The War in Heaven II: The Co-Equal Kingdom Deception

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9).

One of the most startling realities is that the war that began in heaven was continued on the earth. That war was started by the adversary, one of the mighty cherubim who stood nearest the throne of God, whose duty was to guard and uphold the law of God before the universe. Instead of this however, he aspired to equality with God and His Son, and this desire for self-exaltation led him to promote his system of government, based on equality rather than the obedience of faith.

His system proposed that all were like God, needn’t be subject to law, nor was there a penalty for it’s transgression. It was by this, that he led a third of the angels to rebel with him, and seduced the earth by proposing the same form of government; that they could attain to equality with God.

In this article, we will show how Satan has maintained this teaching until the present day. First, by briefly examining the so-called “new age” movement which I once was a part of, and then in the churches, where very similar teachings are making their inroads.

THE DECEPTION OF SPIRITUALISM

The arguments employed to establish Satan’s concept of government are being forwarded in the earth today by the minds of the various mediums which Satan and his angels are taking possession of. This work of possession through the power and teachings of Satan is correctly termed “spiritualism”, while it is called “the new age” by those expecting that it will usher in a great age of peace and prosperity.

There was a time when I, the author of this article, was once instructed in the practice of the mediumship, until in His great mercy, God the Father called me out from the deep abyss of this deception into His glorious light. One of my former instructors was a well-known medium, Judy Z. Knight.

Heavily under the control of the demons, she declared the very lie of the serpent, and advocated the government he contended for in the Kingdom of heaven. “All are equal in the kingdom of God,” she wrote as she acted as the channel of a demonic spirit, “God is not a singular character who sits upon a throne and judges the whole of life…All of you are God himself, created of himself. You are Gods created of God, the first and only direct creation of the Source of all life…You are God manifested as man to continue the expansion of thought into forever.” (White Book, Ramtha, J.Z. Knight)

Spiritualism

Another prominent medium by the name of Benjamin Creme, who declared himself to be the one to prepare the way for the coming of the new age Christ (Lucifer appearing as Christ), said the following: “There is only one purpose that we can know about in the whole of cosmos – the service of cosmos by cosmos. If it is true to say that we are God, there is no such thing as God out there and us here. God is a state of Being, a state of consciousness.

When you have that state of consciousness, you know that you are God.” Again, the idea is being promoted by a new age guru that man can be equal with God.
One clear example of a teaching that is affecting millions with this same concept of the kingdom of equality is from Joseph Smith. The prophet of the Mormons plainly exposes what manner of kingdom he is of when he declares: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!…he was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938, pp. 345–46).

Thus, the doctrine of spiritualism and the Mormon doctrine are, in fact, one in the same teaching under a different mode of operation. However, Satan has penetrated more deeply, and subtly, with his serpent’s venom in the various other churches today. How he has accomplished this will be the subject of particular focus in this article.

ANOTHER SPIRIT

What has the fallen angel done after being cast upon the earth? He seeks to keep alive his theory of a government of equality by any means possible. He desires to instill it within man and throughout the churches that profess Christ, that they might be subtly taken away from the true government of God.

Satan had great success in doing this with Eve, and knows that if he can achieve this within the churches, he will take control of them at his will, and lead them away from obedience to the law of God which comes through faith in His word. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

Lucifer Masquerades as an Angel of Light

It should be noted that the mediums of spiritualism also speak favorably regarding Lucifer and undermine the reality of the war in heaven. “Lucifer is the name of a great Angel, not an upstart in heaven who revolted against God and was put down into the nether regions as the Devil…It is the name of the Angel Who ensouls the human kingdom; every person, therefore, is a fragment of Lucifer.” Benjamin Creme here portrays Lucifer as a benefactor to the human race. And more than this, Lucifer is depicted as an “ensouling” angel among spiritualists.

What does it mean to “ensoul”? It means to give life to, or to give “soul” to. Unlike the teachings of spiritualism, the Bible doesn’t teach that man receives a soul, but rather than man is a soul. The Bible teaches that when the unanimate body is given the Spirit of God, which is His breath (Job 27:3), it becomes “a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). It should come as little surprise to what is truly being referred to here. The commonly held belief in spiritualist “new age” esoteric circles is the startling claim that Lucifer is the Holy Spirit. This theory, when led to it’s logical conclusion, will make of men gods, and the kingdom of equality is advanced, either in belief, in implicated practice and presumed authority, or both.

How this concept of the Holy Spirit has, in a more subtle manner, entered and affected multitudes of Christians today is what we will examine next.

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

We are not to believe that every spirit is the Holy Spirit, but “by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20) “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) There are two spirits in the world; the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. What are the fruits of the Spirit of truth? We will identify characteristics of this Spirit.

Christ tells us of the Spirit: “he shall testify of me” and again, “he shall not speak of himself.” Unlike the spirit of Satan, which speaks and thinks upon self, the Spirit of Christ testifies of Christ. Said Christ of the prophets who possessed the true Spirit: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39) The Holy Spirit, when it is joined to the human agent, possesses all of the qualities “he” possesses. “He shall glorify me,” says Christ. . He further tells us that “he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” The man with the Holy Spirit will testify against sin, of righteousness through Christ alone, and of the justice which comes upon the transgressor for unceasing wickedness.

Spirit of Truth vs Spirit of Falsehood

One strong characteristic that differs from the enemy is that “he will guide you into all truth.” What is truth? Christ is truth. God’s Word is truth, and “whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak.” The themes of Scripture and the law of God will be continually the mouth of the Spirit-filled man, whereas Satan would have the churches speak of the world, look like the world, and trust in the agencies of the world, advancing his deceptions as though they were truth. . Lastly, the Spirit of truth will emphasize the prophetic word, for “he will shew you things to come.” It is not the Spirit of truth which despises prophecy, “which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.” (Isaiah 30:10) The man walking in the Spirit will magnify prophecy.

EQUAL TO GOD VS. SERVANT OF GOD

The Bible calls angels “ministering spirits”, but Lucifer’s desire for worship led him to cast off his assigned position as a servant spirit. He desired to be a divine spirit, even as God the Father Himself (Isaiah 14:12-14). This title he readily embraces in the mouths of spiritualistic mediums, and would have the churches which claim to worship God affirm the rebellion of Satan’s mischievous government of equality as though it were a reality.

So what does he do? How does he accomplish this? He claims co-equality with the Father and His Son by having men worship the Holy Spirit as a third separate divine being, wholly distinct and worthy of worship, despite not a single line of Scripture sanctifying the worship of the Holy Spirit. Where once, in its primitive days of the apostolic church, the Holy Spirit inspired the worship of God. Has the Holy Spirit changed? Not at all, but deception has entered the churches. Now it is mere men being inspired by the Holy Spirit to worship the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit worships himself; the very logical implication of this is self-worship. Jesus never said of the Spirit of truth, “He shall glorify himself; he shall speak of himself; he shall bring honor and worship to himself.” These are all characteristically satanic traits of character.

False Worship

Said one of the prophets of spiritualism, Helena Blavatsky: “Lucifer is divine and terrestrial light, the “Holy Ghost” and “Satan,” at one and the same time, visible Space being truly filled with the differentiated Breath invisibly…And now it stands proven that Satan, or the Red Fiery Dragon…and Lucifer…is in us” (The Secret Doctrine by H. P. Blavatsky)

If Satan cannot receive equality with the Father and Son by consent, he will seek to take it by the warfare of deception. For he knows that if he insinuates his being into the identity of the Holy Spirit, he may occupy the throne of mens hearts; thus receiving their worship. He becomes the spirit “of the power of the air that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2), or as Blavatsky said, “visible space being truly filled with the differentiated Breath invisible”.

Here is the spirit of the “great red dragon” laid open for all to see. We may find here the inroads of spiritualism that have been entering into the churches for many centuries. Satan proposed that he should be the third divine being worthy of worship in heaven. Since this was not granted to him in heaven, he seeks to veil himself within the three-in-one God concept of the Trinity to bring his co-equal vision to fruition in the churches. When men suppose to worship one God that consists of a co-equality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he has affected his design with the most masterful subtlety.

THE PANTHEIST EFFECT

The concept of an omnipresent divine being to be worshipped alongside the Father and the Son is verily an invention of Satan to receive equal place with God and Christ. The Holy Spirit is said to be worshipped, but it is said to be everywhere present as the Scripture teaches (see Genesis 2:2, Psalm 139:7). Few realize that this is a deadly species of pantheism, correctly termed panentheism, where the God that is worshipped is an all-pervading presence.

From here, it naturally follows that those who have such a Holy Spirit in them can receive worship. The Holy Spirit, since it does not occupy the throne of God and the Lamb in heaven (Rev. 22:1-2), and it occupies the heart of an individual, it may therefore be worshipped upon the throne of that individual. It will lead to men of infallible authority, of exalting man-made creeds in the place of Bible truth, of taking the human and setting him into the sphere of the divine.

Spiritual Sacrilege 

Does this sound like a stretch? Examine the fruit being borne in many churches today. Consider how saints, pastors, popes and prelates alike, are worshipped, extolled, and venerated by man.  Look at how the priests are called “father” and “reverend”, when these are titles belonging to God the Father (See Psalm 111:9, Matt. 23:9). Multitudes take the word of their local church pastor over the plainest statements of Scripture.

This is further seen in venerating the churches in honoring the church traditions and setting aside the commandments of God, (with a blatant disregard for the God who empowers the churches with His Spirit). One of the strongest proofs of this is the manner in which Catholics give homage to “the Virgin Mary”. Catholic doctrine states that “Because of Mary’s singular cooperation with the action of the Holy Spirit, the Church loves to pray in communion with the Virgin Mary, to magnify with her the great things the Lord has done for her, and to entrust supplications and praises to her.”

Mary is regarded, by reason of the Holy Spirit whom Catholics worship, so nearly in connection with God, as to pray and give praise to her, as to God. By reason of the Holy Spirit, her identity becomes so blended as to venerate the vessel which a man supposes is filled with that Spirit.

Thus is Mary called a co-mediator with Jesus, and innumerable other saints are venerated and prayed to in the Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches. The whole structure of these churches bear the unmistakable impress of this kingdom of co-equality. More than this, the whole system of Satan’s warfare of equality has continued upon the earth in countless other ways that depart from the ordained order of God’s Word, making of no-effect the sovereignty of the Father, and the Son who sits upon His throne.

Spiritual Blasphemy

It may be the feminist movement, the kissing of the hand and bowing to the Popes, woman’s ordination/women headship (contrary to 1 Cor. 11:3), homosexuality (“gay pride”), Papal decrees, church traditions, and church credalism, all replacing a “Thus saith the Lord”, etc. But one of the strongest manifestations of this in all of Scripture is the power that “opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”

When the Pope “thinks to change times and laws” of the Most High God (Dan. 7:25), possessing so great authority as to alter the law of God’s kingdom at the mere stroke of a pen, and thereby make of no effect the sacrifice of Christ for sin, we may know that this is verily the spirit of Satan; that is, Satan is assuming this manner of authority through the man.

All forms of blasphemy in the church, where it’s leaders wield kingly power, instead of manifesting the meek and humble spirit of Jesus, or in every way bearing the fruits of how Jesus said the Spirit of truth should look, is “another spirit” of a spurious order. All of this is the taking of the things of a creature and exalting them to the place of the Creator, and “who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.” (Rom. 1:25) And should this surprise us that Satan is seeking to deeply establish the ideals of his kingdom on earth? We are told that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

PARTAKING OF (NOT BEING) THE DIVINE NATURE

Satan’s desire for equality has pushed him to advance this equality for himself. To exalt the creature to the honor bestowed upon the Creator is the sure result. Even so, his deceptions are continually framed towards this end. How shall his wicked designs be put down? By steadfastly adhering to the Word of God; by studying the Spirit of truth as manifested in the ministry of the prophets and Christ; to know the God we worship; to know His government is one of faith, and obedience by faith in His Word.

The truth is that Christ possessed the same human nature as us and joined Himself to us by being made like unto us. And through Him, we are to be enjoined to His divine nature, partaking of His Holy Spirit, nevertheless, we are subject to Christ as our Elder Brother and the Head of the church, and God as our heavenly Father. We are never told that this makes us divine beings in the same sense as the Father and His Son.

It is in Christ, and by Him only, that the Father gives us access to His Holy Spirit, thus uniting His nature with our own in the beloved Son. This union with Christ, where His divinity meets with our humanity, can only take place in submission to the Word of God through faith. And thus His kingdom is not of equality, but His kingdom is established on faith in His Word, “according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” (Rom. 16:26)

Spiritual Idolatry

This faith is what Eve fell from; in seeking to be divine, rather than joined to the divine through obedience to His Word, she fell far lower than she had previously been. It is also what Lucifer betrayed, that he might enter into warfare against the Kingdom of God. Making the thoughts, desires, and ways of the creature supreme above the way of our Creator has been ruinous to humanity ever since.

Some say Christ, because He came a man, has come to make man as God. That we will be as Christ and hold equality with God. But this is still a perpetuation of Satan’s kingdom. Christ is set-apart in honor by the Father, for by Him all things were created, and by Him all things may be redeemed; He is the living Word of the Father.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11-13) .

Christ Alone is Worship Due

He possesses a name which no man knows but Himself; that is, the Word of God. Therefore Christ is as we are in the flesh, but stands entirely distinct from us in the Spirit, but shares His Spirit with us through obedience to the word of God, not as co-equals, but as subjects and heirs of His grace.

The warfare that began in heaven has come down to the earth, and especially within the churches. May we stand upon the side of the true God and His Christ in this war, and may the jaws of the dragon’s kingdom be broken in our lives. Selah.