There Is A War!

(Reprint From February 2012)

Spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday on the phone talking with people who were struggling.
Not with addiction, as most would think, but with attacks by the enemy.
The enemy we know as the devil. Yes, there is a devil and his desire is to devour you. Not in the sense of physical teeth tearing and consuming your flesh, but by bringing your life down through situations and circumstances. He comes at you whispering and accusing you. He brings doubt and fear and seeks to have you turn away from God, looking to your own ability to get you out of situations.He is called the accuser of the brethren in Scripture. These that I talked to and prayed with, were under severe oppression by forces of darkness.

One in particular who called was being visited by two demonic spirits who gave their names. They were bombarding this poor man's mind with all manner of anguish and accusation. He was trying to hold firm to the word of God,but had allowed these demonic spirits into his life through sin. In other words, when we sin, we open ourselves up to being oppressed by demonic spirits. To put it another way, through sin, we give these spirits legal right into our lives. It takes a greater authority to break their power and bring freedom and healing to the one who is suffering. That greater authority? The Lord Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 6:10 we read: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Be strong! Not in our own ability. Not in our own wisdom or strength, but in the Lord. Be strong in the truth about our relationship we have through the shed blood of Jesus. That it is a relationship that can never be broken by the powers of hell. So we rest in the knowledge of our position in Christ, and in His ability to battle any forces of darkness that comes to us. 

Verse 11 reads: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (or plans) of the devil. God provides us protection in the form a armor. But there is a command that comes for this protection to be applied to our lives. We have to put it on. That means that I prepare myself mentally, spiritually and physically each day to walk in the instruction of the Lord. The armor consist of the following:
1.) Truth
2.) righteousness
3.) gospel of peace
4.) faith
5.) salvation
6.) Word of God (the Bible)

Truth holds everything in place. Without truth, we have nothing. Without truth, we are battling on the enemies terms and turf. When Jesus went into the wilderness after his baptism and encountered the devil, it wasn't a demonstration of power between these two. It was a battle of truth. The devil quoting half truths from Scripture trying to get Jesus to choose wrongly, and Jesus who was quoting the whole truth of the Word of God. Truth reveals my old sin nature when it seeks to thwart the things of God in my life. Truth keeps me pointed and walking in the right direction.I think it is pretty net that the list of the armor of God begins and ends with truth. It bookends all the other peaces of the armor. If you remember, in John 8:32, Jesus says, "And you shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free. The truth that Jesus is indeed the power, the authority and the only person who can deliver us from this world of darkness and spiritual death.
In John 14: 6, Jesus goes on to say, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. This is a pretty bold statement. No one...anywhere, anytime, any place can come to God the Father, except through Jesus. You know what? There aren't too many ways you can slice that statement. Boil it down to the basic message and what Jesus said is either the truth or its a lie. Call me crazy, but I tend to fall on the side that Jesus is speaking the truth.

So if you are struggling today, turn to the Word of God.
Pray out loud and call on the name of Jesus to come and rescue you.
You might be surprised as to what happens.

God on you.....
mb