Spirits Rebellious (The Eyes of Alice Cooper, 2003)

‘The Eyes of Alice Cooper‘ was released in 2003. A little known masterpiece that really embraces a return to Alice’s musical roots. In fact, when the term little known is used it’s meant literally – there’s not a whole lot of information about this album and it’s only listed and available from a small number of sources and sites. (Not sure why that is and would need to research that further.) In fact, even the attached video is a cover of the song “Spirits Rebellious”. NOTE: We know nothing about the band ‘Sinful Lilly’ and do not endorse or promote their music. The video and their version of the song is only used because 1) it’s a very good cover of the song (doing Alice’s version justice) and 2) we really couldn’t find any other versions of the song to share in this format.

“Spirits Rebellious” is an incredibly well-written song both musically and lyrically. It hits all those points from a musical standpoint that you love to hear in a hard rock anthem or hit. Intro, chorus, riffs, beat, etc. – all fit together like The Beauty and the Beast (beautiful yet edgy). However, the lyrics cut deep and really open up the soul of a person striving for change yet consumed by the spiritual warfare taking place for their heart. Somehow many of us, believers and non-believers, end up in this place. We end up caught in the battle torn between two different masters and two different worlds – yet you can only serve one. That choice may seem easy but choosing isn’t what makes it hard.

This topic is a deep one and can be over simplified or made extremely complex. Let’s try to meet in the middle somewhere and hash it out a little. We will be looking at a number of scriptures that will help define this and help guide anyone struggling with this in the proper direction, but it’s important to note that like any part of our faith – working through these things as a body of believers is always better than doing it alone. Do your best to find a small group, your pastor, a trusted friend, etc. to help you wage war against the spirits that push you towards rebellion against our Lord.

Before diving in any further, embrace Isaiah 54:17 fully. Knowing that, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.” This simply means that choosing Christ, accepting Him as Lord, and walking with Him already declares you as righteous, accepted, and a victor over the evils of this world. From an earthly perspective, that may not seem true – but it’s a deception, a lie straight from the enemy trying to ‘tear your soul apart’ as the song states. You are victorious and made anew in Him – stand firm in knowing that to be true!

There are a number of ways and strongholds the enemy will use to hinder your walk and keep you stagnant, backsliding, or from carrying out God’s will for your life. We will not be going into specifics (however don’t be surprised to see these pop back up again in other posts). You probably know and have dealt with a few such as depression, pride, procrastination, addiction, shame, etc. Last week’s post dealt with a few of those and as we mentioned, these are found throughout life and are used by the enemy when dealing with believers and non-believers alike. It’s important to remember that. It’s important to know that through His Word, prayer, and fellowship you can defeat all of the strongholds that are used against you. Through His Word, we truly are equipped for battle and given the proper armor and weapons to use (Ephesians 6:10-18). Read these scriptures often and visualize yourself getting ready for battle. Putting on the belt of truth. Putting on your breastplate of righteousness. Covering your heels with the peace of the gospel. Handling your shield of faith. Ready to draw the sword of the spirit. And protecting your head (and mind) with the helmet of salvation. Visualization and truth are imperative parts of our walk. We most know that scripture is to be taken and applied, not only figuratively, but literally as well.

A life walked with the full armor of God will withstand the enemy and win battles, but it’s an uphill climb and many battles will be won or lost due to self-control, willpower, strength, stamina, etc. One person fighting this alone can win. However, it’s not recommended and will produce an undo amount of strife and toll on that person’s life. Instead we should turn to Proverbs 27:17, knowing that, “Iron sharpens iron; so a man/woman sharpens the countenance of his/her friend.” Knowing instead that the Lord has created us as beings in need of companionship, fellowship, and connection. Not only with Him, but one another as well. Through fellowship and a life shared with others we see things with more clarity, a refined vision, and an openness to the Lord. He often speaks and uses other people to guide us, affirm us, and show us where we are wrong or maybe a better way to approach things. Another way to look at this is again through the full armor of God but instead of one person equipped for battle against the enemy, there are instead 2 or more equipped believers fighting the same enemy. But this shifts the odds further in your favor…not only are you standing with Him equipped in His armor but you are also standing with others standing with Him equipped in His armor as well. That’s a powerful vision.

This song also does a wonderful job of illustrating the mindset of one that is under attack. The words ‘I, I’m, or mine’ are used more than 15 times in that song. We often look at Spiritual Warfare as some sort of personal battle. Why me? Does God hate me? Why am I the target? However, we were all born with a target on our backs. The battle is real for every single person on this earth. In Romans 8:5, it states, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Don’t allow the enemy to convince you that the battle is only against you and your flesh. This verse calls us out and asks us to focus on the Holy Spirit and what Christ would do in situations NOT what our emotions tell us seem legitimate. Use prayer, discernment, and scripture as your basis for focus and relativity NOT the world and what seems fair.

In conclusion, this really only scratches the surface of this topic, but it should provoke some thought. When going in to battle you wouldn’t go in ill-equipped. Life should be lived the same way. Use the tools and resources God has given you to fight the good fight and ultimately win through His timing and plan. Put on His armor daily. Don’t walk it alone. Find a group of other believers – whether at your church, online, or with like-minded family and friends. The battle against the enemy should be waged by you walking with Him and a body (army) of other believers willing to daily dress for battle as well. Finally, don’t take the battle personally – feeling as if you are abandoned by God. This really wraps in nicely with finding a group of other believers. The more you learn that others are targeted as well – the more empowered you become to fight the good fight together. Again, use the peace of the gospel to stand on – knowing that, as stated in Isaiah 54:17, ‘no weapon formed against us shall prosper.‘ Amen.