One of the topics I've seen discussed to ever increasing degrees, probably because God wants me to touch on it myself, is the subject of how to handle the problems of this world.  We have abortion, radical Islam, the attacks on Israel, sin, persecution, gay marriage and so many other topics that the Church is forced to fight against.  There are even some groups who have called for the state to "bring back the lions" (yeah, that was their actual words) referring to the Roman persecution of Christians.  In fact, it's getting so bad around here, we're starting to look like a cross between Babylon and Rome.

This is a real mess that the Church has allowed to grow due to the ever increasing amounts of moral relativism that they've openly and gladly embraced.  So what's the best way we can reverse this trend and return this nation to its Christian roots?  Well, as some might think, we need to pray against powers and principalities, and it's Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 12 that gives them the motivation to think that way.  I hate to say this, but they're WRONG.  Let me explain.

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians and told them WHO we were fighting against, if you read further you notice something very obvious in its striking absence.  He doesn't give you a recipe or a guide on how to pray them down or how to bring them to their knees.  What's the next thing he says?

Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) - "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

He tells you to put on your armor.  Your spiritual armor.  It says nothing about praying to God to bring down the principalities.  It says armor up.  In verse 15 he says, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"  The Gospel of Peace.  Wait, hold on.  No prayer?  Nope, none.  But you do notice what he's suggesting.  Your method to defeat these kind of enemies is the Gospel.  But wait.  How do you defeat demons with the Gospel?  That's the beauty of it.

It's not the demons you have the responsibility of defeating.  Yes, you must stop them from attacking your own life and weakening you, or destroying your work for God.  That's what the armor is for.  But what does a foot soldier do when he's armored up?  He goes after other soldiers.  He doesn't go out with his pocket lighter and attack a tank.  He grabs his sword and does battle with another soldier like him.  That's the same thing we should be doing.  Why?  Well, for many reasons, but the biggest of these is this.  Demons need permission to do the evil they're doing now.

For example, there are so many people I hear day in and day out blaming Obama or Congress or one of the other people in office for our problems.  NO!!  Time and time and time again, NO!!  They are NOT the problem.  They are merely the symptom of the problem.  Allow me to demonstrate.  Look at the bible, chapter after chapter, verse after verse.  When the people were good, they got a good king.  When the people were evil, they got an evil king.  God gives us the leaders we deserve, not those we want.

For example, Israel demanded a king rather than waiting on God.  They got Saul.  Later on you see this repeated in greater detail.  When the people followed God they got a good king.  When they turned away from God, they got an evil king.  So if you're praying for God to tear down the powers at the top, the principalities or the leaders of this nation, YOU'RE PRAYING FOR THE WRONG THING!  Allow me to demonstrated.  When Satan stood before God and accused Job one of the things he mentions is that God has placed a hedge around him.

He didn't have to get permission as some believe.  Nope, Satan can do what he wants, and only when God steps in and says no, or puts a hedge of protection around someone telling Satan and his minions, this far and no farther, is he prevented from acting.  However, did you know that you can actually give permission to Satan do to something against you or work darkness in your life?  When we sin, it gives demons power, and it gives them permission to enter our lives and torment us.

But wait, that's not biblical, right?  Wrong.  God believes very strongly in free will.  If you ask Him for His protection, He will give it to you, save only for those times when the lifting of that hedge will be to your greater benefit than maintaining it.  Otherwise, if you say, "God protect me." He will.  But if you sin, even if you don't say it, you're telling God, "no thanks I don't want your protection", and at the same time giving permission to demons to work against you.  I've heard it time and time and time again from many great men who have worked in that area where they've exorcised demons or fought against dark powers, and ya know what?  It's striking the number of times they've heard the demons speak from the lips of the possessed and say, "I'm here by permission."

That means the demon possessed that person because they wished it to be.  Sure, they may not have said, "Yes, possess and torment me."  But they still did, and it was through their actions and the things they allowed into their lives that it became possible for that to happen.  Things like violent video games, horror films, pornography, occult practices and the like.  Had they not, God would have erected or maintained a hedge of protection around them and the demons wouldn't have been able to enter, save for in special times of testing, and even then it would be limited.

Which now brings me to my point.  It's individual people who gives the powers and principalities their strength, their authority, and their power.  So if you're praying against such things, you're praying wrong.  Don't go after head.  Go for the feet, and the feet are those who welcome in the power of Satan.  It's like what one statesman once said, "Leaders only rule by the will of the people."  The same is true in this world.  Demons only rule by the will of the people."  God is the only one that supersedes and overrides that rule, but otherwise it remains true the entire remainder of the time.

So how do you stop the powers that be, the principalities and demonic forces ruling in your part of the world?  How do you stop rampant, blatant sin, moral relativism, and other much, much darker things that rule our world?  You go after the thing that gives them power, and that's people.  Hence the Gospel spoken about by Paul, as mentioned above.  You must change hearts and minds through fasting, prayer, and the fearless preaching of the Gospel to all.  I don't care if it makes you uncomfortable, or if it might cost you your job, or if you might get arrested.

Paul was beaten, stone, imprisoned, tortured and many worse things time and time and time again, and did he stop preaching the Gospel?  Not at all!  In fact, it fired him up and gave him even more will and desire to preach all the more.  It's like what one of our elders said recently during a bible study.  If you're not willing to lay down EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING for the Gospel, then you will lose it all.  It's basically what Matthew 16:25 says.

Matthew 16:25 (KJV) - "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

In other words, if you're willing to throw away everything, to lose all, to hold onto nothing, then you will gain everything.  But if you are unwilling to give up anything, you will lose it all.  So if you want to change this world, to defeat the powers and principalities, and end the control demons have over this world, then you need to be boots on the ground, bible in hand, surrendering ALL for God.  Not a little, not part.  ALL.  EVERYTHING.  The entire enchilada.  And you must reach people with the Gospel of Christ.

The only way to change and ultimately save this world is to reach people with the Gospel, change hearts, change minds, and completely overhaul lives, even if it costs you everything.  Otherwise you may as well be spitting into the wind because you'll be no more effective than that.  And if you find that you can't let go of your things, of your life, of your place in this world, remember this.  Everyone dies.  Everyone inherits a six foot hole in the ground.  Everything you have rots, rusts, decays, dies.  And when God is done with this world, every last thing you have, should any of it survive that long, will be BURNED TO ASH.  At that point the only difference between the rich and the poor will be the size of the ash pile at their feet.

But those who give all for Christ will find a reward in Heaven that will make everything here on Earth look like a dirty little piece of dust.  In fact, it'll probably even be less than that.  One tiny spec in Heaven is worth more than this entire universe, because it's everlasting, and this is only temporary.  So get out there, read your bible, grow in faith, put on the whole armor of God, and start going after the one thing that gives Satan his power: People.  Pray for them, preach to them, witness to them, help them, minister to them, and bring them to a saving knowledge of the one and only person who can save them from their misery, their sin, and ultimately an eternity in Hell.

Christ.

So, what are you doing this afternoon?  Are you going to surrender your entire life to Christ, and gain more than you could ever imagine, or are you gonna hold onto it and lose it all?  Think about that a bit.