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“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.”

 

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

Michael is a “chief” good angel (10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Re 12:7).  Both good angels and fallen angels have a hierarchy of authority and power (Ep 1:21).  This passage lifts the veil of angelic warfare. 

Jude 9, “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”

Re 12:7-9, “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon (Satan); and the dragon and his angels (demons) fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

The prince of Israel is Michael, a good and faithful angel.  The princes of Persia (v.13) and Greece (v.20) are fallen angels. 

PRINCIPLE: 

It is wrong for the believer to presume the right to rebuke demons. 

APPLICATION: 

It is true that Satan’s demons are highly organized (Ep 6:12) but the Bible never asserts that believers are to rebuke territorial demons.  Jesus already defeated Satan through His work on the cross. 

Co 2:15, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

The Bible does rebuke those who presume the ability to deal with spirits personally.  That is an activity reserved for God Himself. 

Ju 8-9, “Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”

2 Pe 2:10-11, “…and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.”

Believers do encounter spiritual warfare (Jn 8:44; 2 Ti 2:26; 1 Jn 3:12).  Demons will tempt us to sin.  We become slaves to sin by repeated yielding to sin. The believer’s only ability to deal with the spirit world is by putting on his spiritual armor. 

Eph 6:10-12, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

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