Second 8th Week University
Disambiguating the Kingdom of Darkness
Dear Brethren,
The church has now entered into an exciting time of transition through Apostolic Governance from the priesthood of the flesh back to the priesthood of Jesus Christ, from the Gospel of aspiration to the Gospel of the knowledge of truth. This transition is causing a transformation, healing, and great glory as the church again stands as a memorial of Christ in word and in deed and government again stands as ambassadors of Christ bringing the word of reconciliation.
Yet the time of transition presents many challenges as God brings the kingdom of darkness into sharp focus and it is this focus that I’ll be sharing with you as I disambiguate the kingdom of darkness to liberate your faith.
The Church has many areas to overcome to make the transition back to the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, to His Headship, and to true believer's priesthood. These are all things that must take place in order for the Church to be without spot, wrinkle and blemish (in her doctrine and discipline). Truly the final move of God is now being experienced as the Second 8th Week Apostles of Christ return the church to the purity and unity of the Faith.
Questions for consideration before you read on:
1. Can we overcome the kingdom of darkness if we are unaware of it and how Satan uses darkness to rule the soul?
2. How many times were you told that Satan is the devourer and that he devours your blessings and that you can succeed in overcoming him and hang on to your blessings? Yet you continue to suffer lack.
3. How many times were you told how Satan comes to attack you and steal your peace and how you have to hang onto it. Yet you continue to suffer conflict of soul.
4. How many ways have you learned to do warfare against Satan, yet you continue to suffer under the bondage of sin, yoked with guilt and shame?
In this study we are going to contrast the kingdom of light against the kingdom of darkness and make the same kinds of distinctions that early apostles made. Beginning with Col.1:13, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” This is what the Bible says, yet we know that when apostle Paul wrote this he was writing from the standpoint of the authority of his calling and the stewardship of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. As an apostle he was responsible to instruct the church on their deliverance and translation from the kingdom and power of darkness. So then, the experience of the church would be equal to the knowledge he was giving. That means that there is equity in faith. You are not reading one thing and experiencing another.
I was reflecting on this very thing today when the angel of righteousness prompted me with this spiritual sacrifice: “The integrity of the righteous is made sure by the testimony of the Lord.” Let’s look at that for a moment. The integrity of the righteous is the integrity of Christ. By that God reveals how everything concerning our faith is sealed in Jesus Christ and carried by the Spirit and how Jesus qualifies us for the grace of God. Nothing can be taken from Christ nor added to Him, and no contradiction can stand before Him.
Jesus Christ is the Oath of the Lord and cannot prove false to Himself. Therefore He caries our faith in power and this power is experienced daily by the righteous because they use those spiritual tools Jesus poured Himself into. The testimony of the righteous reflects this work in equity, where no principle is heard, no aspiration is seen, and no darkness abides. The testimony of the righteous reflects this work in power, where the appetite of the soul increases for grace and remains anchored in truth.
The righteous stand to the righteousness of Christ and this is reflected in their spiritual sacrifices, which testify of His knowledge and His continual work. Even God testifies to the integrity of the righteous by His reciprocation.
The integrity of Christ is seen in the faith of the righteous on all levels. I will explain two:
1. The integrity of the righteous is made sure as we advance with the knowledge of Christ; for by our contact with Him we gain experience of Him and grow in trust.
Trust: The mutual consent of the Spirit, we have to mutually consent with the Spirit to build with the knowledge of Christ. Confidence is born with each cycle of growth and trust is formed for what God consented to He is faithful to oversee and carry by His own power. The Spirit is assisting us in this translation from darkness to light. We have returned to the covering of the Spirit for grace and truth shields our conscience.
2. The integrity of the righteous is made sure by their cycles of growth where the righteous continue to delight the Lord by reciprocating to God the gift of Christ that is equal to Him. Their experience reflects the testimony of Christ, which is life; for they experience grace unto grace, faith unto faith, and charity unto charity. Their fellowship is sealed by this divine reciprocation: our soul to God’s soul, our soul mirrors what is in God’s soul.
The kingdom of darkness is the opposite of Jesus Christ for the spirit of Antichrist opposes God by taking the things of God and twisting them so that they no longer reflect the integrity of Christ.
Point of Discernment: Present Christian education focuses believers on the idea that Satan comes to steal their blessings and cause problems in their lives. The power of darkness was understood in this context and faith was then errantly viewed as the opportunity God was granting to win back blessings and keep Satan from advancing into their life. Liberty in Christ is then brought down to this level of the flesh where believers are expected to outwit Satan by thinking positively about their blessings and how God wants them to be happy.
This thinking is darkness because Jesus is no longer the integrity of faith. Rather He is viewed as our problem solver. Instead of experiencing cycles of growth, Satan rotates your attention from problem to problem, from issue to issue.
Let me explain how that happens. When Balak king of the Moabites hired the prophet Balaam to curse the children of Israel he took Balaam to different vantage points to view the Israelites encamped in the wilderness. At each place Balak entreated Balaam, “Perhaps you can curse them from here?” And when Balaam refused, Balak took him to another place and entreated him again, “Perhaps you can curse them from here?”
Satan does the same thing, he probes the perimeter of your soul looking for a weak point, looking for what you want and addresses you on these points of your desires and fears. The desires of your pleasure becomes your breach because the desire of your pleasure is with your imagination. If our imagination enslaves us we are servants to sin. And being a servant to sin we are always going to be seeking for equity, looking for things that define us and establish a memorial of our existence in the hearts of other people. This is part of the God-Code, to establish a memorial of one’s self, but it is joined to unsanctified things and will not prosper the soul.
This search for equity and a memorial of oneself is Satan’s false journey for the soul. We will either use faith and grace to subdue the imagination or the imagination will subdue us and in the end the imagination will say, “But I was just your thoughts, I counseled you according to your desires and here is your reward—which is nothing.”
Darkness is the opposite of Jesus Christ, carries another knowledge form, follows another system, produces other fruits that God will not receive back to Himself. What we are going to do is break the kingdom of darkness down so that we can discern it and refuse it.
Below is a table that contrasts the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. As you study the table you’ll see the integrity of Christ in His kingdom of light and how He focuses His work in righteousness, joining faith to Himself, justifying our activity of faith by purging the conscience of sin, and increasing our appetite for grace.
In contrast, we’ll observe the corruption of Satan in his kingdom of darkness and how Satan introduced a whole system to represent darkness and how he focuses his work on distorting truth, bending faith to human aspiration and principle to justifies the flesh and drive the soul with its own appetites.
Let’s look at the specific contrasts between these two kingdoms. In order for the church to benefit from these distinctions it is necessary to reset truth to the record of Christ, which will reset the appetite of the soul to the grace of God and Satan will not be able to deceive, nor kill, nor destroy; for he has no part in the knowledge and tools of Christ.
|
KINGDOM OF LIGHT |
KINGDOM OF DARKNESS |
|
Inspiration |
Inspiration |
|
Gods mercy is |
God’s mercy
|
|
Application |
Application |
|
True
True
·
·
·
·
·
·
|
False
The soul is
·
·
·
·
·
·
|
|
Led by the |
Driven by the |
|
Hears the |
Hears the
·
·
·
·
· Remains |
|
Separation |
Separation
|
|
Receives the |
The natural
·
·
·
·
·
|
|
Lives after |
Lives after |
|
Dictates |
Dictates
|
|
Daily
|
Void of
|
|
Daily |
A foolish |
|
Righteousness |
|
|
The Mystery |
The Mystery |
|
What is |
Faith is |
|
What God |
Makes that |
|
Law of Grace |
Law of |
|
Obedience – |
Neglect – and |
|
Observe – and |
Boastful – |
|
The righteous |
The ungodly |
|
Peace and |
Oppression |
|
Healing and |
Removed from |
|
Trust and |
Suspicion and |
|
Faith and |
Covetousness |
|
The righteous |
The ungodly |
|
The righteous |
The ungodly |
|
The righteous |
The ungodly |
|
The soul |
The soul
|
|
Distinction |
Distinction |
|
Meekness and |
Prefer |
|
Gentleness |
Devouring one |
|
Diligence and |
Natural man |
|
Longsuffering |
Live for the |
|
As the soul The Spirit of • Direct • Confirm • Verify • Build • Issue • Bind the • Bring The righteous The soul
|
As the soul Satan’s Idolatry ● |
|
Prudence and Zeal |
Driven by |
|
Preparation |
Preparation |
|
Fruit unto |
Sin unto |
|
Light unto |
Corruption |
In closing we can see how much we are thankful for. God has preserved us from the power of darkness and preserved us in Himself by the power of His grace even as Jesus prayed, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (Jn.17:15).
“The integrity of the righteous is made sure by the testimony of the Lord.”
In His Grace,
Apostle David
Second 8th Week University
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