The Spirit’s Sphere
What is this “combat” that Christians are to partake? Christians term this “fighting” as “spiritual warfare.” But, what exactly is “spiritual warfare?” “Spiritual” refers to the area of residence by angels, demons, and God. Most authors claim that this is actually a “spirit world” or a “spirit realm,” while, warfare simply refers to actual battle part of the Christian’s life.
In John 4:23 & 24, Christ informed the Samaritan woman at the well, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” The true worshippers “shall worship in spirit and in truth.” When the Christian worships in spirit, they worship God through their spirit.” The Christian worships God in this physical world through their spirit and reaches God in the spirit realm. Therefore, the conclusion exists that the spirit world and our physical world are one.
What theologians refer to as “the spirit realm” is actually the invisible portion of God’s creation. The “two worlds” exist as one. Preposterous? What proof exists that the spirit realm and the material realm coexist as one?
Scripture displays the interaction between the “spirit world” and the “natural world” and portrays the two realms as one. Genesis chapter three revealed the account the serpent beguiling eve. The serpent is the devil, who is a member of the so-called spirit world and eve is a so-called member of the natural or physical world. If the two realms do not exist as one, then the devil had to emerge into the physical world through some sort of window or door that connects the two realms. Further proof that the two realms are one is found in Ezekiel chapter twenty-eight. Ezekiel 28:12 states, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” Not only was the devil in the Garden of Eden, but this member of the “spirit realm” was covered with material from the physical world. Furthermore, demons influence individuals in the natural realm.[1] Christ was tempted in the natural realm.[2] The devil is referred to as “the prince of the air”[3] and “god of this world.”[4] Also, if the worlds are separate, did Christ leave this earth on a cloud and at some point enter into the spirit world through some door? More evidence that the spirit world and natural world are one can be gathered from a study on the glorified body of Christ.
Christ’s glorified body provides evidence that the spirit world is nothing more than the invisible portion of God’s creation. Christ’s glorified body permits travel at rapid rates of speed.[5] It could be physically handled and showed evidence of Christ’s crucifixion.[6] Christ ate with His glorified body. Luke 24:4243 declares, “And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.” Christ still possesses His glorified body and is seated on the right hand of the Father in His glorified body. There exists further evidence that the spirit world is nothing more than the invisible portion of God’s creation.
Both John the Beloved and Paul testify to the fact that the spirit world and natural world are one. God caught John and Paul into heaven.[7] Wait! A member of the natural realm was taken to the spirit world? No! God simply revealed to them a portion of the invisible part of His creation by rapturing them there in person. These two men did not pass through some invisible portal or door into the spirit world but, rather, God caught them up to heaven and revealed to them parts of the invisible portion of God’s creation.
[1] Daniel 10:20 “Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.”
See also Mark 5:1-17.
[2] Matthew 4:1 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
[3] Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
[4] II Corinthians 4:4” In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
[5] Luke 24:30-31 “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”
[6] Luke 24:39-40 “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.”
[7] Revelation 4:1-2 “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”
II Corinthians 12:2 “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.”
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