“Removing the High Places”
After reading through the bible a few times I start to notice a common theme among the kings in the Old Testament. They would bring in reform but some of them never tore down the high places. A couple of them actually did tear them down. I started to question God about these high places. In the Old Testament you can see mostly that it is Baal worship in the high places but I couldn’t see the connection for today in the here and now. So I kept looking and struggling with the concept of high places today and where is it in the New Testament. I think we are so deep in cultural deceptions that we cannot see the obvious. It is there all the time if we will take a look. So let’s take a look at the high places or the altars of worship that as Americans we face daily.
What really helped me make this shift was a book by Dale M. Sides called “Mending the cracks of your soul.” I would advise reading this book because it gives sense to inner healing and how it happens. He also has a web site which has many good articles pertaining to iniquities and how they are different than transgressions and sins. We won’t go there today as my focus is on the high places and why they need to be torn down and what happens if you don’t tear them down.
Several years ago a Christian man of high reputation wrote a book regarding the dangers of praying against high places which in the New Testament are the principalities and rulers of wickedness. What the book indicated was the needless causalities of spiritual warfare. I bought into his thoughts hook line and sinker. It is totally opposed to scripture and what God wants us to do.
In counseling, especially in marriage problems, the hardest concept to get across to a couple that is having marriage difficulties is Paul’s statement in Ephesians 6:12 “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.” Focus on this for a moment and then see what marriage counseling even in the Christian setting looks like. How about how to communicate better and say “do I understand what you are saying is this and so and so”? Or why don’t you express your deeper feeling to me more often. What we are really saying is I can see the problem with my own eyes and its setting right across the table from me. Fix him and we wouldn’t have a problem. But what if I really believed the scripture that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but these other folks in the high places.
In Colossians 2:15 “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” These are the high places that He disarmed. So it is a done deal right? Not quite. According to the scriptures we play a very important role in this whole matter. Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.” So here is the great deception. There is a great difference between demons and serpents and scorpions. I thought they were all the same. No they are not. For the sake of our blog today “demons” are terrestrial beings only. They are only on the earth, walking around in the waste places looking for a body to carry out their work. They are spirits without bodies. They have to have bodies to carry out evil. Paul did not say our struggle is against demons but principalities, rulers of the air not the terrestrial boys. We simply cast these boys out. We don’t have a problem with that, but what do you do with rulers and principalities of the air. You do not cast them out because they don’t have a physical body to operate in, they are angelic being that are the third that were cast out of God’s presence. These are the fallen angels. The demons are not fallen angels. So if we are fighting warfare against the demons we are off base.
A great example is World War 2 which showed the power of Air Power in Warfare. Whoever controlled the Air Waves really won the battle. Satan would love to have us believe that we can do nothing against the Principalities and rulers of the Air. There is lots of teaching going on that Jesus already gained the victory for us and that the war is over. That is true but the other part is listed in Psalm 149:7 “To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishment on the peoples, To bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron.” (Who do you suppose these kings and nobles are?) And who is to do the binding? Verse 9 says “To execute on them the judgment written for this is an honor for all His Godly ones.” Praise the Lord. Look at Malachi 4:3 “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing.” Now here is one thing I know. You don’t tread on a demon but you are commanded to tread on the high places.
Let’s look at a couple of other scriptures that will bring light on the subject. Mark 16:18 “They will pick up serpents and if they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them.” Serpents are not demons. They are rulers of wickedness and the principalities. Another version says you will take them up. Demons are cast out, Principalities are displaced or removed. Ps 91:13 “You will tread on the Lion and Cobra the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.” Remember what Joshua did in verse 10:24 “Come near and put your feet on the necks of these kings. So they came near and put their feet on their necks.”
So what happens if I just ignore these Principalities and rulers of darkness. Probably things will stay the same and things might even get worse. Psalm 44:4 is the one of many scriptures that David wrote because he understood that the battle was in the high places or in the heavenlies . “You are My King O God. Command victories for Jacob. Through you we will push back our adversaries. Through your name we will trample down those who rise up against me.” Deuteronomy 33:17 “As the first born of his ox, majesty is his. And his horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he will push the peoples. All at once to the ends of the earth.” Guess who the peoples are that he is pushing.
2 Corinthians 10:4 sheds some light on high places and principalities and rulers or wickedness. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh” (just as our struggle is not against flesh and blood so are our weapons not of the flesh, you ever notice that reason doesn’t work in marriage issues or conflicts) but our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing (high places) that are raised up against the knowledge of God, we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience. Similar to Psalm 149:7 “To execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples.”
So let’s put this together so we can use it in our life. Cast out demons as they are terrestrial. No problem. Displace the rulers, trample on the high places. Bring them down. How does this happen. We have the word of God. It is a two edged sword. Psalm 149:6 “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two edged sword in their hand.” The word of God in our mouth and spoken is a two edged sword in the spiritual realm. When it goes forth from our mouth it does not return void but accomplishes what we send it out to do. It is a weapon of warfare mighty for the pulling down of strongholds and fortresses. Angels watch over God’s word when it is spoken. Devils hearts melt when the word is spoken. Ezekiel 21:15 “that their hearts may melt, and many fall at their gates. I have given the glittering sword. “
So the Psalms of David are mostly warfare psalms. Look at Psalm 35.1-10. Let’s say you have a marriage problem. My wife and I just aren’t making it. We are not getting along, just arguing, fighting, and bickering, in total disagreement with everything. We aren’t even near harmony or unity. If I say black she says white. If I say this she says just the opposite. We are divided. So we start with the Psalm. We speak it out, we memorize it, we take the work into our innermost being so I don’t need to read it but it is there when I need it. When the thoughts come from the powers of darkness. And they will come I will guarantee it. “Contend O Lord, with those who contend with me.” (Ever run into contention) Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield and rise to my help. Now what happens when I pray or declare God’s word back to him. Devils hear it. Oh believe me they hear and obey and come trembling out of their fortresses. According to Psalm 19:44 “As soon as they hear, they obey me, foreigners submit to me Foreigners fade away and come trembling out of their fortresses. “Who are the foreigners? The aliens? They are not terrestrial beings. They are the principalities. We can leave them alone but life on this earth with them ruling the high places will not be pleasant. Let’s finish the Psalm 35:3 “Draw also the spear and the battle axe to meet those who pursue me. Say to my soul “I am your salvation.’ Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life ( Oh My there are some of those rulers who are seeking to kill me and get me to divorce) Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. Let them be like chaff before the wind with the angel of the Lord driving them on . Let their way be dark and slippery with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. 7 For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my soul. 8 Let destruction come upon him unawares and let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.” Now what happens when you pray this over from your heart which means you have memorized it? How often do I have to pray and proclaim this? Until the enemy leaves and then he will probably come back. But I have this two edged sword which works and displaces him, removes him from my high places. Try it.