We are entering the final warfare before Armageddon. In these studies of principalities and powers, we are exposing the occult and revealing the doctrines, rites, and phrases used in demon worship. The only intelligent way to interpret our times is to present a biblical interpretation. Jesus prophesied that His church shall prevail. In Matthew 16:18, He said, "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

We must seek God as the ultimate source of information regarding principalities and powers. God knows more about these forces than anyone else. If you want true information, you must go to the proper source. We are not to be mere echoes of others; God wants to deal with us uniquely and give us a true voice to bring deliverance to those in need. In our own homes, we must maintain spiritual cleanliness. If anything abnormal arises, we must plead the blood of Jesus, command the peace of the Lord, and take authority over any destructive or nervous spirit trying to affect our families.

Here is what else God's Word tells us about principalities and powers:

9. Principalities Reinforce Their Battle for Souls

It is amazing, yet true, that evil spirits can seek reinforcements. Jesus revealed this in Luke 11:24-26. He explained that when an unclean spirit is cast out of a person, it walks through dry, uninhabited places seeking rest. Finding none, it says, "I will return unto my house whence I came out."

The devil views a human being as a "house." He desires to use people as his apparatus, but we are not meant to be instruments of evil—we are sons and daughters of the King, the elite fighting force of God.

When the spirit returns, it finds the house "empty, swept, and garnished." This teaches a vital lesson in deliverance: you must never set a person free and leave them empty. When a person is delivered, their life must immediately be filled with the Word of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the praises of the Lord. If they are left empty—even if they are morally "swept" and religiously "garnished"—they have no resistance.

Jesus stated that the spirit then goes and takes "seven other spirits more wicked than himself," and they enter in and dwell there, making the final state of that person worse than the first. This also reveals that there are varying degrees of wickedness among demonic spirits. They have reinforcements and understand what is happening. We must never converse with them or believe their lies. Instead, we must use our God-given authority to command them to leave and ensure the delivered person is continually built up in the faith.

Ephesians 2:2 further explains that in times past, we walked "according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." The disobedience in the world is actively driven by this unseen prince of the air.

10. God Warns Humans Against These Powers

God sternly warns us against engaging with these evil forces. In Deuteronomy 18:9-12, God spoke to Israel as they were entering the Promised Land: "Thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations."

God explicitly forbade several practices:

• Making a child pass through the fire: The horrific practice of human sacrifice as a heathen ritual.
• Using divination: Seeking supernatural guidance, especially regarding the future, instead of trusting God.
• Observing the times: Astrology and looking to the stars or the zodiac for destiny, when only God controls our lives.
• Being an enchanter, witch, or charmer: Engaging in magical arts.
• Consulting with familiar spirits: Participating in séances. Spirits contacted in this way are not deceased loved ones, but deceiving devils.
• Being a wizard or a necromancer: Conjuring up the spirits of the dead.

The Bible declares that all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord. God hates the worship of devils, and any nation that plays with witchcraft invites its own destruction. We must keep our homes completely free from any occult influence or demonic entertainment.

11. God Warns Against Demon-Inspired Leaders

The Bible warns of humans who give themselves over to satanic operations to become false leaders. Jesus and the apostles warned us not to be deceived by them.

• False Christs: These are imitators and pretenders who claim to be the Messiah. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24 and Mark 13:22 that false Christs and false prophets shall rise and "shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." We must not be swayed merely by signs and miracles. The devil can produce false miracles. We must judge a ministry by its adherence to God's Word, its holiness, and its integrity.
• False Prophets: A false prophet claims a message from God but lacks a divine commission and the genuine fruit of the Spirit. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." They may quote scripture to deceive, but they will ultimately destroy those who follow them.
• False Teachers: In 2 Peter 2:1-2, the apostle warned of false teachers who privately bring in "damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them." They cause the way of truth to be spoken of as evil. They operate on private revelations, despise spiritual authority, and walk after the flesh.

12. We Must Not Be Deceived

Revelation 16:14 provides a sobering warning about the ultimate agenda of these principalities and powers: "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."

These evil forces are currently at work to drag the entire world into a final, catastrophic rebellion against God. But as the church, we are equipped with the truth, we recognize the battle, and we stand victorious in the power of Jesus Christ.