Spiritual Warfare :: By The Gospelist

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(Editor’s Note: be sure to keep reading; things are not as they may seem at first.)

We are at war.

We are on the precipice of another ‘shot heard round the world’ in a battle to free ourselves from oppression. Only this time, it will not occur in Concord, MA, and it will not be a battle for civil liberties. It will occur in Boston, and the battle will be a spiritual death match with eternal consequences.

Where is Ralph Waldo Emerson when we need him?

There is a monumental conflict brewing between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. It will be a classic struggle that will be more legendary than that which occurred between Greece and Troy. If only Homer were alive today to record the deeds of the heroes who may be called to lay down their lives in this epic conflict.

Unfortunately, few people are actually paying attention to what may very well be a fight for the soul of the country. That needs to change.

There are far too many people who are AWOL in this battle. While our brave warriors are dying in the street, the rest of the population goes on carelessly with their lives, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They are completely unaware of the flood that is coming.

Too few of us are keeping watch and do not understand that the day of the Lord is at hand. The forces of Satan are amassing even now and are preparing for spiritual warfare against a small cadre of God’s warriors. Only a precious few have had the foresight to don the armor of God and take a stand against the devil’s schemes.

However, there is a rare breed who has the discernment to recognize where the true battle lies and the bravery to engage the enemy without fear. The place of this clash will not be in the Valley of Megiddo but in Boston, MA, against an army that boldly calls itself the “The Satanic Temple (TST).

This battle is shaping up to be a grudge match to the finish, so stay tuned as we approach the fateful hour.

Of course, the extent of this spiritual battle should consist of simply calling the TST to repent and be forgiven in the name of Jesus. After that, there should be a prayer vigil and the singing of hymns to the glory of Christ. All Christians should pray for the souls of the wicked who mock God in their ignorance.

Our side may need to engage in some community activism also to keep them away from our schools, our children, and a decent society. It is always a good idea to let our politicians know that we vote too.

But that strategy is far too simple for our warrior class. Their eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. Even now, they are trampling out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored. Their truth is marching on.

Now that the stage is set, let us take a look at the two contestants in this melee that will shock the world. Perhaps we can make some predictions about who will emerge victorious in this clash of the titans.

On the side of the Christians, we have the general of our forces, Dr. Jaymz Sideras, co-founder of ReviveBoston, and his wife Pascale. If we do a little research, we can determine the battle strategy that will be employed against this terrible enemy. We can then survey the weapons that they plan to utilize against the dreaded TST.

Dr. Sideras is a Christian evangelist from the UK who now lives in America. He achieved his doctorate at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and was a successful businessman before he became an evangelist. It is said that he now travels the world preaching the lifesaving gospel of Jesus Christ “with signs following,” including baptisms of the Holy Spirit and healing miracles.

That is quite a résumé.

It seems that this organization is well-staffed with some of the most valiant holy warriors to ever be conscripted by God for battle. At his side is his wife, Pascale, who is a ‘mighty intercessor’ as she prays for revival in Boston.

I don’t recall any revivals in Boston yet, so calling her ‘a mighty intercessor’ may be a bit premature.

Be that as it may, he is assisted by his worship leader and gospel singer, Evans Ighodalo, who has a passion to see souls transformed through the power of music. He strongly believes God can “touch people’s lives through music inspired by the Trinity.”

Then there is Julius Seweva, who is the worship leader and prayer watch coordinator. He sets up prayer altars “to destroy the shroud that covers people’s minds so they may be awakened to the truth of the gospel.”

Bringing up the rear of this spiritual legion are four prophetesses who are ‘anointed’ women of God. They are all active in prophetic ministry and are practiced in healing and deliverance, dispensing the gifts of the Spirit, and delivering people from mental/spiritual bondage.

Now that our warriors have been introduced, what message will Dr. Jaymz Sideras and his fellow combatants proclaim that will rattle the gates of hell?

There is very little of his written theology on the internet, so we will have to rely on examining his sermons. A brief overall survey of his ministry is encouraging. This ministry is in possession of the two most important weapons that are necessary for spiritual battle.

These are:

• The testimony that Jesus died for our sins.
• That there can be no revival without the call for repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus.

We are off to a good start. Let us hope they use these weapons relentlessly and ruthlessly against the enemy.

As Dr. Sideras is a Ph.D., we must assume that he is an intellectual and that he uses his genius in service to the Lord. There is no question that he has examined the intricacies of the faith and is strategically prepared for spiritual battle. As a Ph.D., we can all rest assured that his knowledge of the Gospel far exceeds that of the standard Christian.

His church contains warriors that are extremely grandiose regarding the spiritual powers that they possess. How many churches can brag that they have four prophetesses in their ranks? Also, the stated power of their music and their prayers are not the least bit pretentious.

If we delve into the theology of Dr. Sideras, we learn that he is a ‘Gospel Plus’ preacher of the word. This type of preacher believes the Gospel needs a little help to be effective. He has determined that the simplicity and unglamorous nature of the Gospel is insufficient to win the day.

The Gospel needs a little more pizazz.

With this in mind, it would behoove us to examine the ‘Plus’ of this gospel, with signs following, to make sure that this does not interfere with the true work of the Holy Spirit. Although Dr. Sideras is clearly brilliant, the extravagant nature of his church requires that we examine his doctrine more carefully.

If we go to YouTube, type in ‘Dr. Sideras, Keys to Revival,’ we should get a good indication of what his strategy will be to revive the dead spirits of the TST.

We can assume that these keys to revival will be employed in spiritual battle by causing Satan and his minions to tremble and flee the vicinity. We are told that what has been planned is a spiritual “counter-offensive” to SatanCon 2023. It will be a three-day revival in Boston the same weekend that TST is planning their rally.

According to Dr. Sideras, the following are the keys to revival (begin at minute 53 on YouTube) that will be employed against the enemy. (Special Note: Dr. Sideras does not explicitly tell us what these keys are except Key #1, so we will need to make inferences from his sermon as to what the remaining keys may be.)

When Dr. Sideras goes into spiritual battle with the TST, we can expect these ‘Keys to Revival” to be a part of the contest:

Key #1: Those fighting on our side must have had an Isaiah 6 experience: We must have a throne room encounter with God so that we hate sin as much as God does. We must experience the presence of God daily and be touched by the fire of God.

Unfortunately, none of us will ever have an Isaiah 6 experience. That was exclusive to Isaiah alone. Every other human being who has ever lived is ‘locked out’ (pun intended) of this experience.

Key #2: Shameless self-promotion: Dr. Sideras’s sermon reveals an excessive use of ‘I’ statements and personal anecdotes.

This means we learn a great deal more about Dr. Sideras than about Jesus. Since Dr. Sideras did not die for our sins, and none of us will have an Isaiah 6 experience, we are off to a slow start. Hopefully, he is pacing himself.

Key #3: Turning descriptive Biblical texts into prescriptive texts.

We will learn to take descriptive texts, such as what occurred during Isaiah’s commission (Isaiah 6), and turn them into repeatable events.

We should probably find out what his doctorate is in. I doubt it is in theology.

Key #4: Preaching that inspires divine Intervention: When the revival begins, at some point, there should be a violent wind from heaven and tongues of fire resting on the Godly contestants. A first Pentecost experience will send chills down the spines of the ungodly. If this does not happen at every revival, then you are not doing it right.

I would pay good money to see that. I missed the first Pentecost.

Key #5: Preaching that inspires manifestations of the Holy Spirit: We will see manifestations of the Holy Spirit, such as thousands falling to the ground under the power of God (like at a Benny Hinn Revival), signs, wonders, miracles, healings, baptisms of the Holy Spirit, people screaming, grown men ‘growling’ in repentance on the streets, and, ultimately, a reduction in the crime rate.

Sounds fanciful and not exactly sober-minded. I suppose it could be fascinating to watch, and a lower crime rate would be great.

Key #6: Receiving Extra Biblical Revelations: God will speak to us as he speaks to Dr. Sideras. God told Dr. Sideras “go and stir up the churches and start lighting fires all across Boston and America.” When we have our Isaiah 6 experience, he will speak to us and give us directions as well.

Dr. Sideras must be very special if he gets to talk to God. Those of us who stick with the simplicity of the Gospel never seem to hear from Him, except through Scripture.

Key #7: Preaching that sets Fire to Satan’s Kingdom: We must emulate Dr. Sideras and become Holy Ghost arsonists. He was appointed by God to bring revival and to terrorize the arch-terrorist, the devil himself. If we hold these keys to revival, we, too, will be able to put fear in the heart of Satan.

Setting fire to Satan’s kingdom sounds a little redundant. I wonder if they have any holy hand grenades in their arsenal.

Key #8: The call for Repentance: There will be no revival until there is repentance of sins. We must repent as Isaiah repented.

He is now one for eight regarding useful strategies for revival. Things are looking pretty bleak for our side.

Key #9: Preaching that inspires angelic visitations: During one of his sermons, a woman could not breathe. The Lord miraculously opened her eyes, and she saw it was a demon holding her throat. An angel came and sent fire that devoured the demon, and she was set free. These types of occurrences are apparently commonplace during a Dr. Sideras revival.

Key #2 probably plays a huge role in Key #9.

Key #10: Offering one baptism but many refillings: If you are not baptized by the Holy Spirit, others cannot be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

I don’t recall Paul mentioning numerous baptismal refillings in his letter to the Ephesians. This new doctrine will hopefully be clarified before the battle begins so we can all get on the same page.

Key #11: A hint of ‘Word of Faith’ Doctrine: “If you tolerate sickness, you will get sick.”

Uh oh.

Key #12: Putting God to the Test: While Dr. Sideras was preaching in Pakistan, the congregation was attacked by some Imams. Dr. Sideras issued a challenge to these Imams that if God does not perform a miracle, everyone should forget everything he said and just depart. But if God does a miracle, they must accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

He stated that he could not have successfully issued that challenge without the ‘fire’ of God (at 1:34).

Before the music started at the end of the sermon, Dr. Sideras rebuked the sickness of the people – the lame walked, and blindness was healed. The Imams saw the miracles and tried to escape, but Dr. Sideras told the congregation to lock the door so that they would have to keep their promise. They had a deal, the Imams lost, and now they had to confess Jesus. When they saw there was no opportunity to escape, the Imams gave their lives to the Lord.

Key #2 is also extremely important to Key #12.

Now that we know who our warriors are, it is time to examine the opposition.

The Satanic Temple (TST) is an atheist organization that attempts to make completely foolish points by identifying with Satan. They do not believe Satan exists, and they suppose that they can parody Satan and show the world how uneducated and superstitious we Christians are.

The TST is most likely comprised primarily of easy women and hen-pecked men who do not like God. Since few, if any, of these people are able to maintain a long-term relationship, they are extremely angry at the world. They are miserable people who fully intend to share their misery with the rest of us.

These gremlins have incurred the wrath of Dr. Sideras, and other likeminded preachers, with their announcement about its public convention called “a weekend of blasphemy.” This crusade will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, this spring.

It is very likely that Key #2 will play a huge role in this event as well.

The event is known as “SatanCon 2023” and will be held on April 28-30 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. It is being advertised by the TST as the “largest Satanic gathering in history.” It is currently sold out.

The official theme is “Hexennacht in Boston” or “Witches Night,” which is an ancient German holiday that occurs annually on April 30.

We can learn all we need to know about this organization by examining the seven fundamental tenets of their faith. This will provide us with greater insight into their delusional thinking. These tenets are:

Tenet One: One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.

We Christians reject Tenet One. The reality of our situation is that we are all sinners, and sin clouds our reason and our judgment. That is why there is inadequate compassion and empathy in the world, and this silly tenet is not going to change that. There is a simple mathematical equation that all atheists should commit to memory: Reason – Faith = Wickedness (a.k.a. no compassion or empathy, regardless of your ‘striving’).

Tenet Two: The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.

We Christians reject Tenet Two. The reality of our situation is that we are all sinners, and sin clouds our reason and our judgment. That is why there is injustice in the world, and this silly tenet is not going to change that. “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully” (Solomon). The struggle for justice means evil, which is in the hearts of those who identify with Satan, and must be defeated.

Tenet Three: One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.

Hey! Where were you guys when the government was forcing dangerous and experimental vaccines on us? Also, please repent of your hypocrisy because the body of a fetus is ‘inviolable’ as well. We Christians reject Tenet Three; our bodies are a temple of the Lord.

Tenet Four: The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one’s own.

We Christians kind of agree. The problem is that your ‘freedom’ is actually licentiousness, and your fascist allies seem hellbent on forcing your immorality on the rest of us (example: Democrats, Antifa, and BLM). Also, atheists tend to want to kill unborn children with impunity – even though this is a violation of Tenet Three – and sexually mutilate children without a parent’s consent. Hopefully, your silly organization will take Tenet Three and Four a little more seriously.

Tenet Five: Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one’s beliefs.

We kind of agree with this too. So stop teaching our kids the pseudo-science of evolution, allow creationists a seat at the table, and stop distorting facts to fit your own ridiculous beliefs.

Tenet Six: People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one’s best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.

We Christians kind of agree with this too. That is why Jesus told his church to proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sins in his name. By the way, your desire to remove the name of Jesus from the public square is a violation of Tenet Four. You have a serious hypocrisy problem. Hopefully, you will rectify this rather egregious error and resolve the harm you have caused.

Tenet Seven: Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

This guiding principle may be designed that way, but because your organization is Godless and has no understanding of the sinful human condition, it will always result in the opposite.

And there you have it. The battle lines are drawn, and a battle royale is about to take place, so please come to Boston in the springtime. Although I will not be participating in this spiritual donnybrook, I will remind those who represent our side of what the Bible says about spiritual warfare.

I will employ the exegetical method of ‘Allowing God’s Word to Speak for Itself’ to help fully explain the rules of this battle. This is what God’s Word says:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might [Do not be ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of salvation]. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil [wear your faith like armor]. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places [Your enemy is Satanic whether they want to admit to it or not]. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm [We are to stand firm in the faith].

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth [Your confession that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life is your belt], and having put on the breastplate of righteousness [your breastplate is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin and righteousness and judgment through our testimony about Jesus], and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace [be quick to proclaim the Gospel that brings peace with God through repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus].

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith [which is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen], with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts [bearing false witness] of the evil one [Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of your testimony in Christ]; and take the helmet of salvation [which is sound Biblical doctrine], and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication [remember the Lord’s prayer].

“To that end, keep alert with all perseverance [remain in the faith], making supplication for all the saints [and pray for your fellow Christians], and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel [which is that Jesus died for our sins], for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it [the Gospel] boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:10-20).

When we compare the twelve keys to this Scripture, it seems that our side is inadequately equipped to go into spiritual battle against this particular enemy (or any enemy for that matter). The most glaring problem is that their helmet of salvation is made of paper mache, and they are about to get their heads bashed in.

The Gospel’ plus’ approach to revival and spiritual warfare is too cumbersome. Our side needs to dump the ‘plus’ and just stick with the Gospel and prayer. It is time to get rid of this extra baggage:

• The apostles and the early church did signs and wonders; we do not. False prophets and false Christs rely on signs and wonders because they have no faith (Matthew 24:24). We stand firm in the faith.
• Refrain from turning descriptive texts into prescriptive texts.
• Refrain from personal anecdotes that glorify us and distract us from the Gospel.
• People falling on the ground and growling is not a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It is something else.
• Refrain from extra-biblical revelations. If you are not willing to put these revelations in the 67th book of the Bible, it is not from God. We are not Joseph Smith.
• Satan will flee, but his minions may not when you proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus. Once you do this, you will deprive them of their spiritual power, but they will still hang around yelling epithets. If you really want to raise the ire of Satan, call homosexuals to repent and be forgiven.
• They, along with the press corpse (not a typo) covering this event, will scream like banshees.
• Drop the word of faith heresy (nuff said).
• Never put God to the test by promising a miracle if people will believe (See Luke 4:24).

This is all extra baggage that this Gospel Plus approach brings to this skirmish. When we go into battle, we want to be maneuverable and not bogged down with useless excess weight.

We also want God to bless our endeavor.

When we witness to groups like the TST, we are dealing with people who are still dead in their sins. They have hardened their hearts against the Lord and have turned themselves into buffoons. However, if we witness to them with a lot of unbiblical foolishness, we will not win them to Christ.

God calls these people fools because they cannot distinguish truth from falsehood or right from wrong. They are so deluded that they believe their seven tenets are like the Ten Commandments instead of worthless drivel.

God was clear about who these people are:

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good” (Psalm 14:1).

These people actually believe that they can establish morality just by making up a few high-sounding rules. They do not understand the innate sinfulness of human nature and, therefore, will always make clowns of themselves.

The members of the TST have been deluded by God. God has turned them over to the tender mercies of the demon that they do not believe in. There is no other explanation for why otherwise intelligent people would make up such a silly philosophy. We must remember:

“For though we walk in the flesh [we are still sinners], we are not waging war according to the flesh [with actual weapons]. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds [This is the power of the Gospel]. We destroy arguments [through Scripture] and every lofty opinion [of the pagans/atheists] raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive [sanctifying our thoughts through Scripture] to obey Christ” (II Corinthians 10:3-5).

What is of first importance in spiritual warfare for all of us to remember is what Paul wrote to the Philippians:

“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15-18).

The good news is that this event does not have to be a total loss for our side.

According to Paul, if our side can manage to proclaim the Gospel, and drop ‘the signs following,’ something good could come out of it.

I know it looks grim for our team, but we should never underestimate the power of the Gospel.

www.gospelist.net

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