Breakthrough | Freedom | Dominion.
Ephesians 6:10-12 KJV
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye 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 .
For we wrestling not against flesh and blood:
Wrestling is defined as engaging in a physical altercation involving grappling with an adversary in an attempt to subdue or overpower them by bringing them to the ground.
It entails contending, fighting, tussling, brawling, battling, or scrapping with an opponent in order to emerge victorious.
Based on the aforementioned definition, it can be inferred that the primary goal of Satan and his malevolent entities is to engage in power struggles with the followers of Christ in order to defeat them by any means necessary.
Frequently, when Christians encounter difficulties in achieving success, they often attribute their failures to individuals in their inner circle, including family members, friends, and acquaintances. Often, going as far as to brand them as witches impeding their progress.
The Book of Ephesians unequivocally conveys the message that the adversary seeking to contend with or obstruct one’s success is not of human form nor a physical entity. Therefore, the challenges and obstacles you may be presently grappling with are a result of spiritual influences originating from an unseen realm.
The illness affecting your body, the medical condition with which you have been diagnosed that has been threatening your life, the financial challenges, the individuals who have been opposing you at your workplace, the marital problems causing you distress, and the obstacles hindering your advancement in life. These are all manifestations of malevolent spirits that Satan unleashes upon the followers of Christ.
These malevolent spirits frequently operate by exerting influence over people in your proximity, with the intention of inciting them to act against you.
Therefore, when engaging in prayer, it is important to direct your prayers not towards those opposing you but instead towards the spiritual forces motivating or manipulating them to oppose you.
If you neglect to address these malign spirits responsible through prayer and fasting, and instead rely on your own human abilities and understanding to address conflicts, you may experience adverse consequences and significant challenges.
Wrestling Against Principalities
A ‘principality’ can be defined as a small state or a state that is subsumed within a larger state, such as an empire. In instances where a principality exists, there is typically a prince holding authority. Where there is a prince, there is a king, and where there is a king, there is usually a kingdom or an empire.
The Biblical reference to principality is:
A spiritual being that inhabit a specific territory or kingdom under the dominion of Satan. These principality is often tasked with engaging in conflict or contention with those who are aligned with the Kingdom of God, which is governed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Daniel 10:12-13, the Bible records that when Daniel fasted for 21 days, an angel of the Lord was sent to him. The angel said,
“Do not be afraid, Daniel for the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:12-13).
The purpose of a principality is to oppose you from receiving answers or blessings from the Lord.
Whether its divine healing, a financial breakthrough, divine wisdom for a critical decision, or a breakthrough in your marriage, it is important to be aware that Satan may assign a spiritual agent to hinder you from receiving blessings from the Lord.
Often, it will require persistence, steadfastness in prayer sometimes with fasting, and a resolute attitude like that of the prophet Daniel in order to overcome the obstacles that Satan may place in your path.
Failure to do so may result in Satan thwarting your efforts until your faith weakens and you abandon your pursuit of blessings from the Lord.
The primary objective and central focus of a principality is to oppose, signifying a stance of opposition, hostility, disagreement, disapproval, resistance, contrariness, defiance, challenge, dispute, or combat.
This term “oppose” is referenced in the book of Daniel, where it elucidates the purpose and mission of a principality.
When you read the definition of the word “oppose”, it provides you with what an evil spirit such as a principality can influence a person to do. It can provoke others regardless of their religious beliefs, to act against your advancement, harbour unwarranted animosity towards you or resist the fulfillment of your divinely ordained purpose.
For instance, the siblings of Joseph in the biblical narrative (Genesis 37:12-36).exemplify how principalities seek to goad individuals into contending with those chosen by God to carry out a specific mission.
A Principality loves to influence others to fight against the God’s chosen people especially those chosen to accomplish an assignment for God.
It was the influence of a principality that led the servants of Nebuchadnezzar to conspire against Daniel by making false accusations that ultimately resulted in Daniel being placed in the lions’ den (Daniel 6: 1-24).
Principalities are territorial entities commonly assigned to specific regions, communities, or nations.
They have the ability to exert control over entire families, perpetuating cycles of poverty across generations.
Additionally, they play a role in affecting the mental well-being of families, leading to issues such as divorce, abuse, depression, and even suicide.
Principalities can control an entire community, city, state, region or country infesting it with drug addictions, alcoholism and prostitution.
These wicked spirits often influence people to indulge in sexual immorality, sexual uncleanliness such as pornography, sexual addictions, masturbation, fornication, adultery, incest, sodomy and every sexual sin that is contrary to the word of God.
The Prince of Persia in the book of Daniel was in charge of the entire region of Babylon where Daniel resides. Daniel pressed in through prayer and fasting before he was able to hear from God. Often, it will take fasting and prayer to call on God to intervene when you, a family member, your community, or nation is under the influence or control of a principality.
Basic church activities or religious festivities is not going to cut it or get you through the traffic in the spiritual realm.
Engaging in fasting and prayer, as well as leading a righteous life, serves as a declaration to the realm of Satan that you have chosen to separate yourself and stand against him and his malevolent forces. Simultaneously, it conveys to God your fervent desire for His intervention in circumstances that appear impossible by human means.
Overcoming spiritual forces of darkness necessitates a superior authority, which resides solely in the Holy Spirit of God within you, the ultimate source of power above all others.
The Lord has already bestowed upon us victory and power through His triumph over Satan on the cross at Calvary. It is now our responsibility to activate that power through faith and obedience to God’s Word, allowing us to experience ongoing success in our spiritual warfare against the forces of darkness.
My prayer is for the people of God to rise up, don the full armour of God, and engage in the fight. While the battle ultimately belongs to the Lord, He still calls upon us to confront the enemy before He sends His angels to accompany us, just as He did for the prophet Daniel.
Author: Andrew A. Osei
Recommended reading: “Generational Strongholds” and “Locating your Hidden Blessings” by Pastor Andrew
Dear andrewaosei.org owner, You always provide great examples and real-world applications.