How do you put into words the feeling of peace, relief, thankfulness, and PRAISE JESUS that you feel when you see another life set free from sin, Satan's lies, his bondage, his torment? It's really hard to put into words, but that doesn't make it any less real or amazing!
To see the faithfulness of God, to experience the power of Christ that has been gifted to God's children in terms of authority over Satan and his demons, to be reminded that one day EVERY knee will bow before our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our Savior Jesus Christ (and to also be reminded that sometimes demons "get" to do it even before that final judgement day!).
The reminder that we have a faithful God and Savior who pursues, is so very patient, and so merciful,...who will bring us to the point where we realize that He is everything and without Him we are nothing, that what Satan has to offer is never comparable to the LIFE we are offered in Christ. And to be reminded that even through the valleys that it takes to break and refine us, Christ still stands at our side and says, I'm not going to leave you. To be reminded that we have a God who will take our mistakes and make them into something even more beautiful than we could have ever imagined.
Words or no words to adequately describe it, it does bring me to one simple thought and that is JESUS CHRIST. There is no other answer. There is no other way, and praise God for that because Jesus is sufficient. He is all we need. He is TRUTH, He is life, He sets the captives free. He has been given all power in Heaven and earth. Freedom is available to all those who truly seek it through Him. He is our Reigning Lord. And reign He does.
Does this mean that our battles here are over? Far from it. With each soul that is freed there are many more who need it (Please keep praying with us! Check here for prayer requests. Your prayers are making a difference!). But for the moment, I just want to revel in the power of Christ. In His complete victory over sin, Satan, and death at the cross. I want to praise God for the ground that Satan has lost and I praise Him for the ground that I trust Satan will continue to lose. Praise God for the salvation, and also the freedom, available through Jesus Christ! To Him be the glory!
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:19, 20
Showing posts with label spiritual warfare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual warfare. Show all posts
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Praise
I was planning to post on the end of the reading program, but it looks like that will have to wait. First, I want to say thank you to all of you who are praying with us in the spiritual battle(s) we are facing (if you haven't read the post prior to this one, click here or if you would like to read more on spiritual warfare click here or here.) We still need your prayers, our kids need them, those in the community/church need them. The battles have been draining and often not so encouraging, but as I was thinking today...what I need to do right now is praise. Even though I can't see how God is going to bring good out of this valley and I feel very burdened. Even though I don't understand why the battles are so prolonged or why it can be so difficult to filter through Satan's deception. Even when I don't understand why the demons can be so stubborn and where we go from here. And probably for these very reasons... because I don't know, I don't understand, I don't "see" what God is doing, I need to praise, because well, whatever we are going through God is still worthy of it. And praise is a weapon against the darkness.
So, as you continue to pray for us (you can see some of the prayer requests I posted here) please continue to pray specifically against deception and for God's Truth to be very clear. Pray for hearts willing to fight and work with us to end these battles and for renewed strength. Through it all, please pray that each individual (and us too) would come to know Jesus Christ better through the struggle and that He would be glorified above and in all.
AND please join me in praising...
Praise God:
-that through Christ we can have freedom from Satan, sin, and death
-for the authority that we have in Christ as God's children
-that God is sovereign and in control
-that He has shown us His faithfulness and goodness
-that He will bring good from what Satan intends for evil and destruction
-for the reminders of captives who have been set free in the past
-for the ways that we are learning to fight through the struggle
-for each child and staff member that God has brought to CVE and the important part they play in our spiritual ejercito (army)
-for the ways God is working to bring to light issues in our own lives that need to be taken care of
-for the way He changes us through prayer, trial, the testing of our faith, and awareness of the seriousness of the consequences of sin (for ourselves and for future generations)
-for victory that we trust will come in His perfect way and timing
O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 127
So, as you continue to pray for us (you can see some of the prayer requests I posted here) please continue to pray specifically against deception and for God's Truth to be very clear. Pray for hearts willing to fight and work with us to end these battles and for renewed strength. Through it all, please pray that each individual (and us too) would come to know Jesus Christ better through the struggle and that He would be glorified above and in all.
AND please join me in praising...
Praise God:
-that through Christ we can have freedom from Satan, sin, and death
-for the authority that we have in Christ as God's children
-that God is sovereign and in control
-that He has shown us His faithfulness and goodness
-that He will bring good from what Satan intends for evil and destruction
-for the reminders of captives who have been set free in the past
-for the ways that we are learning to fight through the struggle
-for each child and staff member that God has brought to CVE and the important part they play in our spiritual ejercito (army)
-for the ways God is working to bring to light issues in our own lives that need to be taken care of
-for the way He changes us through prayer, trial, the testing of our faith, and awareness of the seriousness of the consequences of sin (for ourselves and for future generations)
-for victory that we trust will come in His perfect way and timing
O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 127
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Calling all prayer warriors...
I know that many of you pray for us a lot, every day, maybe even several times throughout the day. Thank you so much for your faithfulness in prayer for us and the work that God is doing here. God is on the move and we are so thankful!!
As we see God piercing the darkness, bringing Satan's deception and bondage to the light, working to bring individuals to freedom, and teaching them to fight, we see Satan and his demons fighting fiercely to maintain their ground. We have witnessed their strength and at the same time their weakness and have experienced the power of our All-powerful God.
Right now, I just want to ask for your specific prayers. We are confident of the victory that Christ has promised, but we need continued (and/or additional) prayer support for the battles that we are currently facing.
Please pray... (and for whatever else the Spirit would bring to mind):
-for God's protection for all involved, that He would send His mighty angels to protect and fight in these battles.
-that Christ would manifest Himself in power and Truth and that Satan's deception would be laid bare.
-for freedom for each and every captive and the breaking of every yoke and bond of wickedness.
-that communication between Satan and his demons would be cut off and that the demons would be confused and that their hold on those involved would be weakened.
-for wisdom and revelation for staff and those in spiritual authority.
-against discouragement, division, distraction, and deception; rather for encouragement, unity, focus on Christ, and Truth.
-for strength for the battle, stronger faith, endurance, grace, peace, and a clear sense of the Holy Spirit's direction/His still, small voice.
-that God's purposes would be accomplished and that it would be a clear testimony to all that our Almighty God is the only, one True God, the One who reigns above all, the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM...
-that in all things the name of Jesus Christ would be lifted high.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. Psalm 27:1-3
Monday, August 1, 2011
Can I ask you a question?
The other day I was talking with a young woman from town and she asked me, Can I ask you a question? When I said, Sure, she replied, What do you or your church believe about exorcism? I said, Well, it depends on what you are referring to. She said, Well, people having demons. I have asked several different people about it (a priest, her father, maybe another pastor), but no one really wants to talk about it...
What would you say if someone asked you the same question?
The Bible is always a good place to start... If the Bible talks about people who had demons controlling their lives, why wouldn't we? We don't skip over other areas of the Bible, so why this topic? I told her that there are many people, even within our extended church body, that probably wouldn't be real comfortable talking about the topic. (If you are interested in some of the reasons why this is an avoided topic you can revisit this post.) But I am not one of them. No, not at all. :) Of course, there are reasons for that... A lot of people don't know that dealing with demons and spiritual warfare has been a part of my life for a long time, long before I even knew what the words meant or that my experiences weren't "normal" or experienced by all. But praise God, in His perfect timing He brought me to a place in my life where a lot of things came together: the recognition of my need, desire to rid my life of Satan's control, knowledge, resources, and the support I needed to be able to find freedom through Christ.
As we continued to talk, this young woman admitted that she had had various experiences herself, things she had seen and sensed. She mentioned things within her family that revealed that there are definitely generational elements to her issues... And all in all I have to think, the question isn't really what do we think about it... but rather, what do we do about it?
If you want to want to know what to do about demonic control or issues, one of the first things to understand is how Satan gets control in our lives. A common way we "open the door" to Satan is through sin: our own, sin committed against us (ie: abuse), or by unresolved sin in past generations. Or we give power to Satan through the lies that we believe about ourselves, God, and others. Occult activity is a sure way to turn over control in your life to Satan, but often we don't take seriously the fact that sin like unforgiveness, pride, fear, rebellion, gossip, and dishonesty can do the same (though maybe in a way that is slightly more subtle). I could go on, but if you want a good tool to help you recognize the ways you may have given over control to Satan in areas of your life I recommend Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil T. Anderson, which you can find here or here.
Personally, I am amazed at how much ground we give to Satan in our lives out of our own ignorance and also by our arrogance, thinking, oh, it isn't really that big of a deal. It is just a book, just a movie, just a game,... It won't effect me, won't effect my kids... (Our thoughts can originate from three different sources: the Holy Spirit, ourselves, or Satan/demons... I can pretty much guarantee you where those thoughts come from!) Who are we kidding? (Not Satan, that is for sure.) To be honest, it is easy to brush things off as not that big of a deal or not that serious until you see a child in torment at no or little fault of their own but because someone didn't take the battle that we are in seriously. Someone opened a door maybe thinking that they were strong enough to handle it, maybe selfishly thinking only about themselves, maybe seeking relief or power or pleasure, maybe not realizing how their actions would effect their children and how they would effect future generations...
Once you realize you have "doors open" in your life, what do you do? The Bible talks about renouncing, forsaking sin. We are to bring to light what Satan wants to keep in the darkness. He loses power when we expose him. We are to confess, renounce, and forsake sin, ask for God's cleansing through the blood of Christ. We cancel the ground in our life given to Satan and reclaim it for Christ. Then we exercise the authority given to us in Christ and in Jesus' name we command Satan and his wicked spirits to leave and to go to Jesus. That may seem too simple, but it really is the root of the matter.
Going back to my conversation with the young woman, she went on to ask a few other questions that no one had been able to answer her in the past (questions that were a little more "socially acceptable" on the topic of evolution vs. creation, etc). I was once again thankful to be able to answer her with Truth. But as I later was driving away from our meeting I had to think back to her first question and as I reflected on it I was led to praise. Praise God for my past. Praise God for the many years of suffering, the terror I have experienced, the torment I endured. Praise God, that because of my past I don't have to be another person that skirts this question in this young woman's life. Praise God, I can speak truth and freedom to one more person that Satan is using, terrorizing, and controlling. Praise God for Christ and that because of Him we are given the opportunity to be free from Satan's torment. Praise God that in Christ we can find abundant life, hope, joy and peace.
Please continue to pray for us in the spiritual battles we face. Please pray against the spirit of fear, which does not come from God, but instead of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). Pray that we would be faithful to teach our kids how to fight against our cruel and ruthless enemy. Pray that God's purposes would be accomplished in each battle and that Christ would manifest Himself in Truth and power. Please pray for victory in God's way and God's perfect timing and that He would be glorified over all!
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
What would you say if someone asked you the same question?
The Bible is always a good place to start... If the Bible talks about people who had demons controlling their lives, why wouldn't we? We don't skip over other areas of the Bible, so why this topic? I told her that there are many people, even within our extended church body, that probably wouldn't be real comfortable talking about the topic. (If you are interested in some of the reasons why this is an avoided topic you can revisit this post.) But I am not one of them. No, not at all. :) Of course, there are reasons for that... A lot of people don't know that dealing with demons and spiritual warfare has been a part of my life for a long time, long before I even knew what the words meant or that my experiences weren't "normal" or experienced by all. But praise God, in His perfect timing He brought me to a place in my life where a lot of things came together: the recognition of my need, desire to rid my life of Satan's control, knowledge, resources, and the support I needed to be able to find freedom through Christ.
As we continued to talk, this young woman admitted that she had had various experiences herself, things she had seen and sensed. She mentioned things within her family that revealed that there are definitely generational elements to her issues... And all in all I have to think, the question isn't really what do we think about it... but rather, what do we do about it?
If you want to want to know what to do about demonic control or issues, one of the first things to understand is how Satan gets control in our lives. A common way we "open the door" to Satan is through sin: our own, sin committed against us (ie: abuse), or by unresolved sin in past generations. Or we give power to Satan through the lies that we believe about ourselves, God, and others. Occult activity is a sure way to turn over control in your life to Satan, but often we don't take seriously the fact that sin like unforgiveness, pride, fear, rebellion, gossip, and dishonesty can do the same (though maybe in a way that is slightly more subtle). I could go on, but if you want a good tool to help you recognize the ways you may have given over control to Satan in areas of your life I recommend Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil T. Anderson, which you can find here or here.
Personally, I am amazed at how much ground we give to Satan in our lives out of our own ignorance and also by our arrogance, thinking, oh, it isn't really that big of a deal. It is just a book, just a movie, just a game,... It won't effect me, won't effect my kids... (Our thoughts can originate from three different sources: the Holy Spirit, ourselves, or Satan/demons... I can pretty much guarantee you where those thoughts come from!) Who are we kidding? (Not Satan, that is for sure.) To be honest, it is easy to brush things off as not that big of a deal or not that serious until you see a child in torment at no or little fault of their own but because someone didn't take the battle that we are in seriously. Someone opened a door maybe thinking that they were strong enough to handle it, maybe selfishly thinking only about themselves, maybe seeking relief or power or pleasure, maybe not realizing how their actions would effect their children and how they would effect future generations...
Once you realize you have "doors open" in your life, what do you do? The Bible talks about renouncing, forsaking sin. We are to bring to light what Satan wants to keep in the darkness. He loses power when we expose him. We are to confess, renounce, and forsake sin, ask for God's cleansing through the blood of Christ. We cancel the ground in our life given to Satan and reclaim it for Christ. Then we exercise the authority given to us in Christ and in Jesus' name we command Satan and his wicked spirits to leave and to go to Jesus. That may seem too simple, but it really is the root of the matter.
Going back to my conversation with the young woman, she went on to ask a few other questions that no one had been able to answer her in the past (questions that were a little more "socially acceptable" on the topic of evolution vs. creation, etc). I was once again thankful to be able to answer her with Truth. But as I later was driving away from our meeting I had to think back to her first question and as I reflected on it I was led to praise. Praise God for my past. Praise God for the many years of suffering, the terror I have experienced, the torment I endured. Praise God, that because of my past I don't have to be another person that skirts this question in this young woman's life. Praise God, I can speak truth and freedom to one more person that Satan is using, terrorizing, and controlling. Praise God for Christ and that because of Him we are given the opportunity to be free from Satan's torment. Praise God that in Christ we can find abundant life, hope, joy and peace.
Please continue to pray for us in the spiritual battles we face. Please pray against the spirit of fear, which does not come from God, but instead of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). Pray that we would be faithful to teach our kids how to fight against our cruel and ruthless enemy. Pray that God's purposes would be accomplished in each battle and that Christ would manifest Himself in Truth and power. Please pray for victory in God's way and God's perfect timing and that He would be glorified over all!
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Blessings
I just want to take a moment and lift up the Name above all names, Jesus Christ the Messiah, the Lamb of God, Savior, Emmanuel. He who was, and is, and is to come. He who has all power in heaven and earth. He who has authority over every principality, power, might, and dominion.
Thank you so much to all of you who read my last post and were praying (or were praying anyway)! You will honestly never know the extent to which your prayers make a difference. Satan is intent on destroying all that God loves, but I don't know if I will ever cease to be amazed at how God can take Satan's purposes of destruction and shape them to serve His purposes, purposes of opening our eyes to His faithfulness, His complete power and sovereignty, His love for us and purpose for our lives, His ability to use us despite ourselves and our inadequacy, all the while strengthening our faith and teaching us to war. The battle we are in is serious, lives depend on it, but our enemy is no match for our God!!
There are more battles to see won, lives that depend on your prayers and faithfulness in fighting in this war, more strongholds to be torn down, so please don't tire in "holding up our arms"! We are called to be the Body of Christ, to be God's hands and feet, His army here on earth, fighting for His glory, for His kingdom to be furthered, for the salvation of souls, for victory over every stronghold of Satan. Praise God for Jesus Christ and everything He is, was, and will be!
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Eph. 1:19-23
Blessings by Laura Story
You can listen to the song on YouTube by clicking here HERE.
Thank you so much to all of you who read my last post and were praying (or were praying anyway)! You will honestly never know the extent to which your prayers make a difference. Satan is intent on destroying all that God loves, but I don't know if I will ever cease to be amazed at how God can take Satan's purposes of destruction and shape them to serve His purposes, purposes of opening our eyes to His faithfulness, His complete power and sovereignty, His love for us and purpose for our lives, His ability to use us despite ourselves and our inadequacy, all the while strengthening our faith and teaching us to war. The battle we are in is serious, lives depend on it, but our enemy is no match for our God!!
There are more battles to see won, lives that depend on your prayers and faithfulness in fighting in this war, more strongholds to be torn down, so please don't tire in "holding up our arms"! We are called to be the Body of Christ, to be God's hands and feet, His army here on earth, fighting for His glory, for His kingdom to be furthered, for the salvation of souls, for victory over every stronghold of Satan. Praise God for Jesus Christ and everything He is, was, and will be!
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Eph. 1:19-23
I know that many have heard this song, but it's message seems to be so appropriate in the lives of many right now, so I thought I would share it:
Blessings by Laura Story
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise
You can listen to the song on YouTube by clicking here HERE.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Please pray
You probably all know that back about 5 months, we sent out a request for prayer and fasting for the spiritual battle that we are in here in Magdalena. I just want to thank all of those who have prayed and fasted for our battle and ask you to please continue. Satan is intent on destroying all that God is doing but we know that Satan is no match for his Creator. Please pray that that would be clearly shown here--that God would clearly show His power over Satan. Please pray that Satan's plans would be destroyed and that ground would be recovered for Christ, in our kids' lives, in the lives of those who come to church, in our community... We trust that God in His sovereignty will protect us in this battle and that He will only allow what He knows will further His work, draw us closer to Him, and teach us to war.
Thank you for praying. Lives are being changed by your prayers!
If you haven't watched the webinar on Spiritual Warfare Ministry click HERE or you can read my blog post about it HERE. I would also encourage you to check out the following short You Tube videos below from Deeper Walk.
Heart-focused discipleship
Wounds, lies, vows, & strongholds
A balanced approach to spiritual warfare
Redemptive relationships
S.L.O.W. Overcoming the flesh and walking in the Spirit
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Thank you for praying. Lives are being changed by your prayers!
If you haven't watched the webinar on Spiritual Warfare Ministry click HERE or you can read my blog post about it HERE. I would also encourage you to check out the following short You Tube videos below from Deeper Walk.
Heart-focused discipleship
Wounds, lies, vows, & strongholds
A balanced approach to spiritual warfare
Redemptive relationships
S.L.O.W. Overcoming the flesh and walking in the Spirit
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual Warfare...most of you are aware that it is something that is very real to us here--we couldn't deny its existence even if we would want to. But whether we are aware of it or not, no matter where we live, we are in a battle. Sometimes the battle is more subtle; sometimes we have more to distract us from all that is going on around us. Or maybe there are things present in our lives, from our family line, or in the culture that make the battle more obvious and intense.
Spiritual warfare is something that a lot of people shy away from. Some out of fear, some because of stories they have heard of people who take things to an extreme, or others because it can be a controversial subject. Many Christians believe that once we are saved we are protected from demonic influence or that all demonic strongholds are automatically taken care of at the point of salvation. For a lot of us, our worldview, the lens through which we see the world, has simply been much more effected by humanism and the world's teaching than we would ever want to admit.
However, just as no solider would go into war without his armor or proper protection, neither is it wise to be part of a battle where you don't know much about your enemy. Our focus is on God, yes. But that doesn't mean we ignore our enemy or that we should be ignorant of his schemes. The key is to have a balanced, biblical perspective in the war that we face.
Once upon a time I was referred to the following resource for learning about spiritual warfare and how we should go about fighting this battle we find ourselves in. It has proved invaluable in my life and was an important building block in my understanding of the way that Satan works in our lives, as well as what part we play in the whole picture.
I encourage you to take an hour and listen in to this webinar (To listen click HERE.) It is offered through a ministry called Deeper Walk International which offers a variety of resources related to heart-focused discipleship. If you have never listened to a webinar before it is like watching a power-point presentation with audio. If you ever participate in one live it is more interactive and you can actually ask questions--this one has been recorded and is offered as a free resource on the Deeper Walk website. If you click on the link above it will open up a window on your internet explorer and then you can download it into Windows Media Player. This particular webinar is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from start to finish, but don't let the time scare you, it is worth it!
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
Please continue to pray for the spiritual battle we face here in Magdalena. Pray for Light to pierce and shatter the darkness. Pray for Truth to set the captives free, for God to reveal Himself in power, and change hearts and lives forever. Pray for His mercy to be poured out and for us to be equipped with the knowledge, wisdom, and resources we need to be effective. Pray that we would always remember to put on the armor of God and not grow weary in the battle or be distracted but that Christ would be our focus and our strength. Pray for protection from Satan's attacks and desire to destroy, especially for our kids. Pray for victory over every demonic stronghold--that it be clear and sure, so that all may know and glorify the one and only true God!
Spiritual warfare is something that a lot of people shy away from. Some out of fear, some because of stories they have heard of people who take things to an extreme, or others because it can be a controversial subject. Many Christians believe that once we are saved we are protected from demonic influence or that all demonic strongholds are automatically taken care of at the point of salvation. For a lot of us, our worldview, the lens through which we see the world, has simply been much more effected by humanism and the world's teaching than we would ever want to admit.
However, just as no solider would go into war without his armor or proper protection, neither is it wise to be part of a battle where you don't know much about your enemy. Our focus is on God, yes. But that doesn't mean we ignore our enemy or that we should be ignorant of his schemes. The key is to have a balanced, biblical perspective in the war that we face.
Once upon a time I was referred to the following resource for learning about spiritual warfare and how we should go about fighting this battle we find ourselves in. It has proved invaluable in my life and was an important building block in my understanding of the way that Satan works in our lives, as well as what part we play in the whole picture.
I encourage you to take an hour and listen in to this webinar (To listen click HERE.) It is offered through a ministry called Deeper Walk International which offers a variety of resources related to heart-focused discipleship. If you have never listened to a webinar before it is like watching a power-point presentation with audio. If you ever participate in one live it is more interactive and you can actually ask questions--this one has been recorded and is offered as a free resource on the Deeper Walk website. If you click on the link above it will open up a window on your internet explorer and then you can download it into Windows Media Player. This particular webinar is about 1 hour and 15 minutes from start to finish, but don't let the time scare you, it is worth it!
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
Please continue to pray for the spiritual battle we face here in Magdalena. Pray for Light to pierce and shatter the darkness. Pray for Truth to set the captives free, for God to reveal Himself in power, and change hearts and lives forever. Pray for His mercy to be poured out and for us to be equipped with the knowledge, wisdom, and resources we need to be effective. Pray that we would always remember to put on the armor of God and not grow weary in the battle or be distracted but that Christ would be our focus and our strength. Pray for protection from Satan's attacks and desire to destroy, especially for our kids. Pray for victory over every demonic stronghold--that it be clear and sure, so that all may know and glorify the one and only true God!
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