Dear Jaareshiah, care to expand on what you said. In particular
Thus, "more (accurate knowledge and understanding of God's purposes) will be given him and he will be made to abound."(Matt 13:12) To these ones, "God has revealed them through his spirit, for the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God."(1 Cor 2:10)
In fact, how would you now read the following passage.
Ephesians 6:12 (NASB)
For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of
wickedness in the heavenly places.
The apostle Paul gave stirring counsel to the Ephesians, to "go on acquiring power in [the] Lord and in the mightiness of his strength", and to "put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations (Greek
methodeia, meaning "2. to follow craftily, frame devices, deceive", Thayer's
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, pg 395) of the Devil." Why ? Because of the Devil's crafty "machinations", with the word "machinations" meaning "plotting or intrigue: the devising of secret, cunning, or complicated plans and schemes."(
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2005)
Satan is deceptive in his practices, "for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light."(2 Cor 11:14) With this backdrop in mind, what can be understood ? One that Satan very deviously controls human affairs of the "world" without most people aware of it. And two, that a true Christian has a "wrestling, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places."
It is against Satan and his demons that a true Christian must fight. However, these are in the spirit realm. It is
not against human governmental systems that a Christian must contest, as have so many (even those who have called themselves Christian) in the present and past have done, by uprisings or coups or protests. Rather, a true Christian is in a conflict with the unseen spirit realm of Satan and his cohorts, the demons.
Being crafty and seductive, Satan has built a world-wide political system of things, from the days of Nimrod, some four thousand years ago, down till our time. This governmental system of things, called in the book of Revelation "a wild beast" that came up out "of the sea"(Rev 13:1), is the creative handiwork of Satan, who is called "the great dragon."(Rev 12:9)
Through he and his demonic cohorts, he manipulates or controls all human governments. When before Jesus, after having "showed him
all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in an instant of time", he told him: "I will give you
all this authority and the glory of them, because it has been
delivered to me, and to whomever I wish I give it."(Luke 4:5, 6)
The apostle Paul wrote that "though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage warfare (Literally, “we are not doing military service.” Greek,
ou . . . stra·teu·o´me·tha; Latin,
non . . . mi·li·ta´mus, "warfare" - Greek lemma or base word
strateuomai, meaning literally "to serve in a military campaign", Strongs' # G4754) according to [what we are in the] flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are
not fleshly, but powerful by God for
overturning strongly entrenched things."(2 Cor 10:3, 4) Thus, a true Christian does "not wage warfare according to (the) flesh", he does not involve himself in the political or military affairs of the "world", which is under Satan's manipulation.(1 John 5:19)
Those who are true Christians are the ones being taught by Jehovah God in these "final part of the days"("last days",
King James Bible), to have "beat(en) their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore."(Micah 4:3)
A true Christian recognizes that we are at war, not with any human governmental system but against the real unseen ruler of these governments, Satan and his demons. Jesus did not fight against the Roman Empire, but rather, when asked by Pontius Pilate "Are you a king ? ", told him: "My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have
fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source.”(John 18:36)
It should be noted that Jesus said that if his kingdom were "part of the world", or those alienated from God, his "attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews." These would have used fleshly warfare to defend Jesus, perhaps shedding blood. However, Jesus said: "But, as it is, my kingdom is
not from this source." Hence, true Christians do not fight with others in fleshly warfare, as on the battlefield that the nations have done and continuing to do by maintaining their military "machines."
Rather, these use the Bible for the purpose of "
overturning strongly entrenched things....
overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God; and we are bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ."(2 Cor 10:4, 5) These follow Jesus words: "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit,
teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you."(Matt 28:19, 20)
False religion is pervasive throughout the world, in which false religious ideology are "reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God". And instead of joining the military or fighting in the wars of the nations, which the churches have so emphatically done, shedding much blood, true Christians have "beat(en) their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears". As a result, "nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore."(Isa 2:4) These have truly followed in
Jesus footsteps.(1 Pet 2:21)
