “angel” combined together, which made me think of someone who may give the appearance of being “an angel” (of God), but who is still of this world, who is still worldly and not of God.

 

Now, I know that this says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers, the world forces, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (or high) places. And it is true that this is a spiritual battle against spiritual forces of evil, but Satan uses flesh and blood people, many of them who are in positions of rule and authority in the government and in “the church” to attract the people of this earth, including professing Christians, to what is evil and of the devil and not of God.

 

So, then I got to thinking about “spiritual forces of evil in high places,” and that got me thinking about the church (or what is falsely being referred to as “the church”) and about pastors, elders, bishops, priests, and the Pope, etc. and their positions of power and rule and influence in “the church.” And that got me to thinking about the leaders of our nations who profess faith in Jesus Christ, some or many of them who are worldly and not godly people, and who may be working for these spiritual forces of evil in high places.

 

And when I thought about the year 1954 (the year “Earth Angel” was released), that led me to the year that the 501c3 was established and began to be adopted by probably most gatherings of what are called “churches” here in America. It was sold to them on the basis of being tax exempt, but the church in America had always been tax exempt. The 501c3, however, incorporates (unites, merges) the church under the state, and it turns “the church” into a place of business, both of which are forbidden by God.

 

So, in this scenario, “the church” under the 501c3, incorporated under the state, has partnered (united, merged) with and is in fellowship with the world and with the ungodly and with darkness (evil). And God has instructed all who are in such a situation that they must come out from underneath such a union and to touch not what is spiritually unclean. We are to come out from among her, so we don’t share in her sins, for her sins are piled high to heaven. And we are not to turn the church into a place of business.

 

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2-3; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

 

We are to put to death in our lives what is not of God, and we are to reject al that is of the devil and his lies and his deceptions which are coming to us through his servants and messengers who are disguising themselves as angels of light while truly they are those who serve the devil. For false shepherds of the people abound who are liars, deceivers, manipulators, who fake their Christianity in order to deceive the people with their lies. And they are multiplying, and they are widely being accepted within “the church.”

 

So, if we are going to be people of God who are armored up with his spiritual armor, so that we are able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil, then we need to be spiritually alert to what those schemes of the devil are so that we will fight against them and not yield to them. And we need to believe what the Scriptures teach, in context, and then follow what they teach us. And we need to be those who are diligent in testing the spirits to see if they are truly of God so that we don’t fall prey to the devil.

 

For truly the spiritual forces of wickedness are at work in heavenly (high) places, which includes within the gatherings of what are called “churches.” And the devil has his messengers in these places feeding the people of this earth, and people who profess faith in Jesus Christ, with his lies. And so we need to know the truth of what God’s word teaches in context so that we begin putting to death those lies and we come out from among the midst of those who are following after the lies and who are not obeying the truth.

 

So, just because a pastor or an elder or anyone in a position of power and authority within a gathering of what is being called “the church” professes to be a follower of Christ and a speaker of truth, it doesn’t mean that either is the truth. And just because a political leader in any nation proclaims faith in Jesus Christ and to be a servant of God, it does not mean that he is not of the devil just disguised as a servant of righteousness. So test them all to see if truly they are of the God of the Bible and not the god of this world.

 

And please know that “the church” is the body of believers in Jesus Christ under the authority of Christ as her only head, and she is not to be partnered with the world in an unholy union via the 501c3, incorporated under the state. And the church is not a building and not a church denomination, but it is the people of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus. And all of us who are of faith in Christ are her ministers, and we all are to be encouraging one another to walk worthy of the calling we have in Christ.

 

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Lu 6:27-28; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Ac 1:8; Ac 2:14-18; Ac 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6; Jude 1:22-23] 

 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

 

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

 

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

 

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

 

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Spiritual Forces of Wickedness

An Original Work / June 18, 2025

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love