Powers and Principalities: A Darkened Christmas
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." -- Ephesians 6:12
The last few Christmases have seemed fairly dry to me. I absolutely adore the season normally. The chill in the air and mystery of Christ's incarnation usually draws me into a mode of deep and holy contemplation. But for the last few years, Christmas has pretty much only concluded fall academic semesters for me. I have been too drained to really get into the Christmas spirit, and I don't mean decorations and gifts. Christmas has been a blip on my sacred radar. And this year, it's kind of worse. With this year, there's covid-19, a terrible election season, school (again), and a deep sense of spiritual oppression hanging over my household. What do I mean?
First, it's been many months since my family and I have attended church together. I can count on both hands how many times we've been to church this year. Covid-19 has been a big part of that. Still, before that, when I was attending a Greek Orthodox church, my attendance fell because of three things: school, Sunday work (took the oomph out of me when it came time for church), and a desire to be with my family who didn't attend my church. I sort of gave-up and gave-in. Earlier this year, I started going to my wife's church, primarily to foster family unity and present an example for my boys, and then the "rona" hit. I miss church in any tradition.
Second, without getting into details, let's just say that the enemy -- the devil and demonic activity -- has continually attacked my family and me. I once heard a pastor preach that spiritual attacks confirm that a person is right with God, because the enemy wouldn't attack unless he or she was threatened. While this may be true at times, I think attacks are also aimed at distracting and creating wider gulfs between God and people and people and people. I would say that what goes on in my home is the latter.
Even as a Christian, I used to dismiss a lot of demonic-talk from believers. I used to rationalize things away when people reported to me that they saw weird supernatural things or demons, or felt dark presences. I took the "Occam's razor" approach, which suggests that the simplest possibility was likely the real cause of something. For me, I took a rationalist, humanist, anti-supernatural and scientific path of reason. But, that's actually out of step with Scripture.
The verse I quoted above speaks of hosts and spiritual battles. Biblical and extra-biblical literature suggest that the demonic are fallen beings from the divine council of God. God is called the Lord of Hosts, Lord of Lords, and Lord of Spirits, which second temple Judaism would describe as a henotheistic or monaltrous theological relationship. Basically, ancient Judaism and early-Christianity were not monotheistic as we would apply the term in the West. We would say that there's only One God and that's that, but the ancient Jews and Christians believed that there really was a pantheon of gods, but these were imparted regents and agents of the One True God, so not God by nature, but gods by delegation. They were ministers to fulfill God's plan to order and maintain creation. The Bible and other ancient literature suggest that the angelic ranks were these gods, described as cherubim, seraphim, and more.
God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? … I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince” -- Psalm 82 1-2; 5-6
So then, when we understand this backdrop and read that our spiritual battles are against hosts (or spirits or lords), we can see that some of these angelic beings fell and are against humanity. And it isn't that they attack because they think they can defeat God, but because God has promised that we humans would partake in the divine nature if we live for Him (2 Peter 1:4). In short, we will become the replacements of the fallen angels on God's divine council, which governs creation. I think this peeves these demonic beings a bit.
The early church fathers confirmed in their writings that these fallen angels or demons were the gods worshiped by pagans. This means that the pantheons of India, Persia, Babylon, Greece, and elsewhere, were perhaps real, but not Almighty or the Creator. They were demons who influenced the nations into some pretty dark things, whereby people really elevated themselves as they idolized their deities in controllable material forms. Do we see this today?
Today, many Western nations are pluralistic and government is largely agnostic or indifferent. Still, when we look at the over-sexualized and violent natures of many ancient pagan religious systems, and then compare the depravity of some people today, I would say that though people are culpable in their free will, demonic influence is very real. Nations may not have gods per se anymore, but people still have the draw away from proper worship to something else.
What can lead the Hitlers and Pol Pots of the world? What can spur on serial killers to enact the most twisted forms of violence upon their victims? What can lead narcissist autocrats in governments to marginalize the poor and refugee -- failing to see God-imaged humanity? What can motivate hate for other people based on peripheries of physical traits? What can cause adults and even children to abuse other children so horrifically that the victims would become scarred for life, physically and emotionally? And then, what makes victims self-denigrate and abuse themselves (often physically) or consider suicide as a solution to what they view as inherently their fault, but wasn't? Could powers and principalities still be influential? Maybe people aren't overtly worshiping demons, but demons are still trying to exert control to thwart people from becoming rulers with God over them.
Sadly, the victims of human-on-human horrors are not left alone by the demons. Victimization continues. Dealing with pain usually means finding a crutch or catharsis to distract and numb memories and pain: drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, pornography, over eating, violent rage, self-harm, smoking, drinking, and so forth. None of these things are without sympathy, but I see these as demonic devices perhaps influenced by devils to keep people from their full potential in Christ. Trials and tribulations -- suffering -- is promised to Christians, but such is allowed by God to build-up a person in courage, steadfastness, patience, and repentance. In the dark nights of the soul, these things will keep God tethered to a person. Other forms of coping obscure God by appealing to the human and tactile base nature of people. For as much as Christmas seems dry for me because of the weight of distractions, so goes God in a person's life if their crutch is so terrestrial.
For me, my catharsis is fishing. When done in moderation, it is a great sport. When it takes up my every waking desire, it is unhealthy. Sounds reasonable and goes with the cliche, "All things in moderation." Other cathartic tools I have used have been excess eating and pornography. Like many of the coping mechanisms I have named, these two things trigger neural pathways in the brain that become addictions, which itself isn't sin, but the allowance of such domination can be. It is basically unwitting partnership with the enemy.
I think of my past struggles with pornography. These moments rarely last long and I beat myself up pretty bad when I succumb to temptations. Still, in the moment there is extraordinary release and tactile pleasure. Yet, when I have viewed pornographic images, thoughts pop in [from God?] like, "These are someone's children," "How can people devalue their bodies to do this?" and, "There's ten minutes of utter waste." If I then look at falling snow or the expanse of stars in the sky, order seems to return and I can see that what I invested in so briefly as a help was actually so utterly small and ignorant of the immensity and beauty of God... I can't help but then fall on my knees in repentance. For focus and for Christmas to return, I need a grand sense of wonder. Temporary vices do not lead to experiencing the presence of God, but rather blur all meaningful experiences for a temporary freedom from pain, memories, and responsibilities. Yet, God wants those pains and memories to be transformative. This means not forgetting, but rising above. This can only happen when we have an appropriate sense of awe or holy fear of God. Far too often we miss the forest for the trees.
As I write this, I want Christmas for my family. I want to experience God in his fullest. I want to return to the Church. I want to fight demons head on. And, I want healing for my life and those I love.
This is my prayer... Or in other words, my Santa request this year
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