(Demonology) the Devil Against Christ - Part 2 — Willie Mullan

God's Appointed Battle at Calvary

Done thy counsel to come before to be done.". They knew that God in his eternal counsel had outlined the battle and had appointed the arrows. So we're beginning to see the forces, are we? Christ was taken on a lot, you know.

Christ's Victory Over Principalities and Powers

Oh, but there's more to come. You see, let's go over to Colossians, and we're at the second chapter, that great letter to the Colossians, and we're at the second chapter. And it's talking about Christ at Calvary.

It's talking about him blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us. Verse 14, we're at Colossians 2 .14, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Rich did us live in, and having spoiled principalities and powers. These are not words that we've been dealing with. These are personalities that we have been dealing with, demon principalities and demon powers.

Having spoiled them, and we look at that very closely, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it, in the cross. Oh, they were all in the arena, you know. I want you to get the hold of that.

But we want to do it properly. You know, we know the devil used Peter, and we certainly know that he used Herod, and Pontius Pilate, and the Gentiles, and the priests, and the scribes, and the officers of the temple, and the people of the Jews, as it says.

But you know, all this is small fry in this battle. Principalities came to Calvary. These demon princes, who had followed Satan, and whom Satan had delegated to deceive the nations, they were there at Calvary.

Oh, we'll never get this properly, you know. When I survey the wondrous cross, I feel stark naked on the tree. I cannot properly get in these countless thousands of demon princes, but I know they were there.

And I not only know that these demon princes were there, I know that these demon powers were there. They were there, principalities and powers. Of course, I know that these others that we haven't looked at yet, that we're going to look at, the rulers of the darkness of this world.

Satan's Assault on Every Sphere of Humanity

Because you see, Satan is warring like this. He's coming against the political, and he's coming against the physical, and he's coming against the mental, and he comes against every spiritual man and woman.

He's coming against the eternal now. But you know, he does come against the evangelical that we haven't touched yet, when he blinds the minds of them that believe not. He's got a squad, and they're called the rulers of the darkness of this world.

They were at Calvary. My, there were men that shouted out, save yourself! If you built a temple in three days, save yourself! They were so blind, they didn't know what they were talking about. You'll find that the thieves were blind, they railed against them.

You'll find that even scribes and priests went by, said he saved others himself. He can't say they were so blind. Oh yes, principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world were all there.

The Wicked Spirits Behind Christ's Suffering

Let me say this to you, that wicked spirits were there. Let me go back to Matthew 27, I think it is. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 27. Yes. It says in verse 29,. And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, now this is talking about the soldiers.

The soldiers plaited this crown of thorns. Now I don't know how many of them were occupied in plaiting this crown of thorns, but if you could just see the long eastern thorn, it's almost as strong as steel, and it's as long as my first finger there.

And these great thorns, and these men plaited these crown of thorns. Now this was not usually done at crucifixion. This was just two or three wicked characters, and I think they were energised by wicked spirits.

You see, for a man to stand in a corner, or two or three of them to stand in a corner, and diabolically weave these together, knowing that they are going to crush them into each man's head, there is wickedness afoot here.

Now we have an open meeting here every Sunday morning after the ministry meeting, and we just sit down round the table and we are just saints remembering the Lord. And we don't expect every man to preach, of course, we don't believe in all man ministry, because we don't believe that the sheep should feed the shepherds.

That would be a silly confusion, wouldn't it? You don't think that God gave some of us gift to listen to trot, do you, or trite? We have no notion of doing that. But I am not the only gift in this place, thank God.

We've got about a couple of dozen here who can take this platform at any time, and we're so proud of them. And the other morning, one of our young folks sitting at the back now, he just got up to preach, and he said this.

He said, you know, I have noticed for the very first time that these men plaited this crown of thorns and then put it on his head, and I'll read in his right hand. And of course the reed, you know, is a bamboo cane.

It grows in Palestine about twenty feet high, one of these thick bamboos. And they were sort of making fun and mockery. And the young fellow said this, that they put this crown of thorns upon his head, and verse thirty, and they spit upon him, and they took the reed then and smote him on the head when the crown of thorns was on his head.

And he looked down that meeting, I was sitting watching him just then, and there were tears in his eyes. He said, I never saw that before. I never saw that the crown of thorns was there when they struck him on the head with a cane.

Did you know? Because it's very wicked, isn't it? It's wicked to plait this crown of thorns. It's wicked to crush it on his head. It's wicked to harm him after you have it on. Because I can tell you that Christ was meeting wicked spirits in this matter.

And he never even groaned. He was absolutely dumb. He just took it, stood there. Did you ever see a fellow getting thumped and taken at? There's not too many of us able for that. What a wonderful Saviour he was.

I can tell you that when the Owls come, and he's stark naked, and he's on the cross, for all these forms that the devil used. My, then came these principalities, these wicked princes. Then came these powers.

Then came these rules of the darkness. Then came these wicked spirits. In all their wickedness, even when he was dead on the cross, hanging right for us on the nail, the man drove a spear into his side.

Ah, you wouldn't starve a dead man, would you? Unless you were demon possessed or some kind. He was dead, I tell you. And he was dead a long time. Then this agent of a creature comes along. He starts to steal wickedness.

Drives a spear in. He took them all on. And you know this is a tremendous word in Colossians. He spoiled principalities and powers. Oh, how I rejoice in this, you know. He spoiled principalities and powers, and he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in the cross.

Disarmed, Robbed, and Discarded at the Cross

You know, I drop this old book of translations along. You know, I get thrilled sometimes when I see these great scholars translating these. This word spoiled is a tremendous word. Connie Bear, who is one of the great, great scholars.

There's a translation by Connie Bear in Holston. Well, this is what Connie Bear said. Having spoiled principalities and powers means he disarmed the principalities and powers which fought against him.

Did you ever see men in battle being taken captive? Did you ever see the power that took them disarming them? Taking their soul and their dead and their gone. The disarm. I'll tell you this, he disarmed them.

Oh, but it's a much deeper word than that. Here's what, here's what Knox, and remember Knox was a Roman Catholic. And remember he was a Roman Catholic scholar. Just don't get your orange blood up too much, because it happens to be he was a scholar.

And this is what he honestly said. He said, and the dominions and powers that came against him, he left. It's a good word, isn't it? Caused them to be spoiled and disarmed and robbed. Oh, the same thing anyway.

You see, when you disarm a man and take his weapons away, you see sometimes in the old battles in the Far East, they took off their earrings and all the gold and the rings and all the bracelets and everything else.

They robbed him. Leave them standing there like paupers. Oh, well he spoiled them. He disarmed them. He robbed them. When you see this one, it says, on the cross he discarded these powers and authorities.

You know, you need all these words in to get the truth of this. Why has he bared his breath when they came and are countless thousands? And this is a bit of a battle we never see. You know, friend, he spoiled them, he disarmed them, he robbed them.

Then he lifted them and discarded them, threw them in the tunnel. You know, this interested me so much that I went on into it. If you go to the third chapter, are you in the third chapter of the same book, Colossians?

See verse 9, says in the middle of the verse, seeing that ye have put off the old man. Well, the word put off is the exact same word as spoiled. Discarded, you see. Robertson, whom I believe to be the greatest Greek scholar of all time, Robertson said, I can see it like this.

I can see these hosts coming against them in the darkness of Calvary. I can see him disarming them. I can see him taking every thread of vestige from them. I can see him lifting them. I can see him pitching them and discarding them and throwing them off from them.

Christ's Defeat of Satan, Death, and the Devil

Perfectly. You know, there's still another one to be dealt with, because it's not only Peter and Judas and Herod and Pontius Pilate and principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness and wicked spirits.

The old Satan himself must be dealt with. And as he stretched out his hands and stepped into death, Satan must have shouted, I've got him. He's in my realm. He just trampled death beneath his feet and rose again.

And through death he destroyed him which had the power of death, which is the devil. And for heaven's sake, never forget Calvary. What a victory. He spoiled principalities and powers. You know, he needed to show them.

He needed to show them openly. Oh, friends, they were like some beast. I'm attacking you again. He spoiled them. He needed to show them openly when he get this word in. We triumphed. Oh, I think the word should be written in capitals the whole way through.

Triumphed. Now let's get the hold of this before we leave tonight. Remember, we're marching on the train of victory. We're marching with this monster. And not to be afraid of the devil, you know. One of these nights we're going to show you that you've only got to resist them in the authority of Christ the name.

Future Teaching on Spiritual Warfare and Charismaticism

He's free from you. Oh, yes. We've got to get this. What a battle this was. What an hour it was. What a victory it was. Now, next week's a very important week, you know. I talked about the charismatic movements the other night and so many said, I don't know what night all this will be on.

Well, now, I just don't know. You see, I've got to go a bit at the time to take the battle properly. And I think the proper bit for next week is to show every believer how you can be more than conqueror against the devil, principality, power, rulers of darkness, wicked spirit.

Think of it, more than conquerors. It's a wonderful time. Then we've got to look at these rulers of the darkness coming against the evangelical. Then we've got to try to find out all that these wicked spirits have done in this world.

And I assure you that's a night. And then we'll move into spiritism and voodooism and charismaticism too. We mean to do it properly. And if all winter happens, if Jesus dies, it's only ten to ten tonight.

Worship Through the Hymn of Christ's Triumph

Well, what about it? Or let me offer Christmas. Let's sing a hymn that I think is a great one. 691. I honestly think that this is one of the greatest hymns in the book. I think it's a mighty one. You know, watch it.

I don't know who wrote it, but I know it's mighty. What lovely accuser of all evils that I have done, I know them well and thousands more. Jehovah findeth none. His be the victor's name. Who fought our fight alone.

Triumphant saints no honour claimed. Their conquest was his own. By richness and defeat he won the meek and calm. Trod all our foes beneath his feet by being shoddened out. He held in hell made law, made sense, he sent all through.

Bowed to the grave, destroyed its soul and dead by dying fluke. Blest, blest the conqueror slain. Slain by divine decree. Who lived? Who died? Who lives again? For thee, we sing for thee. My, what a masterpiece in the words of our God.

Now we're going to sing it all. Second we're trying to sing it all. 691 please. To thank thy holy name. We adore thee for Calvary. We thank thee Lord for the battle fought and the victory won and the enemy routed.

We bless thee thou art the last of them. Cause there'll be no second fight. Because you left no second foe. Park us in thy seasons. Take us to our homes in safety. Bless and preserve every head doused in thy blessings.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.