Ch. 3
Powers of Darkness Carry Out the Curse of the Law
When you commit any act of the flesh that defrauds our neighbor, it is sin. Then the hedge comes down, and the powers of darkness move in to attack. But when you love your neighbor, you are fulfilling the law and are protected by God. “If you fulfill the royal law according of the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well (you are blessed and protected by the hedge of God). But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors (and the hedge of God’s protection is removed). So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy” (James 2:8, 9, 12, 13).
Since the law commands us to love our neighbor, every act of selfishness lowers the hedge on us to the powers of darkness. The Scripture says, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:36-38).
If we do not seek the good of our neighbor, we will bear the wrong fruit of anger, hate and slander, which is sin. When we speak against others, the hedge is lowered; and we are cut down by the powers of darkness because God removes His protection. “And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou was made to serve; That thou shalt take up this proverb (taunt) against the king of Babylon (Satan), and say, ‘How hath the oppressor ceased! The Lord bath broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger... Since thou art laid down, no feller (tree cutter) is come up against us”’ (Isa. 14:3-6, 8).
Satan is the king of Babylon who brings the destruction when the hedge is down. Satan and the powers of darkness are the “tree cutters.” When we overcome the flesh, we overcome the destruction of Satan. Right now the powers of darkness are at work cutting down and destroying all those whose hearts refuse to be conformed to the nature of God. Our hearts are tested today, just as the first Adam and Eve were tested.
“Now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching His vineyard. My well beloved hath vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out of it the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine... And He looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes (it produced only the fruits of the flesh)... I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down” (Isa. 5:1, 2, 4, 5).
God has lowered the hedge today on all those who do not bear the fruit of love toward those around them, and they are being consumed by the powers of darkness. There is no deliverance or protection for those who refuse to overcome the flesh and walk in covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ and be perfected in love. Our hearts will either love the nature of Satan and the flesh, or our hearts will love the nature of God. This is how we will know a tree by its fruits.
“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit (love); but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit (hate). A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit (which is the God-kind of love). Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down (by the tree cutters, the powers of darkness) and cast into the fire (because they break God’s law when they do not walk in love). Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them (Matt. 7:17-20).
If we receive the blessings of God by loving our neighbor, then we also receive judgment from God when we choose to defraud our neighbor. If we choose to judge our neighbor instead of loving him, we receive judgment. When we choose to condemn our neighbor instead of loving him, we receive condemnation. If we will not pardon, God will not pardon us. In every case, the hedge comes down and the powers of darkness become instruments of judgment and condemnation. God deals with us according to our conduct toward others, “who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:6). So by your standard of measure toward others, God measures in return to you. This is the law of God today.