In this time of deep darkness, where evil and violence seem to be rampant before our eyes, many hearts are troubled and wonder about the root of such ferocity. However, as scholars of the Word and children of the Most High, we can face future challenges not only by looking at God’s work in us, but by lucidly understanding the global spiritual scenario.
The crisis we are experiencing is not simply a succession of human conflicts, but the manifestation of a “cosmic geography” in which nations and territories are the battleground between the Creator and rebellious spiritual powers that influence often perverse or distracted or confused human beings.
To decipher what is happening, we can recover the supernatural world of the Bible, without limiting ourselves to a merely psychological or sociological reading. As the well-known scholar Michael Heiser states, “the world is divided according to a spiritual jurisdiction: after Babel, when God separated the nations, he assigned them to spiritual beings (Deut. 32:8) who, however, became unsurpassed and asked for worship from men, who accepted.” This may be a key to understanding the so-called geopolitics of the spirit, according to which the devil and his hosts have power over peoples and seek human channels through which to carry out their work of destruction and domination.
1. The jurisdiction of the “gods” and the divine limitation
Recovering the biblical perspective means recognizing that the “gods of the nations” are the royal principalities and powers that rule in the shadows and of which the Apostle Paul speaks in Ephesians 6 about spiritual battle. They are called the principalities, the powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness that are in the spiritual, heavenly dimension. These entities are not equal to the Most High, but operate within a “limit that God has established.” Indeed, although powerful and nefarious human kings arise, Scripture assures us that they will eventually be “trodden down like the chaff of wheat” and that their “gods” will be “destitute and cast into eternal death” by the one true God.
Moreover, in our earthly sphere we can see the arrogant tendency of many toward self-divinization, as opposed to thehumility of believers who will be “glorified” in the resurrection because of their union with Jesus Christ, as many recent academic studies (such as those of Michael Heiser and N.T. Wright) have pointed out.
The conflict is thus not only political, but reflects both a spiritual tension between the “gods” of the nations and God, and an ontological one between those who seek to scale heaven and those who will be elevated by grace for lowering themselves.
2. The two faces of power: the prince and the cherub.
Chapter 28 of the book of Ezekiel offers us a staggering revelation through the case of Tyre, an economic and maritime power of the time. The text clearly distinguishes two subjects: the “prince of Tyre,” a flesh-and-blood man who in his heart says, “I am a god,” and the “king of Tyre,” a spiritual being, a cherubim who was in Eden and rebelled against God and whom most scholars agree in identifying with the serpent of Genesis 3 and the prideful being of Isaiah 14; that is, Satan, the devil.
Here a profound truth emerges that is a disturbing scenario: in general, all human beings can be influenced, by principalities, powers of darkness, spiritual beings who are enemies of the Most High and humankind. And people who, consciously or unconsciously, put themselves in the service of “evil,” can channel the will and power of the evil beings they serve to the point of determining the course of families, society and nations.
This does not sound at all like a simple poetic metaphor, but the revelation of “two clearly distinguishable, yet synergistically overlapping, dimensional levels.” These beings operate in a spiritual dimension that is not distant, but intertwined with our own.
There is no doubt that spiritual beings and human institutions (whether social, political, religious or economic) are connected in such a way that the actions of one reflect the influence of the other. In this sense, evil, or distracted or confused men become like instruments under the influence of evil angelic entities that by the adherence of men, maneuver their will and determine their social impact for evil.
This condition is not a fatal destiny, but can arise from the pride of man who, for example, desiring to make himself a god, opens “immense windows” to the dark supernatural, the occult. This is the case of those who knowingly enlist in the satanic army as a devilish agent. Or for example it arises from the distraction of many human beings who, all the more so if they have leadership responsibilities among peoples, can greatly affect the lives of entire nations. Or it may arise from the superb illusion of spiritual power of many others who have some leadership role: obfuscated, they can manipulate the lives of others, in many cases even of international masses. In whatever way, the rulers of darkness seek to tragically ape the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in humans who may end up lending their limbs to the will of the powers of darkness and become an instrument through which these beings sow destruction, perversion and death.
Therefore, we have a great responsibility to put our lives at God’s service, not to remain passive and do Father’s will on earth. Great indeed is the impact of being human, for it bears the image of the creator. And all the more we are called, before anything else, to make supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving “for all men, for kings, and for all who are constituted in authority, that we may lead a calm and quiet life, dedicated to God and worthy of respect” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
3. Spiritual geopolitics in Daniel
This reality is also confirmed in the book of Daniel. In chapter 10, the angel sent by God explains that he was thwarted by the “king of Persia.” He also says that he will continue to fight with the “king of Persia” and that then the “prince of Greece” will also come. It is clear that these were not human rulers but spirits who ruled those regions.
As Derek Prince points out,“the battle of angels loyal to God against spiritual beings at the head of the kingdom of Persia and Greece shows that the real conflict takes place in the spiritual dimension and directly affects life on earth.” The believer can therefore look at world news with new eyes, discerning the shadows of these principalities behind many of the decisions of men.
4. The lie of self-divinization as opposed to incarnation
Pride manifests itself in man’s attempt to make himself God. This is the “blasphemy” identified by the apostle John: the promotion of man’s self-divinization in opposition to the incarnation of God.
The “antichrists” are not only those who generically deny Jesus, but those who reject the truth of God made man in order to sponsor the illusion that man can scale heaven by his own strength, money and success.
As N.T. Wright would suggest, the real hope is not man becoming god, but God entering the earthly dimension to restore fallen humanity.
While the believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit to cooperate with the Father to do good, evil spirits mimic this union by seeking people to influence and maneuver to do evil. When man refuses the humility of incarnation, he surrenders himself to the manipulation of the powers that hate the image of God that men bear.
5. The “faith of Jesus”: the foundation of our security
In this scenario of “nefariousness and unvarnished violence,” our anchor of salvation lies not in our own strength but in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. A careful reading of Galatians 2:20 suggests that we do not live simply “by faith in him,” but “because of his faithfulness.” It is the faithfulness of the One who gave Himself for us that sustains us in our weakness. N.T. Wright confirms that it is this faithfulness of Jesus that makes us righteous.
Through this faithfulness, we have been given “exusia” (authority), which is not a magical power inherent in us, but the God-given power to become His children in the midst of chaos and operate in His name. As Dr. Myles Munroe taught, “The Kingdom of God is not a religion, but a government; and the authority of the citizen of the Kingdom derives from his submission to the King.” This authority is what enables us to stand while chaos rages and to bring God’s order according to his wisdom when disorder takes over.
6. The mandate: a new exodus as an instrument of grace
What then is our role in this geography of chaos? We are called to be stewards of grace for all peoples, aware of the authority and power God has given us. The present moment is comparable to a new exodus, where Jesus’ faithful disciples act as ambassadors of the kingdom of God, endowed with divine spiritual power to snatch human beings from the influence of the powers of darkness. In fact, Jesus left us told to “make his disciples of all nations.”
Just as Moses raised his staff against the power of Pharaoh and the “gods of Egypt,” we can invoke God’s power in our families, our workplaces and wherever we are. Our battle is not against other human beings, but against the spiritual beings who rule the world. To fight them we put on the armor of God-truth, righteousness, zeal, faithfulness, salvation and the Word of God-takingterritory away from darkness by carrying out the mandate Jesus gave us. Armor is indeed not only for “private salvation,” but is the divine equipment we share to reclaim lost territory.
Each of our homes and wherever we are is like a Kingdom outpost, where we are called to make room for humanity on its way to the new creation. As scholar John Walton suggests, we are called to bring back God’s functional order in creation. Every space where Jesus’ authority is exercised challenges the chaos of the spiritual “sea.” We need not fear, for although the sea biblically represents chaos and death, our God has already opened the way through it.
Conclusion: the expectation of good
Although the hour is late and many antichrists have already appeared in the world, we disciples of Jesus possess the anointing that gives us knowledge. Our victory is to stand firm and show that Jesus is the only true God, offering people who are still undecided the chance to choose Life before the time is fulfilled.
Let us not lose heart.
Even in the harshest trials, hope, which is the faithful expectation of good from God, never fails, because we have been given the Holy Spirit who has shed His love in our hearts, the guarantee of future glory.
Strengthen your weakened arms and revive your drooping knees: the King has come, his kingdom is already here. But not yet. The king will return to establish it permanently. And it will never end.
Maurizio Tiezzi