We Wrestle Not Against Flesh and Blood — Joshua Daniel

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge, our weekly quarter-hour broadcast bringing the reality of God's Word to all people everywhere. Stay tuned as Joshua Daniel challenges us to a walk with God and the corresponding impact that it'll have on our lives, families and society today.

The Christian Struggle Against Spiritual Forces

Now if you turn to Ephesians 6 and the 12th verse, here's a scripture that constantly challenges me. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Any wrestlers here? Well, I'm not talking about domestic wrestling.

Some of you may know that, but the Bible says, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities. You see, we never get into this arena. We never get into the ring. So we never get to do any of this kind of wrestling.

We wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Look at this. Against the rulers of the darkness of this world.

Confronting Spiritual Powers in a Hindu Pilgrimage Site

I was preaching about 10 days ago in a place of Hindu pilgrimage, a place to which many from Europe go, they get a clean bald, a glistening pate. I say, what? Your God wants your hair? Hair is generally dirty, you know, and smelly.

Your God wants your hair. God wants your heart. But you know, I always have a sense of deference. I say, look at their devotion. Who wants to look so odd, coming out with a clean shaven head, except some of our skinheads, of course.

You don't fancy yourself that way. Anyway, it is their devotion. So I say, hey, suppose that Christians don't have any such devotion. Here are these people, ready to give something which they treasure.

You know, a woman doesn't like to have a clean shaven head. And yet they do it. They want to do it for their gods. I was reminded of one of my campaigns there in a large hall. And it had a platform of greater length than the length of this hall.

Deliverance from Demonic Oppression

And here was a teacher, a woman who wanted to have a few words with me, apparently. She came up and just started talking. And she fell down and began to scream. And I knew it was the demons in her. So in Jesus' name, we commanded those demons to leave.

But they were a stubborn bunch. And you know the way that woman rolled right from end to end of that platform. And it was a horrible sight. And then the devil screamed, why do you bother about this woman?

She is a mere stick. I said, from where have you come? And the demon said, we are the gods that are worshipped away on that hilltop. OK, but you have no business here. You have to leave. Well, eventually, after a great struggle, these evil spirits left.

Spiritual Attack on Marriage and the Family

But you know, giving room to these evil spirits, there are various manifestations. Trouble in homes. You see, the family is a favorite point of attack. The devil wants to attack the home. So, you know, folks, if two of you agree concerning, two or three of you agree concerning, anything that you ask, it will be given to you.

What a promise. What a promise. Do you think there can be a better prayer group or a greater prayer group than a husband and a wife praying together with one heart? You know, folks, there's such power in such a prayer.

And yet the devil doesn't want it. So he fights. He either gets hold of the man or the woman and creates a kind of friction. It's not always seen on the surface, but it's there. What is that? You want to be biting your own flesh?

What are you doing? The Bible says no man hated his own flesh, hath yet hated his own flesh, when speaking about Christ and the church and marriage. But today people are just biting each other and destroying that oneness.

Cultural Violence and the Church's Spiritual Witness

And there's no power. What a team we ought to make. The devil is very clever. He uses various things to create some disturbance, some kind of what? Debate or even fighting or violence. I do not know. You see, since I'm a little out of touch with the level of violence in the country, it is quite evident to me with this binge drinking and that in the universities.

Just imagine some of these blokes from the universities that are so sodden with drink. Just imagine them being the future rulers and leaders of industry. Just imagine what kind of leaders are we producing today?

The Church of Jesus Christ ought to produce men and women of great quality. That's not happening. We struggle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers that are working both sinisterly and quite openly in our homes and in the society around us.

The Cost of Prayerlessness

My dear friends, you know, when you want to get a prayer group going, you can get a Bible study going. Oh, there are a lot of Bible studies. You know, people like to sit down and discuss and debate and talk about Bible themes and things like that.

But you ask them to come for prayer. They have nothing but excuses. Oh, how hard it is to get a faithful, dedicated bunch of people who will be present, come what may, at a precise time. You don't see such people.

Michael Faraday's Commitment to the Prayer Meeting

Some of you have heard of Michael Faraday, I hope, a man who invented the generator. You see, you can't do without the generator at all in society today. Well, when they were going to felicitate him, and the Prince of Wales was there to felicitate him and talk of his high achievements, he slipped away from the platform saying, it's time for my prayer meeting.

Can you imagine what courage it takes when you are the principal person who is expected to be there on the platform and you disappear in the middle of the proceedings saying, hey, there's a prayer meeting on in my church and I have to be there.

It takes a lot of courage. And so Michael Faraday disappeared from the platform. You know, we have had some great men who put Jesus first, but today it's a namby-pamby lot. You can't get a prayer group going.

Spiritual Renewal Instead of Institutional Maintenance

The spiritual survival. What's wrong? What shall I do to lift this country? Doesn't seem to strike people. Doesn't strike the churches. I'm shocked at the churches. They're so completely localized. We need to buy a new organ.

What nonsense? What? You need to make a big appeal for can't everyone see that the organ needs mending or replacement? Haven't we produced just two or three people with a little love and sacrifice? What kind of Christianity is this?

A Closing Prayer for Spiritual Awakening

But what bothers me is only one thing. Let me be like Jesus. Let's pray. Loving Father, we humbly ask you that you will send the light, send the light into the darkest corners. Some worshipers of the devil need to be challenged.

Oh, my Father, our university is becoming places where fellows are just losing their heads. Oh, Father, we pray and ask you. Save us, we pray. We ask in Jesus' holy name. Amen.

The speaker on this program was Joshua Daniel. He would like to know what your response has been to the Lord's Challenge and would be delighted to hear from you. Please write, and if you have burdens you want to share and want prayer, do let us know.

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