Effectively Dealing with Babylon

by Matthew Chapman

 

 

[Author's note: If you are unfamiliar with the primary scriptures that speak of Babylon, or have not read them in a while, I would encourage you to read Revelation 17 & 18 and Genesis 11 before reading this article as these passages will be referred to frequently.]

 

  Most of us have heard of references to "Babylon" if we have been around for very long, but just what exactly is it? You read Revelation 17 and 18 and it talks about "The Great Harlot" and her relationship to the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth and their cargoes, "every shipmaster" and worker who transports these cargoes, and "the great men of the earth." The parts about political leaders, business, commercial trade, the shipping industry, and well-known or respected figures we can relate to, but what is "The Great Harlot," and what are the "acts of immorality" she commits with these people, and what relevance does any of this have to our daily lives?

  If you are a Christian who is serious about your walk with the Lord and about being ready for The Bridegroom when He comes, this whole subject is immensely relevant to your life. Regardless of whether or not you understand it, or recognize it when you encounter it, Babylon's pervasive spiritual reality literally saturates this planet. Tragically, many, many Christians today-even sincere, fervent, "committed" Christians, perhaps even you-have been trafficking in Babylon for so long they are unaware of how much it permeates their lives.

   So aside from the ancient city in what is now modern-day Iraq, just what exactly is "Babylon" that the New Testament scriptures refer to? The scriptures themselves give one definition: ".she [Babylon] has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird" (Rev. 18:2). Babylon is a dwelling place of demons. This is the bottom-line. As we later go on to talk about ways in which Babylon manifests herself in ways that can be seen, always remember that ultimately she is an unseen dwelling place of demons-and not just some demons, she is a dwelling place of " every unclean spirit." In other words, the entire kingdom of darkness is utilizing this habitation called Babylon , and this specific demonic entity rests upon all the "peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues" of the world and "reigns over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 17:1-2, 15, 18). Paul exhorts us "to stand firm against the schemes of the devil," and informs us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:10-20). The demonic structure Paul describes here has its outworking on the earth through Babylon . It is presently the vehicle of choice that the entire demonic realm is using to implement their schemes-their specific, calculated, plans of attack-against all who dwell on the earth and especially against the Lord's people (cf. Rev. 17:5-6, 19:2).

  The Lord's sobering command and warning regarding Babylon is, "Come out of her, My people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues" (Rev. 18:4). Note the words, "My people." We know the Lord does not call people "My people" unless they really are His people. If Babylon is a dwelling place of demons, and God's call to "His people" is to "come out of her," then how do those of us who are genuinely His people get ourselves in her? And if "every unclean spirit" is using Babylon to implement their schemes, and their schemes are designed to get us to "participate in her sins," then what specifically are they trying to get us to do? We need to clearly understand these things and know how to overcome them if we are going to run our race well, and help our brethren do the same.

  To adequately answer these questions, I need to create a context by briefly touching on two subjects that, at first, may seem completely unrelated. But then, Lord willing, I hope to show you just how interrelated these two matters are, and how they are the key to answering the questions we have just raised about Babylon. This will provide the overview needed so that when we look at some practical examples of how this demonic habitation interjects itself into daily life and choices, it will [hopefully] all come together in your understanding. Please persevere as you read this article. Understanding the dynamics of Babylon can initially seem difficult, but in time it will "click" and become "as plain as day," and you will have made your first hurdle toward effectively dealing with Babylon, if you haven't already.

  The two subjects I first need to touch on are sanctification and understanding "dwelling places."

 

Sanctification

  First Thessalonians 4:3 says, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification." Sanctification is the process of our learning to abide and walk in the glorious realities of the "great salvation" we have been given in Christ as a result of the new birth. It is a "two way street" in that it is initiated by the Lord Himself toward us (Eph. 5:25-27, 1 Thes. 5:23), and yet it is contingent upon our active cooperation and participation (Heb. 12:14 , Rev. 2:23, 3:2). We all come to the Lord with a lot of "baggage"-fears, habits, addictions, worldly perspectives and ideals, judgments, and a whole number of other patterns and cycles of sin and death. Though our spirit is born again of His Spirit, and we became "new creatures in Christ" at the instant we were saved (Titus 3:4-7, John 1:12 -13, 2 Cor. 5:17), the "baggage" that remains is what Paul refers to as the "no good thing that dwells in [our] flesh" (Rom. 7:18). We spend the rest of our time on this earth dealing with these leftovers from "the old man" in our daily walk. As the Lord patiently and yet persistently confronts these areas of our life, and we humble ourselves and receive His grace and truth, He teaches and trains us to spend more and more of our moments walking according to the Spirit rather than according to the flesh (Rom. 8:12-14, Gal. 5:16-25). The fruit of our cooperation with this process is that we joyfully see and experience more and more areas of our life (walk) sanctified, or set apart, for the Lord.

  As I see it, the Lord's sanctifying work focuses primarily on three areas where we need to grow in our capacities for Him:

  In order to be prepared for the Bridegroom and the eternal marriage, these are the capacities every "living stone" who composes the bride of Christ needs to possess to some degree ("some 30-, some 60-, some 100-fold") and be proven in walking in (1 Pet. 2:4-5 ff.). Speaking of "living stones," some of you may recall my "Don't Lose Heart In The Quarry" article. We looked at how the trials, temptations, weaknesses, limitations, relationships, etc., of this life are the "iron tools" the Lord uses in the "quarry" of this life to deal with our "rough edges" and prepare us for the house of God, the New Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kings 6:1, 7). We have continual opportunities to grow in sanctification now, in these days of our betrothal and waiting for The Bridegroom, to thus "work out (i.e., live out, express) our salvation with fear and trembling" and acquire "wedding clothes" in which to adorn ourselves for the marriage supper of the Lamb (2 Cor. 11:2-3, Rev. 19:7-9).

 

Understanding "Dwelling Places"

  I think it is easiest to begin discerning what makes spiritual dwelling places by first considering the ones that are of the Lord. Even if you are lacking in practical experience, it is still fairly easy to at least recognize the truth of these, and then move on to recognizing their antithesis in Babylon. In the context of instructing the twelve apostles concerning how men in the church should bring correction to a brother in sin, the Lord Jesus made reference to a specific spiritual reality. He declared, "For where two or three have gathered together in My Name, there I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:20). The Lord has made us in such a way that when we gather, whether few or many, and truly join our hearts together around Him, we actually make a place for Him among us or in our midst. Most of us are in touch with the Lord being in us as individuals, but God being among us or in our midst is a place of greater volume for His presence that He has afforded His people the privilege of making for Him as often as we want. It needs to be noted that Christians being physically present at the same place at the same time does not necessarily mean or guarantee that they are "gathered together in His Name" in the sense the Lord Jesus is referring to here. The proof is in whether or not His presence is among them or in their midst.

  Many of you can remember specific times in your life when you were gathered with other believers and the presence of God was among you in a very real and evident way. Most everyone present was purposefully joining their hearts together around the Lord Jesus, the Head of the body, and looking to Him in faith and eager anticipation. As you waited upon Him or began worshipping Him, you began sensing His presence (cf. Ps. 22:3). Soon, everyone was aware of Him being there among you. What happened is that you made a dwelling place for Him in your midst!

  As times like these unfold, various expressions of His presence are made evident and there is a oneness in Him that is experienced. By this, I mean that most of those present are focused on the same basic things and are together in alertness as to what He is doing among you. When the Lord prompts a brother to share an exhortation, most everyone immediately bears witness to what he is saying, because they already have a sense that this is what's on the Lord's heart. Or when a particular scripture is read aloud or a specific song is led out for all to sing, etc., you either already or immediately know that this is exactly what the Lord wants and what is needed at this time. Like pieces to a puzzle fitting together into a beautiful living image or an orchestra playing together in perfect harmony, everyone has a sense of what the Lord is saying or doing before/as it is said or done through one of the members of His body. There is a shared recognition of the flow of the Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit in the midst of those present (John 16:13-15, 1 Cor. 14:26), and there is a resulting love that very naturally flows among you.

  This is just one example of what I mean about making a place for the Lord and Him being among us or in our midst. Once you have tasted of it, you crave more, and you will spend the rest of your life seeking it. Tragically, many Christians have wrongly concluded that these are experiences that only happen a few times in life, rather than recognizing this as the ongoing purpose and "work" of the church to grow and deepen in, and this is true regardless of time, location, and culture.

  The action of actively joining our hearts together around the Lord Jesus creates a "dwelling place" or a "habitation" for Him to fill and express Himself that is more voluminous than what we typically experience of the Lord individually. Hearts being truly gathered together in His Name is what makes this place, and those present are affected and impacted by His Spirit, who fills and dwells and inhabits the place they made for Him in their midst. Regardless of the specifics He leads in, it is recognized that the King Himself is among you, occupying His rightful role as the Head of the body, and everyone gathered together around Him is learning to follow Him in oneness. Paul told the saints of the church in Ephesus that they were also "being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:22). Interestingly, the Greek word katoiketeriov that is translated "dwelling" in this verse is found in only one other place in the entire New Testament.

 

Demons Among Us

  Revelation 18:2 declares Babylon to be "a dwelling place of demons." The Greek word translated "dwelling place" in this passage is katoiketeriov, the very same word used in Ephesians 2:22 to describe God's people "being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit"! Yet one is a "dwelling of God in the Spirit" and the other is a "dwelling place of demons"! How can this be? What determines the difference? What makes something Babylon? Here is where we bring together our two subjects of sanctification and understanding "dwelling places" as the context to answer our original questions.

  Obviously the kingdom of darkness seeks to thwart us from preparing ourselves (i.e., being sanctified) for the Bridegroom during our time upon the earth (Heb. 12:14 , et al.). The demonic realm also works to hinder us from growing and maturing in our ability to make a place for the Lord Jesus among us, in our midst, in genuine church life (cf. Eph. 4:11-16). The way they accomplish this is to seduce us into engaging our hearts and lives with Babylon the Great. Remember those three areas of sanctification mentioned earlier? Instead of these specific capacities of our hearts and lives being set apart for the Lord more and more, trafficking in Babylon will defile and corrupt them. How?

1. Instead of "gathering together in His Name" and looking to the Lord alone as Source for everything, Babylon exists where people, be they saved or unsaved, are gathered together in other names-those of "the kings of the earth.the merchants of the earth.and the great men of the earth"-and are looking to them and what they are building as their sources.
2. Rather than learning to more and more correspond to the Lord and take their cues from Him, those "in her" are fitting around and following the kings/merchants/great men of the earth and finding their identity in them. And...
3. Instead of giving the Lord all of their worship (love, adoration, devotion, loyalty), they have become really impressed with these kings/merchants/great men and the "cities" they are building, and are pouring it out upon them instead.

   This is a ploy as old as what Nimrod accomplished with the people of the ancient post-flood world on the plains of Shinar when he rallied them together to build the "city" of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9). She was in her infancy then, and when the Lord "scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth," they carried the seed of Babel , the "city," with them. Over the course of time since then, this seed has germinated and grown and been reseeded among the people of the earth to the extent that Babylon has evolved into her present global maturity with these countless king-city and merchant-city and great man-city entities being interconnected and spanning the globe. Thus Babel has become Babylon "the Great" (Rev. 17:1-2, 15, 18; 18:3).

  The results of our "participation" in any of these unholy codependent Babylonian relationships are "acts of [spiritual] immorality" (i.e., adultery and unfaithfulness toward our Betrothed), "abomination," and "corruption" in our lives, rather than sanctification (James 4:4; Rev. 17:1-2, 18:3, 19:2). And even worse, our joining together with others in fleshly unities around these kings, merchants, and great men, creates an unseen habitation in which demons dwell. Instead of "God among us," there are demons among us. Instead of being affected and impacted by the Spirit of God and edified, we are affected and impacted by the demons who utilize this place and are corrupted. The demonic realm's deluding influence works upon our minds to warp our perception of life and truth in the Lord and we become hardened toward Him. In other words, using Revelation 17 & 18 language, we become "drunk with the wine of her immorality" (Rev. 17:1-2).

 

Encountering Babylon In Daily Life

  Now that we have some overview of what Babylon is, how we "participate in her sins," and what we do to become entangled in her (thus the need to "come out of her"), let's look at some practical examples of how this is played out in everyday life. We'll begin with one that is more obvious. Consider insurance. All of us are aware of the fact that we do not know what the future holds and are thus vulnerable to potential unforeseen tragedies, disasters, serious injuries, major illnesses, property damage or losses, etc. In other words, we all know that something could possibly happen at some point in time in the future for which we could suffer financially. What do we do with this vulnerability-a vulnerability that God allows here in "the quarry," I might add?

  Speaking to "His disciples," the Lord Jesus explicitly said, "Do not be anxious for your life" and "Do not be anxious for tomorrow" (Matt. 5:1-2, 6:19-34). In this same passage He also made the direct connection between being anxious and serving mammon, which in His eyes, if we do so, is to effectively "hate" and "despise" Him, which are definitely not bride-of-Christ-like qualities. We are to walk in a child-like trusting faith in God and "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things [that the Gentiles are anxious about and eagerly seek] shall be added to [us]" (Matt. 6:19-34, 18:3). Do you use your vulnerability to unknown, unforeseen, potential events as an opportunity to seek and trust in the King of Kings? Do you daily rest in the Lord with an active faith that He is your Shield and Source and Provider regardless of whether you have much or little? When your heart is tempted to "be weighted down with.the worries of life" and fears about "tomorrow," do you cast all your anxieties upon Him because you know His loving faithfulness to His children and that He really does care for you (Luke 21:34-36, 1 Pet. 5:7)? Is your ear and attention inclined to the Lord Jesus so that you are ready to trust and obey Him in anything He may lead you to do in order to make a channel for His provision "on earth" (cf. Matt. 14:13-21, 17:24-27; Eph. 4:28, 1 Thes. 4:9-12)? This is the way of the Lord among His saints.

  However, let's say you choose instead to deal with your vulnerability by participating in Babylon through seeking out a particular "king of the earth" and his respective "city," namely, an insurance company. You choose an entity you like-be it Allstate, State Farm, Met Life, Mutual of Omaha, or whichever-and take out a policy in order to get "protection" from her king [referring to the owner or CEO whose actual name you may not know], via one of his agents, in order to alleviate your anxiety about not-as-yet-existing liabilities. The sense of security you feel when his "protection" and "coverage" are in effect is an example of experiencing "the power of her [Babylon's] sensuality" (Rev. 18:3). In other words, your flesh (not the new creature in Christ) feels better because you have his company's combined financial resources to trust in as your source to pay for any valid future claim you might make in exchange for you paying him premiums of money. Because of your lack of active faith in God and its resulting actions, you chose to join together in a fleshly agreement/unity with all the others who are so looking to this king/merchant and his "city," which you are now helping to compose and build up! And this "city," being diametrically opposed to the Lord Jesus and His kingdom, is, by its very nature, "anxious for tomorrow" and encourages you to be so too, unless of course you get with their program.

  If the previous paragraph, or some kindred variation of it, describes us and "where we live," then how would this affect our cooperation with the Lord's sanctifying process? Instead of deepening our capacity for trusting in our unseen Lord alone as our Source for everything, we are, at least in this area, moving the other direction, giving our heart's trust instead to a seen source of this world (the insurance king/merchant and his company). Rather than growing in correspondence to our Bridegroom, we are instead choosing to fit around a king/merchant of the earth and take our cues from him. I remember one time when a brother needed to borrow a vehicle in order to take care of some pressing business while his car was being repaired. He asked another brother if he could use his truck. At first he pulled the keys out of his pocket and started to say, "Sure!" but then his countenance fell and he said, "Well, I'm sorry, I can't do it because my insurance wouldn't cover you if you had a wreck." Now who was he taking his cues from? Was he being led by the Holy Spirit to decline helping his brother in need, or was he acting out of fear because of the king/merchant's rules of coverage? And lastly, rather than the Lord being given all our worship, we are giving at least some of our adoration, loyalty, and devotion to our insurance king for his protection of us.

  As bad as all this may be, it gets even worse. In joining together with others in the world in a fleshly unity around our particular insurance king, we have cooperated with making a place for demons among us to implement their reign upon the earth (1 John 5:19, Eph. 6:10-20). The result is that we immediately begin being corrupted by their deluding influence upon our hearts and minds. We believe that seeking the maximum amount of insurance we can afford is the only respectable and reasonable thing to do. As we become further "drunk with the wine of her immorality," we think that the better policy is the true earmark for being better stewards in providing for our family and proving our love for them. The fact that we should be growing deeper in our faith in God for this aspect of our life never crosses our mind. In our increasingly distorted view of reality and life in Christ, we agree with the rest of the world that to not go the insurance route is grossly irresponsible, and to "spiritualize the issue" (like I'm doing here) is laughable.

  Dear reader, if this describes you, you are "drunk" with Babylon 's wine-spiritually disoriented with regard to the truth that is in Jesus due to taking in the Harlot's leaven. You are a "disobedient son" who is walking "according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:1-2). You are arousing the Lord's fierce anger because you "say in your heart, 'I sit as a queen [i.e., I have my king], and am not a widow [i.e., my king will always be there for me], and will never see mourning [i.e., my king and his city will always take care of me]'" (Rev. 18:4-8).

  Now, before going on, let me make a very important qualification here so you do not misunderstand what I am saying. Hear me loud and clear: I am in no way setting up some new legalism that says, "In order to be truly spiritual you cannot have insurance," or insurance = sin. The "head of every man is Christ" and He is faithful to lead us by His Spirit (1 Cor. 11:3, Rom. 8:14). If you honestly believe the Lord is leading you take out an insurance policy, then by all means do it (and I genuinely mean this). Or if, in order to follow the Lord in obeying man's laws, you have to have a basic minimal auto insurance policy for your vehicle, and to do so is no compromise of your faith in God, then we need to have it. Or, if the job the Lord has led you to provides insurance as a part of your compensation, and He is leading you to take advantage of having it, then do so in response to Him. This would be rightly fitting around our Bridegroom, the King of Kings. He may allow you to "use the world" in this way (1 Cor. 7:29-31), but your doing so is out of faithful corresponding to Him. But if, on the other hand, you are enticed and seduced into this aspect of Babylon for reasons like those described earlier, you will land yourself in a spiritually dangerous and perilous place.

  Now some of you may feel that I just gave folks a loophole as big as Dallas to walk through so they can rationalize their actions and "have their cake and eat it too." No, I haven't. Remember, "all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" and "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for the deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (Heb. 4:13, 2 Cor. 5:10). If any of us are playing games or fooling ourselves and others about the truth of where we are walking, we will ultimately answer to God for it, whether in this life or in the life to come, and there is no escaping this reality.

Obviously, if we fear the Lord, we will want to look honestly at our lives and embrace His sanctifying work now. Here are some good questions to ask yourself which the Lord may use to help you see where your heart is. Are you one who does not have insurance? Do you wish for it? Do you seek to somehow get it? When you think about how you would like your life to be, is it part of the picture? What of you who have insurance? Do you hold it openly and loosely before the Lord as something He could prune out of your life at any time? What if He lead you to cancel all your insurance right now, how would you feel, joyful and unaffected or anxious and even terrified?

 

More Practical Examples

  What are some other real life examples of how we can encounter and participate in Babylon's sins? I would like to run through a varied list, though the possibilities are virtually endless. Since you are hopefully now seeing and becoming familiar with the dynamics of Babylon, I will not go through them in as much detail as I did with the insurance example.

   All of us have physical bodies that sometimes get injured or become sick or develop other ailments. When this happens, who do we immediately look to-the Lord or the medical system and the "great men of the earth" called doctors and specialists? Who do we run to? Who do we give our trust to? The Lord sees and knows. Now hear me again, this is not a legalism that if you are truly spiritual you will never go to a doctor. Nor is this a plug for an unrealistic "hyper-faith" standard that the truly spiritual are never sick (guess Who refers to Himself as being sick at times?! Matt. 25:36, 43), or that all healing must be miraculous in nature or you're lacking in faith. Does God still heal miraculously? Yes, He certainly does. Does the Lord use doctors, even ungodly ones? Yes, He certainly does, and there are those blessed few who truly serve the Lord with their skill and do not become as "kings/great men of the earth." The issue is: who do we run to and put our heart's trust in? This is what the Lord is looking at. If He leads us to go to a doctor or a hospital, then, amen, we do so in faith in response to His leading and are very clear in our hearts Who we are looking to as Source and Provider. If He leads us to stay home and pray or call for the elders (James 5:14-16), then, amen, we do so in faith in response to His leading. If He leads us to take some garlic or Vitamin C and go to bed, then we trust and obey.

   The point here is that we correspond to the Lord in all things with a humble heart of faith (cf. Eph. 5:22-24). But if we depart from looking to Him alone in this way and instead begin trusting in doctors, specialists, hospitals & pharmaceuticals (and thus the "great men of the earth" who own and run them), etc., we are participating in Babylon in this area. We are hoping in a perceived source other than the True Source, the Lord God. We are also fitting around and corresponding to the "kings/great men" in this aspect of Babylon rather than the One to whom we belong (1 Cor. 6:19-20). On this point, have you even noticed that when you enter a hospital, except for signing release of liability forms, they expect you to abdicate to them almost entirely? If you question them or stop them so you can have time to pray and seek the Lord if He would have them do this procedure or give you that drug, they are often highly offended. And where did the lie come from that husbands/fathers cease being the head of the home when they enter a medical environment simply because they do not have medical degrees? Men/husbands/fathers, do not abdicate to medical Babylon . The Lord may use their services to help you or your loved one, but you are still responsible to listen to the Great Shepherd and follow Him in leading them-and do not consider it a "strange thing" or be intimidated if they think you are a troublemaker for doing so (1 Pet. 4:12-19). You be faithful! Lastly, if you are participating in Babylon here, you will give the king/great men and their "cities" your worship (praise, thanksgiving, adoration) rather than the Lord. A good indicator of where your heart is at is to see who it is you are "talking up" to folks when you get through your ordeal.

 

  All of us have to deal with material needs in this life and the need for money. Who do we look to as our source and provider-the Lord or our employer? Do we do the work we do because the Lord is leading us to do so or because we sold ourselves as slaves to the highest bidder-the one who offered a good salary, medical and dental insurance, profit sharing, stock options, retirement, etc.? Do we assume we are to take the promotion because it brings in more money and fear reprisals if we do not, or do we seek the Lord and lay it at His feet, and turn it down if He so leads because it may take away time we need with our family or be a snare that would hinder our walk with Him? Who really are we looking to as Source? Is our work simply our "five loaves and two fish" we offer to the Lord in faith, knowing He is choosing to use it to "feed the five thousand" of our need? Or is our work our place to plug into a seen source we can barter with and demand from? Who are we really corresponding to and taking our cues from? Are we simply "tent making" or are we allowing ourselves to be groomed as a "company man"? Who are we thanking and worshipping when we get paid, the Lord or the business we work for? The Lord knows and sees.

 

  We all want to live "quiet and peaceable" lives. Who do we look to as our source for such, the Lord or the literal "kings of the earth" called political leaders? In this season of the presidential election here in the US, to whom do you look to make life better for you, the Lord or Bush or Gore or one of the other candidates, or a certain majority in Congress? Saints, when are we, especially those of us in the US, going to embrace how the Lord sees things: "ALL the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless" (Is. 40:15-17)? I see no exception clause here for the United States. Democracy and representative government, as well as any other forms of human government, are inventions of men, whereas the kingdom of God is an absolute monarchy: there is the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus, and there are those who are choosing to subject themselves to Him-period. His will reigns supreme, and it is not submitted to committee or popular vote.

  Now again, no legalism here-if you choose to vote for this or that candidate or proposition as your "five loaves and two fish" to the Lord for living a "quiet and peaceable" life, yet you are truly looking to Him, you are free in Him to do so (unless the King tells you not to). But if you are putting your hope in any of the "kings of the earth"-whether mayors, city councilmen, representatives, senators, judges, bureaucrats, presidents, prime ministers, or the party they represent, be it conservative or liberal-you have been seduced into Babylon. He knows and sees who you are trusting in your heart. He knows and sees who you are taking your cues from and fitting around. He knows who you are giving your adoration and loyalty to. If it is truly Him, you are growing in grace and sanctification and readiness for the Bridegroom, but if it is "the kings of the earth," you are being corrupted by Babylon and deluded by this dwelling place of demons. You will very much wrestle with flesh and blood and believe you are part of a noble cause for the Lord in doing so. Rather than walking the Lord's way of praying for the "king.and all who are in authority. without wrath and dissension" like the early Christians did for the godless persecuting Roman emperors (1 Tim. 2:1-8), you will instead seek to coerce politicians to vote a certain way that will aid you in imposing your agenda upon others in society and will threaten to leave their expression of Babylon for another if they don't.

 

  To whom do you look to decide how to dress-the Lord or the "great men of the earth" called fashion designers? Are your standards for how you dress those of the Lord-modest and discreet and "proper clothing" (1 Tim. 9-10, 1 Pet. 3:3-4)-or are your standards shaped by Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Liz Claibourne, Calvin Klein, and the like? Even though the aforementioned scriptures are addressed to women, we men can at least still glean the Lord's standard for appropriateness for us too (i.e., not flashy, discreet, well covered). Do you feel like you are the object of ridicule and scorn if you are not conforming to the latest trends of fashion and hairstyles? Do you women believe you have to dress immodestly and indiscretely and, given today's styles, even obscenely in order to be acceptable? Do you men believe you have to dress with expensive clothing, or with either the effeminate or macho styles of the day, in order to be acceptable? Do you look to the Lord as your Source for leadership for how He would have you be physically "arrayed" (cf. Matt. 6:28-34; this is one of the specific things Jesus said would be "added" to us when we seek first His kingdom), or do you look to one of these other sources. Who do you take your cues from and correspond to and find your identity in? Who do you worship with how you "possess your vessel" (1 Thes. 4:3-8)? The Lord knows and sees.

 

  We could go on and on with countless examples. In fact, the Lord lists Babylon 's cargoes:

And the merchants of the earth (i.e., manufacturers, wholesalers) weep and mourn over her [Babylon, when she falls], because no one buys their cargoes anymore; cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. The merchants of these things (retailers, direct sales/service providers), who became rich from her [Babylon]."

(Revelation 18:11-13, 15)

  This meticulous listing of Babylon's cargoes contains literals and types of virtually everything we know: Currency and precious metals exchanges, commodities markets, the banking industry, financial institutions, jewelry, textiles, clothing and fashion, furniture, pianos, construction, the steel and lumber industries, herbalists, cosmetics, food services, livestock exchanges, the liquor industry, grocery stores, malls, "super centers," co-ops, agribusiness, automotive industries, etc., etc. And what about the cargoes of "human lives"? This could speak of literal slave trade, as well as typify service industries, government, medical systems, educational systems, sports/athletic organizations and leagues, religious systems (another whole can of worms, perhaps we'll look at this one in the next issue), abortion providers, vasectomy providers, etc. All of the world's systems-political, economic, and social-are "cities" that are ultimately linked and networked together in order to form this massive all-encompassing global habitation of demons called "Babylon the Great," with all its local expressions, and God's call to us is "Come out of her, My people!"

 

Coming Out and Moving On

  If you are hearing the Lord in this article, you see how important this is. You are beginning to see how you, a real child of God, can, and perhaps do, choose to traffic in a dwelling place of demons, though you might have never seen it as such before. Hopefully you are seeing more clearly how our enemies in the realm of darkness implement their schemes and work to directly thwart our sanctification and preparation for the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus. My fervent prayer is that your eyes have been opened, or that this confirms what the Lord has already been showing you. I understand how unnerving this message can be, for it shakes virtually everything we know and relate to in our daily lives. It makes you want to move to the mountains and live a hermit's life in a tent and drink organic carrot juice and read the Bible for the rest of your life, but I honestly doubt the Lord would have us do that. If you are being shaken, rejoice, for the Lord is faithfully working to "winnow the chaff" out of your life and lead you further and deeper into His unshakable kingdom (Heb. 12:22-29, Matt. 3:12).

   So how do we respond to this message? We need to first deal with our hearts before the Lord, not our outward behavior (i.e., "rend your hearts, not your garments," Joel 2:12-13). Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the hooks Babylon has in you. Deal with the source issues in your life, and the fear in your heart that, if yielded to, is a catalyst for looking to "kings, merchants, and great men of the earth" instead of the Lord. Look honestly at what it is in your heart and mind that leads you to take your cues from Babylon and her kings, and correspond to them rather than be "conformed into the image of Christ," and repent. Face the horror of giving someone or something other than the Lord God your worship, love, adoration, loyalty, and devotion; let this alarm you, and then let it break your heart in sweet repentance before the Lord and return to your First Love. Look honestly at the specific things you do to join with others in fleshly unity, which makes a place for demons to dwell and impose their deluding influence and make you "drunk." Ask the Lord to renew your mind to the truth that is in Him. If you begin here, you will do well. Later, whether that be a few minutes or a few hours or days, after the Lord has begun dealing with the ways you go astray and cleansing your heart of the Harlot's hooks, then listen and seek Him for whatever outward changes need to be made, and follow Him in humble trust in what He shows you to do. But I am warning you, if you react quickly and go for changing the outward first, you will end up in unbearable legalism and frustration and defeat.

  Beyond these things, go on to learn to listen to the Lord in the moment and interact with Him in faith while you have to deal with "the mammon of unrighteousness" in this life each day (John 10:3-5, Rom. 8:14, Luke 16:1-15). Allow Him to sharpen your discernment and begin to recognize Babylon 's enticements to come participate in her sins, and then take the Lord's way of escape (Heb. 5:14 , 1 Cor. 10:13). Lastly, learn to take advantage of truly gathering together in Jesus' Name with other saints as often as there is opportunity, whether that be with His church in a locale or with your family or with another believer for lunch or whatever, and make a place for Him among you. Drink deeply of Him together, and learn to be comfortable and abide regularly in our home in the Spirit of God.

 

 

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