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Troy Day | PentecostalTheology.com
SPIRITUAL MAPPING
Spiritual mapping is an attempt to see our city (or nation or neighborhood) as it really is, not as it appears to be. It is a serious effort to discern the spiritual forces of the invisible world which directly influence the visible, everyday world and prevent men and women from hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Spiritual Mapping” and “Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare” — now so widespread that it is referred to by the acronym SLSW
It started with John Dawson’s book, Taking Our Cities for God, published in 1989 by Creation House. The book’s subtitle is: “How to Break Spiritual Strongholds. ”
John Dawson, at that time, directed Youth With A Mission in Los Angeles, California. In a quest for more effective evangelism tools, he taught that demonic forces block gospel efforts. He focused particularly on geographical areas such as cities, especially cities. His thesis: the power and influence of the “principalities and powers” over a city must be broken before the gospel will significantly advance. He said that “satanic forces manifest(ing) themselves in the culture of the city,” (page 19) and will prevent conversions from occurring.
TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDS
“To overcome the enemy we must resist temptation ourselves and then continue in united, travailing prayer until we sense that we have gained authority and that God has broken through.” (page 21) It is also necessary, insisted Dawson, that “the spiritual leaders of a city are walking in friendship and respect, then the full power of God can be released against principalities and powers.” (page 100) Furthermore, Dawson concluded that faith and obedience must be “strategically” applied. (page 153)
THE STRATEGY
The history of the target city must be studied and understood by the evangelist who takes spiritual mapping seriously. Certain key questions must be answered. For example, How and why did the city begin? Who were the founders and what were their intentions and spiritual condition? What presently characterizes the city, or, what is it known for? This and much more information is necessary in order to “map” the city. The latest demographic study of the city should be analyzed. The history of race relations must be studied along with any traumatic event the city had experienced like an earthquake, a flood, etc. With all in hand then, the demonic spirit(s) in control of the city will be identified and thus their power can be broken by the use of some appropriate human effort. For instance, if a city is characterized by pride, then the Christian response ought to be humility. This offsetting of spiritual traits, the spiritual mappers believe, is the key to breaking the demonic stronghold.
Stephen Williams
Didn’t Wagner write books on the same topic?
Charles Page
Apostolic Renewal stradegy
Stephen Williams
One titled Territorial Spirits
Charles Page
this would have been a good help to the first century apostles!!!
Charles Page
The difference between first century apostles and latter day apostles is the elaborate mansions that accompany apostleship of today.
Dan Irving
I immediately suspect any doctrine seized upon by the New Prophetic movement, such as this one has. Besides, why must we seek insight into demonic things? Why not simply preach the Word and live the Word, and let God decide who where the routing is needed?
Street Preacherz
In milwaukee we literally had a bridge burning war at its founding. Even the streets were laid contrary one to the other. So that the streets do line up. Today Milwaukee remains one of the top five segregated cities in america. Please pray for us.
Charles Page
is this akin to prayerwalking?
Street Preacherz
People do all kinds of things like that. But give me a sanctified grandma in a rocking chair praying for God’s work any day!
Varnel Watson
Some travel from Mcminn to Memphis and back Alan N Carla Smith
Terry Wiles
Been around for decades. NAR. Put it in the category of split churches and grave sucking. Look it up if you think I’m making it up.
Varnel Watson
Truth is NAR almost split our AG. AG is still recovering to this day
Charles Page
COG seems to adapt well to it!
Varnel Watson
Alan N Carla Smith The Kosher coffee of Charles Page live @ 5 is spiced and spiked. And I am not talking only frankincense and myrrh either
Street Preacherz
Doesn’t Irish cream have liquor in it?
Charles Page
Whiskey and cream
Charles Page
Live at Five !!
Street Preacherz
Sorry no disrespect sir but are you a pentecostal Preacher and a liquor drinker?
Charles Page
A wine drinker
I use to be a COG preacher
Street Preacherz
OK I thought I might learn something here at pentecostal theology but I didn’t think it would this fast!!! LOL
Robert Borders
This movement arose in part out of the field of Missiology and discussions related to power encounters on the mission field.
Terry Wiles
For the pentecostal view on “power encounters” check out the following:
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Encounter-Ed-Opal-Reddin/dp/1885737033
Robert Borders
CharlesKraft’s newest book on Spiritual Warfare for Evangelicals is on sale on Kindle right now for $1.99. An excellent book for your library and study.
Varnel Watson
Paul Hiebert critically describes western perspective as “the flaw of the excluded middle” — ignoring the significance and vitality of the spirit realm that exists between the transcendent God and the world of humans and nature. Tragically, Christianity that emphasizes individual, soul salvation is ill-prepared to address hostile spiritual powers at work under God’s supreme sovereignty. This type of Christianity has limited ministry effectiveness for people, especially in the majority world where multitudes believe spirit beings influence all aspects of life.
Varnel Watson
Terry Wiles This is straight from our AG Enrichment magazine
The belief is that Christ dwells within the believer and occupies spirit, soul, and body. No demon possession can occur where Jesus is Lord. It is an “all or nothing” understanding of the body and of Lordship. If this perspective is accurate, it is difficult to explain how the serpent entered the sinless Garden of Eden where God ruled (Genesis 3); how Satan could use Peter to become a stumbling block17 in the presence of Christ (Matthew 16:23); how Satan could invade Judas, who had just participated in the Passover Seder with Jesus (John 13:2,27); and why Paul would prohibit Corinthian charismatics from feasting in pagan temples which were the locus of demons (1 Corinthians 10:14–22).18 Gordon Fee comments, “What most Western Christians need to learn is that the demonic is not as remote as some of them would wish to believe.”19
Alternatively, Werner Foerster claims that the word can mean to suffer from a demon.20 Edgar Lee observes, “The New Testament does not have a word that means literally ‘demon possessed.’ ”21 He explains that demonize could mean “to have some demonic affliction … not necessarily to be demon possessed.”22 He adds, “No scriptural evidence warrants the assumption that an evil spirit can invade the soul but not the spirit.”23
http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/201303/201303_086_demonization.cfm
Varnel Watson
Here we go Joseph D. Absher SLSW in its finest Does #SLSW work in Asia or the Global South Link Hudson ?
Joseph D. Absher
I’m still working the devil face to face the ones that keep men from coming to Christ so how would I know? Seriously there is some truth to it. But my suggestion is bind the devil you know. The ones that keep you sinning and rebelling against the known will of God. Start there in Jesus name!
Varnel Watson
Joseph D. Absher posted the complete list above. I think William DeArteaga helped us validate the links on it back in the day and remove all hoax; BUT it needs to be reevaluated and populated again with new resources that have come up in the past year or two Still a great startup resource on spiritual warfare and demonology in general
Jim Price
A bro.I know has a special discernment over cities and territories and I often have had spiritual discernment over certain cities. My bro. and I both have had revelations about Cleveland,Tn. underneath a very churchy city lies a very complicated spiritual underbelly, one that has kept the poor, poor and the religious prideful. How do you improve a city when they feel perfect in every way?
Robert Borders
Yep. When I was at Lee in the mid 1970s, Bradley County, which included Cleveland, had the worst poverty and highest juvenile crime rate in Tennessee.
Varnel Watson
What was the fix discerned for Cleveland,Tn. 🙂
Ricky Grimsley
That’s like saying Charles page is crazy. You don’t need discernment for that.
Varnel Watson
I’ve never heard no one saying that Alan
Randal W Deese
Totally traditions of men
Randal W Deese
This reminds me when every pastor I knew seemed to be into binding all the demons in the city I lived at the time. They tried to get as many people to go to the mountains around the city in order to bind all the demons in the city.
So, many Churches participated.
The next few weeks there were a few murders. So I asked everyone I could, “who untied all these demons?” This is stuff is superstition… None of the Disciples are seen doing this stupidity. SMH
Ricky Grimsley
Maybe this explains why it’s started. Deuteronomy 32:8 ESV
[8] When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
Ricky Grimsley
Most pastors probably don’t even recognize demon spirits. They are so used to preaching to them every Sunday.
Randal W Deese
Well, I’ve dealt with them more than most… And this is spiritual nonsense
Varnel Watson
Ricky Randal Are you all now saying a Christian sitting in church can have a demon? http://www.pentecostaltheology.com/can-christians-have-demons/
Randal W Deese
Absolutely
Robbie Asbury
I think a Christian can be opressed but not posessed unless they have chosen to walk away from God. Word of God lets us know we can not serve two masters and how light amd dark can not reside together.
You are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13,14).
In Him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in Him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13,14).
Randal W Deese
Robbie Asbury
Point One. We need to embrace the context of a passage in order to quote verses. You are totally misunderstanding the point of 1 John 4:4. This verse has NOTHING to do with the demonic habitation. John is merely teaching that God’s Spirit will enable a discerning and obedient believer so as not to be taken by false teachers.
Randal W Deese
Point two. Even those who were redeemed from Egypt were later placed in bondage through disobedience. The typology of the OT seems to point clearly to the fact that believers can be under the enemy’s control. Isn’t that one of the purposes of the Old Testament is to provide examples for living righteous and avoiding those things that place is in bondage?
Robbie Asbury
Randal W Deese sorry randall im not a long learned theologan yet, I pray God will help me to understand more, but at face value I disagree with the idea a true NT believer with the Holy Ghost can ha e a demon randomly come along and that demon can jist jump inside of them. Laymans terms sorry….it just dont make no sense to me.
Randal W Deese
Robbie Asbury
Do you remember the story of Job? Satan was in the same room with God
Randal W Deese
Keep in mind that one of the reasons the Holy Spirit Indwells is is to clean up.
Daniel J Hesse
I wonder if we engaged the marketplace would we be even discussing this issue. It was on the merry go round only 25 yrs ago.
Varnel Watson
Robbie Asbury opressed but not posessed are not terms from the Bible. Demonized is the term the Bible uses – as a man having a demon not demon having (possessing) a man
Robbie Asbury
which to my understanding would be the same as the word opressed ? or no?
Varnel Watson
demonized? – no, not hardly
Robbie Asbury
forgive me for not knowing alot of word used at times, Im gradually learning them. But In regards to the topic , I dont agree with the stance that a demon can take control over a saint when they have the Holy Ghost dwelling inside of them. Not unless the Lord allows it. 🙂
Varnel Watson
Matthew 8:16 is a good example to start with http://probible.net/matthew-816/
Varnel Watson
Daniel J Hesse your timing is wrong SLSW was not introduced in the US until around 2000 when he was leaving Fuller and AG gave him a platform one last time in the missiological publications. We’ve discussed this here before. What our AG got out of it was the Florida revival but at a great cost. And they shut it down with Article 16 for good 25 yrs ago which you quoted we barely had the big TV evangelists on the rise and the PTL downfall
Daniel J Hesse
Was it not a part of C Peter Wagner and John Wimber teachings? I believe the Vineyard Churches were the result of some of these thoughts. Please shed light.
Varnel Watson
Not really It came from south america and their push of the social gospel revolution; but in the US did not really make it until AG gave platform to Wagner – this should have never happened in our theology As far as the Vineyard I am finding out ppl around here have strange ideas what Vineyard was. Are you connecting Prince with SLSW – I have never read about it in all his books I have read in the past
Link Hudson
Jack Deere was in the Vineyard for a while, I think, and he was preaching about the dangers of some of the extremes of spiritual warfare. And the ‘prophetic movement’ end of the movement had a warning about it. I haven’t read it, but the late John Paul Jackson wrote a book ‘Needless Casualties of War.’ He had a good, brief video on the topic I saw on YouTube a while back. I think they were giving warnings about this back in the late 1980’s when John Paul Jackson was involved with one of the Vineyards.
I went to a new church plant from a Vineyard around 1994 or so. I don’t remember them doing the yelling at demons thing, unless someone seemed to have one inside them or something. But not the yelling down principalities.
Joseph D. Absher
I did read the book Mr Troy Day. I think maybe when I was younger I tried to jump a couple principalities. Long before this author. But now I just go from block to block looking for that one lost lamb. Nothing to report tonight on the street preaching sorry to say. One man is with me and we were able work through consecration and faithfulness by looking at Jesus in Gethsemane. He’s still tender. I tried to take him out. Didn’t work. Tomorrow is his first time in church. We’ll see what happens. God bless you tonight
Link Hudson
Troy Day I haven’t read the books referenced. I have been around Charismatics (some in the COG denomination of GBI in Indonesia) who seem to think the solution for spiritual problems is to name a demon or principality after the problem and rebuke the spirit. They called yelling at demons ‘spiritual warfare prayer.’ This seems to have been a bigger thing in the 1990’s, but you still hear people spend time talking to the demons instead of God when they are supposed to be praying.
I had a conversation with a German missionary to India who said he was in India when one of Wagoner’s case study examples occurred. His impression was that there were a lot of brothers laboring and doing a lot of good work for a long time before they started to see a lot of results. A team came in right before they started to see results and did this rebuking principalities thing, and Wagoner attributed the success to them. He did not know about the other two case studies.
My concerns about this are:
1. I don’t think we can invent demons by naming our problems after them.
2. I don’t see Jesus or the apostles engaging in some of these ‘so-called spiritual warfare’ practices.
3. The warnings in the book of Jude where false brethren were not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries. Satan seems to be an example of a dignitary in his example. I’m not saying all the people into this are false brethren, but the fact that false brethren did it does not bode well for the practice.
4. Emphasis on rebuking specific demons who aren’t even manifest and may not even exist or be behind a certain problem when the scriptures emphasize the benefits of praying in faith to the Father.
Link Hudson
Troy Day People do it. I don’t know of any great breakthrough I’ve witnessed in Indonesia from people yelling at supposed demons that weren’t manifesting in some way.
Varnel Watson
In all fairness through the years we have had several discussions on SLSW The only ppl I found to have experience on the subject in the group are Robert Borders Dan Irving and Link Hudson I am still wondering however HOW SLSW made it to the Global South starting with South America and how is affecting regions like Rwanda, Kenya and Indonesia China too I hear often
Robert Borders
Articles on power encounters by missionaries in the 1980s appears to be a forerunner to teaching on SLSW. Peter Wagner began to accumulate articles in his book Defeating Dark Angels. The Assemblies of God published a book about Power Encounters in 1989 that included a critical review of SLSW. By this time the subject was a hot topic and was widely discussed in graduate Missions classes. I had been studying about Spiritual Warfare in the early 1970s but did not study much about SLSW until the late 1980s. I took a course on Spiritual Warfare in 1991 with Paul Hiebert and met weekly with a couple of physicians who were preparing for missionary work in Africa. Dr. Hiebert gave me a copy of a research book written by Mennonite scholars and my wife and I met with their primary deliverance minister in 1991. I went on to read hundreds of books on the subject. The best book that I have read to summarize SLSW was written in 2002 by Michael Reid. It is entitled Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare: A Modern Mythology? I highly recommend the book as a very detailed critique of SLSW.
Varnel Watson
Assemblies of God published Wagner for the last time in their book CALLED & EMPOWERED From that point on he was on his own and wrote about battling theologian alligators
Link Hudson
Troy Day I think the idea came to Indonesia through Peter Wagoner books and similar books. The practice was here in the 1990’s when I got here.
I saw a comic book at a GBI I visited once. It showed a story about a little Christian kid being bullied by a bigger kid. He got some advice. Then when the bully was about to pound him, he rebuked some spirits, spirit of anger or whatever, and the big kids stopped trying to hurt him.
It seems to me that people can be bad, evil, sinful, and mean, and they probably don’t absolutely have to have a demon in them to be this way. So I think giving kids advice like that could put them in danger. Why not teach the kid to actually pray?
To me it’s like if you get a flat tire, and think that pulling the nail out will fix the tire. If a demon is tempting someone to get drunk, do drugs, steal, commit sexual sin, etc., and you cast a demon out, it’s not going to make the person good.
Varnel Watson
1990 is too early for this teaching to exist and spread connected to Wagner He did not make it his own priority till about 2000 But it goes further than just naming demons – this is very basic. It was purposed it organizing prayer chains for many major cities to claim the cities, spiritually map demonic authorities over nations and pray them out until the church receives political dominion over the nation. Kingdom now at its best Dan Irving
Link Hudson
In the 1990’s, Rebecca Brown books seemed to be popular, too. I saw a stack of them in the Christian bookstore. It seemed like the demonology in these books was arrived at, if the story is true, from asking a demonized witch about how the spirit-realm worked and slapping some poorly interpreted verses of scripture which were taken out of context.
Varnel Watson
It started with John Dawson’s book, Taking Our Cities for God, published in 1989 by Creation House. The book’s subtitle is: “How to Break Spiritual Strongholds. ”
John Dawson, at that time, directed Youth With A Mission in Los Angeles, California. In a quest for more effective evangelism tools, he taught that demonic forces block gospel efforts. He focused particularly on geographical areas such as cities, especially cities. His thesis: the power and influence of the “principalities and powers” over a city must be broken before the gospel will significantly advance. He said that “satanic forces manifest(ing) themselves in the culture of the city,” (page 19) and will prevent conversions from occurring.
Wagner originally published his book in 1991 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfBJdPzTimo
Varnel Watson
its been done before but with what success? Isara Mo
Isara Mo
Troy Day I really can’t say I know how successful is SLSW but for any serious deliverance minister spiritual mapping and SLSW is something they do unknowingly daily.
In any pre deliverance interview notes of the background to the problem are usually taken and the deliverance minister can then identify thru experience or by revelation, what type or kind of demons are behind the problem and then cast them out.This is a foundational mapping.
Mapping is done in almost any facet of life in order to get a clear overview of a thing or situation or condition.A true medical doctor cannot prescribe medicine without first taking a history of the patient.It is the history which gives the doctor insight into the problem and eases him of toiling with trial and error tests for many hours or possibly days so as to identify the patients problem.
Equally Spiritual.Mapping enables the believer to engage an enemy whose information he has which makes the battle easier.
To me the first and foremost principal if any warfare is to IDENTIFY and LOCATE THE ENEMY…
Call it spiritual mapping or SLSW the bottom line is identity and location of enemy…
The success level depends on many other factors knowledge being paramount…knowledge of self and knowledge of enemy.
Valuation and Assessment of self and enemy is another principle.Jesus said count the cost before you start building a house lest you fail to finish it.
A king must assess his own ability vis a vis his enemies ability before he rushes into battle.
There is a very good quote i love reading over and over from an ancient Chinese General whose name is Tsu Zu.
It says and I quote a simpler version from US Tommy Franks//
Precise knowledge of self and precise knowledge of enemy will ALWAYS LEAD TO VICTORY…”
Is spiritual mapping and SLSW successful?
The demons at Gadara begged Jesus AGAIN AND AGAIN not to be sent OUT AND AWAY from their territory but begged to even enter the pigs(I guess just to remain in the region).
Troy, the day we hear demons ask AGAIN AND AGAIN not to sent out of their territories then we will be in a position to ascertain how successful is SLSW…
But for now no definite answer
Varnel Watson
Link had some experience with SLSW in Asia but I am not sure the same principles apply here in America
Link Hudson
The quote talks about prayer to open up a city. Okay. That sounds good. Did Jesus or the apostles focus on a city’s past to win it? I do notseeaclear case for that. Jesus reminded the Jews of the nation’s past sins to point out they wete still acting like that by tejecting Him. The apostle’s and Stephen took the peoople through the nation’s past Biblical history when preaching.
Paul did tell the Athenians about the unknown God apparently to relate to them to evangelize them.
I cannot see where they had to map and pray thdough the past of a city or even where they expected to take the whole city except Peter’s times of refreshing sermon which referred to the whole people.
I was in on a committeemeetings for a prayer event. The organizer thought God wsnted to deal with ‘Petrus’ which she thought referred to the ‘penembak’ something or other– a mystery shooter during the Soeharto era.
During the meeting the worship leader said he was descended from Petrus someone or other, a European who haf slaughtered many Ambonese and he repented on behalf of his ancestors. He was not in on the committee meetings.
Varnel Watson
not really what prayer over the city is now is it? SLSW was much more complicated technique if you remember
Link Hudson
Troy Day I never read the book. I’ve read a bit of Wagner before and listened to an audio book. It’s hard not to go to sleep. A rather dry style IMO. But the quote about praying over the city sounds like a good thing, except that idea that digging into a cities history is the key to reaching it. I don’t see Paul doing that.
Paul’s warfare seems to have been done mainly through preaching accompanied by signs and wonders. He probably prayed quite a bit, too. I don’t see the digging into history except in his preaching about the Old Testament history and preaching about the unknown God.
Steve Losee
highly marketed and profitable hype. I was there for it. He came out with a new “move of God” every few years, and died a millionaire.
Varnel Watson
Steve Losee I have found Link to have some earlier knowledge about this before it became popular. It may be from visiting various churches in his travels. I also did not follow and could care less about the later marketing version of it but we have discussed with Robert Borders and Paul L. Kings some about it and in all honesty it may be good to sort it out again and see what we can actually use in our prayers apart from the marketed franchised version
Steve Losee
okay
Paul L. King
Troy Day, I have published an article on this several years ago. I have attached it in Messenger
Varnel Watson
Thank you so very much for that
Link Hudson
I don’t know if what I saw was ‘spiritual mapping.’ In the late 1990’s, I heard Charismatics in GBI in Indonesia rebuking the spirit of this and that.
I think the trend among Charismatics grew from WOF practices and ‘third wave’ practices that started in the 80s and 90s.
Varnel Watson
You cant judge about something only on what you know or have seen Paul L. King has a historical overview that will publish today and it traces SLSW way back in history for all of us to learn
Link Hudson
Troy Day just telling my experience since you mentioned it.
Varnel Watson
Peter Wagner, one of the chief promoters of SLSW, cites C&MA Navajo Indian pastor Herman Williams becoming sick and going off the reservation for treatment. When he arrived at the doctor, the pain was gone, and the doctor could find nothing wrong. When he returned to the reservation the pain returned and he discerned that there was a problem with territorial spirits.37 Cindy Jacobs, founder of the General of Intercession ministry, advertises their mission as “achieving societal reformation
Paul L. King
I personally talked with Herman Williams before he passed away and verified the story, and I know his son and daughter and son-in-law.
Varnel Watson
This is SPOT ON from the source information and I for one appreciate it very very much as research
Anonymous
its a REAl thing Isara Mo Duane L Burgess William DeArteaga Link Hudson
Anonymous
Total heresy! Do not be deceived!!
I’ve watched the development of this false teaching, this spiritual counterfeit for forty years.
It is damnable heresy that brings people not into liberty but into bondage.
Spiritual mapping is a crock of theological crap.
Anonymous
Duane L Burgess says who? Certainly NOT GOD after Daniel fasted 21 days