by Dr. Tony Evans- The Urban Alternative

"It’s that cosmic conflict in the invisible, angelic realm that is being worked out in the physical realm.  The cause of the war, you cannot see.
It’s hard enough to whip somebody you can see"

Ephesians 6:12  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Paul says, you make a big mistake if you think it’s people we are fighting against.  They[people] are merely conduits of another battle.
Everything physical is caused, or influenced by the spiritual.

Heaven rules!

Daniel 4:26  The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
Everything that takes place on earth was precipitated by something in heaven.
The battle in which you and I engage in is essentially spiritual.  However, even though it’s spiritual in it’s cause, it’s physical in it’s effect.  How do you know?  Because you’re bleeding.  The blood is real.  You may not have seen the bullet but the blood is real.  And we are seeing it in four areas of life. 
Our personal lives; for many of us our personal lives are a disaster.  It doesn’t mean we’re doing anything wrong.  It could be from uncontrolled anger.  Look at Ephesians 4:25-27
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.
Uncontrolled anger gives Satan some leverage against us.
Many of us are suffering in our ability to function because of some un-resolved anger from the past.

Many of us are seeing it in our family lives.  It goes back to Adam and Eve.
1 Corinthians 7:5  Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

When a husband and wife don’t have a dynamic physical relationship the devil is looking at that as an opportunity to come in and bring moral deterioration in the family.
It effects the church.
Paul tells Timothy and us in 1st Timothy 4:1
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Watch out for doctrines of demons.  Somebody might be claiming to be teaching from the Bible but you better check it out to see if it’s true.

Your ability to control or influence the spiritual realm will determine victory or defeat in the physical realm.  So Satan’s job is to get you to not take the spiritual realm seriously.
Because if Satan can divert you from the spiritual realm he can divert you from the only place where a solution lies.
Let’s look at the location of the battle…
Ephesians 6:12 (above) says in the heavenly realms, or heavenly places.

In the Bible heaven is spoken of on three levels.  One is the atmospheric heaven.  That’s the place where you and I live, the place of oxygen, where we breathe, where we fly airplanes.

Then we move from the atmospheric heaven to the stellar heaven.  That is, where the stars exist.  That’s called the second heaven.  That is also where the angels reside.  Angels are called stars.  So when you see the stars at night, that is to remind you of something other than stars.  God made physical stars because He created spiritual beings whose name was stars.  Very few of us think of spiritual stars when we look up and see the physical stars.  If you think of spiritual stars when you see the physical stars on a bright starry night be reminded of what kind of battle we’re involved in.  Stars[angels] are all over the place.

The third heaven is the throne room of God.  That’s where God’s office is, so to speak.
Look at Ephesians 1:3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
It not only says God the Father is in heavenly places but your blessings are also in the heavenly places.
So in order for us to win this spiritual war we’re going to need the blessings from the Father that are in the heavenly places.  If you haven’t learned to take a trip there, borrow from your arsenal, to use them down here you’ll be a casualty of war.
Look at verses 19 and 20…
Ephesians 1:19-20  and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
If you need Christ’s help in earthly places, you better know where Jesus is hanging out.  He’s in heavenly places.
So if we need to get there to get the help we need down here, we better figure out the mode of transportation in order for us to get the help we need.
So the Father is there, our blessings are there, Jesus Christ is there.  What else is in the heavenly places.  Look at chapter 2, verse 6.
Ephesians 2:6  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Well, this is getting better and better.

.
You might say, “but wait a minute, I’m sitting right here in this chair down here.”  That’s the problem!!! 
If you only see where you are physically and never understand where you are spiritually you’ll never be able to win the battle of spiritual warfare.
He said, when you accepted Christ you were transported to another zone.  Even though your body is here your spirit which should be controlling your body is in a whole ‘notha location, in heavenly places.
Some of us not only don’t know of heavenly places, we didn’t even realize we were supposed to be there.
So now that you know how “heavenly places” operates you can take control of earthly results.  Because you can take control of the heavenly beings causing your earthly problems.

What else is there…
Ephesians 3:10  His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms
 So, angels are in heavenly places.  Rulers and authorities refer to angels.  Why is that important?  Because; it takes an angel to beat an angel.  You see, if you’ve got an angelic problem you need an angelic solution.
So we’ve got the Father, your blessings, Jesus Christ, you, the angels in heavenly places.  What else is there, verse 12.
Ephesians 6:12  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The devil and demons are in heavenly places.    So in other words, anything hell makes wrong in your life has been caused by satanic activity that is operating in the same place where God, your blessings are, Jesus is, you and the angels and demons are.  So, in order for you to see any actions you better get where the action is.

See, it’s kind of like a heavenly Capitol Hill.  You got Republicans and Democrats each with different philosophies and views as far as governments are concerned.  And you get to vote on one or the other come election time.  The job of each party is to bring you into their world view, so their leader can push his particular programs and agendas.
It’s like that in the “spiritual Capitol Hill” [heavenly places].  It’s the kingdom of Light verses the kingdom of darkness.  And we get to vote who we want to spend the rest of eternity with.  But sometimes Christians will vote for the other party and bring havoc into their lives.  See, we get behind that little curtain, in that private voting booth, and sometimes we pull the wrong lever.

There’s a specialty store that sells African cuisine and ingredients.  And when you go there you can stock up on items that are imported from the African continent.  All these different Caribbean flavors and such.  That’s kinda like what God wants to do.  He wants to stock earth with all these heavenly treasures and flavors so we can buy things that will bring heavenly benefits.  And so many of us are sick all the time ‘cause we’re shopping at the wrong store.  We’re picking up goods that don’t belong to the kingdom of God.  And we’re wondering, “how come I’m sick all the time!”  Cause the devil knows how to make a generic label.

The essence of the battle is spiritual, the location is in heavenly places the source of the battle is Satan.  He is the commander in chief.  Look at Revelations 12: 7-9 

7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

So what’s this battle over?  Glory.
Satan said to God, you can’t handle all that Glory, give me some.  God said, “I share My Glory with no one!”  Satan, said,” you’re gonna share some glory with me.  Let’s go to war.”
And so Paul says to you and me, let’s not forget what this is all about.  Whatever you do, eat, or drink, do it all for the Glory of God.  ‘Cause that’s what the battle is all about.  It boils down to Glory. (a "cliffnote urban" version of the Garden of Eden)

What is Satan’s strategy?  2nd Corinthians 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. 
2nd Corinthians 11:3  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Satan’s issue is deception.  It boils down to Satan trying to trick you.  He’s good at making you think God is not God.  And what’s bad is really good.
Jesus said,” John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

So here’s all you need to know.  The bottom line, Paul says.
Ephesians 6:10  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
Acts 26:18 says anybody who comes to Christ is delivered from the domain of the devil. 
Acts 26:18  ...to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

When you receive Jesus as Savior, God sets you free.
“So why don’t I feel free,” you ask?  Probably because you’ve been in jail so long you don’t know how to walk out when the door flies wide open.  You say, “But I try to fight the devil and keep losing.”  That’s right, because verse ten says be strong in the Lord and His mighty power.  God fights the battle for you, not you!  That’s how the battle’s won.

So what you need to do is to tell the Lord, Lord these are the areas in my life that I’m being whooped at.  My personal life, my financial life, my church life or whatever it might be, and say, “God I need your help; your power, ‘cause I can’t beat the devil on my own.”  Instead of trying to walk around and rebuke the devil on your own, tell God how weak you are.  Tell Him He can do what you can’t do.  Say, “my faith is in You!” and then sit back and watch His Almighty Power and Strength and tenacity work out wonders in your life. 

And give Him all the Glory!"