spiritual realm
EPH 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
and also Paul's definition of the devil as the prince
of the air:
EPH 2:2 in which you formerly walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
In this realm there is obviously a fight going on between the angles of God and the demons of satan. The fight is about controlling persons and incidences on the earth. The believer who has learned to discern spiritual influences will feel the reactions of this fight as spirits of good or evil in life.
Many more bible verses teach us, that angles are on duty on our behalf:
Mt 18:10 “See that you do not look down on one of
these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see
the face of my Father in heaven.
Heb 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who
will inherit salvation?
Ps 34:7 The Angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he
delivers them.
Ge 48:16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
(says Jacob)
We can also clearly see, that there is a connection
between us fearing God and having angels fighting for us against satan.
We are receiving protection from the devil through the spiritual realm.
When we turn from God however and go our own way, disobeying God's
commandments and sinning against HIM this protection diminishes. God
removing HIS protection through the spiritual realm is most elaborate in
Leviticus 26:14-46. God setting HIS face against us is synonym for
removing HIS protecting hand from us and giving the devil free way.
Lev 26:14 “ ‘But if you will not listen to me and
carry out all these commands, Lev 26:15 and if you reject my decrees and
abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my
covenant,Lev 26:16 then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you
sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight
and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your
enemies will eat it. Lev 26:17 I will set my
face against you so that you will be defeated by your
enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even
when no one is pursuing you. Lev 26:18 “ ‘If after all this you will not
listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.Lev 26:19
I will break down your stubborn pride ... Lev 26:20 Your strength will
be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will
the trees of the land yield their fruit. Lev 26:21 “ ‘If you remain
hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your
afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.... Lev 26:25 And I
will bring the sword upon you to avenge the breaking of the covenant.
When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and
you will be given into enemy hands.... Lev 26:33 I will scatter you
among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land
will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Lev 26:34 Then
the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate
and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and
enjoy its sabbathsLev 26:35 All the time that it lies desolate, the land
will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.
Lev 26:36 “ ‘As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts
so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown
leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the
sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. Lev
26:37 They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the
sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to
stand before your enemies. .......
Lev 26:40 “ ‘But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their
fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me,
......—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for
their sin, Lev 26:42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob .......Lev
26:43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths
while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins
because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees.
God makes it very clear to us that our sins have devastating consequences on our lives. In Genesis 4:7 God says "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” We can conclude, that even sin itself has spiritual power, because it desires us.
The good news is, that we have HIS complete Word, the bible today. By studying and meditating on HIS Word we have the chance to avoid the bad consequences by obeying HIS commandments and decrees. Through the blood of Christ and His atonement for our sin we can be forgiven, turn from our ways to HIS way and get under HIS cover and protection again. Through HIS power we can resist sin and master it.
2CH 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
So what is holding us? Don't we all want to live in good health, having our homes and our lives protected form harm, having plenty to eat every day, etc.?
There is obviously a lot that we can do to achieve this. As Paul writes in Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
It is work to walk in God's way, but the rewards already here on earth are unlimited, just as unlimited as God Himself.