Angelic Warfare

Another biblical variable that affects our lives is the spiritual battle raging between the forces of good and evil in the realm beyond our five senses. Remembering from Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 how much power and wisdom God originally gave “Lucifer” should help us to understand how formidable a foe we now have, and how diligent we must be in resisting him.

If you read Daniel 10:1-14, you will see that Daniel saw a vision from God, but he did not know what it meant, so he asked God to show him. Three weeks later an angel showed up. He told Daniel that his prayer had been heard when he first prayed, and that he had at once left “Angel Headquarters” to bring him the answer.

So why did it take him three weeks to get there, you ask? Because Daniel did not have enough faith? No, it was because “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” withstood the angel twenty-one days. Of course this “prince” was not a human being, but a high-ranking, territorial evil spirit. We do not know the details of their confrontation during those three weeks, but this account makes it clear that the spiritual battle raging beyond our senses may be the reason why certain prayers take time— a little or a lot— to be answered.

Daniel’s attitude, however, is pivotal in this record. At the end of one day of prayer, he did not say to God, “Oh brother, you give me a vision and no explanation, and now you’re asleep up there! I quit!” Then twenty days later an angel pulls in and says, “Where’s Daniel?” No, it didn’t happen that way. Daniel continued to have faith and look to God, and he did receive the answer to his prayer.

A verse in the Church Epistles illustrates this same truth.

1 Thessalonians 2:18
For we wanted to come to you— certainly I, Paul, did, again and again— but Satan stopped us.

The Greek word for “stopped” was “used of impeding persons by breaking up the road [as by digging a trench across it], or by placing an obstacle sharply in the path.” [1]

We see that, in the temporal realm, God is not totally in control of all circumstances. But He and His Son are right in there with us, working to help us go over, under, around or through whatever obstacles the Devil puts in our paths. In Acts 14 we read that Paul was stoned, yet through the prayers of the saints the power of God healed him. [2]

God is not a spiritual vending machine, where we just push a button and out pops what we need. Often we must hang in there for quite a while, as Job did, and continue to expect God’s deliverance. In the context of spiritual warfare, it is significant that our heartfelt praise to God is a catalyst to help roll back the forces of darkness (2 Chron. 20:22). [3] No matter what happens, we have the ultimate victory— everlasting life in the age to come.

A YOUNG MAN WAS KILLED AROUND 4’00PM THIS EVENING…REPORTS ARE THAT ANOTHER MAN WALKED UP TO HIM AND SHOT HIM WITH A GUN..THERE WAS ALSO A SHOOTING LAST TUESDAY IN WHISPERS NIGHT CLUB…DOES ANYONE KNOW WHATS REALLY GOING ON?

Two more people have died from Sunday’s gun battle on the sidelines of a soccer game in south Wilmington’s Eden Park, raising the death toll to three, city police said today.

In all, five people — three spectators and two suspects who opened fire on the crowd — were wounded by gunfire. The gunmen drove up to the field at about 2:30 p.m., got out of the car and began shooting at spectators – some of whom fired back.

Police said today that two of the spectators have since died. Wilmington police have identified them as Herman Curry, 47, of New Castle, who sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and Alexander Kamara, 16, of Pike Creek, who sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Police say the third spectator was treated and released from the hospital for a minor gunshot wound to his shoulder. Police will not be releasing the name of the 33-year-old from Baltimore.

Police had announced Sunday that one of the the gunmen died. He was been identified today as Sheldon Olge, 43, of Maryland. He was found gravely wounded minutes after the 2:30 p.m. shootout in a getaway car a few blocks from the scene and later died at Christiana Hospital.

One injured suspect was shot in the leg and caught by police after he ran from the vehicle, which crashed at C Street and New Castle Avenue. The third suspect was caught by police after being injured by a police dog.

Those two were identified today as Otis Phillips, 34, of New Castle and Jeffrey Phillips, 22, of Wilmington. Police say Otis Phillips was apprehended by Wilmington Police and a K-9 unit in a vacant lot at B and Bradford streets. He was charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and other charges. Police say he also was wanted by Wilmington police for a homicide on Jan. 27, 2008, in the death of Chris Palmer, 40, who was shot in the 1200 block of N. Locust St. He was charged on the outstanding murder warrant and other related charges.

Jeffrey Phillips, who suffered a gunshot wound to his leg, also was apprehended Sunday after fleeing, police said today. He is in custody and faces two murder charges and an attempted murder charge.

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