This post is the revelatory teaching notes that Dr. Aikens taught from in the Bootcamp entitled “Discerning the 12 Strongmen Tag-Teams. Posted by Rev. Jane Babich after attending the Bootcamp.
We have worked surely building up our foundational knowledge to more and more understand we’ve very key, amazing nine gifts and fruit of the Spirit. He equips us as believers for individual press towards the mark God sets to work out in our own revelatory high calling.
Now consider the gauntlet of oppositional traffic jams that the 12 strongmen tag teams form. They hinder and press to do good in spiritual relationship we now value as eternal salvation. They make it costly to emulate the Lord; so remain determined to follow Him; despite all those divers temptations we find we may frustratingly fall into. His Grace will help us to not “utterly” fall!
3rd least-level tag-teams work us by making many things into “sifting” situations
“Spirit of Infirmity” By Jesus stripes already healed Luke 13:11-13
“Spirit of Heaviness” Garment of praise moves it easily Isaiah 61:3
“Deaf & Dumb Spirit” Requires fasting and prayer Mark 9:17-29
“Spirit of Whoredoms” Overcome by being Spiritual minded Hosea 5:4
2nd Mid-Level tag-teams working to blind us to not see; we’ve become the problem
“Spirit of Jealousy” Cruel as the Grave, Provokes, Burns & Rages Num 5:14-30
“Haughty Spirit” Pride personified Proverbs 16:18
“Spirit of Divination” Commands familiar spirits Acts 16:16-18
1st Power-Level tag-teams work foundationally in all weapons formed against us
“Lying Spirit of Error” Overcome by the Spirit of Truth! 2 Chron 18:22; 1John 4:6
“Spirit of Antichrist” Evil present with us; but judgment’s set. 1John 4:3 & Dan 7:25-28
“Perverse Spirit” Works us to foolishly “let” ungodliness be in us. Isaiah 19:14
“Spirit of Fear” Simply “False Evidence Appearing Real”; But God! 2 Timothy 1:7
“Spirit of Bondage” Be Not Entangled Again by its Yoke! Romans 8:15 & Gal 5:1
We’re learning strategies, fruit and characteristics that form Sa`tan’s kingdom of darkness. It is full of obvious evil being present with us as irritating as swarming gnats, flies and potentially dangerous divers temptation we can fall into. But regardless of what evil works us; our resource of prevailing kingdom keys and principles are greater and more than it all!
The Lord gave Paul the greatest revelation of evil: Ephesians 6:12 Apostle-phrased!
Paul taught as believers; ours is not to wrestle so contend with physical opposition; but to strive to utilize our gift of the Spirit; especially the ability to be “discerning of spirits”; good or evil. We’re to see to know them for what they are and not be fearfully reactive, but quietly, boldly confidant. For what operates in the background of all evil present with us as Sa`tan’s head honchos, form tag-teams of principalities, powers, master rulers of this present darkness; all as the spiritual wickedness occupying his high places in the heavenlies.
“Tag-Teams”
Tag Teams: are usually made up of wrestlers normally wrestling as singles; more commonly they form established teams appearing to wrestle regularly as a unit. They have team names and hype intended to magnify and utilize all their strengths and characteristics combined. Their hype is meant to identify them as the “more than”; to their public.
The revelatory spiritually is in our calling all spiritual wickedness, tag-teams. For as in televised teams although only one competitor per team is supposed to be allowed in the ring at a time; almost always; illegal tactics are used by the “evil” team.
They work as one to hide their own weakness. They take full advantage of any weakness the team thinks they perceive needs a particular skillset. Then they pile on to intimidate, overwhelm and wear out opponents to ensure they utterly fall.
“We Wrestle Not Against”
Wrestle Against signifies we come to any match vibrating with intelligent intensity and authority; enabled to contend with intent to overcome. It is to look beyond, behind men to press forward according to direction heard. By skill and wisdom gained we then take down opponents; to cast them on out.
Not against flesh and blood doesn’t mean we lack physical opposition; but the invisible spirits; use available men, to sift, touch, bind then blind us to their evil presence.
The revelatory here is as the kingdom of God has its mighty angelic host that is comprised of legions of ranked good angels; so, Sa`tan’s counterfeit kingdom of darkness is also comprised of the third that were his fallen angels. They too are divided into ranks and orders, controlled by mighty leaders he’s chosen as his captains or strongmen. Revelation 12:4
“Against Principalities & Powers”
Principalities signify those Sa`tan made to be chief commencers; assigned to begin principle rulings, he appoints take place. He strategically sets them in place as his cornerstones; as strongholds; to act as his magisterial order established; as first in order, rank, and position.
Powers signifies those Sa`tan gives “domination power”; ability to stay in place despite believers resisting so, occupy his princedoms he gave them.
“Against Rulers of Darkness of This World”
Rulers signify heads, captains presiding over regions of ignorance, avarice, hate, and fear which abounds as sin in this world.
Darkness signifies a shadiness that causes spiritual obscurity that gives cover to ignorance, misery, and sin produced as evil fruit by malignant spirits that think to rule our world from their places of darkness.
“Against Spiritual Wickedness”
Spiritual Wickedness signifies a seemingly all powerful, orderly empire that’s stood for ages. It is full of all that’s impudently confident and audacious; yet sustained by authority of sa`tanic law.
The revelatory is this spiritual wickedness has its basis in all things selfish, corrupt and full to teeming; with all the baser passions that feed man’s carnal nature.
Consider, no otherworldly empire has continued as long where spiritual wickedness reigns. Absolutely nothing proves as difficult to resist; much less to destroy as evil and wickedness. All these spirits and malignant influences; whether we’ll “speak boldly” to contend against them obediently or not; never stop forming as weapons against us.
They combine strength to bring us vices, error, superstition, infidelity, atheism, schism, terrorism, every evil custom and corruptive, destructive religious laws and opinions.
Finally, consider the: “High Places”
High Places signifies wickedness occupying heavens to exert adverse influence over atmosphere, transportation and communications utilizing the airways.
The revelatory is it also signifies spiritual wickedness occupies and seeks to exert control in places above our skyline; the celestial heavenly places; and even over our devices utilizing such. This also includes the internet; the dark web; our wireless transmissions and even storages as in the cloud. Also, consider these are the “lower heavens”, thus the sky, the air, even outer space; but it does not include what is the third heaven.
“The Third Heaven”
The Third Heaven signifies the secret place of the “Most High God”; the place where His shadow as the Almighty rests; His abode; and realm of our eternal salvation. It remains full of His power, truth, and authority, abundant mercies, grace, peace, and joy everlasting.
This third heaven is considered God’s kingdom of heaven that is higher than all else. It is the place in which His throne room exists.
This third heaven is where Enoch and Elijah were caught up to; and still remain alive, through their eating the leaves of the tree of life.
This third heaven is where they will both come again from as the two witnesses John saw in his revelation. They will stand and “speak boldly”. As God’s witnesses “fire” issues out of their mouths. They are His prophets, candlesticks and captains doing the good of simplified yet powerful appointed warfare against the evil trinity.
This third heaven is where Jesus sits as God’s right hand or as His authority, in being His Word. This third heaven is also where Paul was caught up to it and entered its outer court called paradise. He found there he was not diminished but so increased, he could not tell if he was there in spirit or flesh.
It was there he heard unspeakable words not yet lawful for mortal men to utter. But, also there, Paul learned the power to boast of is grace and to “take pleasure”, not in his achievements, own strengths or revelation; but in siftings the spirit of infirmity brings. For that is when God steps in as the “omnipotent” on our behalf! 2 Corinthians 12:4-5
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Greatly Apostle-phrased!
In what Paul cites is his third letter written to the Corinthian church to quell disputes, over whether all his perils, weaknesses and infirmities meant the enemy was too strong to fight past to come to respond to their struggles as his church. Paul laid out for them one of the most profound three-pronged kingdom keys we have. For the 1st and 2nd Corinthian letters taught intelligently simplified warfare as “sterizo, aphorao, and yasha”!
To “sterizo” is to even as we take a licking from any strongman; we rise as the redeemed, saying So! But God! Then in shaking any dusty residue of sifting off; we wisely choose to press on by “aphoraoing”; we look away from what we’ve suffered that still may sing “memories”, so we look back! But, we look instead unto the Lord; simply trusting; knowing He’s greater than it all. This is when in pressing we arrive back to re-enter that sense of yasha; our resting realm of perfect peace; stayed, protected by goodness and mercies assigned to follow us always. There, we’re reminded the Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you; My strength is always made perfect for you; It shows itself as strong on your behalf, and always in times you feel your weakest”!
We’re, to therefore most gladly, boast but God; in weakness and infirmities, so His power as grace rests on us! And “take pleasure” in reproaches, necessities, persecutions and distresses coming to sift those who live as His! Beloveds, then the world sees; despite any strongman working to say we’re weak; By God, we’re strong!
“Take Pleasure”
Take Pleasure signifies a most powerful concept; as it is to now think well of; to now be well pleased within seeing the good as a result of; therefore willing approve of any act required to go through unto the end already discerned will be. especially, to approbate (a person or thing):
This is extremely revelatory because it signals having used the key of faith to enter that strait gate in our discerned “there”; where though sifted; we don’t reconsider our faith but remember God’s Word.
“Reproaches”
Reproaches have revelatory signification; for its overbearing self-confidant arrogance that gets to and sifts us because we discern its insolent display it levels to speak to or about us, against us; is based in a pure evil others may not recognize the intent of. Its fruit is insults wielded as injurious behavior against us. Its evil barbs taunt as spiked hooks intentionally designed to belittle, hurt and do harm, to feelings regarding our spiritual reputation.
“Necessities”
Necessities have revelatory signification in that it brings constraint there, where it ought not be for us, spiritually. This is evil worrying, sweating us with small stuff of need we don’t see provision made for. Its evil designed to make us side-eye God; when we’ve given; but it taunts with; where’s your return?
So this evil seeks to manipulate our spiritual priorities “there” so all we “see” are “its common sense necessities”. It thinks to take us to its “there” to sift us making us “feel” we have no choice but to rob God of His tithes and our offerings; in foolishly thinking we can’t afford to be consistent blessings in that area or any other; cause we need!
“Persecutions”
Persecutions simply signify every perplexing, bewildering type of torturous, oppressive harassment and an odious mistreatment that is downright abusive, distinctive stink released, piling on to spiritually sift us.
This evil of persecutions used against us, can not only seem to accost every sense, from every direction at once; but we feel unable to see the veritable hole in the dike that stops this sifting.
So, the revelatory here is this evil present with us uses its tactics to busy us, trying to stem flows; figure whys; vent frustrations; seeking who to blame. But don’t fall into that divers temptation of being “taken there”!
We’re to simply in all things give thanks to God. His solution as grace will always come in a timely manner as to help to do; what we know we couldn’t on our own. Yet know sometimes beloved; this can simply mean He places us in His “there” of a higher than; “hidden in witness protection”; where there’s no shame in that game!
“Distresses”
Distresses signifies brought to places of narrowness; there to feel stressed, anguished, as calamity closes into rob our sense of peace. We feel tossed, unable to be stable; to keep heart or mind stayed on the Lord. Such distresses utterly sift, to feel drowned in unmitigated, continually escalating, distressful circumstances.
The revelatory for purposes of this trilogy of study we’ve begun and continue today to discern the evil present with us; as the 12 strongmen tag-teams; is understanding how this third heaven concept applies to us. For remember, evil does not reign in or over it; nor in or over us.
It is as Paul taught his Ephesian church; that God being rich in His mercies and great love toward us; did through grace already extend to us; while we were yet sinners; to quicken us as he did Paul; so, to also raise us up as well; into His third heaven.
There, He has made us to sit together; to be seated there in Christ Jesus; thus as partakers of the same authority He is as His Word; thus having ability to stand, withstand, and overcome in all things in earth as in heaven. Ephesians 2:4-9
All of heaven is assigned to back up our simplified warfare as we’ll utilize our keys given; that whatever we bind on earth; is bound in heaven. And what we loose on earth, the same again is; loosed in heaven.
It is that we must not only bind them but in rebuking their activity or fruit; whatever”; most scholars agree; only twelve are considered “strongmen”.
By revelation we know they’re all Sa`tan’s counterfeit captains leading the rest of his fallen angels; now hordes of evil spirits that form his counterfeit kingdom of darkness; the wannabe opposite of the Kingdom of God!
It also implies feebleness of mind or in our bodies, whether morally or through malady or moral frailty. It works to leave us now prone or subject to sickness and or disease.
But it’s “work” can only touch; but can’t control us if we refuse to be drained of our love of God’s Word, presence, joy, grace and abiding peace. It is; well able to keep us!
Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn, and to appoint and give unto them beauty for ashes; the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness and plantings of the Lord; that He then, might be glorified.
The revelatory in all of this is quite simple; for despite all this heavy spiritual weight we all can feel so easily beset us at times; we’re simply to “put on a garment of praise” and it is guaranteed to remove all such encumbering weights easily. Selah!
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