Territorial Spirit

A belief held by some Christians (generally within Charismatic and Pentecostal traditions) and promoted by Kingdom Now theology, Territorial Spirits are thought to be demons who rule over certain geographical areas in the world.

This belief has been popularized by the novel "This Present Darkness", as well as by the ministry of C. Peter Wagner.

Biblical passages used in support of Territorial Spirits

Deuteronomy 32:8-9

In both the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls Deuteronomy 32:8-9 refers a time when God divided the nations of the earth among the "sons of God" (Israel is excepted as the special possession of God Himself). Given the meaning of this phrase in the book of Job it seems likely that this is a reference to the origin of territorial spirits who were, at one time, angels administering the earth on God's behalf.

Psalm 82

Psalm 82 contains an episode in which God stands in the assembly of the "gods" and condemns them for their injustice. God declares that as a result of their wickedness these beings will "die" like men. The Psalm closes with the declaration that, now, all nations belong to the Lord. It seems that in this passage the Lord confronts the territorial angels He set over the nations of the earth who have now fallen and become demons. As a result of their rebellion God revokes their right to administer their territory in His name.

Daniel 10

This passage concerns the visitation of a strange "man" to the prophet Daniel. This man explains to Daniel that he was delayed by the "Prince of Persia" (10:13), but was helped by "Michael, one of the chief princes" (a reference to the archangel Michael, who was recognized in Jewish literature to be a chief angel guarding over Israel). Later in the chapter, the man warns Daniel that soon the "Prince of Greece" (10:20) will join his Persian counterpart to make war upon them.

Considering the fact that Michael is generally recognized as an angel, it is likely that the "Princes" that Michael fights against from Greece and Persia are also spiritual beings. The fact that these spirits are given names in reference to location (Greece and Persia) is a fair indication that these demonic spirits had a geographical oversight. This idea is backed up by a number of commentators (e.g. F.F. Bruce).

Romans 8:38

In Romans 8:38-9 Paul presents the reader with a number of polar opposites. In the midst of this Paul contrasts angels with "principalities" (Gr. αρχαι archai ). If, as seems likely, "principalities" is a synonym for "demons" then it would seem that the situation described in Daniel 10 (demons holding sway over a region) is not an isolated incident but rather a particular example of a general reality.

Ephesians 6:12

In Ephesians 6:12 Paul refers to the spiritual beings which oppose the work of God in the world as "rulers" (Gr. αρχαι archai ), "powers" (Gr. ἐξουσίας exousias ), and, most interestingly, "world forces" (Gr. κοσμοκράτορας kosmokratoras ).

Criticism

Opponents of this theological construct and its oft associated beliefs in "spiritual warfare" point out that while the Bible may describe some form of demonic control over geography, it does not prescribe many of the behaviors and teachings that proponents advocate in response. There is no mention in either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament of believers banding together and praying a form of "spiritual warfare" against particular territorial demons. The battles occurring in the spiritual realms (as described in Daniel 10) have no Biblically identified link to the actions and prayers of God's people in the physical world. [See Leanne Payne, [http://www.leannepayne.org/articles/displayarticle.php?articleid=1 "Spiritual Mapping: A Misguided Focus on the Demonic"] ]

The concept of territorial spirits and the development of specific spiritual warfare techniques has generated much discussion in the Christian missions community. Critical exchanges of views may be found in periodicals like the "Evangelical Missions Quarterly" [http://bgc.gospelcom.net/emis/archives.htm] (such as in volume 31, number 2 published in 1995), and in conferences sponsored by the Evangelical Missions Society. Scholars such as Robert J. Priest, Paul Hiebert and A. Scott Moreau detect animist ideas in the arguments of supporters of the theory of territorial spirits. Robert Guelich of Fuller Theological Seminary does not find the concept of territorial spirits within the gospels, and has analyzed this problem in a critical review of Frank E. Peretti's novel This Present Darkness.

The question of territorial spirits and spiritual warfare was the topic of critical exchanges at the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization's conference in Nairobi, Kenya in 2000. Out of this conference came a consultation document, as well as many technical papers, that was published as the book "Deliver Us From Evil". The conference papers indicate some tensions in opinions as an effort was made to reach some kind of consensus view.

Notes and references

Bibliography

* Edward N. Gross, "Miracles, Demons and Spiritual Warfare: An Urgent Call for Discernment" (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990). ISBN 0-8010-3835-9
* Robert A. Guelich, "Spiritual Warfare: Jesus, Paul and Peretti," "Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies", 13/1 (1991), pp. 33-64.
* Paul G. Hiebert, "Biblical Perspectives on Spiritual Warfare," in "Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues" (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994), pp. 203-215. ISBN 0-8010-4394-8
* A. Scott Moreau, "Religious Borrowing as a Two-Way Street: An introduction to animistic tendencies in the Euro-North American context," in "Christianity and the Religions", Edward Rommen and Harold Netland, eds. (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1995), pp. 166-183. ISBN 0-87808-376-6
* A. Scott Moreau, Tokunboh Adeyemo, David G. Burnett, Bryant L. Myers & Hwa Yung, eds., "Deliver Us From Evil: An Uneasy Frontier in Christian Mission" (Monrovia: MARC, 2002). ISBN 983-897-041-7
* Robert J. Priest, Thomas Campbell and Bradford A. Mullen, "Missiological Syncretism: The New Animistic Paradigm," in "Spiritual Power and Missions", Edward Rommem, ed., (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1995), pp. 143-168.
* Mike Wakeley, "A Critical Look at a New 'Key' to Evangelization," "Evangelical Missions Quarterly", 31/2 (1995), pp. 152-162. [a contra view] (Also see Tai M. Yip, "Spiritual Mapping: Another Approach", [a pro view] in the same edition).
* C. Peter Wagner and F. Douglas Pennoyer, eds., "Wrestling With Dark Angels" (Ventura: Regal, 1990) ISBN 0-8307-1446-4
* C. Peter Wagner, "Breaking Strongholds in Your City" (Ventura: Regal, 1993).

External links

* [http://www.apologeticsindex.org/s00.html#spirits Apologetics Index (Contra)]
* [http://www.battlefocused.org/ Spiritual Warfare - Discipleship Model]
* [http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/DT32BibSac.pdf Deuteronomy 32:8-9 and the sons of God]