Wrestling Against Principalities and Powers - Part 2 — Joshua Daniel

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge with Joshua Daniel. The Layman's Evangelical Fellowship International is a ministry reaching people from all walks of life since 1935. After a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ at the age of 16, Joshua Daniel has been declaring the marvellous deliverance from sin, which is freely given to all those who turn to the loving Saviour.

Wherever this message has gone out, broken relationships have been restored, sickness healed, ill-gotten money returned, and thieves turned into givers. We now invite you to watch and receive the invaluable blessing that God has for you.

The Spiritual Battle in Ephesians 6

Now dear friends, when I see the scriptures telling us where the battle really is. Now, when it comes to Ephesians 6 chapter and the 12th verse, I say to myself, what, am I at all in this kind of battle or am I playing around the periphery?

Ephesians 6 from 10th verse, Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, whose might, his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Now, if you turn to Mark the first chapter, 21st verse please, and they went into Capernaum and straightway on the Sabbath day, he entered into the synagogue and taught.

Jesus’ Authority Over Unclean Spirits

And they were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one that had authority and not as the scribes. There was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, let us alone, what have we to do with you, thou Jesus of Nazareth?

Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Holy One of God. Now, here is the Lord Jesus Christ being interrupted in the midst of his message. Now, do you think you have seen such interruptions in the churches where you have been hearing God's word?

Or you want to tell me that there is no demon possession anymore, anywhere around? My dear friends, satanic moves are so strong today. You know what I was told recently in Britain? That the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is that?

The topmost man in the British church, Archbishop of Canterbury, he is a druidic priest. Who are the druids? They don't, nobody knows. Who are the druids? The druids were the pre-Christian priests, worshippers of spirits.

I can't understand that. It came as a shock to me. And they said, oh, this is well known, that the Archbishop of Canterbury is a druidic priest. What? There must be some demons in the man, and those demons must be cast out.

I don't have any doubt about this matter, that demons are driving some of our pulpits, whatever they may say, whatever their language. If there is not the hallmark of holiness, if there's not the hallmark of holiness, it's not of the Holy Spirit.

Humility and Spiritual Authority in the Church

My dear people, you and I are not to run the church. Who are we? We know so little, we can do almost practically nothing. Out of me, that is out of my flesh, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. That's settled.

So, am I the man to run the church? No, I am not. If I pretend to be, or take on that role, what happens? The devil gets into me. If I lose that humble spirit, that broken spirit, the devil soon gets into the pulpit.

Discernment and the Church’s Response to Demonic Opposition

Now, when the Lord Jesus Christ spoke, the demons cried out, why, why don't they do so now? What's the problem? Why is it that we don't have, you mean to tell me there are no demons around? So many demon-possessed people, and poor psychiatrists, they feel, huh, and they know how the number of their patients and the nature of their complications is such that they cannot handle it at all.

Well, what about the Christian church? Have we got the power to cast out these wild spirits? We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. Now, the 16th chapter of Acts, please.

The Gospel’s Conflict With Earthly Powers

Here, these men, you know, friends, when they took the gospel to Europe, certainly they did not expect such a warm welcome, but they were given such a tumultuous welcome, you know, riotous welcome. 16th chapter of Acts, please.

All right, from verse 19, And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers and brought them to the magistrates.

Just notice this. Here is the message hardly entering into Europe. They are hailed before the magistrates. You see? What is this? Saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Hey, we are in conflict. These fellows are bringing in their own system, which is contrary to the Roman constitution. Suppose tomorrow somebody begins to say in the Senate and the House that a meeting like this is unconstitutional, and I need the dog collar before I can preach.

Pardon me, I mean a clerical collar. But suppose it says a new bill passed, and a lot of irrelevant bills are being passed today, very hurtful to the soul of the nation. Okay, some new law is passed, whereby it is declared that we are all partaking in something which is destructive of the constitution.

All right. Are we going to take it sitting and say, Yes, yes, yes, we are certainly fighting, doing things which are contrary to the constitution? Of course not. Anybody with any knowledge of America's history knows that this country was founded on the basis of God's word.

And as Andrew Jackson said, when the Bible goes, this country goes also. Yes, it is a fact. When the Bible goes, this country goes also. And that's what we are witnessing today. You know, it's all fun and games, you see.

Have a nice time. That's all. Fun, fellowship, and fine food. That constitutes a Christian conference. What rubbish is all that? So, when the gospel went to Europe, it was immediately opposed by the highest powers.

These men teach customs which are contrary for us to keep, being Romans. See, where is the fight? The fight is at the highest level. And what are we fighting? You know, we'll never run out of actors. If ever the drama folks and the show business runs out of actors, you can get any amount of supply from the pulpit.

Actors, what are you acting? Oh, I'm preaching a great sermon. What is, what nonsense? Where is the battle? I don't know where the battle is. See, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Somehow, brothers, when I read the scriptures, I find myself as a very low caliber person.

Low caliber. No power, no fire power. Where should the fire power be directed? Against the top. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. Unrighteousness at the top.

Untruth at the top. I do not know if idols have also gotten into the White House. One thing I know, somewhere, some newspapers, somewhere out east, said that Diwali was being celebrated in the White House.

I don't know if any of you took up a piece of paper and wrote a protest that idolatrous practices should not come into the White House. But, you know, schooling in some of those areas, which are so devoid of truth, so devoid of truth, by Mr. Obama's own account, in his own writing.

If you are surrounded by influences like that, that does something to you. Untruthful man who cannot be depended on. That's the company of men with whom our present president worked. And he plainly saw it and said so in his book.

Truth, Slavery, and Spiritual Freedom

Friends, when a country ceases to produce men who can call a spade a spade, that means the battle is gone. We don't even know what do you diagnose. If you know where the disease is, you diagnose the disease.

But if you deny the disease, you don't diagnose. There's no healing. Why? You have not even identified or tried to identify the disease. The Lord Jesus Christ said, ye shall know the truth. So, you're going to identify the seat of the trouble.

Ye shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. If you don't know the truth, you're not probably going to even ask for freedom because you don't even know that you're a slave. Folks, the battle appears to be way above the tops of our heads.

A Fixed Heart in a Time of Spiritual Warfare

But one thing, I don't like to run a trade. I'm not made for show business. This is a testing time. Where is our heart? Can we say with David, my heart is fixed. My heart is fixed. I'm going to magnify your name.

If so, you are a happy person. When your heart is fixed, there is no more battle there. It's fixed. I am my Lord's and He is mine. Let's pray. Loving Father, we want our hearts to be fixed at such a time when the battle is way beyond us, way beyond me.

What spiritual pygmies we have become. Oh, my Father, forgive us that the pulpit should be so full of pygmies, little lily bushions that strut around talking big words. Oh, Father, teach us to carry the battle to the gates of the enemy.

Thou has told us that the gates of hell will not prevail against you, against the church. Oh, my Father, have mercy upon us. These powers of darkness, people becoming Satanists, people proclaiming that they are Satanists.

Oh, my Father, I do not know all that is happening. Oh, Father, have mercy, I pray. Here is a situation where people do not want the truth, where they are not allied to the truth. They are not hurt by the fact that truth has become a fugitive.

Oh, my Father, forgive us, forgive us. Oh, send thy truth and your light and make us obedient children, not a bunch of talkers, but those that have got a real fixation of heart. Lord, my heart is fixed.

I will rejoice and give praise, so help us, we pray. And through the blood of Jesus our Lord, let these demons that are invading the nations and our councils and the seats of our governance may be driven out.

Hear our prayer. In Jesus' almighty name, Amen.

You would like to share, please do let us know. You can email us at post at lefi .org or visit our website at lefi .org. Our mailing address is LEFI P .O. Box 1072 Armidale WA 6992. Until we meet again next week, may God bless you.