God's War: Why Christians Should Rule the World!: The Case For Christian Involvement In Every Sphere of Civil and Social Life

By Jerry Scheidbach

"God's War: Why Christians Should Rule the World" presents profound insights into the war that rages between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. Hanging in the balance is the kingdom of man. Dr. Scheidbach explains how it started, its effect on world affairs, and our part in the conflict.

Christians often ask whether they should be involved in politics, or other social and civil issues. And it is no wonder when the world attempts to marginalize Christian influence in its affairs. Dr. Scheidbach shows the biblical basis for Christian involvement in every sphere of civil and social life.

Christians also often ask why it seems Satan is winning; after all, the Bible says, "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." Dr. Scheidbach lays out the whole plan and purpose of God as it plays out in the Great War between light and darkness. He explains why Satan seems to be winning and shows what must be done to claim the victory Christ promised.

This book contains answers to the most profound questions regarding God's plan for our lives and our purpose in His kingdom. In one of the most important theological works written in the last 100 years, you'll learn how secularists have given rise to political correctness, gender fluidity, and the notion that truth is subjective. These false notions are decimating the very foundation of America.

"God's War" provides the biblical perspective that allows believers to rightly understand contemporary world events in the light of history and Bible prophecy— and what part they have in shaping those events.

Dr. Scheidbach is a theologian noted for his expertise in doctrine, particularly in the area of biblical prophecy. In "God's War" he offers a major contribution to the debate between Reformed and Dispensational eschatologies. He clarifies the significance of Christ's first coming in a way traditional Dispensational theologians have not, showing there is a present reign of Christ over the kingdoms of men. Likewise, the distinction between Christ's first and Second Coming are clearly laid out, resolving the contradictions that arise in Reformed eschatology regarding the future reign of Christ in His Kingdom to come.

The thesis of "God's War" is simple and straightforward: Christ is King, and all mankind are His subjects. In the current war over the kingdom of man, the unbelieving rage and reject Christ's present rule. The believers declare the terms of surrender to King Jesus: repent and believe in God's Son to be saved from the wrath to come. The nations that obey will be exalted among the nations on earth. Those that do not will be turned into hell. Understanding our part in this great conflict is critical to fulfilling our mission.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781732497313

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Copyright © 2020 Jerry W. Scheidbach (TX 8-792-822)

God’s War: Why Christians Should Rule the World (FIRST EDITION-Revised)

Dr. Jerry W. Scheidbach

ISBN: 978-0-98221-106-9 (FIRST EDITION-PRINT)

Epub ISBN: 978-1-73-249731-3

All rights reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author.

All Bible quotations are taken from the Authorized King James Bible (KJB)

Editors: Karen Steinmann and Erendira Ortega

Proofreaders: Karen Steinmann, Erendira Ortega, Becky Scheidbach, Pastor Max Graves, Pastor Marshal Stevens, and Dr. Steven White.

Technical Language Proofing: Hebrew and Greek: Dr. Steven White*

Peer Reviewed: Dr. Benny Beckum, Dr. Paul Chappell, Dr. John Wilkerson, Pastors Marshal Stevens, Max Graves, Greg Kern, and Jerry Cook.

Illustrations by artist Hannah Willoughby: [e-mail]

Cover Layout by Nakia Jones: [e-mail]

The author, Dr. Jerry Scheidbach, pastors the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Santa Maria, California. He is the executive editor for The Intercessor magazine, and hosts The Brain Massage® radio/podcast. To contact Pastor Scheidbach write to Lighthouse Baptist Church, PO Box 2803, Santa Maria, CA 93457, or call [phone]. To contact him by email use the email address [e-mail]. To purchase God’s War, or other titles by Dr. Scheidbach, go to www.booksatdbp.com. To engage with his radio/podcast show, go to www.brainmassage.net.

*Notice to eBook readers: the special fonts required for Hebrew and Greek are not available in the eBook formats epub and mobi. I have replaced these words with an elipsis (…), translitterated them into English, or referenced the Strong No. where the primary word can be found. While this will not distract from the content, it does mean you do not have immediate access to the specific Hebrew or Greek word used. This can be important for certain highly technical arguments where the knowledgeable student might like to see the exact Hebrew or Greek word referenced.

If this is of vital importance to you, you should procure the print version of this book.

I conceive we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world … that … the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the Prince of Peace.

~ Samuel Adams

In other words, Jesus is the King, and all mankind are His subjects!

(From a Fast Day Proclamation issued by Governor Samuel Adams, Massachusetts, March 20, 1797, in possession of Wall Builders; see also Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1908), Vol. IV, p. 407, from his proclamation of March 20, 1797.)

Table of Contents

Chapter One Jesus Is The King, And All Men Are His Subjects!

Chapter Two The Mystery of Iniquity Revealed

Chapter Three The Mystery of Iniquity Revealed

Chapter Four The Origins Of God’s War And the Beginning of Kingdoms

Chapter Five The Governing Principles of God’s Rule

Chapter Six The History of God’s War

Chapter Seven The History of God’s War

Chapter Eight The History of God’s War

Chapter Nine The History of God’s War

Chapter Ten The History of God’s War

Chapter Eleven The History of God’s War

Chapter Twelve God’s War & the Kingdom of God and of Heaven

Chapter Thirteen How Can the Violent Take the Kingdom of Heaven by Force?

Chapter Fourteen The Role of the Church in God’s War

Chapter Fifteen God’s Warriors: King-Priests in Christ’s Kingdom

Chapter Sixteen God’s Warrior Kings

Chapter Seventeen God’s Warrior Kings

Chapter Eighteen God’s Warrior Kings

Chapter Nineteen God’s Warrior Kings

Chapter Twenty God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-One God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Two God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Three God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Four God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Five God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Six God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Seven God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Eight God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Twenty-Nine God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Thirty God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Thirty-One God’s Warrior Priests

Chapter Thirty-Two The Weapons of our Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Three The Weapons of our Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Four Spiritual Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Five Spiritual Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Six Spiritual Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Seven Spiritual Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Eight Spiritual Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Nine Rules of Engagement in 
God’s War

Chapter Forty The Return to Piety and 
Old Time Religion

~ E P I L O G U E ~

Appendix-1: Melchizedek

Appendix-2: Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven

Appendix-3 — Dating the Beginning of Rome

Appendix-4 — The Temptation of the Christ

Endnotes

Dear Reader:

My humble apologies, in advance, for the annoyance of all the typo gremlins that got past all our efforts to find and dispatch them. Although this E-book edition has addressed all known since the printed edition was released, I’m sure some managed to escape our scythe. Technical notes follow:

We capitalize Church only when referring to the institution as a whole. We capitalize Antichrist even when we are not referring to that individual directly. We capitalize Sword in Sword of the Lord, and Word in Word of God or when used in reference to it. We capitalize Kingdom of God, and Kingdom of Heaven, but not kingdom of men. We capitalize Heaven and Hell because these are proper nouns naming real places. When heaven is used to speak of the atmosphere surrounding earth, it is lowercased. We capitalize Law in Law of Moses and wherever it is used in reference to that Law, or to the first five books of the Bible, called the Pentateuch. We do not capitalize temple even when it refers to God’s temple because deity is not ascribed to a building or to the human body. We have elected to use the biblical spelling for Chaldee, Grecia, and saviour. We capitalize Cross when used with the definite article, and lower case otherwise. We used GOD and God, LORD and Lord, in the manner these are used in the KJV (GOD and LORD refer specifically to the name Jehovah). We capitalize Gospel. We use semicolons and em dashes according to the older rules. When quoting Scripture we followed the forms used in the text. This includes the practice of using a capital letter to signal the beginning of a quotation within a verse. Sometimes we used the singular body when we might have used the plural bodies. It’s technical, but at least you know we did it on purpose. As for any other anomalies, please bring them to our attention. If we cannot justify it, we’ll include your suggestion in a revision, should we be so blessed to reprint God’s War! Thank you! — the author.

Macintosh HD:Users:jerryscheidbach:Documents:10.BookPublications:Books&Music:God'sWar:GOD'sWAR TEXT:God'sWar E-BOOK EDITION FILE:BookLocker:God's War Graphics:Dr.BeckumNoBckgrnd(JPEG)

Dr. Benny Beckum

Founder/President, The Intercessor Ministries, Inc.

In this, his latest book, God’s War , Dr. Jerry Scheidbach expounds on a complex subject with remarkable clarity. It is an encyclopedia of information on the Sovereignty of God, the Priesthood of the believer, and the spiritual war we are engaged in each day.

Starting with Chapter One, Jesus Is The King, and All Men Are His Subjects, we understand that a war raging, the king of darkness versus the King of light. This Great War is fought here on Earth and we are Christ’s soldiers. We soon learn that our part in this war is critical.

Dr. Scheidbach stresses the importance of using the Word of God to reach the lost world for Christ. To do this, we must be able to withstand the attacks of Satan. To overcome the methods, trickery, and devices of the wicked one, we must put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11). And we must advance the cause of Christ by submitting to God and resisting the devil to make him give up the territory in this world that he has taken.

This war that the author is speaking of is 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 (Ephesians 6:12).

Dr. Scheidbach, in a very scholarly manner, unfolds the history of God’s War with Satan, and explains our part in that war. Anyone who fails to see the reality that there is a war raging is in error. Indeed, Satan’s most effective ruse is to convince Christians there is no spiritual war and that they have no part to play in world affairs today. This book proves that is a lie.

The greatest blessing will come to the reader of this book who follows the teacher as he leads his students through the Word of God. There are hundreds of Bible verses used by Dr. Scheidbach explaining his subject. Every chapter is engaging and enlightening.

The portions of this book that I found to be particularly interesting are those in which Dr. Scheidbach lays out the history of God’s War! The insight presented here is clarifying. It puts everything we are seeing happen in America today into context. The Spirit of Jesus Christ is warring through the saints against the spirit of Antichrist that is warring through the sinners. The assumption is that the world belongs to Satan and his followers. The Scripture says it belongs to Christ. The secularist says Christians have no part in world affairs. The Scripture says differently. The war is on!

We know that in the end we will win! The kingdom will be given to the Saints. However, as in any war, there are many battles to be fought, and the outcome of our battles is not guaranteed. We are losing our battles in America! And those losses have real consequences. Learn about it in this book, and learn how to win!

One last thought! Dr. Scheidbach is not a compiler of the writings of other men. Here is a fresh, stimulating study on a much-misunderstood subject. I pray you, the reader, will receive much profit and pleasure from it.

Dr. Benny L. Beckum

Founder/President

Intercessor Ministries

You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are.

~ George Washington

Advice given by George Washington to the Indians that it would be well for every American to heed today!

(George Washington, The Writings of Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, editor (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1932), Vol. XI, pp. 342-343, General Orders of May 2, 1778.)

Chapter One

Jesus Is The King, And

All Men Are His Subjects!

Pilate asked, Art thou a king, then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.

J

esus was dead—and buried

. Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea who confessed he could find no fault in Jesus, yielded to the Jewish rulers and crucified Him. In such a hurry to carry out His execution, they forgot an important detail: they neglected to charge Him with a crime. Roman law required that the accusation be nailed to the cross from which the criminal hung. Pilate, apprised of this oversight, to spite the Jews, and to mock the rumor that Jesus was their king, had the following posted to Christ’s cross: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

Did Pilate know the prophecy?

Jesus of Nazareth! Nazareth was in Galilee. Seven hundred years earlier, a Jewish prophet named Isaiah said a Jewish ruler would come from Galilee to be a light to lead the Gentiles out of ignorance.1 Another Jewish prophet said this ruler would be called The Branch2—which many believe is from the Hebrew word used for the name of the city called Nazareth.3 The prophet Isaiah also declared this promised king would rule the world from the throne of David––the king of the Jews.4

It does not seem likely that Pilate knew the prophecy! But his accusation unwittingly declared Jesus to be Isaiah’s promised ruler, nonetheless.

Rather than accuse Jesus of any crime, Pilate’s inscription accused those who crowned the promised king with thorns and snuffed the promised light instead.

These things might have become footnotes in someone’s history book, except that three days later, Jesus was seen alive!

And that changed everything.

The Secret of Galilee Revealed!

Before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples He would be crucified and rise from the dead the third day.5 And He instructed them to gather in Galilee at a particular mountain, where He would meet with them after He arose.6 On the morning of His resurrection, some of His followers came to visit His tomb. An angel commanded them to alert all the disciples that Jesus had risen and also to remind them that they should go to Galilee where they would see Him.7 Later that same morning, Jesus appeared to them personally and commanded them to gather the disciples to Galilee.8 The risen Lord had an important announcement to make, and He was particular about where on Earth He would make it.9

To Galilee they trekked. Perhaps during their walk along the dusty trails into upper Galilee or while they hiked up into the appointed mountain,10 Peter, James, and John decided it was time to reveal the secret of Galilee that Jesus told them to keep until He had risen from the dead.11

About a year earlier in Upper Galilee, Jesus took Peter, James, and John onto a special mountain where they saw Jesus’ clothing and countenance radiate in glistening glory.12 Elijah and Moses appeared and communed with their Lord. God, the Father, spoke aloud. Peter recognized this was a manifestation of Jesus as the promised King of kings––the Lord of glory.13 Returning from the heavenly scene, Jesus instructed His disciples to keep the revelation a secret until after He had risen from the dead.14 This extraordinary manifestation of Christ had particular relevance to the time following His resurrection. Jesus appointed this same mountain to be the place where He would reveal Himself to His disciples after He had risen––the Mount of Transfiguration:15 Mount Hermon, in Galilee.16

Standing before His disciples on this mountain where earlier He had secretly manifested Himself as the King of Earth, Jesus made His much-anticipated announcement: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.17

A stunning declaration!

When Jesus said He received all power, He used the same word for power that Paul used in Romans 13 when he revealed that God ordains all principalities and power.18 The word means the right to rule or authority. Paul was talking about the authority of governments. Jesus declared that God had given Him the right to rule Heaven and Earth.

More than 500 years before in Babylon, Daniel declared, The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.19 Jesus said God had given it to Him. The word it refers to the kingdom of men. The kingdom of men is mankind. God gave Jesus the right to rule the earth.

A kingdom is a domain governed by a king. God gave to Adam and his descendants (the kingdom of man) dominion over the Earth to rule and subdue it—the dominion. Initially, this kingdom-dominion was under

God

as its only King.

In time, mankind defied their God-King and, stirred by Satan, set about to establish separate kingdoms independent of His rule. God began picking and choosing to which kingdom He would give the kingdom-dominion under God. At one time, He gave it to Israel. She held it for about 843 years until Satan seduced her into rebellion, so it was taken from her and given to Babylon. Satan corrupted Babylon provoking God to take it from Babylon and give it to Persia, and then it passed to Greece. By the time of Christ, Satan succeeded to receive from God all power over all the kingdoms of the world.20 But after Jesus’ resurrection, He declared all authority to rule over Heaven and Earth was His. This meant the dominion God originally gave to Adam had been taken from Satan and given to Him. By this fantastic announcement, Jesus declared Himself the King of the world—and all mankind became His subjects.

All believers and devils know Jesus will rule the world when He comes to set up His throne on the earth. But the Messiah was expected to make His announcement on Mount Olivet. His Jewish disciples might have wondered why Jesus made this declaration in Galilee and not in Jerusalem. After all, didn’t Zechariah prophesy the King of the Jews would appear on Olivet?21 If Jesus intended to declare Himself the king promised by the prophets, why did He choose to make this declaration on a mountain in Galilee? His disciples had much to learn about the kingdom, and Jesus would spend forty days teaching them the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.22

The Bible does not reveal what Jesus taught His disciples about the Kingdom of God during that forty days’ conference on the subject. But we do know that Isaiah said a prophet from Galilee would be a light to the Gentiles. He said this prophet would be born of a virgin, grow to manhood, heave the government up onto one shoulder, and finally rule the world from the throne of David.23 This promised king is none other than Jesus, the Son of God.

Isaiah also spoke of another day called the day of the Lord.24 Zechariah prophesied that on the day of the Lord, Christ would descend upon Mount Olivet to execute His judgment upon the nations.25

Jesus insisted on making His regal declaration, that all power in Heaven and Earth were now His, on Mount Hermon of Galilee. The reason was that He was fulfilling the prophecy concerning Mount Hermon26 and Galilee,27 not the prophecy concerning Mount Olivet and Jerusalem.28

There are two comings!

First, He came that the world might be saved29 through His Gospel.30

Second, He will judge the nations and rule with a rod of iron when He returns.31

He is presently the King in absentia, ruling from the heavens by His Spirit on the earth.32 In His second coming, He will be physically present, sitting upon the throne of David and ruling the world from Jerusalem.

At His first coming, Jesus took the kingdom of man from Satan and repeatedly offered to restore Jerusalem to her status before she lost it to Babylon. Jerusalem would have had the honor of carrying the light of the Gospel to the world,33 but she refused, so the privilege was given to the Gentiles.34

Jesus had foreseen this! Isaiah predicted that partial spiritual blindness would come upon Israel because of their unbelief.35 Based on this prophecy, Jesus declared that the kingdom He had offered to them would be taken from them and given to the nation that delivers the required fruit.36 The fruit God looks for is repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.37 Any nation that will have the dominion must acknowledge God’s righteousness and His Son’s Lordship. The fruit (evidence) of that acknowledgment will be righteousness in judgment and justice.

Doubly fitting, then, that Jesus would reveal Himself as the possessor of Heaven and Earth from this mountain in Galilee of the nations!38

In Galilee, Jesus declared, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth, and upon that declaration He commanded us to Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.39 The message we are commanded to teach and preach is the Gospel.40 The word gospel means good news. The good news is Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and then rose from the dead. So that now, all who repent and believe in Him will be saved from the wrath to come.41 And His commandments may be summarized in this: that we are to love one another as He has loved us.42

Christ’s disciples are authorized to go into all nations with the Gospel by the highest authority in Heaven and on Earth––Jesus the Christ.43

Jesus said all power, both in Heaven and on Earth, is His now.

The Secret of Galilee is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the heir of the Kingdom and the prince of the kings of the earth44 has come into the world––and all power is given unto [Him] in heaven and in earth.45

All earthly rulers are put on notice to lay their scepters at Jesus’ feet46—and bow to Him as Lord of all.

All that refuse will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation. All such will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.47

If any obey the Gospel command to repent48 and believe on Him,49 that is, confess with [their] mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in [their] heart that God hath raised Him from the dead,50 they will be saved from the wrath to come.51

Meanwhile, God has extended to all Gentile nations the promise of His blessing upon the nation that acknowledges Him.52 And Jesus promised He would give the kingdom He originally offered to Israel to any nation that brings forth the fruit of repentance and faith in Christ.53

Jesus described His current rule over the Earth as being the king in absentia, with His servants occupying His kingdom on His behalf. He described Himself as having gone on a long journey to receive a kingdom.54 He predicted that while He was gone, His citizens would rebel and refuse His Lordship.55 And He promised that when He returned, He would judge the earth.56

The implications of this great truth will be sorted out in the following pages: Jesus is King, and all mankind are His subjects. When Christ came, He brought the power (authority) of the Kingdom of God upon this world.

A great war rages: the king of darkness versus the King of Light, the children of disobedience versus the children of obedience, the Spirit of Jesus Christ versus the spirit of Antichrist. It involves the rise and fall of nations, the advances, and retreats of two armies at war—God’s great army in battle against His great enemy—and the epic conflict between the forces of evil and the forces of good in this world.

Earth is the battleground, and Christ’s disciples are His soldiers. Their commission is to be salt and light in this world, to charge the gates of Hell in full armor, to swing the Spirit’s sword, which is the Word of truth. Their enemy is Satan and his lies, and their arsenal is the truth. In every realm and sphere of life, the battle rages. Christians are Heaven sent, and divinely empowered to engage the enemies of truth, justice, and righteousness. We offer the terms of surrender for peace with God: the command of God to all men everywhere to repent and to surrender to Jesus’ claim to be Lord of Heaven and Earth. The stakes are high: control over the resources of the planet, freedom to preach the Gospel to every nation, and—at the end of this life and this world—eternal life or eternal damnation. The prize is the souls of men. This is God’s War!

~

The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger. The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier, defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.

~ George Washington

(George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, editor (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1932), Vol. 5, p. 245, July 9, 1776 Order.)

Chapter Two

The Mystery of Iniquity Revealed

(Part One)

The Spirit of Jesus Christ Versus

the Spirit of Antichrist

P

aradoxical! Jesus is Lord

over Heaven and Earth, having all power in His hands and ruling the Earth from the Throne of His Father in Heaven. It appears, however, that Satan is running the world and wreaking havoc at will. Some might think King Jesus is not doing a very good job governing His kingdom.

A riddle! King Jesus’ final instructions to His followers were to take His Gospel message to every nation. Yet most of Earth’s nations have made laws barring the Gospel from being preached freely. Is Jesus too weak a leader to overcome the powers that have risen in the world that directly challenge His authority?

A certainty! Before His resurrection, Jesus proclaimed He would cast Satan out.57 After His resurrection, His Apostles affirmed that Christ had made good on His promise. About 2,000 years ago, Paul declared Christ had spoiled all principality and power.58 The ancient Scriptures testify that God has made Christ head of all principality and power.59 They exalt Christ Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come.60 Yes!—both in this world right now and in that which is to come.

A contradiction? Although Jesus has cast out Satan, the devil continues to work his mischief in the world.61

The answer! Paul explained, The mystery of iniquity doth already work.62

What Is the Mystery of Iniquity?

Considering the truth that Jesus Christ is King of Heaven and Earth, the seemingly unchecked iniquity rampant around the globe would seem a mystery indeed. But the mystery of iniquity is far more sinister—and mysterious.

A mystery is something hidden, secret, and difficult to understand or explain. Iniquity refers to acts of lawlessness, violations of God’s laws, and unrighteousness.

Paul said the mystery of iniquity doth already work. As if it were something long expected, but not so soon as it arrived. After all, Jesus had cast out Satan; how did he reinsert himself into Earth’s affairs?

Daniel spoke of a mysterious, future world ruler described as little horn, who will rise to power in four stages. First, he will begin with promises of peace through disarmament. Second, but after obtaining extraordinary military might, the little horn will take peace from the earth. In the third stage, he will gain control over the world’s economies. Finally, he will use his amassed power to destroy one-fourth of the planet’s population. Daniel’s mysterious future world ruler will extend his remarkable powers into the spiritual realm and cast angels to the ground, defy the God of the Bible, and claim the title for himself.63 When he calls himself God, he will have committed the abomination of desolation that Jesus warned us would trigger great tribulation on the earth—the outpouring of the wrath of God.64

This future world ruler is called by many names: the man of sin,⁶⁵ the son of perdition,66 and the beast67; but he is popularly called the Antichrist. His objective is to unite the world under his absolute power.

The spiritual force pushing the world toward a one-world government ruled by the man of sin is what John called the spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.68

Satan is a spirit,69 and he is Antichrist. He desires to raise the man of sin, the Antichrist, to preside over a one-world government. This man will rule by Satan’s power—one kingdom under Satan.

The entrance of the spirit of Antichrist into the world is the mystery of iniquity. And it’s at work!

Only about four years before Jesus declared Himself possessor of all power in Heaven and Earth,70 Lucifer (also known as Satan, the Devil, and the Serpent) could boast that all the kingdoms of the world and their glory was his.71 In other words, Satan held the dominion.

Lucifer moved God to give him power over the dominion by tempting men out from under God, and into sin. Because God established the wages of sin is death, by tempting men into sin, Satan gained the power of death over humanity.72 Through seduction into sin (transgression of God’s laws), Satan finally moved God to deliver all mankind and all the dominion over which He ruled to the power of Satan.73

When Christ appeared in the flesh, Satan knew He was the heir of the dominion and the kingdom that would hold it. To keep the dominion in his power, Lucifer offered to put all the kingdoms under Jesus’ authority if Jesus would bow down and worship him.74

Why Doesn’t Satan Simply Rule the Earth Directly?

Remember, the dominion was given to Adam and through him to his posterity—that is, to mankind.75 It was a divine grant of power over the Earth and its resources, and man was to rule it under God. As pointed out above, Satan succeeded in turning mankind out from under God and into his power. However, because the Creator put the dominion under the rule of man, Satan required a man through whom he could rule the earth. Once Satan succeeded at moving God76 to deliver the glory of the kingdoms of men to his power, he began searching for the man he would appoint to rule it under him.77 But God interfered with Satan’s plan and sent His own Son into the world as a man,78 to save the world from Satan’s power.79

The devil tried to recruit Jesus by offering to give Him power over all the kingdoms of the Earth if Jesus would bow down and worship him.80 In other words, Jesus had to acknowledge Satan as the god of this world81 and agree to rule it under Satan.

Jesus refused Satan’s offer! He took up His Cross instead, and by His sacrificial death He paid the wages of sin.82 Because Jesus never sinned, Satan had no claim on Him, and so Christ was able to take up His life again—He arose from the dead.83 By His resurrection He was declared to be the Son of God with power.84 Jesus broke Satan’s power over the kingdom of man, and all power over Heaven and Earth became His. So the Father reclaimed all the kingdoms of the world from Satan and turned them over to His only begotten Son. Because the Son of God is also the Son of man, He can rule the Earth directly as God-King.

And so it is that Jesus is the King and all mankind His subjects.85

But we are back to our original dilemma: how has Satan succeeded at reasserting himself into the affairs of men so that it would appear he has reclaimed his status as the possessor of all the kingdoms of this world? 

Ask anyone! They will tell you, Satan rules the world. Satan’s PR campaign has been so effective, even God’s children believe it. Anyway, most of them do.

Sinners Rebel Against Christ’s Right to Rule, and the Saints Facilitate Their Rebellion.86

Jesus promised to return and destroy the wicked and establish His Sovereign rule over all the Earth physically in the day of vengeance of our God.87

But God has postponed the coming day of vengeance of our God⁸⁸ to allow Jesus’ subjects an opportunity to be saved from the wrath to come.89 Remember, all mankind are His subjects.90 He loves them all!

After securing His right to rule the present kingdoms of this world, Jesus ascended into Heaven to receive another kingdom,91 the one He will establish when He returns to the earth. He waits for the Father’s signal to return to judge the nations, at the time of THE END, and then He shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, and will accomplish His mission to put down all rule and all authority and all power.92

Is that the answer? Are we merely waiting until Jesus returns to deliver on His promise to put down all rule and all authority and power? That is what Satan would like for you to believe. The deceiver wants you to think the world belongs to him, at least for now. So, you might as well sit helplessly on the sidelines and watch what he does with it while you wait for your King to return. The devil wants to keep you ignorant of your spiritual power to influence the affairs of the Earth right now. He does not want you to know you can pull down the strongholds protecting his territory. He wants you to feel helpless to resist him and make him flee, to bring the authority of Christ upon nations and their rulers—now, in this life, today!

The Spirit of Jesus Christ Wars Against the Spirit of Antichrist in the World Today.

Jesus sent His Holy Spirit into the world to reprove it of sin, righteousness, and judgment.⁹³ By His Spirit, Christ empowers believers to declare that He is Lord94 and to command all men everywhere to repent95 and flee the wrath to come.⁹⁶ All who obey the Gospel command to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ receive the Holy Ghost as His gift.97 The Spirit of Jesus Christ dwells in their hearts,98 and Jesus said His Spirit moves into the world through their belly.99 The Spirit delivers His reproof upon the consciences of mankind in this world and draws them to Jesus when believers preach the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.100 (What it means for the Spirit to flow through the belly of a believer will be explained later.)

The Spirit of Christ takes the body of the believer as His temple.101 When the body (temple of the Holy Ghost) is dedicated and presented to Him holy, He fills it and moves into the world through it, exerting the authority of the Kingdom of God among men.102

Jesus manifests in this world through the flesh of His disciples.103 Furthermore, by His Spirit, He sometimes defies human authorities and asserts His divine right—that is, His authority (power) over principalities and powers.

For example, God allowed Herod to behead James,104 but when that wicked king placed Peter in jail, God intervened and delivered Peter from Herod’s authority.105 Christ did a jailbreak—walked Peter right out of his cell to freedom.

Of course, the immediate question is why did Christ (the King) allow James to be beheaded but intervened so dramatically on Peter’s behalf? It was not because James had offended, or because Peter was exceptionally significant, and James was not. Acts 12:5 reveals the reason—the church prayed without ceasing for Peter. A praying church made the difference.

Many Christians do not understand their part in God’s War. They wonder why Jesus is not doing something when the problem is He is waiting for them to do their part. God does His work with us: we are laborers together with God.106

Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom107 to His church. These keys are used when the Gospel is preached, allowing entry into Christ’s kingdom to all who believe.108 These keys also confer upon the churches spiritual authority to act in the kingdom of men on Christ’s behalf, with implications affecting this present, evil world.

The Spirit purposely brings to our attention the fact that the church prayed without ceasing for Peter.109 That is the reason Peter received the supernatural intervention. The church has spiritual authority in this world to bring Christ’s influence into the affairs of men.

Conclusion

That’s what this book is about: how believers can engage in spiritual warfare, bringing Christ’s authority to bear upon the affairs of this world. When believers express the power of God in their communities, they may say as Jesus did, The kingdom of God is come upon you.110

Jesus Christ sent His Spirit into the world, and Satan was cast out and now operates as the spirit and power of the air.111 As Christians grieve and quench the Holy Spirit in their personal lives, they give place to the devil in this world.112 By the time the last Apostle wrote his letters, the believers had already retreated significantly, allowing the spirit of Antichrist to enter and set up a headquarters for Satan on Earth.113

Jesus did indeed cast out Satan as the prince of this world.114 Nevertheless, the devil continues his rebellion as the prince of the power of the air.115 He opposes the claim of Jesus Christ to be Lord over the kingdoms of the earth. From his banished position, Satan has reasserted his influence in the world through the children of disobedience. Satan’s activity in the world through the children of disobedience is the spirit of Antichrist that John said was already in the world.116

How Satan got the Antichrist spirit into the world, and how he has been able to gain so much influence in it, is the topic of chapter three.

~

Chapter Three

The Mystery of Iniquity Revealed

(Part Two)

How Did the Spirit of Antichrist Enter the World

and Give Satan So Much Influence in It?

S

atan is a fallen angel

, a spirit. Jesus referred to him as the prince of this world and said he would be cast out. Jesus fulfilled this promise when He died on the cross and rose from the dead, thereby breaking the power of Satan over mankind. As He promised, Jesus sent His Spirit into the world to reprove it of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Satan became the prince of the power of the air. We established in the last chapter that Satan has reasserted himself in the earth. In this chapter, we will explain how he was able to do this. The answer will shock you!

Satan is the spirit of Antichrist; he denies that Jesus Christ (Messiah—Prince of God, the rightful heir of the dominion) has come in the flesh.117 He works tirelessly to oppose Christ’s rule in the Earth today.

The devil deploys a limited but large host of seducing spirits into the world and, by them, plies the minds of men with doctrines of devils.118 Every doctrine (teaching, philosophy, belief) that these devils espouse serves one way or another to incite spite in the hearts of men against the rule of Christ. Those he can deceive he controls, using them to work his will in the world. They are called the children of disobedience.119

Satan is a liar, and the father of it,120 and he uses wily deceit to blind men in the darkness of these devilish doctrines.121 He tells them that Jesus is not the Lord of the earth. He seduces them to join him in his rebellion, to rage against the right of Christ to rule the Earth today. Satan turns the hearts of Christ’s subjects against Him to despise His Word, His Church, His people, and His laws. These children of disobedience are stirred against Christ to cry, We will not have this man to reign over us.122

The Light of the world was sent from Galilee to lead men out of this darkness.123 However, Jesus explained that some men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.¹²⁴ Satan uses these darkness-loving evil-deed-doers as his agents—to war against Christ’s Lordship in the earth. His primary targets are Christ’s servants. His success depends entirely upon his ability to neutralize the servants of Christ.

It’s an old war! At the beginning of Satan’s rebellion,125 one-third of God’s angels followed him.126 These fallen angels are spirit agents of the Devil, and so they are called devils. As the prince of the power of the air, Satan uses his devils as seducing spirits to teach doctrines of devils.127 Devilish philosophy and vain deceit128 today encourage people to vainly imagine they can overthrow the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the earth.129 The Antichrist spirit inspires rulers to reject the claims of Jesus Christ, to break away from the authority of God and His Anointed, to conspire together to overthrow His rule. The objective is to provoke God to allow Satan to set up a one-world government, over which he will place his son, the son of perdition, the man of sin.130 He can only succeed