L
LaMatadora
Guest
This is Part 2 of my addressing the board before praying.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:11-12, NKJV).
Part of standing against the wiles of the devil is realizing when to go on the offensive. As has been amply demonstrated, we Christians have allowed Satan to go on the offensive. He goes after us *precisely* because he's hoping to keep us on the defensive, always too busy putting out fires in our own lives and thus hampered from advancing the Kingdom of God. Fellow workers, this needs to end. (I'm talking as much to myself as anyone else on the forum.)
We need to go on the offensive. We need to **PRE-EMPTIVELY** go after Satan and all his strongholds, because we **know** he's going to go after us. For those of you with happy marriages, a great job, etc.: DON'T wait for Satan to go after your productive fields, because he's going to go after them! *That's what he does!* Get him first!! For those of you suffering with bad or failed marriages, hard jobs or unemployment, ill health, or other burdens, try to "take the hit" like you would take a punch in a boxing ring and GO AFTER SATAN. There are all kinds of books out there on spiritual warfare: I particularly recommend Victory Over the Darkness, by Neil Anderson, The Rules of Engagement, by Cindy Trimm, and Don Gossett's works on the 5 weapons of the Christian.
I realize that's easier said than done--goodness knows I've staggered around like a little ol' baby and wept my eyes out when Satan's clocked me!--but I feel compelled to point out that, in the end, these hard times are blows from Satan: we must expect them and **go after him.** **STRIKE FIRST BEFORE HE STRIKES YOU.** Better yet, strike Satan so that he can't go after other believers. Part of me wonders if I'm being hypocritical, but I have every intent of taking this advice too as I offer it.
Believers, we need a new order of battle. We need to go after Satan so that he can't go after believers all the time. We need to shut him down so that the Kingdom of God can advance upon this earth, so that Christians can be VICTORS INSTEAD OF VICTIMS. It's time to shut down these strongholds and these wicked spirits situated in the heavenlies; it's time to war on your enemy, the Father of Lies.
Jesus said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."[/COLOR] God promises that if we make the Kingdom of God our first priority, all that we need will be given to us. We know that God is not a man, that He should lie; we know that He is faithful to His promises, and we know that God is love. We also know that Jesus didn't leave us orphans in this world, that He sent us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth--the Advocate. Let us turn, then, to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit and draw our swords on the Father of Lies, fighting the good fight for Our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus--the ONLY King whose banner we can trust absolutely. Wage war, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ--WAGE WAR. "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..."(Revelation 12:11, NKJV).
Yes, pray for one another. Pray specifically for all our needs, yes.
But first and foremost, **let us go after Satan tooth and nail in the power of the Holy Spirit,** for it's time to go on the offensive and take it to the great terrorist, Satan!
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:11-12, NKJV).
Part of standing against the wiles of the devil is realizing when to go on the offensive. As has been amply demonstrated, we Christians have allowed Satan to go on the offensive. He goes after us *precisely* because he's hoping to keep us on the defensive, always too busy putting out fires in our own lives and thus hampered from advancing the Kingdom of God. Fellow workers, this needs to end. (I'm talking as much to myself as anyone else on the forum.)
We need to go on the offensive. We need to **PRE-EMPTIVELY** go after Satan and all his strongholds, because we **know** he's going to go after us. For those of you with happy marriages, a great job, etc.: DON'T wait for Satan to go after your productive fields, because he's going to go after them! *That's what he does!* Get him first!! For those of you suffering with bad or failed marriages, hard jobs or unemployment, ill health, or other burdens, try to "take the hit" like you would take a punch in a boxing ring and GO AFTER SATAN. There are all kinds of books out there on spiritual warfare: I particularly recommend Victory Over the Darkness, by Neil Anderson, The Rules of Engagement, by Cindy Trimm, and Don Gossett's works on the 5 weapons of the Christian.
I realize that's easier said than done--goodness knows I've staggered around like a little ol' baby and wept my eyes out when Satan's clocked me!--but I feel compelled to point out that, in the end, these hard times are blows from Satan: we must expect them and **go after him.** **STRIKE FIRST BEFORE HE STRIKES YOU.** Better yet, strike Satan so that he can't go after other believers. Part of me wonders if I'm being hypocritical, but I have every intent of taking this advice too as I offer it.
Believers, we need a new order of battle. We need to go after Satan so that he can't go after believers all the time. We need to shut him down so that the Kingdom of God can advance upon this earth, so that Christians can be VICTORS INSTEAD OF VICTIMS. It's time to shut down these strongholds and these wicked spirits situated in the heavenlies; it's time to war on your enemy, the Father of Lies.
Jesus said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."[/COLOR] God promises that if we make the Kingdom of God our first priority, all that we need will be given to us. We know that God is not a man, that He should lie; we know that He is faithful to His promises, and we know that God is love. We also know that Jesus didn't leave us orphans in this world, that He sent us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth--the Advocate. Let us turn, then, to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit and draw our swords on the Father of Lies, fighting the good fight for Our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus--the ONLY King whose banner we can trust absolutely. Wage war, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ--WAGE WAR. "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..."(Revelation 12:11, NKJV).
Yes, pray for one another. Pray specifically for all our needs, yes.
But first and foremost, **let us go after Satan tooth and nail in the power of the Holy Spirit,** for it's time to go on the offensive and take it to the great terrorist, Satan!
Sometimes when God plants seeds, they grow slowly at first, then pick up a whole lotta steam later on. Praise YOU, Lord Jesus! Amen.
