The Three Battle Grounds Francis Frangipane
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Chapter 1 Satan’s Domain
Chapter 1 Satan’s Domain
Three Arena’s of Spiritual Warfare We are going to deal with in this 32 week lesson.
The Mind, The Church & The Heavenly Places
Many Christians debate whether the devil is on the earth or in hell; can he dwell in Christians or only in the world? The fact is, the devil is in darkness.
Wherever there is spiritual darkness, there the devil will be.
PREPARING FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE For most, the term spiritual warfare introduces a new but not necessarily welcomed dimension in their Christian experience.
The thought of facing evil spirits in battle is an unsettling concept, especially since we came to Jesus as lost sheep, not warriors.
Ultimately, some of us may never actually initiate spiritual warfare, but all of us must face the fact that the devil has initiated warfare against us.
Therefore, it is essential to our basic well-being that we discern the areas of our nature
Which are unguarded and open to satanic assault.
Paul defines spiritual warfare as composed of two parts. First, true believers have an ongoing war within themselves between their self-defeating human nature that leans toward sin and the influence of God's Holy Spirit that guides a Christian toward righteousness (Romans 7:21, 23).
Spiritual Warfare Definition: is a battle against Satan, which takes place in the unseen, spiritual dimension and is fought with the weapons that have divine power to demolish strongholds, all while you’re resisting Satan, standing firm in the faith, remaining strong in the Lord, and pursuing the ultimate victory of demolishing arguments against the knowledge of God and taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6 And angels who did not keep (care for, guard, and hold to) their own first place of power but abandoned their proper dwelling place—these He has reserved in custody in eternal chains (bonds) under the thick gloom of utter darkness until the judgment and doom of the great day.
6 In the same way, there were heavenly messengers in rebellion who went outside their rightful domain of authority and abandoned their appointed realms. God bound them in everlasting chains and is keeping them in the dark abyss of the netherworld until the judgment of the great day.
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
Jude tells us, "And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day" (Jude 6).
When Satan rebelled against God, he was placed under eternal judgment in what the Bible calls "pits" or "bonds" of darkness.
The devil, and the fallen angels with him, have been relegated to live in darkness. This darkness does not simply mean "lightless regions" or areas void of visible light.
The eternal darkness to which this Scripture refers is essentially a moral darkness, which does ultimately degenerate to literal darkness.
However, its cause is not simply the absence of light; it is the absence of God, who is light.
This is an area many men fall into, they attempt to be Christians with Christ.
The Absence of God is automatic darkness.
It is vital to recognize that this darkness to which Satan has been banished is not limited to areas outside of humanity.
24 “When a corrupting spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn’t find anyone, it says, ‘I’ll go back to my old haunt.’
Unlike those who do not know Jesus, however, we have been delivered out of the domain or "authority" of darkness”
13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
We are not trapped in darkness if we have been born of light. But if we tolerate darkness through tolerance of sin, we leave ourselves vulnerable for satanic assault.
For wherever there is willful disobedience to the Word of God, there is spiritual darkness and the potential for demonic activity.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Thus Jesus warned,
35 Be careful, therefore, that the light that is in you is not darkness.
35 Open your heart and consider my words. Watch out that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation-light!
35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness.
There is a light in you. "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord"
7 The good people who live honest lives will be a blessing to their children.
Your spirit, illuminated by the Spirit of Christ, becomes the "lamp of the Lord" through which He searches your heart.
There is indeed a holy radiance surrounding a true Spirit-filled Christian.
But when you harbor sin, the "light which is in thee" is "darkness." Satan has a legal access, given to him by God, to dwell in the domain of darkness.
We must grasp this point: The devil can traffic in any area of darkness, even the darkness that still exists in a Christian's heart.
GOD'S THRESHER An example of Satan having access to the carnal side of human nature is seen in Peter's denial of Jesus.
It is obvious that Peter failed. What we do not readily see, however, is what was going on in the invisible world of the spirit.
Jesus predicted accurately that Peter would deny Him three times. Anyone looking at Peter's actions that night might have simply concluded his denial was a manifestation of fear.
Yet, Peter was not fearful by nature. This was the disciple who, a few hours earlier, drew a sword against the multitudes who had come to arrest Jesus.
No, human fear did not cause Peter to deny the Lord. Peter's denial was satanically induced.
Jesus had warned the apostle,
31 “Peter, my dear friend, listen to what I’m about to tell you. Satan has demanded to come and sift you like wheat and test your faith.
32 But I have prayed for you, Peter, that you would stay faithful to me no matter what comes. Remember this: after you have turned back to me and have been restored, make it your life mission to strengthen the faith of your brothers.”
Behind the scenes,
Satan had demanded and received permission to sift Peter like wheat.
Satan had access to an area of darkness in Peter's heart.
How did Satan cause Peter's fall?
After eating the Passover, Jesus told His disciples that one of them was going to betray Him.
The Scripture continues, "They began to discuss among themselves which one of them ... was going to do this thing"
23 And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was who was about to do this.
This was a very somber time. Yet, during this terrible moment we read, "And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was ... greatest"
24 The disciples bickered over which one of them would be considered the greatest in the kingdom.
They went from an attitude of shock and dismay to an argument concerning who among them was the greatest! Evidently Peter, the "water-walker," who was also the boldest and most outspoken of the apostles, prevailed.
We can imagine that Peter's high visibility among the disciples left him with an air of superiority,
which was fanned by Satan into an attitude of presumption and boasting.
Peter, being lifted up by pride, was being set up for a fall.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride caused Satan's fall, and pride was the very same darkness Satan was using to cause Peter's fall.
Lucifer, from experience, knew well the judgment of God against religious pride and envy.
Satan did not have a right to indiscriminately assault and destroy Peter. He had to secure permission from Peter's Lord before he could come against the apostle.
Is it possible that the thing we are being tried by fire is the the thing we have a potential of sinning in. So God gave Satan permission to go after it?
The devil demanded permission, and he received it.
SUBMIT To GOD: The trip-wire that Satan used to cause Peter's fall was the disciple's own sin of pride.
Let us recognize before we do warfare that the areas we hide in darkness are the very areas of our future defeat.
Often the battles we face will not cease until we discover and repent for the darkness that is within us.
If we will be effective in spiritual warfare, we must be discerning of our own hearts; we must walk humbly with our God. Our first course of action must be "Submit ... to God." Then, as we "resist the devil," he will flee
7 So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you.
Resist: to exert oneself so as to counteract, to withstand the force or effect
The good news, for Peter and ourselves, is that Satan will never be given permission to destroy the saints.
Rather, he is limited to sifting them "like wheat." There is wheat inside each of us. The outcome of this type of satanic assault, which is allowed through the permissive will of God, is to cleanse the soul of pride and produce greater meekness and transparency in our lives.
It may feel terrible, but God causes it to work for good.
Our husk-like outer nature must die to facilitate the breaking forth of the wheat-like like nature of the new creation man.
Both the chaff and the husk were necessary; they provided protection for us from the harsh elements of this life.
But before God can truly use us, in one way or another we will pass through a time of threshing.
Peter's husk nature was presumptuous and proud. His initial successes had made him ambitious and self-oriented.
God can never entrust His kingdom to anyone who has not been broken off pride, for pride is the armor of darkness itself.
So, when Satan demanded permission to assault Peter, Jesus said in effect, "You can sift him, but you cannot destroy him."
The warfare against Peter was devastating but measured. It served the purpose of God.
Peter was ignorant of the areas of darkness within him, and his ignorance left him open to attack.
But the Lord would ask each of us, "Do you know the areas where you are vulnerable to satanic assault?"
Jesus would have us not be ignorant of our need. In fact, when He reveals the sin in our hearts, it is so He might destroy the works of the devil.
We should realize that the greatest defense we can have against the devil is to maintain an honest heart before God.
When the Holy Spirit shows us an area that needs repentance, we must overcome the instinct to defend ourselves.
We must silence the little lawyer who steps out from a dark closet in our minds, pleading, "My client is not so bad." Your "defense attorney" will defend you until the day you die-and if you listen to him you will never see what is wrong in you nor face what needs to change.
For you to succeed in warfare, your self-preservation instincts must be submitted to the Lord Jesus; for Christ alone is your true advocate.
We cannot engage in spiritual battle without embracing this knowledge.
Indeed, James 4:6 says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." God is opposed to the proud.
That is a very important verse. If God is opposed to the proud, and we are too proud to humble ourselves and admit we were wrong, then God is opposed to us!
To oppose is mainly to fight against, in order to thwart, certain tendencies or procedures of which one does not approve:
James 7 "Submit therefore too God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
When we see this verse, it is usually all by itself as a monument to spiritual warfare.
However, it is in the context of repentance, humility, and possessing a clean heart that we find Satan fleeing from us!
We must go beyond a vague submission to God; we must submit the exact area of our personal battle to Him.
When we come against the power of the devil, it must be from a heart in submission to Jesus.
repentance, humility, and possessing a clean heart
Come on Let’s Pray!
Francis Frangipane. The Three Battlegrounds (Kindle Locations 102-105). Kindle Edition.