MEDITATION CORNER:
SPIRITUAL WARFARE WITH RESPECT TO THE 12 AUGUST 2021 ELECTIONS
By Dr Fred Mutesa
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NLT).
We have begun a week of heightened spiritual warfare over the destiny of our nation because of the general elections due on August 12th, 2021. Elections are a means of deciding who holds power in the nation. Who holds power in the nation has influence over souls of men.
The Bible teaches that “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan”(Proverbs 29:2 NKJV). The Bible also teaches us that God delights to see justice, righteousness and compassion in the earth (Jeremiah 9:24). These scriptures should guide us as we choose leaders to lead Zambia over the next five years.
According to the scriptures, God created the nations of the earth for a purpose, never mind the agency by which they came into being. We read that, “…He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us”(Acts 17:26-27 NKJV).
The devil opposes the work of God in the earth. The Lord Jesus Christ put it this way: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”(John 10:10 NKJV).
We see therefore that the time of elections is a decisive moment in which there is a serious contestation for power in the unseen realm. We have a choice through the ballot to determine under which social order we are going to live.
Both God and the devil need human agency to carry out their wills in the earth. God has power to override human will, but He has elected to give man free will to make his choices. The devil, on the other hand, works on manipulating, deceiving and imprisoning the souls of men so that they do not exercise free will.
What we often see in the physical realm is a reenactment of what has been configured in the spiritual realm. The spirit world rules the physical world. Good or evil is determined by what men yield their lives to.
We see the influence of the spirit world on the physical clearly illustrated in Daniel’s encounter with arch angel Gabriel (Daniel 10). Gabriel told Daniel that he had met with resistance on his way to bring him God’s message in response to his prayer. A spiritual entity called the prince of Persia had opposed him, until arch angel Michael came to his aid.
Persia was a physical kingdom with real men in authority. But over it was a demonic principality called the prince of Persia that influenced life in the kingdom. For the demonic entity to execute its mandate, it needed the cooperation of the human agency of those in authority. Hence the scripture in Proverbs 29:2 above that tells us that “when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” This is what our key scripture for today is telling us. Conflicts and misunderstandings between men is the work of unseen forces.
I am putting it to you, ladies and gentlemen, that this election is not about economic development or the lack thereof; it is about control of the soul of Zambia! Either we are free men and women with collective control over the destiny of Zambia or we are prisoners of divisive forces who profit from the misery of the nation. We make the choice which direction we take.
What are the characteristics of the prince of Zambia who rules over our nation from the spiritual realm? You just need to look at the vices that attend our political system to get your answer.
Political violence, false scales in the application of justice, corruption, ritual murders, gassings, false religion, tribalism, hate speech and deception, to mention only a few; these are the works of the devil. Remember, he comes to steal, kill and destroy. He is also a liar. But the devil can’t implement his agenda without the cooperation of human agency.
This election therefore is about dealing with the spiritual climate in our nation. It is about deciding on what is important in God’s sight; righteousness, justice and compassion. As we scrutinize candidates at various levels, these are the credentials we should be looking at.
Believers have a duty to use their spiritual weapons to demolish strongholds. Strongholds are polluted mindsets that are captive to the devil’s devices. We need to pray that the people vote with their consciences and not any other influences. Conscience is the ability to distinguish between evil and good. It takes discernment to see beyond the veneer of lies and false promises. Believers must also pray that the plots of the enemy against the redemptive destiny of our nation will not succeed. If with a clear conscience you think Zambia is fine as it is, retain the leaders that we have had over the last five years.
If, on the other hand, you are dissatisfied with where the nation is, elect new leaders who you are convinced will be an upgrade over the current ones. Zambia is a nation covenanted to God, but this should not just be mere words, but more importantly deeds. If we choose good over evil, God will fight for us and deliver our nation from all the ills we have come to detest.
Happy voting!