Category: Be Aware of Spiritual Warfare

²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ~ Genesis 1:26^KJV

From the very beginning, God’s intention was to create a world where His most prized possession (man) would have dominion or be in control. The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it, but He has given the authority or the rulership of earth to man. Now that man possesses this vested interest in the affairs of earth, God expects him to take dominion over all the jurisdiction that He has given him and to bring all of creation under the subjection of Almighty God. It is, therefore, our job to ensure that all of God’s creation obeys His rules and regulations and to bow at His throne.

But man gave it all up in the fall, and it fell into the hands of Satan, which he made very clear to Jesus when he told Him that all the kingdoms of the earth were given to him and he could give them to whomever he chose. But the good news is that Jesus bought it all back for us on the cross and gave it back to us again. Jesus came with the sole purpose of dying for mankind and giving them back life and life more abundantly.

During this time of the year, Easter time, we remember the suffering that Jesus went through. We remember the cross that He died upon. We remember His death and resurrection. We remember all of the great promises He has made to us; like when He promised us, “Ask whatever you want in my name, and I will do it.” So, what are you waiting for? Call those things that are not as if they are; you are in authority upon the earth. Stop acting like a second-class citizen. You are a child of God, blessed and highly favored.

Throw your hands up and praise God now for your God-given authority. Then fall on your knees and change your circumstances through prayer.

Father, I come in agreement with every prayer that is of You and ask that You would not only hear but that You would answer as well. That You would change the circumstances for the better for this brother or sister. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ~ Psalms 119:105

What the Psalmist is saying is that God’s word is like a flashlight that is used in the darkest of nights to shine on an obscure path that is shrouded in shadows and gloom and is hard to see. But the light from the flashlight shines on the path and illuminates the way for his feet to safely tread on the way that he is traveling.

Have you ever had days that seem darkened by trouble or the past? Is your mind crowded with things that steal your peace? Maybe it is a project at work that you are responsible for, and it is not working out the way you need it to. The deadline is quickly approaching, and the boss is breathing down your neck for results. The pressure is on, and the time is short; your path looks dark. Maybe it is a monetary problem. Your bills are stacking up, and the bill collector is calling, and you got passed over for the promotion at work. The path looks dark ahead.

Or maybe there is a conflict at work or in your family. Words are said, accusations have flown, making things seem more difficult and more concealed than they really are. Remember that God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Pick up His word and have a read. Read an encouraging devotional that will remind you of the Power and the grace of Almighty God. Nothing flusters Him. Nothing fazes Him. He is as consistent as His Word that will light up your path. So, do as the song writer said and have a little talk with Jesus and tell Him all about your troubles. He will hear your faintest cry, and He will answer by and by because you mean that much to Him. He loves you and cares about you. He died for you and took the chastisement that brought you peace. So, go to Him; He is waiting.

Father, Your promises give me hope in times of trouble, and your faithfulness keeps me when I’m weak. Who, then, is like You, oh LORD my God? Strong in battle and faithful in love. There is none that I can compare You to, none that is Your equal. Be with me and my family today; guide and lead us, I pray. Be with all those who read this prayer today, and harken unto their needs. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²² You are to keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out. ²³ You must not follow the statutes of the nations I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and I abhorred them. ²⁴ And I promised you: You will inherit their land, since I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God who set you apart from the peoples. ~ Leviticus 20:22-24^CSB

When evil rises up, and the righteous cry out against it, God always raises up good to replace the evil. The problem is that once you’ve been raised up to that position, it doesn’t mean temptation ceases. In reality, temptation becomes more and more prevalent. Now, you not only face the temptations of your past but also the temptations of those who came before you that the LORD removed.

The people of Israel had to fight the temptations of the Egyptians of their past and the Canaanites of their future. Israel was to replace the Canaanites in the land because of their great wickedness, but Israel eventually fell prey to the very temptations that caused the Canaanites to be destroyed and removed from the land.

The LORD may be preparing you for a new position, but it’s on you whether you fall or succeed. You are the one who has to build up your spirit man, so that you don’t fall prey to your predecessors. You are the one who has to fight the good fight and finish the race to show yourself approved. The battle is in your hands.

So, what do we do when we see someone fall into temptation, are exposed, and removed? We pray for their redemption and humble ourselves before the LORD, lest we fall prey to the same stumbling block. The LORD will never elevate and use the proud, but instead, only those who humble themselves. Instead of rejoicing in the downfall of those before you, pray for their redemption and pray for your own protection from temptation.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare For Future Battles.

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²⁹ If a man sells a residence in a walled city, his right of redemption will last until a year has passed after its sale; his right of redemption will last a year. ³⁰ If it is not redeemed by the end of a full year, then the house in the walled city is permanently transferred to its purchaser throughout his generations. It is not to be released on the Jubilee. ³¹ But houses in settlements that have no walls around them are to be classified as open fields. The right to redeem such houses stays in effect, and they are to be released at the Jubilee. ~ Leviticus 25:29-31^CSB

The Church is the redeemed body of Christ. We are the saved, sanctified, and protected of the world. When we are given something from the LORD, it is protected from the enemy unless we have an opened door. We are dwelling inside the wall of Christ.

Those who aren’t saved, redeemed, and following Christ are outside of His love. They are outside of His protection and, therefore, outside of His wall. When they sin, they sin according to their own nature. When they trade what they have for something else, it’s not a big deal because both things are of the world and are temporary. This isn’t so for the Christian.

When we become blood-bought, we are no longer living to ourselves. We now live to Christ. We are now the arms, legs, and entire body of Christ. So, when we give into our sin, we are going against the new nature that we have through the Holy Spirit.

Because of this, it is like we are selling the house God has redeemed for us. We’ve become the seller in the walled city. And unless we quickly repent, we’ll give into more and more sin until it completely consumes us, and we forfeit our salvation. Peter put it this way.

²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

2 Peter 2:20-22

When we receive salvation, we accept God’s gift of grace. Then He sanctifies us by separating us from the open city (the world) and bringing us to the walled city (His Kingdom). If we continue in our sin, we are like those who sell their homes in a walled city. It’s only a matter of time before we forfeit our salvation forever.

Dear LORD, please help me not to become deceived or beguiled by this world and all the temporary trinkets it offers us. Help me to be Kingdom-Minded and not earthly-minded. Open my eyes to the schemes of the enemy so that I might not sell my eternal treasures for temporary treasures. Help me to run the race set before me with endurance and focus so that I might finish the race. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:23^NIV

The early Church had a vastly different understanding of what it means to follow Christ than the Church today. For instance, Paul boasted about going through tribulations because of the name of Jesus. He said he was more of a servant because of the tribulation he faced for the name of Jesus, but today’s Church argues the complete opposite.

They claim only those who are lukewarm will go through tribulation. They claim that God loves us too much to allow us to go through tribulation because we are the Bride and we’re to be spotless. Here’s the thing, we’re to be spotless from sin, not from bloodshed. In fact, why would only the head be flogged, beaten, and hated, but the body loved and protected from all harm?

To receive persecution from the world because of the name of Jesus is a badge of honor, according to Peter and John. It’s a privilege to be counted as a servant of Christ, so why have we deceived ourselves and others that it is a punishment or God’s wrath?

Dear LORD, please renew my mind so that I might understand and accept Your Truth and not my own. Open my eyes, ears, and heart that I might hear and understand. Strengthen my spirit man, so that I might be able to stand strong in the day of trial. Prepare, oh LORD, for what may come in my lifetime. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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³ For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, ⁴ since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments ⁵ and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-5^CSB

Lately, my biggest battle has been trying to cast down every thought that enters my mind that isn’t of God. I used to think that if you truly lay something down at the feet of Jesus, then you’ll no longer think about it. If you’re truly over it, those thoughts won’t enter your mind, but then I realized that there’s a difference between me dwelling on the past and the enemy shooting darts full of past memories into your mind.

See, it’s when we dwell on the pain and hurt of the past that we hold on to our own burdens instead of giving them to Christ. But when the thought pops into our mind randomly, and we cast it down, that’s no longer our flesh. That’s the enemy trying to force you to pick back up the baggage that we left at the feet of Jesus.

So what do we do? We continue to cast down every thought that isn’t of God. Why? Because we have this promise from the LORD:

⁷ Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7^CSB

If we resist the Devil and cast down those tempting thoughts that he throws at us, he must flee, and we will overcome through Christ Jesus. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen if we are faithful to the LORD and submit our hearts, minds, and souls to Him.

So, don’t be discouraged by the attacks of the enemy. Fight until you see victory. Cast down evil thoughts and replace them with good thoughts. Replace pain and hurt with love and forgiveness. Replace anxiety with peace. Overcome evil with good.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Cast Down.

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¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. ~ Isaiah 43:19

Renewing your mind is basically changing the way you think. Replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Replacing pessimistic words with words of optimism. Casting down the same old, same old, for the fresh and new.

Therefore:

• Do not let circumstances dictate what kind of day you will have
• Do not let someone else’s words disrupt your peace
• Do not let negative thoughts, which are most probably not true in the first place, take up residence in your mind
• Do not speak rash or say the first thing that pops into your mind
• Your thoughts become your words, and your words will eventually lead to your destiny

Why? Because God is doing a new thing. Therefore, the responsibility is on us to tune in to His frequencies by the renewing of our minds. We stop focusing on the things that are now, that are keeping us down, and we start speaking God’s promises instead.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare For The New.

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⁷ For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: ~ Proverbs 23:7^KJV

As humans think, that is who we are. Meaning that we become our most intimate, and most pronounced thoughts. My daughter, Arie, has a quote on her wall which reads:

Watch your thoughts,
they become words.
Watch your words,
they become actions.
Watch your actions,
they become habits.
Watch your habits,
they become your character.
Watch your character,
It becomes your destiny

Your destiny can be determined by something as small as your thoughts, and that is why it is so important and necessary to renew your mind. Basically, your destiny depends on it. The Scripture is as plain as day: if you think about sinful things, you will be dominated by a sinful nature. But if you want to be controlled by the Spirit of God, and if you want to please God and have His peace that passes all understanding, then you must have thoughts that are pleasing to the Spirit.

If you say, “I will never make it,” then you will never make it. Your words determine your destiny. So, watch your words. Be intentional with your words, for the enemy is always watching, looking for a way to trip you up and keep you from reaching your true potential in Christ Jesus.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Rewire Your Mind.

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⁵ Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. ⁶ So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. ⁷ For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸ That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. ~ Romans 8:5-8

Culture shifts daily. It’s an ever-changing, never satisfying, shifting world. Therefore, society needs to have some sort of standard in order to not go into total depravity, which we are not far from today. For instance, today, we have groups of people getting together to promote the normalization of people who feel like dogs. So, they get together and howl together like dogs. They walk around on all fours, barking while on leashes. This is crazy. This is not normal behavior. It seems like society is ‘pulling out all the stops’ in order to make the abnormal normal; we need a balance.

But for that, we need an unchanging standard, which is God, Who is ultimately our final judge. For the Word of God says that the LORD does not change (Malachi 3:6a and Hebrews 13:8). How do we combat this darkness? We start with us. Paul urges us to not let society or popular culture dictate our thoughts and, ultimately, our actions by accepting their perverted notion of morality.

But How Do We Renew Our Minds?

Well, first of all, we must make a conscious decision to make a change. But before we can actually make a change, we must identify the problem or the thing we wish to change, like anger, lust, and other things that God frowns on.

What I mean is to bring our lives into alignment with God. But how do we do that? By knowing what the Word of God says. You can only know what the Word of God says if you read the Word of God for yourself.

Craig Groeschel said, “Our lives move in the direction of our strongest thoughts.”

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold To What Is Steady.

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¹⁵ Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it. ~ James 4:15-17^CSB

My whole life, I’ve heard my parents say LORD’s willing when speaking of our future tasks. I myself have even said, but not enough around a certain person that she even told her husband she’s never heard me or my mother say it. When I search through my phone, I have message after message of me and my parents saying LORD’s willing, but I don’t have any to her saying it. This struck me as odd.

See, I was put in her life to help guide her in the Word of the LORD and help her grow in Christ, but I can’t find a message of me saying LORD’s willing to her. This could easily be something that anyone could say was just a coincidence, but I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in spiritual warfare.

When you become comfortable around someone, and you don’t know why they’re in your life, you stop being intentional with every word you speak. To my own shame, it wasn’t me who showed her or taught her LORD’s willing; it was her husband; she called me to see if he was right. I say to my shame because he had learned it that night and was being intentional with every word he said, making sure to use it so as not to be arrogant, as James says.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t being intentional because I didn’t even realize until recently my purpose in her life. While I was proud of her husband for his desire to grow in the LORD, I felt disappointed in myself that the enemy could remove an important covering phrase from my vocabulary when talking to the person who needed to hear it most.

As Christians, we have to yearn for and earnestly seek the Spirit of Discernment so that the Holy Spirit might be able to speak through us, even in things that we wouldn’t necessarily see as big. We have to be intentional with our words and focused on our purpose in people’s lives so that the enemy has no room to trip us up in our words or actions or the lack thereof.

Dear LORD, please forgive me for all the times that I’ve been unintentional with my words. Please forgive me for every time I’ve missed the role I have to play in someone else’s life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and with the gift of discernment. Teach me to discern right and wrong. What I need to do and what I need not to do. Who is in my life, and whose life I am in. Teach me to strengthen my spirit man that I might not be caught lacking. Teach me to be a light in this darkness. Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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