Why We Must Confront the Deaf and Dumb Spirit in This Hour

What is a spiritual stronghold? Ed Silvosa of Harvest Evangelism defines it as, “a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that causes us to accept as unchangeable, situations that we know are contrary to the will of God.” Note that the enemy does not work haphazardly. He has schemes, plans, goals, strategies and methods to carry them out. (See Eph. 6:11; 1 John 5:18-19)

• From the New American Standard Version: “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.”
• From the New International Version: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
• From the Living Word Translation: “For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world, and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.”
• From the Amplified Version: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.

We are born in the midst of a spiritual battle and we are born for battle as the agents in the army of the Lord. Jesus said that He had given us “power and authority over all the power of the enemy.”

1. The conflict between God and Satan.
2. The conflict between the elect angels and the fallen angels.
3. The conflict between Satan and the saints.
4. The conflict between Satan and the unsaved.
5. The conflict between the law of the mind and the law of the Spirit.

1. Principalities/rulers (arche): a ruler must have someone or something or somewhere over which to exercise its dominion or rule. (Eph. 1:21, 3:10, 6:12; Col. 1:16; 2:10).
2. Authorities (exuosia): again, “authority” demands a subordinate (Eph. 1:21, 3:10; Col. 1:16).
3. Powers (dunamis): Ephesians 1:21. In Mark 9:29, Jesus refers to a type of demon that cannot come out but by prayer and fasting. Possibly some demons are stronger and more powerful than others; hence, a hierarchy or differentiation based on spiritual strength.
4. Dominions (kuriote tos): again, “lordship/dominion” over what/whom/where? (Eph. 1:21, Col. 1:16).
5. Thrones (thronoi): used of angels only in Colossians 1:16. Psalm 22:3, Daniel 7:10.
6. World rulers (kosmo kratoras): used only in Ephesians 6:12.

• From Isaiah 42:18-20 (MEV):
  Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My messenger whom I sent? Who is blind as he who is at peace with Me, and blind as the servant of the Lord? You have seen many things, but you do not observe them; your ears are open, but no one hears.
• From Isaiah 42:21-22:
  The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake to magnify the law and make it honorable. But this is a people robbed and despoiled; they are all snared in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses; they are for a prey, and no one delivers, for a spoil, and no one says, “Restore them.”
• From Malachi 2:7-8
  For a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. But you have departed from the way. You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have violated the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of Hosts.
  
• From Mark 9:17-18
  One in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. Wherever it takes hold on him, it dashes him to the ground. And he foams at the mouth and gnashes with his teeth and becomes rigid. And I told Your disciples so that they would cast it out, but they could not.”
• From Luke 9:38-39
  Suddenly a man cried out from the crowd, saying, “Teacher, I beg You, look upon my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth, and bruises him, and scarcely leaves him.”