St. Paul tells us that we 'wrestle not with flesh and blood but with princes, powers and principalities' in this world. The reality is that we live in a spiritual world. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the things we can see, that we forget that those things we can't are just as real if not more real. I am not talking about ghosts or so-called wandering spirits. I'm talking about the reality of the fight between the forces of good and evil that happens all around us every moment.Remember the Salvation of the Isrealites from Egypt? Moses? Prince of Egypt? About the ten plagues? Do you know that they are actually meant to wack each of the gods of Egypt? As you read the story of the plagues, there is more than already meets the eye.
What really happened was that there was a Confrontation in the Heavenlies, between God and the demons. This still happens today in Spiritual Warfare, in the Prayer of Confrontation.
To confront someone or something means to face them in hostility or defiance, or to come with opposition.
This type of prayer not only outwits the devil but also humiliates him and his forces in the process. God also us to enter into this type of encounter to show His power over the evil spirit(s) to which a particular group of people has been in bondage. As God displays that His power is greater than that of a given demonic structure, that structure begins to crumble and those who were held captive are then free to follow Christ.
Moses' Great Confrontation
A wonderful biblical model for this type of prayer was Moses' confrontation with Pharaoh. As Moses declared God's will to Pharaoh in the earthly realm, he was also confronting in the spiritual realm the gods of Egypt - false deities (territorial spirits) linked with the oppression and captivity of God's covenant people. Through the plagues and destruction unleashed upon the nation of Egypt as a result of Moses' confrontation, God's plan was fulfilled, the power of oppression was broken, and His people were released.
Let's take a look at how each demonstration of God's power through Moses was actually a power encounter with a specific Egyptian god. Its quite interesting.
The Rod Becomes a Serpent (Exod. 7:8-12)
Two main Egyptian gods were linked with serpents. Apep was the Egyptian snake god, the personification of darkness and evil. Edjo, the serpent goddess of the Delta, was the protectress of Lower Egypt and was symbolized on the royal diadem (crown) as protection for the king. When Aaron's rod became a serpent and swallowed the magicians' serpents, there was an undeniable display of whose power was stronger.
The Nile Turns to Blood
In this first plague, god demonstrated His power over Khnum, the ram god whowas the supposed protector of the source of the Nile, and over Hapy, god of the Nile in inundation. Although the court magicians were able to imitate the phenomenon, they were unable to stop the effects of the plague. So the fish died and the water became putrid and undrinkable.
The Plague of Frogs (Exod. 8:1-15)
The second plague was directed against Heqet, the goddess of creation, birth and the germination of corn. Heqet was depicted as a frog, which was considered a sacred animal in Egypt. Once again, the magicians were able to imitate the plague but were unable to remove it. So Pharaoh had to summon Moses and Aaron to put a stop to it.
The Plague of Lice (Exod. 8:16-19)
The third plague came against Geb, the Egyptian earth god that was believed to play a role in fertility and vegetation. Geb was also supposed to imprison souls of the dead, and his laughter was said to cause earthquakes. The magicians were unable to reproduce the sign of the lice and conceded to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God" (v.19).
The Plague of Flies (Exod. 8:20-24)
"If you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand" (v.21). This plague was set against Dua, the Egyptian god of toiletry. This fourth plague made clear that God was the author of plagues and had authority in the land over the gods the Egyptians served.
The Cattle Die (Exod. 9:1-7)
Hathor, the Egyptian cow goddess, was next in line for humiliation at the hands of God's wrath. She was the suckler of the king ad the goddess of love, fertility and women. She was also said to cleanse the land of unbelievers. This plague was a judgment from God and a direct insult to the religious hierarchy, as calves, cows and bulls were all worshipped and considered sacred by Egyptians.
The Plague of Boils (Exod. 9:8-12)
The sixth plague came against Imhotep, venerated as the god of learning and medicine. The magicians appeared to try and protect the Pharaoh, probably through Imhotep's power, but were instead attacked themselves.
The Plague of Hail and Fire (Exod. 9:12-35)
The seventh plague challenged Horus the Elder, the powerful falconlike deity and originally the sky god, who was identified with the king during his lifetime. This was the first plague that apparently caused human death - enough so that Pharaoh even admitted he had sinned and begged for the plague to be stopped (see Exod. 9:27,28).
The Plague of Locusts (Exod. 10:12-15)
The eighth plague targeted Shu, god of the air, the atmosphere and dry winds. It was through an east wind that last for a day and a night that the Lord ushered in swarms of locusts that "covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt" (v. 15).
The Plague of Darkness (Exod. 10:21-23)
The ninth plague demonstrated God's power over the light of the sun and one of Egypt's chief deities, the sun god Ra. Ra was thought to be the father of the gods, head of the great ennead (a group of the nine most powerful deities) and supreme judge. This plague dealt a heavy blow to the evil powers and principalities of the spirit world.
The Slaying of the First Born (Exod. 12:29-33)
The tenth and most devastating plague was directed against a family of three deities. The first was Isis, the most important of all Egyptian goddesses, who assumed all the attributes and functions of virtually every other important goddess at some point in Egyptian history. Her primary functions were motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick and the working of magic spells and charms. The second deity was Osiris, the god of the dead and the ruler, protector and judge of the deceased. The third deity was the son of Isis and Osiris, Horus the Child, a suckling child represented as a young boy sucking his finger. This final plague so overwhelmed the Pharaoh and so thoroughly defeated the gods of Egypt that the Israelites were finally set free.
God's power has not diminished in the years since Moses! Power encounters through the prayer of confrontation that see people groups released from demonic structures are going to become more and more common as we enter the future war of the Church. We need to enter into an expectant mindset that believes God will display His power greatly over the earth and over demonic structures in order to see great throngs loosed from Satan's grip. And from that mindset, we must pray with unwavering faith prayers of confrontation according to His will.
In the words of my house downstairs the ah beng, 'you win lor'
Leo
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