Ignorance and the Spirit Realm

By Brenda Gurley

People are wounded, hurting, sick and in bondage as a result of not being aware of the spiritual realm and its effects on the soul and on the body.  We seldom comprehend what happens to us when we get saved.  We somehow expect that everything is going to be just wonderful and all of our problems will disappear because our “magic genie” will make everything just fine.  When that doesn’t happen some of us hit rock bottom and give up on God.  Others bumble along wondering if that’s all there is.  As a result many are not experiencing the abundant life that the Bible talks about.  Confusion and complacency come in and we take a position of living below the poverty level, spiritually.  Few may understand that when we become born again Christians, the Holy Spirit comes and takes up residence within us.  He quickens our spirits and causes us to become alive spiritually.  The Bible says that we become the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We don’t look at ourselves and think of ourselves as a temple.  In fact, we don’t think we look any different at all.  Our physical eyes can’t see any changes.  That is the problem; we continue to look with our physical eyes.  We need to develop spiritual eyes to see things the way God sees things, but how do we do that?

When we enter into the Body of Christ, we become new creations.  In fact, the Bible says, “Behold, all things become new”(see 2 Cor. 5:17).  The operative word here is become.  To become refers to a process. Spiritually we are quickened and our once dead spirits come alive, however in the realm of the soul it is an ongoing process.   The Bible talks about not being conformed to this world (its system of doing things), but transformed by renewing our mind so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable will of God (see Romans 12:2).  God’s desire is to teach us and change us from Glory to Glory.

What are we to understand from this?  Our spirits become instantaneously new.  Our soul, on the other hand, has to go through a process of unlearning worldly behavior.  We are a product of our environment, our culture, our current form of religion or belief systems, our ancestry, and our past.  Many things come together to form our beings.  All of these things have a bearing on who we are.  God wants to make us into a new creation in the image and likeness of his Son.  When we come to Christ we can come just as we are, but we can’t remain as we have been.  As Queen Esther submitted herself to the chief eunuch to be prepared for the king, we must also prepare ourselves as the bride for our Bridegroom.  The chief eunuch is a type and shadow of the Holy Spirit.  He is the one who administers the work of preparation and sanctification.  As we submit ourselves to Him he sets us apart and begins to prepare us for our eternal position in Christ.  What we are willing to entrust into His keeping He will purify.

As wonderful as all of this is, there is a “fly in the ointment”.  Satan is called the “Lord of the Flies”.  For many it comes as a complete shock that there is a real devil and that he has a real job description.  In John 10:10 we find out that job description is to steal, kill and destroy.  He has been around a long time and has a great deal of experience at doing his job.  He wants to steal, kill and destroy our peace, our joy, our hope, our love, our future, our destiny, our calling, our families, our young people, our careers, our finances, our health, and whatever else he can destroy.  If it is good, he wants to make it bad.  He has mastered many schemes and tricks and knows just how to keep those who are unaware and unskilled from walking in the victory that Christ has died to provide for us.  What an insult to the Lord that we would allow the devil and his demons to take from us that which cost our Savior so much to give us.    This is what we do in ignorance when we don’t understand what is happening in the unseen or spiritual realm.  God wants to open our spiritual eyes to see things as they really are.  The spirit world is the real world, the one that can’t be seen with our natural eyes, only with our spiritual eyes of faith. 

Satan is a master of deception.  He even comes as an angel of light (see 2Cor. 11:14) to deceive us.  Whatever it takes, that is what he will use.  If we think we understand his tactics, he changes them.  As soon as he is caught in one area, he flees and takes a different approach.  One of his best disguises is the “religious spirit”.  We can easily get sucked into this trap thinking that we are pleasing God when all the while we are being deceived.  The religious people of Jesus’ day were so very deceived thinking that they were being so very holy. They had exalted their traditions to such an extent that they actually missed God in their midst.  When we become close-minded to the leading of the Lord we risk the possibility of missing God’s best for us.  Paul’s life, however, gives us encouragement that even when we are steeped in religious delusion God can deliver us and use us for His Glory.

Knowing the Word of God and “studying to show yourself approved” (see 2 Timothy 2:15) is one way to thwart this trick of the enemy.  Also, the Word tells us to “try the spirits” (see 1 John 4:1).  There is a gift that the Holy Spirit gives called the gift of discerning of spirits.  You can ask for it.  The Bible tells us to test or discern the spirits.  We can and should ask for wisdom each day.  It is like the manna in the desert.  It is needful for each day to sustain us.

            Apply your mind to instruction and correction and your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12 AMP.

Through skillful and Godly wisdom is a house (a life, a home, a family) built; and by understanding it is established (on a sound and good foundation). Proverbs 24:3 AMP.

We can see that if we want to be protected we can pray as Jesus taught the disciples to pray.  One of the things he taught them was to ask the Father to “deliver us from evil”.  Some of the practices that come with us into our new relationship with Christ need to be left at the door.  It is just like a woman and a man marrying and bringing all the old baggage from a previous relationship into the marriage.  We need to be set free from the old life.  We may need to evict the spiritual tenants and clean house.  What do I mean by that?  Strongholds can be established in us that need to be dismantled and those strongholds are usually manned by demonic entities.  Renounce your attachments to them and command them to leave in the Name of Jesus.  Watch and see what happens.  You may be surprised.

Once we belong to God, the enemy won’t be able to take us out of His hand, but he will do whatever he can get away with to keep us from having the abundant life.  Will you let him?

The Bible says “And these signs shall follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons…” (Mark 16:17 NKJ).   If we are believers then we have the authority to cast out demons in Jesus name.  Most of the Body of Christ gets very nervous whenever anyone talks about deliverance, but the Bible clearly states that casting out demons is a natural sign that should follow believers. Jesus did many miracles of deliverance and healing. 

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.  Matt. 8: 16 NKJ

Jesus commanded the spirit of infirmity to come out (See Matt. 17:14-21; Mark 9:17-29; Luke 4:38-39).  Infirmity can be a spirit.  Let he who has ears hear what the Spirit is saying.  Be aware of the fact that he will try to bring sickness and disease on our bodies.  If we are so caught up with our physical struggles that we either blame God or avoid Him, the enemy has a victory.  If we are just so busy taking care of our infirmity that we have little time for worship, prayer, study, church or fellowship, the enemy has won a victory.  If all we talk about and all we think about are our struggles, the enemy has won a victory.  If we nurse and rehearse our past struggles, hurts and injuries then we can’t give glory to God.  Distraction works for our enemy. 

Many churches and false religions are filled with distraction.  If they can keep you involved in programs, fundraisers, internal affairs, counting numbers and counting money how can you focus on the primary objective of having intimacy with God.  My friend used to say that we get so busy fighting the alligators that we forget that our original task was to drain the swamp.  Satan can get all over those good deeds, all the while having you think you are really holy.

The greatest area that the enemy likes to work in is the soul.  The soul consists of the mind, will and the emotions.  Many books have been written regarding the battle that goes on in the soul.  In ministering deliverance to Christians it is amazing the liberty that they can experience when they find out that the enemy had established a stronghold in their minds, will or emotions.  We must learn that we are in a battle, like it or not.  We are at WAR!  If we just lay down and pretend it isn’t happening we get run over quickly.  Spiritual warfare is just that, warfare.  We can and must evict the enemy and rout the troops.  If we allow the enemy to “occupy” our territory he will infiltrate other areas.  We must put a stop to his occupation and a stop to any further invasion.  How can we do this if we are spiritually dull and oblivious to what is happening?   How can we have victory if we don’t believe what we can’t see?  We can ask God to help us as we pray for discernment.  We can seek more understanding of spiritual matters.  We can ask God to open the eyes of our understanding. 

Watch out!  These are dangerous prayers.  God will take you at your word if you ask to have more spiritual understanding.  It could shake up your theology and belief system.  You may be very comfortable in what you believe right now, but ask yourself these questions.  Do I have the abundant life that God wants for me??  Am I struggling to hear from God? Am I struggling in my walk with him?  Do I lack victory over the enemy and the flesh?  Do I have areas of my life where I can’t seem to find freedom?

Ponder these things and take them to your prayer closet to discuss with your Father. Maybe you will be taken on a deeper spiritual journey than you have ever encountered thus far.  Just maybe you will receive spiritual truths that you never thought could be possible.  And you may realize the magnitude of victory that was purchased for you at Calvary in such a way that you never understood before.