Monday, April 22, 2024

Spirit of Babylon

I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Revelation 17:6

In the world we live in today, it is very evident that the realm of the spirit is in a battle.  The two sides of the battle are good and evil.  If we could actually see into that dimension, it would no doubt look like the evil side is winning.  Yet, we as believers continue to rise up with the authority that we have been given in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit that is living within us to push back the enemy from taking any more ground.  We are fighting from a place of victory, but the enemy is quite a bit pushier than we are and is relentlessly trying to keep us from our rescue mission so that we are always playing defense instead of getting back what has been stolen from the Kingdom of God once again.  Thank our heavenly Father that we can get back up and get back out there in that battle and take back what the enemy has stolen and rescue those who have been blinded by the darkness of this present age.

Lately, I have found myself in the mindset that things look bad in the world because these are the end times.  I am not surprised at the world events going on because we were told in the scripture that things will get worse and worse here in the world.  However, as I wrote last week, that doesn’t mean that we stop praying about what is going on and mostly that people would be saved out of the clutches of the evil spirits griping the earth.  Our interceding does make a difference and it is time to step out of the fights with people in this physical world and into the spirit realm where the real enemy lives.

In today’s world, the apostle John is actually given a glimpse into the spirit realm.  He can actually see a great and horrific spirit that has covered the face of the earth.  The spirit of Babylon. The passage says that John marveled with great amazement, but what that really means is that John was horrified at what he saw. The spirit of Babylon covered the whole earth with its riches and power and deceived the multitudes to follow with its pleasures and possessions.  All the kings of the earth join forces together and take part in the abominations and corruption of that world leader and because of that, the entire world is covered in the darkness of this evil economic spirit.  The spirit is after the people who worship the true King of heaven and slaughtered God’s people and is completely consumed and empowered by drinking the blood of the saints.

The description here in Revelation 17 is very graphic and it can be easy to step into thinking that: “I’m glad I am not going to be here for that terrible time to come.”  It is true that those who know the Lord in the time that we live in, will escape these terrible judgements on the earth and the darkness that is being judged, but today, we can do something about it.

We can be the light in the world right now.  We can be the ones who let others know about the One who loves them and made a way to escape the terrible times to come.  God’s judgement in Revelation is on the evil spirits of Satanic forces, but the people who follow him will also have their part of the judgements.  There is no stopping that time to come, but there is still time today to intercede for lives that are already caught in the traps of the enemy and don’t even know it.  Join me in taking a new battle stance and commit to pray for these souls right now while we still have time to break free from the hold that the enemy has.

Today I want to encourage you to pray the prayer that the apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians chapter 1 for people’s spiritual eyes to be open to the God of heaven.

  Pray: Heavenly Father, God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give to us and those who need to receive Your salvation the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of your Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Open the eyes of our understanding to be enlightened; So that all people know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in all the saints, Thank You for showing us the exceeding greatness of Your power toward all of us who believe, in agreement with the working of Your mighty power that You worked in Christ Jesus when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your Own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all spiritual principality and powers and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.  Thank You that You have put all things under Your feet, and gave the Lord Jesus to be head over all things to the church, His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in everything.

Pray every day for the spiritual eyes of all people in this time to be open to the love and power of God to save them and make an impact in the battle of the spirit realm today and for all eternity.

Today’s scripture reading: Revelation 17:1-6

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 

2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 

4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 

5 And on her forehead a name was written: