Spiritual Warfare

Any author embarking on writing a story or a full length novel based upon spiritual warfare must first do his research. Spiritual warfare is an extremely interesting subject and offers a rich tapestry on which to weave an exciting and dramatic plot and it presents the writer with fascinating materials in which to explore ethical, philosophical and spiritual truths. 

It is a very controversial subject and in Christian circles the spectrum of opinion ranges from total skepticism and disbelief to obsessional beliefs that everything has a demonic origin. Clearly such extremes, I think do not, present the serious writer with a reasonable storyline. But the middle ground offers a fantastic backdrop to create fiction.

Spiritual warfare simply described is a range of Christian activity whereby satanic demons are combatted, confronted and defeated using prayer and faith. Christians who find themselves immersed in these battles and struggles are often aided by heavenly angels.  Spiritual warfare is being fought out between two kingdoms vying for power, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Darkness ruled over by Satan.  

For Christian writers the ground on which their research should be based is the Bible. There are many and various references throughout the Bible both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament to angels and demons in conflict with each other and with God’s people. The many examples in the Bible provides unequivocally proof that:   

a)     Angels and Satan and his demons exist and do interact with God’s people for good and ill

b)    That God himself and Jesus whilst on the earth, Old Testament peoples and New Testament Christians unequivocally believed in demons and their ability to inflict harm. 

Anyone studying this will quickly find that although there are numerous references and descriptions of angels and demons and their activities there is not a definitive description of either. But this is not a disadvantage to the writer for he can use his imagination, within the bounds of biblical truth, to create both angelic and demonic characters which are both interesting and more importantly believable. Their interaction with humans as described in the Bible shows that at least part of their personality must be human-like in order to have efficacious communication.   

One aspect of angels and demons that I find very interesting is whether they have wings. I have done my research and I strongly believe that they do not have wings. That is going to a topic for my next blog. 

The introduction of angels and demons into a spiritual warfare story makes it possible to delve deeply into questions of good and evil which can then encompass all human faults and failings of character such as corruption, temptation and lust for power, money and sex.  

Of course it also allows the writer to paint a picture of redemption, healing and salvation and access to the throne of God’s Grace.  The subject of spiritual warfare should not be labeled simply supernatural fantasy as it truly is a wonderful canvas on which to create a story that can have direct and powerful affect upon readers’ minds and souls and all for the good. This is when fiction can be used to its fullest and most noble degree.    

For those people who want to look deeper into this subject I strongly recommend Dr. Karl Payne’s book ‘Spiritual Warfare’ which is a balanced and very informative book.

  

Dark Matter - Thinking the Unthinkable

Recent Posts Thinking the Unthinkable In the beginning Applauding Melvin Bragg Autumn Poem 'There is evil in the world.' Categories Book Signings Light of the Holy Musings News Poems Supernatural powered by Admin Log In

My Blog Thinking the Unthinkable Posted on Monday, October 17, 2011 10:43 AM It wasn’t so long ago that scientists had solved the last missing piece in the creation of the 14 million year old universe. The big bang explained everything and any other view or theory was simply old hat. What the scientists did not tell us was although the Big Bang Theory met some of the conditions of the beginning of the universe it failed to satisfy the finer bits of the cosmology model. Some of the math just didn’t add up. Look out for scientists sweeping unpopular bits of theory under the carpet. At last some more honest scientists have admitted that they don’t really know what is happening out there in deep space. It defies human logic, or in other words fails to meet observable criteria upon which science is based. Some brave scientists are actually saying ‘Sorry, we don’t know. We might have it all wrong!" Perhaps its time to think the unthinkable? What I mean is this. Understanding phenomena from a scientific viewpoint is all about investigation, analysis and coming up with sound conclusions. At every step of the way language and numbers are used as a tool to engender the processes with intelligence, albeit human intelligence. If the universe, or as might now be imagined multiverses, is behaving contrary to all known logic and in contradiction cosmic phenomena then perhaps the next erudite confession of the thinking mind might just be, that we don’t have the necessary tools to evaluate the mysteries of infinite space. We can’t think the unthinkable. If dark matter and dark energy is invisible, undetectable, immeasurable and simply outside everything human then intuitively we should just throw in the towel not give up but admit that we have limitations. The scientists’ latest proclamation paradoxical though it may appear is a step towards that knowledge terminus. They say "we now believe that something was created out of nothing but how this happened we may never know." The human experience is finite in all respects, that is until we come face to face with the mystery itself... "Now we see through a glass darkly..."

It wasn’t so long ago that scientists had solved the last missing piece in the creation of the 14 million year old universe. The big bang explained everything and any other view or theory was simply old hat.

What the scientists did not tell us was although the Big Bang Theory met some of the conditions of the beginning of the universe it failed to satisfy the finer bits of the cosmology model. Some of the math just didn’t add up. Look out for scientists sweeping unpopular bits of theory under the carpet.

At last some more honest scientists have admitted that they don’t really know what is happening out there in deep space. It defies human logic, or in other words fails to meet observable criteria upon which science is based. Some brave scientists are actually saying ‘Sorry, we don’t know. We might have it all wrong!"

Perhaps its time to think the unthinkable?

What I mean is this. Understanding phenomena from a scientific viewpoint is all about investigation, analysis and coming up with sound conclusions. At every step of the way language and numbers are used as a tool to engender the processes with intelligence, albeit human intelligence. If the universe, or as might now be imagined multiverses, is behaving contrary to all known logic and in contradiction cosmic phenomena then perhaps the next erudite confession of the thinking mind might just be, that we don’t have the necessary tools to evaluate the mysteries of infinite space.

We can’t think the unthinkable.

If dark matter and dark energy is invisible, undetectable, immeasurable and simply outside everything human then intuitively we should just throw in the towel not give up but admit that we have limitations.

The scientists’ latest proclamation paradoxical though it may appear is a step towards that knowledge terminus. They say "we now believe that something was created out of nothing but how this happened we may never know." The human experience is finite in all respects, that is until we come face to face with the mystery itself... "Now we see through a glass darkly..."

In the beginning

In the beginning El was infinite and eternal.
Before the beginning there was no time, no space, no form but El was.
The beginning was a moment before time and space; before it came into being in time and space it was incorporeal, without body. The beginning was coalescence of El and the first creation. Nothing pre-existed the beginning except the prime beginner whose name is El but a plurality existed even then before the beginning and beyond the end. In the beginning were the Word and the first word spoken and heard was El. From the beginning all things were created out of no thing.
Everything made from the beginning is made in time and space but the creator, El is not one with time and space. He is infinite and eternal; time less is his character and space less is his form. Creation is time filled and space pressed down and running over beyond all imagination except El.
All things made can be measured in time and in space. The first created beings immortal though they are can still be measured in time and space. Man was conceived and created to be Lord over time and space but is now enslaved. The artificer needs some thing to work upon but the architect of the universe and all of creation spread out his hands to design and build from nothing. For in nothing, in the void, was infinity and eternity, and from these El-ements all that was made is made.
And heaven was the seat of El’s throne. It was a place where El could survey the entire universe and it was a place where the first created beings could worship El as their creator and as their God. It was a place of unimaginable light and joy and peace. In the innermost secret heart of the created beings, angels we call them, there was an eternal joy and contentment and it came as a gift from God. They knew God and that knowledge was everything they needed. Even man in paradise below heaven was content. Even so God gave man the gift of woman for companionship, fellowship so that the two could be one. What more could man want but paradise as his domain and a woman to love and be loved.
But there was one angel, a beautiful created being, made to worship God in celestial music. In him was sound and song so infinitely sweet and good that all fell silent in heaven when Lucifer sang El’s praises. Yet the keeper of the King’s treasure is forever in the place of temptation. Lucifer when he sang saw with his eyes how all God’s angels so perfectly worshipped him. It was a spectacle that was beyond Lucifer’s comprehension. How could he know El’s true character? Who in all creation could know God? Whatever Lucifer saw and felt it was a pale mirror to God’s true ways.
Lucifer felt jealous of the angel’s worship. He felt proud. Was it he who alone had been made the master of worship. The revelation was his alone. No other angel in heaven not Michael, not Gabriel knew what he knew and felt. Surely El in passing the unique gift to Lucifer meant that he should be one with him. To sit upon the throne and share the godhead was his right. To be set apart, to be personally sanctified by El surely meant that all else in Heaven and earth were beneath him. His elevation to the highest order and to occupy the most holy seat was his destiny. Some of God’s angels saw this to be true and began to worship Lucifer in the same way as their Creator. These splendid beings were made greater by this allegiance with Lucifer. They would become the elect seated around the throne with El and Lucifer and with the entire angelic host they would become the synthesis of common worship and through Lucifer make it truly regal.
Lucifer commanded his angels to gather at the throne to be a sacred barrier between the ordinary crowd of angels and the high throne of God Almighty, El.
At Lucifer’s command his angels separated themselves and moved upon the throne, their countenances fixed upon their Lord. If it was in their hearts that their actions somehow enhanced the worship of El they were greatly mistaken. As Lucifer’s horde ceremoniously displaced themselves from the greater mass of angels, forming into single group according to their lord’s stratagem he, Lucifer made to step upon the dais where El sat enthroned. As he rose to take that first fateful step the gathered angels loyal to God cried out in alarm and uttered a resounding censure of the supposed Lord of Light. They were utterly amazed and horrified that one of their own would dare to ascend the throne without being first bid. Their next action was to bow the knee in subjugation to El. Every angel genuflected and keeping heading low faced the floor of heaven with eyes shut. By doing so they emphasised the state of Lucifer’s band of confused and perplexed angels. Turning this way and that they surveyed their brothers upon their knees and they as if in defiance of God still standing. Some wavered then and dropped to their knees but Lucifer seeing this cried loud unto them "Rise...rise you weak-willed angels and stand with me proud to serve both me and El. Then turning to El he was about to command God himself to allow him to ascend the sacred holy place where only God ever sat in judgement.
At this moment it was if all of heaven was subject to destruction. El rose from the throne and from his arms came terrifying lightning bolts and from his roaring mouth issued peals of thunder that shook the foundations of the universe. In a sudden moment the joyous light that bathed heaven and shone brilliantly upon the throne and God was extinguished so that a profound darkness covered everything. The angels on the knees instantly felt a shock of pain pass through them. Their rebellious brothers felt fear and anguish for the first time and they were afraid. Lucifer even in this terrible tumult tried to seize El but was thrown back with power. He and all his cohorts were catapulted violently into the darkness their screams were heard in the halls of heaven and upon earth. In the gardens of paradise man and woman became sorely afraid hearing the terrible sounds. All the animals cowered in fear.
Lucifer and his fallen angels were cast out of heaven never to return and the darkness became part of them. They would not ever know the joy and the peace of God again.
The angels lifted their heads and looked upon God Almighty. By his grace and mercy they lived. Now they had enemies. Now they had a new task in heaven. They were now the warriors of God and sworn to protect him from the evil one and their dark brothers. The future of all was changed upon this day in heaven.
The sounds of their voices rose to worship and praise Him, and ever only Him.
In a distant dark world far from heaven Lucifer now banished beyond redemption looked back to heaven and cursed El and all his angels. He gathered all his black angels around him and started even in that hour plotting how he might overthrow almighty God. Who can ever know the minds of El and of Lucifer in that cataclysmic moment? Yet we can know for sure that there was a great divide between their thoughts. The terrifying schism had happened and the heaven and earth would never be the same again.




　

Applauding Melvin Bragg

Heroes of the Modern Age

So much credit is given these days to the thoughts and ideas of scientists as heroes of our modern age, especially prominent celebrity scientists like Richard Dawkins and to a lesser degree Brian Cox. In the mind of the collective consciousness, it is horrifying philosophically speaking, when a great scientific idea is heralded as the ‘answer’ to all things and the proposer of a new scientific theory is given god-like status.
Any new pinnacle suddenly reached in human understanding becomes, it seems by default, the platform for disbelieving all that went before. We live daily in the shock of the future, where as Toffler argued, we cannot ever keep up with the pace of the juggernaut. We have no time to reflect, so we simply jettison the past (often the riches of the past) to lighten the load so that we may keep up.
I applaud Melvin Bragg who at the Hay Literary Festival recently, when speaking of the importance of the English King James Bible, said as an aside, much to this effect that ‘he could not understand how someone like Dawkins, who obviously has great intelligence, can be so profoundly wrong about matters spiritual’. His audience was not quite prepared for such a brave statement; their silence indicated their confusion, in the face of the relentless blind acceptance of new scientific ideas often so arrogantly stated by society’s ‘heroes’.
Religion, spirituality, science, technology, justice, moral teaching and ethics, philosophy, laws and democracy in our society, all stem from the mind of man. No one subject has pre-eminence over another and no one subject can do without the rest it seems to me, and an holistic approach to answering the big questions can and should be given credence. No one should ever deny the right of any thinker to argue freely for his belief, but new ideas should be presented with respect for the views of others, an approach often disregarded by one track dogmatic scientists.

Autumn Poem

Trees turning now

Dry leaves falling

Listen, hear autumn calling

Then winter is also here

Holly green and berry red

Means this summer’s dead

Winter red in tooth and claw

Blood upon the virgin snow

The arrow flies from the bow

It’s time for us to depart

Cold sleet and bone ice chill

Seizes us and tries to kill

It’s time for us.

　

True Supernatural Story

Thetford Priory

For some years in my younger days I had what some might say was the perfect job. I was employed as a surveyor of ancient monuments by the British Government. This meant I was able to visit many old churches, castles, neolithic sites and ruined abbeys and cathedrals in the daily course of my work. I spent many happy hours sketching and recording architectural details at these wonderful sites and of course much of the time it was during the beautiful English summers.

Many of the buildings had long histories stretching back several hundred years and of course there was at times a very palpable sense of the past. Old buildings are said to carry within their walls residual echoes of its past inhabitants. To be honest I never gave much thought to ghosts and supernatural happenings until one summer’s day in Thetford in Suffolk.

I was carrying out a survey of the ruins that was once a spectacular Norman Cluniac Priory founded in 1103. The superstructure of the once impressive buildings had long been destroyed by the iconoclastic men of Henry VIII going about their awful business during the dissolution of the monasteries and this priory was abandoned in 1536. There must have been great sadness and much violence done at Thetford when the priory was torn down. 

I had resumed my work after lunch and was mapping out the position of stub stone columns all that now remained of the great supporting structure that held up the large timber roof beams. The site was closed to the public on that day and the resident caretaker had gone into town for some supplies so I was quite alone. I suddenly became aware of a person to the left of my vision and quickly looking up saw a gowned figure pass behind the mass of a column and disappear from view. I put my sketch pad and pencil down on the grass and walked to the other side of the column to apprehend whoever it was, for on this day when the monument was closed, they had no right to be in the grounds. Before turning the corner of the ruined masonry I called out “Hello! You shouldn’t be here today!”

I was just about to add as I got to the far side “because the monument is shut to the public...” when I was surprised to see that no one was there. I was perplexed to say the least because I had definitely spied the figure just moments before. Calling out again in aloud voice “Hello...Hello!” I ran to several of the other piles of masonry where I thought they might be hiding but I found no one. It was at that point I felt a distinct chill course through my body and the hairs on neck stood on end. As I write these words the same feeling is coursing through me. It was only today when researching some information about the Priory in Wikipedia that I read that the place was haunted and was the subject of the TV documentary ‘Ghosthunters’. I do believe I had on that day experienced a ghost, perhaps a hooded monk still walking the sacred grounds of his once thriving Priory.  

Bankruptcy

Afraid of bankruptcy?! 'Going broke holds no fear for me. Why? because I am nearer to death than bankruptcy!'

Who said this?