spiritual warfare
Scripture is filled with concern for peace. Romans 12:18 - If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. That sets before us a weighty responsibility to seek and maintain peace with one another. This begins with family life. Husbands and wives are required to ‘as far as it depends’ on themselves to live at peace with one another. This exhortation extends to the church community. We are too, ‘as much as it depends’ on our actions to seek to live at peace with one another. That is formidable, but it is the word of God and it is possible to be obedient to that word. (more…)
Posted by Scott on July 8th, 2008 in Church life, Lamb of God, spiritual warfare | No Comments »
The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor.
There is something very compelling about this myth. It is a vivid picture of futility. Again and again Sisyphus tried to get the stone all the way up the hill and have it stay, only to see it roll back down again. Sometimes waiting on God feels like this - futile and hopeless labor. Will He ever come through? How many prayers will we have to pray? How long will He make us wait? When will the things we have ask Him for come to be?
There is a quote that strikes me as helpful: “Satan strikes either at the root of faith or at the root of diligence” (Puritan John Livingstone). I have found this to be a true insight concerning the nature of prayer and persistance in prayer. Satan prosecutes a relentless war against faith and faithfulness. He works to draw the intercessor away, to cause him or her to doubt, to lure one into the place where we utter - “What’s the point, this won’t work to change a thing.” (more…)
Posted by Scott on January 9th, 2008 in Revival, spiritual warfare | No Comments »
One of the most perplexing questions that I have regarding things of the spirit has to do with how satan acts or moves against the believer. How do we discern his activity? How do we break his attempts to harm, deceive and create confusion among us?
Recently, I head a teaching that has been very helpful in coming to a more through understanding of an answer for this question. Scripture does not go into elaborate detail regarding this matter. What it does tell us should be all that we need to engage in effective spiritual warfare. Pastor Bill Johnson, of Bethel Church in California suggests the following paradigm to help us understand this.
Before Jesus returned to the Father he made this statement: Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” How much authority then is given to satan? If Jesus has all authority then the answer would seem to be none. Satan has no legitmate authority to exercise control or power over the Christian. How then does Satan gain influence over Christians, and even over churches? (more…)
Posted by Scott on June 5th, 2007 in spiritual warfare | 2 Comments »
