D) Warfare

The issue of warfare would take volumes to adequately discuss. There is a book that is the best I have seen on this subject, War on the Saints by Jessie Pen Lewis with Evan Roberts. Warfare is a fact for the overcoming Christian. If we want to live a defeated, carnal, worldly life, avoid warfare at all costs. The overcoming spiritual Christian knows that warfare is his lot for the rest of his life. We live and die according to our willingness to war through each and every obstacle that comes our way. If you are in a place where you are tired of the war you need to renew your strength and arise in a new determination not to give up. Do not give in to the lies and deceptions even the opposition that is coming your way. VICTORY IS KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR, VICTORY IS YOUR RIGHT IN GOD. SHOUT OUT YOUR VICTORY!

Warfare can manifest in many outward ways. It can be loud and boisterous with dancing, or lowly with quietness and prostration. There are times for both quiet surrender and exuberant declarations. In all outward manifestations there remains the one constant that make warfare effective. That constant is the finished work of Jesus. You may say I have been a Christian for x amount of years, and I am fully aware of what Christ accomplished on the cross. But do you really? Jesus redeemed us not only from going to hell and thus going to heaven but from sin, death, sickness, oppression, possession, fear, doubt, hate, and a hundred other things. That means He set us free, AJOHN 8:36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.@ Even as I write this I know that we cannot appreciate the freedom unless we have walked in it. There is a place of freedom in Christ that is just living in the supernatural. The cares of the world pine in comparison to the glory that is on us when in perfect unity with the Father. That=s freedom!

How does this relate to warfare? Ephesians 6 speaks about the armor of God, AEPH 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.@ The very fact that we have armor indicates that it is a true war and not imagined. If we read all the Ephesians verse (6:10-17) we will see that we are to put the armor on and then what? Fight? NO, STAND! We are to stand. It is on the finished work of Christ that we are to take our stand. Even as He rose from the dead proving once and for all that what He said will come to pass. Death was not able to hold Him, nor can it hold us. This is why our resurrection is so important. We have the victory over sin, the world and the devil.

This brings me to a very important point that energizes our stand, our faith. When talking about faith I am not talking about what we think we know. Many people live their faith in their minds, which is not faith. Ideas, concepts, beliefs, philosophies, and teachings are not faith. That does not mean that these are without merit. The formulation of our theology is just the starting point and should lead us to the substance of faith. Faith is the spiritual reality that empowers us to put our beliefs into practice. We can recognize something to be true but unless we are living it we really don=t believe it. When we begin to live our beliefs daily we begin to develop our faith.

An example of this would be divine health. If we are always sick with one thing or another we have failed to take a stand on the finished work of Christ concerning our health. We may first go to the word of God and formulate a belief about divine healing. We may come up with scriptures such as: AMAT 8:16-17 And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases." or APSA 91:10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.@ And finally AJOHN 10:10 The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have {it} abundantly@. In these three scriptures we have enough insight into God to formulate a theology of healing and health. In the Matthew verses it is stated that Isaiah the prophet prophesied that the Messiah would bear our infirmities and carried away our diseases. Where were they carried away from? Us! We no longer have to bear them because Jesus bore them and carried them away from us. The Psalms verse says no evil will befall us and no plagues will come near our tent ("Our tent@ means the place we live and the people we live with). Is sickness good or evil? Can sickness be a plague? You bet. If no evil will befall us and any plague (disease) will come close to our house why are we suffering with sickness and disease? The last verse from the gospel of John tells us that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Does sickness steal, or kill, or even destroy? YES! So where is it from? The thief, satan himself. Jesus comes to give life and that abundantly. Jesus comes with life abundant, there is no shortage in Him. Jesus gives life not death, loss, or destruction.

Why can we understand these simple principles and yet not walk in divine heath? Because we just have a mental assent of the truth and not faith. While faith comes by hearing, unless we act on what we know is true it will not profit us. So we take a stand on the finished work of Jesus. He provided for our healing because He carried sickness away. So we war with the sword of the spirit (the word of God) and speak the truth AHe Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases.@ We may even say things like, ABecause he carried them away I don=t have to suffer with this illness@ and AJesus came so I can have an abundance of life.@ AI therefore charge life to enter my body and drive out this sickness because Jesus paid the price for my health.@

This is the way that warfare is fought. At the end of putting on the armor (that=s confessing the truth and using the various parts the way they are meant to be used) we still are left with just standing in faith on the finished work of Christ. After we do everything to stand we just need to cast off all doubt and stand without reservation that God is able and willing to do for us what He said He would do.

So in warfare we need to first have 1) some understanding on what the scriptures say on the subject. We need to gather scriptures on the particular subject, then study them to be sure we understand what issues are dealt with by these scriptures. Next 2) we need to start confessing the scriptures out loud, saying that they apply to us and are promises to us. Along with our confessions we need to also 3) make declarations of our freedom from satan=s power and control. 4) We also need to cast down every negative thought and suggestion that comes to our mind on the subject. It is common for satan to interject thoughts like, AGod is not going to come through for me, I don=t deserve this favor, I am a sinner,@ or thoughts of the most extreme "Your are going to die or totally fail.@. Any thought or impression that opposes the stand that we are making is from the devil. Reject them! 5) We need to stay the course as long as it takes. It can be accomplished in 3 minutes or maybe 3 years but whichever the case, don=t give up the fight. 6) Employ the help of others. If you need help seek it out. 7) Don=t be discouraged by what you see, feel, or others tell you. Even your spiritual authority (pastor) may say things against your faith stand; Don=t abandon it, just stay your course. 8) Above all if you fall don=t stay defeated. Get up again and continue the fight. Those who stop fighting are the only losers.

Serious possession & Some deceptions

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