Possess the Land - Deut 1:8

Man is a spiritual being and because modern philosophy has sought to ignore this fact, most of today's approach to solving man's problems is inadequate or temporary. I believe there are spiritual answers for a spiritual man, and God's Spirit can reach down inside of man and bring forth an integration of his being when there has been a continual disintegration.

There are spiritual concepts which deal with basic problems that trouble people. Being a Christian does not automatically solve these problems, but most certainly places one in the position to receive help. That help comes through a proper understanding of Satan and his works, and understanding of one's self and an understanding of God and His provision to meet every need of man.

Salvation is our entrance into the family of God. It is also our deliverance from sin and the penalty of sin. It is our deliverance from "Egypt" and God desires to bring us into a good land. The Lord does not just want us to be satisfied with Salvation. He has a land that He wants to bring us into and this land must be taken.

Along with delivering us from the penalty of sin, He desires to also heal us from the effects of sin and bring us into a land of blessing and fruitfulness. God's Word instructs us that what God has given to His Church, His Church must reach out and appropriate/take by faith.

Deu 1:8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

Too many today are delivered from Egypt and "die in the wilderness".

It is the Lord's desire to bring healing to His people, to break severe bondages, release people to live in acceptance and love and bring people to self-acceptance and identity releasing them from the hurts of the past.

In short, it is God's desire for man to be a total man -- free to relate to others and free to relate to God. This is the land that God wants to bring us into.

Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

The Church is very passive today and much of it has come by way of deception causing a blindness to come over the church regarding its spiritual condition. The Lord wants His Church to "rise up and rule in the midst of your enemies!"

The god of this world has established his strongholds and authorities in the land. I believe the word that came to Israel through Moses is the word for the Church today,
"Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land..." (Deut. 1:8)

A passive attitude will not conquer and possess. Consequently, the enemy remains in the land and God's people suffer. It is never God's will for His people to suffer from the oppression of the enemy. God wants His people to be a victorious people: a strong people that can determine the will of God and take direction rather than being directed by a turn of events. He wants a people that will magnify the Name of the Lord--who has made Him their strong Tower, their Refuge, their Shield, their Covering and their Conqueror.

In God's Word we can find encouragement to do battle with the enemy and to arise to enter into all of God's provisions promised to His people. There are areas of the mind that we will discuss that keep God's people from rising up in the Lord and entering in. Deception and passivity are two major areas in which the enemy works.

God wants a free people that will possess ALL the land.

2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

A777

Josh 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Josh 1:13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

God gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites. The giving was God's part, the taking was Israel's part. The land was theirs but they had to possess it.

The Lord shows us that WHAT IS GIVEN IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY OURS.

Deut 1:8 Behold, I have set the land before you: GO IN AND POSSESS THE LAND which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

THE CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH TODAY - POSSESS THE LAND WITHOUT!

Jesus is our spiritual Joshua. Joshua broke the power of the authorities.

Jos 11:23 SO JOSHUA TOOK THE WHOLE LAND, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

Jos 12:24 The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

JOSHUA DIVIDED THE LAND BEFORE THEM
Jdg 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?

THE CHURCH MUST DEAL WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE ENEMY
Israel did not possess all their land.

Jdg 1:19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; BUT COULD NOT drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

Jdg 1:21 And the children of Benjamin DID NOT DRIVE OUT the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

Jdg 1:27 NEITHER DID Manasseh DRIVE OUT the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

Jdg 1:28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, AND DID NOT UTTERLY DRIVE THEM OUT.

Jdg 2:12 And THEY FORSOOK THE LORD GOD of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

JESUS
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.

WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN MUST BE POSSESSED BY THE CHURCH

A WORD TO THE CHURCH
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I COMMANDED YOU; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Lord has not changed. This is the same word to His people that He has been telling them from of old.

Deu 8:1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.

Jos 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

AN ARMOR FOR THE CHURCH - Ephesians 6

A BATTLE FOR THE CHURCH -
2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

So, we see in the Old Testament that they fought men, kings, princes, nations, etc. Today, our battle is not carnal and neither are our weapons. Our fight is with powers and principalities. Of course, there were powers and principalities behind these men and nations and kings and princes back then and those same powers and principalities are here today.

God's command to subdue and drive out all inhabitants and possess the land has not changed and the way of doing it has not changed. Man must apprehend all the God has for him by faith.

A word for you today as you walk with the Lord.

Deu 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

A777

Next: Possessing the Land Within

It is the Lord's desire to bring healing to His people, to break severe bondages, release people to live in acceptance and love and bring people to self-acceptance and identity releasing them from the hurts of the past.

And 'identity'? Please could you explain your idea a bit more?

Thanks.

That is a great question AtG. I'll do my best to answer it.

Rather than wax theological, I will start out with a brief story then talk about alienation and what it did to the soul of man then pick up the story again. I think this will answer for you in a more comprehensive way what I mean by acceptance and identity.

A young woman came out of the psychiatric hospital tormented by guilt and shame. Slash marks upon her wrists showed how deep the guilt was. Thoughts of suicide constantly barraged her mind. Over three years in the hospital did not take away the pain. The guilt lay so deep she had been unable to admit to herself the cause of her guilt. She had suffered deep depression since the beginning of puberty. Why was she tormented so much? What did she refuse to remember?

Guilt, shame and fear are the first works of death, coming out of alienation. All of this began in the garden when man was separated from God. Man's transgression brought death. The death that man experienced was ALIENATION and man's behaviour changed immediately.

Until that day man had been free and he had never known fear. He was free to draw near to God, free to fellowship with another without embarrassment, free to communicate his most intimate feelings and thoughts, free to come near in relationship without being self-conscious, free to be himself without fear of rejection. Until the day man experienced the death of alienation, he was free from fear.

Prior to his transgression, Adam was able to receive (accept) love and to give love. There was no rejection of others or self-rejection, self-hatred of himself.

The day that man transgressed and broke covenant with God, he became a hiding, covering creature who lost his identity in God.

Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I WAS AFRAID, because I WAS NAKED; and I HID MYSELF.

These three statements express the immediate effect of alienation upon man: "I was afraid, I was naked and I hid myself." For the first time man experienced guilt, shame and fear. His first response was to distance himself and cover. Here we see the beginning of isolation. No longer able to be transparent, fearful of being too close, man has behaved by hiding and covering himself ever since.

I know this seems like a long answer but by painting a picture of what man became through the fall and the resulting guilt and shame that ensued I am hoping to show how guilt is more than a mental or psychological problem, but rather it has deep spiritual roots that has caused complete disintegration of the identity that God gave to man in the beginning and has brought about in man the inability to accept love from God and others.

Following the pattern of the first man who put the blame upon the woman, men still try to maintain innocence through denial and blame. First, a form of denial comes through minimizing an act or by ignoring consequences. A man tries to convince himself that the act is not that bad after all; it is normal. He sets forth all his intentions as being good. He rejects norms that would disapprove of his behavior. He brings forth a new order to give more freedom. Second, he lays the blame on another. Adam blamed the woman, and the woman blamed the serpent. Man refuses to accept responsibility; at any cost he must maintain his innocence. By denial and blame the natural man handles guilt.

Accepting the responsibility of guilt brings man to a process of comparison. The focus of attention is upon others. Finding sin in others helps to alleviate his own guilt. A mental process of constant comparison issues forth. He is not looking for good in others, but rather for sin and failure. Every discovery causes him to feel better about himself. And the search continues.

Then there is the mental process of balancing the moral ledger. For every credit there must be a debit; the books must balance. If he can do enough good to balance the bad, the conscience finds rest. So he is constantly looking for some way to do good. It is a process of removing guilt by one's own righteousness. It is man's process of being able to ACCEPT HIMSELF.

Guilt has deep spiritual roots. It involves the problem of evil. The day he experienced the death of alienation, man also experienced the entrance of evil. The effect of evil upon the soul of man goes beyond the perception of mind or the response of emotions.

What does evil do to the soul of man? First, evil destroyed innocence, "their eyes were opened." When he lost innocence, man experienced a sense of nakedness. This awareness of self came with a sense of shame. It caused an immediate reaction of covering himself and hiding. Shame then became a basic problem for man. Some of the deepest roots of shame and guilt come from experiencing evil in the time of innocence. This problem is not evident at first in children, but the fruit of shame and guilt will come out later.

The young woman in the beginning of this chapter was carrying deep feelings of guilt, shame and fear. She had refused to remember that her father had sexually abused her when she was four years of age. When she reached puberty, she was unable to accept her body, developing into the body of a woman. Everything about herself took on the concept of guilt and shame. Yet inside she was driven with certain sexual impulses that frightened her, that she could not deny. Being driven with sexual desires and filled with guilt, she found herself in a dilema with which she could not cope. Withdrawing into herself, she became alienated from family and friends.

Second, when it comes in, evil defiles the conscience of man. He begins to feel dirty and to see himself as unclean. He is experiencing guilt. The behavior of hiding and covering becomes compulsive. Ritualistic cleansing and washing, dressing immaculately, and obsessive cleanliness in the house indicate a neurotic reaction to guilt. Along with this comes the projection of guilt and blame on others. Impending judgment waits for all who fail to measure up to his self-imposed standards.

If he does not project it on others he will internalize the guilt. Self-punishment, self-hatred, and self-accusatory thoughts bring one to consider suicide. The young woman mentioned in the beginning lived at this point for several years. The torment of guilt gives no peace. Alienation always brings death in some way.

The frightening results of alienation is that man loses himself. And man does not find himself by looking within himself, neither does he find purpose by living for himself. When man can no longer see the face of God man loses all perspective of who he is. Alienation carries one into a downward spiral of lostness and separation.

Man through transgression, brought upon himself such guilt and shame that he utterly lost his true identity in God and by losing that and becoming alienated from God, his ability to give love, receive love and love himself, was replaced with guilt, shame and nakedness.

I am actually going to get to this more in depth when I talk about the ROOT OF REJECTION and how to deal with it.

The wonderful news is that Jesus Christ removes our guilt by cleansing us from sin and forgiving us. We are accepted in the Beloved. Through Him we learn to love and receive love, and we receive our true identity in HIM.

Obtaining forgiveness is only part of man's salvation, as there is also cleansing from all sin. Then God removes all defilement of sin, and man is actually free from sin and guilt. At this point man finds peace. The cleansing agent on earth that cleanses man from sin is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Until God cleanses his conscience, a man cannot be free from guilt. God must remove not only sin, but the defilement of it. Through forgiveness God lifts the weight of his sin. Only then is he free.

What He cleanses, God also covers. God provides a covering of righteousness once man allows his nakedness to be exposed.

Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

God covers only that which He cleanses.

Thank you for asking for clarification. It reminded me to talk about Adam's transgression and the resulting alienation with God that it brought. And this alienation with God brought in the worst darkness to man. Man lost his identity when he lost his fellowship with God. Man receives a new identity when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Man only finds himself (his identity) in God. Apart from God, man has the identity of Satan.

Joh 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

All the very best,
A777

Amen, Lisa.

Only as He increases in us are we healed and delivered. The more He increases the more land we possess.

Philippians 2:8
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The same path He walked, we now have to walk. Humility, obedience and the Cross. The Cross is the touchstone of faith for us, where we should live each day. It is where Victory is found.

A777

THE CHALLENGE BEFORE THE CHRISTIAN TODAY IS TO POSSESS THE LAND WITHIN!

1.Just like Joshua in in the OT broke the authority of evil over the children of Israel, our Joshua (Jesus) has broken the authority of evil over us and we have a land to possess, now.

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:

2.The works of the enemy must be dealt with in the land
of:

-The mind
-The will
-The emotions
-The body

3.Biblical Principle: What has been given must be
possessed. (Already talked about earlier, Deut 1:8)

-Salvation is given on the principle of faith and the
battles we fight and the victories that are yet to be won
must operate on this same principle.

-Faith extends God’s authority into every area of our
living.

4.The works of the enemy must be torn down in our lives
and his presence driven out.

THE CHALLENGE of SATAN IS TO ROB THE CHRISTIAN OF GOD’S PROVISION (Love, Peace, Joy, Sound Mind, Healthy-Loving Relationships, etc., etc.)

1.\tHe will challenge the believer.
2.\tHis works must be met with superior force.
3.\tThe Cross is the focal point of his defeat
4.\tHe is a defeated foe who has left his forces
scattered in the land.

To “possess the land” means the same thing in principle that it did for the Israelites. You must face the enemy and his works. There can be no victory without a battle and there will be no battle if you shrink back and run from your enemies.

There can be no compromise in any area of your life. The Land of Promise should be the land of complete victory. It can be IF YOU ARE WILLING to deal with all the works of the enemy.

Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Many people in the wilderness are waiting for God to give them the land. Yet God IS WAITING FOR YOU TO FACE YOUR ENEMY. The land is yours, you must take it by taking it away from your enemy, and you take it away from your enemy by facing him in the name of Jesus Christ. The enemy is wreaking havoc in the land and must be defeated. When you get there, you’ll have giants. Expect them! They are already there. Face them in the name of the Lord of Hosts as David did.

1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

The Lord will help you to reclaim your mind, will, emotions and body for the Glory of God.

Remember that the power of God was released when the Israelites opened their mouths (Jericho).

Authority is laid hold of in your life and is not inherent in the believer. You lay hold of ever increasing degrees of authority through faith by the Holy Spirit. Authority in your life over the powers of darkness is also determined by personal victory and purity in your life.

Scriptures on Authority
Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Luk 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to TREAD on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Face the enemy in and with the power of Jesus Name not in your own name or “righteousness” or position , but in Jesus’ name.

Look at the verbs below. There is nothing passive about them.

1Ti 6:12 FIGHT the good fight of faith, LAY HOLD on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast PROFESSED a good profession before many witnesses.

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be PARTAKERS of the divine nature, having ESCAPED the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2Pe 3:14 …BE DILIGENT that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

2Pe 3:18 But GROW in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

May the Lord bless you as you fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life.

A777

Hi A777,

Thanks for your reply. I see what you're getting at about acceptance and identity, now. (I think :) )

Salvation is given on the principle of faith and the
battles we fight and the victories that are yet to be won must operate on this same principle.

Faith extends God’s authority into every area of our living.

The BELT OF TRUTH

An agressive church needs protection. God has given her a spiritual armor. The command is "Put on the whole armour of God". We shall look at the strategy of the enemy and God's protection.

Eph 6:11 PUT ON the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to STAND against the wiles of the devil.

Without the armor of God you cannot resist. The secret is RESISTING if you can STAND long enough.

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND.

Prepare Yourself for Battle and prepare yourself for deception with God's Armor

1. GOD'S TRUTH - A BELT
- Form of attack from the enemy
a. Lies against the character of God.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

b. Deception about who you are.

What do you believe about yourself that keeps you from surrendering to the Lord? What has Satan convinced you of that is a lie?

c. Error as to the way your are going.

Matt 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

The man in Matthew 25:24 had a distorted view of God. You won't be very profitable to God if this is your view.

v25 He was afraid and he withdrew and hid.

And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

- COUNTERATTACK: God's truth enables us to move in battle.
a. "Gird up your loins" means to prepare for activity.

Exo 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.

b. "Gird up your loins" means "be dressed in readiness:

Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

Girding up your loins indicates that you are preparing for battle.

c. Gird up your mind. Tying it all together - Let your mind be alert and not passive.

1Pe 1:13 Wherefore GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

If you "gird up your mind", you can receive truth and initiate and make decisions. This is the opposite of passivity.

The Armor of Truth can be misplaced by walking in deception.

The devil knows how to come against you and the basis of spiritual warfare is TRUTH. Truth defeats lies. The Devil initiates his schemes through lies. Know the truth and the the truth will set you free and enable you to not receive lies.

Eph 6:12 "We wrestle not against flesh and blood" - so it's not someone else's fault that we are deceived. However, they may be an instrument of the enemy.

but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the WILES OF THE DEVIL. (He is the deceiver).

Jesus is our weapon of TRUTH.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me

So, “put on” Jesus Christ – He is the armor of God

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

I have heard this topic preached before - from a New Covenant perspective. I thought I knew what to expect! How wrong I was. But I am enjoying trying to get my head round this approach. The challenges haven't changed.

In another thread posted by Greg yesterday, I found this, which I've edited into the last post on Spiritual Warfare - Jim Logan. It is equally relevant here.

'A direction of great importance to one who would live this life, is this:—In your sins, troubles, and temptations, make no distinction between great and little things. Remember that nothing that has the slightest bearing on your improvement and spiritual progress is insignificant in the estimation of Christ. Now it is a fact, that Christians are more impeded in their progress by little things, than by great ones;—because, for great things, they seek the strength of Christ, and for little ones, they act in their own. But if the little accidents of every day’s occurrence, the petty annoyances to which every one is subjected, be sufficient to ruffle the temper and excite an unchristian spirit, they are to you matters of very serious moment; and as such, you must regard them—nor can you fully abide in Christ by attaching to such things that just importance, which shall lead you to refer them to Him with the same freedom that you feel in reference to what you commonly call serious affairs. If you are conscious of peculiar and besetting faults, familiarize your mind to those incidents of the life of Jesus, which show a particular bearing on them.

If you are irritable, examine all those incidents which show his untiring patience; if you are proud, those which exhibit his humility; if you are worldly, those that show his spirituality; if you are negligent and careless in duty, those which show his incessant zeal and activity. Study them, understand them, keep them in memory, and pray to him to infuse into you the same spirit. The memory too may well be stored with those sacred songs descriptive of the character of the Saviour, or imploring his divine aid; for their sweet words will sometimes come to you in hours of temptation like gentle messages from your Lord.'

From: 'Harriet Beecher Stowe - How to Live On Christ'
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=38911&forum=34

There is a talk by J O Sanders, called 'Jericho Relationships', which first addresses practical issues of honour where due, obedience, willing submission to guidance (and so on) within a missionary organisation. Then, he speaks on the taking of Jericho(s), giving two additional testimonies from other lives.

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=11647

Joshua 5:11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched [corn] in the selfsame day.

12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, [Art] thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but [as] captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?'

Amen.

Hi AtG,

I had no idea that Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a book about Christ. I will have to check into that. Her very famous one is "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which is about the injustice of enslaving another human being.

Remember that nothing that has the slightest bearing on your improvement and spiritual progress is insignificant in the estimation of Christ.

So true. The Holy Spirit will use situations and relationships to increase pressure (turn up the fire) on us in order to expose the enemies in the land. These enemies are the unsurrendered areas of our heart. These unsurrendered areas in the heart are held captive and controlled by idols and idols offer no help in the "swelling of the Jordan" (trials). In trials they turn us inward to self instead of towards Christ.

We must slay these idols (repent, believe the truth of the Word about God and ourselves) so those areas of our hearts can be fully given to the Lord.

Joshua 7:13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

We can never stand before the enemy with a divided heart. If we hold back and want to keep some idols in our heart that the Lord has shown us to remove, we will not be able to fully follow the Lord.

2Ch 29:5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts is reclaiming the ground in the Land (mind, will, emotions, body) that the enemy has taken by his lies about God, His Word and who we are in God. Then facing the enemy (recognizing that which impedes us such as believing a lie or holding onto a work of the flesh/loving sin) and driving him out of the land by repentance and faith toward God. And receiving the engrafted Word that is able to save your souls.

Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

This is warfare!

Receive the Word, Face the enemy, Declare God's Word that is a sword (Truth) which will slay the lies in our lives and repent for giving place to the enemy and allowing his lies in your life to cause you to sin and rebel against God.

If you believe the lies of Satan you will walk in the flesh and sin against God.

Exo 23:33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Well, I am going to talk about the Breastplate of Righteousness soon. We will see some things about Accusations of the Enemy and how the Breastplate of Righteousness protects us.

I hope that those who are believing lies about themselves and about God will turn to the Lord with their whole heart and to His Word and let the Holy Spirit minister Truth to them which will help them see in their current "darkness". All is not lost with Jesus Christ. All is NEVER lost! There is a way out of your troubles and doubting.

The Lord can show you how you got into your present predicament and He will show you the way out. The way out is always throught the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings,
A777

I had no idea that Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a book about Christ.

If you look at the thread Greg posted with that title (linked) you can follow the writer's account of his search for it, after the quote.

Here follows a fuller reply.

[land] the enemy has taken by his lies about God, His Word and who we are in God.

'2Ch 29:5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.'

2 Kings 23:3 And the king [Josiah] stood by a pillar [IN THE TEMPLE], and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all [their] heart and all [their] soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

(It is very important to come into agreement with God, no matter what kind of idolatry has stolen one's heart from Him.)

4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.

(Bethel is at least ten miles from Jerusalem.)

5 And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

I hope that those who are believing lies about themselves and about God will turn to the Lord with their whole heart and to His Word and let the Holy Spirit minister Truth to them

Hi AtG,

I found this regarding Harriet Beecher Stowe and the pamphlet. Looks like she wrote it.

How To Live on Christ is the title of the booklet by Harriet Beecher Stowe which Hudson Taylor sent in 1869 to the missionaries affiliated with the China Inland Mission.

Here is the booklet, reprinted. Hard to find the small book.

http://www.peterwade.org/articles/other/how-to-live-on-christ.shtml

How does one find out one is believing lies, except it comes through 'a word from the Lord' somehow?

You are right. No one goes around thinking that they are believing lies about themselves (usually). Although, as believers we pray to the Lord to show us anywhere in our heart where we may be deceived. But yes, all throughout the OT, the Lord would bring attention to idols and through a prophet or judge (type of Holy Spirit) would command repentance and destruction of the idols.

We need light first.

A777

God's Righteousness - A Breastplate

- Form of attack from the enemy:
a. Accusations - Night and Day accusing the brethren.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: FOR THE ACCUSER OF OUR BRETHREN is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Rom 8:31 ...If God be for us, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

b. Condemnation - When falsely condemned, declare the truth.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

c. Spiritual pride is trusting one's own goodness.

Accusations and condemnation are a very effective tool of Satan. People are so bombarded by accusations that they are unable to rise up in the spirit and be who they are suppose to be in Christ Jesus. Accusations will put the spirit of slavery upon you.

Accusations and condemnation do not come from God. The source is the enemy. Don't receive it. When you entertain accusations and condemnation against you, that is the beginning of "receiving" them. The Devil wants to bring condemnation on you in everything you say and do.

Decide whether you are going to stand in your own righteousness or God's righteousness. You cannot be accused if you are standing in God's righteousness.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.

- PROTECTION - A heart that is covered with God's righteousness.

a. Pure motives: love and compassion--God's glory.
b. You must stand in God's righteousness.

Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Jesus is our weapon of RIGHEOUSNESS.

Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

So, “put on” Jesus Christ – He is the armor of God

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

God's Gospel of Peace - Shoes

Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

- Form of attack from the enemy:
a. Persecution - Satan tries to get others to attack you. Persecution comes through men.

John 15:20 ...If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have PEACE. In the world ye shall have TRIBULATION: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

b. Lies - 1Tim 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

c. Compromise

d. Passivity

Matt 5:10 Blessed are they which are PERSECUTED for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and PERSECUTE you, and shall say all manner of evil against you FALSELY (Lies), for my sake.

- Counterattack: Feet that always follow the way of PEACE

a. Jesus the example

Matt 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Matt 12:19 He shall NOT STRIVE, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

Matt 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

b. Feet indicate one is ready to move with a message.
Always follow the way of peace - Your reaction? A peaceful attitude.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16), and your shoes are misplaced by strife and dissension.

Purpose in your heart to walk in peace and ask the Lord to show you the areas in your life that keep you from walking in peace. Drive the enemy (FEAR, INSECURITY, STRIFE, ACCUSATIONS, CONDEMNATION, UNBELIEF, etc) out of your land and you will have PEACE.

Jesus is our weapon of PEACE.

Eph 2:14 FOR HE IS OUR PEACE, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

So, “put on” Jesus Christ – He is the armor of God

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The original breastplate is first mentioned in Exodus 25.

Exodus 28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. 3 And thou shalt speak unto all [that are] wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 4 And these [are] the garments which they shall make; a BREASTPLATE, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

15 And thou shalt make the BREASTPLATE OF JUDGEMENT with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, and [of] fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 16 Foursquare it shall be [being] doubled; a span [shall be] the length thereof, and a span [shall be] the breadth thereof. 17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, [even] four rows of stones: [the first] row [shall be] a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: [this shall be] the first row. {sardius: or, ruby} 18 And the second row [shall be] an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, [like] the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. 22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends [of] wreathen work [of] pure gold.

28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that [it] may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy [place], for a memorial before the LORD continually. 30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the JUDGEMENT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL UPON HIS HEART BEFORE THE LORD CONTINUALLY.

This aspect of the High Priest's duties was eventually taken up by Jesus Christ. It's good to have HIS consciousness of our sins - by Whose blood we are cleansed - when claiming the breastplate of righteousness to wear in the Spirit.

(This aspect of the High Priest's duties was eventually taken up by Jesus Christ. It's good to have HIS consciousness of our sins - by Whose blood we are cleansed - when claiming the breastplate of righteousness to wear in the Spirit.

The entire chapter of Exo 28 is such a great study. Here are few more points to add to yours.

Aaron is a type of Christ, our high priest; (Heb. 8:l-6)
And Aaron’s sons - A type of Christians, who are priests unto God; (I Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6).

The clothes for Aaron's sons!

Resembled those of the high priest; (28:40)

And so, our clothes must resemble those of our Hight Priest (Jesus).

Provided the priests with glory and beauty.
Exo 28:40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for GLORY and for BEAUTY.

We also are changed from glory to glory.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the GLORY of the Lord, are changed into the same image from GLORY TO GLORY, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

COVERED THEIR NAKEDNESS
Exo 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to COVER THEIR NAKEDNESS; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy NAKEDNESS do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

We also are dressed in the righteousness of Christ, our
high priest.

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the RIGHTEOUSNESS which is of God by faith:

Rom 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF FAITH.

A777

The old hymn captures the same balance of transformation from sinner to saint, from rebel to priest - and king.

'With harps and with vials, there stand a great throng
In the presence of Jesus, and sing this new song:

Refrain
Unto Him Who hath loved us and washed us from sin,
Unto Him be the glory forever, Amen.

All these once were sinners, defiled in His sight,
Now arrayed in pure garments in praise they unite:

He maketh the rebel a priest and a king,
He hath bought us and taught us this new song to sing:

How helpless and hopeless we sinners had been,
If He never had loved us till cleansed from our sin:

Aloud in His praises our voices shall ring,
So that others believing, this new song shall sing:'

This part is about the shoulderpieces on the ephod.

Exodus 28:9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10 Six of their names on one stone, and [the other] six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, [like] the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. 12 And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod [for] stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen [chains] of gold in the two rings [which are] on the ends of the breastplate. 25 And [the other] two ends of the two wreathen [chains] thou shalt FASTEN in the two ouches, and PUT [them] ON THE SHOULDERPIECES OF THE EPHOD before it... 28 And they shall BIND THE BREASTPLATE by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that [it] may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate BE NOT LOOSED FROM THE EPHOD.

So, the High Priest was constantly reminded of the names of the people whose sins he bore into God's presence in the Holy of Holies when he went in to make atonement with the blood. He was burdened by them and their unruliness.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and THE GOVERNMENT shall be upon HIS SHOULDER: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the INCREASE OF [his] government and PEACE [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it WITH JUDGEMENT AND WITH JUSTICE from henceforth even FOR EVER. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

(There's that zeal again.)

Lastly, we are exhorted to come to Christ our High Priest and by taking His yoke - the burden resting on His shoulders - upon OUR SHOULDERS, to learn of Him, lowliness of heart, meekness, and humility.

(Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.)

These are not the characteristics of a rebel, but of a king who is rightly submitted to God, understanding that all power belongs to Him.

His yoke, we are told will be 'easy'; and that His 'burden is light'. Our great High Priest has completely transformed the office of High Priest from one which carried a weight which could never be discharged fully, to one which is finished for ever. That's amazing. No wonder we rejoice!

This is the ground on which we STAND when taking the armour of God to protect, defence and empower us.

God's Shield of Faith

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the FIERY DARTS of the wicked.

- Form of attack from the enemy: “Fiery darts”

a. Unbelief

Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: BUT THE WORD PREACHED DID NOT PROFIT THEM, NOT BEING MIXED WITH FAITH in them that heard it.

Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of UNBELIEF.

Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them THAT BELIEVED NOT.

b. Doubt

Psa 106:24 Yea, they despised THE PLEASANT LAND, THEY BELIEVED NOT his word (DOUBT):

Psa 106:25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.

Psa 106:26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

c. Fear (the antithesis of faith)

What kind of land did the Devil keep them from occupying through their fear, doubt and unbelief?

Deu 8:7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

Deu 8:8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

Deu 8:9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.

What kind of land would this be for the Believer, today? Do you want this land of blessing, today? This land is you, full of faith, full of fruit, walking in God’s righteousness, RESTING in God rather than driven to perform, experiencing freedom and liberty in your mind, will and emotions and being led by PEACE.

Does this mean that everything on the outside is going well? Not necessarily, but it is God’s will for us to be Overcomers spiritually.

Your outward condition is not a barometer of your inward state. The Prosperity Gospel has nothing to do with what we are talking about.

If Satan can bring the Christian to walk in fear or unbelief, he can be defeated. Condemnation comes from without and conviction comes from within. Conviction always lets us know that God is for us and is not destructive.

Faith protects the WHOLE man.

a. Faith is a shield that covers from head to foot.
b. Faith extinguishes the fiery darts of the enemy.

Faith ACTIVELY resists the enemy.

1Pet 5:9 Whom RESIST stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Faith is misplaced by doubt and fear. You resist in the faith as a weapon and you are protected by the shield of faith.

Review so far:

Strategies of the Enemy:

a. Lies and deceptions

b. Accusations and Condemnation – Keeps you under a sense of rejection and failure. The Devil can drive you into the ground doing “good things” out of condemnation.

Learn the difference between condemnation and conviction.

Persecution: Watch for bitterness and rejection as a fallout from persecution. You must be careful. Keep your shoes of PEACE on. If you get bitter you lose your shoes and then comes hatred and you have become very vulnerable to the enemy.

Unbelief, doubt and fear set in and faith cannot operate. It is impossible.

The Lord is your SHIELD.

Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

So, “put on” Jesus Christ – He is the armor of God

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

A777

Watch for bitterness and rejection as a fallout from persecution.

Paul addressed this realm of natural responses to outside events and stimuli in his choice of word which has here been translated 'affection'.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Galatians 5:24) (lusts = desires)

This is the same kind of 'affect' as in modern psychology, meaning more to do with how we are feeling at the time - mood - and responding to our circumstances. Paul is saying here, that no matter how legitimate our responses are humanly speaking, even these thoughts and reactions must be crucified.

3804 pathema {path'-ay-mah}
from a presumed derivative of 3806; TDNT - 5:930,798; n n
AV - suffering 11, affliction 3, affection 1, motion 1; 16
1) that which one suffers or has suffered
1a) externally, a suffering, misfortune, calamity, evil, affliction
1a1) of the sufferings of Christ
1a2) also the afflictions which Christians must undergo in
behalf of the same cause which Christ patiently endured
1b) of an inward state, an affliction, passion
2) an enduring, undergoing, suffering

Berry translates it 'passions'.

Absolutely! Thank you for adding to the list.

A777

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation...

- Form of Attack from the Enemy
a. The Mind - a battleground in thoughts (confusion,passivity)
b. The Carnal Mind - operates in the flesh.

Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

c. The Unrenewed Mind - remains in darkness.

Eph 4:18 Having the understanding DARKENED, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

The mind is a KEY source of defeat for people.

God's provision is the Helmet of Salvation, not failure.

The Helmet of Salvation is misplaced by unclean thoughts and strife.

A soldier can survive a wound to the arm or leg, but a blow to the head can be fatal. It covers our mind which controls the entire man.

Paul refers to it as the HELMET, the HOPE of salvation.

1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an HELMET, the hope of salvation.

Man can survive many things, austere conditions such as hunger, thirst, and imprisonment but no man can survive without HOPE. Even in solitary confinement, if man has HOPE, he will survive (maybe not physically) and not throw away his hope.

Tit 2:13 Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Satan will attack us with the end goal of causing us to lose HOPE. It does not matter if you are a young christian or an older christian. If we have not renewed our minds (learned to think as God thinks) then we are vulnerable.

An understanding of what God has promised us brings us hope. God does not lie. Our hope is based on Him. A Christian with the helmet of the hope of salvation will not get confused with the fleeting pleasures of sin. Nor will they trade their birth right (salvation) for the temporary lusts of the world.

How Do You Put on the HELMET of SALVATION?

The confidence that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ is our HOPE. The strategy of the enemy is to come in like a flood and barrage you with attacks from every side so that you eventually lose hope. Once again, condemnation is a chief weapon of our enemy. We live in a performance oriented Christianity where no one can ever measure up, though they keep trying. Inability to measure up produces condemnation and confusion. Eventually, you run out of gas. Your hope was not in God alone.

Persecution causes people to lose hope, also. Many things do and Satan knows this. He has many weapons. But we have the armor of God.

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

How Do You Develop Hope?

We develop it the same way we develop faith.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God's word touches our heart. It is essential you have a clear understanding of what God has promised you. This will give you hope; an unfailing expectation in the ability of your God to fulfil His promise.

Hope is something you think about and understand and it is communicated from God's Spirit to your spirit. Faith is exercised through belief in God's promises (His Word). You receive them by faith (believe).

Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD to lie, we might have a STRONG CONSOLATION, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Heb 6:19 Which HOPE we have as an ANCHOR of the soul, both SURE and STEDFAST, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Hope provides us with an anchor. Something to hold unto with our soul (intellect, emotions and faith). Faith needs hope to sustain it.

If FAITH were your engine, then HOPE is the super-fuel of your FAITH. Without HOPE, your engine won't run.

Heb 11:1 Now FAITH is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.

If your Helmet is misplaced your head is vulnerable to a death-strike.

Lastly, Saul wanted to give David his armor, but David refused. He refused because of one reason. Saul's armor was not tested. David would put on the armor of God that day against Goliath. The armor of God had been tested by David many times and it always protected him. We need to make sure we are not wearing man-made armor but rather God-made armor. His Righteousness, His Salvation, His Truth, His Peace, His Word.

1Sa 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I HAVE NOT PROVED THEM. And David put them off him.

1Sa 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I COME TO THEE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OF HOSTS, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

What did Jesus do with the Armor of God?

Isa 59:17 For he put on RIGHTEOUSNESS as a BREASTPLATE, and an HELMET of SALVATION upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

He vanquished His enemies, He OVERCAME. This is God's will for us.

Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. WHEN THE ENEMY SHALL COME IN LIKE A FLOOD, the SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM.

Psa 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Pro 10:28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness (FUEL): but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

Your hope in Him shall be GLADNESS and gladness is fuel/joy because THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH!!

Exo 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and HE IS BECOME MY SALVATION: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Jesus is our HELMET OF SALVATION!

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

A777

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

- Form of Attack from the Enemy

a. "Hath God said?" (Gen 3:1)

b. "Twists and distorts the Word.

Jer 7:8 Behold, ye trust in LYING WORDS, that cannot profit.

Jer 29:23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken LYING WORDS IN MY NAME, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

c. Takes the Word out of the heart of the hearer.

Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Jer 23:30 Therefore, behold, I am against the (false) prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

d. Doctrine of devils (demons)

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Counterattack:

An offensive weapon that comes from the mouth.

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

a. Do not be afraid to rebuke Satan
b. State the ground upon which you stand
c. Speak the truth

This weapon is energized by the Spirit. Then it becomes the "Sword of the Spirit".

God has prepared the church for the attacks of the enemy. We do not need to fear his attacks as we stand in the whole armor of God.

God's sword is misplaced by human reasoning and understanding. If you're wise, you will figure out how the Devil has gotten through your armor and strengthen that part. Ask the Lord for wisdom. He is faithful.

Eze 6:3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a SWORD upon you, and I will destroy your high places. (principalities, idols)

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Jesus is the Word and our Sword.

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

A777

Now that you have your weapons it's time to FACE THE ENEMY.

In the New Testament we have quite a bit of information on the powers of darkness from the Holy Spirit as well as the OT. The Holy Spirit often quotes the Old Testament and also gives new insight into the workings of the enemy.

An aggressive church will confront a kingdom that is spiritual. The word to the church is to rise up and rule with Christ in the midst of His enemies.

Contrary to this, most of the Church today is “at ease in Zion” and they are not an offensive, spiritual force.

Psa 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: RULE THOU IN THE MIDST OF THINE ENEMIES.

We see when Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit that He was confronted directly by Satan. Jesus did not ignore him by running away or pretending that he did not exist which many today are taught to do. Jesus also faced His enemy with the whole armor of God on, and resisting his temptations, rebuked him with the Word of God (sword of the Spirit) and stood firm (having done all, STAND). He did not vacillate and He did not flirt with temptation.

Jesus recognized the enemy and resisted him. “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

This is very much different from Adam and Eve and many others in the Bible, who did not recognize the “sweet” voice of the enemy with all of his “wonderful” offers. “Hath God said?” Satan would tell us, “No, of course not, this is what He really means.” And he appeals to the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life in masterful ways.

If you cannot recognize the enemy you certainly will not resist. And this equals deception and captivity. That’s right! You are caught in his trap. Proverbs speaks much about this.

When you do recognize him, you need to know how to resist.

The Church is commanded to face the enemy, but before doing this, we must know about the devices and workings of the powers of darkness and our position and authority in Christ. God does not want His Church to be ignorant concerning the Powers of Darkness.

Paul said that they were NOT IGNORANT of the Devil's devices.

2Co 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF HIS DEVICES.

Why weren't they ignorant like the majority of believers today are? Because they studied their enemy and understood his subtelties and strategies. His strategies are replete all within the OT and NT, in the different accounts of people's lives, and additionally, there is much information (once again) in Proverbs.

We see that Paul knew the subtlety of the enemy and that Satan could be transformed into an angel of light. He is always cloaking himself so that you do not recognize him. We see this in many different ways today.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

He will float his lies in the midst of some truths and he does this through “teachers” and “good” men and women in the Church.

Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves ENTER IN AMONG YOU, not sparing the flock.

There is a difference between "false" teachers, and deceived ones. There are many deceived ones amongst the most devoted teachers today, because they do not recognize that an army of teaching spirits have come forth to deceive the people of God, and that the special peril of the spiritual section of the Church lies in the supernatural realm, from whence the deceiving spirits with "teachings" are whispering their lies to all who are "spiritual," i.e., open to spiritual things.

The "teaching spirits" with "doctrines" will make special effort to deceive those who have to transmit "doctrine," and seek to mingle their "teachings" with truth, so as to get them accepted. Every believer must test all teachers today, for himself, by the Word of God, and their attitude to the atoning Cross of Christ, and other fundamental truths of the gospel, and not be misled into testing "teaching" by the character of the teacher. Good men can be deceived, and Satan needs good men to float his lies under the guise of truth.
Jessie Penn-Lewis, War on the Saints

Let’s look at the Kingdom of Darkness
The Kingdom of Darkness is a Hierarchy of Wickedness.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

-Principalities (Archas: the first ones, preeminent ones)

Definition: “The person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader.” Thayer.

References:
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor PRINCIPALITIES…
We see that the Kingdom of Darkness has rule, authority and power.

1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when HE SHALL HAVE PUT DOWN ALL RULE AND ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER.

Eph 1:21 Far above all PRINCIPALITY and POWER AND MIGHT, and DOMINION, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Eph 3:10, 6:12, Col 1:16, 2:10, 2:15, Titus 3:1

-Authorities (Exousia: the power of rule or government)
Authority to rule.

Definition: Power exercised by rulers or others in high position by virtue of their office.

Reference: 1 Cor 15:24, Eph 1:21, 2:2, 3:10, 6:12, Col 1:13, 2:10, 2:15, Titus 3:1

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, the spirit THAT NOW worketh IN the children of disobedience:

1Pe 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; ANGELS and AUTHORITIES AND POWERS being made subject unto him.

I remember shortly after I became a Christian and as I was reading the Bible I would see over and over again that Jesus was very aggressive and would always confront the enemy and stand up to him. It impressed me that there was nothing at all passive about Jesus and I slowly realized that I should do the same.

Jesus faced the enemy and used the Word of God (Truth) against his lies. That left a lasting impression on me because He addressed the enemy directly.

He sends us out as lambs in the midst of wolves to face problems and not run away or ignore them. To “preach good tidings unto the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. “ There is nothing passive about these actions. Preach, bind up, proclaim and open.

When you fulfill your calling you will confront and be confronted by the Kingdom of Darkness.

So Jesus sends out his disciples and tells them to face the enemy and not run:

Matt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

The Position of Christ Today:

The position of Christ today is that He is set at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, all things are under His feet and He is the Head over ALL things to the Church. Eph 1:20-23

Angels and authorities and powers have been made subject to HIM. 1 Pet 3:22

And He has triumphed over all principalities and powers. Col 2:15

Next: What is the position of the Church, today?

A777

Sorry to be so tardy in this thread. I want to return to the Breastplate before moving on.

The High Priest had on his breastplate of judgement, the names of each head of the twelve tribes. In this way, they were always on his heart, just as we are always on Jesus' heart.

When WE wear the breastplate of righteousness, we also must have a right attitude to everyone. Not just in our heads, but in practise, repenting of wrong done or said, making right with those we may have offended, thinking no bad thing about our brethren - or our enemies.

This goes with the right attitude required to wear the shoes of peace for carrying the gospel.

b. Feet indicate one is ready to move with a message.
Always follow the way of peace - Your reaction? A peaceful attitude.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16), and your shoes are misplaced by strife and dissension.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Your outward condition is not a barometer of your inward state.

Under 'Strategies of the Enemy': your put first 'a. Lies and deceptions'.

I think it's all too easy to believe lies about ourselves which may come from all different directions. Not only are there whispers in our heads to remind us of our past sins, but our nearest friends and family may keep them alive in our minds and the minds of our spiritual enemies. This is hard to bear, and it really calls upon us to be dead in Christ, while walking in newness of life towards those people. (Romans 6:4)

Another way to deal with reminders from the past is to meet them head-on by admitting to one's past publicly, followed up by a swift 'But I'm not like that NOW!' This declaration of truth (which will only be any use if it IS the truth), does help to establish new lines in the sand for our lives, and, to establish us in the truth of God's word.

With regard to deceptions, Paul states that deceivers can be deceived. This is a very important point to note, and to get straight in our minds. Some things are private, but nothing should be a 'secret' from God. WE are kidding ourselves if we think He doesn't see right into our hearts every moment we're alive, even knowing what we will be thinking tomorrow, let alone the next second to now.

If we are deceiving ourselves, not being open with God, this lays us open to be deceived by others, both temporal and spiritual. We may not have to speak of our 'secret' to another human being to get right with God, but we must be open with God about everything. Let Him deal with our hearts, let Him forgive us, heal us, wash us, bless us.

Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

You may think 'evil men' and 'seducers' can't possibly mean you, O man or woman of God, but Paul is writing to a church leader, not the world.

2 Thess 2:10 And with all DECEIVABLENESS [able to be deceived because] of UNrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Again, there is a link between deception and perishing, when he writes in 2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom THE GOD OF THIS WORLD HAS BLINDED THE MIND OF THEM WHICH BELIEVE NOT, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Paul is talking to people who appeared to be Christians.

Mark 7:6 He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me.

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

covetousness = idolatry - worshipping other gods

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

And a heart at peace with God over these things will be difficult to deceive, or draw away to other affections to make us deceivable.

**UPDATE**

When WE wear the breastplate of righteousness, we also must have a right attitude to everyone. Not just in our heads, but in practise, repenting of wrong done or said, making right with those we may have offended, thinking no bad thing about our brethren - or our enemies.

That is so true AtG. Sin will make us vulnerable to the Accuser of the Brethren and we will have little or no power in prayer and intercession and our walk with God. We displace or "take off" the breastplate when there is unrepentant sin in our lives. The scriptures would not tell us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" if we could not have put Him off, first.

There is probably no symbol that more vividly pictures how Christ our high priest bears us about upon His heart than the breastplate of Aaron! Isa 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;

Also the very use of gemstones is suggestive and comforting. The names of of the children of Israel were engraved on the gemstones. God’s people are His jewels (or possession, or treasure)

Mal 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my JEWELS; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

In 28:15 we see that the breastplate was for judgment. Which when you look up the word for judgment (mishpat) we see that it was used in 21:1 to refer to God's ordinances.

Exo 21:1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before theme

That would suggest that the priest is the communicator of divine truths (judgments, ordinances). Jesus Christ is our High Priest who revealed God's judgements/ordinances to us, and is the judge of all.

Act 10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

We also are priests unto out God and "as He was in the world, so are we". 1 Jn 4;17

So, the Church will also be on our heart and we will be interceding for her and praying for one another. Also, communicating divine truth and God's righteous judgments to one another. Iron sharpens iron.

I think the only other thing on the Breastplate was the Urim and Thummin. These objects, whatever they were, were to be upon Aaron’s heart when he went in to Jehovah’s presence in the Holy place. By the presence of the breastplate and the Urim and Thummim, Aaron bore upon his heart continually the judgment of the children of Israel. This may include both bearing their guilt (compare Deut. 1:37), and interceding for Israel in prayer.

The Urim and Thummim functioned as means for discerning facts about the will of God not otherwise knowable. No one knows exactly what they consisted of. The Urim and Thummim are another illustration of the fact that God is a revealer of secrets to His people.

Dan 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.

Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Leviticus 8:8 mentions specifically that the Urim and Thummin were placed in the breastplate AS THEY WERE CLOTHED. Which is pretty cool, because if we are not walking with a perfect heart before the Lord and our brothers and sisters then how can we battle or intercede. It is only when we have Put On the Lord Jesus Christ that we we have discernment and knowledge. Two gifts of the Spirit. Word of Knowledge and Word of Wisdom.

1Cor 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

1 Cor 12:8 is your Urim and Thummin.

The function of the Urim and Thummim is illustrated by Numbers 27:21, where Joshua was instructed to inquire (seek God for unrevealed information) before the priest Eleazar through the Urim and Thummim. (This does not indicate that the Urim and Thummim had magical power in themselves, but only that God used these items as a vehicle for his truth.)

The Urim and Thummim were considered to be the crowning glory of the tribe of Levi.

Deu 33:8 And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

Inasmuch as the Urim is called the “Urim of judgment” in Num. 27:21, it is appropriate that it was placed in the “breastplate of judgment.”

Num 27:21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the JUDGEMENT of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

The Breastplate is pretty amazing. I think when a believer understands the value of the Armor of God which I liken specifically to Jesus Christ (Put on the Lord Jesus Christ) that he will take all measures to make sure he protects this armor (relationship with Jesus).

Exodus by the way is the book of Redemption and is extremely alive with analogies and truths for the Christian.

The importance of Exodus is not confined to the Jews alone. CHRISTIANS recognize the events in Exodus as having been written “by way of example” for our learning (I Cor. 10:11).

The bondage in Egypt illustrates our former bondage in sin.
Moses is like unto Jesus Christ in many respects (Deut. 18:15;Acts 3:22; 7:37).

Israel’s deliverance across the Red Sea was a “baptism unto Moses” and illustrates our “baptism into Christ”
(I Cor. 10:2; Gal. 3:27).

Israel’s failures in their wilderness journey were recorded that we might not fall into the same example of disobedience (Heb. 4: 11).

The tabernacle, which is so prominent in Exodus 25-40, was a “figure for the time present” (Heb. 9:9).

I will close with these verses from 1 Corinthians 10.

1Co 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our EXAMPLES, to the intent WE SHOULD NOT lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1Co 10:7 NEITHER BE YE IDOLATERS, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

1Co 10:8 NEITHER LET US COMMIT FORNICATION, as some of them committed, and fell (judgement) in one day three and twenty thousand.

1Co 10:9 NEITHER LET US TEMPT CHRIST, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed (JUDGEMENTS) of serpents.

(serpents today are the powers of darkness)

1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer (powers of darkness, again).

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

God bless,
A777

God's word touches our heart. It is essential you have a clear understanding of what God has promised you. This will give you hope; an unfailing expectation in the ability of your God to fulfil His promise.

Later though, you said:

Hope provides us with an anchor. Something to hold unto with our soul (intellect, emotions and faith). Faith needs hope to sustain it.

I would emphasise that differently.

Now 'faith' [is a kind of shorthand for] is the SUBSTANCE [that is, the thing God said to you which you 'heard' and now do 'believe'] of THINGS hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not 'seen'.

Put another way, KNOWING what you have 'heard' from God, and believing INTO it, you have something to HOPE towards. In other words, it is really FAITH which SUSTAINS hope.

[EDIT: Would just like to add that one way God sustains hope, is through answered prayer while living from day to day. These remembrances of His love are most precious. end edit]

I do like how you've emphasised hope, but hope can be misplaced. The difference for a Christian is that the word of God will never pass away. It will not return to Him void. It is living, active, sharper than a two-edged sword (and many other metaphors) such as becoming the Rock on which we build the house of our life in Christ.

We 'hope' in the unchanging, unfailing nature of God Himself, revealed by His word. Yes, you said that too! :)

Hope is something you think about and understand and it is communicated from God's Spirit to your spirit. Faith is exercised through belief in God's promises (His Word). You receive them by faith (believe).

Isaiah 26:1
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah;
We have a strong city;
salvation will [God] appoint [for] WALLS and BULWARKS.

(Bulwarks are the extra-thick walls near corners and sections set at intervals along the length of a wall to support it.)

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose Word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for His own abode.
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
WITH SALVATION'S WALLS SURROUNDED,
THOU MAY'ST SMILE AT ALL THY FOES.

See! the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love;
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove:
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t’assuage?
Grace, which like the Lord, the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hovering,
See the cloud and fire appear!
For a glory and a cov’ring
Showing that the Lord is near.
Blest inhabitants of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.

Savior, NOW of Zion’s city,
I, through grace, a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I WILL glory in Thy Name.
Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
SOLID JOYS AND LASTING TREASURE
None but Zion’s children know.

Salvation itself is the helmet - the 'keep' for our whole beings - our hearts and minds and souls - not just our heads, I believe.

The 'hope of salvation' is also more than hoping to 'be saved' through persevering faith. It is the hope of reusrrection from the dead and eternal life. In fact, while we are hoping in the substance of the word God spoke to us, we 'are being saved'.

I believe this hope is practical in every way, because we can never be sure that an event or a battle won't bring our natural lives to an end. Seeing 'hope' as reaching to beyond death, is, I believe, both helpful and necessary.

In the New Testament we are told that death is no longer to be feared because Christ was raised from the dead that our 'faith and hope might be in God'.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time... 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

2 Cor 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Isa 59:17 For he put on RIGHTEOUSNESS as a BREASTPLATE, and an HELMET of SALVATION upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

The mention of 'upon his head' holds a whole other picture of being covered by Christ, our Head, as a wife is by her husband, and also, of other places in scripture.

John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing THE CROWN OF THORNS, and the purple robe. And [Pilate] saith unto them, Behold the man!

We sing
'The head that once was crowned with thorns
is crowned with glory now!
A royal diadem adorns
the mighty Victor's brow',

and it reminds us of our failures to keep His word - the guilty conscience represented by the pricks of the thorns on His head, (where we imagine His mind to be) - the shame we all felt for our sins, and for the sin of the world laid upon Him.

But we must not wait there any longer.

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 and [having] an high priest over the house of God; 22 LET US DRAW NEAR WITH A TRUE HEART IN FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH, HAVING OUR HEARTS SPRINKLED FROM AN EVIL CONSCIENCE, AND OUR BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love ...

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

By doing His will we prove to OURSELVES the validity of our salvation - today is the day of salvation - and this helps to keep our mind in rest and faith and hope in Christ.

Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace,
[whose] MIND [is] stayed [on thee]:
because he trusteth in thee.

That would suggest that the priest is the communicator of divine truths

Originally, Levi was just Levi, the third son of Jacob. One of the early statements by God to Moses in Exodus, was to separate the whole tribe of Levi to God, instead of the firstborn of every family. (Aaron, Moses and Miriam's parents were of the tribe of Levi in Egypt.)

During the Exodus, Moses became the judge (as well as having been the transmitter of God's law given on Sinai), until his father-in-law, Jethro, pointed out that he needed help with the task, and others were appointed. Then eventually Aaron became the High Priest, with his sons as priests. By the time the Ark of the Covenant is about to cross Jordan, there are enough Levites to carry out Joshua's commands, but once they are in the land, there are a series of judges (book of Judges) of whom Samson was one of many.

Samuel (descended from Levi) eventually carried out all the tasks of priest, prophet AND judge. (Were there other judges?) But because not only Eli's but his own sons were all corrupt, the people asked for a king.

1 Samuel 8:5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to JUDGE us like all the nations.

Slowly, we see a revelation of Christ's roles being built up through the history of Israel's leaders. Through Levi (who stood for the firstborn - the one who would eventually lead the family in the next generation), God put High Priest and Judge right beside each other.

Thoughts on the sword of the Spirit (p3)

Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.

a. "Hath God said?" (Gen 3:1)

In the garden, the serpent simply stated the opposite of what God said 'You shall not die'. This strategy throws us time and time again, and it's not even complicated. Tiny children can manage this kind of simple denial! Like Satan, they really do sound as if they believe it! It's up to the grown-ups in the room to spot the difference.

b. "Twists and distorts the Word.

1 Cor 14:10
There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them [is] without signification.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue [that] shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This [is] the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness [is] of me, saith the LORD.

To be continued.

'Form of Attack from the Enemy

Jer 7:8 Behold, ye trust in LYING WORDS, that cannot profit.'

In writing this, I feel I don't know the Bible nearly well enough, and I realise it's possible to know what it says but not understand it. However, to 'trust' in 'lying words' implies denial of one's conscience or the Holy Spirit or one's sense of better judgement - a knowing compromise for the sake of some other temporary gain.

The sword of the Spirit will be useless in our hands in that case. God sees our hearts and cannot back us up if we are deceitful. Victory is always associated with one's heart being right with God at that moment. Sometimes the moment forces us to get right with Him in a hurry - like Jacob on the run from his brother, when God in His grace honours us with His help.

'Counterattack:

An offensive weapon that comes from the mouth.'

I would like to qualify this statement! Our words are not to be 'offensive'. The 'offensive' part is the TRUTH, which will cut down the lies. Our words should be seasoned with grace, if possible, even in battle.

We do have to believe this, or again, it will be a useless exercise. The first thing against a lie, is to recognise it. The second thing is to reject it whole.

God's sword is misplaced by human reasoning and understanding. If you're wise, you will figure out how the Devil has gotten through your armor and strengthen that part. Ask the Lord for wisdom. He is faithful.

'If you're wise, you will figure out how the Devil has gotten through your armor and strengthen that part.'

This is the theory, but it's easy to ignore some failures and put them down to some other cause than an attack from the Devil.

'Ask the Lord for wisdom. He is faithful.'

I want to say that if victory is elusive, one may need to pray - even fast - for the Lord to bring us a word which opens up the offending issue to our understanding. Just knowing what the issue is may not be the whole story either. But, if we do obey God's word and deal with the things He brings to our understanding HIS way, then victory will eventually be assured.

This may sound like a lot of hassle when simply losing the battle is a lot easier, but God really does want us to become victors, and if it costs us something to overcome, it won't be more than it cost Him.

Eze 6:3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a SWORD upon you, and I will destroy your high places. (principalities, idols)

In the New Covenant era, it is more likely that we will have to bring a sword to our own high places, and keep on chopping them down till a new head stops appearing (like a new king appeared in Hebron as soon as the old one had been killed - Joshua 10:22, 37).

The other thing to say about the sword of the Spirit is, it is not just quoting scripture verses at people who are getting at us, or who hate us. It may be that we pray in tongues quietly (or silently) to remain focused and centred in the Lord, rather than responding directly to another person. The time may come when one does know what to say, and it IS from the Lord.

Likewise, when we find ourselves in contact with people who are overtly occult (say, at work, where there is no escape), then our protection in the Lord is by NOT getting too close, no matter how charming, innocent and attractive they may seem to be - smiling, pleasant.

We should take a spiritual view of the situation and be aware that our status as Christians is a continous aggravation to them if they are intent upon some other object of worship, than God, and the attacks can be very subtle. Again we need wisdom. The sword of the Spirit is truth, and, much can be wrought by prayer in counterattack.

In Acts 8, when Simon wanted to pay for the Holy Spirit, Peter is swift to rebuke him: 20 but Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity. 24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

Hi AtG,

Thanks for your qualifying and clarifying statements.

Yes, we are not to offend with out words. Offensive meaning we are "engaged" in battle and not passive.

When you read all of Jeremiah 7, you see that they were trusting in false security. Certainly, they were self-deceived and in their self-deception they create religious traditions that justify themselves and of course many more (with the same condition of heart) are deceived by them.

Jer 7:4 says, Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

And at the same time time they were being "religious" and trusting their religious traditions, they were in gross sin.

Jer 7:11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

Jer 7:8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
Jer 7:9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
Jer 7:10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

This quote by you is very true. It is our own heart that deceives us and will cause us to stumble and fall in battle. That is a strategy of Satan. To weaken us, much like wedging open a large door, and then putting progressively larger wedges into the door opening until he can rush in with all of his hordes.

Victory is always associated with one's heart being right with God at that moment.

Deu 11:16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;

Here is one that is so deceived he cannot even deliver his own soul. He has lost his way and cannot find repentance. He cannot even recognize a lie, anymore.

Isa 44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

I want to say that if victory is elusive, one may need to pray - even fast - for the Lord to bring us a word which opens up the offending issue to our understanding. Just knowing what the issue is may not be the whole story either. But, if we do obey God's word and deal with the things He brings to our understanding HIS way, then victory will eventually be assured.

You are right. I will add that it is seldom easy to get ourselves out of the mess that we got ourselves into. Victory will be assured if we stay in the battle and trust the Lord. It is painful when He shows us things in our heart but He won't give us more than we can handle.

Exo 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
Exo 23:30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

The rest of your advice is very good. We walk and talk and act out of relationship with the Lord. Sometimes a soft answer is a weapon and it turns away wrath.

Pro 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Pro 29:8 Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.

We most definitely cannot go into battle (which is everyday living), without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Isa 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

I also think having a song in your heart and praise on your lips are wonderful weapons because it indicates that you are walking in a healthy relationship with the Lord.

Isa 30:29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.
Isa 30:30 And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
Isa 30:31 For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

It is when we don't have a song in our heart or praise on our lips that a "wounding" or a "bruising" in battle has taken place. It could be that you were offended and received the offense and became bitter, it could be you were attacked with fear or unbelief.

As we begin to see all these things it becomes apparent that walking with the Lord everday makes for a full day. There is nothing boring about being conformed to His image and fighting the good fight of faith. The Christian that is pressing into God, will not have a boring, uneventful life. On the contrary, he will have much opposition, but where there is opposition there is the potential for more and more victory and "possessing" of more "land" in Christ.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Rise up Church and rule in the midst of your enemies!

Thanks for your contributions AtG and helping me clarify things. Possessing the Land is a huge subject.

A777

These are good days for me to be revising 'possess the land'...

I also think having a song in your heart and praise on your lips are wonderful weapons because it indicates that you are walking in a healthy relationship with the Lord.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; [is mighty]
He will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; [with joy]
He will rest in his love,
He will joy over thee with singing.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; [is mighty,
Is mighty].

Zephaniah and I have vanquished many an enemy, together.

Check out the warfare here, being led by the high praises of God.

Psalms 149:6-9

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

Speaking of "Possessing The Land":

Psalms 137:4

4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

They were taken captive to Babylon. Hard to sing when you are in captivity.

Psalms 137:3

3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

Psalms 98:1

1 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

Psalms 40:2-3 Deliverance and a song.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

A777

Let's start off with a declaration from Jesus Christ regarding the Church.

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and GREATER WORKS than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

We see that Jesus is the fullness of the Godhead bodily and that we are complete in Him. He did not qualify this statement. (i.e. only married couples, or five-fold ministry only, etc, etc). No special qualifications except "ye be born-again". This is the heritage of every Spirit-filled believer.

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

All things are under His feet and He is head over all things to the church. We have been raised together with Him and we sit together with Jesus Christ in Heavenly places.

Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

We are vitally joined to the Head
1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Vitally joined by marriage
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, EVEN TO HIM who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

We are His inheritance.
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of HIS inheritance in the saints,

We sit with Him in heavenly places.
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

The Church MUST extend the sceptor of His Kingdom.
Psa 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Psa 45:5 THINE ARROWS are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.

Num 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall SMITE the corners of Moab, and DESTROY all the children of Sheth.
Num 24:18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do VALIANTLY.
Num 24:19 Out of Jacob shall come HE THAT SHALL HAVE DOMINION, and shall DESTROY HIM that remaineth of the city.

THE CHURCH MUST ENTER TO DELIVER - but the Church today is at ease and not an offensive (engaged) force.

We must resist
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The Lord is MY Deliverer

Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my DELIVERER; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

We need deliverance from frontal assaults and attacks (on the whole man).

We need deliverance from SUSTAINED pressure which could be called OPPRESSION.

Psa 42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the OPPRESSION OF THE ENEMY?

THERE is a great battle to-day over the use and control of the mind, not only in the world, but among the children of God.

(2 Cor. 11.3, A.V.) "I fear lest, by any means, as the serpent, beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."

THE FACT OF A “WAR” DECLARED BY PAUL:
First note the fact that the Apostle declares that there is a "war" in which he is engaged. " My warfare ," he says, "is not waged according to the flesh." This is in accord with his statements in other parts of his writings.

THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND DESCRIBED:
We see there is an aspect of the war described in this passage which has to do with the mind . "Thereby can I overthrow the reasonings of the disputer." In verse (A.V.) we read of a "pulling down of strongholds ". The Apostle seems to infer that the mind is a "stronghold" which has to be pulled down, and every rebel thought in it made captive.

A "stronghold" is generally held by an enemy , and truly there is an enemy holding the stronghold of the mind, according to 2 Cor. 4. 4, where it says that the "god of this world" (age) has "blinded the minds of them which believe not".

LOOSING –
Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Deliverance from a Bondage:
- A Siege and blockade is where the enemy breaks through and surrounds an area of our life and resistance is not enough. Another member of the Body of Christ helps to "relieve the blockage". This is a ministry of the Church.

A renewed mind is a mind permeated with the Spirit. Thus, our mind becomes "the mind of the spirit (Rom 8:27)," and our spirit becomes "the spirit of the mind. (Eph 4:23)" The Spirit of God desires to have full possession of our minds. This does not take place through "the involuntary forfeiture (passivity) of the human mind," but through the inward working of the Holy Spirit in the heart and soul of a believer. In order for the Spirit to possess our mind and be expressed through it, ALL BLOCKAGES in the mind must be removed.

Jessie Penn-Lewis remarks:

“If the mind is the vehicle of the Spirit it is absolutely necessary that the Spirit of God should have full possession of it, with every "rebellious thought" brought into captivity to Christ. The Holy Spirit, dwelling in the spirit, needs the mind as a channel for expression, but it may be so blocked up, and filled with other things that He is unable to transmit all He desires to do. A "blocked" mind means the spirit unexpressed, and a spirit unexpressed is a stoppage of the outflow of the Spirit of God to others.

The Spirit of God will not force Himself upon us or into us. At the time of Christ's baptism, the Spirit of God descended as a dove upon Him. The Spirit also works in us as a gentle dove. He does not require, nor do we in the local churches, that anyone forfeit the function of his mind. Rather, He patiently waits for the believer voluntarily to surrender and abandon himself to the Spirit so that, with the ACTIVE COOPERATION of the believer's intellect, the Spirit may spread into the mind, renew it, and flow out through it to give LIFE-GIVING WORDS to satisfy the thirst of others. How refreshing it is to be with those with such a Spirit-saturated mind! When these Christians "express their thoughts and ideas, WE SENSE THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD'S SPIRIT. Because their minds are under the control and direction of the spirit, the Lord’s Spirit has the opportunity to saturate and occupy their mind."

CASTING OUT
Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Casting out Devils implies there is deliverance from an invasion and occupation. The Enemy actually “occupies” an area of a life. An area no longer under the control of man. Deliverance is done by Believers who take authority and cast out according to the promise and word of Jesus.

CONCLUSION:

As kingdom confronts kingdom the church must rise up in the power and authority of her Head. The Jerichos of wickedness must fall with all its rulers. Satan has had time to establish his kingdom throughout the earth and the Church must challenge these authorities and pull down strongholds of wickedness.

Hi A777,

Reading your post on p3 (Facing the Enemy), made me realise something new, obvious though it should have been.

It was the word 'principality'. As part of the UK, Wales is a 'Principality', because it's governor (theoretically) is 'the Prince of Wales'. Truth staring me in the face!

So, I see that every reference to principalities, is actually to the territories of spiritual rulers - not some nebulous domain in the ether but actually 'the land'.

When God was instructing the children of Israel, there were certain nations He intended to be displaced by Israel. God saw their idolatry and other sins and said:

I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Thou shalt make no covenant with them, NOR WITH THEIR GODS. They shall not dwell in THY LAND, LEST they MAKE THEE SIN AGAINST ME: for IF thou SERVE THEIR GODS, it will SURELY BE A SNARE UNTO THEE. Exodus 23:27 - 33

Those verses reminded me of Act 17, a good while after Pentecost, where now Paul is a missionary going into a new place to preach:

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the BOUNDS OF THEIR HABITATION; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though HE BE NOT FAR FROM EVERY ONE OF US: for IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; BUT NOW COMMANDETH ALL MEN EVERY WHERE TO REPENT: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead. vv 24 - 30

The battle has changed from an outward one about land, to an inward one about sin, judgement (death) and resurrection - nevertheless, over which God still takes a detailed interest, each member of mankind being given a specific place and time.

An aggressive church will confront a kingdom that is spiritual. The word to the church is to rise up and rule with Christ in the midst of His enemies.

Contrary to this, most of the Church today is “at ease in Zion” and they are not an offensive, spiritual force.

The other 'level' is to do with Paul Washer's comments in his Ten Indictments at the Atlanta Revival Conference - that there are both sheep and goats in churches, and that we put too much time and energy to trying to get goats to behave like sheep, instead of recognising the obvious - that the goats are NOT part of 'the Church'. The Church herself is pure, and fulfilling Christ's calling upon her. (That is a very rough paraphrase of a tiny bit of a two hour talk, available on SI.)

Jesus also faced His enemy with the whole armor of God on, and resisting his temptations, rebuked him with the Word of God (sword of the Spirit) and stood firm (having done all, STAND). He did not vacillate and He did not flirt with temptation.

Jesus recognized the enemy and resisted him. “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

The Word of Faith movement (and perhaps other motivational-type ministries) tend towards repetition of the word as if that in itself will cause God to act. But God is watching the hearts, and while He very much DOES honour His word, IF He perceives that only lipservice is being paid, His support may wane.

Assoicated with this is that God has made OUR words powerful, and we can bind ourselves up spiritually, by speaking words over our own lives which are NOT in agreement with God - but they ARE in agreement with some other spirit, who captialises on our mistake (or sin).

Worse, deceiving spirits could cause some change in a person's experience or feelings, which they associate with the word they are speaking, but which has more to do with the real thoughts of their inner heart.

The word of God IS living, sharp and powerful. It is not to be misused.

There is a difference between "false" teachers, and deceived ones. There are many deceived ones amongst the most devoted teachers today, because they do not recognize that an army of teaching spirits have come forth to deceive the people of God...

The "teaching spirits" with "doctrines" will make special effort to deceive those who have to transmit "doctrine," and seek to mingle their "teachings" with truth, so as to get them accepted. Every believer must test all teachers today, for himself, by the Word of God, and their attitude to the atoning Cross of Christ, and other fundamental truths of the gospel, and NOT BE MISLED INTO TESTING "TEACHING" BY THE CHARACTER OF THE TEACHER. Good men can be deceived, and Satan needs good men to float his lies under the guise of truth.

Sobering thoughts.

An old talk by Winkey Pratney called Contract on Children says a similar thing about the emissaries of Molech in the world today.

I remember shortly after I became a Christian and as I was reading the Bible I would see over and over again that Jesus was very aggressive and would always confront the enemy and stand up to him. It impressed me that there was nothing at all passive about Jesus and I slowly realized that I should do the same.

Jesus faced the enemy and used the Word of God (Truth) against his lies. That left a lasting impression on me because He addressed the enemy directly.

He sends us out as lambs in the midst of wolves to face problems and not run away or ignore them. To “preach good tidings unto the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. “

Thank you for sharing. It's amazing how differently God speaks to believers!

And He has triumphed over all principalities and powers. Col 2:15 Amen.

Hi AtG,

Reading your post on p3 (Facing the Enemy), made me realise something new, obvious though it should have been.

It was the word 'principality'. As part of the UK, Wales is a 'Principality', because it's governor (theoretically) is 'the Prince of Wales'. Truth staring me in the face!

So, I see that every reference to principalities, is actually to the territories of spiritual rulers - not some nebulous domain in the ether but actually 'the land'.

When God was instructing the children of Israel, there were certain nations He intended to be displaced by Israel. God saw their idolatry and other sins and said:

I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

Yes, we fight powers and principalities and authorities, today. The Kings of old are dead, but the powers of darkness that were behind them, coming against God’s children in the wilderness are still here today. There are “Kings” and “Princes” of territories. Daniel talks about the Prince of Persia

Dan 10:13 But the PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF PERSIA WITHSTOOD ME one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Here the angel says that he was delayed 21 days but Michael one of the chief princes (of God) came to help him. In like manner, the Body of Christ is to help one another battle the powers of darkness. We also get some insight into another principality. The Prince of Grecia.

Dan 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, THE PRINCE OF GRECIA shall come.

So, yes, there are Princes over principalities. I think that recently the Lord must have pulled back His restraint a bit over the principalities of the Mideast (probably many “princes” are involved), because we see the widespread chaos and warring that took place. It really was unprecedented in modern times.

In the OT, there were powers and principalities behind evil kings and princes and nations that came against the people of God.

Deu 2:24 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: BEGIN TO POSSESS IT, and CONTEND WITH HIM IN BATTLE.

Many of these Kings and nations and tribes were known for a particular work of the flesh such as idolatry, greed, lust, adultery, etc. The kings are dead, but the powers of darkness are still here, today coming against God’s people as they always have been.

Deut 2:25 reminds me of Matt 8:29 and Acts 19:15.

Mat 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Act 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

Deu 2:25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble, and be in anguish because of thee.

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Have you ever wondered why the Lord would only drive them out little by little and not all at once?

And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

The Lord is setting the bounds from which He wants the enemy driven out. Just like the authority of Jesus Christ must extend to every area of our life. He has set the bounds for us, too.

Thou shalt make no covenant with them, NOR WITH THEIR GODS. They shall not dwell in THY LAND, LEST they MAKE THEE SIN AGAINST ME: for IF thou SERVE THEIR GODS, it will SURELY BE A SNARE UNTO THEE. Exodus 23:27 – 33

The Lord would have us not regard iniquity in our lives because it will become a snare that the enemy can use against us. And he uses unrepented of sin to gain more and more access to our lives. Paul says not to give place to the devil. Rather than embrace the affliction of the cross (crucifying the flesh) we often choose to embrace the fleeting pleasure of sin. This is a trap and will keep us in the wilderness rather than rising up and possessing the good land.

Job 36:21 Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen RATHER than affliction.

Isa 1:19 If ye be WILLING and OBEDIENT, ye shall eat the good of the land:

Those verses reminded me of Act 17, a good while after Pentecost, where now Paul is a missionary going into a new place to preach:

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the BOUNDS OF THEIR HABITATION; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though HE BE NOT FAR FROM EVERY ONE OF US: for IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; BUT NOW COMMANDETH ALL MEN EVERY WHERE TO REPENT: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead. vv 24 – 30

The battle has changed from an outward one about land, to an inward one about sin, judgement (death) and resurrection - nevertheless, over which God still takes a detailed interest, each member of mankind being given a specific place and time.

The battle has changed from outward to inward, from flesh and blood to powers and principalities and our own flesh, but the principles of possessing the land are the same. Today, we are able to accomplish this through the mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

To me, the good land is a land of much fruit (bearing fruit for the Lord), and water (of the Holy Spirit) and bread (fellowship with Jesus) and many other symbolic things which speak of fellowship with God and peace and rest in your soul.

Deu 8:7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Deu 8:8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
Deu 8:9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.

We possess the land by trusting in the Lord and not ourselves.

Deu 8:6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.
Deu 8:10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

The Good Land is righteousness, peace and joy being experienced from day to day.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
There are many ways to describe the good land that the Lord wants us to possess and experience in reality and I am sure many could add to my short list. John 15 is a good place to start.

One other very important thing that we talk about soon, is our VESSEL.

POSSESS YOUR VESSEL IN SANCTIFICATION AND HONOR

There's that word POSSESS again. Your vessel is the Land of Contention today. It is the battleground that the powers of darkness come against.

Ezr 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, THE LAND, UNTO WHICH YE GO TO POSSESS IT, is an UNCLEAN LAND with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

1Th 4:4 THAT EVERY ONE OF YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO POSSESS HIS VESSEL IN SANCTIFICATION AND HONOUR;

The Victory is ours and God wants us to be an Overcomer.

1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

If we walk in His ways, observing everything that He tells you (led by the Spirit) we will dwell in the good land and have peace from our enemies.

Isa 1:19 If ye be WILLING and OBEDIENT, ye SHALL eat the good of the land:

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

What is better than having God’s presence abiding with you?

Psa 27:6 And now SHALL MINE HEAD BE LIFTED UP ABOVE MINE ENEMIES round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

When we get victories and the Lord gives us great deliverances we have to maintain them. The battle always rages and always will until we graduate from this life.

Neh 9:28 BUT AFTER THEY HAD REST, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and MANY TIMES DIDST THOU DELIVER THEM ACCORDING TO THY MERCIES;

I think many of can related to Neh 9:28

A777

Good stuff, Yeshuaboy.

May also enjoy these -

http://www.davidcox.com.mx/PPC/files/Simpson-Christ_in_Joshua(PPC).pdf

http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/E-Books/holiness/Simpson/Danger/Danger%20Lines%20in%20the%20Deeper%20Life.pdf

Blessings.

That's ok, Yeshuasboy, I will check that site, later.

But I found this and will order a book. It looks great and thanks very much for letting all of us know about it.

The Land of Promise
Claiming Your Christian Inheritance
A. B. Simpson

Each of the twelve chapters in this book describes a phase in the process of claiming our Christian inheritance as pictured in the experience of the children of Israel claiming the good land. It begins with Moses "looking over," continues with Joshua "entering in" and ends with "The Heavenly Canaan."

Simpson writes, "There are many intellectual Christians who do not see all that God has for them in this life. The church needs to get her eyes open to see the land....Ask the Lord to show you your full redemption rights in Christ."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents

1.Looking Over

2.Setting Out

3.Coming Short

4.Entering In

5.Overcoming

6.Inheriting

7.Choice Possessions

8.Lessons about Service

9.Christ Himself our True Inheritance

10.The Danger of Declension

11.The Church's Inheritance

12.The Heavenly Canaan

A777

"Sorry, the Courville's website is down. Please keep this family in your prayers saints of God."

Will Do!

When you begin to expose the works of darkness there will be opposition. You can count on it. The enemy will not go without a fight.

God's covenant of redemption of His people promised that HE would drive their enemies out of the promised land, and that He would do it with marvels (miracles).

That "covenant of miracles" was perfected at Calvary, when God made the New Covenant by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, for all who would receive Him.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:13-15

In the midst of the wilderness of Sinai Moses prayed to the Lord, see, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. Exo 33:12-13

And he (God) said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. Exo 33:14-16

And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. Exo 33:14-19

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. Exo 34:6-7

And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance. And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Exo 34:8-14

We will look at these nations a bit further down.

Before the children of Israel entered the promised land, Moses gave them this blessing: The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and HE SHALL THRUST OUT THE ENEMY FROM BEFORE THEE; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy Excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places. Deu 33:27-29

That is why God could promise rest and peace for His people, even in a land inhabited by enemies. He had already rendered those enemies powerless, and He told the children of Israel, "By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land" Exo 23:30

It is important to remember that to "inherit" means "to occupy by driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place". The children of Israel had every reason to be sober and alert. God had cautioned them, "Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Exo 34:12-14

If they compromised God's word concerning the nations in the land, the children of Israel would be seduced away from God and into idolatry. THE ENEMIES HAD BEEN RENDERED POWERLESS; God had already promised to drive them out. But they wouldn't be driven out if the children of Israel made a covenant with them allowing them to stay. God had warned the children of Israel to completely destroy everything (altars, images and groves) which would give place to another god. We have the same warning in Ephesians -
"Neither give place to the devil". Eph 4:27

Again and again we see that Israel's literal journey parallels our spiritual journey.

So who were these nations God had called by name? Who were the enemies that MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN in the place of His inheritance (You). And how does the fact that they had to be driven out apply to us today?

Interestingly, the name of every enemy has to do with selfishness and self-centeredness. They are the same "nations" that we must each fight if we truly want to possess the land.

And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people
among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the AMORITE, and the CANAANITE, and the HITTITE, and the PERIZZITE, and the HIVITE, and the JEBUSITE. Exo 34:10-11

Amorites: PUBLICITY, PROMINENCE and PRIDE (worshipping the gods of I and Me). THE FIRST THING GOD DOES when He begins to deal with us is to humble our pride. Satan, the father of lies, tells us that pride is our best weapon of self-defense (of defending or protecting who we really are). Pride is a pretender. It is obsessed with putting on a good, self-confident front - even when we're cowering behind it, desperately needy and afraid.

CANAANITES: REJECTION (What about me? My feelings are hurt)
Canaan was one of the sons of Ham, who was one of the sons of Noah. The name, Canaan, represents rejection. Just as Adam and Eve were rejected by God and driven away from His presence because of rebellion, Ham made judgments against Noah and became accursed. Rejection already has a place in our lives when we are born of in Adam's image. Our fallen nature is separated from God; we are not whole. We need to feel like we have "a place"; we need to feel like we "belong".

HITTITES: FEAR (I am afraid that something will happen to me or to the people and things that I love). The Hittites were also descendants of Ham. The name "Hittite" means terror, and comse from a root word which means "to break down through violence, confusion or fear." It can also mean "broken, dismayed or in dread or fear".

PERIZZITES: UNFORGIVENESS (Look at what they have done to me; I'll never forgive them or let them hurt me again). The root word means "to separate". The Perizzites were first mentioned in the story of Lot and Abram in Genesis 13. Their herdsmen were in so much strife that Lot and Abram had to separate themselves from each other.

HIVITES: REBELLION
If you trace the word "Hivite" back to its root, you will find that it means "Eve", who was the mother of rebellion. The Hivites were first mentioned in Genesis chapter 10 as descendants of Ham. In Genesis 34, Dinah, Jacob's daughter, was defiled by a man of the Hivites when she went out from the house of Jacob (Israel) to "see the daughters of the land".

JEBUSITES: DEFILEMENT
The name "Jebusite" means "to trample, loathe, tread down or tread under, to be polluted". The Jebusites were a picture of the defilement which comes into our lives and into our souls through sexual lust, impurity and perversion.

We will look more in depth at these nations and how they oppressed the Children of Israel.

A777

We are creatures of relationships. Yet the work of the Enemy has resulted in isolation, distrust, fear, rejection, hurts and bitterness. This leaves the person unable to build good relationships. He has retreated behind the walls of fear for protection, trying to hide from others. This is contrary to man's nature, and he suffers daily in this situation.

The fact is, God cannot finish His work of healing and deliverance until those walls are torn down and the person begins to love, trust and communicate as God does. Created in His image we were made to love, trust and communicate as God does. So the work of restoration must begin. One must take the step of faith to come out from behind his walls of "protection" and exose himself to love and communication with others. If one remains in his fears and refuses to come out, he loses that which the Lord accomplished for him. The Enemy will continue to oppress and torment the individual. One must take the step of faith to come out. That is the choice we must all make.

When one makes this choice to come out, he will encounter several barriers to building good relationships, which he must expect and prepare to face.

The first barrier is FEAR. Job once said, "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me." Job 3:25

As one takes the step to come out, the worst of his fears will come upon him and his first response will be to turn and flee. If he does, he will continue fleeing as he has all his life. This is the time to stop and face the fear of rejection, the fear of accepting love, fear of failure, fear of doing something wrong, fear of being hurt and fear of being known.

FEAR FACED, IS FEAR OVERCOME, but the one driven by fear is like the hunted animal who has no rest. The Lord desires to deliver you from all your fears.

There is a way out:

1. Make a firm decision to come out in spite of your fears. This gives faith a place to work. Believe God for complete victory; believe Him for the impossible.

2. Look fear in the face. What is the worst thing that can happen? Will the Lord be there to see you through? As you look directly at your fear you will see it as a shadow and the more LIGHT you let in the less you see of it.

3.Decide to pay the price, whatever the cost, in order to be free. Come to the point of no return. Do as the British naval captain did when he faced the enemy's ship. He ordered the flag to be nailed to the mast. There would be no surrender, he would fight unto death.

4. Stand on the Word of God. Search for the scriptures that deal with fear and claim them. Apprehend and receive them by faith. That is apprehending Jesus, the Living Word, our Healer.

2Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Psa 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Pro 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

A lady was constantly tormented by the fear of people. She suffered extreme self-consciousness and fear of rejection. In church or other gatherings she always sat on the back row, never in front of anyone. She knew rejection from childhood. Her father was harsh and critical; other children rejected her because of her family. The words of her mother kept ringing in her ears, "How do you ever think anyone could like you?"

Remember, that I said early in this thread, that after Israel was delivered from Egypt and came through the Red Sea, God commanded them to possess the land of Promise and that there would be enemies in the land. Even though this young lady was saved (from Egypt and through the Sea), she had much from her past (Egypt) to practically deal with (fears). But now she had the means and the way - Jesus Christ.

In high school, when acceptance is so important, she sat at the front of the class. Unknown to her the girl behind her began to make fun of her before the rest of the class. When she discovered what was going on she thought, "Something must be terrible about me!" She could not find the courage to sit in front of anyone after that. After praying for healing and deliverance, she wrote that she is now sitting in the front row of the church. She took the step of faith and came out of her fears.

Many of you have gone through much worse (of course it is relative, isn't it?) and can testify of God's healing and deliverance in your life. No matter what giants are in the land, they are real to you and can cripple your relationship with God and others. We must all face and overcome them through Jesus Christ. He will give us the victory.

A777

The command from the Lord is “possess the land—within!”

The mind is a great battlefield; until every thought is brought under obdedience to Christ, there can be no peace.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy …MIND” (Mark 12:30)

No matter how long you walk with God, if you fail to discipline the mind, it will drift towards the flesh.

AREA OF BATTLE: THOUGHTS

One of the ways in which ground is given to the Enemy is an unrenewed mind.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not… (2Co 4:4 )

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Eph 2:3 )

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. (Col 1:21)

Another way is a Carnal Mind. A carnal mind is filled with lust, uncleanness and impurity

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Rom 8:6 )

A third way is by lies and deception admitted to the mind and fourth, passivity of the mind and then one being involved in the Occult. The activities of the occult require a passive mind.

The Devil builds up “strongholds” as the mind naturally tends towards the flesh.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; (2Co 10:4)

Passivity – “One permits his reasoning powers to settle into inertia and welcomes any thought which issues from that inert state.” Watchman Nee

“If a man will not use his intelligence neither will God, but evil spirits will do so. The require a blank brain and a passive will.” Watchman Nee

Evil Spirits always invade FROM THE OUTSIDE, entering primarily via the mind; Their thoughts force, push and coerce man to take action IMMEDIATELY;

Their thoughts confuse and paralyze man’s mind so that it can no longer think clearly.” Watchman Nee

The main strategy of Satan is to bring Deception and Passivity to us. A fanatical spirit is sure sign of deception.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (James 3:15-16)

“A fanatical spirit, which comes from the enemy, is full of enthusiasm and energy, but the character of those who have such a spirit is closed to reason, harsh, dogmatic and cock-sure. Such people are unwilling to listen to others, for they would say they are hearing the voice of God.” Michael Harper

Revelation or direction coming through a passive mind is subject to deception.

Some misconceptions of truth are:
a.\t“I have the mind of Christ.” (I Cor 2:16)
- Deception: I must not have any mind of my own
- Truth: One does not automatically have the mind of Christ until first his mind is renewed; second, he is led by the Spirit; and third, Hi Word dwells in him.

b.\t“God speaks to me.”
- Deception: I am led by the Spirit, so I do not need my mind.
- Truth: God speaks through my spirit, and my mind must be in tune with my spirit to understand what God is saying.

Truth not put in proper balance with other truths becomes error and a system of teaching built around one facet of truth can lead one into error.

A closed mind to light and truth is a sure sign of deception. Such as having an attitude of “I have it all!” The mind will remain darkened up to the extent that the light of truth penetrates it.

Ignorance brings deception about God and deception about yourself and if you do not use your mind you will put yourself into a state of passivity. Your mind must be upon your spirit to hear or understand what God is saying to your spirit.

There are many symptoms of passivity which can be sudden flashes of thought (interruptions), or sudden stoppage of thought (if constant, you’re passive). Thoughts captivated by certain patterns of (triggered by) rejection, worry, fear and nonsensical notions such as “You are much more spiritual than the rest", or “Your work will shake the world", or "You should step out an live by faith.”

Some other symptoms of passivity are uncontrolled imaginations, dreams (unsanctified, regular basis), insomnia, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, loss of the ability to communicate and the inability to reason.

Lastly, inactivity, and having the attitude that “whatever will be, will be”. This person has resigned their faculties and will be controlled by their circumstances.

Next: Part II – God’s Solution

I am the author.

It is ok for jesusourallinall.blogspot.com to publish this. I don't know who the other people are but I cannot see what they are publishing. Are you able to see any of their links?

A777

I cannot claim credit for the phrase "Possess the Land". That phrase exclusively belongs to the Lord from His Word.

There are hundreds of variants of this study in books and on the Internet. It seems to be a popular theme since it has to do with our walk.

If you think about it, God likens many things to this LAND.

He speaks of borders and boundaries, our walk, run the race, large fruit in the land, dry place, wilderness, rivers, valleys, mountains, wells, etc.

All of these things have spiritual meaning which we look at in the context of our walk.

A777

GOD'S SOLUTION

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God...(Eph 6:13)

To protect your mind, put on the:
-Helmet of Salvation
-Belt of Truth
-Sword of the Spirit

There will be a battle in bringing your mind to dwell upon the Word. Any deception that you are under will be expelled by Truth. The Truth will set you FREE.

Ask the Lord to help you discern the source of suffering and trouble and then wait to be illuminated by God's light. As you do, resist every lie and overthrow them one by one. Let God's truth penetrate every area of your life.

As you renew your mind on the Word of God, examine the source of your thoughts and bring every thought that exalts itself above the knowledge of God into captivity. Meaning, control your thoughts and expel and destroy those that are not of God.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2Co 10:5)

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (Eph 4:23)

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (1Pe 1:13)

You are responsible for renewing your mind and letting repentance have its perfect work.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)

You can overturn passivity in your life by activating your mind. Make a decision that your mind belongs to you and you will use it. And that you will not allow any outside force to manipulate or control your mind.

One way to exercise your mind is to take initiative. Start taking initiative as the Spirit leads you and don't depend on anyone else. Exercise your mind by thinking. As you begin thinking and reasoning you will begin to remember and understand. You have to determine what the state of normalcy is and fight through to the end.

When you have a free mind, your thoughts are brought under control and in subjection to Jesus Christ. Your mind will be in tune with the Spirit (Rom 8:6). And your mind will be free to concentrate, perceive, remember, reason and comprehend. By faith and by battle you will have a free mind. Don't accept anything less.

A renewed mind is the highest possibility that God has ordained for our minds.

The Holy Spirit will reveal God's will to our spirit and through our mind we will comprehend the meaning of God's revelation to us.

With his volition he engages his spritual strength. Watchman Nee.

We can see from this that it requires the cooperation of both the spirit and mind to fully understand the will of God.

There are certain spiritual laws regarding our mind that are always in motion. One of them is "Whatever the mind sets itself on is what the man walks after". Your head (mind) is able to mind the flesh as well as the Spirit, so to walk after the Spirit is to have your mind set on the things of the Spirit. We know that the Spirit produces life and peace but the flesh produces death. All the leadings of God are transmitted through our spirit.

The leadings of God give us an opportunity a use our will and make a choice. If our mind is disturbed it will be harmful to spiritual life.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isa 26:3)

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Php 4:7)

Our minds are not to be ruled by our emotions. Our emotions can be ruled by deep hurts and "scars" and thus our emotions will seek to rule our mind. We will talk about "the land of the emotions", too.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2Ti 1:7)

Our spiritual growth will be stunted at best if our mind is not renewed.

God's COMMAND to us is to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Eph 4:23).

To "gird up your mind" means to put on our spiritual armor. Thus, in order to hear God, we die to self and human reasoning, bind Satan and demon powers so that they cannot speak and we receive direction and guidance from God.

A777

I see that the work of demons can be characterized in 3 ways:

1) TO HAVE A DEMON - To hold or have relation with.

Mat 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, HE HATH A DEVIL.

Mar 7:25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter HAD AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

Mar 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which HATH A DUMB SPIRIT;

Luk 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which HAD A SPIRIT OF AN UNCLEAN DEVIL, and cried out with a loud voice,

Luk 8:27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which HAD DEVILS LONG TIME, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

Luk 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which HAD A SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY eighteen years, and was BOWED together, and COULD IN NO WISE LIFT UP HERSELF.

2) TO BE IN (WITH) AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT

Mar 1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man WITH AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT; and he cried out,

Mar 5:2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man WITH AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT,

3) DEMONIZED - UNDER INFLUENCE OR ATTACK OF A DEMON. COULD BE EITHER VEXED WITH OR POSSESSED.

Mat 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all SICK people that were taken with divers DISEASES and torments, and those which were POSSESSED WITH DEVILS, and those which were LUNATICK, and those that had the PALSY; and he healed them.

Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were POSSESSED WITH DEVILS: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were SICK:

Mat 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two POSSESSED WITH DEVILS, coming out of the tombs, exceeding FIERCE, so that no man might pass by that way.

Mat 8:33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the POSSESSED OF THE DEVILS.

Mat 9:32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a DUMB MAN POSSESSED WITH A DEVIL.

Mat 12:22 Then was brought unto him one POSSESSED WITH A DEVIL, BLIND, and DUMB: and he HEALED HIM, insomuch that the BLIND and DUMB both spake and saw.

Mat 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is GRIEVOUSLY VEXED WITH A DEVIL.

Mar 1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were DISEASED, and them that were POSSESSED WITH DEVILS.

Mar 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was POSSESSED WITH THE DEVIL, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and IN HIS RIGHT MIND: and they were afraid.

The Church is to take authority over the Kingdom of Darkness!!

A777

We talked about the Land of the Mind, and now we will talk about the Land of the Will.

Man’s will pretty much determines who he is. Through his will, he makes choices that determine his daily life and eternal destiny. God gave man a free will or volition and He never forcefully moves against man’s will, coerce’s or attempts to control it. Man’s will is that part of man that stands between good and evil. God seeks for man to join his will to God’s will, or come into harmony and agreement with the will of God. This will release the power of God in full salvation.

Many people can’t stand in ministry because their will isn’t strong enough to stand. God doesn’t have us until He has our will. To be a strong Christian, your will must be strong – brought into harmony with God’s will.

A man can say no to God, and God will always respect that.
Luk 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

“Our emotion expresses how we feel, our mind tells us what we think, our WILL communicates what we want”. Watchman Nee

When God created man He created a facility in man called the WILL, which is his organ for decision making. We have the capacity to make decisions. God gave us freedom of choice. A man’s choices and decisions, (his will) is his real self. Therefore, your choices reveal your character.
Our spiritual life begins with a choice. You choose to make the will of God your own will and pleasure and God’s will becomes your goal of living rather than self. That is why God’s word teaches us that repentance is turning from the SELF-LIFE.

“Salvation, then is to deliver man from his created, natural, animal, fleshly, and self-emanating will.”
Watchman Nee

Spiritual life is not just confined to our intellect and emotions, but God aims at the salvation of our will, also. And that is spiritual union. Not our emotions being joined in some mystical way to God’s emotions, but when our will is joined to God’s will. That is spiritual union with God.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. (an act of the will).

Out of this union between your will and God’s will come obedience. When we are disobedient we are following our own will. And this is why the Lord teaches us to cease from our works (our will).

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Furthermore, out of this union of the wills, comes ONE HEART. We are in harmony with God’s will and so we are one heart with Him. When we fail to become “one heart” with God this brings failure such as Lot’s wife and Balaam.
To sum it up, we are to make no provision for the flesh. (Matt 10:38).

The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ works like this. Nothing pertaining to man can be accomplished without the consent of his will. We CHOOSE to walk in the Spirit.
The sovereign part of your being is your will and God will not violate it. However, if your will is not working in a certain area, then usually the Devil is. The Devil will constantly try to violate your will. He does not respect you.

Your will becomes a censor or filter for all thoughts coming from your subconscious mind and your subconscious mind is a bank or reservoir of all your past experiences. It is your will that receives or rejects thoughts to your conscious mind. When your will ceases to resist Satan in that area, he comes into control. He can control you through your thought life and that is why renewing your mind will bring strength to your will and release from bondage.

Psa 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Therefore we can say that deliverance comes from renewing your mind and strengthening your will. The renewing of your mind undues bad thought patterns and releases cleansing to you.

Sin, rejection, hurts, pornography, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, etc., (all the works of the flesh) open doors to Satan. He will use all of this and more to bring them up to produce certain responses in you. Your will must be strong to suppress them.

Psa 91:2 *I WILL* say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him WILL I trust.

Psa 101:3 *I WILL SET* no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

It is important for your will to be free because it is the governing facility of man. If your will is not free you cannot come into agreement with the Holy Spirit and walk with Him. A spiritual Christian is one who is free to exercise his will. Passivity will open you up to demonic oppression.

The trophy that Satan seeks for is man’s will, likewise the summit of the spiritual Christian is a strong will in harmony with God’s will. The fruit of this is self-control.

The will in control of the spirit, mind, body and emotions guarantees freedom, so join yourself to God with one heart, committing your will unto Him and desiring His will. He will give you a strong inner conviction and a burning desire to serve Him.

Absolutely, do not let any man or devil violate your will.

Possess the Land of your WILL!

A777

Bondage of the Will

Man's will is brought into bondage by DECEPTION. (Using your will to believe a lie thinking it is the truth)

SCRIPTURE: "Christ lives in me". Gal 2:20
WRONG CONCEPT: I do not live now at all.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I live by the faith of the Son of God.

PRINCIPLE: God does not require self-effacement for His life to be manifested. God does not require that your personality cease to exist. You are not a robot.

SCRIPTURE: "I am crucifed with Christ". (Gal 2:20)
WRONG CONCEPT: I am dead and must practice death.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I died with Christ and am raised by his life to live.

PRINCIPLE: God's purpose for the Believer is not death but life. If you practice death you will cease to function. God wants to demonstrate His righteousness through us and He wants to bring us to a point in our Christian walk where we can work and we can will. We are to be raised with Him in newness of life.

SCRIPTURE: "God worketh in me". (Phil 2:13)
WRONG CONCEPT: I do not work, only surrender and God performs both the willing and the working.
RIGHT CONCEPT: Since I have His power in me, I can do all things THROUGH Christ.

PRINCIPLE: God never sets aside man's will. God never requires man to cease his activities before He can work. Remember, PAUL THE APOSTLE said, "I CAN DO all things through Christ..."

SCRIPTURE: "those who obey Him (Holy Spirit)" (Acts 5:32)
WRONG CONCEPT: I must surrender my whole being to the invisible Spirit.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I will obey God the Father through the Spirit.

PRINCIPLE: The Holy Spirit will not think through my mind, nor feel through my emotions, nor decide through my will. The Holy Spirit guides by divine impressions upon man's spirit. The Bible teaches us to obey objective truth. Obeying God is not some “impulse” that just comes to you. When you get these divine impressions, your mind, will and emotions should be free because God will not move until your will functions and you are able to freely choose. Don’t be paralyzed by fear or you you’ll miss God. Step out boldly – God will lead.

SCRIPTURE: "God's love...through the Holy Spirit" (Rom 5:5)
WRONG CONCEPT: I will not love. The Holy Spirit will give them God's love.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I will love them as the Holy Spirit has shown me God's love. (As you receive God's love you make a choice to love).

PRINCIPLE: To love is a choice. We choose to love as God has loved us. You can close your heart anytime you choose. Open your heart and choose to love and God will teach you how to love.

SCRIPTURE: "In everything give thanks" (I Thess 5:18)
WRONG CONCEPT: I WILL accept all circumstances as the will of God.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I WILL SUBMIT myself to God in all circumstances. I will be thankful IN all circumstances.

PRINCIPLE: Submission to God and resistance to evil must work together. (James 4:7). We do not submit to the Devil. Submitting to the Devil will grind your will down into passivity. Do not “Pray through” for experiences and feelings.

SCRIPTURE: "when I am weak, then I am strong" (2COR 12:10)
WRONG CONCEPT: I will to be weak so that I am strong.
RIGHT CONCEPT: The believer does not choose weakness, the weak believer shall have God's strength.

PRINCIPLE: God is sufficient in whatever state you may be. Many make the decision to be weak, but you should not will to be weak. The weak should choose strength, choose His strength.

SCRIPTURE: "Thy Will be done"
WRONG CONCEPT: God wills for me, I don't have to choose.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I choose to do His will.

PRINCIPLE: God never substitutes His will for man's. WE ARE TO USE OUR WILL TO CHOOSE HIS WILL, as Jesus did. Our thoughts and will come into agreement with His thoughts and will. We think His thoughts and do His will. This is all an act of our will. He does not "take us over".

There are several symptoms of passivity and it is very important that you are not led by emotional impulses. You need to “work through” and get jobs or projects done that you started. Inertia is the inability to cope. This means you are not moving and have just given up. Many Christians have just given up. Our lives should not be full of an innumerable amount of unfinished jobs. If you have the inability to concentrate then it is quite possible you have some passivity of the mind and if you are unable to make decisions or initiate any kind of action your will has been crippled and is passive.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

Faith will not work if we have double-mindedness. Does your will work? “What do you want” is what God is asking you.

The enemy’s tactics are to wear down the saints until their will is passive and useless and they are easily manipulated by the people and the powers of darkness.

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and SHALL WEAR OUT THE SAINTS of the most High... (Dan 7:25)

We should not wait for others to make decisions for us. God does not make decisions for people and we should not make decisions for people or let others make decisions for us. Counsel is OK. But our lives are not to be driven by other people’s decisions or circumstances and we need to learn to make decisions and and take direction (counsel).

A777

David C. RE: to A777

"Watchman Nee teaching again. And again I find in myself a voice saying be wary.

"I have read all the posts, Anonymous, and have read a lot of Nee's books in my life, but I find my heart doesn't go with him. (that's the best way I can explain it)"DavidC

Me too, David. Nee was a hero of mine years ago. I read all of him I could scratch up. One of his most read and popular books was the two volume set..."THE SPIRITUAL MAN." Imagine the nerve of someone tackling such a work...to identify and assess the full orbit of a souls walk with God, as a spiritual creature. It is overwhelming.

But NEE did, and came out to the end with his head held high, with great acclaim from all. Nee, was a conceptual genius, equal to the great preachers and teachers with the status of a Tozer, or the depth of a Spurgeon.

Many years later, NEE issued a disclaimer about "THE SPIRITUAL MAN." He said , "It was too perfect." I think he meant what you said you were unnerved about. You can conceive truth, and as a line of mirrors reflecting a beam of light, conceive the paradigms of the physics of how they respond, angle, and expose, as that ray reflects itself.

Nee did this with the Light of God within the Church. He gave his entire life to this kind of teaching. I see it as "CONCEPTUAL IDEALISM". Concepts are different than life. Jesus has called us to abide...and that is the only way that we bear fruit....not simply conceiving alone....but living .
DavidC writes:
"What he writes about the christian walk in the Spirit is perfectly sound and backed up by scripture, but it is as if he is placing the whole responsibility for our sanctification on ourselves and not on Christ."

"The great emphasis of the new covenant is that "they will all be taught by God". John writes that we have an unction from the holy one and:...

"the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him" 1 John 2:27 (KJV)....DavidC

Abide......that's all there is.

Bondage of the Will...A777
Man's will is brought into bondage by DECEPTION. (Using your will to believe a lie thinking it is the truth

A777 posted;
SCRIPTURE: "Christ lives in me". Gal 2:20
WRONG CONCEPT: I do not live now at all.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I live by the faith of the Son of God.

PRINCIPLE: "God does not require self-effacement for His life to be manifested. God does not require that your personality cease to exist. You are not a robot."

SCRIPTURE: "I am crucified with Christ". (Gal 2:20)
WRONG CONCEPT: I am dead and must practice death.
RIGHT CONCEPT: I died with Christ and am raised by his life to live....etc. "A777...............................

There is much truth in these ideas about right and wrong "concepts"...and it is true, that by diluting the pure word, DOCTRINE; we can risk losing everything, forever. Yes, we must choose the truth, preach the Truth, defend the Truth, but above all , we must practice the Truth...; Live it.

Of course this is an act of our will. However, almost everyone I have ever met who emphasizes this "concept" as a primary teaching has lost the primary teaching....Love.

This is what the early church did, and I don't think they thought to much about concepts, except continuing in the Apostles doctrine. ACTS 2.

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, !!!![concepts?]!!
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church[h] daily those who were being saved.!

Another thing, 777...[ and I say this with as much mercy as I can muster..]..is the WOF doctrines....Saying it makes you one with DOING it. This is a lie, and I know you know that.

Yet, there is much need for the body to understand how much; HOW VERY MUCH....our Wills are involved in our faith walk. I'm not sure that empirical comparison is effective in imparting such an idea; Yet, for this reason, I'm glad you posted this article.

*Update*

Hey Guys, thanks I appreciate your comments.

Much of what I am writing about I wrote 30 years ago when I was living in Northern California and there were many people coming out of many different cults. I find that these concepts are still true today and even more so. The prosperity gospel and false signs and wonders movement and false teachers and prophets movement is worse today than 30 years ago.

Regarding Watchman, I have only used a few of Watchman Nee's quotes and gave him credit where I used them. I thought they were appropriate and still very much true. With that said, about 25 years ago I stopped reading Nee because he spends almost all of his time on the soul and self. And there is much more to our spiritual battle than our soul. I found his writings too one dimensional on spiritual warfare. I think I probably have most everything he wrote including the Spiritual Man but today they mostly gather dust.

So, yes, I have used a few quotes but I limit them. And I may use a few more quotes if necessary because he did say some clarifying things about self.

I was just having a conversation today with a friend regarding Nee and their remark was similar. "Strangely, your note reminded me of why I abandoned Nee's exposition of the soul as an entity to be suspected if not destroyed. It's a very subtle form of hampering the growth of the inner man."

And, I would agree wholeheartedly with that. Also, some of the things I am talking about have relevance to people that have incurred much damage and bruising and deception from the enemy.

BrotherTom knows how Christ Centered I am. Davidc, When I spoke about the Armor of God, it was all about "putting on the Lord Jesus Christ". Did you miss that?

There is nothing I am talking about that has to do with improving oneself with SELF. I am exposing the deception of self and the lies of the enemy and the passivity of the Church, today. We possess the land with Jesus as our Captain and Deliverer. The battle is already won but there are enemies in the land (fear, doubt, unbelief, lies, deception) that need to be driven out in order for us to come into Rest and be useful in the Potter's hand.

Davidc, maybe you could be a little more specific about something that was bothering you or not sitting well with you.

But I do appreciate your comments and thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify myself.

A777

Thanks for the clarification, David.

Then, I hope I allayed some of your fears regarding whether this would be "NEE intensive". I assure you, with the exception of a few quotes, it will not be.

I agree with BrotherTom, too, and the Lord's purpose for us is to bring us to that place of Rest and Abiding in Him.

Thanks again,
A777

When you read about Joshua and Caleb, you notice that each person had to walk in individual faith and many did not. Joshua and Caleb both had to exercise faith and their will, to obey the Lord. Others shrank back out of fear and did not possess the land. They could not ride each other’s coattails back then and we can’t do it now.

If we are going to regain the use and control of our faculties we have to walk it out. No one can free us except the Lord as we walk in faith towards Him exercising the WILL that He gave us. Having done all, we must STAND and stand on God's promises to bring us through.

Deception in our lives can be exposed by the TRUTH.

"The knowledge of the truth is absolutely necessary for deliverance from passivity, without which freedom is impossible." Watchman Nee

What I am about to list goes for all Christians, not just the ones that have come out of extreme situations and are still in bondage to fear, unbelief and wrong thinking amongst other things. One thing a Christian learns very quickly is that deliverance gained, must be deliverance maintained.

1. Be willing to know the truth about yourself and admit that you are susceptible to deception.
2. Admit areas of deception (to yourself and God).
3. Discover with the help of the Holy Spirit what ground in your life has been given to the enemy.
4. The enemy's penetration into your life is determined by the degree of passivity in your life.

Many times, the enemy will use a false sense of humility to bring us into passivity.

To break the pattern of passivity in yourself, you must activate your will. You activate your will by responding to God's will, because it takes the use of your WILL in order to do God's WILL. Your will is energized by faith. Faith is always active and never passive and your will is strengthened by truth. Think about it. Truth gives backbone to your will. If you say "I can't" you most likely "won't".

Some more practical steps and things to do.

When you make a decision, stick with it. A vacillating Christian is a tormented Christian. So, when you make a decision, count the cost and follow through.

Exercise your will by making decisions and fight double-mindedness by standing by your decision. A passive person is unable to act by his own volition, as he is like a cork bobbing in the sea.

And be willing to make wrong decisions, accepting responsibility for any decision that you make. Stop accepting circumstances to guide you. Some prefer to be driven by circumstances rather than making a choice. Passivity is assuming that God is deciding EVERYTHING for you.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

You must resist the Devil as he battles you to wear down your will and oppose the rule of the enemy in your life. God wants you to recover all lost ground and wants you to know that through Him you can. Work actively with the Holy Spirit for the full use of every part of your person.

“At the initial stage of combat his symptoms grow worse than before as though the more he fights the less strength his will has…though the believer does feel worse, in reality he is better. For it demonstrates that the resistance had its effect: the enemy has felt the pressure and is consequently making his last stand.” Watchman Nee.

Your will in control of your spirit, mind and body is freedom.

The spirit needs the control of the will.

Pro 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
The mind needs to be connected to the will.

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

And the body must be the instrument of man for the glory of God.

1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

“An active will is necessary to maintain deliverance in any area of our lives. So, the strategy of the enemy against the will is passivity. As this happens, one becomes more and more complacent and helpless. The fighting through period is a painful time and there can be acute suffering and intense struggle arising out of the consciousness of resisting the powers of darkness in their contest for what the believer endeavors to reclaim.” Jessie Penn-Lewis

A777

"NEE" wrote The Spiritual Man when saved only 8 years.

The great scholars on this thread have much to say I see. :D

Here's Volume 3 of the 3 volume set.

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/nee/sprtmnv3/sprtmnv3cont.htm

In 35 yrs of being around 'scholars' - the bottomline of why those certain ones don't like "NEE" is because "dying to self" is something they'd prefer to keep foreign from.

Nee was not innerant, as no Author on this entire website was or is - except for maybe the scholars that merely post on forums. :D

Anyhow - Volume 3 covers much of what has been the conversation of late and I for one am happy to have read these 3 volumes 3 decades ago, to get a good running start on what to avoid out there. :p

Have a nice weekend.

I've noticed you've been having trouble navigating and deciding where to put posts -
such as the one on "house churches".

Maybe you meant to put this last post above here on this thread -

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=39285&forum=34&0

Hey, I'm as confused as you are. :)
Have a good weekend as well!!

I don't know anyone on the thread that says they "don't like Nee", we don't even know the brother. A few have said they stopped reading him because he is one dimensional or his treatment of the soul was rather severe and there is certainly more to our warfare than the flesh.

Some even think Watchman Nee's teachings are a form of Neo-Gnosticism. I use his quotes quite sparingly.

WATCHMAN NEE’S TEACHING ON SOUL AND SPIRIT: A FORM OF NEO-GNOSTICISM

A Review By Gordon Ferguson
My Introduction To Watchman Nee and Witness Lee
http://www.addtoyourlearning.com/articles/Watchman_Nee_on_Soul_and_Spirit.doc

You have a nice day, too.

A777

This generation becomes more amazing each day that passes.
Some critiquing Tozer and others as well.
I do expect that one by one the Authors of old will be thrown out as "this or that" by this Apostate Church, as they can't be found in most Christian Book Stores neither.
A different spirit and a different Jesus, is certainly what this last days 'church' has taken for itself and self-professed 'prophets and teachers'. The epidemic of those becomes more apparent each day.
"I had a dream - I had a vision - I've had an experience" becomes more important to some than knowing to take up their cross daily and die to the desire of wanting to be followed or admired - ie: die to self or decrease that He may Increase.

No famous Author was or is innerant - and those who post on forums only, are even less so - which proves to me more each year that I'm online, that we're living in the time of the Apostasy and now, the days of the Strong Delusion and men of comfort exalt themselves above those who poured out their lives unto death for The Body of Christ.
Rather nauseating actually - as the lukewarm are.

*UPDATE*

Your implications and accusations are noted. In fact, hard to miss.

We are apostate
We have a different spirit
We have called ourselves prophets
We have called ourselves teachers
We have dreams
We have visions
We have experiences
We want to be followed
We want to be admired
We are men of comfort and are exalting ourselves above those who poured out their lives
We are lukewarm
We nauseate you

Did I miss anything?

You're not opposed to people thinking for themselves and having their own opinion that might differ from yours, are you?

Now, what did you say about picking up our cross and dying to self?

Yes, we did miss something but I don't know how I could have missed it.

When it comes to "these days" where all that you listed is true of the Apostate Church - another thing is, promoting false teachers who are actually "Dominionists" and are in bed with the political systems of this world.

Also, because iniquity abounds the love of Most will grow cold.

If I can think of anything more that is atypical of the last days Apostate Church that's been sent the Strong Delusion - I'll try to remember to come back to this thread and list it.

*Update*

Sounded like you did not like what people were saying about Nee and then proceeded to call them a lot of names.

Now, it looks like you are backtracking and just saying that those are characteristics of the Apostate church, instead.

Well, let's move on.

Maybe you should have read my post more clearly.
I mentioned "Tozer and others" and "Christian Book Stores" not carrying the Classics anymore and "those who gave their lives for the Body of Christ" compared to 'this' generation, etc.
But the fact that "NEE" was spelled in all caps in a few replies was noted as well. So who's after who? :)

I'm also just not too enthralled with today's experts that want to be "followed" because they want us to believe their 'dreams, visions, experiences and words' carry some weight, rather than pointing us to Christ and His Word Alone.
I'm not one to "follow" those who show signs of desiring to Be followed.
There's a very large and obvious difference between those who POINT TO CHRIST & HIS WORD ALONE and those who are looking for something in it for themselves, [even if it is just a desire for self-recognition on their part] and the True Bride needs to learn pretty pronto what the difference is between men who want to be followed because of their purported "experiences" and those who have died to self and are pointing to HIS WORD and HIM Alone.
Major difference between these two types of professors and one that could mean "spiritual life or death" in these days. Amen to that!

Your context was strange. Posting that on this thread in response to who or what? Again, your recent post reeks of implications.

I will give you the benefit of the doubt.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, AND ALL LIARS,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie:
but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers,
and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters,
and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

The primary intention of Satan is to bruise everyone coming into this world. His intentions and purposes become very clear as one sees that his bruises give him place to do very destructive work in our lives.

Bruises bind up a person but the work of Jesus Christ is to set at liberty them that are bruised (Luke 4:18). Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever came to undo the work of the enemy. He was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil in our lives. (1 John 3:8)

Satan’s objective is to bruise you as soon as he can and innocent children are a target of the enemy, and they carry bruises throughout their life and are never free to be the person God intended them to be. The evidence of his work is the fears, insecurity, bitterness and rejection in their lives. The oppression of the enemy remains until these works are revealed by the Holy Spirit and undone.

Strongholds come through sin, but the Devil can also bruise the innocent. Therefore, more than sin gives place to the Devil. Let me say that again, MORE THAN SIN GIVES PLACE TO THE DEVIL. People that receive abuse when they are young will sustain emotional hurts. Many times those with emotional hurts tend to be cold and logical instead of warm and loving. They will either suppress their emotions or go to the other extreme and be ruled by their emotions.

We live in a day when children are abused and killing their parents. Teens are committing suicide and most marriages are failing bruising the children. Satan’s total strategy is to kill, steal and destroy from every angle imagineable.

Four roots that come out of bruises are:

1) Bitterness
2) Rejection
3) Rebellion
4) Pride.

As you seek the Lord to be healed from the past by forgiving those that Satan used to bruise you and releasing them, there will be a battle. And as you seek to minister these truths to those that are bound up, there will be a battle. Satan does not take kindly to his works being exposed and will attack the minister and the one being ministered to.

The Body of Christ is suffering from the bruises of Satan and these bruises keep the Body divided and the enemy dwells in the land. People that are bruised have a difficult time being joined together in a body – fear and distrust separate them. The ultimate purpose of inner healing is that the Body of Christ be healed. As the Body is joined together, the fullness of the Head will flow down through each member. This section deals with the hurts and the way to find healing and release from the past.

A777

I have been asked to leave by SI, because of some people that have not been happy about what I have been writing about.

This is not unexpected as the Land of the Emotions gets to the very heart of personal problems in walking with God.

I would like to thank SI for allowing me to stay this long.

God bless everyone,
A777

Here is the full message so there is no confusion.

 Sent: 2011/5/29 7:16:25   
sermonindex forums

Brother,

I trust you are well. I suppose there is no easy way to write this so I am going to go ahead just to share it as plainly as I can. Over the past months I have some private messages come to me sad because of some of the posters on sermonindex. I am very slow to ackoweldge these things or accuse in any way. After awhile I have noticed some trends of these reports coming in.

sermonIndex is a very unique forum and is not one where we want people for any way to have personal agendas or promoting their doctrines to everyone. It is a place of learning and being willing to learn from the least in the body of Christ.

I have talked with the moderators and we have felt that it would be better if you willingly moved on from using the discussion forums on the website. You are still free to access all the sermons and materials on the site but we felt it is better if you did not participate in the forums.

Personally if you ask me brother, the forums on sermonindex at times for many people is a seasonal experience in their walk and its not a place of permnant growth or contribution.

Please acknowedlge you have received this message and are willing to leave participation of the forums and I will close your account.

Greg

777, I never PMed a Modertor nor Greg about you and just needed for you to know that - just so that your mind will not be overly troubled by what you've been thinking.
My only suggestion remains, to Seek truth in the inward parts and you'll find His Peace.
HE is The All Sufficient GOD and Christ and praying you'll find Him and His Peace as all sufficient in truth.
With our prayers.

Hi JiG,

Evidently, I am not banned yet. Can I take your comments as a vote of confidence that you want me to stay?

If there was a behind the scenes campaign to have me removed and it was obviously influential upon the moderators, I am just guessing that there could be a behind the scenes campaign to have me stay.

JiG, you have been my most forceful opponent (that I know of).

It would be great if you could start a campaign to allow me to stay. What a statement of love and forgiveness that would be.

I did have 421 PMs of positive and encouraging comments.

The only other thing that makes me sad is that this is my first and only first PMs from moderators. No warnings, no corrections at all.

So, someone(s) carries a lot of weight.

Looking forward to your charitable vote of confidence.

A777

Because of the manner of posting and comments we are locking this thread.