The battle part 4

God has been showing me or teaching me over a while now especially the last few months about three areas or subjects. This started actually years back but really came on strong here of late through reading the bible, books, devotionals, from people, sermons and circumstances.  What is being laid upon my heart is it is good to be humble, gentle, loving and submissive but not passive when it comes to the content in the next three devotionals.  

1 is following, stepping into, carrying your cross, committing to the journey the Lord has for each of us. I think this is different for all of us but I do believe that God has a plan or journey for each person. I think a good comparison for me would be when God freed His people from Egypt and led them to the promise land. The point here is it was a beautiful place a land of milk and honey that wanted to give them. You can read in numbers 13 and Deuteronomy 1 how God commanded them to enter the land he gave them. They sent 12 men to scout the land and seen how beautiful and fruitful the land was but they also seen giants the enemy they would have to conquer. Joshua and Caleb wanted to proceed but the other 10 convinced everyone not to go in because of fear of the giants they would be killed. Their lack of obedience caused them to wander in the desert for 40 years. I think we all have a journey, a promise land, and there will be giants we all have to face. We cannot be passive when it comes to this journey or giants that are in our life or way.

John 6:51-56  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.  But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” John 6:66-67 “At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked,“ Are you also going to leave?” I think we can have eternal life through Jesus and maybe miss what Jesus wants to do in our life or take us.

To not ever encounter Giants in your walk with the Lord or face any weaknesses, shortcoming, or failures is not to follow Jesus. This is not reality or carrying your cross. You don’t overcome everything in your own strength. He leads you to situations where you must rely on His power through you. The victory and glory goes to the Lord. If you never encounter a giant or have a weakness or failure you are probably not being led to the cross. If you can always overcome in the flesh and in your strength you are not going where you have to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. This may look good to others but is probably not fully glorifying to the Lord. In the bible God was glorified through all kinds of people who needed to rely oh Him in different ways. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Jesus could live with and forgive human failure but He never allowed evil spirits to control Him. He was aggressive toward His spiritual enemies. There is no neutral ground. There is no room for a passive spirit in God’s army. A Quote from Francis Frangipane. 

The battle part 3

When Jesus gave His life on the cross it gave all of us who accept Him the ability to have a restored relationship with the Lord. We have the Holy Spirit in us and the Lord’s freedom, love and grace to follow Him and give our lives to what ever he calls us to.  Because of Jesus every person has the freedom to seek the Lord whole heartedly to become who he made them to be.

 

We know satan cannot take or steal this eternal life from us. 1 Peter 1:4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. When we follow Jesus there is a journey He has for each of us. In John 10 Jesus is our Good Shepherd and came to give us life in Him and has a plan for our life. The enemy will try to steal kill and destroy this plan. John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. The enemy will always use very deceptive ways to steal what Jesus has for us.

 

A great comparison is when God freed is people from slavery in Egypt and they had to travel through this wilderness desert to get to the promise land. It was this beautiful plentiful land and better life He gave them. But they had to travel through some rough places and they had to battle the enemy some were giants. I noticed one day reading the bible that in Genesis 6 the nephilim were created when the sons of God angles had intercourse with women. God destroyed every living thing with a flood except Noah and His family and animals that was on the boat. But later the giants are back and they had to fight them on various occasions. This was a reminder to me to be alert to the enemy we deal with. After we have victory he can always come back. They had to be dependent on God, learn His ways, obedience and to fight in His strength. I think for me this is a great comparison when we accept Jesus we die to our old nature and He lives in us. We are free to follow Him and grow in our new nature and experience his love and grace and the life He has for us.

 

Jesus will always want to lead us to the cross. A place where each of us die to our old self and become more Like Him. The Holy Spirit which led Jesus into the desert to be tested and tempted by satan. Jesus had a purpose and mission and was lead to die on a cross. He died so we could have life in Him. Jesus will want to lead us to the plan and purpose he has for our life. I like what Francis Frangipane wrote, I can’t copy word for word so I will try to explain. He uses an example of psalm 23 where God is our Shepherd and will take care of us and lead us beside peaceful streams and give us victory over our enemies. While God does all these things he will also lead us to the journey, battle and plan he has for each of us. This may be a difficult place at times but he has a battle or journey specifically designed for each of us. May be a place where we have fears or have had a bad experience before. He leads us into the storm and we find Jesus in the eye of the storm. But this is where we find God in a deeper way and become more one with Him. We experience His peace in a deeper way and become stronger in our faith. Francis writes though the battle may be difficult with failures you will grow spiritually and have victory in God. The battle you are in will soon become a meal to you an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually. So in other words the battle or storm he wants to lead you into for His glory may be a place you naturally won’t want to go but over time will make you spiritually strong in Him.  

 

I think Satan the deceiver will want to keep you from this battle or place because he knows that is where you will find and live with the fullness of Jesus in your life. Colossians 2:9-10 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.  So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Satan will want us to fear this journey Jesus has for us. Romans 8:15-17 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

 

I don’t have this figured out for myself completely but would like to try to let go and go on this journey into this battle to find what Jesus has for me. I do believe this is real for not only my own life but for all men. I spend a lot of time in a mentoring ministry with men so I know this is a common thing for all men. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so we can be enslaved in anything other then what he made us for.

 

What we think this is for our life and what Jesus wants may be two different views. John the Baptist was raised for a specific purpose for the Lord. His ministry lasted six months and he was beheaded. Doesn’t sound very appealing to most but Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. What Jesus  made us for may not always be what we want or what everyone else wants.

 

The next devotional will be on a passive spirit when it comes to taking this journey and dealing with the enemy.

 

The battle part 2

When a person accepts Christ and is reborn spiritually, they become soldiers of the cross and they become an enemy of Satan. As a believer we have nothing to fear but it is good to know your enemy and learn how he works. Satan will attack us to stop us from conforming to the image of Christ and try to stop us the church, from furthering the kingdom and the works we do to glorify God. I think when you read the bible and see who he is in Ezekiel 28:11-19, his work in Genesis 3 and how he is described in 1 Peter 5:8. I think he is a very deceptive cunning creature that comes as an angel of light, 2 Corinthians 11:14 and is a very vicious and angry being. He is also defeated and only has limited amount of time which is why we need to understand him and be alert. He will tempt us the same way he did Jesus using the things of this world in Luke 4:1-13, Jesus used the word of God against him and defeated him but in verse 13 the devil said he would come back at a more opportune time. The truth is Satan is very deceptive and will tempt and attack us many different ways. He has an army of demons and will use others and our carnal nature. We will always have to be alert and aware of him.

God gives us everything we need for this battle, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the word of God, God’s promises, the armor of God. We are given armor from God to protect us from the enemy in Ephesians 6:10-18. The armor is a gift from God to every believer. The best way to use the armor effectively and defeat Satan and keep him away is to be fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit and become like Jesus becoming the new person we were created to be. It says in Ephesians 6:16 we can stop all the fiery darts from the enemy. I’m learning its not just knowledge, we need to spend time with God and understand the heart and character of God and come to the battle with a pure heart and the right motives. I like a comment I read by Francis Frangipane, ‘The disciples were not just taught they were trained to battle the enemy.’ He mentioned that reading a book and sermons are being taught following Jesus in the battle experiencing failure and victory is being trained. Francis is a pastor who writes great books and has a ministry, so he is not saying not to read and listen to sermons he is saying we need the battle and experience to learn. This really spoke to me because I look at all the things I’ve been through and the first 35 years of my life walking in darkness. Like I said God gives us everything we need for the battle. Those experiences are being used for what is ahead. One example is certain things I went through for years and could not overcome and some are still weaknesses for me. It is not that I have fixed them or that some don’t still happen or exist but I am able to deal with it different now because of that experience and what Jesus has given me and does in my life. I hated some experiences I dealt with everyday but I am thankful now because I can stand against the enemy with Jesus. I am too weak in my flesh to have victory in these battles.

The other way Satan attacks us or comes after us is very interesting. Jesus is inside of us and he can only be Jesus who he is. He will always work in us to conform us to His image. In all of us we have or had areas in our mind and heart where Satan can work in us. These are called a stronghold these are old thoughts attitudes and behaviors that we all have. It is a process our whole life to grow and become more like Christ.  Colossians 1:13 “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.”  Francis Frangipane refers to these areas in us where Satan can still work, as areas of darkness. Luke 11:34-36,  “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness.”  Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” Jesus, the word of God and the Holy Spirit will always want to expose these areas to us and want us to deal with them. Ephesians 5:10-11, “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.”

 

Another example is Satan is created by God and God can and will use Satan for His glory. Luke 22:31-32,  “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”  God allowed Satan to attack the disciples to strengthen their faith and I think to grow and mature them in a way to become more like Christ for God’s glory. Romans 2:11, “For God shows no partiality.”  It does not matter our position or how good we think we are doing. God will refine shape and mold all of us to become more like His son.

2 Timothy 2:20-26, “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.  A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.”  About 3 years ago, as I was reading this scripture a verse spoke to me in a different way. I had always focused on this scripture before and the importance to stay pure and run from anything that would damage or pollute that. But that day the last verse spoke to me, they have been held captive by him the devil to do whatever he wants. I don’t think this is just talking about an unbeliever being used by Satan I think it is also talking about a believer even me being used by him. I think I need to be humble and very careful. I know there will be mistakes and learning. I’m thankful for Jesus His freedom, love and grace. There may be test, someone close to you may want you to chase a trail you had your face rubbed in for 20 years from Satan. You may have to gently instruct them, this dog don’t hunt that trail anymore. It may not be sin it could be something good. Satan uses good things to and comes as an angel of light. Humility and a pure heart with right motives from the Lord will help discern these things. Protect your walk with the Lord, mind, heart, marriage and family.

Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”  There is a battle being fought for lost souls, the church and what happens on earth. But it is not just happening here, there is a battle being fought in a realm with spiritual beings. The way we engage in this battle is through prayer, our oneness with the Lord, becoming like Christ and the works we do for the church the body of Christ. How important is it to equip and invest in the body of Christ. I have a long way to go and I am very thankful for what the Lord has done in my life and all the people who have invested in my life.