Sermon 149 "Demonic Forces Embodied in Social Institutions"

Ephesians states that we fight not against human flesh, but against spiritual wickedness "in high places". What are these "high places"? Are they some vague, ethereal, celestial sphere floating above the earthly plane? Or are these "high places" the institutions and systems of the ruling elite? Considering demonic conflict as being up in the sky or in the heavenly realm, we tend to blind ourselves to the reality that diabolical forces are haunting the organizations, leaders, and programs that surround us. Our battle is against evil that is controlling and inhabiting government, entertainment, religion, education, corporations, military, banks, health care, agriculture, media, and other systems within society. There is nothing purely "secular". All human activities and groupings tend toward light or darkness to some degree. Everything is busy advancing the kingdom of God (peace, joy, love, equality, justice, excellence, creativity, freedom, productivity, cooperation, hygiene, sanity, progress, altruism, truth, righteousness) ... or the agenda of Satan (mediocrity, misanthropy, dependency, hostility, militarism, war, greed, egotism, exploitation, pollution, crime, despair, perversion, sickness, insanity).

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