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Putting on the full armour of God to engage in Spiritual warfare
Kat:
Hi Loretts,
Here is an email that might help with this.
http://bible-truths.com/email9.htm ---------
[Ray Replies]
Dear Jim:
Well, just like almost everything else Christians adopt as truth, their knowledge of demons and spirits is equally eschew. First, Jim, always remember the basics:
"...for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials" (Eph. 6:12).
So it is NOT the physical that is our biggest problem (flesh and blood), being overweight, etc.
Next we must understand that demons are FALSE DOCTRINES -- "doctrines of demons" Paul calls them. So anything that would influence us to believe in, follow, or be persuaded by any such things are demons influences.
So when we speak of "anger" we are in the realm of the spirit. James says, "Whosoever is ANGRY with his brother is a MURDERER"! WOW! "Be angry and SIN NOT--do not let the sun go down upon your ANGER" is another.
So being overweight and having uncontrolled anger are two totally different things. Being overweight is no more a sin than having flat feet. There are thousands of things in the biological makeup of our bodies over which we have and nor can we have control. If one is a total glutton, that is a lust of the flesh, but MANY overweight people eat very little for their size. But anger, that's different. Anger comes from within the man and it can cause one to SIN.
Now then, what do we do with the demons of anger, lust, and other aberrant behavior, cast them out? Well, if all we had to do was "cast them out," we wouldn't have to "wrestle" with them, would we?
Satan and his demons have their role in God's creation. God Himself has even commissioned LYING spirits to go out and do their dirty work (I Kings 22:22). So demons and real, they are here, and they will be around for a long time.
How should we handle them -- ask the preacher to cast them all out so that we are clean and will never be bothered in any spiritual way again, not to mention having a perfect size body? No, here's what God tells us we should do after telling us that we DO WRESTLE against these forces:
"Therefore take up the panoply [armor] of God that you may be enabled to WITHSTAND in the wicked day, and having effected all, to STAND. STAND, then, girded about your loins with TRUTH [remember I said demons are FALSE doctrines], with the cuirass of righteousness put on, and your feet sandaled with the readiness of the evangel [gospel] of peace; with all taking up the large shield of FAITH, by which you WILL BE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH ALL THE FIERY ARROWS OF THE WICKED ONE."
So the truth is that we continue to wrestle and do battle with them -- it is good for us to do so, it MAKES US STRONG in the TRUTH and in our reliance of God's spiritual armor to protect us.
Hope that helps your understanding a little better.
Sincerely,
Ray
thewatchman:
If I could use some of my personal experience Loretta. The standard idea of christians fighting against the powers of darkness as talked about in church under the guise of spiritual warfare and intercession is misguided and not really supported in scripture. Putting on the armor of God is not a physical act, yet you can see people swinging metaphorical swords in prayer meetings. It is a delusion on their point. The armor is about protecting ourselves, not undertaking an intercessory crusade...going demon hunting. Sufficient is the evil of the day without looking for more trouble. Sometimes these people over reach and get themselves into trouble. Think about the armor....girding your loins with truth...what does that mean? If you believe a lie, are you girded with truth? Even if you are acting with good intentions? No. Then think about the wonderful truth of salvation for all. The fact that we go through trials and testings does no longer mean to us that we are being punished by our Almighty God for unfaithfulness, but it is the loving chastisement of a Father who wants to correct us and teach us the right way. I have no fear of darkness now. None. How about you? Can you share that with your friend?
The biggest motivator in the modern church is fear. Fear of the Devil, hell, missing out on the glory, of being rejected. But perfect love (or truth) casts out all fear. I have personally dealt with the demonic. The important thing to remember is that Christ lives within us and he has given us authority. Not to be in fear, but to be in truth. I hope that will help inspire you to bless your friend.
As to your friend, there will be an event in her kife that come to mind immediately that she feels threatened. That is what God is exposing to deal with. That will be the matter that you will need to pray withe her, bringing repentance and forgiveness, the release of judgments, because it has become a 'high place' in her life. Once God begins to bring healing there, it will lose its power over her.
God Bless
Greg 8)
cjwood:
The important thing to remember is that Christ lives within us and he has given us authority. Not to be in fear, but to be in truth. I hope that will help inspire you to bless your friend.
greg, i wanted to jump in here to let you know that your above statement blessed my heart tremendously. from your heart to your fingers, inspired by the Father's Spirit, to my field of vision at just the right moment in time.
thanks for posting.
claudia
deblynn:
Just posting my agreement with Kat's commentary. I'd read the same thing on my FB page, and was about to copy it here, when I saw that it was already done. Ray explains it so well. It really makes sense. Possibly everyone of us has had to "unlearn" untruths that we believed were the gospel, and then re-learn, or re-program our minds. I have had such an inner peace since I first began to uncover the truths of God's word through Ray, and others, here.
I pray for more of "Christendom" to come to acknowledge these same, self-evident truths.
I don't say much, myself, because even though I have been with the Lord for many years, I feel as if I'm almost starting over again.
thewatchman:
--- Quote from: cjwood on September 06, 2013, 08:55:39 PM ---The important thing to remember is that Christ lives within us and he has given us authority. Not to be in fear, but to be in truth. I hope that will help inspire you to bless your friend.
greg, i wanted to jump in here to let you know that your above statement blessed my heart tremendously. from your heart to your fingers, inspired by the Father's Spirit, to my field of vision at just the right moment in time.
thanks for posting.
claudia
--- End quote ---
My pleasure Claudia. 8)
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