By investigating the siege and fall of Jericho, we get another clear glimpse of the kingdom of darkness. While Israel was encamped at Gilgal in the Plains of Jordan on the west side of the river, Joshua, the leader of the Chosen People, was reconnoitering around the city. As a military leader he was doing this. Every good and wise general gets all the facts concerning the enemy against whom he is about to launch an attack and plans the battle according to the conditions. Doubtless there was an Intelligence Service which Israel had, even though it could not compare with such branches of service of an army of today. But Joshua was gathering all the information available, in preparation for the onslaught. While he was thus making this firsthand investigation, he had the surprise of his life--probably. It is true that he had witnessed the mighty works of God at the time of the exodus from Egypt. At that time the Lord communicated directly with Moses, but never with Joshua. The Lord's appearing to the latter was doubtless the greatest experience of his life: "13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as prince of the host of Jehovah am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him. What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the prince of Jehovah's host said unto Joshua, Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so" (Joshua 5:13-15).

The celestial being who appeared to Joshua on this occasion stated that he was the "prince of the host of Jehovah," the Prince of Jehovah's armies. The "armies" referred to can be none other than the celestial hosts, the angels.

Joshua, in planning his attack--as any good general would do--did not realize all that was involved in this operation. He was doubtless thinking simply of his own armies and the clash that would result as the onslaught was made on the city. From what we know of Joshua, he doubtless believed in the overruling providence of God, as all the servants of God do. It is quite clear that he did not realize all that would be involved in the impending struggle.

This Prince of Jehovah's hosts urged Joshua to remove his sandals from his feet,"... for the place whereon thou standest is holy." This reminds us of Moses at the burning bush, who was told by the angel of Jehovah to remove his sandals because the land on which he was treading was holy--holy because of the presence of Jehovah himself. The land whereon Joshua was standing was holy because of the appearance of the holy angel of Jehovah, Christ in His prenatal state.

The people of Jericho were paralyzed with fear, we may believe. They saw the mighty host of Israel encamped there in the plain. They knew that their city though well fortified, would naturally be besieged by the oncoming Israelites. They therefore shut up the city and took every precaution for safety.

Then this angel of Jehovah, the Prince of Jehovah's hosts, spoke to Joshua saying: "See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor" (Joshua 6:2). This Prince of Jehovah is spoken of as Jehovah. We are then told that He, the Prince of Jehovah had given the city into Joshua's hand--of course, in plan and purpose, which were carried out, we see in the sequel to the story.

Why was this Prince of Jehovah's armies present at that time? The answer to this question is found in the words spoken by him to Joshua who asked him, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" He answered, "Nay; but as prince of the host of Jehovah am I now come." Since He had come as the Prince of the host of Jehovah, it is evident that the host of Jehovah was present, ready for the fray. But why was there any necessity for such a vast army of spiritual beings to be present on that occasion? Certainly this army was not there simply to fight against the literal city of Jericho, which was captured by God's causing an earthquake to shake the city walls down. This earthquake was supernaturally caused. (See Psalm 114.) It was caused by the presence of Jehovah, just as will be caused the earthquake which will come when the Russians invade Palestine in the not far distant future (Ezek. 38:1-39:16).

Obviously this mighty host of celestial beings was brought there to oppose another host of spiritual beings known by Isaiah the prophet as "the host of the high ones on high" (Isa. 24:21). This host of high ones on high is the host of fallen, evil, wicked spirits under the leadership of Satan.

Israel's entering into the Promised Land was a red-letter event in her history and in the unfolding of God's redemptive scheme through His Chosen People. Satan, realizing the significance of the unfolding drama of the moment, rallied his mighty hosts in order to thwart if possible, the further unfolding of God's plan through Israel. There was therefore present, though invisible, mighty hosts drawn one up against the other in battle array, each army being under the leadership of its prince. If the spiritual vision of Joshua and the Israelites who were present on that occasion could have been open, they would have seen a mighty struggle between these spiritual hosts. It is needless to say that the hosts of Jehovah's armies were victorious. We shall believe that what occurred in the atmospheric heavens over Jericho was far mightier than the throwing down of the city walls and the capture of the city and its destruction by the hosts of Israel.

After the overthrow of Jericho Achan took of the spoils of the city "a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight," which he coveted, as his own private property. But the Lord had forbidden the Israelites' taking anything of the spoils--instead, they were to destroy everything completely. Thus sin was brought into the camp of Israel. Sin, transgression, and wrongdoing always bring judgment and disaster. They always separate people from God and prevent the Lord's going with them and strengthening them. (See Isa., chap. 59:1 ff.) After the capture of Jericho Joshua sent his army against Ai, a fortified city in the mountainous region northeast of Jerusalem. When the battle was joined, the Israelitish hosts were thrown back in utter defeat. Why did such a calamity befall the army, victorious in the battle of Jericho? There is but one explanation: When sin entered the camp of Israel, the Prince of Jehovah's host, together with His armies, forsook them! Joshua, not realizing that his hosts had been abandoned by these spiritual powers of Jehovah's hosts, went against a minor enemy who, being assisted by the hosts of Satan, threw Joshua's hosts back in utter confusion, disorder, and defeat. We may logically conclude that the outcome of a battle is not always a result of a clash between literal armies, but that the issue frequently--largely, if not entirely--depends upon the spiritual powers that are engaged in the conflict behind the scenes. Our fight is truly against the spiritual hosts of darkness, who contest every foot of ground.

As Saul, the king of Israel, was approaching the final crisis in his life, he went to the witch of Endor, requesting that she communicate with the Prophet Samuel who had already died. While he was insisting, the Lord brought Samuel up from Sheol, who pronounced judgment upon Saul. This was actually Samuel the prophet who reappeared after death. I am calling attention to this witch, not because of this special occasion, but because of her being in touch with the occult world. She had established a reputation of being in touch with the other world, that of the dead. When she saw Samuel, she was frightened. His appearance was different from that of those with whom she was accustomed to communicate. She did not bring Samuel back from the dead. God did that. The thing which she was in the habit of doing was to get in touch with demons who impersonated the dead. When one passes out of this life--be he saint or sinner--he cannot return. No spiritist, no witch, nor any other person can bring the dead back to life. God alone can do this, as He did in the case of Samuel. This is seen in the statement of our Lord regarding the rich man and Lazarus who died and went to the nether world. Neither could come back. (See Luke 16:19-31.) Of course God did use certain of His servants to raise the dead. This is indeed another matter.

There are those people today who sincerely believe that they receive communications from the dead. They are deceived. The phenomena which they observe are nothing but the impersonations on the part of evil spirits of different ones.

That there are such powers or such a kingdom of darkness may be seen from an examination of II Kings, chapter 6. Elisha, with his assistant, was in the little city of Dothan, which was being besieged by the Syrians. His young attendant was terrified by the appearance of a force of chariots besieging the city. In order to quiet the fears of this young man, Elisha revealed to him this most assuring fact: "Fear not; for they that are with us are more than they that are with them" (II Kings 6:16). Then Elisha prayed to the Lord that He would open the young man's eyes in order that he might see the angels who were actually present. "And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (II Kings 6:17). The besieging army was without the city. The inhabitants of the city were within its walls. There were then two groups of people--the Syrians and the Israelites. Elisha informed the young man that those who were with them, the Israelites, were more and stronger than those who were with the Syrians. When he was given a vision of the situation, he saw the spiritual hosts of God that were present, though invisible to mortal eyes, to assist them in their fight against the Syrians, who were, on the contrary backed by the evil powers of darkness which were with them.

We get another glimpse of this kingdom of darkness in Isaiah 8:19-22. This passage was uttered at the time of the danger threatened by the Assyrian incursions into the west land. The people of Israel became frantic. They wanted to know what the future held for them. They therefore went to those who had familiar spirits in their quest for knowledge regarding impending events. Isaiah condemned this practice and told them that they should resort to the law and the testimony warning them, "if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them: (Isa. 8:20). All kinds of fortune telling, necromancy, and the like are the result of this kingdom of darkness and are bitterly condemned by the God of heaven. Of course, there are those who make bogus claims as to ability to foretell the future. They make a financial racket out of the gullibility of the unsuspecting public. At the same time there are those who are actually in touch with demonic powers and who can really, in a limited way, reveal the future. Such persons are actually in touch with the kingdom of darkness over which Satan reigns. God condemned man's resorting to those with familiar spirits and said that, if the people wanted to know anything, they should go the law of God--the Bible.

Once more, in the Old Testament we come into touch with this kingdom of darkness. This time it appears in Daniel, chapter 10. In answer to the prophet's prayer God dispatched an angel to Daniel in order that he might make a further revelation to him. As this angel was speeding through space, he was stopped and hindered for twenty-one days by the prince of the kingdom of Persia. He was not permitted to resume his journey until Michael, the archangel, came to his rescue. Thus being assisted and speeding on his way the angelic messenger appeared to the prophet and delivered his message. He knew what was ahead of him upon his return journey; therefore he said that he would have to fight with the prince of Persia, that evil spirit who under Satan was exercising authority over the Persian Empire. In verse 20 of this chapter we also see another high-ranking fallen spirit who had control over the kingdom of Greece. Though there are other references in the Old Testament to this kingdom of darkness, these will suffice.

In the gospel records we read of people who were demonized and who were afflicted with various physical diseases and mental disorders, many of which were attributed to demon possession and evil spirits. We need only to call attention to such a passage as Luke 8:26-39 where we read of the Gadarene demoniac. This man was possessed by a legion of demons--six thousand of these evil, fallen spirits. Because of this condition he could not be bound with chains. He had supernatural strength which was imparted to him by these demons. They were actual evil spirits, fallen angels².

We see instances in the Acts of the Apostles of demon possession and of the activity of these evil spirits. For instance, a man by the name of Simon in Samaria was dabbling in the occult, not withstanding the fact that he nominally had accepted Christ. According to church history he went to Rome and, like the sow returning to her wallowing in the mire, plunged into the occult. Paul met the same at Philippi (Acts, chap. 16). We see the same thing at Ephesus (Acts, chap. 19).

In Ephesians 2:2 Paul speaks of "the prince of the powers of the air," the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. In Ephesians 6:10f we learn that there is a real spiritual kingdom opposed to the people of God. In this passage the Apostle Paul warns us that our wrestling is not with flesh and blood, but that it is "against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Satan has a thoroughly organized government which is in opposition to all that is good, true, and noble. His united hosts are set against everyone who is endeavoring to do the will of God. This fact explains many of the reverses and the difficulties into which good people are thrown from time to time. Especially will there be demon activity in the time of the end-in our own day. This is set forth in I Timothy 4:1f. In II Peter, chapter 2, and the Epistle of Jude we see statements regarding these angels who left their own estate and went after strange flesh in the days of Noah. Just as the Sodomites left the natural use of women and went after strange flesh, so these angels before them left their own principality and also went after strange flesh. This is an echo of what was done in the days of Noah--that which precipitated the Flood (Gen. 6:1-3).

Finally, in the Apocalypse, we see demon activity and the powers of darkness revealed very clearly. During the Tribulation, an innumerable host of evil spirits will be turned loose upon the world and will bring untold suffering and sorrow upon men. Their plagues will be all but unbearable (Rev., chap. 9).

As has already been stated, neither Satan nor the demons can touch any of the saints of God nor hinder the onward march of the plan of the Almighty except by special permission. The Lord knows His own and understands how to deliver each one from the attacks of the powers of evil. "The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, And delivereth them. Oh taste and see that Jehovah is good: Blessed is the man that taketh refuge in him" (Ps. 34:7,8). In special crises in the lives of God's saints angels are dispatched, according to this passage, to give assistance and grant deliverance to the besieged servants of the Lord.

Michael the archangel is the representative of the Jewish race and is the one who stands for and protects it. This fact is seen in Daniel 12:1: "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Doubtless Israel owes her preservation through the centuries to the presence and activity of this mighty angel.

When we come to the New Testament, we see that the angels are ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of those who shall inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14). Doubtless many evils would have befallen all of us who are standing for the right if it had not been for the ministry and the assistance of these angels dispatched at certain times for our assistance and deliverance. In the Book of Revelation we see that there are good angels who are very active during the Tribulation, notwithstanding the fact that the powers of evil will at that time be turned loose upon the earth. For instance, in Revelation 7:1f we read of the four angels who have control of the winds of the earth. These seem to be faithful and true servants of God who are standing for the right. In Revelation 14:18 we read of the angel who has power over fire. Again, in 16:5 we see the angel of the waters, who executes God's judgment upon the world in giving them blood to drink instead of water. These and other hints show that there are those who are on our side and who know how, under God, to do that which will contribute to the advancement of His cause and to the protection and blessing of the saints of God.

In this short survey of the kingdom of darkness we have learned some very vital facts. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Let us recognize the existence of Satan and all his diabolical emissaries--this kingdom of darkness--and let us have nothing to do with them whatsoever. Let me warn every believer in God and in the Scriptures against consulting those who are in league with demons and who receive messages from diabolical sources but not from a person's departed loved ones. These evil, wicked spirits simply impersonate the dead. This warning is especially necessary at this time because at the conclusion of this war many will seek to receive messages from their departed loved ones, and there will arise a mighty host of spiritists and fortunetellers who will prey upon the credulity of the people, as was the case following World War I.³ The admonition of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth is especially appropriate for Christians at the present day who wish to serve the Lord Jesus Christ:

14 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 and what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you. 18 And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

7 having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (II Cor. 6:14-7:1).

What is sin? To this question various and sundry answers are given. The usual one is that it is a transgression of law. This statement is correct, but it by no means includes all that is known as sin. In the Old Testament the word meaning fundamentally to sin primarily indicates to miss the mark. This basic conception is found in Judges 20:16: "Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss." In a spiritual sense sinning is to miss the mark of absolute and perfect conformity to the will of Almighty God. This conception lies beneath every statement in the Scriptures that refers to man's sinning and doing wrong. We shall have occasion to refer to this more particularly in the next chapter. Here we shall be content to look at some general and fundamental facts regarding sin.

A. Sin's Existence Before Adam

In the preceding discussion relative to Ezekiel 28:1-19 we have seen the real origin of evil and wrongdoing. The crux of the entire matter was Satan's substituting his will for the blessed, holy will of God. Thus, in speaking of his disobeying God, we would say that he "missed the mark" and thus sinned. By the substitution of his will for the will of the Almighty, he set in motion a power or force that corrupted or contaminated the entire universe. His rebellion against God and its effect are referred to in Job, chapter 25. It was necessary for the Lord drastically to suppress this insurrection and to restore peace throughout His vast domains. In speaking on this point, Bildad asserted that the moon and the stars are contaminated for none of them are pure in the eyes of the Almighty. This is not simply poetry but the statement of a sober fact. The disorder, the dislocation, and the disarrangement of things generally throughout the universe are a silent testimony to this mighty rebellion, which set in motion forces and powers that corrupted or rendered impure the physical universe.

The Apostle Paul gives us a very clear idea concerning the existence of sin prior to the creation of Adam:

12 Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned:--13 for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a figure of him that was to come (Rom. 5:12-14).

Paul is here assuming the reality of sin and of its existence as a force, a power, prior to the creation of Adam. When he sinned and trespassed the one prohibition of the Lord, this sin-power entered into the human family and corrupted man's nature. With it came death to all men. The apostle conceived of sin as a reality before, and apart from, man's transgression--though doing wrong and transgressing God's commandments are sin. Sin was in the world, and its deadly effects were observable throughout the universe; yet it was a force foreign to man prior to his transgression. By man's disobedience he, figuratively speaking, opened the door and this alien power entered the human race, and with it came death, which has passed unto all men, "for that all sinned."

In what sense did all men sin and bring death upon themselves. There are difficulties connected with this subject. Nevertheless, when all facts are taken into consideration, one comes to the conclusion that all sinned in Adam. How could we sin in him, since we had no existence at that time? The answer is this: God made Adam a perfect creature, with a bias and bent toward holiness and fellowship with Himself--as we have already seen. If He had made you or me, dear friend, He would have made us exactly in the same condition as He did Adam. If we had been in Eden and had been approached by the devil as he was, we would have acted as he did, being of the same nature. But in the trial of Adam humanity was on trial. To be more explicit, you and I were on trial when Adam was tested. You and I sinned when he sinned, because, as just stated, we would have acted exactly as he did, had we been there in person and had we been tested as he was. Thus all men truly sinned in the one transgression of Adam. By this transgression the door was opened, and sin with its fatal consequences entered the human family and brought death with it. For this reason physical death passed upon all men in that they in the person of Adam sinned.

According to Genesis, chapter 1, all things having life were to produce after their kind. This statement is the biblical method of expressing the Mendelian ratio. At the Fall, as we have already seen, man's being was corrupted and all nature came under the power of the curse. This law of propagation is still operative--everything produces after its own kind. Adam in his fallen condition "begat a son in his own likeness after his image." His son Seth inherited the same fallen nature as that of his father, as did all of Adam's descendants. All people today propagate the species in their fallen nature, since death passed unto all men through Adam's fall. The Lord Jesus knowing this fact declared: "By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matt. 7:16-18).

Until the law came, sin was in the world, "but sin is not imputed when there is no law." Sin was in the world from Adam's transgression onward to the giving of the law, and since then to the present time. It will continue to be here until Satan is bound and cast into his eternal abode--the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). God held people responsible for their sins, wrongdoings, and iniquities during the time from Adam's transgression to the giving of the law. For instance, in the days of Noah the human family had plunged to the depth of sin and degradation so that the very imaginations of the hearts of people were only evil continually (Gen. 6:1-5). When man reached that point, the Lord by the Flood blotted out that generation. This fact shows that God did hold men responsible for their actions and deeds. But in our quotation we are told that until the law sin was in the world, but that it was not imputed where there was no law. In view of what we have just seen, this statement must be interpreted as meaning that from Adam to Moses there was no specific enactment to which the death penalty was attached for the infraction of said law or legislation. To Adam God said that in the day on which he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he should surely die. He ate of it, and the judgment immediately fell upon him. There was no such law given after that, with the threat of death attached to its infraction, from Adam to Moses. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses over mankind who had not sinned against a single prohibition as did Adam. But men died. The reason was that they in Adam transgressed and that sin with death came into the human family and began to take its horrible toll. As far as we know, there was in this period only one exception to this rule--Enoch, who walked with God and who was taken, without dying, by the Lord to Himself (Gen. 5:21-24).

Footnotes:
² Some scholars make a distinction between the fallen angels and demons. On account of the lack of space I cannot enter into a discussion of this point. It is immaterial to our present study whether or not these demons are the same as evil angels. Of this we may be certain; namely, that they are both of the kingdom of darkness and are afflicting men, bringing them into every type of bondage.

³ Let me further warn the saints against pleading with God for spiritual power which in many instances their bodies are too unholy to contain and which if granted to them would consume them in an instant. Satan many times takes advantage of such an one and counterfeits God's power, giving the seeker and evil power instead. In such an instance one has unwittingly exposed oneself to the torment of demons.

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