I remember seeing a trick where someone would put a plate on top of a pole and spin it. Then he would do the same with another plate and another and then again another. Pretty soon it was hard to watch all the spinning plates because there were too many to watch. Just like a magician uses smoke, mirrors and distractions to make the audience believe the unbelievable, so does the demonic realm. If an enemy can spin enough plates you won’t know where to watch. Similarly if you could make people think something is true when it’s not you could steer them in a wrong direction. The one who can effectively use distractions, smoke mirrors, plates, to their advantage can control others or keep others confused.
There is so much to write on this subject we may need to land here for a while. In times past art communicated to us what things were like, but we must keep in mind that these were the artists’ way of communicating. To show good people or Godly people, halos were painted above the heads, glowing auras were painted around the body at times as well. To depict evil the devil is sometimes depicted with horns and a tail carrying a pitchfork. Sometimes the devil is colored red and sometimes he is painted as part goat and part human. While this is how things were communicated before the days of video, we still communicate the same way today. While telling a story in a painting is much different then telling a story on video we continue to use the same symbolism today, thereby propounding miscommunication.
We know from the time in the Garden of Eden there was an enemy. Satan who was an anointed cherub, went into the garden to deceive Eve to get to and Adam. What Satan wanted to do was trick them into turning over their dominion and rulership of the earth to him. But also, Satan did not want to bow down to Adam, this man who was made from dust. Lucifer along with 1/3 of the host of heaven refused to bow and were cast down to earth. If we reflect back on a past blog about Angels and Others we can see the hierarchy that probably mirrors the demonic realm. Cherubs were a class of strong warrior types, probably not naked, curly blond hair babies with wings. Lucifer was an anointed cherub which may mean he was a chief or leader of cherubs and he was also a covering cherub, maybe a leader or protector of others
Ezek 28:14
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; KJV
Ezek 28:16
therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. KJV
We know from Ephesians 6 that there are Principalities, Powers, and Rulers as well as spiritual wickedness. Is it possible that Cherubs are Principalities, Seraphs are Powers, and fallen Angels are Rulers? We know that demons are disembodied spirits of the Nephilim from angels that cohabitated with women. If that is the case then we have a huge amount of confusion in this area. Firstly I would say that those that were created by God, cherubs, seraphs, and angels, were not horrid looking beasts as God probably did not create them to be ugly monsters. They do seem to be different, with several faces or serpent type looks. See my previous blog Angels and Others for full descriptions. However, the spirits of the Nephilim may have looked weird or peculiar but again probably not like gargoyles because God created angels, even though they were fallen, and we know what humans look like. Angels look like humans, so again lack of knowledge and fear has caused imaginations to run wild. We will be surprised at finally seeing Lucifer.
Isa 14:16
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; KJV
It will be a surprise how we have over reacted and over exaggerated what the devil really looks like, apparently he looks like a man, otherwise the bible would say “is this the elephant that made the earth to tremble” or “is this the monster that …” . It would seem that God’s kingdom creations are decent and orderly. When he was an anointed cherub he probably had four faces as mentioned by Ezekiel but by the time he was in the garden talking to Adam and Eve he didn’t look like that. Then afterward he didn’t actually look like a snake as in Job or in Jubilees. Paul writes that he is transformed into an angel of light, along with his ministers.
2 Cor 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. KJV
Therefore if Satan can transform himself and his ministers look like ministers of righteousness, we then know we can be tricked into believing the opposite of what is true.
The kingdom of evil isn’t without organization. With that in mind there are territorial spirits or princes (principalities) over countries, as we see in the book of Daniel.
Dan 10:10-13
10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. KJV
There are battles between the Arch Angels and principalities that try keep the messengers of God from communicating with God’s people on earth. What we see here is that there are spiritual wars and battles going on that we don’t even see.
If we can sort out how this kingdom of the devil works we can better understand who we are and what we have in Christ. We were not created below the angelic class but above which is the cause of contention for one third of the fallen angels. The good news is that there are two thirds of the heavenly class that didn’t fall. But Gob being just has given satan an allowed period of time to rule, the same allotted time Adam would have had. As noted in Jubilees satan, (Mastema) wanted some of the evil spirits left to his command to execute the power of his will on man who is wicked and corrupt, (see end notes). Lucifer exploited Adam and Eve by finding a weakness in them and he does the same with us today. That has not changed. Therefore it is helpful to understand how we can be exploited.
End Notes
Eph 6:11-13
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. KJV
Col 2:15
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. KJV
4. But do Thou bless me and my sons, that we may increase and multiply and replenish the earth. 5. And Thou knowest how Thy Watchers, the fathers of these spirits, acted in my day: and as for these spirits which are living, imprison them and hold them fast in the place of condemnation, and let them not bring destruction on the sons of thy servant, my God; for these are malignant, and created in order to destroy. 6. And let them not rule over the spirits of the living; for Thou alone canst exercise dominion over them. And let them not have power over the sons of the righteous from henceforth and for evermore." 7. And the Lord our God bade us to bind all. 8. And the chief of the spirits, Mastêmâ, came and said: "Lord, Creator, let some of them remain before me, and let them hearken to my voice, and do all that I shall say unto them; for if some of them are not left to me, I shall not be able to execute the power of my will on the sons of men; for these are for corruption and leading astray before my judgment, for great is the wickedness of the sons of men." 9. And He said: "Let the tenth part of them remain before him, and let nine parts descend into the place of condemnation." 10. And one of us He commanded that we should teach Noah all their medicines; for He knew that they would not walk in uprightness, nor strive in righteousness. 11. And we did according to all His words: all the malignant evil ones we bound in the place of condemnation, and a tenth part of them we left that they might be subject before Satan on the earth. 12. And we explained to Noah all the medicines of their diseases, together with their seductions, how he might heal them with herbs of the earth. 13. And Noah wrote down all things in a book as we instructed him concerning every kind of medicine. Thus the evil spirits were precluded from (hurting) the sons of Noah
