(From Chapter 14 of Kingdom Authority).
Since the cross, the powers of evil have lived on scraps of authority by retaining control over people who do not believe they are defeated. Two big obstacles allow them to retain authority on earth. These must be removed before the Kingdom can come in its fullness.
1. Old Covenant
The first big obstacle comes from the old covenant. Most of the Jewish people rejected the new covenant established by Jesus and chose to remain under the Mosaic covenant. Jesus had warned of the consequences, when he finished challenging the Jewish leaders with his terrible prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem.
Look, your house is left to you desolate (Matt 23:38).
Their desolation is the consequence of their covenant. The Jewish people have a marvellous covenant with wonderful promises, but they are incapable of fulfilling it. Jesus satisfied the covenant by living a perfect life, but the Jews rejected him, so his righteousness does not count for them. Worse still, they have no way of dealing with their sin. The sacrifices of the old covenant were effective in Old Testament times because they pointed to Jesus, but when the temple was destroyed, they stopped, so no sacrifice for sin now exists for them.
The Jewish people are now on the wrong side of a good covenant, caught under a curse and shut out of its blessings. The spiritual forces of evil are expert accusers, so they demand the right to enforce the old covenant against the Jewish people. The old covenant gives them authority to inflict the curses specified (Deut 28), so the Jews have no spiritual protection. Although Jesus defeated the powers of evil, they still have authority to attack those who have chosen to live under the old covenant.
With the temple and sacrifice gone, the old covenant is a disaster for the Jewish people because they have no remedy for sin. Whenever the powers of evil want to do great evil on earth, they attack them because the old covenant gives them this authority. Throughout New Testament history, the powers of evil have used this last vestige of authority to do great evil on earth. The Second World War was horrendous in Eastern Europe because they stirred up political leaders to attack the Jews in Poland and Ukraine. Between 1930 and 1945, 14 million civilians were killed.
This season when the Jews are stuck under the old covenant is called the Times of the Gentiles. Jesus described this season when he prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the Times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24).
The destruction of Jerusalem marked the beginning of the Times of the Gentiles. Jesus used this name because most Jews would be shut out of his covenant during this season.
During the Times of the Gentiles, the powers of evil retain this one small bit of legal authority on earth, despite their defeat on the cross. The Jews are stuck under the curse of their covenant with no remedy for sin (Matt 23:39), so the powers of evil have authority to harm them. While the Jews are scattered among the nations, they have authority to work throughout the world. This has held back the Kingdom for more than 2000 years.
The United States has the largest Jewish population in the world outside Israel. They are good productive people, but they have no spiritual protection. This opens a door to spiritual evil that is more dangerous than the United States' leaky land borders.
2. Principalities and Powers (Government-spirits)
The second big obstacle to the Kingdom of God is human political power. Towards the end of the Times of the Gentiles, a massive growth in political authority will amplify the authority of the principalities and power (government-spirits) that control cities and nations. The people on earth rely on political authorities for prosperity and security. Unfortunately, this trust in political authority allows the spiritual powers of evil to expand their authority.
When the people of a city or nation submit to their political leaders, they give them authority over their lives. If the powers of evil get to control the people at the top of the political hierarchy, they gain authority over all the people submitted to them. Concentration of political power leverages the authority of the powers of evil.
The spiritual powers that control political leaders are called "government-spirits" in the Bible. Some, like Prince of Persia, take the name of their nation (Dan 10:20). They have immense authority on earth, despite their defeat on the cross because people submit to the leaders controlled by them. Political leaders have legal authority over their people, so attacking them gives the government-spirits control over cities and nations.
Focusing on individual people is a very inefficient way for the powers of evil to use their shrinking power. If an evil spirit gains control over one person, it can make that person's life miserable, but that is all. By getting control over a political leader, the same spirit can make an entire nation miserable. The powers of evil amplify their power by attacking people with political authority.
The power of evil is mostly an illusion, but concentrating on a few powerful people has allowed the forces of evil to magnify their pathetic power. Controlling human political power has amplified their authority out of proportion to their strength.
In the modern world, political power has been centralised and consolidated as never before. The leader of a modern democratic nation has greater power and authority than an emperor in Old Testament times, because they can control every aspect of life in their city or nation.
The political systems of great nations are extremely dangerous, because one person has control over hundreds of millions of people. The spiritual powers of evil can gain huge power on earth, by deploying a few strong spirits to get control of the president of China, Russia or the United States. By getting control of these leaders, government-spirits get authority over everyone submitted to them. Concentration of human political power gives vast power to the government-spirits that control it.
Government-spirits love to "steal, kill and destroy" (John 10:10). We are seeing this now in many parts of the world. Wars and economic crashes are not God's judgments, but are a sign that evil powers have been given a free hand.
Political power is a huge obstacle to the Kingdom of God because it is so vulnerable to evil. Political evil cannot be defeated with political power. Many Christians have unwittingly supported the enemy and held back the Kingdom by seeking political power. Instead, we must wait until God destroys human government by bringing judgment against it when the time is right.
Modern Israel
The state of Israel has both problems. The death of the Jewish state in AD 70 broke the control of the government-spirits that had dominated the nation since the time of Jeroboam (2 Kings 24:9). However, the destruction of the temple ended the sacrifices that dealt with guilt and sin (Heb 9:13), so the people lost their spiritual protection. God scattered them throughout the world to keep them safe from evil government-spirits (Rev 12:16).
Establishing a nation state in Palestine in 1948 was spiritually dangerous, because once Israeli political power was established, the violent government-spirits that dominated Jeroboam, Ahab and Herod were able to move back in and seize control. The temple was still destroyed, so there is no sacrifice for sin. The people in the nation of Israel are still under the old covenant with no covering for sin, so they have no protection from evil. Yet by establishing a political system, they placed themselves under the control of evil government-spirits.
Dealing with government-spirits
Resisting government-spirits is extremely difficult in a political age. The political authorities that rule cities and nations reinforce their power, so it is dangerous to engage with government-spirits without understanding the source of their authority.
1. Declarative Prayer
The Bible promises that the church will eventually defeat them by enforcing the victory of Jesus against them.
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the spiritual realms, according to his eternal purpose (Eph 3:10).
The church supports the victory of Jesus by resisting the rulers and authorities in the spiritual realms. Declarative prayer is essential for defeating government-spirits, but it is only effective if the authority issues are understood.
When government-spirits gain control over the political leaders of a city or nation, they gain authority over all the people who submit to them.
When they ignore God, political authorities give government-spirits authority over their city or nation.
Politicians are committed to the power of coercion, so they align naturally with government-spirits. They unwittingly collude together in a silent partnership because they need each other.
When new people gain political power, they are quickly overwhelmed by government-spirits, so they just go along. Democratic change usually fails because any new government is dominated by the same spirits.
Christians are seated with Jesus, so they have authority over all spiritual powers, including those that control nations.
Christians do not have authority over political leaders. God wants them to be free, so they are not under our authority. Jesus never attempted to cast evil spirits out of Herod or Pilate because they never gave him permission.
Christians often act as if only evil nations are controlled by the powers of evil, but all political power attracts government-spirits. If they submit to the political authorities in their city or nation, they give the associated government-spirits authority in their lives.
Christians can pray and bind the government-spirits that control a city or nation, but these prayers seldom achieve victory. As soon as they turn their back, the political authorities "pull rank" and give spirits permission to return.
When Christians pray for government-spirits they leave, but when the political powers invite them back, they return, with many more who are even more wicked (Luke 11:26). This makes the situation in the city or nation worse.
If the people praying against government-spirits are submitted to political powers, they can be whacked hard.
Christians should choose their spiritual targets carefully. Some Christians have been seriously harmed when engaging in spiritual warfare against the government-spirits of their city and nation. The reason is conflicting authority lines. Christians are seated with Jesus, so they have authority over government-spirits, but if they have submitted to the political powers in their city or nation, government-spirits have some authority over them. As the political leaders have greater authority than the Christians, the Christians lose the authority contest. Those who pray against big spirits in places where they do not have authority can be hit hard.
2. Prophetic Influence
Prophets can use their political influence to push back against government-spirits, without getting hurt in the battle, if they have not submitted to political authority. Daniel influenced the King of Babylon because he and his friends never acknowledged the authority of the King of Babylon, but remained loyal to God (Dan 1:8;6:10). Their refusal to submit to his authority kept them safe from government-spirits that controlled the king. The King of Babylon submitted to Daniel, because he could interpret his dreams.
3. Rejecting Political Power
Government-spirits obtain authority on earth by colluding with human political powers. Christians should be wary of submitting to human political powers because this puts them under authority of the government-spirits that control them. We may sometimes have to submit to political leaders voluntarily for the sake of peace, so we can get on with sharing the gospel, but we must never forget that they are usurpers of authority (1 Pet 2:13-15). If they prevent us from serving Jesus, we should withdraw our submission and accept the consequences, knowing that the worst they can do is take our lives.
Modern societies are dominated by their governments, so Christians have often been tempted to use the power of the state to force people to change their behaviour in line with God's will. These "moral laws" undermine his Kingdom because they authenticate the Imposed Authority of the modern state.
Seeking political power is a wasted effort because God does not want a Christian minority enforcing his will on an unwilling world. A kingdom of love cannot be established by Imposed Authority. We cannot use political power to defeat government-spirits.
- Political power grieves the Holy Spirit,
- Imposed Authority causes the Holy Spirit to flee.
- Resisting evil with force empowers the powers of evil.
- Political power empowers government-spirits.
Instead of fighting against human power, Christians should wait for God to deal with it. This can be painful, but we can only obtain victory in God's way.
4. Suffering and Service
When human governments collude with the government-spirits to oppose God, Christians should follow Jesus' example and bless those who oppose them. We must overcome evil by doing good, even if it leads to persecution and suffering (Rom 12:9-21). We should love those who fight against the gospel and serve those who oppose the Kingdom of God.
Government-spirits are undermined by suffering and love. When Christians suffer for Jesus, the Holy Spirit rests on them and flows out to touch those who are persecuting them. A good example is the centurion who crucified Jesus (Luke 23:47). This centurion was a mean killing machine, who had crucified hundreds of people, but after watching Jesus die, he glorified God and declared that Jesus was a righteous man. Jesus' suffering released the Holy Spirit to work in his battle-hardened heart.
The Holy Spirit can defeat government-spirits, provided he is given authority to do it his way. When Christians get involved in political and military struggles, he is constrained. Suffering releases the Holy Spirit, allowing him to achieve victory.
5. Preaching the Gospel to Political Leaders
If the leaders of a city or nation repent and reject the control of government-spirits, the people who have submitted to them will be freed too. Preaching the gospel to political authorities can change the fate of a nation.
Jesus urged those who are preaching the gospel to seek out the person of influence (Matt 10:11). If this person comes to faith, spiritual authority in the village or town will change.
When the people of Nineveh heard Jonah's preaching and repented, the king of Nineveh also shook himself free from the government-spirits controlling him.
Paul welcomed the opportunity to preach to King Agrippa (Acts 25:13-27). He knew that if the king accepted the gospel, he could shift his authority into the Kingdom of God.
I presume Paul appealed to Caesar to get a chance to speak to people with political authority (Acts 25:10-12).
6. Judgment
Political leaders usually find it hard to repent and believe the gospel because they are manipulated by government-spirits in spiritual places. When government-spirits get too strong and the people with political authority are staunch in their support, God sometimes needs to send judgment against them to set his people free. When the Kings of Babylon grew too strong, God used the Medes and Persians to destroy his power.
When political leaders are swept from power by the judgments of God, the authority government-spirits is destroyed too, as they depend on political power for their authority. When political power is judged and destroyed, mighty government-spirits are transformed into ordinary evil spirits. They become trespassers with no legitimate authority on earth.
God does not engage in mindless destruction. He only judges nations to eliminate the authority of the government-spirits that control them. He does not create the judgment himself, but withdraws his protection and lets government-spirits do what they have been given authority to do by the political power.
In the Old Testament, judgments were more frequent because they were God's best tool for restraining evil. Jesus reduced the need for judgments by changing the authority situation on earth. God prefers to deal with obstinate nations with the gospel and the Spirit, so judgments to destroy evil power should be very rare.
In the gospel age, judgments against nations will be the last resort for dislodging government-spirits that have become too powerful. However, there will be times when a city or nation is so overwhelmed by the powers of evil that the Holy Spirit is unable to work. Once evil is embedded in a culture, God has no alternative but to bring judgment against it. A disaster that sweeps away the political powers entrenching government-spirits is often the only way to break their hold.
Judgment is God's business. We cannot decide when it should come, and we should not try to bring it about.
Do not take revenge, but leave room for God's wrath (Rom 12:19).
Christians should not get into wrath. We should leave it to him.
7. Prepared Remnant
God sends prophets to warn a nation on the brink of judgment. Their prophecies give God authority to bring judgment against the corrupt nation. When their prophets warn of judgment, Christians should heed the warning and get together to protect themselves. They will be more secure, if they live close to others who are committed to supporting each other.
Christians who stand alone can be picked off one by one. When the enemy is strong and God has been squeezed out of a city or nation, it is dangerous for Christians to be isolated. They should come together for spiritual protection. A group of Christians who understand authority should submit to each other to establish a place of safety in a dangerous world.
Judgment is pointless without a prepared remnant. If the remnant is not prepared to demonstrate the love of God during the crisis, the opportunity is wasted. A crisis can open people's hearts, but if no one is there to pour oil on their wounds, scars will harden their hearts to the gospel. When judgment brings down the political powers, the remnant must be ready with an alternative culture to fill the gap left by their collapse.
Last Obstacles Removed
The last two obstacles to the Kingdom of God will be removed during a Time of Distress that marks the end of the Times of the Gentiles. This season is climaxed by two events:
- The fullness of the Jews
- government-spirits destroyed.
When the Jews come to faith in Jesus, the powers of evil will no longer be able to use the curses of the old covenant to work evil on earth. Their authority on earth will be severely curtailed.
When the political powers collapse during the Time of Distress, government-spirits will no longer be able to leverage their authority by manipulating political power. When political structures disappear, their authority will vanish too.
When these last two obstacles are gone, the powers of evil will have lost their last scraps of authority on earth. They will have to go back to attacking individuals, a game that makes them much more vulnerable to the gospel. The church will have authority to release the Holy Spirit to establish Jesus' victory on earth.
I describe the two events that remove these last obstacles in my book called Times and Seasons. In the remainder of this article, I focus on the authority shifts achieved by these events. They usher in the season when the powers of evil are put in their place.
Fullness of the Jews
God has promised that all Israel will eventually come to faith in Jesus (Rom 11:25-26). The major event that ends the Times of the Gentiles is the Fullness of the Jews. This event will be a huge turning point in history, as the powers of evil will be stripped of their last vestige of authority when Israel comes to faith in Jesus.
And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son (Zech 12:10).
At the end of Times of the Gentiles, the Spirit of the Lord will be poured out on all Israel. This will cause the Jewish people to cry out to Jesus for deliverance. The Holy Spirit will give them faith to receive the salvation that comes through grace.
When the season of Jewish desolation ends, the powers of evil will lose the authority on earth that they gained by attacking the Jews. This may not seem like a big deal, but this will be a huge shift of authority. The powers of evil will be severely weakened and the body of Christ will be complete. No wonder Paul described their fullness as "life from the dead" (Rom 11:15).
The fullness of the Jews eliminates the authority that the powers of evil have gained by demanding the right to enforce the curses of the old covenant. When the Jews move under the new covenant, the curses of the old covenant will lose their power. Jesus' sacrifice will cover their sins and provide them with full spiritual protection from all the spiritual powers of evil. The Fullness of the Jews will bring a rapid decline in evil and open the way for the advance of the Kingdom of God.
If their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring (Rom 11:12).
A key obstacle to the Kingdom of God will be gone. God will then be free to pour out his Spirit and bring the Kingdom to its promised fulfilment.
Big Collapse of Big Government
Human political power is the other big obstacle to the Kingdom because it undermines God's authority and offers a false salvation. The spread of democracy has increased this faith. This widespread trust in human political power must be swept away before the Kingdom of God can come to fullness on earth.
Towards the end of the Times of the Gentiles, political power will be expanded and centralised. This concentration of power will further empower government-spirits. A political empire called the Beast in the book of Revelation will be given immense authority by other political powers during this time of darkness on earth. The government-spirit that controls this Beast will gain authority over much of the earth, as the people on earth submit to its authority.
This Beast will persecute Christians. We should not fight against the Beast, but wait until God brings it down through his judgments. The kingdom of man will be unable to deliver on its promises and will eventually collapse.
When the time is right, Christian prophets will also announce God's judgment of this political empire. Their prophetic words will release the power of the Holy Spirit to destroy human government and political empires throughout the world. Big powerful government will sink like a millstone thrown into the sea, never to be seen again (Rev 18:21). Its destruction will be so horrifying that the people of the world will never trust it again.
- Confidence in political power will be shaken.
- Human government will be exposed as a false hope.
- Faith in democracy will be crushed.
- Trust in force will be betrayed.
- Political power will crumble, collapse and sneak away.
- The faith in political power that hides in human hearts will vanish forever.
When human rulers and empires collapse, the government-spirits that have amplified their power through them will be shattered. With no place to stand, they will become common evil spirits defeated by the cross. When political leaders lose their power, the spiritual forces will be fragmented and weak.
When human governments stop functioning, a power vacuum will exist. Those who have trusted in democratic government will be desperate for something different and better. With human government crushed by events it could not control, people will be desperate for a saviour who keeps his promises. They will welcome the Kingdom of God.
As human political powers are swept away, authority will return to families and local communities. Political power will be chopped up, pushed down and spread around to people who trust Jesus and walk in the Spirit. The kingdoms of the world will disappear and be replaced by the Kingdom of God (Rev 11:15).
Kingdom Communities
During a Time of Distress, religious structures will be torn down and Kingdom Communities will emerge in their place. Christians will be forced into deeper relationships with each other to survive in the hostile world. The Holy Spirit will flood them with love as they live out Jesus' new commandment (John 13:34).
Kingdom Communities will transform their neighbourhoods. As the structures of society fall apart, they will demonstrate a way of life that will appeal to a shaken world. The number of kingdom communities will grow quickly as the new way of living spreads from place to place as the Holy Spirit moves in power.
Each community will be a microcosm of the Kingdom of God, providing everything that governments have failed to deliver, but without Imposed Authority. They will be united by love and service under Free Authority.
Return to the Kingdom of God.
