Category: Be Aware of Spiritual Warfare

1 Samuel 4:10-11 NIV

[10] So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. [11] The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

During this time, Israel had no king. Israel was ruled by a judge. Eli judged the nation of Israel for forty years. During his time, his sons openly lived in sin (which he did not put a stop to) and Israel did not hear from God. Now towards the end of his life when he hears that the LORD has had enough of his lukewarmness and his sons’ evil acts, Israel goes to battle.

But the LORD wasn’t with them in battle, so they tried to force God’s hand by getting the Ark of the Covenant (where the presence of God rested) and went back to battle. What happened? God’s presence did not remain with them and the Ark of the Covenant was taken by their enemies. Eli’s two sons were killed. And Eli himself died when he heard the Ark was taken.

I want you to notice something. Just because they had the Ark didn’t mean that the LORD was with them. When the leader of a nation does not have God with them, the nation does not have God with them either. Does that mean that God abandons individuals within those nations that have leaders like this? No. God was still with Samuel, but as a nation, God was not with them.

Now, get this, the Ark did not return to Israel until a leader came forth who the LORD was with. It wasn’t until Eli was dead and Samuel became the new leader that the presence of the LORD returned to Israel. This is why we are to pray for our leaders.

We may not agree with everything they say or do, but as a nation, they are our head. And if the head of the nation is corrupt, then the entire nation is corrupt. The LORD will only dwell where He is wanted and pursued. Therefore, pray for your leaders. Pray for their salvation. Pray that the LORD Himself will guide them, keep them, and lead them as He did Samuel, so that His presence may always remain in our nation.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Your Nation’s Leaders.

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness…

It’s really easy to feel genuine dislike or even hatred towards those who wrong you or mistreat you. It’s easy to hold a grudge. But this isn’t the love of God, this is the flesh of the world. See, your enemy isn’t a person. It’s not your boss, your ex, your critic, or even your circumstances. It’s darkness. Organized. Strategic. Relentless. Darkness.

We’re in a war. Not a physical one against other people. But a spiritual one. In this war, you’re either armed or the target. Awake or the victim. Your enemy? The Devil.

If we want to actually see a change in our lives we have to stop fighting people and start fighting darkness. How?  Through prayer. Standing for Truth, righteousness, and goodness. Putting on the full armor of God. And fasting. The armor is there—but you have to wear it. You have to put it on. You have to apply it. And you have to use.

Passive Christians lose ground. Armed Christians take it. Jesus has already won us the victory, all we have to do is fight in His name.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fight In His Name.

Acts of the Apostles 12:6-12 NLT

[6] The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. [7] Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. [8] Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. [9] So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. [10] They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. [11] Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” [12] When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.

Peter was in prison—chained between soldiers, guarded on every side. But while the church prayed, an angel of the Lord came to his aid. The chains fell off. The doors opened. Peter walked out—free.

Not by his own strength. Not by clever plans. But by the power of God.

That’s the freedom Jesus offers us—not just from prisons with bars, but from fear, sin, shame, and anything that keeps us stuck.

This Independence Day, celebrate the freedom Christ gives—a freedom no chain can hold and no prison can keep.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray To The Chain Breaking God.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV

[14] But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. [15] For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, [16] to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

Paul, the greatest apostle who ever lived, equated the Church to an aroma or fragrance to others. To God, we are the aroma of Christ, among those who are being saved and perishing. Then Paul goes on to say to one a fragrance from life to life and to the other a fragrance of death to death. Did you notice that Paul changes the words he uses depending on who he’s speaking in regards to?

First, he starts with “aroma” (euōdia) to God, then when he talks about how we are to other people he changes to “fragrance” (osmē). Now, aroma (euōdia) means a sweet smell, appeasement, incense offering, or offering, but fragrance (osmē) only means smell, scent, odor, fragrance, or perfume. Why does it matter?

To God, we give the aroma of an appeasing, sweet-smelling incense offering. Throughout the Law of Moses, the Israelites were commanded to bring a sacrifice to the LORD to appease His commanded to bring a sacrifice to the LORD to appease His wrath because of their sin. When Jesus died He took the sin of the world upon him and killed sin in Himself. Then He took that sin far far away to Hell and when He rose on the third day, He gave us the hope of our resurrection to come.

When we are baptized, we are baptized into His death and given the aroma of Jesus’ sacrifice to the LORD God. And just as some perfumes are sweet to some and stink to others so are we who are in Christ. We carry that aroma with us wherever we go. So, to others who have that same aroma smell a sweet fragrance while others do not.

This is why the world hates us. This is why before we even meet people, some despise us. This smell dwells and communicates in the spiritual realm. Our spirit can sense and even communicate with other people’s spirit. Its not you, yourself, the world hates but the aroma of the one dwelling inside of you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Sense The Aroma.

¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ~ Romans 2:13

Rain doesn’t fall on empty ground and then magically bear fruit. Fruit only bears fruit after the rain falls on the prepared land … Revival doesn’t come to those who merely listen to good preaching. It comes to those who obey the voice of God.

Therefore, we must be doers of the word, and not hearers only, [and thus] deceive ourselves (James 1:22). It’s not enough to sit in a pew every Sunday and nod in agreement. It’s not enough to sing the songs and clap your hands. It’s not enough to ease your conscience with religious routines.

We can talk about revival with our mouths while resisting it in our hearts. We can sing about fire falling while keeping the altar of our lives cold and empty. But unless we humble ourselves, repent, and obey, revival will never come (2 Chronicles 7:14). We must yearn for it. Long for it. We must hunger and thirst after it. We must forsake our mediocre Christian life.

Jesus is coming back, and He’ll be looking for something … You had better know what He is looking for. It’s not a game. And it’s not a joke. It’s not a vacation. It’s eternity! We are laborers in God’s vineyard. We are workers in His grain field. Therefore, we had better start laboring.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Begin To Work.

[12] Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. [13] But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. [14] Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” ~ Daniel 10:12-14^NIV

When Daniel was in the land of Persia under the reign of the pagan leader his prayers were held up by spiritual beings in the heavenly realms that had authority over the land because of the king. Paul tells us to pray for our leaders and those in authority over us so that we have peaceful lives living in all godliness and holiness (I Timothy 2:1-2).

Therefore, when there is a president or leader in office that aligns with your views, it’s not the time to back off or relax. It’s time to push in because it’s at that time that we have more opportunity to get our prayers answered.

Dear LORD, please guide the hand of the leader of our nation and those who make the laws and judge our people. Please open their eyes to Your Truth and soften their hearts to things of Your Kingdom. Direct their paths that they might not seek evil but chase righteousness. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. 

It was now late at night. Jesus had just eaten. He had washed the disciples’ feet. He had instituted the LORD’s supper. They had sang a hymn on the way to the Mount of Olives, and now He was on the Mount of Olives. I never really thought about it before, but the LORD didn’t sleep His last night before this death in less than 24 hours.

Think about it. If it was your last night, what are you doing? Many would say all the things they hadn’t done that they could do in that last night.” Others say they would make sure their family knew they loved them.

Think about it for a second. Jesus did none of that. Jesus spent His last night before His death with His disciples preparing them for what for what was to come and in prayer to His heavenly Father. He didn’t go see His mother. He didn’t go see His siblings. He prepared His disciples and prepared Himself for what was to come.

How many of us would spend the last night of our lives on earth forsaking our freshly desires? I’m sure Jesus would’ve loved to be with His mother reassuring her it was all going to be okay. I’m sure He was exhausted and could do with a good nap.

Think about it. He was stressed and just spent the previous night and day preparing His disciples for the future. All of that would stress anyone out. It would cause anyone’s body to be exhausted, yet He didn’t sleep. He spent the night preparing. Jesus forsook the needs and desires of the flesh to tend to the desires and needs of the Spirit. Jesus understood His call. He understood His call.

A weary body can be dealt with, but a weary spirit, that’s something else.

Batman

Dear LORD, I’m sorry for all of the times I’ve put the desires of my flesh above the needs of my spirit. Thank You for never leaving me nor forsaking me. Please help me to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me to pick up my cross and follow You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Exodus 7:10-13 NIV

[10] So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. [11] Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: [12] Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. [13] Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and gave him a sign that the LORD had spoken to them. Aaron took his staff, threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent. This didn’t impress Pharaoh, as he understood that the enemy also had power. So, he called in his magicians, and they did the same thing by their magic arts.

I honestly think the scene from The Prince of Egypt truly does a great job embodying that moment. The chief priests and magicians came in the power of like 20+ gods, but Moses (and Aaron) came in the name of only one. The chief priests and magicians were so caught up in trying at their own power and authority over Moses and Aaron that they didn’t even realize that their serpents were swallowed up by the one serpent.

It truly doesn’t matter how many gods you come in the name of. It doesn’t matter how important you believe you are. There is only one God and He alone has all the power and all the authority. Darkness may be able to mimic certain things He does, but never can they truly mimic the power. The prince of Egypt shows but two serpents, but I believe that their were more than just two high priests and magicians standing over Moses and Aaron taunting them with their staff that has now turned into a serpent.

And Aaron’s staff ate each and every one of them. Darkness may be able to imitate the appearance of God, but it can never Imitate His power. There is only one God and only one name by which we can be saved. The world can try to duplicate or imitate salvation, peace, love, joy, etc. but these things can truly only be found in the LORD.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for all the time that I sought the world to fill me instead of you. Please forgive me for all the times I didn’t go in your power but tried to do it in my own. Please open my eyes so that I may see that it is You and You alone that holds the power and authority. Help me to seek You and Your Kingdom and my own. Help me to seek You, oh LORD, and not the things of this world that are mere temporary imitations of the real gifts You have promised me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.