Spiritual Warfare
Pursue “The Prince of Peace”. Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a season of harvest.
“When a man’s Ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7
Acts 19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, “I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”
Are WE a threat to the kingdom of darkness?
**If we truly believe that we war against rulers and principalities that cannot be seen, then we must realize that their mandate is to hinder ANY believer who is seeking to walk in the fullness of God.
This is God almighty we so despertaly need, creator and sustainer of the universe.
*How can I continue taking him for granted?
Why do I still test his grace, living with lust as if he is deaf and blind to my secret acts?”
***However,for our sake “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4b).
The Name of Jesus has power and authority over demons. But those who do not have a relationship with Him aren’t authorized to use that authority. *Spiritual warfare is not fiction nor a game. It’s very serious business. We need to be right with Jesus if we expect to stand.
If you are seeking to fully follow the Lord, you CAN expect harassment from the enemy.
* God permits temptation because it Drives US Deeper into the soil of God. *These times reveal God’s power to keep us and walk us through the temptations.
Our message becomes Fruitful when it is born out of obedience and suffering for His name.
Hebrews 5: 8 Although he(Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered.
* Do not consider it strange if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you become to the Master?? *God desires each of us to become a feared enemy of hell in order to affect satan’s domain.
*When you begin to feel harassed, chances are you are beginning to affect the kingdom of darkness, and satan doesn’t like this.
* DEMONS SCHEME IS TO LURE YOU AWAY FROM GOD.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Timothy 4:1
* DEMONS WANT TO PARALYZE YOU WITH FEAR.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:6-7
BATTLING THE DARKNESS
1) WE DON’T TREAT OUR ENEMY LIGHTLY. Jude 9-10
2) WE DON’T FLIRT WITH DARKNESS.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
3) WE DON’T FIGHT WITH OUR POWER BUT WITH GOD’S AUTHORITY.
Matthew 10:1
“I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity.” – 1 Chronicles 29:17a
*God tests His children to know what is in their hearts.
*God’s desire for each of His children is to walk in a Personal Relationship with Him, to uphold His righteousness and integrity.
**It is a high calling that we will fail to achieve without Complete dependence on Him.
I learned the hard way; that for me personally that the greatest tests come not in great adversities, but in great prosperity.
* For it is in prosperity that we begin to LOSE the sensitivity to SIN in our lives. *Adversity motivates us to righteousness out of a Desire to see our adversity changed.
* Prosperity fails to provide this motivation for obedience.
*** We fall into a Satisfaction and Confidence in life that is based on OUR Prosperity rather than on God.
I have learned the hard way, each of us must view success as a Gift from God. We must learn to see all of our successes as a Gift from God, not our OWN achievement. It’s a Blessing and what do we do when we get blessed? We must pass on those blessings for the Kingdom Work so others may be blessed and than we can receive more and pass on. Don’t Hord- I learned!
The Lord IS the source of ALL success, ALL elevation, ALL blessing.
*If you have a good mind and a healthy body, if you live in a land of opportunity, if you have a good education, if you’ve had a few breaks go your way, then you have much to be GRATEFUL for – and no cause for arrogance.
*You didn’t achieve success; you received it as a gift from the Lord. This is a hard statement to sink in. The world tells us differently.
If we are to remain faithful to our Lord, we must remain steadfast in our obedience to Him. Prosperity can be our greatest test.
Ask the Lord to give you the Grace to be a faithful follower during times of prosperity.
Knowing and believing in God’s character provides great protection against enemy attack.
God declared through Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
The implication here is powerful. God is telling us that having an intimate knowledge of His Nature and
Character is a powerful shield against Satan’s lies. Thank God for His Word and His Holy Spirit!
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you…James 4:7-8
LORD, help me to battle the real spiritual enemies we face, and not be fooled by their deceptions. Help me be right with You so I have your delegated authority to defeat them rather than be defeated. In the Name of Jesus, amen