Christian Spiritual Warfare

Posts Tagged ‘Christian’

The devil is probably one of the most mocked characters in the modern western world. From cartoons of a little red fellow with horns and a pitchfork, to Halloween costumes, to representations in films, he is treated as a joke. Many people – even people who believe in God – simply don’t believe that there is such a thing as a real, personal devil. He is, they say, just a mythical personification of the evil in the world.

In reality, that concept is one of the two most dangerous lies spread around by the devil himself (the other is the one that says he is all powerful – so big and powerful that you’d just better do what he says and not argue.) The Bible makes it clear that there is a real, personal being, known as the devil or satan (I refuse to give him a capital letter), who is the ultimate source of evil.

Isaiah 14:12-20Isaiah 14:12-20
English: World English Bible - WEB
12 How you have fallen from Heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! ¹³ You said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! ¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!” ¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. ¹⁶ Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms; ¹⁷ who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities; who didn’t release his prisoners to their home?” ¹⁸ All the kings of the nations, sleep in glory, everyone in his own house. ¹⁹ But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot. ²⁰ You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The seed of evil-doers will not be named forever.

WP-Bible plugin and Ezekiel 28:11-19Ezekiel 28:11-19
English: World English Bible - WEB
11 Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ¹² Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. ¹³ You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onx, jasper, sapphire or, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. In the day that you were created they were prepared. ¹⁴ You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, so that you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. ¹⁵ You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. ¹⁶ By the abundance of your traffic they filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I have cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. ¹⁷ Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings, that they may see you. ¹⁸ By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your traffic, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of you; it has devoured you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you. ¹⁹ All those who know you among the peoples shall be astonished at you: you are become a terror, and you shall nevermore have any being.

WP-Bible plugin are two passages that seem, on the surface, to be addressed to earthly kings. However, we don’t have to go far beneath the surface to realize that the things said in these passages could never be applied to a human being. The Ezekiel passage speaks about one who was created perfect, full of beauty ans wisdom, and was appointed as the “guardian cherub”. Satan, as he was originally created by God, was not an evil being, but the head angel.

However, both Isaiah and Ezekiel show that he became proud, and then tried to rise up and make himself even greater than God. Because of this he was thrown out of heaven and cast to earth, where he took the form of a serpent. In that form he tempted our first parents to do the same as he had done, promising them that if they disobeyed God they would themselves become “as gods”. Sadly, they fell for it. God had given them dominion over the world, but by obeying the devil rather than God they handed that rule over to satan.

Satan could not return to rule from heaven, the place of God’s throne, so instead he set up his throne in the physical heavens, becoming known as the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2Ephesians 2:2
English: World English Bible - WEB
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;

WP-Bible plugin). From there he was able to influence everything that happened on the earth.

When Jesus came, the devil tried to destroy Him almost as soon as he was born, by influencing Herod to have all the male children killed. When it came time for Jesus to enter into His ministry, the devil tried to stop Him with the wilderness temptations (Matthew 4). Notice that Jesus was not battling against some kind of evil force, or a principle, but against a real, personal being who spoke to Him and took Him to various places in the effort to tempt Him away from His goal.

Jesus’ death on the Cross was a defeat for satan. By His perfect obedience to the Father, Jesus reversed the disobedience of our first parents and claimed back the earth as part of God’s Kingdom. The devil’s fate was sealed. However, for the present time he continues to “hold his fort” in the physical heavens – much as, in the Second World War, some Japanese soldiers continued to hold their positions long after the war was over. He still influences, and even controls, those people on earth who make themselves available to his influence.

The day is coming, however, when his time will be up. The victory that Jesus won at Calvary will be fully enforced, and the devil’s influence will be removed from the world. Till that time, we have to choose whether we will follow the devil and share his eternal destiny in hell, or follow Christ and share His eternal reign in heaven.

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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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I think it was Snoopy, in the Peanuts comic strip, who said, “We have seen the enemy, and they is us.” (If it wasn’t Snoopy, I apologize – but whoever did say it, got it right.) Often, we spend a great deal of time and energy looking for an enemy “out there” somewhere: our family, friends or workmates; our boss or pastor or the government; the weather, global warming or the financial crisis. And when all else fails we can always blame the devil and his demons.

Now I am not for a moment suggesting that people never do anything to harm us; or that political systems, the environment and economics don’t, on occasion, cause us problems. And most certainly the devil and his cohorts are always seeking for an opportunity to attack us.

What I am saying is that all too often we give these things far more credit than they are due. Sure, they may play some role in the problems we face, but often the root of the problem lies not in front of our eyes, but immediately behind them. It all starts with our thinking.

I was reminded again this week of a saying I first heard very early in my Christian life:

Sow a thought – reap a feeling;

Sow a feeling – reap an attitude;

Sow an attitude – reap an action;

Sow an action – reap a habit.

Let’s look at it a little more closely. Many people believe that emotions are simply things that come upon us, that we have no control over them and can do nothing to either cause or prevent them. This is absolutely not true.

Feelings are the result of thoughts. They are brought on by the things we tell ourselves about our circumstances or what is happening in our lives at the moment. Take an example: You are walking down the street and your friend, Mary, walks by without even acknowledging you. If you think to yourself, “What a snob! Just who does she think she is to just ignore me like that!” then you will start feeling angry. If you think, “Mary mustn’t like me any more,” then you will begin to feel sad or abandoned. If you think, “Mary must have some kind of serious worry that she didn’t notice me,” feelings of compassion will begin to come over you. If you think, “TeHe, Mary’s off in her own little world again. I’m going to give her heaps when I see her next!” then you will stir up feelings of affection toward your friend.

Did any of those feelings “just happen”? No, they were all directly prompted by your thoughts. A feeling is the consequence of a thought. We can change the feelings by changing the thoughts. What we cannot do is separate the thought and its consequence, the feeling.

Feelings, in turn, produce attitudes. Attitudes are the spectacles through which we view life. If we regularly allow ourselves to indulge thoughts of being rejected, producing feelings of rejection, these will eventually build into an attitude of rejection. Instead of just seeing rejection in one person or situation, we will begin to see rejection everywhere, and from everybody.

Once attitudes are entrenched in our lives, we begin to act out from those attitudes. If we see ourselves as being rejected, we begin to act like a rejected person. We put up walls. We take things personally. We respond as if we had been rejected, even if the person speaking was not directing his words to us in any way. The really sad thing is, when we act like this we actually bring rejection upon ourselves. It’s as if we had stuck a big sign on our backs saying “Reject Me!” The same applies to every attitude we act out.

Finally, those actions become a habit. Psychologists tell us that it only takes three weeks to establish a habit – and most people have been acting out their attitudes much longer than that! These things become our normal way of doing things, and the further we go the harder the pattern becomes to break.

Then, somewhere down the track, we realize that we have a problem going on in our lives. To stick with our illustration of rejection, we realize that we are being rejected right, left and center. That’s when we start throwing out the blame. It’s the fault of the people around us, who reject us. It’s our parents’ fault, because they rejected us. Maybe there is a demon of rejection operating in our lives? We seek deliverance, and get no results.

The uncomfortable truth is, even if there is a demonic force involved, it is there because we gave it a comfortable place to lodge. We are the problem: not our parents, not our friends, not our boss, not demons. What we have to do is go back to the beginning and change the equation. This whole downward spiral started with our thoughts. By changing our thoughts, we can reverse the spiral.

Now, it will not be easy, nor will it be instant. In the beginning we will have to consciously grab our thoughts and tell ourselves, “No. That isn’t the truth. This is.” To do that, we need the Word of God, so that we can replace the lies we have been telling ourselves with the truth of Scripture; and we need the Spirit of God, Who will help and empower us in our new way of thinking.

Yes, we can be our own greatest enemy. But we can also be our own best friend. It all depends on how we think.

Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
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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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“and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

(Ephesians 6:15Ephesians 6:15
English: World English Bible - WEB
15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace;

WP-Bible plugin, NIV)

Often when people read this verse, they think it is talking about the preaching of the Gospel. Preaching and witnessing are important, and are most certainly a part of our spiritual warfare. However, these are offensive measures – tactics which we use to take territory from the enemy. The armor, however, is defensive – it is our protection against the enemy’s attacks. Paul is not talking about our taking the Gospel to others, but rather about the effect that the Gospel has on us personally.

As with the whole of this passage about the armor of God, he is using the picture of the armor worn by a Roman soldier. On his feet the soldier wore heavy leather sandals, which were studded underneath with metal, so that no matter what kind of terrain the soldier had to cover, he would never slip or lose his grip. Paul is saying that is what the Gospel does for us.

How does the Gospel achieve this? It is the Gospel of Peace – and that means, firstly, that it is the Gospel that brought us peace with God. Before we heard the Gospel, we were God’s enemies. We may have been consciously and deliberately opposed to God, perhaps denying His existence or at least living as though He did not exist. Or we might have been “good” people, perhaps even churchgoers, but had never truly surrendered our lives to Christ. Either way, we were God’s enemies. There are only two possibilities in life – either we are in the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness. Those in the kingdom of darkness are God’s enemies, and if they remain in that kingdom they will suffer the same judgment as the prince of that kingdom.

Being at war with God creates all kinds of problems in our lives, and leaves us open to the attack of the enemy on every side. However, when we heard and responded to the Gospel we changed sides – we switched our allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God. Now we are no longer His enemies, but His friends and bound to Him in a covenant that guarantees He will fight on our behalf.

Since we are now God’s friends, we also have another benefit – the peace of God. This means that, because of our relationship with Him, we can walk through any situations that life might throw at us in perfect peace, knowing that He will work them all together for our good and His glory. That does not mean that we will never have problems, but that we can rest in the knowledge that God is bigger than all our problems.

Most important of all, we now know the God who is Peace. Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is my peace, was one of the names of God in the Old Testament. When we know Jehovah Shalom, we not only have the peace of God in our hearts in any situation, but we carry His peace with us wherever we go, and are able to release that peace into the situation. That’s why, in the middle of a storm that had the disciples – all of whom were experienced fishermen – absolutely terrified, Jesus was able to stand up and simply say, “Peace. Be still.” and the storm stopped.

The Gospel of peace does indeed allow us to walk through all of life’s troubled roads and never lose our footing.

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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Paul tells us that part of the defensive armor that God has given us is the shield of faith – but what, exactly, is faith, and how can it be a shield for us? Is it, as so many have taught over the years, I kind of button that we push to get what we want out of God, whenever we want it? Is it simply the adherence to a correct set of doctrinal precepts? Is it something we can get only by summoning every ounce of our will power and focusing it on believing?

 

One thing that we really need to understand is that faith is spiritual. No amount of intellectual understanding will produce it, nor will any amount of will power. Those things come from the soul, and the soul cannot produce spiritual results. Likewise, a hyped-up meeting that produces a wonderful emotional high cannot produce faith – emotions are also part of the soul realm. Sometimes those things may clear the way for us to move into faith; but at other times they may actually block the way and prevent us from finding true faith. Just as in an inoculation a “mini dose” of the disease, or something that is somewhat like the disease, can keep us from contracting the real disease, so trying to find faith through the soul realm can inoculate us against finding true faith.

 

Faith has three aspects: truth, relationship and action.

 

The truth aspect of faith is not something we can find by natural means, even by reading the Word of God. It has to come by revelation. Think about it: how often, before you came to the Lord, did you read the Bible and it made no sense to you at all? Then one day the Lord opened your eyes, and it became real and meaningful.

 

Truth has to be a revelation, because our minds are so minute compared to the mind of God. Our minds cannot begin to understand Him, just as the mind of an ant couldn’t begin to understand us. The only way we can know Him is by a revelation from His Spirit to our spirit.

 

That knowing then leads to the second part of the faith equation: relationship. It is not enough to know about God, we need to know Him personally in an intimate relationship. The more we know Him, the more we know that we can trust Him to do the things He has promised. Whilst Paul tells us to take up the shield of faith, Psalms tells us that “His faithfulness will be your shield” (Ps 91:4Ps 91:4
English: World English Bible - WEB
4 He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

WP-Bible pluginb). Our shield is not some kind of artificial belief summoned by the force of our will, but our rest in the faithfulness of Him with whom we are related.

 

This in turn leads to action. We automatically act out of the things we truly believe. We do not have to grit our teeth and say, “I believe thus, therefore I will act so.” It happens naturally. If our actions do not match our beliefs, then we either have serious mental problems or we do not really believe the things we think we believe. Particularly in relation to using faith as our shield, our actions include our words. If on one hand we say that we believe God is able to deal with whatever situations we face, but on the other hand we talk as if those situations are going to destroy us, then maybe we should look again at what we really believe. If our words are not a true expression both of the truth that has been revealed to us, and the relationship that we have with the Lord, then that faith will never be a sufficient shield to protect us against the attack of 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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 If you have been a Christian for more than five minutes, you have probably experienced times when hearing from God has been difficult. We know it shouldn’t be that way – after all, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice” – but that doesn’t help very much when our prayers just seem to bounce off the ceiling and God seems a million miles away.

 There’s also the old guilt-producing line that “if God seems far away, He didn’t move, you did.” Of course, that is sometimes true. We have allowed busyness, problems or pleasures to get between us and the face of God, and we need to repent and get back to the intimacy of our relationship with Him. Other times, though, it is simply not true. We desire Him as much as ever, but try as we may we are simply not receiving the answers to our questions.

 Daniel faced this problem, recorded in chapter 10 of his book. When an angel finally arrived with the answer to Daniel’s prayer, he explained that Daniel had been heard as soon as he prayed. However, there was a ruling principality over the area who had a vested interest in keeping Daniel from hearing what God had to say. That spiritual prince had wrestled with the angelic messenger, delaying him in bringing the answer to Daniel.

 We may find this hard to understand. How can demonic forces hinder the message that God wants to give to His people? Sometimes we need to suspend our desire to understand: not that God wants us to be mindless Christians, but some things are simply beyond our human understanding. God’s Word clearly tells us that this is what happened, therefore we need to be able to simply accept it.

 Unfortunately, many Christians live in blissful ignorance of the spiritual forces that surround us, and the constant battle that is being waged over this world. Just as those forces did not want Daniel to receive his answer from God, they also want to prevent us from receiving ours.

 However, there are two things that are very different for us than they were for Daniel. The first is that, if we have been born again, we have the Holy Spirit, who is God, living within us. He has restored our human spirit as the part of our being through which He can communicate with us. As we learn to develop our spirit, we have a means of hearing directly from Him – something with which external forces cannot directly interfere.

 There are times, though, when answers have to be dispatched not from the Spirit within us, but from the Throne Room. That’s where our second difference kicks in. Daniel had no authority over the battles in the spirit realm, but we have been given authority over all the power of the enemy. (Luke 10:19Luke 10:19
English: World English Bible - WEB
19 Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

WP-Bible plugin) Jesus said that what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven. In other words, we have the power to enter the battle and fight on the side of God’s angels.

We need to be pro-active. Simply putting our petitions out there and waiting for the answers to come is not enough, particularly when our prayers relate to issues which will bring damage to the kingdom of darkness. We need to be actively standing against any force which would hinder the answers coming to us; we need to be binding (forbidding) the enemy from hindering or delaying those answers; we need to be declaring an open heaven; and we need to be actively expecting to hear.

 

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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 Recently, on one of the Christian forums where I share, I received a question about autism and whether it could be caused by demonic influence. Because this is a broad area, relating to all mental/emotional illnesses and not just autism. I thought I would take some time to look at it here as well as on the forum.

 

First, we need to understand that man is a three-fold being: body, soul and spirit. We are NOT, as some suggest, spirits who have a soul and live in a body. That is occultic/new age thinking, and leads to a belief in transmigration of the soul or reincarnation. Rather, our spirit, soul and body join together to form one complete whole. As a result, whilst the things that happen to us may operate primarily through one of the three, mostly they will be influenced by all three. For instance, when we think, it comes from our mind, which is part of our soul. However, that thought could never be expressed if it were not for our brain, which is part of our body. And the thought will be influenced either by the Holy Spirit working through our human spirit, or by a demonic spirit operating through our soul because our spirit is for some reason not fulfilling its role of directing our life.

 

How does all that relate to mental illness? Basically, the Bible does not acknowledge mental illness as a separate condition. What it does acknowledge is physical illness, demonic influence and sin (either our own or that of others toward us.) Now please, don’t think for a moment that I am saying that mental or emotional illness is not real. It is very real, and devastating to those who have to live with it, either in their own lives or in the lives of those they love. What I am saying is that, rather than being something separate and mysterious, mental illness has its roots in one of these three areas.

 

Many mental conditions are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. That is a physical condition. In the natural it is addressed by medication, or by other natural means such as diet, exercise, dealing with stress and laughter. (Studies have shown that a good laugh is very effective in raising the levels of “feel good” chemicals in the brain. So if you are suffering from depression, try “medicating” it with large doses of comedy – it may not be a total answer, but it will certainly help.) As Christians, we also have the availability of God’s healing power released through prayer, and certainly any prayer for someone who is suffering mental illness should include prayer for physical healing.

 

Demonic forces can definitely also play a part in mental illness. The Gadarene man whom Jesus freed from Legion behaved like someone totally insane, and had he been alive in the twenty first century would certainly have been hospitalized and medicated to within an inch of his life, and possibly also subjected to electric shock therapy. All of it would have been totally useless, because his problem was demonic. When the demons were dealt with, the man was no longer insane. Even when demons are not directly the cause of mental illness, they can have an influence that makes it worse.

 

At this point let me urge caution. If you know someone whom you suspect is under demonic influence, please don’t just wade in and start casting out demons unless you know what you are doing. Yes, you have the authority to do it (assuming that you are a truly born-again Christian). Know what? The devil doesn’t care! He is not the least bit interested in the authority you have, he is only influenced by the authority you know  you have! If you plunge into deliverance without knowing what you are doing, the person on whom you are practicing is likely to end up in a worse condition than when you started. (Believe me, I speak from experience. I had it done to me, it was not fun. Only a direct intervention from God saved me from the results.)

 

What you can do will depend on who the person is, and his/her relationship to you. If it is a child and your direct descendant (child, grandchild, great grandchild) you can invoke your covenant relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (First make sure you are in that covenant relationship yourself.) A covenant always extends through the generations, so if the child is not yet at an age to make a decision for him/herself, you can extend the protection of your covenant relationship over him/her. You can also claim the Scriptures that say that the promise is to “you and to your household.” That is the promise of salvation, and deliverance from demonic influence is part of the salvation package.

 

Pray God’s peace over the person, if possible with the laying on of hands. When you can, play soft worship music in their presence – if it is someone living in your home and you are able, put a soft worship CD on continuous repeat and play it while he/she is asleep. Remember how David’s worship was able to suppress the activity of the demonic spirit that had taken hold of King Saul.

 

If the person is old enough to understand and willing to listen, talk to him about removing possible demonic influences in his life, renouncing them and repenting of any involvement. If he is a Christian, talk about the victory that Jesus won at Calvary, the fact that He has disarmed the powers and principalities, and that His Spirit within us is greater than any demonic force. Encourage him to stand in that victory. Try to find someone in your area you does move confidently in deliverance, and take or direct the sufferer to that person – but please check out his/her ministry first. Sadly, some who operate in “deliverance” are moving in control rather than the power of God, and cause more problems than they solve.

 

Finally, there is the area of sin. Unrepented sin affects all three areas of our lives. It affects our spirit, because sin cannot stand in the presence of God, therefore if we are continuing in unrepented sin we will effectively close down our spirit so that we do not have to encounter the Holy Spirit. It effects our emotions (part of our soul) because we will be carrying a burden of guilt. That guilt becomes a massive stress in our lives, which will in turn affect both our mind and our body. Since we have cut off the influence of the Holy Spirit, it will also open us up to the influence of demonic spirits.

 

Sin also includes our reactions to what has been done to us. Consider this: Jesus in His lifetime suffered a huge amount of rejection and abuse, but He never became mentally or emotionally disturbed because of it. Why? Because what hurts us is not what is done to us, but our reaction to it.

 

There are only two answers to sin. For our own sin, repentance and cleansing through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. For the sin of others, forgiveness and release.

 

But what about the wounds inflicted upon us before we were old enough to take responsibility for our reactions to them? What about the child whose emotional problems are rooted in the abuse he has received from adults? This is where the members of the Body of Christ need to step in. First, we need to pray that God would heal and release every wounded area. But our prayers need to have legs. We need to affirm to the sufferer both God’s love and ours, to demonstrate his value to God and to us, to uphold his worth as a person. It may be a slow process, but in time we can soften the scars. Even very young children can be led to the point of forgiving their abuser, and if we are dealing with an adult who has been hurt as a child then we can show him that, as an adult, he can respond in ways that the child couldn’t, and can choose to forgive and release the offender.

 

Mental/emotional illness is a very complex problem. I certainly would want anyone to think that I am suggesting a simplistic approach. However, by addressing the three areas of our being – body, soul and spirit – we will have a much better chance of finding answers.

 

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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“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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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 Ephesians 6:14Ephesians 6:14
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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
English: World English Bible - WEB
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.

WP-Bible plugin)