Contending With the Devil

Contending With the Devil

By Don Dickerman,
People, Pigs and Principalities

I think Christians make a mistake when they believe they have been given authority to challenge these powers in the heavenly realm. 

I will simply ask, 

“If we have that authority, why then does it not work? And why limit it to a particular location?” 

If through a human being’s declaration to principalities and powers we can change their actions, why not extend it to the whole earth? 

I have never seen a positive result from Christians engaging in spiritual warfare with heavenly realm powers.

I have seen the opposite happen with churches dissolving, ministries crumbling, and individuals suffering sickness and multitudes of difficulties. 

Our God-given authority has to do with individuals—it is to pray for nations, not against principalities and powers. 

Jesus sent His disciples to the people, not against heavenly realm powers. 

He did not bind the evil prince of Jerusalem; instead He admonished us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. 

He did not pray against heavenly realm powers; 

He prayed for people. 

He sent believers commissioned to preach the good news to nations, not to pray against the demonic powers.

Principalities are the chief rulers of the kingdom of darkness; 

they are first in rank or power and constitute a high order of evil spirits. 

Every place you see the word principality in the King James Version New Testament, it is the Greek noun arche, defined as, 

“that which is first in time, order, or place.” 

This word is used at least seven times in the Scriptures to denote angelic or demonic rulers. 

The word powers is from the Greek noun exousia and means, 

“one who possesses authority or influence.” 

It is the word used in Ephesians 6:12 to represent the angelic or demonic authorities that operate in the spirit realm.

You know it is a troubling doctrine that is being preached and taught today that we have some kind of authority in the heavenlies. 

Please, if this is so, we should get to the hospitals and psychiatric centers—but it doesn’t work, and it is very dangerous and foolish to attempt it. 

Pick a fight with a principality? Please.

While I was in this same city in Canada, a man who is involved in deliverance ministry told me of a group there that did “prayer marching and pulling down strongholds” in the city. 

He said they have tried to get him involved, but he feels that what they are doing is not scriptural. 

He told me there were twenty-five or thirty people who did this. 

I asked him what kind of success they had experienced after a couple of years. 

“I don’t know of any,” he said. 

“They’re all sick or their families are falling apart. 

I think they have disbanded.”

I have been involved in deliverance ministry for a long time. 

One thing is clear. 

There are two different models of practice among those who are involved in this kind of ministry. 

One model is to attack the principalities and powers, and by doing so take back the territory that they have earned. 

The other model is to deal with individuals who are saved and want to be free from demon powers in their lives. 

One model works; the other doesn’t. 

One model Jesus endorsed; the other He did not.