WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE FROM CHARLIE KIRK AND PAUL

In my opinion, Charlie Kirk is the most effective practitioner of spiritual warfare in America today. He utilizes an approach that is almost absent from the modern church but is clearly laid out by Paul in his 2^nd letter to the Corinthians. It is also the method Paul used with great success in the pagan, idolatrous city of Ephesus.

This approach to spiritual warfare amounts to what I call “dismantling false belief systems.” This approach is clearly delineated by Paul in II Corinthians 10:4-5 where he says,

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God . . ..

False Belief Systems Must be Dismantled

The English word “imaginations” in this passage is a poor translation of the Greek word logismous, which refers to a way of thinking or a belief system. This is why the NKJV and NIV translate the word as “arguments” and Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon defines it as “reasonings such as are hostile to the Christian faith.”

The Greek word for “casting down” is kathairesin and is a very intense word. It means to “take down” or “demolish” or “dismantle.”

Paul is here saying that we are to dismantle those false belief systems by which Satan holds people, cities, churches, and nations in bondage. We have a model of how this can happen in Luke’s account of Paul’s ministry in the pagan, idolatrous city of Ephesus

Paul’s Modus Operandi in Ephesus

Ephesus was a very idolatrous and occultic city. It was home of the massive and ornate temple of the famous mother goddess, called Diana by the Romans and Artemis by the Greeks. Luke says that Paul, during his time in Ephesus, spent two years reasoning daily in a public lecture hall known as the school of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9-10). This was his approach to spiritual warfare in Ephesus.

The word “reasoning” in this passage is from the Greek word dialegomenos and it means to “dialogue” or “reason.” This indicates that Paul gave time and space for people to comment, challenge and ask questions about his message. He did this because he knew that if there was to be ultimate change in their lives, he would have to dismantle their present belief system or way of thinking.

Paul was aware that Satan has no real power for he suffered absolute and total defeat through the cross, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Satan’s only power is in lies and deceptions. That is why Jesus referred to Satan as a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44b) and Revelation 12:9 refers to him as, that serpent of old, the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. 

Paul would have been aware of the words of Jesus in John 8:32, You shall know the truth and the truth shall make your free. This is why he would dialogue with these pagans for hours per day, every day. It was not enough to preach a feel-good sermon and have those interested to repeat a prayer and fill out a card. They must be given a whole new way of thinking. By dismantling their false belief systems, Satan would no longer be able to hold them in bondage.

His method worked for eventually people began bringing their books of sorcery and magic, piled them up and burned them publicly. Luke says the cost of the books was 50,000 pieces of silver, an enormous sum of money, which shows the dramatic change taking place in their thinking.

The economy, which was based on the tourism related to the temple of Diana, also began to collapse. This all happened because Paul spent two years dismantling their false belief systems.

Charlie Kirk’s Approach is Like Paul’s

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) goes to university campuses, not to entertain or to be liked by the students, but to dialogue with them and challenge their worldview. His approach is like Paul’s in Ephesus and is very effective. In fact, he is credited with turning the youth vote to Donald Trump and helping put him in the White House.

Charlie is a devout follower of Jesus and is not shy about defending his faith but does not go to a university campus to preach a sermon. With the university’s permission, he will set up a sound system in the open air with his own microphone and a microphone for the audience. He then invites students to make their case for transgenderism, atheism, support for Hamas, hatred for Trump, etc.  

With thousands of students gathered, the dialogue begins. He listens but politely interjects, challenges, and dismantles their false belief system in front of the other students. The results are amazing and similar to the results of Paul’s dialogues in Ephesus. With false belief systems being dismantled, Satan is losing his hold on the younger generation.

Thousands are now attending these dialogues on secular campuses and TPUSA chapters are springing up on campuses across the land. Politically liberal students are becoming conservative and Christian students are getting what many never got from their local churches—a rational belief system that equips them to defend their Christian worldview.

The results remind us of those described by Luke concerning Paul’s daily dialogues in Ephesus. He wrote, And this continued for two years, so that all of Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:10).

The Lesson for the Modern Church

The lesson for the modern churches is that we must be more than entertainment centers. There is a place for good Christian entertainment, but we will not hold the youth by merely entertaining them. We must be about the business of making disciples and preparing them to dismantle the false belief systems that Satan is using to hold the masses in his grasp.  

In other words, this is no time for a consumer-friendly approach. This is no time to be overly concerned about offending people and being “liked” by contemporary culture. It's time for Christians in America, and the world, to rise up, take the truth of God’s word, and dismantle the false belief systems that Satan using to hold this generation in his grasp.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is the founder of the "1726 Project" and the author of numerous books on Biblical issues and revival history, including his book, 1726, which documents how the First Great Awakening gave birth to America and ignited an Abolition movement that eventually brought about the end of slavery. These books are available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.