This morning my mind and heart are being drawn back to the reflection I had on Tuesday, relating to the progressive revelation of the spiritual realm. As I was reading briefly through Paul's letters this morning, I was conscious of a few things.
First, the call to the Kingdom is something that is primarily a spiritual reality, as I wrote earlier this week. Paul wrote the following, (notice the last two sentences) to the Colossians 1:9-14 NIV:
[9] "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, [10] so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, [11] being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, [12] and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. [13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
Paul writes about our need to grow in wisdom and understanding (progressive revelation) and our inheritance is in the Kingdom of Light. Thus, we are expected to grow in this area, to understand more and more, and if it is a spiritual inheritance, it seems to me that part of this growing and maturing must be in our ability to operate or be aware of this realm.
Second, we have in us the Holy Spirit, and we have in Him the greatest guide and teacher about all things spiritual, for He is God and Spirit, and over everything! Paul writes in the section above how the Holy Spirit is who provides us this wisdom and understanding, and since He is Spirit, we must have the ability to interact with the spiritual realm. This is not some weird thing, but how we are clearly built, and as natural to us as thinking and feeling. Much of our need is to become aware and attuned to His voice, that we might listen and learn! Jesus spoke the following, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you." (John 16:13-14 NIV) If Jesus said the Holy Spirit will speak to us, then we must be able to hear what He is saying!
Thirdly, at times people become fearful of the spiritual realm, but we have in us the Holy Spirit, who clearly has authority over all spirits and over the whole of the spiritual realm. Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, following His time in the wilderness after His baptism (see Luke 4:14), apparently has no fear of the spiritual forces, for He constantly confronts and defeats harmful spirits. We have many examples, but the story where he heals the demoniac (see Mark 5:1-20) probably demonstrates this authority clearest, for He fearlessly deals with a "legion" of demons and casts them out of the man, who is becomes completely restored to his right mind and goes on to become one of Jesus' earliest evangelists!
Later, when Jesus sends out the twelve and the seventy-two to minister He gives them this same authority to cast out demons, and we are told the seventy-two come back with this report - Luke 10:17-20 NIV:
[17] "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
[18] He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. [19] I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. [20] However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
I can't imagine that the disciples who went out were afraid of the spiritual forces anymore, for they saw that they had, in Jesus' name and by His authority, power over these spirits. We, as co-heirs with Christ Jesus, have in us the same Holy Spirit, the same power that Jesus operated in during His ministry, and thus, we can operate in this same authority! We have nothing to fear!
Going back to our ability to perceive the spiritual realm, clearly Jesus demonstrated some of this was possible in His comments about "seeing Satan fall like lightning". The Greek word used by Luke is "theoreo" and it is defined as follows by Strong's: " to be a spectator of, that is, discern, (literally, figuratively [experience] or intensively [acknowledge]): - behold, consider, look on, perceive, see." It is clear that Luke was recording after the fact what Jesus said, but I believe that this is specifically recorded to help us understand that this ability to perceive what is happening in the spiritual realm is possible.
As I sit here this morning, I realize that, by and large, I am operating as a mostly spiritually blind man. I do believe I can hear from the Holy Spirit, and that I am aware of His guidance, but I am generally unaware of other spiritual realities around me. More often than not, I am operating in the this realm by faith, believing that what Jesus has taught is true, but having limited awareness of anything that I am perceiving or experiencing guiding me. There have been times that I was "aware" of changes in the spiritual atmosphere, other times I have understood what the Lord is doing, often through a word of knowledge, but most of the time I am at best dull, like walking in a dark room with sunglasses on!
Lord, I know there is more, and I know much of my limitation is within my mindset and way of thinking. I pray that You might enlighten me, and encourage me in this area. I believe that You are encouraging this focus in my time, because You desire to see me grow and mature in my ability to operate, see and have authority in this realm, as Your son! For many years I have worked on hearing and listening, and it seems to me that I am to enter into a time of training and learning to see! Help me, for You clearly know my limitations and dullness in this area!
I am reminded of Jesus' prayer to the Father in John 17, and want to close with the final lines of His prayer. John 17:24-26 NIV:
[17] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. [25] “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. [26] I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Amen and Amen! Help us to SEE Your glory!
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