Standing up to the enemy
A few nights ago I held a little mini bible study with the kids in regards to something that is very close to my heart right now: spiritual warfare and battling in the spirit. If you are not a Christian what I am about to share might not have any meaning to you. If you are a Christian then this is, I believe, the type of thing you should be doing everyday. I say this as someone who does this, not your all too typical Christian that says you should do one thing and turns around and does something else (of which I am guilty but not in the area of spiritual warfare).
A great place to start is the 12th chapter of the book of Revelation. This chapter describes John's vision of the birth of Christ and the battle that was raging as Mary delivered Jesus. It also describes the fall of Satan, his subsequent casting to the Earth and his rage with those that choose to follow Christ:
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17
It is my belief that Christians face a very real enemy. Yes, I believe we are the product of a Creator and that we, each person ever born, is part of His plan for glory. I also believe in angels, the warriors that battle on your behalf and intercede for you daily. No, I do not believe that angels are cute little fat babes with wings and red cheeks. Nor do I believe that angels are female in form. No, I believe angels are huge beings that bring fear and astonishment with them where ever they go. Why else would the first words out of their mouths always be "Fear not."?
To that end I also believe our enemy, satan, has a plan as well. When he was cast to the Earth a third of those big scary warrior angels went with him and seek after the same thing he seeks:
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10
Christians then are embroiled in a way every day as satan tries to look for ways to attack and best us. Demons, fallen angels, are dispatched according to his plan and take their jobs very seriously. But God also has a plan for use. One that involves victory, glory and success. To that end God ha made us a few promises that we can live our lives out daily in:
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
In addition to our supply and our overall stability Jesus gives us authority in His name to do the things He can do (I also believe this stems from us being created in the image and likeness of God) through the use of our mouths:
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."
And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."Luke 10:17
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Mark 11:23
So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.
Matthew 21:21
So putting this all together you can come up with the notion that if you are a Christian there is an enemy that will attack you on the regular and he will come after you with everything he has. But he will not be successful in his attempts to snafu you because he has no authority over you. In fact, you have authority over him. And you can exercise that authority just by opening your mouth and commanding him to be bound. We have that ability because demons and even satan himself are subject to us. They must do as they are commanded.
So my lesson concluded with me teaching my kids that when we are at battle, every day we are at battle, that we speak to our enemy directly and with purpose, not mincing words or feelings, and commanding the enemy to return what he has stolen from use and to keep his hands off of anything that he might think adequate to touch. We speak to our mountains, broken cars, broken TVs, bare bank accounts, collection calls and tell them to recover. We speak to our physical bodies, our minds, our feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, wrath, contention, discontent and we command those feelings to be bound.
Rebuking the enemy is the fastest, easiest spiritual battle you can fight. "if you say to this"... It sometimes requires more than just that to work your enemy over, but we must keep trying and keep fighting. We have been given authority so that we might use it to the glory of God. The enemy is trying to take that authority from you or at least make you believe you have none. Because he comes to kill, steal and destroy.
But if I am reading my God right I know he has come so that not only will I not lose what I have I would have more and plenty of it. This is very reassuring, especially in this time when it seems like the enemy is consuming me and my possessions. I think, no, I know he needs to be stopped and I know I have to the equipment to do it.
"if you say to this"... I just pray that I continue to fight the good fight everyday and that in all things God gets the Glory. And I will continue to speak to these mountains.
