Lookahead: Strudwick’s book, entitled Spiritual Evolution, talks about his journey from New Ager to Follower of Jesus—and includes the results of a thorough, cross-generational/geographic investigative study of the New Age gods. Results: he believes that every New Age god he researched tracks back to the false gods that were revealed in the Old Testament!! For example, the Westerner’s “Mother Nature” = Devi Adi Parashakti (Hindu Divine Mother) = Phra Mae Thorani (Thai’s Mother Earth depicted in the story of Buddha) = Asherah (as in Asherah poles mentioned in Deut 16:21!!).
Last week we talked about the angelic org chart, and this week we are talking about the flip side – the demonic org chart. A few weeks ago, I purchased an e-book which featured the riveting testimony of a Believer who, as a child, was raised as a “New Ager.” Alan Strudwick’s stepmother had immersed the family in New Age, spiritualism, the occult, etc., and later gave the green light for Alan to become an initiate under one of the local guru’s—at the age of 13! Alan recounts, “Every year the guru would “give me a new Hindu god that he would initiate into my body, and I would ‘spiritually evolve’.” Another term for “initiate” was “yoke” in which Alan would allow himself to be yoked to one of these fake Hindu gods (in actuality, demons). One day he found himself in a Christian church, listening to a pastor who was preaching about Jesus’ yoke being easy and His burden light (Matt 11:28), and Alan decided to yoke himself to Jesus. 😊 He discovered that Jesus was better than all the other “lords,” so Alan started incorporating Jesus into the New Age Training Seminars that he conducted. 😊 He noticed that some attendees would vacate the room immediately when he brought up the subject of Jesus.
When he similarly attempted to share the good news of Jesus’ lordship with his guru, he was summarily dismissed…and excommunicated.1
Strudwick’s book, entitled Spiritual Evolution, talks about his journey from New Ager to Follower of Jesus—and includes the results of a thorough, cross-generational/geographic investigative study of the New Age gods. Results: he believes that every New Age god he researched tracks back to the false gods that were revealed in the Old Testament!! For example, the Westerner’s “Mother Nature” = Devi Adi Parashakti (Hindu Divine Mother) = Phra Mae Thorani (Thai’s Mother Earth depicted in the story of Buddha) = Asherah (as in Asherah poles mentioned in Deut 16:21!!).
Strudwick provides a scripture-based bio about the enemy of our souls, which is not only well written, but—at the very least—might be useful for someone who believes (as Strudwick originally did) that there is no such thing as evil. This part of the book tracks back…to my last post.
Strudwick believes that there are “levels of heaven.” The First Heaven is the natural/visible kingdom on earth; the Second Heaven is in the earth’s “atmosphere” where the prince of the power of the air—identified in Ephesians 2:2—has set up residence. It is also where the evil entities that are catalogued in Ephesians 6 reside. The next level is the Third Heaven; the enemy of our souls does not have unfettered access to this level—it is where God and the good angels reside. But he can interfere with transmissions between the First and Third Heavens. Also, I believe that he has to formally seek an audience with God; and conversely, I believe that he has no choice but to drop everything and obey, if he is summoned into God’s presence. On the other hand, he and his minions are free to roam around earth in accordance with 1 Peter 5:8: Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Additionally, I believe that Ephesians 6:12 gives us a glimpse into the demonic hierarchy. Rather than doing a detailed breakdown of what I think the different entities are, I will just provide a few translations, and you can see how the Holy Spirit will lead you into understanding:
For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of the present darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere. AMPC Translation
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. NKJV
This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this World of Darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. GWT
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. Net Bible
(Note: The Net Bible makes a distinction between the principalities, also called rulers, and “the world rulers of this darkness.” This may be an attempt to categorize someone like the Antichrist—a human agent of destruction who is possessed. This translation implies that there isn’t just one person—as “rulers” is plural.)
And finally The Passion Translation: Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this Dark World in bondage.
Now we know that the devil and all his evil entities were officially conquered by Jesus Who, after His crucifixion…rose in triumph, stripped them of all their power, and paraded them before the Father like a victorious Roman general would parade his defeated/demoralized captives in chains, before crowds of jeering/sneering onlookers.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Col 2:15 NKJV
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. NASB 1995
We also know that Jesus has delegated the full authority that He has over this enemy…to the Believers. So we have nothing to fear as long as we acknowledge and submit to the ultimate source of that authority during the wrestling match/struggle/battle/war. (1 John 3:8, 1 John 4:4, 1 John 5:5) In addition, after reading about the evil entities in Ephesians 6:12, we read about the weapons of our warfare and then Jesus gives a call to prayer. (Again, this is accomplished only with/by/in the Authority of Jesus or you’re signing on for a seven-sons-of-Sceva scenario, Acts 19:13.)
But now we come to the question—if the devil and his evil entities have free reign to roam the earth, are they constantly trapsing into the Kingdom of Heaven-on-earth? I believe that’s a big Negatory!! The Kingdom of Heaven is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. And the presence of devils and demons will eradicate righteousness, peace, and joy in a femtosecond. I believe that if we are praying for the Kingdom to come, and not feelin’ it, the devil has purposely and deliberately erected demonic obstacles in our kingdom quest—obstacles that must be eliminated before we can fully experience the Kingdom of Heaven-on-earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is where the King resides—and the absolute absence of the “devil et al” is strongly reinforced!!
++++++++++++
Cross-Denominational Bible Study 