Jul 26, 2011

When God created the heavens and the earth, He established them upon fixed laws to function according to His will. These laws are both natural and moral, and they rule the heavens as well as the earth. In any spiritual conflict or dispute, the one who is on the right side of the law will receive the favorable ruling ("grace") in the Divine Court.

Lesson #8: The Law of God has jurisdiction over both heaven and earth.

Often times, when we feel overrun by evil, and when our appeals to God appear to be inadequate, we think that we need more angels. We tend to think that we are outnumbered somehow, and that the answer is to muster up more help. Certainly, there are times when God requires a certain number of prayer warriors in order to conduct a particular prayer campaign. I have seen this first hand. But having met such requirements, it is equally true that numbers are not an issue when obtaining justice in the Divine Court.

Spiritual warfare may be pictured as a pitched battle on a traditional battlefield, but ultimately it is a court battle that is decided in the Divine Court. In God's Court Room, His Law prevails, and justice is dispensed equitably to all parties of the dispute. He who is on the right side of the law wins, regardless of how many are supporting the one who has violated the law. Exodus 23 says,

(2) You shall not follow a multitude in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; (3) nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute... (7) Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty... (8) And you shall not take a bribe... (9) And you shall not oppress a stranger... for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

God's instructions to earthly judges are the same laws by which He Himself judges the earth. There is equal justice for all, whether Israelite or stranger. You cannot play on God's sympathy if you are poor, nor can the rich bribe God or pressure Him with a show of force and/or support. He is not impressed with a multitude of false witnesses (Ex. 23:1).

All that matters is whether you have violated the law or not.

In 1988 we were required to have at least 50 people to conduct a battle. But in 2001, when we were attacked by untold multitudes of spiritual forces from all over the world, we quickly learned that numbers made no difference. As long as we did things precisely as God had commanded, following His Law and being led by the Spirit in its application, we could not lose.

In fact, to be honest, at one point we did violate a tiny law that had escaped our notice, and only then were we in trouble. We went to our Advocate, learned what we needed to know, and then made the correction retroactively (because one is not bound by time in the spiritual realm). Then we could continue with the warfare, knowing that we would win.

As believers, you always have the best lawyer in town. The Holy Spirit is our Paraclete, or Advocate (attorney) in the Divine Court. The biblical term is a "comforter," or one who gives you aid in a court of law (John 15:26). He is your legal counsel, and if you follow His instructions, you will always win your case. Even if you have done wrong, He will show you the proper, legal procedure to follow, by which you can always receive "grace," that is, a FAVORable ruling.

Lesson #9: There is always a lawful procedure by which even sinners may obtain a favorable ruling in the Divine Court.

Lesson #10: In the Divine Court, the devil is the Prosecuting Attorney, while the Holy Spirit is your legal Counsel. Both are subject to the same Law.

The Holy Spirit will never violate the Law of the Judge, but He knows all the legal procedures by which sinners can be "justified." But we must follow the lawfully-prescribed procedure.

For instance, when the Prosecuting Attorney (devil, i.e., "the accuser") accuses you of sin, you must first determine if he is correct or not. After all, that is his job and the reason for his creation. It is to point out each and every sin you have ever committed, in order that you may be motivated to ask your Defense Attorney how to receive favor before the Court. If you are the sinner, then He will counsel you to confess the sin, but claim that the full penalty for that sin has already been paid by Jesus at the cross. If you show faith in Jesus Christ and the work that He did on the cross, then the law cannot condemn you for any sin that has already been paid.

Lesson #11: The Prosecuting Attorney does not play fair, but his strength lies in our own ignorance of the law and our tendency to neglect or disregard the legal Counsel available to us.

This is perhaps the biggest problem that Christians face today, simply because most have not been taught the principles of biblical law. They might still be able to win their case--even in total ignorance--if they knew how to be led by the Spirit step by step; but in reality, most ignorance of the law indicates some level of disrespect for the law, and so when our legal Counsel gives legal advice, they tend to attribute His advice to the devil. Obviously, this can be a problem.

I recall back in the 1980's, as I was in my training under "tutors and governors," we did not understand Lesson #12:

Lesson #12: The laws of war in Deut. 20 are also the laws of spiritual warfare, but must be applied in a New Covenant manner.

In the 1980's, our ignorance of the law resulted in spiritual casualties. In the end, I too was a casualty and had to take time off to recover. God used that time to teach me what I needed to know. So when God called me in 1993 to take the lead in the Jubilee Prayer Campaign, I was careful to observe the laws of war. I did not want casualties on my conscience.

Lesson #13: The reason we win our spiritual battles is not because we are Christians, but because we are obedient to the leading of the Spirit.

Becoming a Christian (believer) is only a door opener. To win spiritual battles requires training and preparation. My own training period was for 12 years (1981-1993), because I was being trained to lead people into battle. Most others do not require so much training. In fact, most of us receive on-the-job training. We learn by experience. But leadership requires much preparation, because lack of training can result in loss of life. As in the military, so also is it in spiritual warfare.

It is essential that in time of spiritual warfare, the leaders have a good grasp of Scripture, because these serve as our Manual. To despise the Manual is to put everyone in grave danger. Scripture comes in various sections: Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, and Apostolic Letters.

The Law gives the foundational principles that govern the entire plan of God. The Prophets show how God uses the Law to judge among the nations. The Psalms prophesy through music and timing. The Gospels show the fulfillment of the law and prophets, and the Apostolic Letters reapply the Law and Prophets according to the New Covenant. The book of Revelation rounds it out by giving detailed prophecy of the Age of Pentecost, so that we would understand the divine plan throughout the centuries.

Lesson #14: Any wrong view of the law or of prophecy will reduce the effectiveness of our prayers.

It is important to know what God is presently doing in the earth, so that our prayers are not contrary to His will and plan.