ISRAEL IN BIBLE PROPHECY | home
Demons in the Church | Publisher's Note | Dedication | Contents | Proverbs 24:11-12 | Introduction | The Battleground | First Encounter | Old Testament Typology | Battle Doctrine | Who Says It's Legalistic? | Hazardous Theology | Spirits In My House | Lying Spirits | Magic Show | Witchcraft | Mediums & Psychics | Deceiving Spirits | Satanic Visions | Facing Reality | Epilogue
Demons in the Church
Battle Doctrine
CHAPTER FOUR
Battle Doctrine
The true church is fighting for its life today. As was mentioned
earlier, it's not a physical battle, but a battle for truth.
Our warfare is not against flesh and blood, EPH 6:10-13. It is
a day-by-day spiritual battle against the deceptions of the
enemy. Since God's Word, "the Sword of the Spirit," is the only
offensive weapon in our armor, EPH 6:13-17, it is reasonable
to conclude that we derive some spiritual benefit from doing
what it says. Through baptism, communion, and the ordinance
related to the Bridegroom and Bride, we demonstrate to
angelic majesties, three different aspects of the Christian's firm
position in Christ. We display our firm position in Jesus: body,
soul and spirit.16
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16 Two books which beautifully expound on these truths could prove
to be a blessing: Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life, (Tyndale
House, 1985). Watchman Nee, The Release of the Spirit, (Tyndale
House, 1980).
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38 Demons in the Church
The Trinity
No one has split the church over how many parts there are
to man's nature, because nobody thinks it matters too much.
But every truth matters. Satan is a master strategist; and
every error he gets into the church (no matter how minor it
seems), he gets in there for a reason. For instance, some
denominations are of the opinion that man is two part: (1)
body, (2) Soul-spirit. Others hold that we are three-part
creatures, composed of (1) body, (2) soul, and (3) spirit. Which
View is right? Well, there is explicit biblical evidence which
declares that man is a three-part being; and understanding
man's nature is vital, because there is an ordinance for each
aspect of man's nature:
1TH 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray
God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.17 (KJV)
That's pretty clear, isn't it? In the above verse, notice that
the three parts of man's nature are individually spoken of. All
major English translations say exactly the same thing. lCO
14:15 also supports the division between the soul and the
spirit. But there is more:
HEB 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV)
Some say that HEB 4:12 proves just the opposite of what it
says; claiming that the writer of Hebrews is using a hyperbole
to show that the Word of God can divide something that is
indivisible. That takes us back to excuses Nos. 1 and 7,
mentioned in the Introduction. Is it not more logical to accept
that the Word of God is so penetrating that the Holy Spirit can
convict our spirits, while our willful souls wish to go some
other way; thus dividing the faith of our spirit from the worldly
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17 In the Greek text, the particle kai (Strong's No.2532g), translated
"and," appears as: body kai soul kai spirit, showing a definite division
between the three different aspects of man's nature. Kai is frequently
translated "also." Regardless of translation, in the original language
this passage does not lend itself to unifying two aspects of man's
nature.
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Battle Doctrine 39
desires of our soul? Anyone who has had an inner struggle
against sin should relate to that. What are the names of those
two areas in our mind which are locked in mortal combat, if
not soul and spirit? But there is still more:
GEN 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of
God He created him... (NASB)
Man's three-part nature is tied to the doctrine of the trinity
itself! Since God made man in His own image, if man were
only two-part: (1) body, (2) soul-spirit, then God is only two
part. Doing away with the trinity is the cultic error of the
Jehovah's Witness.
JOH 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we
Beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full
of grace and truth. (NASB)
Man was created over 4000 years before Jesus was born of
Mary. We could not have been made in God's physical image,
because "God is spirit," JOH 4:24; and prior to Jesus' birth, the
Lord did not have a physical body. It was at Jesus' human
birth that He "became flesh."18 So in what way was man
made in the image of God? Well, God's spirit is the Holy
Spirit; and we have a spirit. Jesus became flesh; and we have
flesh. God the Father is the will, and we have a will. Man's
will is in his soul; so the soul is the central aspect of man's
being.
All flesh will see death, and our spirits return to God from
whence they came.19 It is the soul that needs salvation. It is
through the rebellion of his soul that man fell. When we come
to the Lord Jesus, it is for the salvation of our souls! It is our
souls, the seat of our individual personalities that Jesus came
to save. It is the "soul that sinneth it shall die..." EZE 18:4.
It is by submission of the soul, through faith in Jesus, that we
are saved. Consequently, we do well to observe the ordinance
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18 Jesus did appear in material form in the Old Testament, GEN 18:133,
GEN 32:22, EXO 33:11, JUG 6:11.22, 1KI 19:7, 1CH 21:18-30 and
elsewhere. These appearances before His birth are called
Christophaneia. But scripturally, it does not appear that Jesus dwelt
within a physical body prior to when "he became flesh, and dwelt
among us," JOH 1:14.
19 PSA 89:48, JOB 34:14-15, PSA 104:29.30, ECL 3:20, ECL 12:7.
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40 Demons in the Church
that relates to our wills, for it displays the salvation of our
souls to all creation (including angelic majesties).
It's Not Just Symbolic
It has been theorized that all church ordinances were
instituted by Jesus during His life on Earth. That is just not
true. John the Baptist initiated baptism, and Jesus initiated
communion. However, the ordinance relating to the Bride-
groom and Bride is a church ordinance. It could not have been
instituted before or during Jesus' lifetime, because the New
Testament church (with a different system of worship) was not
established until after Jesus was glorified!
It would have been impossible for the church to
observe an ordinance, before there was a church by
which it could be observed!
This new ordinance, given after Pentecost, was contained
within the "excellence of the revelation" granted unto Paul, the
apostle to the Gentile church.20
1. Baptism protects the spirit...
2. Communion protects the body....
3. Bridegroom and Bride protects the soul.21
"Protects" is not too strong a word. Remember, there were
several examples of obedience to typological ordinances or
commands in the Old Testament which resulted in life or
health for the believer: Passover, the Brazen Serpent, honoring
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20 Some very conservative denominations hold that Christian
ordinances include foot-washing, the holy kiss, anointing in oil for the
sick, and holy matrimony. The author agrees that these are all
important statutes for the church, but since these are not related to
the various aspects of man's nature, they may not be ordinances of the
same type as the three discussed in this book.
21 This concept must be kept in scriptural balance. Ordinances are
not a substitute for the Christian experience, and do nothing for the
unsaved. We are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus, and by that faith
alone. We are not saved by our works, nor by the ordinances we
observe. Ordinances are not magic rites that sanctify sinners. They
are holy observances that bless Christians who have a right relation-
ship with God.
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Battle Doctrine 41
of parents, EXO 20:12; as well as general references showing
that health or life resulted from obedience to God's law.22
On what basis can we say that the same principles do not
apply to the church? Scripture was written for real people,
fighting real spiritual battles, which have a real impact upon
the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of the individual.
As church history shows, Satan fights his hardest against the
ordinances. Why? Because these statutes are just traditional,
or just symbolic? Not at all. Observing these New Testament
ordinances does something real, which the enemy would like
to stop. Satan wants to prevent the church from putting on
some of the armor available to us. Spiritual armor which we
desperately need, as the death of the martyrs shows:
HEB 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
(KJV)
That's the real physical blood of the saints the Lord is speak-
ing of here. The author is disgusted with theoretical theology.
Rest fully assured, the ordinances we obey today will have a
real impact on our lives. If our beliefs don't work in the real
world, they aren't worth doing! Funny about Christians, we
bicker over how we baptize and debate about how often we
should have communion; and we lose total sight of WHY God
gave these ordinances to us in the first place. We have a
wonderful God, and these ordinances are given to us for our
good. The church generally believes that God's ordinances are
just symbolic, or maybe even optional, thus fulfilling:
2TI 3: 1-5 (excerpts) This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come. For men... Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof. (KJV)
That is exactly what has happened. We have mammoth
churches, with huge congregations, but we have overlooked the
power of the statutes. God's ordinances have power, and influ-
ence our physical lives.
We have spent some time on these concepts, grasping them
is pivotal to understanding how the church gives access to evil
spirits. As we mentioned before, each New Testament typological
ordinance relates to a different aspect of man's three-part
nature. Let's look at these three ordinances in detail.
________________________________
22 PRO 3:7-8, 4:20-22, PSA 38:3
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42 Demons in the Church
Ordinance for the Spirit
Baptism, commanded for all believers, displays the burial of
the old man, and our resurrection into newness of life in Christ
Jesus. By this act we show to men and angels that we have
received Jesus as our Savior and that we have now been placed
in Christ by God the Father.23
Do you remember how Old Testament typological ordinances
did something? Remember how Passover and the brazen serpent
resulted in physical life for the Israelites? Well, baptism
is not just for show either. Baptism is not just typological
"busy work" for the church. From ACT 22:16, it is obvious that
baptism accomplishes something for the saints who observe it,
and 1PE 3:21 shows us exactly what baptism does.
ACT 22:16 And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and
wash away your sins, calling on His name.
1PE 3:21 And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the
removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good
conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (NASB)
Those verses do not teach that we are saved by baptism.
Baptism relates to the conscience. The seat of the conscience
is the spirit, ROM 9:1. It is within our spirits that the Holy
Spirit meets with us and quickens us. So baptism is for man's
spirit:
JAM 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose:
"He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?
Prior to our salvation, all of us were in bondage to sin.
When we came to the Lord Jesus, our sins were forgiven; but
the vivid memories of our shameful past remain. Though
theologians who haven't been there may disagree: anyone who
has led a life of sin can tell you that the enemy will attack a
new saint through his old sinful memories. That is why
Scripture shows that new Christians were baptized at the
same time they were converted.24 Baptism is instrumental in
freeing the spirit from a continuing sense of guilt for those sins
committed prior to salvation. After salvation, we don't need to
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23 ROM 6:1-5, COL 1:13, EPH 3:6
24 ACT 2:38, 2:41, 8:12, 8:36, 10:48, 16:15, 16:33, 18:8, 19:5.
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Battle Doctrine 43
be baptized again and again because we now have the indwell-
ing Holy Spirit who convicts us of any new sins on a daily
basis, and:
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV)
Many churches don't baptize right away. They wait six
months to a year, to make sure that the new believer gets all
his doctrinal "I's" dotted and "T's" crossed; and then (if he is
still gritting his teeth, and hanging in there) they baptize him.
Amidst all that loitering, Satan is attacking that new babe in
Christ through the open door of his stained conscience. As a
result, many fall away. Because of the doctrinal stumbling
blocks in their path, very few new believers ever learn to walk
a life of victory. Here is an example:
In a little town just north of here, a young pastor led a very
sinful elderly woman to the Lord. One night she phoned me;
"Brother Skolfield, I have just come to the Lord Jesus. I now
have peace in my heart for the first time in 65 years, but my
past sins are haunting me something awful. How can I get
free of these bad thoughts from my past?"
This troubled woman had a whole lifetime of sinful memories
that she needed to have "washed away." I called the young
pastor who led her to the Lord, and suggested that he baptize
that woman right away, and if there was any reason he couldn't,
I would.
Somehow, he failed to do so. Shortly after that, being
continually tempted, she fell into some of her old ungodly hab-
its. Though failing to be baptized may not have been the only
cause for her falling away, scripturally it appears to have been
a factor.
ITI 1:18 ...keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have
rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (NASB)
This dear old woman had not (through baptism) appealed for
a clear conscience, and indeed shipwreck followed. Now she is
alienated from her pastor, and we may never again have the
opportunity to bring that troubled woman to the foot of the
cross. May God forgive us. Baptism is a God-ordained
procedure, administered to new saints, to clear the conscience
(the spirit) of the sins committed prior to salvation. Here is an
44 Demons in the Church
account from Tricia, a young woman in southeast Florida, that
shows what can happen when it's done right:
My father left when I was 12, and I started doing drugs. As
I grew up, I got further and further into the drug scene, and
by age 26 was a hard coke addict. I did some terrible things,
even aborting my two babies. One day I seriously OD'd on
coke. I knew I was going to die. As I was falling to the
floor, I told God that if He would save me, I would give my
life to Him.
I lay unconscious on my kitchen floor for two days. When
I came to, I turned myself in to a treatment center for a
month. When I got out, I went to a recital in a church. A
man who was sitting in the congregation saw me crying and
led me to the Lord Jesus. At the instruction of an elder, I
started covering my head right away.
I knew all about demons. I had seen them, and was aware
of them in my house. At the suggestion of an elder, I went
into every room and said aloud, "Jesus Christ has come in
the Flesh; this house belongs to a child of the Lord Jesus,
and Satan has no rights here anymore. Evil spirits depart
in Jesus' name, and go to dry and waterless places." They
did not go away all at once, and I had to do it several times;
but eventually they all left.
I put off baptism, because I did not "feel" that I was
"ready." Still, I was obsessed by my past sins. Finally, at an
elder's firm insistence, I was baptized. I literally felt something
leave my body! I don't know if it was an evil presence
that left, or what; but I now felt clean inside.
Of the 36 people who went through treatment with her six
years earlier (if the author recalls correctly), only Trisha has
remained consistently drug-free to this day. She herself would
add, "With the help of the Lord." Others from that group also
accepted the Lord, so what was so unusual about Trisha?
Could her early baptism have been partially responsible for her
continued victory over drugs? The enemy tried to prevent it.
He tempted her with feelings that she was not ready to obey
"believe and be baptized." Why? Because Satan wanted to
keep Trisha's sinful past alive! He did not want her past
buried with Christ. That would have taken away some of his
access.
All new believers in this country have had some contact with
the spirit world through movies, TV, the Ouija board, astrolo-
Battle Doctrine 45
gy, or some other occult practice. According to a survey by Dr.
Anderson, up to 85% of our young people are demon-contami-
nated to some degree.25 Aware of this problem, some breth-
ren now follow a 1st Century church mode of baptism.26 This
is not intended to be a critique of any other mode of baptism;
this is just the way these brethren do it. First, they ask the
convert to renounce his past life. Then they ask the convert to
make a firm declaration of his new position in Christ Jesus.
Though these words are not struck in stone, the confession
goes something like this:
"I turn away from, reject, and totally renounce Satan and all
his works, and his kingdom, and his angels. I repent of all
my sins. I accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal
Savior, and ask Him to become Lord of my life."
Then, observing the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19, the
new brother or sister is baptized "In the name of the Father...
in the name of Jesus Christ His Son... and in the Holy Spirit...
Amen" If the new believer is being immersed, he is immersed
only once. But if he is being poured over (as was a 1st Century
practice), the convert is asked to kneel, and he is poured over
three times. Once as each name of God is spoken. The mode
of baptism is not nearly as important as getting it done! Don't
wait around for church officialdom to approve.
We know of one new Jewish believer who has been waiting
to be baptized while an Evangelical Presbyterian pastor
wrestles with the "theological implications" of whether or not
to baptize him. The man who led him to the Lord doesn't want
to baptize the new convert himself, because he doesn't want to
alienate his pastor. This has gone on for several months.
Meanwhile, by his own admission, the new believer is being
sorely tempted by his past sinful practices.
Hang the theological implications! Becoming a Christian
doesn't mean that we just say different words, attend a different
church, or have a new set of doctrinal beliefs. We
actually become new creatures in Christ Jesus. Through
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25 Dr. Neil T. Anderson, The Seduction of Our Children (Eugene, OR,
Harvest House, 1991) pp31-45.
26 William McGrath, The Didache, ch.4, vs.1-3 (Christian Printing
Mission, Minerva, OH, 1976)
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46 Demons in the Church
baptism, our transfer from the kingdom of darkness into the
kingdom of God's dear Son is made visible to angelic majesties.
For this new brother's sake, we need to obey the Bible and get
him baptized.
You know, if we as little children would simply DO what God
says, most of our troubles would be over. So again: Baptism is
a God-ordained procedure, administered to new saints, to clear
the conscience (the spirit) of the sins committed prior to salvation.
Ordinance for the Flesh
Communion displays that the believer is a partaker in the
crucifixion of Christ, that he has died with Christ on the cross,
and that he assents to the discipline of God.27 If we accept
our loving Heavenly Father's discipline, it limits Satan's legal
ground to demand permission to attack our physical bodies.
Now some would say that Satan does not have the right to
attack the flesh of believers, but Scripture states otherwise.
The Lord gave Satan permission to attack Job's body, and Paul
(having apostolic authority) gave believers' bodies over to
Satan.28 Then in Jude, we read about a satanic attack
against the body of one of the most sanctified saints who ever
lived:
JUD 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil
he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him
a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (KJV)
Now you don't suppose for a minute that Satan was
interested in Moses' dead body, do you? If so, for what? The
flesh of a dead man would be of little value to the enemy.
Consequently, Satan probably wanted to attack Moses' flesh
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27 1CO 11:31-32, GAL 2:20, 1CO 10:16-17
28 JOB 2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power,
only spare his life." 1CO 5:5 I have decided to deliver such a one to
Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in
the day of the Lord Jesus. 1TI 1:20 Among these are Hymenaeus and
Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan, so that they may be
taught not to blaspheme. (NASB)
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Battle Doctrine 47
while he was still alive.29 Why? So that he could prevent
Moses from completing God's plan for his life: recording the
law, building the tabernacle, and leading Israel through the
wilderness. This attack probably took place at Meriba-kadish.
That is the only sin (recorded during the wilderness wanderings)
which could have given Satan legal access. Now let's look
at a New Testament parallel about an attack on the flesh of
believers:
1CO 11:27-29 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of
the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the
blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats
and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.
For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a
number sleep. (NASB)
From these verses, it is apparent that taking communion in
an unworthy manner can lead to weakness, sickness or even
death. Weak, sick or death? That's the flesh! So the Lord is
talking about our physical bodies here; and communion is the
ordinance which relates to the flesh. In observing this ordi-
nance, if we dishonor the body and blood of the Lord Jesus, we
open the door to satanic attack on our flesh.30
Now our God is a kind and loving Savior. Do you think the
Lord told us of the dangers associated with communion so He
could punish us when we did it wrong? Of course not.
Communion was not given to us for evil, but for good. So if
doing it wrong results in sickness, what do you suppose doing
it right might accomplish? Correct: good health. This does not
necessarily mean that all sanctified Christians who take
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29 The Greek word for body, so_rna (Strong's No.4983g) defined as
"the living instrument of life, whether of man living or dead, or of
beasts... is also used of the physical nature..." Vine's Expository
Dictionary of N.T. Words, (Bethany House, 1984) pp128-129.
30 Because of 1CO 11:32, some would say that it is the Lord who is
causing these trials. However, none of the bad in the world is God-
caused. All evil is satanic in origin. Staying behind the blood,
protects us from satanic attack. True for the Israelites in Egypt, EXO
12:23, true for us. When we fall into sin, to draw us back to Himself,
the Lord sometimes permits the enemy to attack us. In that way all
discipline of the saints is of God, 1CO 5:5, 1TI 1:20.
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48 Demons in the Church
communion properly will never get sick; but I do believe that
the Lord will deliver those who are walking in Him from the
"diseases of Egypt," those illnesses which are sin-related:31
DEU 7:12. 15 "Then it shall come about, because you listen to these
judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep
with you His covenant and His loving kindness which He swore to
your forefathers. And the Lord will remove from you all sickness;
and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt
which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you."
(NASB)
God hasn't changed. If it worked for Israel, it will work for
us. Communion is for the preservation of the flesh. But the
rules governing these blessings are the same. For these
blessings to flow, we need to do exactly what the Lord told
Israel to do, "listen to (His) judgments and keep and do them."
Yes, we are under grace, but our Holy God is still a God of law.
Ordinance for the Soul
That takes care of the spirit and the flesh, but there is one
more facet of man's nature: his soul. The soul is the seat of
the will, the mind, the individual's personality. The soul is
what makes the body you live in, YOU. When we observe the
ordinance which affects the soul, we limit Satan's freedom to
attack the very core of our being, our minds.
Now the ordinance which shows the submission of the soul
to the Lord Jesus is best understood through the God-ap-
pointed relationship between men and women. The biblical
concept of the Bridegroom and Bride. This principle is related
to authority: The authority of Jesus as head of the church.
Gospel parables show the Bridegroom as a type of Christ, and
the Bride, a type of the church.32 Look at the words of John
the Baptist when he heard that all men were now following
Jesus:
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31 Egypt is a type of the unsaved Gentile world, so the "diseases of
Egypt" are probably those infirmities which are related to sinful
behavior. Medical science is discovering more and more afflictions
which are behavior related, from emphysema and heart attacks, to
sexually-transmitted diseases and AIDS.
32 MAT 9:14-17, 25:1-13, LUK 5:34-35.
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Battle Doctrine 49
JOH 3:28-29 "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I am not
the Christ," but, I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride
is the bridegroom... (NASB)
So John called Jesus the Bridegroom, and those who followed
Him, the Bride. There is further confirmation of this in Isaiah,
the gospels, the epistles, and in Revelation.33 The husband is
a type of Christ, the wife a type of the church. The Lord fully
spells out these basic truths to us in Ephesians:
EPH 5:21-32 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as
unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be
to their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a
glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love
their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of
his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man
leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the
church. (KJV)
Husband, you are a type of Christ! Wife, you are a type of
the church! These truths will stand as long as there are men
and women. Notice that phrases like "as unto the Lord," or "as
Christ loved the church," appear six times. The Lord wants to
make this principle abundantly clear. Now read the last verse
again; then again; then one more time. Keep on reading it
until the Holy Spirit makes it real to your heart. Husband,
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33 ISA 62:5, MAT 9:15, MAT 25:5-13, MAR 2:19-20, LUK 5:35, 2CO
11:2, ROM 7:14, REV 18:23, REV 21:2,9.
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50 Demons in the Church
you are a type of Christ! Wife, you are a type of the church!34
Unmarried Christian men still appear to be a type of Christ,
and unmarried Christian women still appear to be a type of
the church. Marital status does not seem to be a factor in this
type.35
Now the type of the Bridegroom and Bride has one ordinance
and two additional commands which display the submission of
the church to the headship of Christ. If we ignore the ordinance
which shows God's authority, do not think for a moment
that it will escape the notice of Satan and his angels. Neither
will we be able to remain free of his influence or oppression.
There are numerous verses which support this conclusion.36
So what is this ordinance, and how does it display the authority
of God?
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34 The Bridegroom and Bride is a type of the relationship between
Christ and the church in both love and authority. It also regulates
how husbands and wives should interact. Nevertheless, it is not an
ordinance. Instead it is the theological foundation upon which the
ordinance relating to Christ's authority over the church is based.
Ordinances are rules of behavior observed by an individual
believer, or by an assembly of believers. As was true of Old
Testament ordinance's, it appears that a material object was employed
in their observance: baptism uses water, communion uses bread and
wine, and Bridegroom and Bride uses cloth.
35 GEN 3:15-16; 1CO 11:3,7; 1TI 2:9-12. Despite modern practice to
the contrary, this typological position cannot be interpreted to mean
that unmarried Christians have the liberty to live together without
taking marriage vows. In God's eyes, fornication is still sin.
36 1CO 5:5, 2CO 2:11, 1TI 1:20, 5:15, MAT 12:43-45, LUK 11:24-26,
REV 2:24, 3:9.
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