Alright. So we began a series last week. Today we continue.
There is a war raging. And I’m not referring to the tension in the
Middle East, or the Uprisings in Africa, I’m talking about the War responsible
for the wars in the world. As Christians, we must understand that we are at
the forefront of the most fierce, most real and most important battle in
existence. It’s far fiercer
than all of the World wars you read about, or the Star wars you watched on
Hollywood; this is a Kingdom
war.
Science and all of its foolish wisdom have no answer to this war,
because, firstly, they don’t even know it exists! And even if you told them,
they wouldn’t believe because “it cannot be scientifically proven!”
Well, the Devil is a Liar, but
He is not a Lie. He EXISTS. Notice, I didn’t say He’s “alive”, or he
“lives”, because JESUS is the
ONLY source of life (John
14:6).
The devil has two major ways of destroying people: Deception and Fear. And when deception is fully mature, it
becomes Delusion. No scientific instrument or method can
detect deception, and that’s why the devil is controlling the minds of men from
“behind the scenes” and making it look “natural”. He’s been doing
this for thousands of years, and if experience counts for anything, then he’s
pretty good at it! If employers can trust individuals who have “years of
experience” to deliver, then you can also “trust” the devil to deceive! He is a
self-employed, full-time staff with just one job: KILL, STEAL, and DESTROY (John
10:10).
I will talk expressly about the devil in another article.
So, whether the world knows it or not, whether they choose to
believe it or not, truth is, we all have a COMMON ENEMY. That’s why the Apostle
Peter says “...your
adversary, the devil…” (1
Peter 5:8). And because he knows that his judgement is fast
approaching, he has accelerated his time-table! But no matter how “fast” the devil
thinks he’s moving in his evil, God is an eternity ahead of him in His Grace! Therefore, now, more than ever, is the
time to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians
6:10).
Now, let’s begin to talk about our wardrobe.
(Ephesians 6:11) Put on
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil.
(Ephesians 6:12) For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
“An Armour is not a night gown (pyjamas), You don’t wear it to
sleep!” (Gabriel Israel (Rev.) 2011). Absolutely True!
God wouldn’t ask us to put on an armour for nothing! An armour is not an apron, you
don’t cook with it, neither is it a school uniform, you don’t school with it!
Think about it, when a military commander announces to his troops “Take up
your weapons”, or “Put on your uniforms”, what goes through the mind
of the troops? Do they think: “It’s
time for coffee?” or “It’s time to see our families?” or “It’s
time to sleep?” No. A
thousand times No! As soon as they hear that announcement, they know “THIS
MEANS WAR!”
Now, God made this “announcement” thousands of years ago because
the battle has been raging, even in the time of the Apostles. Notice, He says “Put on the whole armour…” In other words, it is a deliberate
decision and consciousness. And he tells us why: “that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil”. That’s another way of saying “Brace
yourselves, you are on the devil’s hit list!” That’s why God gave us an armour. You
must put it on at all times, otherwise, you may just have an “early arrival” in
our homeland, and I’m sure the saints will treat you to a warm reception!
And how “high” up your name is on the devil’s hit list depends on
your level of assault on the Kingdom of darkness. If you are a frequent
soul-winner, demon-caster, dead-raiser, intercessor, or involved in anything
that disturbs the Kingdom of darkness, let me announce to you, THE DEVIL IS
AFTER YOU! I know certain men who have become the devil’s top priority! And I
think that is an absolutely wonderful place to be in! Every believer should be
the devil’s headache!
Verse 12 tells us something
interesting. It says “we
wrestle not against flesh and blood…” This
means that humans are NOT the enemies, the battle is not against them, it’s
actually for them. Leave your grandmother in the village alone, and stop trying
to kill your neighbour’s cat! They are “flesh and blood”; the war is not
against them! They may be used by the devil, but that’s what it is; they are
being used! Even if you successfully kill them, it doesn’t stop the devil,
he’ll just find another person to use! So, how many people are you going to
kill before you become “enemy-free”?!
And if you then become “enemy-free”, how then shall the scriptures
be fulfilled which says: “Thou preparest a table before me in THE PRESENCE OF
MINE ENEMIES” (Psalms
23:5). Your enemies
are meant to be first-hand witnesses of your progress! Don’t deny them the opportunity
to constantly see the Glory of God on you! And besides, it’s more fun eating
with people, especially when they are eating your food! Remember, JESUS said, “Love your enemies, do good to
them that hate you” (Matthew
5:44). The Christian
can NEVER be enemy-free, because the world hates us (John 15:18). But,
it DOESN’T MATTER! They are not a factor! Don’t
bother or fret about them, because “Greater
is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
David was a man of war, no king in the Bible killed more enemies
than David, and yet He got to a point where he understood that ENEMIES ARE NEEDED!
Who then are our adversaries? “…but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.
The Apostle breaks it down into four classes:
Principalities,
Powers,
Rulers of the darkness of this world,
Spiritual wickedness in high places.
They are not all the same; they vary in responsibility and in
function. We shall discuss them in a different article.
I understand that people, and sadly, even Ministers of God
misconstrue this portion of scripture and then begin to try to “wrestle”
against the devil by opening “Deliverance Ministries” and conducting
“Deliverance sessions” for God’s people. Most of them have a genuine heart, but
they are ignorant.
Listen, the “Deliverance Ministry” is NOT for the Christian! He
doesn’t need to be delivered from the devil! He is a NEW CREATURE! (2
Corinthians 5:17) Don’t you get it? We are not a match for the devil and all
the cohorts of Hell put together! You must understand the nature of this war.
WE ARE NOT FIGHTING FOR VICTORY, WE ARE FIGHTING FROM VICTORY! (1 John 4:4,
Romans 8:37). The devil is a defeated foe, He is not “hale and hearty”, we
are not trying to beat him, JESUS gave him a thorough whipping! (Colossians
2:15, Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:8)
The nature of this war is to rescue the souls of men, whom Jesus legally paid for through his eternal sacrifice, from
the rule and oppression of the devil, and vitally deliver them into their
inheritance in Christ. This is not a SELFISH war, it’s a SELFLESS war. It’s not
about us; it’s about the souls of men, FOR
SOULS ARE GOD’S MOST PRIZED POSSESION!
Such is the nature of this war, to reachout to those in darkness,
and bring them into the Light of His Grace. That’s why we hold crusades, preach
the Gospel, heal the sick, mend the broken-hearted, release them that are
oppressed, raise the dead; these are all battle strategies!
So, it’s battle time; it has long started, and we already have the
Victory! You want to share in this victory? Become a soul-winner!
And now if you are not born-again, it’s time to accept the Love of
Christ. You can do it right now
from your heart, it's a simple prayer:
Dear Lord
Jesus, I thank you for your Grace and love. I believe in your eternal sacrifice
for my sins and your resurrection for my justification. With faith in my heart,
I accept your Lordship of Love over my spirit, soul and body. I receive eternal
life into my spirit, even the nature of righteousness. I am now a child of God,
born from above. Thank you for saving me, in Jesus Name.
If you prayed this prayer, I pray for you, that
you be filled with the Spirit in all fullness, and be guided by His Eternal
word, even as you begin your journey of Faith.
The Apostle Paul goes on to list the elements of our wardrobe,
namely:
Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:14-17)
Next week, we will begin to take them apart, piece by piece,
showing in details, what they entail.
There’s always MORE.
With Wisdom,
PeeJay
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