Have you ever wondered why it is sometimes so difficult to pray, fast, read the Bible, attend fellowship or keep vigil? Admittedly, there may be other extraneous reasons for difficulty in doing any of the above-mentioned spiritually edifying undertakings. Yes, "...the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak..." (Matthew 26:40-43).Yes, "...the good I ought to do, that I do not do, but the evil I do not want to do, that I do..." (Romans 7:15-20). Yet on many fronts, the battle has to do with the unseen, but very influential spirit world. As much as many people like to bury their heads in the sand over this subject and pretend that the supernatural does not exist, the child of God simply cannot afford that luxury. The scriptures are replete with incidences, warnings, and confirmations that there is indeed a spirit world (or dimension) that is, for better or for worse, very active in the affairs of man. In this brief piece, we attempt a sneak peek at this very important subject.

   "...and there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But they were not strong enough and they were cast out and their place was no longer found. So the great dragon was hurled down, that ancient serpent, called the devil or Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was hurled down and his angels with him..." (Revelation 12:9).

     Apparently, at their fall, some of these spirit creatures landed in the atmosphere (or heavenly), others in the water bodies (oceans, seas, lakes, springs, and rivers), and others became denizens of forests, arid areas, caves, canyons, volcanoes, deserts, grottoes, and mountain fastnesses.

Their leader, Satan, is biblically recognized as the "...prince of this world..." (John 12:31). He is the leader of a very powerful kingdom of evil and darkness spread throughout the whole world.

His higher demons are also rulers of spiritually demarcated areas of the earth. The book of Daniel, for example, mentions the "...prince of the kingdom of Persia...", and the "...prince of Greece..." (Daniel 10:13 and Daniel 10:21). The prophet Ezekiel also mentions "...princes of the coastlands..." (Ezekiel 27:35). These are marine spirits ruling over the oceans,  islands, archipelagos, and coastlines.

Earth's atmosphere too seems to be likewise affected. In Ephesians 2:1-2, we read of the "...prince of the power of the air...the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience..." The apostle Paul makes it clear that each believer is up against "...powers, principalities, spiritual forces of wickedness in high places..." (Ephesians 6:10-11). It is these powerful dark spiritual forces that Isaiah indicates would be punished at a future time (Isaiah 24:21). It is not incorrect therefore to conclude that the physical world is divided into spiritual kingdoms and fiefdoms cascading down the ranks of these evil spiritual entities - more or less as we see the physical world ranged. This is probably why Yahshua intimated that upon being cast out of a person, a demon may range over arid places seeking a place of rest and fail to locate one! (Matthew 12:43-45). How so? Probably because each place is distinctly marked out as some other demon's territory.

But how did it all come to be so? In Eden, Satan successfully deceived Eve and led her, and her husband into disobeying God (Genesis 3). These unfortunate events in God's perfect Garden placed Adam and his progeny directly under the influence of this evil, devious, scheming, former guardian cherub. Since the earth had already been deeded to Adam (Genesis 1:28), it too became Satan's playground (Matthew 4:8-9). Remember the scripture says "...you are a slave unto whomever you have given yourself to obey..." (Romans 6:16). Adam our first father sinned (Isaiah 43:27). He made a deliberate choice to obey Satan rather than our loving Heavenly Father. Now, since choices have consequences, we have to live with that unfortunate lapse in judgment.

In Biblical times, (and even in some cultures extant today), these spiritual entities masqueraded as "gods or goddesses" and demanded the worship of man. Says Micah; "...all the nations may walk in the names of their gods..." (Micah 4:5). That is why the Bible is so much against all forms of idolatry. Said the apostle Paul; "...but the sacrifices of Gentiles, they sacrifice to devils and not to God..." (1Corinthians 10:19 - 20, KJV). As minister to the Gentiles, his mission statement included: "...to open their eyes, to turn them from DARKNESS unto light, and from the POWER of SATAN unto God..." (Acts 26:15 - 17, NIV, emphasis mine).

   In light of the foregoing, a huge percentage of the belief systems, cultural traditions, and practices of humanity must be understood to be emanating from demonic sources. Such practices as Female Genital Mutilation, many funeral rites (sex with dead spouses, cutting of hair, candlelit vigils), seances, enchantments, witchcraft, necromancy, martial arts, channeling, yoga, acupuncture, wearing black, sacerdotal garments, speaking to the dead, astral projection, etc) and even some marriage/wedding rituals are patently occultic. The wearing of charms, amulets, talismans, prayer beads, tattooing, some religious festivals, ritual homosexuality (eg among Papua New Guinea's Poro and Sambia), and some hairstyles (the tonsure, the mohawk, dreadlocks, skinheads, etc), are demonic in origin. Among some Indian tribes, female devotees cut their long hair and ritually dedicate it to their gods and goddesses!
Is it not a pity, therefore, that some of that hair offered as sacrifice finds its way into the multi-million dollar fake hair and wig industry? Who knows the spiritual consequences of donning such hairpieces?! Is that not the reason why the Bible counsels against many of the above-mentioned practices? (Isaiah 3:18-26, Genesis 35:2-4, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:3).

In their quest to enslave humanity, this evil, capricious kingdom ensured that almost all facets of human life were controlled by demons. There were "gods" for agriculture, fishing, fertility, music, harvest, war, rain, fire, storms, volcanoes, forests, rivers, springs and lakes, medicine and healing, metallurgy, craftsmanship, masonry, death, underworld, joy, marriage, love, seafaring, traveling, trading and so on, ad nauseam! From birth to death, human life was shackled to one ritual after another. In the words of Jeremiah, Gentiles have been bequeathed a worthless heritage (Jeremiah 16:19).

Even with the coming of the Gospel Age, we are not out of the woods yet. Says the Book of Revelation: "...woe unto the earth and the sea, for the devil has gone down to you. He is filled with fury, for he knows that he has but a short time..." (Revelation 12:12). According to the same book, a whopping one third of the angels were thrown out of heaven with the devil (Revelation 12:4). No one knows their exact number but it could run into the hundreds of millions if the figurative comparison of  the starry host to angels is anything to go by (Revelation 1:20). I mean, if the angels are compared to stars...the billions of galaxies of them, then angel numbers must also be staggering! The Indian subcontinent alone, has over 330 million gods (demons)! The single demoniac at Gerasenes, when asked what his name was, replied; "...Legion, for we are many." (Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39). A legion in the Roman Army consisted of between 4000 to 6000 soldiers. No wonder then, when permitted to go into the herd of swine grazing nearby, the whole herd, numbering over 2000 animals rushed headlong down a steep slope and were drowned in the sea! So you can imagine just how many of these unclean beings occupy the heavenlies, the earth and the sea! According to Islam, before "jahiliyya" (or "the enlightenment"), the Arab pantheon at Mecca had 360 gods!

Today, a spiritual veil still enmeshes a huge section of humanity (Isaiah 25:7). We no longer have the blatant human sacrifices of the Aztecs' blood-drenched Huitzipoochtli, or the rivers of human blood demanded by the bloodthirsty  Mayan god Kukulcan, or the bloody excesses of the Indians to their goddesses Durga and Kali, or even the abominable fire rituals of Moab's Molech. It however does not mean that humanity is free of spiritual bondage. Satan's kingdom has merely cleverly altered the game plan. They have adopted a modern camouflage so as to more subtly continue with their nefarious designs. Yahshua said: "...the thief comes but to steal, to kill and to destroy..." (John 10:10). Today's world has more than 30 million occult centers strewn across the world! The scriptures still warn about the "...spirit of the power of the air..." (Ephesians 2:1-3). We are still at war against the rulers, against the authorities, against principalities, against spiritual forces of evil in this dark world and in the heavenlies (Ephesians 6:10-11, paraphrased).

One of the most powerful of these deities was called the "Queen of Heaven" in Jeremiah's day (Jeremiah 44:17-19, 24-25). In other cultures, she was known as Ishtar, Oestre, Artemis, Venus, Diana, Inanna, Maia, Devaki, Isis, Iswara, Aphrodite, Hertha, Freya, Ani, Gaia etc. She was the goddess that was "worshipped throughout Asia and the world" (Acts 19:27)

Today, she is still very powerful and is called by several new names, especially in Latin America, Africa and the Mediterranean. The Virgin worshipped in one of the world's largest churches, for example, is the same ancient goddess, thinly disguised. That is why we have churches, basilicas, grottoes, shrines and cathedrals named after her. Names like Our Lady Queen of Peace, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lay of Immaculate Conception, etc refer to, and dedicate these religious edifices to her. Other names in reference to her include Regina Mundi (Latin for "Queen of the World"), Stella-Maris (Star of Mary, or Star of the Sea), and Rose-Mary among others. It is this aerial demon spirit, Rose, that gives us the name "rosary" (a string of prayer beads that links the worshipper into direct communication with her)! The "rose water" employed in some occultic rituals, is so named on her account.

Another powerful marine deity is Yemanja. Originating from the Yoruba of Nigeria, she is now popular throughout out the West Coast of Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and Latin America. She is also identified as Mami Watta or "Queen of the Coast." She is very popular among the fisherfolk of the above-mentioned lands and also all along the course of West Africa's River Niger, and the Central African River Congo basin.

Whether she is synonymous with Mary Marguela (a powerful denizen of the Pacific Ocean), or different from Maimuna  (of the East African coast), is subject to further research. Yemanja was exported to the Americas by the African slaves shipped to the sugar and cotton plantations of white imperialists during the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. Fishermen worship her as insurance against marine accidents, or misfortune and also to guarantee good catches.

It is, however, now coming to light that many top  executives in the fashion, cosmetics and fragrances industry actively seek the "blessings" of these deities in underwater rituals before releasing their products on the market. Why, for example, is the fashion and tattoo industry so obsessed with such suspect motifs as snakes, scorpions, bats, dinosaurs, owls, spiders, dragons, sea horses, skeletons, skulls, spiderwebs, crocodiles etc? Why do we see so many occultic signs on clothing and tattoos? Sigils, pentagrams, crosses, 666, pyramids, medusa, Eye of Horus, lightning symbols, the  grim reaper among others?

This is partly because today's cultural trends and fads - make-up, hairstyles, tattooing, body piercing, and the fashion industry are closely linked to the unseen spiritual world. The child of God must therefore remain vigilant, prayerful, and sensitive to the voice of the Almighty God whenever they go out shopping in today's clothing stores.

The same can be said for the cosmetics industry. Some perfume names are dead giveaways as to their diabolical connections. Why would a beauty product be named "Cobra", "Sirene", "Tendre Poison", "Desire", "Diabolique" etc?! The usage of these products by the unsuspecting child of God may bring much strife, rebellion, curses, stagnation, suicidal thoughts, unhappiness, lust, spiritual slothfulness, sickness etc. They create legal grounds for the presence of unclean spirits in the believer's life. They may become spiritual albatrosses around the believer's spiritual neck - so to speak.

Another front on which this unrelenting spiritual war is being fought is in the food industry. In his deep love for humanity, God has given us a dietary code to ensure that we do not contaminate ourselves by eating unclean, disease-spawning foods. We find this dietary code in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. The consumption of unclean meats such as duck, geese, camel, dog, horse, frogs, snails, reptiles, shellfish, bats, and other loathsome creatures engender demonic infestation and are the cause for much spiritual defeat. Products such as milk and eggs from these creatures are also a no-go zone. We should be especially careful around canned products such as fish, meats, and poultry.

This dark kingdom also seems to have taken over the modern music industry. Rebellion, hedonism, blasphemy, and other elements of the cesspool of humanism - seem to be the reigning themes in that multimillion-dollar industry. It is not lost on me that these spiritual sewer pipes largely emanate from Hollywood, a district in the city of Los Angeles. The name, Los Angeles is Spanish for  "The Angels." Some, however, query the real true identity of the angels for which this sprawling American metropolis is named. Some refer to it as the "City of the Fallen Angels". So who are these fallen angels giving this American West Coast city its name? Is not Satan and his demons, the only lost or fallen angels we know? Is it coincidental, therefore, that Los Angeles is also America's (and the world's) capital of the film industry? Is it by chance that the movies churned out by  many of the leading studios in that city seem largely focused on themes that push for rebellion against God? Drugs, murder, violence, irresponsible sex, pornography, the occult, androgyny, homosexuality, and destruction of the family among other nefarious themes seem to be their stock-in-trade!

Is not the world being conditioned to accept the above social aberrations as acceptable societal behaviour? Satan's aim is to destroy any and all divinely established institutions and make humanity abominable in the eyes of God through these evil practices.

The believer, therefore, finds himself in a theatre of war. We must take up the full  amour of God as outlined in the scriptures:

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle 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.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..." (Ephesians 6:9 - 18, KJV). 
The believer must not only be fully clad in the spiritual battle armour, he must also powerfully wield the sword of the Spirit! Yahshua, gave Satan no quarter, he, at every point during his temptation, replied: "...it is written..." (Matthew 4:4-10). This is the example that we ought to emulate as we battle it out with the powerful forces of evil, warring against our souls.

We are further exhorted to "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And not: "...give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:2). The prince of this world could find nothing of his in Yahshua (John 14:30). The same should be applicable to us, Satan should find nothing of his in us! The apostle Peter warns that our enemy, the devil, prowls about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 3:8). Yahshua himself warned us to be wary of the deceitfulness of mammon and the cares of this life. In 1John 2:15-17, we are warned against the love of the world and the the things of the world. It is an admonishment that we will do well to heed. We must fast and pray often. We cannot afford to lean on our own understanding, but trust in the Lord in all our ways (Proverbs 3:5). We must always remember that the battle belongs to the Lord (2Chronicles 20:15, Deuteronomy 20:4). Our Father is rooting for us and as the apostle Paul said, in Yahshua we are more than conquerors (Romans 8: 31- 39)! And they overcame him (Satan), by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11). Indeed we can rejoice in the fact that the God of Peace shall soon crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20). The Rebel will soon be in prison (Revelation 20:2)! O HalleluYah! Maranatha! Blessings!

Pst Ken Chang'andu