Warfare Spirituality - Part 9
THE MYSTERY OF AFFLICTION
When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man;
When God wants to mold a man
To play the noblest part,
When he yearns with all his heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch his methods, watch his ways-
How he ruthlessly perfects
Whom he royally elects.
How he hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows, converts him
Into trial shapes of clay
Which only God understands,
While his tortured heart is crying,
And he lifts beseeching hands.
How he bends but never breaks
When his good he undertakes.
How he uses whom he chooses,
And with every purpose, fuses him,
By every act, induces him
To try his splendor out.
God knows what he's about.
--Author Unknown
THE PROMISES OF GOD
The Founder's Vision - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
When Ron was offered a job with the privately-held consulting firm, it was after months of applications and interviews. He couldn't wait to discover what it was that kept his new employer so focused-and successful.
"Ron," his new boss began, "because we're a privately-held company, we don't have to answer to stockholders for how we do business. We only have to answer to ourselves. However, that actually is more difficult since historically we have maintained some pretty high standards." Later in their meeting, Ron's boss gave him two manuals. One, the smaller of the two, was like a book-permanently bound. The other larger manual was in a loose-leaf notebook with tabbed dividers. "Here's how we stay on track, Ron. The smaller book I've given you is affectionately referred to around here as ‘the bible.' Our founder wrote it. It contains the history of the company, his vision for our market and products, and the values and principles by which we operate. It's really the heart of the company, the first thing you need to read and absorb-and reread continually. The other manual, as you can tell, is changeable. You'll constantly get updates and revisions because it covers the strategies we're developing on all of our current long-term projects.
"Here's how I like to differentiate between the two books," he continued, smiling. "If you get assigned to work on a desert island, and you are allowed to take only one book, take the smaller one-‘the bible.' It contains the values and principles from which you can rebuild the other manual. Our philosophy is that we become equipped to develop strategies for our customers only as we perpetuate our core values and vision. Keep ‘the bible' with you and you'll remain qualified to do what we do."
Sound familiar? It's because the company's "bible" plays the same role as the real Bible plays in our faith. The Word of God teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, and trains us in righteousness, thoroughly equipping us for every good work. So to prepare for being marooned on life's desert islands, keep the Founder's Book at hand.
God's Promise to You: "If you will internalize the Bible, you will manifest my heart."
WARFARE SPIRITUALITY-PART 9
The spiritual warfare is not optional for believers in Christ. Scripture clearly teaches and illustrates the dynamics of this warfare on the three battle fronts of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The worldly and demonic systems are external to the believer, but they entice and provide opportunities for the flesh, which is the capacity for sin within the believer. This series outlines a biblical strategy for dealing with each of these barriers to spiritual growth.
The Nature and Work of Demons
Causes of Demonic Activity
Because we live in an increasingly immoral and godless society, the pressures and opportunities to conform are greater than ever. Television, radio, magazines, newspapers, films, and thousands of internet sites are always ready to expose us to values, attitudes, and belief systems that distort our thinking and weaken our resolve. The flesh is the port of entry for the influences of the world and the devil. In most cases, demonization in the life of a Christian results from the repeated practice of sins in the mind or body (e.g., those listed in Mark 7:21-22 and Galatians 5:19-21).
When believers do not respond to the warnings of conscience and Scripture and to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they are in bondage to the flesh. There is such an affinity between the deeds of the flesh and the powers of darkness that indulgence in the former can lead to enslavement by the latter. The Scriptures take a more serious view of sin than we usually think, since we really forsake the Lord in the action of disobedience (2 Chronicles 24:20). It is dangerous to harbor unconfessed sin (see Psalm 32:1-6), since Christians who do not repent and renounce their sins cannot walk in victory. Instead, they are increasingly vulnerable to temptation; sinful thoughts and actions become obsessive and overpowering as their wills are gradually weakened. In this state, they continue to give up territory to the enemy and become more susceptible to demonic subjection. The forces of wickedness take the ground that is yielded to them by sin in the life of the believer. They will not retreat until their ground is renounced.
Becoming a Christian does not automatically overcome all the strongholds of the past. For example, the practice of occultism in any of its many forms often leads to a residual problem of demonization that must be confronted. Occultism is an abomination in the sight of God (Leviticus 20:6), and indulgence in such things as magic, astrology, ouija boards, tarot cards, palmistry, spiritualism (spiritism), psychic phenomena, New Age techniques, and non-Christian religious practices is perilous.
Not all demonic strongholds are caused by sin in the life of the victim; some can be induced through childhood trauma such as sexual, physical, psychological, and religious abuse. There are other cases when demonization occurs as a result of "spiritual heredity." Generational sins like occultism, curses, and witchcraft in the lives of parents or grandparents can affect subsequent generations (this may have been the reason why the boy in Mark 9:17-29 was demonized since childhood). After prohibiting idolatry, the Lord declared, "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me" (Exodus 20:5).
Deliverance from Demonic Activity
It is foolish to ignore the methods and power of the enemy. This makes our families and us vulnerable while Satan and his forces work unnoticed and unchallenged. Many overlook the fact that about 25 percent of Jesus' ministry as recorded in the gospels involved deliverance from demonic affliction. The forces of evil did not suddenly disappear when Jesus left the earth.
Believers need to learn how to pull down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4), wrestle against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12), and resist the devil (James 4:7). Merrill F. Unger noted in What Demons Can Do to Saints that the Christian's armor is for external, not internal foes. "But if the Christian fails to use his armor, will the foe stop short of invading the believer's citadel? If he does invade, this is precisely why the believer may become enslaved and need to call on Christian warriors to come to his rescue in prayer battle if he ever is to be delivered from Satan's snare into which he has been ‘taken captive by him at his will' (2 Timothy 2:26)."
We must recognize that we have been given authority and victory in the spiritual warfare (Matthew 10:1; Luke 9:1; 10:19). As C. Fred Dickason in Angels, Elect and Evil observes, "The apostles and their followers cast out demons in their day (Acts 5:16; 16:16-18), and Paul states that Christians have all they need to wage warfare against Satan (Ephesians 6:10-18). Though we have no resources of our own, we have all we need in Christ by virtue of our union with Him (Colossians 2:9-15)." Because of the cross, Satan is a defeated foe (John 12:31). Christ has "disarmed the rulers and authorities" (Colossians 2:15) and is exalted "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion" (Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Peter 3:22). Furthermore, as believers in Christ, we have been raised with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). The Lord "delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13). In our new position, we have authority in Christ and power in the Spirit.
The problem is that many believers do not exercise their authority, and this is precisely what the forces of darkness count on. We must not only know that we have been liberated from the authority of the devil through the blood of Jesus Christ; we must also act upon this fact.
If some of the symptoms of demonic activity listed earlier continue after using the biblical resources for dealing with the flesh, a direct confrontation with the forces of darkness may be necessary. Again, demonic influence is only one of several possible causes of physical and mental illness, and we should be careful not to overemphasize it or jump too quickly to conclusions.
There are certain conditions for complete deliverance from demonic influence or oppression:
1. Salvation-Without Christ, there is no hope of victory over the powers of evil. Only through the Son of God can you be set free from the bondage of sin and Satan (John 8:36). You must affirm your faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Willingness-You must desire to be set free. If symptoms continue after dealing with the flesh, you must be willing to admit the possibility of demonic activity.
3. Confession-Believers who fail to acknowledge their sins cut themselves off from fellowship with God and become vulnerable to satanic attack. Restoration of fellowship requires repentance, because sin is rebellion against the holy God (Matthew 3:8; James 4:8-9). You must honestly examine yourself and confess any known sins of thought, word, or deed (Psalm 32:5; 139:23-24; 1 Corinthians 11:31; 1 John 1:9). In this way, you reclaim ground that you have yielded to the adversary (Ephesians 4:27). Confession should be as specific as possible, especially when it relates to sins of involvement with the occult. Ask the Lord to bring such sins in your past to light.
4. Renunciation-You must renounce Satan and make a clean break from his works (2 Corinthians 4:2). Verbally break any curses or connections with the sins of previous generations in your family, particularly in the area of the occult and false religions (Exodus 20:3-5). Renounce any contacts with mediums and destroy any occult paraphernalia (horoscopes, ouija boards, magic books, tarot cards, etc.; see Acts 19:18-19).
5. Forgiveness-You must be willing to forgive all who have wronged you (Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35). Ask the Lord to show you any areas of unforgiveness, and ask for His grace and enabling to forgive yourself and others. Only in this way will you be free from the root of bitterness with its hatred, resentment, and anger that can become territory for demonic strongholds. It may be necessary to reconcile the past by inviting God to expose hidden areas of pain, injustice, rejection, and abuse in light of His presence and truth. As Leanne Payne observes in The Healing Presence and Restoring the Christian Soul, this need for inner healing, or healing of the emotions, can be directly related to spiritual warfare. Inner healing is best accomplished in the presence of believers who are skilled in this area of ministry.
6. Submission to God-You must humble yourself before God and acknowledge your complete dependence upon Him. "But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:6-7). You cannot have victory over Satan without first submitting yourself to the person and will of God (Romans 12:1-2).
7. Resistance-When the conditions of salvation, confession, renunciation, forgiveness, and submission to God are met, the devil and his demons have no legal right to harass you. Use the authority you have been given in Christ and stand firm against the powers of evil. Persistence in calling upon the Lord will break through spiritual strongholds. "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9a).
If spirits of wickedness have gained a beachhead in your life, you may need to confront them directly. In the name of Jesus (Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17; Acts 16:18; Philippians 2:9-10) and in dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28), command them to leave. In cases of severe oppression, the assistance of other believers who are skilled in this area of ministry may be necessary to combat the forces of darkness.
WHEN NO ONE CAN SEE
In his book Lyrics, Oscar Hammerstein tells of the time he saw a picture of the top of the head of the Statue of Liberty, taken from a helicopter. He was amazed at the detail and painstaking work that was done on the lady's coiffure. Hammerstein reflected that the sculptor could not have imagined, even in his wildest dreams, that one day there would be a device that could look on top of the head of his creation. Yet he gave as much care to that part of the statue as he did to the face, arms, and legs. He wrote, "When you are creating a work of art, or any other kind of work, finish the job off perfectly. You never know when a helicopter, or some other instrument not at the moment invented, may come along and find you out."
--Ben Patterson, The Grand Essentials