Hi all,
Closing out this series on the error of the courts of heaven (COH) teaching, we find we wrestle against spiritual rulers in darkness, and ourselves. None of which happens in heaven.
COH says Satan has access to heaven. Ephesians 1:20-23, The Revelation 12:8-10 prove he was thrown out, defeated, and only accuses us here on the earth, NOT before our Father.
COH says there is a modern western style court system in heaven to which Satan has access and prosecutes, and departed believers in heaven take the stand to testify for you. We've shown an oriental court is not a 21st century western court system. God's court includes His children, against whom no one may accuse or lay a charge. Romans 8:31-34.
COH says the sins of your dead ancestors is the reason your life is messed up, but you can clear your name in the COH. Ezekiel 18 and the whole of the NT letters state nothing about past generations aiding sin in our lives, rather, we are responsible for our lives, no one else.
We stand individually before the judgement seat of Christ, and will not be able to blame granny nor the devil. We can't say 'granny opened that door in 1883' to explain why you didn't grow up and obey the Word. We will be 1 on 1 before Jesus to give account of our lives.
Satan has no power over us. Satan uses fear and lies to get us to give him our authority, then he uses our authority against us. That includes getting us into formulas, making us think we are weak and that we must be afraid of him, and focused on our own feelings of inadequacy.
Paul speaks of wrestling in Ephesians 6: 10-12:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Gk: methods). For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
In the city of Ephesus in Acts 19:23-41 a riot happened after so many believers publicly burned their occult books, and the sales of idols sharply declined. The city was divided, with v32 stating they were all confused and many didn't even know what it was all about.
To those believers Paul wrote that we wrestle with rulers in the heavenlies, which in judaism means in the spirit realm. Not heaven, but the spirit realm.
While some have made doctrine over the practice of 'pulling down demonic rulers' over a city, we don't see that in Acts or in any letter of the NT. No one prayed to bring down strongholds over Ephesus or Corinth before evangelizing there nor while meeting in the (home) churches. Cities and nations are changed one person at a time when they believe on Jesus.
We do get a glimpse of Satan's forces he places in charge of a nation in Daniel 10:13, 20. Remember, Satan only copies and perverts the true. So in these passages we see a 'prince of Persia' fighting against the angel Michael, who we are told in 12:1 is the angel in charge of Israel. Gabriel tells Daniel he will join Michael to fight against the spirit over Persia, and when they are done, the prince of Greece will arise. And more then 200 years later Persia was defeated and Alexander the Great of Greece conquered them.
We wrestle in prayer against the methods of the devil. Not in heaven, but here on earth, in prayer; We pray for people, we pray for rulers and all in authority, we pray for boldness, we pray that we may live quiet, peaceful, and godly lives - but these wrestlings have nothing to do with us going before the Father in a court trial to seek a favorable judgement from our Father.
Paul wrote in II Corinthians 10:3-6
Our wrestling is mostly about our thoughts and emotions:
...not according to the flesh do we war, for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds, bringing down reasonings, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ, and being in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience may be fulfilled.
It is a wrestling here on earth, with ourselves and with the methods of Satan in the spirit realm. Thoughts, emotions, brought into captivity within ourselves, forcing our old thinking out, and bringing in new thinking aligned with God's thinking. If you want your life transformed, there is no other way presented in scripture than renewing the mind - then your life will be transformed. Romans 12:1-3
What thoughts? What emotions?
Paul wrote in II Corinthians 2:10-11: "I...forgive all...lest Satan should get an advantage over us, for we are not ignorant of his devices." Here he states that unforgiveness can open a person up to the 'devices' of Satan, giving him an advantage over them.
In II Timothy 2:23-26 Paul writes of those arguing and in strife, who are therefore snared by the devil and 'taken captive by him as his will'.
Those are the forces, these are the thoughts and emotions we wrestle with, the demonic forces that entice and try us. We also wrestle with ourselves and are commanded throughout the gospels and letters to lay aside sin and walk in righteousness.
If Satan had authority to approach God to accuse us in times past, he no longer does. He used to 'accuse us before our God day and night', but was thrown out of heaven. Jesus is now far above all powers and rulers in the spirit realm, closing the door to the enemy. The Father says He has justified us, no one may bring a charge against His children. We are residents of the kingdom of heaven, and have direct access as members of the Court to come boldly to our Father's throne.
It is a place of safety, of rest, a place to find mercy and grace to help in time of need. Don't turn it into a western court system formula - "Come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace in a time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
Other thoughts next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
http://www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
Closing out this series on the error of the courts of heaven (COH) teaching, we find we wrestle against spiritual rulers in darkness, and ourselves. None of which happens in heaven.
COH says Satan has access to heaven. Ephesians 1:20-23, The Revelation 12:8-10 prove he was thrown out, defeated, and only accuses us here on the earth, NOT before our Father.
COH says there is a modern western style court system in heaven to which Satan has access and prosecutes, and departed believers in heaven take the stand to testify for you. We've shown an oriental court is not a 21st century western court system. God's court includes His children, against whom no one may accuse or lay a charge. Romans 8:31-34.
COH says the sins of your dead ancestors is the reason your life is messed up, but you can clear your name in the COH. Ezekiel 18 and the whole of the NT letters state nothing about past generations aiding sin in our lives, rather, we are responsible for our lives, no one else.
We stand individually before the judgement seat of Christ, and will not be able to blame granny nor the devil. We can't say 'granny opened that door in 1883' to explain why you didn't grow up and obey the Word. We will be 1 on 1 before Jesus to give account of our lives.
Satan has no power over us. Satan uses fear and lies to get us to give him our authority, then he uses our authority against us. That includes getting us into formulas, making us think we are weak and that we must be afraid of him, and focused on our own feelings of inadequacy.
Paul speaks of wrestling in Ephesians 6: 10-12:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Gk: methods). For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
In the city of Ephesus in Acts 19:23-41 a riot happened after so many believers publicly burned their occult books, and the sales of idols sharply declined. The city was divided, with v32 stating they were all confused and many didn't even know what it was all about.
To those believers Paul wrote that we wrestle with rulers in the heavenlies, which in judaism means in the spirit realm. Not heaven, but the spirit realm.
While some have made doctrine over the practice of 'pulling down demonic rulers' over a city, we don't see that in Acts or in any letter of the NT. No one prayed to bring down strongholds over Ephesus or Corinth before evangelizing there nor while meeting in the (home) churches. Cities and nations are changed one person at a time when they believe on Jesus.
We do get a glimpse of Satan's forces he places in charge of a nation in Daniel 10:13, 20. Remember, Satan only copies and perverts the true. So in these passages we see a 'prince of Persia' fighting against the angel Michael, who we are told in 12:1 is the angel in charge of Israel. Gabriel tells Daniel he will join Michael to fight against the spirit over Persia, and when they are done, the prince of Greece will arise. And more then 200 years later Persia was defeated and Alexander the Great of Greece conquered them.
We wrestle in prayer against the methods of the devil. Not in heaven, but here on earth, in prayer; We pray for people, we pray for rulers and all in authority, we pray for boldness, we pray that we may live quiet, peaceful, and godly lives - but these wrestlings have nothing to do with us going before the Father in a court trial to seek a favorable judgement from our Father.
Paul wrote in II Corinthians 10:3-6
Our wrestling is mostly about our thoughts and emotions:
...not according to the flesh do we war, for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds, bringing down reasonings, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ, and being in readiness to avenge every disobedience, whenever your obedience may be fulfilled.
It is a wrestling here on earth, with ourselves and with the methods of Satan in the spirit realm. Thoughts, emotions, brought into captivity within ourselves, forcing our old thinking out, and bringing in new thinking aligned with God's thinking. If you want your life transformed, there is no other way presented in scripture than renewing the mind - then your life will be transformed. Romans 12:1-3
What thoughts? What emotions?
Paul wrote in II Corinthians 2:10-11: "I...forgive all...lest Satan should get an advantage over us, for we are not ignorant of his devices." Here he states that unforgiveness can open a person up to the 'devices' of Satan, giving him an advantage over them.
In II Timothy 2:23-26 Paul writes of those arguing and in strife, who are therefore snared by the devil and 'taken captive by him as his will'.
Those are the forces, these are the thoughts and emotions we wrestle with, the demonic forces that entice and try us. We also wrestle with ourselves and are commanded throughout the gospels and letters to lay aside sin and walk in righteousness.
If Satan had authority to approach God to accuse us in times past, he no longer does. He used to 'accuse us before our God day and night', but was thrown out of heaven. Jesus is now far above all powers and rulers in the spirit realm, closing the door to the enemy. The Father says He has justified us, no one may bring a charge against His children. We are residents of the kingdom of heaven, and have direct access as members of the Court to come boldly to our Father's throne.
It is a place of safety, of rest, a place to find mercy and grace to help in time of need. Don't turn it into a western court system formula - "Come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace in a time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
Other thoughts next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
http://www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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