Friday, March 15, 2013

Spiritual Warfare

I am very concerned with all the focus on warfare by people who preach the Kingdom message.  I have come to realize the importance of knowing what has already been accomplished and what is yet to be done.  When we discuss Satan we have to view his operation prior to the cross and after the cross.  Jesus made it very clear what he came to do.  In 1 John it says the following:

1 John 3:8.....for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

We must understand that when you speak of Lucifer/Satan/The Devil we have to see that Jesus walked in a relationship with the Father that was pleasing and by his life he restored relationship with the Father for mankind and by his death he paid the price for that relationship.

Spiritual warfare for Kingdom people is not about removing satan, or binding demons who rule over cities or territories.  Jesus is our model and the Apostles in the book of Acts show us exactly what it is.  When Phillip went into Samaria in Acts chapter 8 and found the people under the influence of Simon through sorcery he preached Jesus and the Kingdom to them with the demonstration of the Spirit following.  We are told that the whole city was bewitched by Simon till Phillip got there with a greater power and a greater calling.

Phillip never had an all night prayer meeting about the enemy, he did not go in trying to find out what spirit was working and controlling the people, he did not have to carry anointing oil.  He knew what he had, whose he was and what his assignment was.

In Acts 13 the Apostles, Prophets and Teachers were fasting and praying and God told them to send Barnabas and Paul for a work he had chosen them for.  They were not fasting about devils, but to hear the heart of the King about who he had commissioned with the grace to do what was needed.  When Barnabas and Paul went on their journey they encountered a person operating under demonic influence and Paul said these words:  Acts 13:11 "behold, the hand of the Lord [is] upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand" 

Prior to this verse it says the spirit in the man withstood them so the man they were sent there for could not get the word of God.  This was Paul's response to that.  He did not have to go into prayer because he had been commissioned to go by the King with the laying on of hands of the Presbytery. 

Our greatest warfare is our thought life.  We do not fight with devils/demons/evil spirits.  We cast them out, we preach the word and we see the demonstration of the Spirit that will always confirm our calling and anointing.

Where we must war is in pulling down the corrupt thoughts of our past or those sent to us from a fallen system and it's operatives.  These thoughts come to make us deny or King, ignore our responsibility or forget our assignment.  The thoughts come to dilute us.  They come to make us forget who we are and what we have.  We have to use the power of the word given to us by our King against these thoughts and pull them down.   The word of God says this:  2 Corinthians 10:3 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh":....you see we do have a war......2 Corinthians 10:4 "(For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)"....we do have a warfare and we need to see what it is.....2 Corinthians 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;"....From these verses it is clear that our war and warfare is all about the thought life. 

Jesus destroyed the works of the devil and gave power to his messengers on the day of Pentecost.  From that time forward the warfare has been about capturing the thoughts that come to invade our minds and cause us to function beneath our calling.  If the enemy could get us to believe a lie it is as powerful as holding us hostage.  You see we must know the truth.  As Kingdom citizens and messengers of the King we must know our power and our right.  We must know our fellowship with the Father through the FINISHED work of Jesus Christ and we must not bend, even when demons act up or out in our face, in the air or through people. 

We are not about to win.  We have won through Jesus Christ and now we must walk in that Victory and guard our minds.  

Be Blessed and guard your thought life.

Duane Youngblood



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