Writer Block... or Spiritual Warfare???
It's been quite a while since I updated the Blog posts - Partly because life's been very busy, but mostly because I'm not much of a writer and I just can't get the courage up to write something unless it's profound, heavy, really spiritual... or maybe it's something else...The Book of Ephesians puts it this way:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13
Ephesians 6:10-12 New International Version (NIV)
You see Satan doesn't want us to do ANYTHING that may give someone Hope, Encouragement, Help, or especially, Salvation in Jesus Christ!
So he's active and aggressive to keep us from progress of any form. That's probably why I struggle with writing. That explains why I could never get a handle on my own Hurts, Habits, & Hang-ups - there really wasn't anything I could get ahold of! But Jesus Christ did! (Praise Him!)
I've been reading a book on Spiritual Warfare by Pastor Tony Evans entitled - The Battle is the Lord's.
It's pretty intense, it's very good. It starts with the Nature of the Battle, goes on to Who was Satan - Angels and Demons - and I'm just getting into the Authority of Jesus Christ.... (Finally Victory!!)
The battle to derail God's people is not new. In the Book of Daniel, chapter 10, we can read:
7I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him...
12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
Daniel 10:7-9a, 12-14 New International Version (NIV)
Was this "Terror" Satan himself - NO, it was the power of the one sent by God!
Satan sent his forces to keep the message (and the messenger) from Daniel. Thank God - Literally - that His Angels have the strength to overcome these forces - why? because their strength comes directly from God Himself.
(Read the book of Daniel yourself to get the proper context and perspective of this struggle)
This is why we claim the victory of our Lord Jesus! He is our "Higher Power" - He has the power to defeat Satan. In Matthew 28, Jesus reminds his own disciples:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Too often, I have been deceived into thinking that Satan is God's counterpart - it's NOT TRUE. Satan is just a creation of God, yet another, actually the first, that chose Sin... not unlike me. When we face our struggle with faith in the Power of Jesus Christ, THEN, we can do some serious fighting and see real healing over our Hurts, Habits, & Hang-ups.
So when we're facing hard times, when we can't seem to understand WHY we can't make progress, maybe we're looking around for the enemy, instead of looking UP for the Victory.
Jesus even reminded His own Apostles where their strength really came from, to overcome their Hurts... in Paul's letter - 2nd Corinthians, we can read in Chapter 12:
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We can be strong! Blessings on your days.
