For though we walk in the flesh, we do not
war according to the flesh. For the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down
strongholds, casting down arguments and every
high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4-5)
Yesterday I saw spiritual blindness. A young man apparently bound in the chains of
Satan. This 14 year old was easily
distracted. He had fanciful tales of
ghosts. Claiming to see spirits of the
netherworld regularly. Claiming to feel
negative or positive energy from people or from rooms. Oh! He was VERY spiritually minded, but just
not at all Biblically minded.
At the first I let other Christian brothers and a sister
speak with him...but as I listened in I heard more and more concerning things
from this young man. We were showing him
how spiritual battles are fought, from Ephesians 6:10-18. We also showed him that some of the very
things he claimed to be doing in reference to the spirits he saw were outright condemned
verbatim in the law of Moses. He was clearly surprised and very confused at
this. He had thought he was doing well
in these matters...
The point of my relating this story is to share a great
concern I had for this young man and for many people today. I heard him say certain things that were to
me, huge red flags. "So when I see these unholy spirits” he
said, “ I ask God for power to overcome them?" My response was to tell him that is exactly
the wrong thing to do. No! We do not
treat God like our genie in the bottle, or a good luck charm that we hold up to
ward off the devil. He is not to be conjured
up, to be used by someone claiming against Him with magic words.
Another time, because we were extremely focused on the words
of Scripture he began to say, "So I pray the words of God against them
and..." I cried out , "NO! You
call on God's Word, not 'words of God' as though these were the words of
power or magic. We do not in our own
strength stand. It is only as we clothe
ourselves in Christ that we are protected.
Don't call on His words, call on Christ! ‘It is not by might, not by power, but by my
Spirit’ says the Lord.’” (Zech. 4:6)
At least one other time it was clear that this young man was
not thinking rightly about spiritual matters.
I am convinced that he needs Christ.
Two different times he used deflection techniques on one of us speaking
to him. Trying to convince us that he
felt the presence of evil in our children or in their room. But I was not dissuaded. Praise God that I trust Him. My family may be in the throes of evil - but
we trust Christ, and in that we stand.
Interesting thoughts have been stirred up in me. The chief of which is how sorcery is being
subtly taught to our young people. Games
like "Magic" (the card game), or Dungeons and Dragons, and many, many,
video games do this. They do this not by
teaching certain spells or procedure to the kids... but rather by teaching them
that power can be had by this or that
procedure. Witchcraft is the worldview of
power through manipulation. It
is taught everywhere, even sad to say in the Christian marketplace...
I know that I have written this before - but it is apt as an
example here. For us to use our power in numbers to boycott this or that
group is patently wrong! (See my post
here: http://mysoapbox2.blogspot.com/2012/06/boycott-battles.html) And I am becoming convinced that it is
satanic, in that it teaches such an unholy worldview.
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a
sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the
Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day
the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your
head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the
Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all
the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall
know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the
Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
Oh Lord! – May you give us discernment in
this age of evil.
Amen
The stunning jolt for us some times is to see the spiritual battle that Scripture clearly tells us surrounds us each day. Two telling passages in Scripture stun the people in the events with this jarring reality. The first comes just before Joshua engages in the Battle of Jericho. While Joshua was preparing the hearts and the plans of his people for the battle, he was given by God a glimpse of the real war:
ReplyDelete"When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, 'Are you for us, or for our adversaries?' And he said, 'No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, 'What does my lord say to his servant?' And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, 'Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so.
As you pointed out about David & Goliath, Joshua got a recalibration to clearly see the scene as it truly was. The second example that come to mind is when Jesus is giving His disciples some grim detail about what His future held in His upcoming arrest and crucifixion and resurrection which were clearly part of His plan. In Matthew 16:13-20, Peter declares the great truth of who Jesus is by the power of God the Father revealing this to him; a high declaration of faith. Yet, a few short verses later, Peter opposes Jesus' revelations about the cross and impending death. And the Lord mightily rebukes Satan as he had subtely influenced Peter's "correction" of Jesus: But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” v.23. WOW! This faith-filled man, in a deep twist of human reasoning, became the brief mouth-piece of Satan!
The spiritual battle is ever-present, and we must be ever mindful of this.
Ephesians 6:10-20 explains this with balance and clarity:
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."