The Paradigm Shift

Many of us may remember studying about Galileo in science class when we were in school. He was a brilliant mathematician, physicist and inventor in his time (early 1600s) who defended the Copernican Theory, which states that the earth revolves around the sun. Most people at that time, including the Catholic Church, believed that the sun revolved around the earth, and in fact felt that Galileo’s beliefs were blasphemous. The Roman Inquisition was going on at this time, and there was a lot of hatred in the world for people who did not conform to the Catholic Church’s beliefs. Galileo was charged with heresy. He was threatened with torture if he didn’t formally renounce his belief in the Copernican Theory, which he eventually did. However, he was under house arrest until he died.

As we all know now, Galileo and Copernicus were correct – the earth does revolve around the sun and not the other way around. Yet a huge body of people-in this case, the Catholic Church–could not or would not consider that they might be wrong and someone else might be right. They could not make the paradigm shift to what was Truth.

A paradigm can be defined as a “generally accepted perspective of a particular discipline”. It’s a way of thinking, a model in your mind, so that if something doesn’t fit that model, it is rejected. A paradigm shift is just like it sounds – you make a “shift” away from a deeply held perspective. Many times people make paradigm shifts because they’ve discovered their thinking has been wrong. Sometimes paradigm shifts are hard to make–even when the evidence is clear that the shift should be made—because of mental strongholds—fortified, erroneous beliefs in people’s minds that are like fortresses that cannot be destroyed.

The paradigm shift from believing that the carnal, physical world that one can see, smell, feel, hear and taste is all that exists, to a new paradigm that a spiritual world exists all around us is a tough one for many people. Most Christians believe that the Lord exists in some spiritual plane, and that we’ll see Him some day in “the sweet by and by” when we die and go to Heaven. But the truth is that He and His angels are right here all around us, as are Satan and demons, even though we cannot see them with our physical eyes.

Believing that the spiritual world is right here and now, and that it is as real or more real than the physical world (remember, Spirit created the material world, and not the other way around) has tremendous ramifications for the Believer. It creates a whole new way of thinking about and approaching God and Satan. As you study the Word in light of this new paradigm, you will realize the power and authority you have over evil spirits and curses. You realize that you have a right to get angry at spiritual injustices against you and your family, and that you can engage in spiritual warfare. You become a victor, not a victim.

People frequently ask, “Why aren’t these things taught in the church?” Simple. It all goes back to the paradigm. Examine yours to see if you have been deceived.