Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:29-31

If we were to take a survey at any church and ask the members what they considered to be “unwholesome talk” they would most likely identify unwholesome as coarse or sexual language. In his statement to the church at Ephesus, however, the apostle Paul seems to include a much wider range of spoken things than that. From the scripture above, we might conclude that Paul thought of unwholesome talk as anything that tore down or diminished a person rather than building him or her up.

That view seems to be confirmed by the list of things Paul commands us to jettison from our lives…bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, and every form of malice. Malice means to hold ill-will or spitefulness toward another person. So, things we might blurt out in anger or words we might share over coffee that slandered another person’s reputation or character (gossip) would fall under the umbrella of unwholesome words. Put-downs, constant criticism, or sarcasm would also find their way into this category of words that tear down rather than building up.

The gist of the command is that we should be a people whose words constantly build up the people around us and that call out the best in them. To do less grieves the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Unwholesome words grieve the Spirit because they are contrary to his character and his nature. In a world of hurt, our words should always be a source of healing. The wise man said, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov. 12:18). James said it this way, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” (Ja.3:9-11). Salt water kills living plants and humans while fresh water brings life. Our words should impart life because our God is a God of life.

Words matter because they have the power to build up or tear down. The heart of God is to build up and the to call out the destiny and greatness he has placed inside every human being. Whatever your emotional or relational struggles are in life they usually relate to early experiences of rejection, constant criticism, abuse, or fear. Most of that came in the form of words. Words can wound or words can heal. God calls on us to be encouragers, healers, comforters, and those who build up the people that the world has torn down. Anything short of that falls in the category of unwholesome and honestly constitutes sin. David declared, “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin” (Ps. 17:3). We should resolve the same.

If you want to change the world around you or even want to change yourself, you may want to start with your own words. Examine your words. In one sense, our heart determines our words but in another sense our words affect our hearts. It is a two-way street. The things we speak consistently eventually are written on our hearts. Speak as God would have you speak and you will become more like God in your heart. Speak life not death; encouragement rather than criticism; greatness rather than failure; and words that always build up rather than tearing down. Your words have impact for good or for evil. You choose the fruit that your words produce.

(Thoughts on blessing and cursing in Friday’s blog.)

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matt. 12:33-37)

The last verse in this section of scripture is very sobering. The thought that I might have to give an accounting on Judgment Day for every careless word I have ever spoken should get my attention. Even if I have not given much thought to my words, apparently heaven has. The context of these words is a rebuke by Jesus toward the Pharisees who have just attributed his authority to cast out demons to some alliance with Beelzebub. Jesus then equates their assertions to blasphemy of the Spirit which, I believe, is synonymous with unbelief in the face of a clear work of God.

Jesus goes on to the reveal the significance of these words spoken by the Pharisees which were obviously not well thought out. In this context, Jesus gives us one very significant reason that our words matter so much. Our words, especially our careless words, reveal what is truly in our hearts. We often deny that truth by blurting out something or making some sarcastic or cutting remark and then declaring that we didn’t really mean what we said. I hear that frequently from couples whose marriages are crumbling under the weight of anger and mistrust in the relationship. They often share with me the brutal remarks with which they wounded one another in the heat of their fighting and then say that they were just angry and didn’t really mean what they had said. The one who received the wound, however, is not so quick to dismiss the words that were spoken. The truth is that their words reveal something that is in their heart about their spouse and until that something is changed, the marriage will not truly heal.

In our hearts reside out deepest beliefs. We have a set of beliefs that rest neatly in our mind and in our intellect but those are often our “acceptable” or our “aspirational” beliefs. Those are the beliefs or attitudes we would like to have or believe we should have. Those are the beliefs or attitudes that we show to others and acknowledge as our own. Our actual beliefs are hidden in our hearts. Those show up when we are tempted, angry, afraid, or offended. They show up in our actions that have not been calculated and our careless words that pop out of our mouths in stressful moments or in moments of temptation.

Sometimes, even we wonder where those words or thoughts came from and are surprised by what we just said. David was aware that deep within our hearts we sometimes harbor thoughts or beliefs that are contrary to the mind and heart of God and reflect a part of us that we don’t want to recognize. He prayed, “Search me O God and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps.139:23-24, ESV).

Our words matter because they can reveal the truest thoughts and attitudes of our hearts – even the ones we carefully hide from others who would disapprove or that we deny when confronted about them. My words will acquit us or condemn me because they reveal my heart which then reveals the “true me”. The good news for every believer is that even our hearts are covered by the grace of God and the blood of Christ. That grace reaches even the hidden sin in our hearts and we can take comfort in that.

However, the wisest path is to pay attention to our careless words, our impetuous words, and our angry words because they do reveal the unattractive reality of our fallen nature. We should pay attention and take responsibility for those words and the part of us that is not yet fully submitted to Jesus. We can then acknowledge that part of us, repent of the attitudes or beliefs our words reflect, and submit them to the cross so that the Holy Spirit can then begin to change our heart at the deepest level.

Our careless words, then, can be our allies in discovering what still needs to be aligned with the heart and mind of Christ. They can be our allies in discovering footholds or even strongholds of the enemy. Denying that spontaneous words or actions reflect who we “really are” leaves an unlocked door through which the enemy can enter when we least expect it. The wise man and the spiritual man will acknowledge that some parts of his heart are not yet submitted to Jesus and as he discovers each part, he will gladly lay them at the foot of the cross. That is a key to real transformation in the kingdom of God.

In one sense, God judges his people every day. He judges us not in the sense of condemnation but in the sense of evaluation and then goes to work changing those things that are not aligned with the mind and heart of Jesus. The transforming work of God is much easier and effective when we cooperate. It is easier when we willingly bend to his will rather than resisting. When we resist or deny that we need to change, more pressure must be applied even to the point of breaking. From personal experience I would say it is better to bend that to be broken. Carless words can alert us t the need to bend or can alert God to the need for more pressure. Our choice!  More about “words” on Wednesday.

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:36-37

I want to start a series on “our words” because they have far more impact than we imagine and the spiritual realm takes our words much more seriously than we do. To begin the series I have listed a few verses about our words that you may want to reflect on over the weekend for some devotional time before I start commenting on them. The words of Jesus quoted above are quite sobering so I hope you (we) will take these verses to heart.

 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. Psalm 17:3

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Psalm 34:12-13

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Ecc.5:2

 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. Matthew 15:18

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only that which is good for building up the other person according to their needs. Ephesians 4:29

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.   The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:5-10

We just concluded a season of what we call Free Indeed at our church in Midland, Texas. Free Indeed consists of eight weeks of study and small group interaction related to finding healing and freedom in Christ. We conclude the eight weeks with a weekend (Freedom Weekend) of inner healing and deliverance. This past weekend we had 60-65 in attendance and when the weekend had concluded about 95% reported that they had received significant healing or deliverance over the weekend. Some of these were new to the faith while others had been believers for decades.

One of our new leadership couples is from South Africa. After experiencing their first Freedom Weekend, I asked them about their observations since they would have seen what we do with fresh, non-American eyes. Both of them were very surprised at the amount of brokenness and bondage (demonization) among so many Christians. What they saw was our typical weekend comprised of people who love the Lord, attend church regularly, and who serve in the church. By the way, a number of participants also come from mainline churches in our area where they attend regularly and serve.

Our South African friends have a legitimate question. Why are there so many broken and demonized believers? I believe it is because the church in America has majored in getting people saved but not sanctified. We have been great at getting people to pray “the sinner’s prayer” but we have not taught them how to wage spiritual war and how to be transformed by the Spirit of Christ.

Over the years, even believing families have accumulated a lot of spiritual baggage that has been passed down from generation to generation. Those who have come to us from the world have typically been abused, molested, involved in sexual sin, and in occult practices – all of which give the enemy an open door into their lives. Very few of these have been taught how to deal with their past, their shame, their secret bondage, or the parts of their lives that are out of control. They have been taught to attend church, give, and serve in the children’s ministry but they have not been taught how to drive the enemy out of the promised land of a transformed life. Many pastors don’t even know how to drive the enemy out of their own lives or marriages so they certainly can’t teach their congregations how to wage war with divine weapons.

As I mentioned earlier, we have a number of believers from other churches who attend Free Indeed – a significant number being pastors, former pastors, or family member of pastors from other churches. They consistently report that they have never received teaching or heard a sermon on the basics of spiritual warfare. In their churches, the demonic realm goes unnoticed and uncommented on so that their people are poorly armed against the assaults and schemes of the enemy. The idea of believers walking in real authority is vague at best. The lack is not intentional. We simply pass on what others have passed on to us. But when you look at the American church something is missing. The lives of many, many Christians don’t stand out all that much when compared to the lives and families of unbelievers. That is evidence of a people who are saved but not sanctified.

Jesus and his followers preached the good news of the kingdom of God and then demonstrated its power through healing, deliverance, raising the dead, and radically changed lives. We should be doing the same. My hope is that more and more believers will soon discover the power of Jesus Christ to not only save them from an eternal hell but also from a hell on earth that many believers experience daily believing that nothing more is available to them until after the funeral. Not so. Jesus is so ready and able to heal and set free now and has done so for many. May we assist him in doing the same for many more.

I consistently encounter Christians who assume that demons cannot afflict believers because we belong to Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living within us. They usually say something to the effect that they don’t believe Christians can be “demon-possessed.” I agree with them. I also don’t believe that Christians can be “possessed” by Satan. “Possession” implies ownership and we are certainly owned and possessed by Jesus Christ who purchased us with his blood.

However, possession and affliction (oppression) are two different things. The only character we see in the gospels that comes close to possession is the man who lived among the tombs who had “Legion” camped out inside of him. Even that man would have been more accurately described as “demonized” rather than possessed and there are many levels of demonization. Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her. Others in the gospels seemed to be afflicted by single spirits.

While we all agree that believers cannot be possessed by demons, many would argue that no demon can attach himself or take up residence within a believer because light (the Holy Spirit) cannot tolerate darkness (the demonic) and so would not allow any demonic presence to abide in the believer. I remember one woman who had witnessed a number of believers experience deliverance at a weekend where we were ministering to the church. She was amazed that so many non-Christians had been in church that weekend seeking deliverance.

Let me say a couple of things about demons taking up residence with believers and, thus, sharing a space with the Holy Spirit. First of all, we need to understand than demonization is not a salvation issue but a sanctification issue. People come to Jesus all the time with tons of sin and baggage in their life that is just as offensive to the Spirit as a demon. We believe that upon their confession of faith they are saved and the Spirit takes up residence within them while sin still remains. Then, the Spirit begins the process of conviction and transformation that will uproot the sin in a believer’s life over time. In the meantime, many immature believers are still struggling with addictions, crazy theology, and sinful behaviors including sexual sin, abuse, lying, etc. The Spirit hates all of those things and yet coexists with them inside the believer. Even mature believers can fall into deep sin and addictions but the Holy Spirit does not abandon them. How different is that from some demonic spirit who has found a foothold within a believer because of free will choices made by that believer or someone who has had authority over that believer?

Remember Paul’s admonition to the church at Ephesus to be angry without sinning. He then warns them not to let the sun go down on that anger, otherwise their refusal to deal with that anger through the cross might well give satan a foothold in their life. The word translated “foothold” carries the idea of a sanctuary for worshipping false gods. When Christians persist in sin without repentance, they can give the enemy a place in their life – a legal right to establish a foothold which can then become a stronghold. The Holy Spirit will not revoke our free will or the consequences of our free will. Just as he remains in the midst of our offensive sins he will remain in the presence of a demon we have chosen so as not to abandon us to the enemy.

The demon does not possess us; he has just carved out a place for himself from which to operate in our lives like a terrorist cell in a city. The terrorists don’t own the city but they will harass, torment, and oppress the city as long as they can. If you have ever had squirrels gain access to your attic, you know that they don’t own or possess your house but they can create havoc there and torment you in the middle of the night with the sounds of chewing and small feet running across your ceiling.

Demons afflict and oppress many believers because they have not been taught how to recognize their presence or how to deal with them. When we should be exercising the authority of Christ to regain the freedom that is ours in Jesus, we send believers off to secular counselors and therapists who will not or cannot touch the spiritual realities that are keeping their clients in bondage. My belief is that the church has a great deal of demonic oppression in it because we have let the enemy go unchallenged for generations. (More about that on Wednesday)

In many churches, demons are relegated to the first century and poorly done Hollywood presentations. If many believers think about them at all, they would imagine them to be in third world countries where idols and temples to false gods abound or where people gather in secret rituals to call up the powers of darkness. In general, they give no thought to demons actively afflicting Christians or operating in high-tech nations where the spiritual realm is only depicted in entertainment forms. But let me assure you that demons are real and very active in America – even in conservative West Texas. And let me assure you that they afflict and oppress many Christians who are unaware of their presence or who may sense their presence but do not know what to do about it.

Today, I’m going to begin a short series on the topic in hope that this may alert some believers to the reality and encourage them to become better equipped in the realm of spiritual warfare. Let me say upfront that I am not encouraging an obsession with the demonic. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus not the enemy and He that is in us is certainly greater than he that is in the world. On the other hand, Paul tells us that we should be aware of Satan’s schemes (2 Cor. 2:11), that our struggles are not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and authorities and that we should put on the armor of God so that we can stand against the schemes of the devil (Eph.6:11-12). So…let’s begin.

Demonic spirits are a given in scripture. There is no clear explanation of their origins although there are several theories which all seem to be less than satisfying at some point. Like roaches, it’s not as important to know their origins as to know that they are in your house and to know how to deal with them once they have been discovered.

There is not a great deal of discussion in the Old Testament about demons but it is clear that they existed and operated primarily through false religions and idol worship.  

They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat-demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. (Lev.17:7, ESV)

They sacrificed to demons, which are not God—gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. (Dt.32:17)

They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. (Ps.106:36-37)

The law clearly prohibited worship to false God’s and connected that worship to demonic spirits. It is not surprising that demons entice men to worship them since that is a quality of Satan as well. There are plenty of people in America who worship false God’s and offer their sacrifices of time, money, and even their families to them. There are also those in America who participate in satanic rituals, voodoo, white magic, black magic, and other occult practices. All of these summon demons and honor those demons to whom they pray. High-tech America is not exempt from idolatry and false religions including Wicca and numerous other organizations. Involvement in the occult – mediums, tarot cards, astrology, etc. – also invites the presence of demonic spirits.

As you transition from the Old Testament to the gospels, you see a much greater awareness of the demonic. Numerous individuals bring family and friends to Jesus and his followers with a clear sense that those people were being tormented by demons. The response was not to convince them that their friends suffered from some form of mental illness but was to simply drive out the demon with the authority of the Lord backing them up. Jesus and his followers were quite convinced of the reality of demons and even declared that deliverance from demons was evidence that the kingdom had come (see Luke 11:20).

Certainly, not everything is demonic. We live in a fallen world with a fallen nature subject to disease, physiological and psychological conditions, and trauma. That would be enough to deal with but a great deal of what torments people today is also demonic – even among believers. More about that in Monday’s blog.

Partnering with the King

After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”    So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. (1 Kings 18:1-2) And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:41-45).

This section from 1 Kings is one of the most interesting in all of the Bible. In the middle of the account above, Elijah challenged the prophets of Bail to a showdown on top of Mt. Carmel. He built an altar, placed sacrificial animals on it, and challenged the false prophets to call on their God to consume the sacrifice with fire. They prayed, screamed, danced and cut themselves all day but no response came from their god. Toward the end of the day, Elijah poured huge amounts of water on the sacrifice along with the wood and stones of the altar and called on Jehovah. Immediately, fire came down from heaven consuming not only the sacrificial animals but also the entire altar. Elijah then had the false prophets of Bail executed.

Bookending the demise of the prophets of Bail is the account of the great drought. As punishment on Israel because of her wicked leaders, God had given Elijah a prophetic word to speak in the presence of Ahab. “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Then, three years later, just before the Mt. Carmel showdown, God told Elijah that rain was coming. Interestingly, after the showdown, Elijah climbed to the top of Mt. Carmel again and began to pray for rain which God had already declared was coming. Why would he do that? Wasn’t God’s word good enough for him?

Of course it was. But this account once again reveals how God partners with his people to do his will on earth. Undoubtedly, God could have stopped the rain and released the rain whenever he wanted to without involving any human. But remember, God has determined to rule the earth and expand his kingdom through his people – his representatives. God did not stop the rain until his prophet declared the word of the Lord in front of Ahab. God would not begin the rain until his prophet prayed and released the rain through a prayer of faith. What an honor and what a responsibility.

God’s will was done after a man declared the word of the Lord over a situation and after a man prayed fervently for the thing God had already told him he was about to do. God holds much of his will in reserve until his people hear or sense his will and then declare it, command it, or pray it. In Elijah’s case, he apparently prayed seven times for God to release the rain. There will be times when we will have to pray earnestly and persistently for something that we know is God’s will. We know that God desires that all men should be saved. We already have his word on that but we may have to pray for a loved one for years before God’s will is manifested in that person’s life.

The honor is that the King partners with us in accomplishing his will. The responsibility is that we have to seek his will and then declare it, command it, or pray persistently for it. It may not happen if we do no do our part on this end even if it is something God desires. God has decided that we can release his will or stifle his will on the earth – not in all things, but in very many things. So…we need to ask his what he wants us to do to release his will and then do it. After all, much of what heaven wants to do is in our hands and in your hands.

This weekend I heard two different messages on giving in the kingdom of God and they both reminded of an essential principle when it comes to gaining an increase in any resource that comes from heaven. God gives more to those who give away what they have already received. The basic principle is that God gives to us so that we might act as conduits of his grace for others. We all know the analogy of the Sea of Galilee in Israel versus the Dead Sea. The Jordan River runs into the Sea of Galilee from the north and then out of the Sea of Galilee south to the Dead Sea which has no outlet. The Sea of Galilee teems with life as water enters and then exits to other destinations while the Dead Sea stagnates and supports no life because the water flows in but never flows out.

Jesus likens the Holy Spirit to streams of living water. “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (Jn.7:37-39).

Jesus speaks of the Spirit as a life-giving stream that flows from within each believer. The apostle John was given a vision of a life-giving river in the Book of Revelation. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Rev.22:2-3).

This image reveals two things about God. First, life flows from his presence and secondly, the life of God is meant to give life to others and to bring healing to entire nations. The Holy Spirit is the life of God that flows into us from the presence of God and then is meant to carry that life or direct that life to others.

In Ezekiel 47, there is a similar image in the midst of visions God had given the prophet regarding a new temple in Jerusalem. In this part of his vision, Ezekiel sees the temple with water rushing out from beneath the threshold of the temple forming a river that ran eastward. The further the river ran from the temple, the deeper it became – the volume increased. Along the river banks trees grew tall and strong.   “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing” (Ez.47:12).

The further out into the nations the river ran, the deeper it became and more fruit was produced to satisfy the hunger of the nations and to bring them healing. When God pours out his Spirit on the church, it is not meant just to build up and encourage the church. God also intends for his people to take the life of the Spirit and freely give it to those who are hungry and thirsty and to those who need healing. When we only exercise the gifts of God’s Spirit within the walls of the church there will be little or no increase. When we take those gifts to the streets, to the market place, and to the nations the river will run deeper, the anointing will increase.

Those of us in charismatic churches are pretty comfortable prophesying to one another, praying over each other for healing, sharing words of knowledge, and even driving out demons. But taking those gifts outside the walls of our friendly confines is another thing. However, if we want increase from the Spirit we must leave the temple courts and go out into the nations. If we personally are asking God to increase the anointing in our lives, the principle is to not only minister to the family of God but also to take the gifts outside the body and use them to minister to those who do not yet know Christ. That is where the Spirit will flow more deeply. Pray for such opportunities and when they come risk introducing the non-religious to the supernatural move of God. Then watch the Spirit flow.

I want to add one more thought in this short series about who we are in Christ. Our church staff just completed a planning retreat in the hill country of Texas at a beautiful sight on the Guadalupe River. A gorgeous country chapel made of Austin stone stood serenely on a hill just above here we were staying. Each morning we hiked up the hill to have a devotional. One of the prominent features of the chapel was its tall stained-glass windows depicting saints who were always dressed in flowing robes with angelic faces. Some were notable while others were not recognized by us since we do not honor “the saints” in the same way in our community church.

I was reminded, however, that the title of “saint” has been reserved for a few outstanding men and women of faith in many branches of the Lord’s body leaving most believers with the impression that the term is only applied to a few “super-Christians” in each generation. However, that is not the biblical use of the term. The term “saint” is used about 60 times in the New Testament but never attached to the name of an individual such as St. Paul, St. Peter, etc. Those accolades were attached decades and centuries later by the church –especially the Catholic Church.

Biblically, the word translated “saint” is from the Greek word hagioi and refers to all believers as “holy ones.” To be holy is to be sanctified and to be sanctified is literally to be “specially set apart for service unto God.” In the Jewish temple, items were set apart and often labeled for use in either sacred ceremonies or for profane or ordinary circumstances. Those set apart for sacred used were termed “Holy Unto Jehovah.” Once designated for sacred service, they were never again to be used for profane, ordinary, or secular functions.

As a believer, you are a saint. You have been especially set apart for service unto Jehovah. You are Holy Unto Jehovah and your life should reflect that special position. Remember, Jesus told his disciples that they did not choose him but that he had chosen them (Jn.15:16). You have been chosen by God and having been chosen you have been separated from the world and declared holy in his sight. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col.3:12).

The temple of God in Jerusalem was holy and everything in it was sacred because the presence of God dwelt in the Holy of Holies. But now, you are the temple of God and his presence dwells within you. As a believer, in the eyes of God you are different from all other men or women in the world. I think it is likely that in the spiritual realm there is a designation on you that marks you as belonging to Jehovah and, perhaps, the very phrase Holy Unto Jehovah identifies you as one who belongs to him. That sets you apart from all those in both the natural and spiritual realms who have no faith in God and who are not in Christ Jesus. You are one of his Saints. Maybe your condition does not yet always reflect that sacredness as much as it should, but your position in the kingdom is definitely a saint of the Most High God.

Remember who you are and the next time you step into a chapel or a cathedral full of stain glass depicting “the saints” you may sincerely ask, “So…where is my window?”

So far in this short series about our identity in Christ we have highlighted the truth that in Christ you are a new creation, born again with the full potential of a new life and a new heart within you. In addition, every believer is a child of God, a priest, and a king on the earth placed here to rule as representatives of the Great King. With that position, you are royalty anointed with God’s Holy Spirit and by that Spirit you may exercise the authority of Christ to do everything Jesus did as Son of Man and more.

Since you are a man or woman of authority, it might be good to discuss how to exercise that authority on behalf of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. The key to understanding our authority and how to exercise it is found in remembering that God determined to partner with his children by ruling the earth through them. He could impose his will on the earth at anytime without involving us, but he has chosen not to do so. Jesus is our model.

The Father could have healed any sick person or infirm person at anytime or could have sent any demon on the run without any human involvement. However, he chose to do those things through Jesus. It was Jesus who laid hands on the sick. It was Jesus who commanded healing. It was Jesus who called Lazarus out of the tomb, and Jesus who commanded unclean spirits to leave. The Father exercised his authority through the Son and did so with the Son’s touch, his prayers, his commands, and his declarations.

In Jeremiah 1, we get a sense of how that works. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer.1:8-10). In Isaiah the Lord also declares, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isa.55:11).

What we discover is that God’s word fulfills it’s purpose whether is goes forth from his mouth or from one who represents him. It is still God’s word going forth. A study of Jeremiah makes it clear that the prophet uprooted and tore down kingdoms by declaring the word of God over those kingdoms, not by any power of his own. The same is true with us. We rule just as Jeremiah did. We rule by declaring God’s word over situations, over people, and over nations. They key is that we declare what we have heard from the Father either by a fresh word whispered by his Spirit or by his clear will and direction derived from his written word. We do so in commands and declarations. We also rule through prayer because our prayers coupled with the authority of our position, release heaven to move in powerful ways on the earth.

In the book or Revelation, we see that there are golden bowls or censors that are filled with the prayers of the saints (Rev.5:8).   Dutch Sheets points out that when those bowls have been filled sufficiently with our prayers then fire is added to the bowls and they are poured out on the earth with great power – thunder, lightening, and earthquakes. The idea is that when God’s saints have prayed into a situation with enough faith and perseverance, then the power of heaven is added to the prayers and heaven’s power breaks out on the earth. It seems that our prayers, our declarations, and our commands that release the word and will of God over situations and people also release and direct the power of God because he has chosen, to a great extent, to let us determine when and where he will work on the earth.

We rule by declaring his word over the earth just as Jeremiah did so that God’s will is done on the earth as it is in heaven. We are people of authority who partner with God to release the power of heaven over those things and people we care enough about to engage the enemy in war and assault him with the very words of God that come from our lips. You are a very powerful person in Christ and with your own lips often direct the artillery of heaven in the Kingdom’s war against the dominion of darkness. Pray more. Command more. Declare more.