Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Lies Religious Tradition Taught us: Spiritual Warfare

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.                 2 Timothy 3:5 KJV 

13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Mark 7:13 NKJV


We've been in an extended study examining the lies religious traditions of men have taught the Body of Christ. Concepts taught with such conviction by leaders it would almost seem blasphemous to dare question it. Ideas and views taught for so long they have formed strongholds in the minds of many.

 So far we've addressed concepts like God is the author of sickness and disease, that He is the bringer of destruction through disasters. That He creates evil so good may come about. That poverty is a blessing. That God's power has weakened and waned in this day and age. 

 Today, it seemed good to address an issue that has created so much division and also created chaos and extremes in many quarters of the Body of Christ. The idea of spiritual warfare. That is extremes and traditions born from wrong ideas about spiritual warfare.

 The truth of Scripture is that there is spiritual warfare;
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

 We see here that we are in a heavenly fight. We are engaged in battle with a spiritual enemy. However, we have the truth on our side. God tells us when we resist the enemy, he will flee. God informs us that Jesus was manifest to destroy the works of the enemy. The enemy has been defeated by the Finished Work of Christ! 

 So we are not implying there is no such thing as spiritual warfare but we want to expose the traditions surrounding spiritual warfare. The idea that the enemy is so strong and the Church so weak. That the world is all going to hell and only a tiny number of folk will go to Heaven. That the enemy is the watchdog of Father God. 

 First, we have seen there is spiritual warfare. Ok, but where is the battleground? For so long many thought it was lands, cities, and nations. No, the Word reveals the battle is in the mind. I won't deny the concept that the Word seems to allude to that demons can be set at geographical regions but those enemies are simply there afflicting the minds of the peoples there. To see victory, a change of mind, a mind renewal is needed.

 When the truth is proclaimed, minds are renewed and eyes are opened and strongholds come tumbling down. So that leads us to dethrone another myth. That is the idea the Church is so weak and the enemy so strong.

 As we've shared the enemy has been defeated. He has been brought low. The only reason the enemy seems so much more powerful is too often the Church has not risen up and dared to take its place! We are the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the victorious, overcoming, triumphant and more than a conqueror Church! When we stand in our God-given authority, the enemy scatters and flees in terror.

 Some think the enemy isn't yet defeated. That's why warfare is such a struggle. They are fighting and resisting trying to attain victory. They are the ones seeing demons behind every tree and fearful of the world around them. Jesus defeated the enemy soundly! Our assignment is to occupy till He comes. That means we are to enforce and demonstrate this total defeat of the enemy.

 Allow me to quell quickly another myth. This idea that the devil is now merely God's lackey. That the enemy is now God's watchdog. God isn't waiting for you to foul up so He can sic the devil on you. God corrects through the instruction of the Word. He isn't using the enemy to torment or teach you.

 Now for this giant myth. That the world and all its darkness is so evil that it is winning and taking ground and that there is a remnant Church. This is the speech of an exclusionary gospel. Now before universalists and inclusionists think I am saying the Gospel means all are saved, I am not. 

 I am saying, the talk of a remnant Church is exclusionary to other believers not the unsaved. It speaks of works and a performance-based relationship with God. It's saying, in this dark and fallen world, we are the only sincere and true believers in you Jesus. What makes you more sincere than say someone else? Well, I don't do this or that. So it's all about their work and doing and not King Jesus' Finished Work.

 As believers in Jesus, the Spirit will correct and instruct us and lead us to drop bad habits, unprofitable behavior, and lead us away from sin. But until these things fully manifest themselves in our outward behavior, it doesn't mean we are on the outside looking in. That we lose out in intimacy with God. That Father God is saying, you can't sit in my lap till you clean up your act. The Father seeks relationship, not perfection.

 The World system is a lost and fleshly driven system of thinking. It is influenced by the evil one. No one can doubt this. They are deceived. This is why they redefine God's definition of the family, of men and women and urge others to kill infants in the womb. As dark as they are they're not out of Heaven's reach. This also means Hell will not overpopulate Heaven.

 Jesus wouldn't pay such a high price only to lose most of the world's people. Heaven is too numerous to number. Jesus wins! We just need to share God's, unfailing love with all.

 If we want to wage true spiritual warfare, then renew your mind to who you are in Christ Jesus. Keep feeding on the truth that you are the Righteousness of God in Christ. That you are loved by God. Then take this message to all the World. Proclaiming to the world that they are loved by God unconditionally and that He isn't mad at them or holding their sins against them, demonstrates the enemy's defeat. It changes hearts and minds and opens them to receive the Good News of Jesus and New Life in Him.

 In summation, Jesus defeated the enemy. We have the victory. God loves us unconditionally. When we know who we are and whose we are triumphant victory becomes a reality in our lives. 
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