Wonderful Jesus!

Secret Weapon!

Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV

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Are you a fan of westerns? I am! I grew up on the Lone Ranger series, as dorky as it looks today! My daughter discovered that the Lone Ranger was actually a Black man, and decided she wanted to honor his work and memory. Her latest release is loosely based on the character of the Lone Ranger and his friend Tonto; or in her case, Sly and Jamie! In the first three books of the series, Sly is in and out of the stories, helping runaway slaves; but book four is his story. I mention him, to give her free advertisement, and to make a point: Sly, had a secret weapon! Whenever Sly got in a tight spot, he did daring things to help the runaways, or to stop a lawless individual, all without getting hurt. Why? His secret weapon! Jamie was always in the background, giving the appearance that Sly was on his own, and just when Sly needed him, he would show up! One day, Sly was without his secret weapon and things got messy! You’ll have to read the book if you want to know what happened to Sly!

A secret weapon is something or someone that no one knows about and that will give you an advantage over your competitors or enemies. I’m calling today’s weapon against the devil a secret weapon because many Christians conduct themselves as if they are unaware of it, and it’s so powerful! That’s the weapon of holiness. That’s right! It’s been a secret weapon for far too long, and now we need to become more aware of it in order to have an advantage over the devil.

In John 14:30, Jesus spoke these words, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” As I read this verse, I thought about the blogs I have been writing, and I knew I had to include this verse in this section! Jesus said that the “ruler of this world is coming”. This title is another name for the devil, our adversary. Jesus knew that the enemy was getting ready to attack Him with a mighty blow, and He says, “he has nothing in me!” Wow! What is Jesus saying?

For Jesus, this was no secret weapon, it was how He lived. And as such, the devil was unable to get a place in His life! The devil came to bring death to Jesus, but he didn’t realize that he couldn’t take Jesus’ life. However, Jesus had to die, for us, so He gave up His life. The devil thought he was doing something, that he had finally outsmarted God and Jesus, but had he known the power of the cross, and the blood that was shed, he would have never allowed Jesus to get on it!

As I was reading to find examples of the truth of this principle, I found Albert Hibbert’s book, “Smith Wigglesworth: The Secret of His Power”. On page 93, he wrote the following words:

“To discern satanic activity, we must live in the Presence of Him Who is holy; otherwise, we will very likely fall victim to Satan’s wiles. If we maintain the same attitude toward sin and all its by-products that Jesus had, we need never fear the devil or what he can do. Rather, he will fear us.”

Smith Wigglesworth was a man of great power. If you have never heard of him before, allow me to introduce him to you. Smith and his wife worked in ministry together for the Salvation Army, when salvations really were its objective. Then one day Smith received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After that, his life changed, he changed. The Holy Ghost began manifesting His gifts wherever Smith went and mighty miracles broke forth. Creative miracles, the dead rising, miracles of healing, and divine salvations, just to give you an idea of his ministry. Hibbert interviewed him in writing this book and asked him about what he did in his spare time. Wigglesworth said he spent his time in the presence of God, and that kept him ready to be used by God to destroy the works of the devil!

Jesus lived in the presence of the Father. When He wasn’t meeting the needs of the people, He was stealing away to be with His Father. When He was with the people, His only concern was to do the will of the Father. With such God consciousness, He had no time for sin, for His personal gratification of the flesh. His attitude towards sin was that it needed to be forgiven or dealt with; not enjoyed for a season!

This is holiness! I know a lot of people think holiness is about what we wear or don’t wear, and the things we watch and listen to. Those are by products of holiness. Holiness is living your life free from sin, as Jesus did, as God does. It’s not always easy, but the pursuit of holiness is a powerful weapon that gives us an advantage over the devil. I know you’ve met the individual who lives to see how close they can get to the world and still be saved. That person is making himself vulnerable to Satan’s attacks! However, the person who is living a set apart life for God, is strengthening his advantage over the enemy! Don’t we need one? Is not there a cause to have an advantage?

We gush over the lives of the “old timers” and the way God used them, they are great examples. But they were just men and women who allowed Jesus to be the guide for all they did and said. Holiness was a high priority and because of that, they walked in much authority over the works of the devil. They came under attack, but when they were in their rightful place in Christ Jesus, he was no match for them. When they took their eyes off of Jesus, they found themselves sinking much as Peter did.

There’s so much to holiness. I can’t cover it all, but maybe later I can go more in depth on the subject. I just thought it was interesting to note that Jesus knew His life was lived in such a way, the devil had no ability to hurt Him. It should be a goal for each of us, as it gives us an advantage, and it’s a powerful weapon against the devil! Don’t ever let the devil catch you without your secret weapon! Wonderful Jesus!

There’s Power in the Blood!

Revelation 12:11 – And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV

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Lewis E. Jones wrote the hymn, “There is Power in the Blood” in 1899. It is still sung today. The questions he asked are:

Would you be free from your burdens of sin?
Would you, a victory over evil win?
Would you be free from your passion and pride? Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide!
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? Sin stains are lost in it’s life giving flow!
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
Would you live daily His praises to sing?

Then Lewis repeatedly answers the questions by saying, “There’s power in the Blood!” I’m sure you have heard, and know this hymn, but here’s the chorus:

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the Blood, of the Lamb!
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious Blood of the Lamb!

Jones understood a basic, yet profound truth, that whatever you need, there is power enough in the Blood to bring it to pass. My previous post on the first line of defense being the Blood of Jesus, through provision of salvation is where it starts, not where it ends. The Blood of Jesus will not only lift your burdens of sin, wash you whiter than snow, and destroy the bondage of passion and pride; it will also give you victory over evil, empower you to live daily for the King, and enable you to serve Him. It’s in the Blood!

I’m re-reading a book, written by Billye Brim, “The Blood and the Glory!” It’s one of the best books I’ve read on the subject. In her book, she gives testimony after testimony of the power of the Blood for protection. She writes about the principle of applying the Blood and pleading the Blood over our lives, our families, our properties, and our businesses. Basically, over everything!

I want to share one of her testimonies. I will generalize it so that I am not copying from her text. This happened pre-cell phone days. There was a minister who had to go to Canada to conduct some services. The power of God was moving and people were getting saved and set free. The devil spoke to him and told him that he was going to kill his children. He responded by saying, “Devil, you’re a liar! You cannot kill my children.” The devil told him that he was going to use rabid foxes to kill his children. He remembered that someone had mentioned to him, they had seen foxes on his land before he had left. So he and some friends drew a blood line of protection around his property. A week later he received a letter from his brother saying that he had found five dead foxes on the boundary of his property and they were all tested and had rabies! Now that’s power!

She also shares testimonies from Mrs. C. Z. Nuzum’s book, “The Life of Faith”. Mrs. Nuzum was a missionary in Mexico and she trusted the Blood of Jesus would protect her from violence, from a bulldog, a raging fever as she went to help a family, a drunk man who followed her to bring her harm, and a number of other instances. There is power in the Blood!

I’ve already talked about the protection at Passover. Today, I will remind you of Rahab, who was protected with a token of the blood. When she hid the spies, she had a conversation with them about saving her and her family. The spies told her that if she and her family stayed in the house, they would be protected, as long as she kept her end of the bargain. As she lowered them from her window, using a scarlet cord, they told her that she should tie that cord to the window, and when the Israelites came, and saw the cord, her home would receive protection. That cord was a token of the blood. It saved her entire family from destruction when the walls of Jericho fell. As a matter of fact, her walls didn’t even fall. You’ll have to go back and read the story in its entirety, but there is power even in the token of the Blood.

What does that mean for you and I. When we are born again, we have the Blood applied to our hearts, but we can also apply it, or plead it over us and our family for protection. I have done so on numerous occasions for myself and my family, and it works! I have gotten lax, but I am thankful for this reminder, during the coronavirus outbreak that there is power in the Blood to protect us.

Let me say this! Smith Wigglesworth, a man whose life and ministry I greatly admire, was used mightily by God to heal the sick, and to restore life and limb to individuals. But when it came to health, he did the natural things necessary to stay healthy. When it was cold outside, he wore a coat, scarf, and a hat. When it was raining, he used an umbrella. He understood the authority he had over sickness and disease, but he didn’t give place to the devil. Jesus, the Son of God, said that we are not to tempt the Lord our God. Just because God has given His angels to protect us, doesn’t mean we go about defying death. So with the coronavirus, just because we are covered in the Blood, and can apply the Blood, doesn’t mean we need to walk around like we are untouchable. We don’t operate in fear, and we don’t run from life, but we walk in faith, trusting God, not trying to prove that we are invincible.

How does it work? You say, “In the Name of Jesus, I plead the Blood of Jesus over my body against ___________________”! This is not prayer! It’s a decree, based on the Word of God, and done in faith! You can, by faith, apply the Blood to your vehicles, to your home, over your business. You can by faith, draw a bloodline, in the same way. As you go, the Spirit of God can prompt you, or you can operate by faith! I am out of space, but for more on the Blood, check out the scriptures in the Bible related to blood, and check out those books I mentioned. When you finish them, you will be more equipped to use this weapon, and to overcome the enemy, by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus! He cannot fail! Wonderful Jesus!

Our First Line of Defense!

Revelation 12:10-11- Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV

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This text is loaded with revelation, but for today’s blog we are dealing with a key weapon God has given us against the devil. John the Apostle has been exiled to the Isle of Patmos as a punishment or because of persecution for his faithfulness to the Lord. However, he is not sitting around whining about his isolation, he is communing with Jesus!Jesus takes this time to reveal to John, “things which must shortly take place”. It is at this time, when John is being given an opportunity to see and listen in on what’s happening in heaven, that we learn how to overcome the devil.

Since we have already talked about him as the accuser of the brethren, I won’t focus on that. What I want us to see in this verse is, the weapon: “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…” They, meaning the ones to whom salvation was given, the children of God. Him, meaning the devil. So our most effective weapon against the devil is the Blood of Jesus. Let’s look at how it works!

Salvation comes through the precious blood of Jesus. Ephesians 1:7 – “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it is our first line of defense against the devil. Satan knows that he has no way, whatsoever, to get back into God’s grace. And he doesn’t want you to experience it either. Therefore, he does everything he can to keep mankind from accepting Jesus and partaking of the grace of God. Once a person receives Jesus, they are born into the family of God (John 1:12). Paul wrote that at the time of salvation, we are also delivered out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. (Colossians 1:13).

This is important to note as a first line of defense against Satan. Before you or I became the children of God, we belonged to the devil. In Ephesians, chapter 2, Paul wrote that at that time, before Christ, we were strangers to the covenants of promise, we had no hope, and we were without God in the world. This is a terrible place to be because it’s Satan’s domain, and he is in complete authority. He can whip up on you and have full legal authority to do it. The only way you can stop him from kicking you around is the Blood of Jesus! You have to become born of the Spirit of God, through the Blood. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. There is no other way!

Our physical bodies have a first line of defense. “The first line of defence (or outside defence system) includes physical and chemical barriers that are always ready and prepared to defend the body from infection. These include your skin, tears, mucus, and, stomach acid….” Once we become spirit beings, our first line of defense for us as spiritual beings is the Blood of Jesus, applied on the doorpost of our hearts. This salvation keeps us in a state of readiness against our enemy!

A natural depiction of this spiritual principle is seen in Exodus, chapter 12, when the children of Israel is getting ready to depart from Egypt. Moses instructs them to kill a lamb and to reserve the blood of the lamb. The blood was to be placed on the two door posts and on the lintel of the houses they were in. (This was to be their first celebration of the Passover). In verse 12, God tells them that He will strike all of the firstborn in the land, of man and beast, and when He sees the blood, He will pass over them and their homes. The blood was a sign, that the people in the houses where the blood was applied was “off limits”.

In the same manner, the Blood of Jesus is applied to our hearts on the day of our salvation. It is a sign to God and the devil, that we have been bought with the Blood of Jesus; and the devil has no legal right, or authority, to mess with us. It doesn’t stop his attacks! It makes him keenly aware that when he messes with us, he is messing with someone dear to the heart of God. It also let’s him know that in the past when he messed with us, we were on our own; but that is no longer the case. When we become born again, we gain a Heavenly Father, God, and He is in our corner! Not only that, to every one that is born again, Jesus has given authority over the devil! So that’s another reason why the devil works so hard to keep people from getting saved. Isn’t that exciting! The one who had authority over you is now under your authority! Glory be to God!

Before you even think about going on the offense against the devil and using that authority, make sure the Blood of Jesus has been applied to your heart. Once that first line of defense is in place, you have nothing to fear from the devil. In my next blog, I’ll give more insight into the power of the Blood against the attacks of Satan. Wonderful Jesus!

The Flip Side!

Ephesians 4:27 – “nor give place to the devil.” NKJV

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I grew up in the Flip Wilson era, where we thought it was funny to say, “The devil made me do it!” Flip Wilson, in his comedy show, did some stupid things, then he would say that the devil made him do it. There is a poster with him in a dress, and of course, the devil made him buy the dress. However, through the years I have realized that it’s no joking matter to give place to the devil and his bidding.

I’ve written several blogs to remind us that we have an adversary and he is out to get us. However, I would be remiss, if I didn’t write about the “flip” side of that picture. While it is true, that the devil is directly or indirectly responsible for the bad things that happen in our lives, we willingly or unwillingly participate in his schemes. It’s time to stop giving place to the devil!

A young lady approached me one day crying. I asked her what was going on? She said that it wasn’t fair that she was pregnant and she had only had sex one time, when she knew people who were far more active than she was and they hadn’t gotten pregnant. Can I just say that I was standing there looking at her with a “are you kidding me” expression on my face? How could it not be fair? If you are old enough to have sex, you should be old enough to understand that pregnancy can and might be the consequence of your actions. It’s not a matter of fairness, it’s a matter of consequence.

Consequence is defined as “a result or effect of an action or condition”. Stephen Covey had this to say about consequences: “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” This is a truth conveyed throughout scripture.

When David slept with Bathsheba, not only did he father a baby with another man’s wife, but he killed the man to hide his sin. He chose the sin, but the consequences were costly. A warrior who served him with unwavering devotion died, the baby died, his son rape his daughter, her brother killed the one who raped her, and then he turned around and tried to take the kingdom from David. Did I forget to mention that he slept with David’s wives on the rooftop of the palace? David chose the sin, but the consequences were out of his control.

Achan was another person whose actions brought devastating consequences. The children of Israel had just finished rejoicing over the walls of Jericho falling. They were rounding up the treasures that were to go to God. Achan saw “a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels” and he took them. They were forbidden for him to take, yet he did it. The children of Israel went out to fight the battle of Ai. They lost. Joshua was so upset that he was crying about to God. God told him there was sin in the camp. Achan was exposed. Joshua had them take Achan, the treasures, his family, and all that he owned to the Valley of Achor. There Joshua had them all stoned and burned with fire. Achan chose the action, but he didn’t get to choose the consequence. And let’s not forget that lives were lost in a battle that should have been a cake walk.

Do you want a New Testament example? I have one for you. Ananias and Sapphira. They sold their property to be a blessing to the church. They decided that they would keep a portion of the money. It was theirs to do with as they wished. But when Ananias showed up to give his money, he lied and said that it was the total amount that he had received from the sell. It was a lie and he died on the spot. He was so not expecting that! Then his wife came in, not realizing what had happened to her husband and gave the same lie. Then she died. Wow! What an expensive price to pay for a lie. They chose the action, but God chose the consequence.

All of these are examples of people giving place to the devil. The devil could very much have whispered in their ears, suggesting these things. But he could not make them do any of it. They had to give place to the devil. He didn’t make Eve eat from the tree and he doesn’t make us do things. Unless he possesses us! That’s a different blog, altogether.

What about that couple I mentioned who had the yelling contest, allowing their anger to get the best of them? They gave place to the devil with their anger, and those spirits had permission to come in and wreak havoc and fear in their lives and their marriage.

When we sin, whatever the sin, we give place to the devil. We give him an invitation to come into our homes, our lives, our finances, and our children’s lives, by our choices and our actions. When we say “no” to sin, we shut the door to the devil and his demonic activity. We stop the negative consequences from happening in our lives and open the door to the blessings of the Lord. When we say “yes” to sin, we will reap the consequences God has laid out in His word, for our sins. God isn’t punishing us, per se, we are reaping what we sowed.

I can assure you that there are times, the devil just attacks us for no good reason, except that he can. But sometimes, we invite his attention with the things we do and say. We don’t have to be afraid of the devil, but neither should we give him access in our lives.

I trust that these past blogs have helped you to see that Satan really is your adversary. I hope you have also realized that you can help him hurt you, or you can stop him in his tracks! And no matter where you’ve been in the past on this issue, I trust that moving forward you have a made up mind to actively watch out for his activity, and to enforce his defeat in your life. Keep reading for weapons to defeat the devil. Wonderful Jesus!

Our Adversary- Enforcing His Defeat!

1 Peter 5:8-9 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. NKJV

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I’ve been blogging for the past week about our adversary, and all the ways he and his demonic forces disguise themselves in what we call situations and circumstances. But today, I want to talk about some ways we can participate in stopping his attacks from being successful in our lives. Notice that I said, in keeping him from being successful. There will be attacks, but they don’t have to accomplish the evil intents that they are sent for.

There are a few things we can do:

Be sober! The Amplified Bible states it like this: “be well balanced and disciplined.” Don’t live a life that is undisciplined. A disciplined life for the believer is a life that says “no” to the things of the flesh and “yes” to the things pertaining to godliness. An undisciplined person picks and chooses when to behave like a Christian, when to pray, when to go to the club, when to sleep around…you get the point! A disciplined person reads and studies God’s word, prays for strength and wisdom, fellowship with believers, have people they are accountable to, lives their life to please the Father, etc. Some Christians are only “Christians” at church, but at home, work, and in their recreational life, they are not Christians. Those “Christians” are fooling themselves and are giving their adversary a lot to work with against them!
Be diligent! Again, the Amplified states that we are to “be alert and cautious at all times.” This means, we should know the enemy and be mindful of how he acts. Don’t be afraid, just be alert. Years ago, I used to love to watch JAG, a military drama about their law division. Rabb, a JAG lawyer, had a nemesis named Palmer, whom he was finally able to get locked up. In one episode, Palmer was in jail claiming to have seen the light. He promised to help the authorities to find the victims from his crimes. No strings attached, he just wanted families to have closure. But what he really wanted was an opportunity to break out of prison. Rabb didn’t believe him for one second! He refused to believe that Palmer had “seen the light” and wanted to make restitution for his ways. Because of Rabb’s diligence, he was one step ahead of Palmer; and when Palmer tried to escape, Rabb was able to stop his plan and put him back in prison. That has stuck with me all of these years. And it is so applicable to our lives and how we are to be when dealing with the devil! We have to be watchful where he is concerned in order to enforce his defeat! He doesn’t change his goal, or his strategies, just the outward appearance of how he comes. When we know how he operates, and are watchful, waiting for his attacks, we will be on the alert against him, his demons, and anything they throw at us! Glory!
Know that he is “looking” for someone to devour! It doesn’t have to be you! God pointed this out to me years ago, when someone whom I thought was “the one to look up to spiritually” got involved in some ungodly activities. I was so shaken that I made the comment, if that person fell, surely I couldn’t live for God! God told me that simply was not true. The devil will always be looking, but we didn’t have to be in a place where he could devour us! I was set free from my fear of the devil, and am not worried about him drawing me away from the Lord! When he looks at me, all I want him to see is the Blood of Jesus!
Resist him steadfast in the faith! Don’t roll over and play dead! Actively resist him. Allow your faith in Christ to be your shield against him! Remember the young lady who had the “poltergeist” experience in her home? They opened the door because they were operating in their flesh, and not in faith! They didn’t resist the devil, they embraced the devil. Actively respond when under attack. When a lie comes to you, refute it with the Living Word of God. When oppression comes, rejoice in the Lord, and break those chains! Remember, our Savior, Jesus, has already beaten him! He whipped him up, tied a noose around his neck, and made a public spectacle of him in the heavenlies! Our Savior, and Elder Brother don’t take his mess and the devil knows it! Now the devil needs to be made aware that neither do we!!

Don’t be scared of the devil! He’s our defeated foe because Jesus defeated him already! God is greater than he is! Jesus saw him kicked out of heaven! I imagined He had a good laugh over that one! But needless to say, Jesus is unruffled by what the kingdom of darkness comes up with. And He wants us to be just as strong in Him, and in the power of His might! Fully armored, ready for any attack, and fully enforcing the defeat of the enemies of the kingdom of God! Jesus holds the keys to our victory and Satan’s defeat! Again, be sober, be watchful, resist him, and he will flee! Wonderful Jesus!

A Thief, A Robber, A Destroyer!

John 10:10- The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly! NKJV

This blog is an updated version of a previous post. You can now read and/or listen to my blogs. I hope hearing the blog is a welcome addition!

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The devil, known as Satan, the evil one, the accuser of the brethren, that old dragon, and the prince of this world, to name a few, is our adversary! Plain and simple. As I wrote previously, many people try not to think about or even acknowledge his interference in life, or his utter dislike for them! I can assure you, ignoring him doesn’t make him go away, it emboldens him! He’s like a scorned lover who yells, “I will not be ignored!”

An adversary is one’s opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute. That certainly describes the devil. He is our opponent. Plain and simple. He is a constant threat to us and all that we hold dear, because of the fact that we are special to God. Not just those of us who are born again, but mankind in general. He hates us all! It’s interesting to note how eagerly some people will align themselves to the devil, only to later find out, he has no loyalty or love for them!

Jesus called Satan a liar, a thief, a robber, a murderer, a destroyer, and an accuser of the brethren! Since that is how Jesus identifies him, then we should know that he is never interested in anything but our demise. He and his demonic team has no good thing within them, and are incapable of good!

Our adversary the liar. He tells us we’re sick, we’re dying, we’re never going to amount to anything, no one loves us, everyone is against us, God isn’t faithful, and the list goes on and on. When you hear this stuff, know it is coming from him! Don’t listen to that! Cast down those lying thoughts! (Check out my previous post to learn more).

Our adversary the devil is a thief. “A thief is someone who steals something from an individual in secret.” He comes to steal the word of God that encourages us when we read the Bible, hear a great sermon, or read an inspiring blog! He comes to steal our joy, our peace, our reputation, our witness, our children, and everything else that God has given us to bless us, by any means necessary. He tries to wrap it up in other things like people and circumstances, but it is him and his team! Don’t let him do it!

Our adversary the devil is a robber. “A robber is like a thief, in that he steals from you; but different in that he can be seen by the victim. A robber also employs the technique of using injuries or threats to take what he wants. That’s how he uses accidents, drug addiction, job loss, divorce, prolonged illness, and a host of other things. He’s bold when he does it and doesn’t care if you recognize he is the one behind it. Then he threatens you with fear, taunting and tormenting you, until you cave under the pressure! But it’s just an attack from the devil and you don’t have to give in to it!

Our adversary is a murderer! Yes he is! Don’t ever think that pain or sickness is just to make you uncomfortable, or is just a process of living. He is trying to kill you! And if he can’t kill you, he will certainly put as much on you as he can get away with! Don’t accept anything he throws at you as no big deal. It is a big deal! Resist seeing everything through glasses that are covered with ignorance and unawareness!

He’s a destroyer of all that is good! He wants to destroy your witness, your home, your family, your finances, your business, your name, your peace, your relationships, and your health. I’m telling you, there is nothing in your life that is off limits to him! He leaves chaos and destruction everywhere. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires have all been attributed to an act of God! That’s him lying and deflecting blame. It’s his nature to destroy, not God’s!

And lastly, he’s the accuser of the brethren! That’s right! He stands before God, day and night, making accusations against us. Make sure he’s wasting his breath! Don’t give him anything to accuse you of! But whether there is a legitimate reason or not, he will find something to say against you! It’s what he does! This is a perfect picture of him in his role as adversary. And if he can get us accusing one another, well, he is even happier!

So what is a person to do, knowing that the adversary is constantly on the prowl looking for a way to attack us physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually? Especially when he can attack in ways that makes us feel like the full force of hell is upon us! Keep reading or listening, because that will be in my next post! Wonderful Jesus!

The Hit List!

Ephesians 6:11 – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” NKJV

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I shared an encounter that I had with an angel, in a previous post, and today I want to share an encounter with a couple demons.

Many years ago, I ran across books by Lester Sumrall, where I discovered amazing testimonies over the power and works of the devil and his demons. The wonderful thing about reading these books is that I learned that there is a spiritual world more real then the world in which we are living; and there are no baby angels, or demons with pitchforks. I also learned that in Him, we really do have authority over the devil!

Let me say this, I am not a demon chaser! Nor am I an angel chaser! I am just living for the King and experiencing Him, and the kingdom.

I was a teenager when the movie, “The Exocist” came out. I can tell you right now, I was disturbed in my spirit on so many levels. After watching several of those movies, trying to prove that I wasn’t afraid, I started having some real issues that aren’t even worth mentioning. If you want to walk in authority over the devil, I don’t recommend these movies. They will desensitize you to real world of spiritual warfare. Stick with the Word of God! Learn from godly men and women, but don’t ever think that this is a game or entertainment. It isn’t!

I don’t consider myself an intercessor, although I believe strongly in prayer. This was a time in my life when I was quite busy raising kids, being actively involved in my church, and all my spare time was spent in prayer, reading the word, or reading books that encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. I won’t say that I was “ready” for this encounter, but I couldn’t have prepared better for it. I believe I had this experience to teach me a key truth: I have authority over the devil!

I had a dream. A young lady I knew was having troubles. She came to me and told me about what was going on in her life. I responded, “That ain’t nothing but the devil and I know how to deal with the devil!” So I began to take authority over the devil, his works, the situation, and she was freed from the attack of the enemy. After that, still in the dream, two demons approached my bedside. They were upset with me for what I had done. One was tall and slender and the other was short and chubby. They were both in silhouettes. Then one of the demons pointed his finger at me and said something like this, “You’ve come to our house, now we’re coming to yours!” I woke up! I sensed their presence in the room as if they had just strolled right out of my dream and into my bedroom. I began to pray in the spirit until I was able to fall back to sleep.

Time passed. Then one day a young lady came over to visit me. She was a married woman with young kids. She began to share an experience she had. She and her husband had gotten into a really ugly fight, name calling, profanity, yelling. Either that night or the next day, she was in the kitchen when stuff started happening. Cabinet doors were opening and closing, the oven door opened and closed, things were moving around in the apartment. She was frightened and didn’t want to be in the apartment with just her kids, and came to visit me.

After listening to all she had to share, I told her, “That ain’t nothing but the devil! But I know how to deal with that!” So I began to pray! I took authority over those demons in her apartment and commanded them to leave! I took authority over the demons that had used her and her husband to open that door, and I slammed it shut in the Spirit! After I prayed, I counseled with her about handling conflict in a more godly way and we prayed again. When she left, I heard this whisper, “Now we’re coming to your house!” Immediately I remembered my dream! (Can I just add that young lady went home to a demon free apartment! Glory be to God!)

As I said, I had small children. One was still in an infant carrier, and we had a three year old. So this was actually decades ago. Time flies!

At that time, when I I took my shower, I would pray in the Spirit the entire time I was in the shower. Marilyn Hickey calls it an hour of power in the shower! Not long after the young lady had come to my house, my husband and I went shopping to look for a suit for him. We were in the Men’s Warehouse. I was standing in the store with my baby carrier in my hand, when all of a sudden it flipped over! My baby slipped out of the carrier and landed on a concrete floor, head first! I yelled, “Jesus!” I guarantee you that I had everybody’s attention! As I bent over to pick her up, I heard in my spirit, “You took care of this in the shower. She’s fine!” And she was! Instantly, I sensed a witness in my spirit that it was those demons attacking my home as retaliation. I began to praise God for His protection and His faithfulness. I didn’t take her to the hospital to get checked out because the Great Physician had already said that she was good. God had covered and protected her!

I don’t have a lot of experiences of seeing demons. And I don’t need to have a lot of them. I just need to remember that I have authority over demons. I don’t have to be afraid of them, but I can make them really afraid of me. And so can you! Remember, in the book of Acts when the sons of Sceva tried to cast out the demons? Those demons said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” Well, as we learn about the authority we have in Jesus, and how to exercise it, they’ll be adding our names to that list! Wonderful Jesus!

The Devil is a Liar!

John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. NKJV

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Can I just go on record for saying, “I love Jesus! I really do!” I am so grateful that He is Lord, and that He is my Lord! I just needed to express that!

Today I am continuing my exposè of the enemy. One day, someone was telling me that we are all God’s children. I shared the above verse with that person, and they were highly offended with me, and probably with Jesus. We are not all, God’s children, but then that fact reveals that some are children of the devil. That’s frightening! But if you are honest, sometimes you can tell it!

Jesus pointed out a few things about the devil. First, He pointed out that the devil’s children want to do the desires of their father. So while some people want to attribute evil in the world, or in their life to God, it could be that they are just fulfilling the desires of their father. That list is so long, I can’t possibly go there. But Jesus mentioned murder as one of the devil’s desire, something he is responsible for. We even have gotten a little sophisticated and we say, God allowed it! Of course, when we think of the fact that He has to the power to stop anything, I understand that thinking. But the reality is not that God allowed it, but that the devil was successful in his attack. He’s not successful in every attack, but he gets some hits in for a lot of reasons. That’s another whole blog!

Jesus also stated that there is no truth in the devil. None! He and his demons will say and do anything they feel will work, because they are after mankind with a vengeance. Not just the saved, but the unsaved. As many unsaved as he can destroy, he will destroy, to make sure they never, ever become Christians. I know this seems extreme, but he’s extreme in all that he does. We need to understand this and prepare for it. That’s why our previous scripture said that we must be watchful! Christians who believe that there is no real devil need to go and read their bible again. Jesus said that there is a devil, he has demons, they are real, and they need to be dealt with! Just that simple! And if the devil can get you to think he is not there, he is not responsible, he is not after you, then he has you just where he wants you, at his mercy.

Jesus says that when the devil speaks, he speaks a lie! We often hear people saying, “The devil is a liar!” But few people really get it! Lies are of the devil. He’s been lying since the Garden of Eden. He lied to Eve when he told her that if she eat from the fruit, she wouldn’t die. He lied when he told her that God didn’t want her to eat of the fruit, because the day that she ate of the fruit she would be like God, knowing good and evil. And he’s been lying ever since.

The thing that we need to understand about the devil is that his lies have a certain amount of validity within them. For Eve didn’t die, that day, but she died! She and Adam lost out on a good thing, listening to the lies of the devil. They lived in a perfect situation: in harmony with the animal kingdom, and sweet communion with the Father! But listening to the lies of the devil, they opened themselves and mankind to sin, and separation from God.

When the devil talks to us, he talks to us about things that have a semblance of truth. For example, I don’t do drugs. I have never done drugs. The devil doesn’t have a conversation with me about drugs. But I am married and he will come to me and lie to me about my husband, or my marriage. We have daughters, and he will come and lie to us about them. I have a physical body, and he will come and lie to me about my body. I have a desire to serve the Lord and he will lie to me even about that. And he does the same to you. Valid concerns can become lies of the enemy. We have to be on guard that we don’t become so concerned about something that we listen to lies of the devil.

You can have a pain in your body. It lasts longer than a few hours. Then you begin to wonder what’s going on. If you are not careful, you start to give demons a way to embed a lie in your heart. You start searching the internet and find several things it could be. Then you find something that Uncle Ancestor died from that was similar and the enemy starts telling you that you have the same thing, and you are going to die. You schedule an appointment, and tell the doctor what you think you have, and about your uncle. They start all kinds of tests, and prescribe drugs, and your symptoms may increase. You are so sick and worried, that even if they don’t find anything, you insist you are ill. And before you know it, you are sick, and ill, and at death’s door because you bought into the lie. When you should’ve turned off the internet, rebuked the devil, the pain, and the lies!

We have to learn to discern the difference between lies and truth. That comes with the knowledge of God’s word! As we study the word of God, we learn what truth is. We learn the character of God and how He treats His children. We learn the promises that are in His word and how we overcome the enemy; and must cast down every “lie” that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. At the same time, we learn about the devil and how he acts. When we realize that there is no truth in him, we learn to rebuke the lie and choose the truth of God’s word. As we grow in knowledge, we begin to see or hear of events that are evil, we attribute those things to him, and intercede for God to move in the situation. Now that we have a better understanding about who causes bad things we begin turning that which was meant for evil into a blessing!

I wish I could preach this! I’d have more time to really make a point, but I am thankful for this blog. I am not trying to glorify the devil or demonic forces. I am not trying to give them a prominence that they don’t deserve. I hate it when people want to testify, but they start out talking about what the devil did! Not my intent to lift him, but to lift Jesus! I will look at a few other things associated with demonic forces of darkness, but with each of them, I hope to interweave the truth that “greater is He that is in us, then he that is in the world”!! Wonderful Jesus!

Your Adversary, the Devil!

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It is necessary to look at the devil, at times, to remind ourselves that we have an adversary. Peter makes no mistake, when he refers to the devil as our adversary. I am disheartened when I hear misguided individuals attribute the pain in their lives, or the lives of others, to our loving Savior and Lord, while ignoring the evil intents of the devil!

In the Vine’s dictionary, adversary is defined as, “an opponent in a lawsuit”, “an enemy”. Both of these meanings give us clear insight into the role of the devil against every believer. In Revelation, he is described as the “accuser of the brethren,” and in our text, he is described as our enemy. He is not only our enemy, but He is also the enemy of God. Most people are not ignorant of Satan, or his devices, but there are some things that we might need to be reminded of.

Here’s a simple, yet profound way I think of the devil: if it’s good, in every respect, it’s God, and if it’s bad in any respect, it’s the devil. That means it is not only good to me, but good for me, spiritually, emotionally, etc. And bad can go into a whole array of things!

Critical to understanding your enemy: there is only one devil! And since there is only one devil, he is not omnipresent. He was created by God, for God, and he cannot be all over the world simultaneously. That means that the devil isn’t messing with me and you at the same time. I would venture to say that most of the time that we hear or say, “That’s the devil,” we are inaccurate. While it may be his influence, his demons, it is not him. He is only one supernatural being, and has no ability to be everywhere, all the time. Indirectly, he is at the root cause of evil, but he doesn’t always personally see to the evil.

His modus operandi, “a particular way or method of doing something; especially one that is characteristic or well established, is to use his demonic force against us. Whether the tactic is through deceit, temptation, testing, accusations, or any other negative influence, it’s usually the work of demons. They are plentiful enough to be in a lot of different places, messing with a whole lot of people, at the same time, giving the illusion that the devil is everywhere. But it is only an illusion!

As our enemy, his aim is to get us to do the same thing that Adam and Eve did: to betray God. Yes, they ate the forbidden fruit, but behind that, was the truth that they placed their trust in someone else’s word over God’s word. That someone else was Satan. They decided in that instant that God wasn’t totally honest with them and was trying to keep something from them, so they took the fruit and ate it. That was betrayal towards God. The devil used it then and he still uses it!

Satan is not your friend! He is incapable of being your friend. He is your enemy! And as such, he hates you as passionately, as God loves you. Your pain, your heartaches, your losses, your defeats, your demise, your destruction, brings him great joy. Whether you have been a Christian for 5 minutes or for 50 years, he is not for you, and neither are you being ignored by him.

A couple shared this testimony in a Christian publication: One day the couple had a conversation about the enemy. The husband felt that he was irrelevant to the devil because the devil had “bigger fish to fry”. Later that evening, following a phone call, he slumped over and died. The wife called 911, and there just happened to be paramedics on her street, visiting friends. They performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. He coded several times over the next few hours. But here’s the beautiful thing, God brought him back to life! Two weeks after dying in his home, he was completely whole, and a totally different person for God. His attitude about “bigger fish” had totally changed, and he understood that the forces of darkness knew no bounds. The devil tried to take his life, but God turned that situation around and He gets the glory! That’s the extremely shortened version!

Just as God has plans for your life, your well-being, your fruitfulness, the devil also has plans! In Jeremiah 29:11, it is written: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Using Jeremiah’s words, we could easily say this, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the devil, thoughts of chaos and filled with evil, to destroy your future and to rob you of your hope.” That’s a scary thought, but the truth is, he is determined to undo or to stop whatever God has in mind for you!

Now, I have not said this to make you afraid of the devil, but to make you aware of the devil. He is your number one enemy, and as such, you should know about him, his demonic kingdom, and how he operates it against you. I am going to tell you this now, and later expand upon it, you don’t have to be afraid of the devil or his demons. Not in Christ Jesus! In Jesus, you have been given authority over all the works of the devil and over the next few blogs, I want to share some things that will help you identify him, and stop his work in your life. I won’t cover it all, but hopefully it will get you motivated to be watchful and to be sober, where he is concerned. Keep reading! Wonderful Jesus!

God, the Sovereign Lord!

Deuteronomy 3:24 – “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?” NIV

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I was reading in a theology text about the sovereignty of God. In the conclusion, the author wrote that God is sovereign, meaning He is in control over all that has happened or will happen, and over all individuals. He further stated that God has the right and the power to do whatever He wants. Where I agree on some levels, I disagree on others. Let me explain!

God is sovereign. The Hebrew word for sovereign is “pantokrator” and it simply means, the all-ruling God, as in absolute and universal God. The word Almighty and omnipotent is associated with this term. The prophet Isaiah declared, “Our God reigns!” And it is echoed throughout His word. He reigns Supreme over all the earth. I am in complete agreement with this truth! God is the all-ruling, Almighty God!

Moses declared in our text that there is no other god in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works that He does! Which brings me to the second point. He’s all powerful, and there is no one like Him! He can do anything. We see that also portrayed throughout scripture starting with creation. Everything God does is a demonstration of His power. He is all-powerful! He can mimicked, but not duplicated!

God is also omnipresent! David wrote in a psalm that there was nowhere he could flee from the presence of God. Nowhere! And it’s the same for us! God is everywhere, at the same time, all of the time. Nothing and no one escapes Him. He’s not waiting on a taxi to get to you and your situation, He is already there!

And God is omniscient! He knows everything, about everything, and anything! There is no revelation that He needs to have! He already knows it all! Not only does He know everything, He knows how to operate wisely with that information. He’s awesome and truly amazing! He’s God, the Sovereign One!

The part that troubles me, as a Believer, is attributing everything that happens to God. I don’t agree with this for a number of reasons:

Just as we know there is God, we know there is the devil. He has been given authority, by Adam, in this natural realm, and constantly keeps things going. When the sea was raging, while Jesus and His disciples were in the boat, Jesus rebuked it. Why would He rebuke what God was doing? The devil creates all kinds of havoc in this world, and people are quick to blame God. God may not stop it, but that doesn’t mean He is responsible for it! Let’s learn to ask Him what’s going on, so that we are attributing His works to Him, and the devil’s work to the devil.
We are told to pray! If God does what He wants to do, irrespective to mankind, then why do we need to pray? If things are just happening around us and we’re just puppets on a string, doing His bidding, then what need is there to pray! I can tell you this, I have seen God’s hand move in numerous situations, and I know that prayer brings changes in this earth realm. We don’t change God, but we can definitely call out to Him to change situations and circumstances. And He not only promised to answer, He answers!
He knows what we are going to ask, say, or do, before we do it. Again, He’s omniscient! That doesn’t mean He’s writing the playbook of our lives to the tiniest details. For example, as a teacher, I know my students pretty well. If I offer them free time, I can easily tell you what they will do. (This is by no means to say that I operate to the same degree of the Father, just an example!) In knowing this, I do not make them do a particular activity, I just know that they will. Free choice is what God has given to us! For Him to overrule our free choice, with His choice, is a violation of what He promised. (Can He overrule? Yes! He is God!) I asked for His guidance in choosing a mate, and He led me to my husband. But there were other men in my acquaintance. I could’ve chosen another! My life may have been miserable, and definitely a lot different than it is, but it was my choice! So while He has the right to do what He wants, He doesn’t!
And yet He does! When He wanted a virgin to conceive, He overrode the natural course of things! When He wanted to raise Jesus from the dead and allow His Blood to cleanse us from our sins, He did what He wanted to satisfy the payment for sin. When He decided that we could only be saved by believing in Jesus and what He did at Calvary, that’s just the way we are reconciled to Him! When He said that if we die in our sins, we will go to hell, it will happen as He said. When He said a display of love towards Him is measured in our obedience, He set the standard! What He has determined through His word, is so! He is sovereign, and His will, and His way, will be yardstick by which we are handled by Him! Period!

When our oldest child was born, she was diagnosed with abnormal seizure disorder. We agreed that wasn’t God! We asked everyone we knew to agree with us in prayer that she would be healed. She was declared whole by six months! Not a single seizure since we prayed. Did God give her seizures? No! I’d say it was an attack from the pit of hell, before I attributed that to God! But He sure did heal her!

I was told by a well meaning pastor, when I asked about divine healing, that God is sovereign and I have to trust Him. He was absolutely correct, while he was absolutely wrong! He was saying that I needed to trust God with the prognosis over my daughter because it was His will and that’s why she was like she was. However, I came to understand that it is His will to heal, and because He has all power in His hand, He had the ability to change it! So the Sovereign Lord God healed all of our children from one thing after another, because we dared to believe Him.

Here’s what I have found! Don’t get mad with me, get mad at those who desire to teach us error! Those who accept this que sera sera gospel have not been taught the gospel of Jesus Christ with accuracy! They haven’t prayed and seen mountains moved. They haven’t believe for a change and seen it come to pass. They haven’t expected divine interventions and rejoiced over them! Because if they had, they would never again buy into this “God’s in control, so we just have to accept it” doctrine ever again!

Let me reiterate! I believe in the Sovereign God! His Son is Jesus! He is absolutely amazing and does wonderful things! His love and mercy is boundless towards us! No one can match Him and everyone and everything falls short, in comparison to Him. Way short! But He has given us access to Him, to His throne, and to power through the precious Blood of Jesus! We don’t have to settle, accept, or get over anything that is contrary to His Word! We just need to recognize this Amazing God we serve, is willing to be amazing for us! Wonderful Jesus!