"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
"‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’ (Matt 11:16-17)
This about sums it up! Spiritual war is going on all around us, and we're blinded to it. Instead, we are playing church, heavy into entertainment or busy debating God's Word. We are trying to use our swords of the Spirit on each other instead of against our true enemy. It saddens our heavenly Father. We must, out of necessity, submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, then he will flee from us! Christ's bride must stand up and take this one life we have seriously. "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when IÂ became a man, I did away with childish things." (1 Cor 13:11) Have we though? There are reasons things are as they currently are within Christendom. I am praying through the Spirit that He would shed a glimmer of light concerning this. For I fear we have forgotten a group of foes roaming around seeking whom they may devour within our Lord's flock.
Paul said, "put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." (Eph 6:1--13)
I spoke with a precious leader not long ago, asking him a few questions about spiritual warfare, as Father had thrusted me into it over the last seven months. This leader told me most Christians don't know anything about it! Our only option, brethren, is to seek God concerning our spiritual enemies whom we have to deal with through Christ and His Holy Spirit.”‚Many leaders, I fear, have very little understanding concerning spiritual warfare and the forces of darkness plaguing Christendom. We lack understanding, yet we wonder Christ's light isn't shining as brightly as it can through us! Again though, "we played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
Brethren, as you should already know, we have been ushered into a spiritual war within the heavenlies. We entered this war the day we became twice born, and our struggle is not against flesh and blood. This truth sets us free to love those who hate us, for it is not them but that which controls them we spiritually fight against through Christ. We must begin to hold every thought captive to Jesus Christ. Many of these thoughts are not even our own, but from our spiritual foes, causing strife and many other sins within Christendom. Either way if thoughts coming into our mind are not aligned with God's Word, we need to throw them away.
Recall Jesus, when speaking to Peter, said, "Get behind me, Satan!”‚You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s." (Matt16:23) Jesus knew he was talking to Peter in the physical sense, but that Peter's thoughts and words were of Satan!”‚They were of this world. "...be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)
For years I just digested whatever thoughts came my way sadly, not knowing their origins but through the Spirit, I see the spiritual battle now, praise God. When brethren cut and tear each other down with their words, I'm starting to learn who is speaking through them: When a thought comes into my mind not in alignment with my new nature again, I know who's behind it, our spiritual enemies! Thoughts at one time I assumed were my own, I now know originated from the father of lies and his accomplices! However, there are many who have no clue that a lot of their thoughts, not all of them, are not really their own, but our hidden foes working within the shadows.
Satan "was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies." (1 John 4:4)
If we are not holding thoughts captive, we allow our spiritual enemies to use us kind of like puppets, I know it's embarrassing. When I had nothing else but God and His Word to hold onto, barely able to walk, for three days after a spiritual confrontation this became crystal clear to me! We are in a real spiritual battle, and we have to start walking in step with the Spirit to battle back rightly. If not, we will allow our spiritual enemies to do whatever they want within a kingdom that through Christ we are supposed to lay claim to through the Holy Spirit's empowering! "...for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses," (2 Cor 10:4) and they can only be used through and by Christ's Spirit living within us!
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2)
"For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:6)
Don't let Satan and his cohort control you through your thoughts! Don't allow yourself to be used by our real enemies! The Holy Spirit wants to bring twice borns into full maturity in Christ Jesus! "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8-9) Satan does not want us to mature, he likes us blind and uneducated concerning He who lives within us, and he who lives within the world.
All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness," (2Tim 3:16) The scriptures dealing with our spiritual foes are not for us to ignore, but to warn us to put our armor on and hold our shields up, swinging the sword of truth at them as the Spirit directs! We "can do all things through Christ who strengthens..." us! (Phil4:13) This includes holding every thought captive through Christ and learning to rightly love our Lord's precious bride through the Spirit's guidance and fruit!
"...we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." (2 Cor 10:5b)
Our minds navigate the rest of our body. Sinful thoughts coming into our minds must be treated like poison and quickly thrown into the trash! They are keeping you from pure devotion to Christ Jesus, our bridegroom. Armor up, bride of Christ, war is upon us.
On ending, I want to share what I have learned from the intense spiritual battles I have faced with God's Holy Spirit over the last seven months. I do not do this from a place of pride, but of humility, and love for the brethren in my Lord Jesus Christ. He knows my spirit. Firstly, while working one day I felt God's presence powerfully in a way I hadn't experienced for years and years. From that day on, I had a glow on my face and continued to feel His presence with me in a way I have never felt before. Next, strangely, I began to feel darkness all around me. I would sing praises to our Father, and the darkness would subside a little. I would use my prayer language throughout the day at work, quote scripture, and command the demons to leave in the name of Jesus. However, the darkness was still surrounding me. For weeks, the situation was horrible; I had never felt anything like it before. I kept crying out for Father to help me. One day while inwardly crying out with all my heart, the Holy Spirit said to bind the demons within specific people. I did so in the name of Jesus, and I felt His power leave my stomach and I sensed the darkness lessen around me. I still felt it some, however, so I asked for further direction and the Spirit gave me three more names, who were not there, and that I did not know. After binding the demons within these three, the darkness went away completely. Shortly afterwards, one day walking past someone, I felt darkness coming from within them and that darkness seeming to press into me. I bound the demons in Jesus's name again, but still felt the darkness! The Spirit then told me to rebuke the atmosphere, so I did in Jesus's name and peace came again around me, and the person became calm. On another occasion, I was feeling anger concerning someone who was visiting. I went into another room contemplating why I was feeling this anger towards them. Then the Spirit told me to rebuke the darkness, so I did in Jesus's name. Then again, I felt peace within and around me, and the person was calm afterwards. Spiritual warfare is serious! I'm uncertain the tears I have cried as I have gone through this time of discipline and training. I know I have only come through it by Jesus and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. I pray that sharing my experience helps at least one brother or sister and that the agony and crying out to our heavenly Father in no way becomes such a life-or-death matter for you.