Understanding
Spiritual Warfare
In
the text to follow I make a number of statements that slight some
popular Christian teachings. Please,
check out the Bible references provided, within the contexts in which
they are written, before declaring these statements to be in error.
Direct quotations are
taken from the New American Standard Bible.
Part I –
The Original Commission
What
Life is About
The
ultimate
meaning
of mankind is declared in Rom.8:29 “…to be conformed to
the image of His Son…” This is also emphasized in
Jn.17:21 “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in
Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world
may believe that You sent Me.”
The
ministry
of Jesus was to reconcile the world to God, and this has become our
ministry objective as well. 2Cor.5:18 sums it up this way “Now
all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through
Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
The
method
God has given to His people is to possess and to subdue. Gen.1:28
“God blessed them; and God said to them ‘Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of
the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing
that moves on the earth.”
This
theme is reflected in the conquest of the land of Caanan, in that
they were instructed to inhabit and subdue.
The
ultimate repeat of this theme is in the great commission itself,
where we are instructed to go into all the world and make disciples
of every nation.
Notice
that at the outset even in the garden of Eden there was subduing and
ruling to be done. This of course implies that though perfectly
created, all was not perfectly submitted to God -- and indeed, this
soon becomes evident.
The
Gift of Time
I
have heard it taught that Adam and Eve would never have died
physically had they not sinned, but we need to consider both the
physical and spiritual practicalities of this teaching:
They
had been given the ability and command to multiply. At some point,
this would mean standing-room only on planet earth. For that matter,
nothing physical is designed to last for eternity. This concept of
science (“entropy”), observed but not cataloged by
mankind until the 20th
century, is referenced in the Bible (2Pe.3:10, Rev.20:11, 21:1).
From
a spiritual standpoint, if we were given free will for an unlimited
period of time, we would eventually do everything that we were
capable of doing; This would of course include every wrong choice
possible. Limiting our time on the other hand, would deprive us of
eternity.
God
has given us both free will and eternity by placing our opportunity
to fail within a limited period of time positioned at the outset of
our eternity.
What
we choose to do each moment affects all that is yet future, and
ultimately eternity. Let us walk in awe on a moment-by-moment basis,
consciously appreciative of this beautiful gift of time.
Since
time is a limited resource, and since each moment affects all
eternity that follows, there is no limit to the importance of
hearing God
constantly, and
obeying God instantly.
Rulership
God
put mankind in charge of the earth as managers, not owners. We do not
even own ourselves (1Cor.3:16-17, 23, 6:19-20, Is.44:5), and we
certainly do not own the earth (Ps.24:1, Is.66:1).
Owning
allows total control, to include consumption and even destruction.
The owner also has the prerogative of delegating authorities and
overriding them at will. Because of this sovereignty, God allows and
is ultimately in control of all earthly governments, no matter how
corrupt or satanic they may be. (Dan.4:35, Prov.21:1, Rom.13:1-8,
1Tim.1:1-3).
Rule
is only needed when there is incomplete unity – even within the
church. Eph. 4:11-13 shows us that the authority of the ministry
gifts is only needed until we all come to the unity of the faith.
Mankind
was placed on earth to rule it because there were components in the
cosmos that were in rebellion against God.
They
were also given the option of failure. If they had not been capable
of failure, they would not have been in charge, but merely robotic
links in an iron chain.
Into
this environment of rebellion we were born, and from it we have been
redeemed. Such a world also continually beckons our return.
The
Seat of Authority
This
place was given to mankind was a position of supernatural authority
established by God for administrating His will “on earth, as it
is in heaven.” We are intended to be ambassadors, empowered to
speak and act with the authority of God in the realm within which we
live (2Cor.5:19-20).
It
is important to understand that the term “heaven” is
often used to refer to the entire spiritual realm. This explains why
we see Satan and his angels in heaven in Rev.12, Satan before the
throne of God in Job 1, and a reference to “…spiritual
forces of wickedness in heavenly places..” in Eph.6:12.
As
both physical and spiritual beings we ourselves have this dual
citizenship. This is how Christians can be physically alive on earth,
while at the same time “seated in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus.” (Eph.2:5-6). The “dead” state mentioned in
verse 5 was the state of spiritual death experienced by Adam and Eve
on the day they fell (Gen.3:3).
It
is also important to note from scripture that this position of
authority is not a single seat, but a territory. In a reference to
mankind in Gen.1:26 it says “…let them
rule…” This also explains how there can be a various
levels of authority within this realm as described in Eph.6:12, and
how it can contain Satan and his angels as well as Michael and his
angels, as indicated in Rev.12:7.
This
territory in the heavenly realm is the real estate believers are
called upon to possess and subdue. It is the kingdom Jesus referred
to that is not of this world. This is the priority issue and
objective of spiritual conquest.
Upon
control of this territory, the natural realm follows. Consider
Mt.6:33 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things (food, clothing, etc.) will be
yours as well.” Contrast this with the status of Adam after
having left his position in the spirit realm. “…Cursed
is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the
days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you,
and you shall eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread” (Gen.3:17b-19a).
An
excellent view of how spiritual authority works is given in Mt.16.
Jesus asks His disciples who they believe He is, and Peter answers in
verse 16 “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”
Jesus
responds “Blessed are you Simon...because flesh and blood
(human reasoning, the natural realm) did not reveal this to you, but
my Father who is in heaven (the spirit realm). In verse 17 He
continues: “..You are Peter (meaning small rock as in building
material), and upon this rock (this word for ‘rock’ means
bedrock) I will build my church; and the gates of Hell will not
overpower it.”
This
bedrock upon which the church is built was not Peter, because he is
building material. It is not Jesus, because He is the cornerstone
(Mk.12:10, 1Pet.2:4-7). From the context of Mt.16:& 17 it becomes
evident that this bedrock is revelation from the Father. This is made
further clear when Paul speaks of the church being built on the
foundation of apostles and prophets (the revelation ministries), with
Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone (Eph.2:20). See also Mt.21:42,
Ac.4:11, 1Pe.2:6,7.
Jesus
goes on to apply this concept in Mt.16:19. “I will give you the
key (“key” is actually singular here) of the kingdom of
heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall
have been
bound in heaven (this tense is accurately translated in the 1995
edition of the NASB); and whatever you loose on earth shall
have been
loosed in heaven.”
As
we speak and do what God has revealed to us to speak and do, the
natural realm has no option but to comply. Jesus walked in this
principle continually (Jn.5:19,30), and this is the manner in which
God’s will is to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.”
God
had delegated His authority over the earth to mankind in a manner
identical to His delegation of authority to the Israelites over the
land of Caanan. Consider these basic parallels:
The land was in
rebellion against God.
The Israelites had
authority because they were under authority.
Upon stepping out from under this authority,
they were capable of losing their authority, and joining those who
were the objects of God’s judgment.
When
there was no one godly in the land of Caanan, effective authority
defaulted to the one who had conned Adam and Eve out of theirs. There
were authorities in this land at the outset of the conquest, and
certainly the land was rampant with supernatural occult practices.
When those serving God arrived on the scene however, the territory
that was taken by those serving God in the spiritual realm soon
became evident in the natural.
This is the overall
nature of the spirit warfare before us: We retake the spirit
territory through the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony,
and the living sacrifice of our daily lives. Rev 12:11, Rom.12:1).
The
word translated as “lives” in Rev.12:11 of some
translations is actually the world for “souls”. So
although physical life may be included, the emphasis is upon all
desire, thoughts, and emotional investments. We conquer as living
sacrifices (Rom.12:1).
Part II –
Authority Lost
Initial
State
When
Adam and Eve were placed in authority over the earth, they initially
exercised it responsibly. Through this delegated position the world
was at peace and fulfilled. That which would deviate from God’s
will and purpose was to be controlled through this office God had
ordained for mankind.
At
this point, Satan had no authority, but could only appeal to Eve as
one of the creatures over which she ruled. Satan however, came as a
false messiah,
claiming to have
revelation that exceed that which God had given to Eve,
claiming to expose
falsehood and suspicious motives in the one true God, and
justifying actions in harmony with individual
ego and physical fulfillment.
Authority
Not Used
God
does not bestow authority as a favor or status, but as a tool for
carrying out responsibility.
When
the ruler in a Biblical parable gave talents to his servants upon
embarking on a journey, they were tools to be used. Two of the
servants used them properly and were rewarded.
One
of them simply buried his talent for safe keeping, lost his position
and was cast into destruction. His talent was then passed on to
another (Mt.25:25-28, 30).
When
the serpent came before Eve and contradicted the words of God, It was
Eve’s responsibility to rebuke the Serpent and to execute
whatever was appropriate. When Eve did not exercise this authority,
but instead chose to comply with the serpents’ will, she lost
her authority to the serpent.
When
Eve came before Adam with a suggestion contrary to God’s words,
it was in turn his responsibility to rebuke Eve, and to deal with the
sin in some form. By being afraid to do so, and by submitting to Eve
instead of God, Adam surrendered his unemployed authority to Eve.
This authority of course, was commuted on to the one to whom Eve had
submitted her authority.
It
is crucial that we remember that all our opportunities and responses
are time-critical (as pointed out earlier). Procrastination in the
use of authority in situations that arise result in opportunities
lost for eternity. Those in the wilderness who feared to exercise
God’s authority in the immediate conquest of Caanan, never had
another chance, and died before reaching their goal (Num.14:6-32).
Since
we currently operate within the context of a limited resource of
time, any fragment of time during which we are not obedient to God is
forever gone. On the other hand, this becomes an exciting thought
when you consider that each moment of our lives is an opportunity to
conquer for eternity!
The New
World Order
This
principle of enslavement is taught in Rom.6:16. Eve, who had allowed
herself to be conned by Satan’s enticements into disbelieving
God, was now subservient to Satan. Adam, preferring Eve and all she
meant to him over God, chose obedience to her and became her slave.
Thus the new world order became:
Satan
Then Eve
Then Adam.
God was not amused.
Although
God did not rescind the position of spiritual authority that Satan
now held, He did restore some level of order within the natural realm
– beginning at the new top:
Satan was cursed –
the exact meaning and nature of this curse, I do not yet understand.
The woman was going to conquer the serpent through the child (Jesus)
to whom she would ultimately give birth (Gen.3:14-15). Paul
reiterates this in 1Tim.2:15 when he makes the comment that “women
shall be saved through the bearing of children”, in the
context of discussing the fall and the order that God assigned.
Although this event was to take place at a future time, its
effectiveness was to be immediate, symbolized by the sacrifice of
innocent animals. This was begun by the Lord Himself covering their
nakedness with the skins of innocent animals in Gen.3:21. They were
thus in a sense covered through the blood of an innocent animal.
This conquest was
going to require a struggle on the part of the woman; childbirth was
going to be very painful from then on. Such was the cost to her of
reclaiming that which she had given away. She herself had been given
a position not intended by God when Adam submitted to her, and Adam
must reassume his initial position. The term “rule” has
little meaning when two people are one in heart in purpose, and
indeed, this concept was not applied to this relationship until
after the fall. Now there would be different agendas and
preferences, and the woman was likely to complain and contest some
of Adam’s actions.
Adam had a two-way fight on his hands, not
the least of which was the responsibility of rulership over his
wife. The other issue was that the earth itself was now cursed
because of Adams actions in willingly submitting to an ungodly
influence. With the spiritual authority of Adam over the earth now
broken, it would yield only that which Adam could wrest from it
physically.
Keep
in mind that all these changes had to occur because the “place”
of heavenly authority over the earth which was given to Adam by God,
was now occupied by Satan.
The
status of mankind after the fall was that of Israel after they had
submitted to the corruption and evil practices of the surrounding
nations: The nations that had enticed them became their masters, and
they themselves were driven from the land.
The
cosmos is in a state of war. The soldier who does not immediately
respond with the training and authority he has been given, gets
killed.
The
Lost World
The
world now had a new master. Satan and his angels now occupied the
position of control and authority that God had established for the
management of earth.
This fact is made clear from a number of
scriptural references.
In the temptation
account in Luke 4:6, Satan offers Jesus the domain of the world, and
declares that it “..has been handed over to me..”
Jesus refers to
Satan as the ruler of this world in John.16:11
Paul uses the
phrase “God of this world” in 2Cor.4:4 (spoken after
the resurrection by the way).
Eph.6:12 speaks of
“the world forces of this darkness”.
Dan 10:20 refers to the spiritual authorities
over both Persia and Greece. From the context we see that these did
not serve God, but were in fact standing against God and His angels
(Dan.10:13,21).
Since
Satan obviously had no interest in serving God, the world was cut off
from the purposes of God, and was subjected to the futility of
service to a doomed master.
“For
the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing
of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected in futility, not
willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the
creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption
into the freedom of the glory of the children of God; For we know
that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth
together until now.” (Rom.8:19-22).
That
which we do that is not under the authority of God, and by His
directive, is futile and meaningless. Contemplate the challenge –
the command – of 1Pet.4:11.
Brothers
and sisters in Christ: All creation eagerly awaits our return to our
rightful place of spiritual authority.
Part III –
The Spirit War
Review
the objectives
Spiritual
life, forfeited by Adam and Eve, now originates for each individual
as a call. This voice floats gently over the entire ocean of
humanity, stirring each of us to ask the question “Why am I
here?”
Through
the magnificence and beauty of creation the answer is known in the
heart, although it is far too big for the mind. Within those willing
to abandon the allure and limitations of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil for a relationship with God, the heart says “Yes
Lord.”
The
relationship begins with the individual recognizing the limitations
of their own righteousness, and of accepting God’s provision
for that righteousness out of His own storehouse of love (Jesus
living a righteous life for us). Life begins when he an individual
now consciously says “Yes Lord.”
Thus
conceived and birthed to life, the individual becomes a player in the
master objective of the restoration of all creation to obedience to
God.
It
is easy for conflict of any kind to take on a life of its own. How
often a major conflict has resulted from an escalation of hostilities
far greater than the original offense. Honduras and Nicaragua for
example, had a long-standing war that originated from a dubious call
in a soccer game!
It
is imperative therefore that we keep the over-all objectives in mind
at all times – by way of review:
We as individuals
are to become reconciled to God and become one with Him as is Jesus.
As sons and
daughters of God, we are tasked with reconciling creation to God.
As we are one with God, all that we possess
and subdue is likewise redeemed and reconciled to God. We are to
conquer and posses the territory God assigns to us.
We
have sometimes looked at the things of the world as competition for
God’s love, when in fact, they have been provided as means of
expressing it.
The
Nature of God’s Warriors
I
have heard and read of many tips and techniques for exercising
spiritual authority. They range from the “name-it-and-claim-it”
exercises popular among some of the big-offering shows that haunt the
evangelistic circuits, to the ascetic extremities of some of the
quasi-cults that also inhabit the fringes of Christianity. Both of
these concepts contain some excellent principles, as well as missing
the whole point.
Allow
me to make a narrow-minded, bigoted, true statement: Anyone who’s
primary focus in on how to get earthly benefits from God, is aimed
wrong.
If
you are after power for yourself, then serve the devil. He will
promise you power and let you believe that the power he works through
you is really yours.
The
final terms for serving God amount to an absolute unconditional
surrender of all earthly objectives and desires. Jesus gives a
picture of such a status in Lk.17:7-10.
Of
course there is also the matter of eternal life, but this too can
become a me-oriented focus that many cults effectively use as a tool
of enslavement. Now
is our
available opportunity to serve God; the rewards He chooses to bestow
on us are His
business.
Did
you know that God can evangelize the world without us? In fact, He
Himself takes care of everything we have not yet achieved, in
Rev.14:6. It is also remarkable that throughout the Bible some with
well-developed relationships with God step out of nowhere –
consider Balaam, Elijah, and John the Baptist.
This
may at first appear that humans are totally useless, but the reverse
proves to be true. Participation in the restoration of the cosmos
becomes a beautiful privilege God has granted to His children. The
real value we have to God is the cherished treasure of a one-on-one
love relationship He desires with each one of us. Being
lovers of God is infinitely more important than anything we could
ever do
(Is.66:1-5; I believe verse 5 may be a reference to some applications
of Christian music).
In
this light, all that we are and have in the natural realm become the
currency with which we purchase things of true value (Is.55:1-2,
Rev.3:18).
Jesus
valued the widow’s mite above all the treasures offered by the
wealthy because it represented the one thing He Himself does not
create: True voluntary love towards God. This love can only come from
beings with the power to not
love. It follows quite logically therefore that the first and
greatest commandment is a call to “…Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”
Taking
Your Place as a Spirit Warrior
The
amount of Godly influence you have is based upon how much you hear
and obey God. Greatness will therefore be proportional to your
ability to subdue your own interests and submit to the will of God.
With
this in mind, Jesus’ comments about the greatest among you
being the servant of all, make sense. Consider the following
syllogism:
(a) In submitting to
God we obey Him.
(b) He tells us to love
and serve each other.
( c ) Therefore the
more loving and humble the servant, the more consistent the
expression of the authority of God.
A
few years back I asked the question: “Jesus had just three and
one-half years to train eleven bumbling misfits to establish His
church; What did He spend the most time teaching them?”
Based
upon the theory that His teaching priorities would approximately
track the number of verses dedicated to the various subjects, I went
through the four Gospels verse-by-verse, listing each subject
discussed and the number of verses in which each subject occurred.
What did Jesus speak of most frequently? It was not faith; it was not
love; it was not healing or tradition; it was humility.
Do
you want to find a great man of God? Look for the one who most
lovingly, consistently, and anonymously serves others. Paul speaks of
this topic often. One place where he puts it far too clearly for
fleshly comfort is in Phil.2:5-8.
Why Do
We Need Discipline?
The
power of God can be expressed in unlimited proportions through any
saint who’s heart is even momentarily perfect towards God. It
is the disciplined life however, that has the consistent long-term
effect on the world. It is these lives that provide the secure
environment of spiritual nurture and example within which children
can grow and sparkle. It is these who will stand solidly in the teeth
of the most vicious and frightening onslaughts Satan can offer, while
others flee in panic.
The
battle of Hastings was lost to the defending Saxons because some of
them stepped out of their positions of security to attack targets of
opportunity. This lack of disciplined obedience to the higher
authorities left holes in the defense that resulted in the defeat and
enslavement of the Saxons. Our spiritual discipline and consistency
is extremely important to the believers around us.
During
the cold war an entire convoy in the pacific was discovered by the
enemy because a junior officer disobeyed by turning on a radar for
just a few seconds – he
thought it would be safe.
The
sin of Achan cost the Israelite army a major defeat. It cost Achan
his own life and the lives of his entire family.
There
is an especially important concept in this case of Achan, which I
feel is most clearly expressed by a quotation of the actual text:
Josh.7:13 “Rise
up! Consecrate the people and say, Consecrate yourselves for
tomorrow, for thus the Lord, the God of Israel has said, There are
things under the ban in your midst, O Israel, You cannot stand
before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban
from your midst.”
No
amount of spiritual ranting and raving is going to do more than raise
amusement and disgust if we ourselves are not standing carefully
within the bounds of the authority God has given us. There is no room
for our own interests in the exercise of God’s authority.
The
first priority in spiritual warfare, is the conquest and rulership of
our own hearts and minds. When we stand as the contrite lovers of
God, the enemy has no hope. Ultimately we must learn to speak and do
only what we hear God speak and see Him do (1Pe.4:11). As we do so
the power that created the universe will achieve God’s will
through us. This is how Jesus operated (Jn.5:19,30).
It’s
tough to discipline ourselves, but we have help in the form of
problems. If I were to prioritize a list of the verses I would like
to not
have found in the Bible, these would be near the top of the list:
James.1:2-4,12, 1Pe.1:6-7, Mt.5:11-12.
A
lot of effort is invested in techniques for healing and other forms
of problem-escape, but consider: If you would pay more attention to
God without your problem or healing need, then by all means seek your
healing. If on the other hand you would tend to relax a little and
perhaps get involved in a few other interests, then remain with your
problem or sickness with gratitude towards God for so graciously
providing it (or “allowing” it, depending upon you
theological preference of terminology).
We
don’t volunteer for our most important lessons in life, but we
can
pay close attention so we don’t have to repeat them.
Reorienting
our hearts and minds from our natural worldly perspective towards God
takes practice. Consider the following related scriptures:
Exercise 1Tim.4:7-8
Renewing of our minds
Rom.12:1-2
Solid food Heb 5:13-14
Sports analogy
1Cor.9:24-27
People
have occasionally referred to me as a “free spirit”. I am
not one who likes discipline or restrictions of any kind. I am
impatient with pomp & circumstance, time-consuming traditions,
ceremonies, etc. I would rather just “flow with the spirit”
than have to actually take a minute to do anything.
The
Bible however – most notably in the letters of Paul – is
filled with instructions to put forth effort. Much of this effort
involves the training of our own hearts, minds, and souls. Consider
the verbs for instance, in 1Tim.4:14-16:
Do not neglect
Take pains
Be absorbed
Pay close
attention
Persevere
Do this
Frankly,
I don’t enjoy encountering such words in the Bible, but I have
come to realize that such impositions are essential –
especially for people like me. I am not strong enough to consistently
stand against the world and all its attractions. It is therefore my
responsibility to impose boundaries upon myself that will prevent my
wandering too close to my areas of weakness. Furthermore, such
boundaries need to be restrictive enough so that I do not even get
close enough to such things to be tempted. We must not kid ourselves:
We all know where we are weak. “Make straight paths for your
feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but
rather be healed” (Heb.12:13).
Anything that lives,
does so with effort.
To
Blame is to Die
As
Christians having access to forgiveness through the blood of our Lord
Jesus, we can afford to confront any failure or weakness we have. In
fact we must do this if we are to receive forgiveness and cleansing
(1Jn.1:9).
Contemplate
whatever or it is that is outside of your control that is holding you
back spiritually from complete freedom and fulfillment in the
all-powerful love of God. Does a person, past event, condition or
need come to mind?
Now
read Rom.8:31-39, and see if this thing is not thoroughly covered at
least in the list you find there.
I
am going to make a true blanket statement: Whenever we excuse a
spiritual failure or weakness on our part on the basis of the action
of anyone else, or any other condition or situation of any kind, we
commit a number of errors.
(a) We accuse God of
not being strong or loving enough to understand and provide for us.
(b) We deny our own
accountability
(c) We retreat
spiritually – whether by laziness, cowardice, selfishness, or
self-pity – its most destructive form.
(d) We falsely blame
others or circumstances for our failures
(e) When we avoid the
confession of our sins by denying accountability for them, we also
are refusing God’s forgiveness and cleansing (Again, 1Jn.1:9).
Where then is any
justification for self-pity? In hell, where it belongs.
Bad
Fear – Good Fear
Much
of that which God calls us to do not only makes little sense to our
natural minds, but it is also impossible and dangerous. If we are to
limit our activities to that which we can understand and achieve in
the natural, we are walking within the limits of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. Obedience to God on the other hand, takes
us beyond the limits of our own intellect and power.
Fear
is the tool wielded by the devil to prevent us from obeying God –
fear of man, fear of loss, fear of looking stupid, etc. As mentioned
before, fear cost an entire generation of Israelites their lives in
the wilderness.
Fear
is obedience to what a devil-driven world says, rather than to what
God says, and God has a special place for cowards (Rev.21:8).
Cowardice
is a killer. Stepping forwarding in service to God will always
be challenged by fear. This is likely, with each new step, and the
opposing odds are always impossible in the natural realm.
There
are many instances in the Bible where people encountered fear, and
not all of them overcame – consider:
Barak was
hesitant, but was given victory
Moses’ fear
put Aaron in a position that was a little beyond his maturity (he
didn’t make it to the promised land either).
Gideon overcame
fear to bring a glorious victory. This was after the hero wannabes’
who had any fear were sent home.
The slave who
received one talent lost everything because of fear (and laziness).
David had no fear.
Elijah’s
ministry was shortened by his fear of Jezebel.
John the Baptist
feared no one
Jehoshaphat was so confident in the Lord that
he marched to victory with the choir singing praises to God on the
front line!
There
is also a positive side o fear: We need to take God very
seriously! It helps sometimes to consider the frightening power of
nature as an aid to glimpsing the vulnerability of man.
I
once had the privilege of being at sea in the midst of waves over
fifty feet high, while on a ship only thirty seven feet wide. Picture
being on a freeway cut through banks as tall as five story buildings.
Now convert the scene into undulating mountains of water, while
contemplating the two miles of water between you and the eternal
blackness of the mysterious bottom, and the five hundred miles to the
nearest island.
I
was at peace with God, while surrounded by this giga-tonnage of
mountains in constant motion. I loved it! It was fearful, powerful,
exhilarating, and yet secure. I was able to enjoy the natural
instincts awakened by the terrible forces around me, while enjoying
the serenity of the peace that I was safe in the hands of the God who
can turn such power on and off at will. This was just a taste of what
we are dealing with in our relationship with God.
God
alone is to be feared.
Intellect
And Evangelism
I
have often been grieved to see kids who had grown up in church being
torn apart by intellectual arguments. Many of these had been active
in youth groups and been carefully programmed with intellectual
answers to intellectual questions. This form of training is very
dangerous for a number of reasons:
1. Most obviously, it
gives those trained a false sense of security. Sooner or later there
will be questions not covered which will crack the entire structure.
2. It trains kids to
value the status of intellectual superiority. This prepares them to
succumb to the threat of looking foolish.
3. It teaches them to
walk by sight and man’s wisdom, rather than by in faith in God.
4. There is such a gap
between the limits of what any human mind could contain, and all the
possible arguments and counter-arguments that could be raised, that
the entire exercise is worthless.
5. God has given each
of us a choice of serving Him or not. We do nave the right or the
ability to force anyone to believe against their will.
6. Most importantly, it
is entirely outside the scriptural pattern of evangelism.
The
apostle Paul was an intelligent and well educated man. His reputation
and management of ideas were such that one king accused him of having
been driven insane by his great education (Acts 26:24). Even so, in
1Cor.1, Paul repeatedly asserts that the gospel is not intellectual,
but foolishness to the natural mind. He further asserts that the
gospel is also incompatible with religious thinking.
In
1Cor.2:1-5, he demonstrates how evangelism does not depend upon
intellectual arguments (although there are cases where false
religious
concepts are logically confounded). Finally, in 1Cor.2:6-16, he
explains how true spiritual concepts are out of reach of
non-spiritual minds, but how those filled with the Spirit are
empowered to comprehend all things.
Jesus
Himself speaks of the mysterious lives of those guided by the Spirit
in Jn.3:8.
The fundamental
principle here is that our minds are not spiritual weapons.
Consider 1Cor.10:3-5. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do
not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are
not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of
fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing
raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every
thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Notice here that
the mind is the battlefield, not the weapon.
The
natural realm is to be ruled by the spiritual, and to do so, we must
play by the spiritual rules. The fall occurred because mankind chose
to play by natural rules (knowledge and desire), rather than by
spirit rules (obedience and faith) (Gen.3:6).
I
have sometimes wrestled with understanding the role that thinking
does
play in our walk with God. Thinking is a part of our earth equipment,
as are our bodies and emotions, etc. By such things we struggle for
existence and prosperity in competition with others and the forces
around us.
It
is to these natural processes that the world around us relates, and
it is the application of such processes that define our places within
the natural realm. These attributes provide the platform from which
we are to invade the world with God’s love and power.
As
we yield these things to God – in loving Him with our hearts,
souls, minds, and strengths – they become His supernatural
communication that will draw us and others to Himself. As we
ourselves set our minds to understanding God, He takes this offering
and anoints it till we are filled with joy and awe at His wisdom.
Conclusion
Worldly
provision, prosperity, and poverty are incidental to spiritual
priorities. Promises of trouble and persecution are more common in
the New Testament than promises of earthly blessings. Serving God may
cost everything we are and have. Are you sure you want to do this? If
so, read on.
As
we overcome the conflicts and weaknesses within ourselves, there
remains nothing of spiritual warfare on our part other than to speak
the words God tells us to speak, and to watch the enemy fall. The
front line of our involvement is therefore the battle to walk in the
freedom and power of God’s love, forgiveness, and revelation.
ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS AND REPITITIONS
Lessons
From the Conquest of Caanan
Supernatural
entrance:
The
river (Jordan) was stopped by God, so they could walk right in
without having to swim – just like the Red Sea. Our entrance to
God's kingdom is also supernatural.
A different culture:
The
religious and social cultures were corrupt, and were not to be
followed by God's people – in this case they were to be utterly
eliminated. Those cultures included human sacrifices. Clearly,
abortion in our culture amounts to human sacrifice to the god of
selfishness and pleasure.
The
culture was bent upon pleasure and dissipation. How is this any
different from America today? The only friend of the Israeli spies
had in Jericho was a prostitute. If she was the most worthy person in
town, what does that say for the rest of them?
When they played by
local rules, they abandoned their spiritual position:
The
Israelites were not entirely obedient in avoiding the local norms. In
fact, after a few generations they became just like the cultures God
had called them to destroy. Having lost their spiritual position,
they themselves became eligible for destruction by surrounding
nations.
We
need to take God seriously in every detail of our spiritual calling.
Cycles
of Possessing and multiplying
Israel
had multiplied before entering, so their first priority was conquest
of enough land for their current size.
There
is however a problem with conquering a lot more territory than you
can possess and use. God explained to them that if He drove out
everybody right away, the wild animals would occupy the territory and
become a serious problem for them (Dt.7:22).
We
need to be careful in our eagerness to do battle that we don’t
take more than we can occupy. Jesus speaks of a case where a demon is
cast out and is not replaced by the Holy Spirit. Once the pressure’s
off the demon drops by to check things out, and finds the place clean
and empty. So he rounds up a bunch of his friends who are worse than
he is, and they all
move in (Mt.12:43-45).
Zeal
is a beautiful thing, but we must be careful to let God choose our
battles. For a case study in misplaced zeal, see the essay on “Trying
to Serve God”.
Rules of ownership
Maintain your walk
with God Dt.6:4-9
If we don’t
occupy, we can’t multiply. Conquest is only a means of
acquiring possession. The objective is possession.
The great commission was not to make babies,
but to make disciples. Winning people to Jesus of course remains
essential, but maturing them into fellow warriors is possessing the
land.
Rules of conquest
The
enemy knows you cannot be defeated by force. His only hope is to draw
you out from under the protection of your covenant with God. Allowing
impurity in your life and household cripples your ability to stand
against the enemy. Consider the example of the sin of Achan:
Josh.7:13 “Rise
up! Consecrate the people and say, Consecrate yourselves for
tomorrow, for thus the Lord, the God of Israel has said, There are
things under the ban in your midst, O Israel, You cannot stand before
your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from
your midst.”
Concepts
in a Nutshell
God
has ordained for His people to retake and occupy territory abandoned
by Adam and Eve in their rebellion. Retaking the territory is an act
of obedience. It is well established in scripture and experience,
that the natural realm expresses the spiritual realm. Strength in the
natural realm comes through daily disciplined exercise, and so does
strength in the spiritual realm. We need training in the spirit
realm.
Physical
territory is the heritage of those who take spiritual territory.
Obedience
to God takes us beyond the limits of our own intellect and power.
When
we look for techniques, we are seeking control. When we look to
faith, we are seeking life.