Christian Spiritual Warfare

Archive for November, 2008

“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Romans 13:12-14Romans 13:12-14
English: World English Bible - WEB
12 The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

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These verses present the Armor of God in a totally different aspect from that which we normally see presented. In the midst of the battle, Paul tells us to “clothe [our]selves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” Just how does this relate to the Armor of God as presented in Ephesians 6?

In Ephesians, we are told first to be girded with the belt of truth. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6John 14:6
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6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

WP-Bible plugin) When we are “clothed” in Jesus, His truth surrounds us and protects us, providing a sure foundation for our Christian life.

Next, we need to have the breastplate of righteousness in place. 1 Corinthians 1:301 Corinthians 1:30
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30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:

WP-Bible plugin tells us that Christ has been made our righteousness. We have been declared righteous because He is righteous; and we have been given His Spirit, Who has come to live in our hearts and transform our lives into His righteousness.

The shoes of the Gospel of Peace come next, and here too we find Jesus, for Ephesians 2:14Ephesians 2:14
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14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

WP-Bible plugin declares that “He Himself is our peace.” Through Christ, we who once were God’s enemies have been brought into His own family. Not only that, but He has given us His peace, so that we need not be troubled or dismayed by whatever circumstances life may throw at us. (John 14:27John 14:27
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27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

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As we put on the helmet of salvation, we know that the very Name, Jesus, means “YHWH saves.” It is Christ Himself Who protects our minds from the accusations and temptations of the evil one.

In taking up the shield of faith, we need not be discouraged that our own faith is small and weak, and may not be up to the task at hand. We can choose instead to say with Paul, “I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20Galatians 2:20
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20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

WP-Bible plugin KJV). We know, too, that God’s faithfulness is our shield (Ps 91:4Ps 91:4
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4 He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

WP-Bible plugin), and where better is God’s faithfulness expressed than in Jesus?

The sword of the Spirit, Ephesians tells us, is the Word of God. Both the written Word and the prophetic Word are “living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12Heb 4:12
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12 For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

WP-Bible plugin), but both derive their power from the Living Word Who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14John 1:14
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14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

WP-Bible plugin), the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we are “clothed in Christ”, living by the power of His Spirit within, He becomes our armor. We do not have to struggle and strive to put it on, but just to stand in what He has already given us. “Stand firm, then …”

Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com

Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com/armorofgod

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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In recognition that the current financial crisis means that people have less to spend, I have cut the prices on my Spiritual Warfare seminar, Called to Battle.

Check out the new prices using the link below. If you would like a free “trial run” first, sign up for my Put On the Armor of God e-course.

I hope this new pricing structure will mean that more people will be able to take advantage of this training.

Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com

Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com/armorofgod

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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 In Ephesians 6:14Ephesians 6:14
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14 Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

WP-Bible plugin, Paul admonishes us to stand “with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” (NIV) We know of course that this whole passage uses the metaphor of the armor of a Roman soldier to describe the things which God has given us as a protection against the attack of the enemy. The breastplate protected one of the most vital areas of the soldier’s body, guarding his heart against oncoming spears.

Likewise, the breastplate of righteousness protects our hearts, but we need to understand just whose righteousness we are talking about. Our own righteousness won’t help at all. The Bible tells us that our own righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6Isaiah 64:6
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6 For we are all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

WP-Bible plugin). Could you imagine binding a bundle of dirty rags in front of your chest and hoping that it would protect you from spears and arrows? Neither can our own righteousness protect us from the attacks of the devil. His spears of accusation very quickly and easily penetrate our righteous facade, hitting the mark on all the false motives and motivations that lie beneath.

No, to protect us from such attacks we need something far sturdier than filthy rags. Fortunately, God has provided that protection for us in the righteousness of Christ.

Just so nobody has any doubts or confusion, God has declared that, apart from Christ, there has never been a single person who, in him or herself, was totally righteous. Paul’s declaration that “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10,12Romans 3:10,12
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10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous. No, not one. ¹² They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, No, not, so much as one.”

WP-Bible plugin) is an echo of Psalms 14:1-3Psalms 14:1-3
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14 For the Chief Musician. By David. ¹ The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good. ² Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men, To see if there were any who did understand, Who did seek after God. ³ They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is none who does good, no, not one.

WP-Bible plugin and 53:1-3 and Ecclesiastes 7:20Ecclesiastes 7:20
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20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn’t sin.

WP-Bible plugin. When God repeats something several times, we know that it is important. Very simply, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23Romans 3:23
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23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

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There was, however, One Who was totally righteous, and that was the Lord Jesus Christ – God the Son manifested in the flesh. He not only lived a perfect, sinless life, but He allowed Himself to be put to death on a Cross, bearing all the sin and unrighteousness of mankind. Because He has borne our sin, He is able to credit us with His righteousness when we come to Him and accept His grace.

2 Corinthians 5:212 Corinthians 5:21
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21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

WP-Bible plugin tells us of this wonderful exchange: “For He has made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Theologians speak of this as Christ’s righteousness being imputed to us – that is, God declares us righteous because we are in Christ and He is righteous.

Now we have something sturdy to defend our hearts. When the devil starts throwing his spears of accusation – “You call yourself a Christian? Remember what you did when …” – we can tell him that we are not standing in our own righteousness, but that of Christ.

It doesn’t stop there, however. (“Wait, there’s more …”) God is not content to simply declare us righteous, but leave us locked in sin. When we come to Him, He places His own Spirit in our hearts. As we allow the Holy Spirit to live His life within us, we find ourselves beginning to be transformed. God has not only imputed Christ’s righteousness to us, He is also imparting it to us. That, of course, requires an active participation on our part, for God will never override our will.

If we are born again, Christ’s imputed righteousness is already ours. The breastplate is already in place. As we walk with Him, becoming more and more transformed into His likeness, it becomes more and more our own.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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When I was a very young minister (more years ago than I care to think about) I was pastoring a tiny pioneer church in Wollongong, on the south coast of New South Wales. In the congregation was a young couple whom I had joined in marriage just a few months before, and who were very new Christians.

One day the young husband approached me, looking very concerned. “Pastor Lynn,” he said, squirming awkwardly. “Someone told me the other day that we should put the “blood line” around our property. How do we do that? Do we need to kill a chicken or something?… ” Trying hard to suppress a chuckle at his innocence, I explained to him about the blood of Jesus.

People who have not been brought up in Christianity find it bizarre when we talk about the blood. Some have even accused the Christian faith of being a “butcher shop” religion. Sadly, even within the Church some find the blood too hard a concept to handle. I was recently visiting a church for their Sunday night service. The pastor talked about the sinless life of Jesus, and said that we are saved by that life. “Jesus looks at Fred,” he said, “and says, ‘Father, I like him’, so Father God says, “O.K., he can come in.” This was a most dreadful perversion of the Gospel, and I left vowing never to go to that church again.

The truth is, we are not saved by Jesus’ life. Jesus’ life demonstrates to us how man can and should live, if he is filled with and dependent upon the Holy Spirit. But if Jesus had just lived on earth for a time, and then been caught back to heaven without passing through death, His life would have been to us much as the Law was to the people of Israel in the Old Testament: a pointer to an unattainable standard which offered us nothing that would enable us to reach that standard.

Something else was needed first, and that something was death, the shedding of blood. God had set the death penalty for sin, and His justice demanded that penalty be paid. We are not saved by Jesus’ perfect life, but by the fact that He went to the Cross, shed His blood, and paid that death penalty on our behalf. Because of His shed blood, our sins are forgiven. Because our sins are forgiven we are reconnected with the life of God, and He sends the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. When we have the Holy Spirit living within – and only then – we are able to live as Jesus lived, by allowing the Spirit to live His life through us.

So, what about my young friend and the blood line? In the Old Testament, at the Passover, the people were told to kill a lamb. Some of the lamb’s blood was to be daubed on the door posts and lintels of their home, and they were to eat the lamb inside the house. When the angel of death came through the land to kill all the firstborn – the final plague that God brought against the Egyptians to convince them to let the Israelites go – he would see the blood and pass over that house.

This sacrifice was symbolic of the far greater sacrifice that was to come, that of Christ on the Cross. Just as the blood of the Passover lamb provided protection for the people of Israel, so the blood of Jesus provides protection for anyone who will receive Him. It protects us from the attack of the devil, when he comes and accuses us, because we can now tell him that the sins he is trying to dredge up have been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus.

It also protects us from the kind of demonic attacks that would try to harm us or damage our property, because the blood of Jesus has brought us into covenant relationship with God. That covenant relationship means that God has committed Himself to defending us.

When we “place the blood line” around a property, we are simply declaring that this territory is under God’s protection, because the blood of Jesus has been shed for us. The blood of Jesus is the only antidote to sin, and is the source of our authority over the enemy.

Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com

Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com/armorofgod

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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“In Jesus’ Name.” How regularly we tag those words on to the end of a prayer. Often we do it without even really thinking about what we are saying: it is just a formula, an extension of the “amen” which for most of us is simply a meaningless word, another way of saying “I’ve finished praying now.”

“In the name of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth of England.” Would we use those words as easily? The idea seems almost laughable! Proclamations in the name of the Queen can only be made by those who have been given authority by her. Even then, the thing they are proclaiming has to be something that the Queen has actually decreed. No-one would even think of declaring in the Queen’s name something that was purely out of their own wishes and desires – and if they did think of it, and carried that thought into action, they could expect to face at best a lengthy jail term. On the other hand, when someone who has been authorized by the Queen makes in her name a proclamation that she has decreed, then that proclamation has authority to see that thing carried out, or to enforce penalties if it is not.

This applies even at a more mundane level. If mother tells Johnny, “Go tell Bobby I said to come in from play now,” then when Johnny goes to deliver the message it is the same as if Mother were speaking to Bobby personally. There is no use Bobby saying, “But it was only Johnny who told me!” Johnny went in Mother’s name, and therefore with her authority. However, if Johnny takes it upon himself to tell Bobby, “Mother said you are to give my your baseball bat,” it’s a totally different story. Mother said no such thing, and Johnny had no right to attach her name to his wishes. Not only does his demand not carry Mother’s authority, it is also likely to earn Johnny some strong discipline.

Jesus told His disciples, and through them, us: “Whatsoever you ask the Father in My Name, He will give it to you.” Many of us have taken that as meaning that we can ask for anything we please, and as long as we tack “in Jesus’ Name” on the end, those words will be the magic wand that make God give us what we want.

We’ve got it back to front! The person issuing a decree in the name of Queen Elizabeth must first go into her presence and hear what it is she wants, and how it is to be said. If the decree is to carry the Queen’s authority, then it must be exactly what she wants. Johnny must carry to Bobby his mother’s wishes, not his own.

If this is true of any human situation where we speak in the name and authority of another, why can we not see that it is also true when we dare to speak in the greatest Name and the highest authority, that of the Lord Jesus Christ? His Name is not a magic wand to materialize our wishes. His Name is His authority, and His authority is based on His will.

Before we tack His Name on to the end of our prayers, we need to come into His presence. We need to bring our situations, our needs, our desires to Him, and hear from His throne what He wants to do about them. Then, confident that we are declaring the will of the Lord, we can add “in Jesus’ Name” to our prayers and decrees, knowing that indeed they are backed by all the authority of heaven.

If we don’t, we risk not only not having the authority of heaven, but actually being in defiance of God. Remember the commandment that says, “Do not take the Name of the Lord in vain”? We have taken this to refer to blasphemy, but surely using the Name of Jesus to back decrees that are not His but ours qualifies as using His Name “in vain.”

Of course, there are those who go to the opposite extreme. Rather than bring their own desires and declare them to be authorized by Jesus, they pray “if it be Thy will” prayers – and still tag “in Jesus’ Name” on the end of them! “If it be Thy will” prayers are meaningless. They are basically a way of washing our hands of the situation and saying, “God, do whatever You want.” They are an abdication of our responsibility to find God’s will in the situation and pray accordingly.

Some people base this kind of praying on Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not My will but Yours.” Jesus, however, was not saying, “I can’t be bothered finding Your will so just do whatever You please.” He knew the will of the Father: it was that Jesus go to the Cross. Rather than avoiding that will, Jesus embraced it. He said in effect, “Everything in My human will wants to avoid this, but I know that this is Your will, Father, so I submit My human will to Your will. I choose what You want, not what I want.”

Jesus wants us to pray in His Name. He has given us authority to pray in His Name. But our authority is always a derived authority. To speak effectively in His Name, we have to be speaking the things that He wants. We have to take the time to hear His heart and will in the matter. When we do, we will find ourselves speaking with an authority that heaven will not resist – and that hell can not resist.

Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com

Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
Find it at http://christianspiritualwarfaregtk.com/armorofgod

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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