But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow. (Exodus 8:22-23).

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor.6:14-18)

In Exodus 8, as God was in the process of delivering Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, he declared a distinction between his people and all others. Goshen was the region of Egypt where Jacob and his family had settled after they were invited to stay in Egypt because of Joseph’s service to Pharaoh. It was a fertile area of approximately 900 square miles on which one to two million Hebrews lived – first as farmers and ranchers and later as slaves. In the text above, God told Moses that from that point on, the plagues that were impacting Egypt would not touch Goshen nor his people living there. There were several reasons why God would treat them differently from all other tribes and nations. First of all, he chose Israel as a man would choose his bride. A man may treat women, in general, with kindness but he should do more for his wife and do it sooner than for anyone else. That is how God relates to his chosen people.

In the same vein, God treats his people differently because he has a unique relationship with them that is described by words such as bride, household, priesthood, sons and daughters, family, saints, chosen, and even friends. Those are words that describe intimate and even covenant relationships. In a sense, God may know all people, but he is not intimate with them nor does he consider them sons and daughters. In addition, God says that he will make a distinction between his people and all others because he is with them. God is with his people and his presence makes a difference. As they say…membership has privileges and we are members of Christ.

It is clear throughout the Bible that God makes a distinction between his people and all others but scripture also reminds us that we are to make a distinction as well. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians quoted above, he emphasizes the distinction again and draws a contrast between those who belong to the Father through Jesus and all others. Those distinctions are: righteousness vs. wickedness; light vs. darkness; Christ vs. Belial (Satan or a high ranking demon); believer vs. unbeliever; and the temple of God vs. idols. According to Paul, God still calls us to “come out from among them and be separate. Touch no unclean thing.”

In my experience, many Christians don’t see themselves as chosen and distinct from all other people. They don’t see themselves as different nor do they make much of an attempt to be different other than church attendance. God is not calling us to withdraw from society, move into the desert, and form monastic societies. He is not calling us to some form of ritual cleanliness.  What he is doing is calling us to be distinct – first in our own minds and, secondly, in our ways.

What we need is the “salmon anointing” (not a biblical term) that makes us a people who are always willing to swim against the current and the culture of the world rather than embracing it or compromising our faith in order to “fit in.” God has not commanded us to fit in but to be different – as different as night and day. Jesus said we should be “in the world” but not “of the world.”

Sometimes we want God to do supernatural stuff in our lives. But if we want God to “act like God” in our lives with miracles and blessings then we must “act like his people” and as sold out citizens of heaven rather than comfortable citizens of this world. How many “unclean” things do we touch in a day by choice – especially with our eyes and our ears? How often do we compromise our faith “just a little” at school or at the office in order to gain membership or standing with those who don’t know or don’t care about the Lord? How often do we forget that God is with us when we swim with the culture rather than against it?

A church that has forgotten who she is will be a powerless church. If we desire to see the power of God we must remember that power is not given until it is needed. It is not needed as long as we are “going with the flow.” When we remember who we are; when we see ourselves as distinct from all other people; when we push back against the world; when we get busy destroying the works of the devil; ands when we choose to swim upstream toward the source – then, power will be needed. When it is needed it will be released. So…let’s go for the salmon anointing. Let’s swim as hard we can against the current, reproduce ourselves, and encourage as many as possible to swim with us. Then he will be our God and we will be his people. Then we will be distinct from all other people.

That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:6-10)

All believers who involve themselves in spiritual warfare love the words from the text above that declare, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” On occasion, however, when we resist the devil or lead others in resisting the devil he does not flee. It might be worth asking why.

In our Freedom Ministries at Mid-Cities we walk many, many people through deliverance each year. Most get freedom in a short period of time, some gain freedom after an extended period of ministry, and a few seem to get no freedom at all. I’m sure there are lots of reasons for the variations including the category of spirits we are dealing with, the rank of those spirits, and the amount of time they have been oppressing the individual to whom we are ministering. But sometimes, I’m convinced our seeming inability to force a spirit to leave lies in the heart and mind of the one who has come to us for deliverance or even in our own heart and mind.

Notice that the promise of the devil fleeing is submerged in an extended text that keeps bringing up the issue of submitting ourselves and humbling ourselves before God. Primarily this falls into the arena of alignment or, more accurately, misalignment with the Father.

To submit myself to the Father includes agreeing with him about right and wrong, good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness. To submit myself means that I give him judgment in those areas rather than judging for myself what thoughts and behaviors I think are acceptable or unacceptable. How many times do we say, “Yes, I know that is in the Bible, but….”
Then we go on to rationalize our own thoughts or behaviors that are contrary to scripture and in essence give ourselves a pass on disobedience.

We always feel there are extenuating circumstances that somehow make our situation different so that God’s command does not really apply to us in our case. Sometimes its because we’re afraid to submit to doing things God’s way because we feel vulnerable. Forgiving those who hurt us, refusing to take a brother to court, turning the other cheek, or giving up our manipulative behaviors, in fact, does make us vulnerable and dependent on God for care, provision, favor etc. when we turn our well-being over to him. Sometimes we enjoy a sin that we are not quite willing to give up. Sometimes we have a hidden addiction that creates so much shame we don’t want to acknowledge it – even to God. At other times we place greater value on a relationship, our career or our standing in an influential group than we do on pleasing God.

Whatever we hold to ourselves, refuse to give to God, or excuse is a failure to submit and gives the devil a legal right to maintain his position in our lives. When Satan or his servants have a legal right to harass or torment us, deliverance has limited affects except with the weakest of spirits.

On the other hand, when we submit to the Lord in every area of our life, it not only chokes off any legal right the enemy has held over us but God, in turn, “lifts us up.” The original language implies that our humility before God motivates God to give us a “higher position” in the kingdom, which implies the granting of more authority. As we submit to the Father and humble ourselves before him, in essence, we gain greater authority in the kingdom of God and that authority is what sets the devil to flight. Another kingdom paradox is at play here. The more we submit in the natural realm, the more authority we possess in the spiritual. The more we release to the Father in the natural realm, the more we are given in the spiritual. The more we bow the knee in the kingdom, the taller we stand.

When the devil does not flee we may need to check our own hearts or the heart of the one to whom we are ministering to see if something is continuing to give the devil authority to afflict or if something is diminishing our authority to minister in the spiritual realm. What is unsubmitted, what is unreleased, or what is being loved more than God? The same exam should take place before praying for healing as well. Too often we jump in and start commanding spirits to leave or begin to pray for healing without seeing where the person to whom we are ministering stands with God. Sometimes, we begin without taking a moment to make sure our own hearts are aligned with the Father. In the arena of spiritual warfare, submission and humility before the Father is what makes us more than a conqueror.

There are three essential questions in life that determine almost everything.

1. Does God exist?
2. Is God powerful?
3. Does God love me?

Most of the time we are unaware of core beliefs deep inside of us that determine our reactions to just about everything and our decisions in the aftermath of those reactions. These core beliefs are typically formed overtime and often are the results of conclusions we have drawn about life, God, and ourselves as a result of some powerful experience or the modeling of those around us. As adults, these beliefs have been with us so long and are such a familiar part of our internal landscape that we don’t even notice them. Yet, they still have a powerful influence on us.

In light of that, you may want to consider what you really believe regarding these three essential questions – not what you should believe but what you really believe. The implications are massive.

For instance, if God does not exist, all bets are off. You (and everyone else) are on your own in a dangerous and degrading world. If that is your core belief then there is no true north by which to set directions in your life – no absolute right or wrong, no absolute truth, no accountability beyond raw power. Nations that do not believe in God or, at least in a God who holds nations accountable with his judgment, act with no restraint except the restraint of resources and limited power. They assume that all rights and privileges are dispensed by the state rather than God and feel free to give those or take them away at their discretion. North Korea is a model for a world without God.

In your personal world without God you are on your own so control and power will be the highest thing on your agenda as well and looking out for number one will be your only option. In that world, man has little value because he us just part of the evolutionary food chain. In that world, selfishness and self-interest reign supreme.

On the other hand, if God does exist, what you believe about him is just as essential. If you see God as powerless (the doting grandfather view) or detached from this world and your life, then you are still on your own. The powerless God may love you but cannot help you. The detached God neither cares nor helps. You have direction and truth but no help to live out the demands of a distant God and no protection from those who would destroy you for your faith or simply because you are in the way.

If your view of God is that he is powerful and intrudes in this world but does not love you then your situation may be even more frightening. In such a case, God is involved and powerful but is not directed by love when he touches your world. Typically, this view of God paints him as the angry judge of all those who fail him. Then we live with fear, guilt and a sense of impending doom over our lives. With this view as a core belief we will tend to run from God rather to him.

The biblical view is that God does exist, he his powerful beyond imagination, he is involved in our personal lives as well as in the destiny of nations, and he will hold individuals and nations accountable. But…he is motivated by love when it comes to those who love him. If you have faith in Jesus you live in the best of all worlds this side of heaven because God is for you. But many believers are unaware that their view of God is skewed and because of that so is their ability to trust him, to give up control of everything and everyone in their lives, and their capacity for peace and security in a turbulent world.

As Christians, all of us would probably answer, “Yes” to all three of the essential questions above. But we might be expressing our “aspirational beliefs” rather than our actual beliefs. Aspirational beliefs are those we aspire to have because we know we should believe certain things. But actual beliefs can be different (and often are) and are revealed not by what we say but what we do.

To say that God exists, that he loves me deeply, and that He is unimaginably powerful implies that he is really there and because He loves me so, He consistently exercises his immeasurable power on my behalf for protection, provision, and direction.

Jesus believed that about the Father. I know he did because he slept through storms while others cried out. With small prayers he confidently took a few scraps of bread and fish and fed thousands. He walked on stormy seas and faced hostile leaders with the confidence that God would send a legion of angels to defend Him if needed.

But what about us? How often do we worry day after day about having enough? How many of us are “high on control” in our life and relationships so that we won’t be hurt? How many of us are plagued by anxiety and fears of abandonment? How many of us believe in our heads that we are children of the King but believe in our hearts that we are orphans living on our own, scrounging to meet our own needs, and always on the brink of disaster?

Knowing who we are in Christ, knowing who our Father is, and having that truth in our hearts is critical to everything. Paul prayed that God would give the church at Ephesus the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that they might know God better. Many of us have aspirational faith in the character and promises of God but our actual faith lags behind. We need that essential truth revealed to our hearts more than we need it deposited in our heads. That is the work of the Spirit.

Ask Him every day to write “Yes!” on your heart to each of those three questions so that you can live with the peace and confidence of Jesus. May the Lord give you His Spirit of wisdom and revelation today so that you may know Him better (Eph.1:17).

A “worldview” is a set of assumptions we hold about the world and how it operates. Everyone has a worldview and these assumptions or core beliefs about reality work as filters that give meaning to our experiences. Most of us, whether we want to admit it or not, discard or reinterpret facts that don’t seem to line up with our presuppositions about life. As an old Paul Simon song says, “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.”

For instance, if we believe that no one can be trusted, then no matter how trustworthy a person has been, we simply assume that his or her trustworthiness is only a ruse to set us up for some future betrayal. We will simply deny the reality of their trustworthiness even though he or she has never shown us any other quality. On the romantic side of life, if we believe that there is only one “right” person for us in all the world, we will probably have such anxiety about missing that “made-in-heaven soul mate” that we will over analyze every relationship we encounter and look for irrefutable proof or signs from heaven so long that the relationship withers and dies. Then we console ourselves by believing that if the relationship died, he or she wasn’t that one and only match made in heaven after all.

Sometimes our worldview affects insignificant matters but sometimes it has eternal consequences. It helps to understand the source of some of the perspectives that make up our worldview so that we might evaluate them to see if they are legitimate or imbalanced. The church should stop from time to time to examine her own assumptions to also see if those assumptions are still aligned with God’s truth.

For instance, do we maintain a biblical view of the spiritual realm? A church’s view of that has wide implications. Believe it or not, not all mainline churches believe in the activity of angels or demons or in the gospel accounts of Jesus and his followers casting out those demons or healing the sick. These churches ascribe the gospel accounts to symbolic, figurative language rather than descriptions of literal events. Why would they not believe?

Francis MacNutt gives a succinct explanation when he writes. “The reason is the acceptance of the Western world, beginning with the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, of a rationalistic, scientific view of the world that assumed there is no reality beyond the natural, material universe. If something cannot be measured and observed in a laboratory, it does not exist. This materialistic worldview has so affected Western Christianity that we automatically regard the work of the supernatural with skepticism and rule out the world of angels and demons with no further need of discussion” (Francis MacNutt, Deliverance From Evil Spirits, p.42-43). In the same book, MacNutt quotes Charles Kraft, a professor at Fuller Theological University who adds, “…even though we are Christians, our basic assumptions are usually more like those of the non-Christian westerners around us than we would like to admit…we often find ourselves more Western than scriptural…God and the Church were dethroned and the human mind came to be seen as Savior.”

Unfortunately a western, rationalistic, materialistic worldview has invaded the church as well as our culture. The church whose leaders have been trained in western universities, for the most part, have been trained with a non-supernatural worldview that makes them shy away from or even deny spiritual realities beyond the forgiveness of sin. Some will acknowledge that those realities (demons, angels, miracles, etc.) occurred in “Bible times” but don’t think they occur today.

That kind of worldview allows the devil to run free and pose as all kinds of things that we ineffectively try to attack with worldly wisdom and worldly weapons. When national leaders do not see a spiritual reality behind ISIS and terrorism they seek a political solution that is doomed to fail. When doctors do not recognize that a spiritual dimension to sickness may exist, things that need to be cast out are simply medicated. Even those of us who believe in the spiritual realm often run to every solution the world (natural realm) offers before we finally start seeking spiritual solutions. That impulse betrays a view that the world offers better and more powerful solutions than God since we only go to God when “the best solutions” have failed us. I admit, at times I default to that same setting. I’m not saying that everything is demonic or that we should jettison science and medicine. We are body, soul, and spirit and are affected by issues in both realms but the bible suggests that the spiritual realm is always where the most significant battles are fought.

Spiritual warfare requires a biblical worldview in order to triumph. Spiritual authority and power must be directed against real demonic spirits and schemes. Anything short of that attacks the symptoms and not the cause. That means the problem will only resurface later like cancer recurring after a brief remission.

Because worldview matters, it’s good to check our own worldview from time to time to see if we are lining up with biblical truth. It is easy to be coopted slowly and gently by the world and find ourselves out of alignment with God’s truth. Remember Jesus said that truth sets us free. Being fully  aligned with the Father in our worldview as well as our in our hearts is an essential key to winning the fight.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.             Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Eph.6:13-18)

As Paul works through the panoply of weapons and armor the Christian is to strap on each day, he calls us to put on the helmet of salvation. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul told them to put on the hope of salvation as a helmet (1 Thess.5:8). Figuratively, the function of a helmet is to guard our minds. Again, this language reveals that the greatest part of spiritual warfare lies in our thought life. In 2 Corinthians 10, where Paul discuss “divine weapons,” he explains that the key to tearing down strongholds is to bring every thought we have captive to Jesus Christ (2 Cor.10:5). In other words, when we align our thinking with the truths of Jesus, strongholds begin to crumble.

The reality is, however, that we can believe one thing in our minds and something else in our hearts. We have all had the experience of saying,” Part of me thinks this, but another part of me thinks that.” James talks about this experience as a “double-minded” man who follows the Lord only half-heartedly. I ran across a concept at a conference in Chicago that speaks to this (I can’t remember who the speaker was). The speaker spoke about “aspirational values” versus “actual values.” Aspirational values are values or beliefs we aspire to hold because we know we should. Actual values, on the other hand, are the ones we live by. We often say one thing and do another. Our actual values can be determined by seeing what we do rather than by what we say.

For instance, a man can say that his family is the most important thing in his life yet never spend any time with them because of the immense number of hours he puts in at work or pursuing another interest. If you ask him, he will always says that his family comes first (aspirational value) but if you watch him you will know that his job, golf, hunting, etc. come first because that is what gets his quality time and effort year after year. Because of that we need to examine our own lives often to see if our actual values and beliefs are lining up with Christ. Anything less gives the enemy a foothold in our mind and then in our life.

Salvation or the hope of salvation guards our minds with the truth of who we are and what we have in Christ and motivates us to stay true to the values and actions Christ calls us to hold in our minds and hearts. The enemy nearly always attacks our thought processes first with doubt, accusation, or condemnation and we need to actively push back against these false beliefs. Too many times, the whispers of the enemy go unnoticed or unchallenged or we believe that those thoughts come from us so we don’t know what to do with them. I always encourage believers to pay attention to their thoughts and if any are contrary to God’s word then we should first assume that a spirit is tempting us, renounce those thoughts, declare what is true, and command any unclean spirit to leave us immediately and never return.

In many cases, the thought ceases immediately and does not return. If the thought actually originated with us and not a spirit, then we have lost nothing and have still spoken truth over the lie even if it came from us and have reinforced God’s word in our hearts and mind.

Salvation, biblically, is not just the forgiveness of sin and eventual life in heaven but it is the promise that God meets our every need in this world as well as the world to come – every need, not every want. Satan’s biggest lie is that we have desires which are “needs” that God won’t provide so we need to search outside of God and his will to have our “needs” met. That was the lie in the Garden and is still his favorite. Our understanding of salvation and God’s promises guards our minds against those lies. Paul said that he had learned to be content with seasons of plenty and seasons of little because he believed in each season God would still meet his essential needs. Salvation gives us that assurance and is a great safeguard for our minds. It is indeed our helmet.

Ask yourself where your thinking is about God’s care and promises for you. You may need to realign some thoughts yourself as I often do and remember to differentiate between your actual values and beliefs and those you aspire to as a believer. Where there is a contradiction renounce it and declare God’s truth over the lie. Be blessed.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desiresThe mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Rom. 8:5-9)

I commented on this section of Romans 8 in my last blog but wanted to take one more look at it from a different perspective. This section underscores how different the sinful nature is from our spiritual nature – the nature of the redeemed believer. In Romans 7, Paul makes it clear that believers have two natures and choose which one takes the lead in their life. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (Rom.7:18-23).

Once we have named Jesus as Lord and Savior, our eternal spirit is given life and the Holy Spirit begins a work of sanctification in us. That is simply the work of changing us so that we become more and more like Jesus. But we still deal with the fallen nature that afflicts the entire human race. It is in our flesh and in our soul and does not just go away. Instead, it wars against our spirit pushing back each time the Holy Spirit prompts us to choose righteousness over selfishness.

We know that dynamic by experience. We have all felt those internal debates about doing right or doing wrong, about acting responsibly or irresponsibly, or about giving into hurtful emotions or bridling our tongues. Satan fuels the desires of the natural man so that those desires and impulses can be very powerful – even in believers.

Let me list the descriptors from both Romans 7 & 8 that Paul expresses in relation to the sinful nature which is sometimes called the natural man: nothing good, evil, sin living in me, waging war, making me a prisoner, death, hostile to God, unable to submit to God’s law, and displeasing to God. That’s quite a “rap sheet” for the sinful nature and clearly sets it in opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit. That fallen nature is so much a part of us that we will be given glorified bodies at the resurrection rather than refurbished bodies. It is almost as if God is saying that our fallen nature is so defective that he is just going to toss it out and give us a new one rather than trying to repair what we have.

This truth should tell us that we cannot make peace with our sinful nature. We cannot compromise or be friends with that nature. Instead, we must battle it and overcome it. We must crucify it and consider it dead. Too many believers try to pacify that nature by giving in “a little” or by satisfying it “a little” so that it quiets down, but that only strengthens it. In a sense, we won’t rid ourselves of it totally until the resurrection so what we must do is weaken it to the point that it displays little strength in our lives. As the devil fuels our sinful nature, the Holy Spirit desires to fuel our spiritual or redeemed nature. We have a major part to play in that process.

It simply gets down to which nature do we choose to nurture and which do we choose to starve. What do we do on a daily basis to feed our sinful nature and what do we do to feed our spiritual nature? When do we open ourselves up to Satan and when do we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit? When do we agree with Satan by giving into his leading and when do we agree with the Holy Spirit by giving into his leading? Whatever choices we make most often tip the battle in one direction or another.

Be mindful of which nature you are feeding and whose leading you are allowing to influence you. One is death and one is life. One is hostile to God while the other loves God and the things of God. One day Joshua challenged the Hebrews to choose whom they would serve – the God of Israel or the false gods of this world. We make that choice fifty times a day – big choices and small ones – and each choice determines how the war is going. Spirit-led is the path that marks the true disciples of Jesus.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:5-9)

Churches that minimize their emphasis on the Holy Spirit are setting their members up for failure because it is the leading of the Spirit that brings us into the perfect will of God. Most churches that minor in the Spirit believe that the Spirit simply works through the Word and that all you need is biblical knowledge to live as God calls you to live and to be pleasing to him. However, without the Holy Spirit having an active ministry in your life you cannot live as Jesus lived.

Certainly, scripture provides principles for living the Christian life and is always the plumb line for whatever we do. But there are times when scripture can only take you so far and then you need to hear from the Spirit to step into God’s purposes in a given situation. For instance, in Acts 1:20-26, Peter is prompted by the Spirit (or directed by Jesus before his ascension) to apply two obscure verses from Psalms to the apostolic situation and a need to replace Judas with another follower. Peter was clear on the qualifications for an apostle of Christ. The conundrum was that two men met the qualifications for the position but there was only one opening. Peter prayed asking God to reveal His choice to replace Judas because only God knew their hearts. Then, they cast lots and trusted that God had spoken through the lots since the scriptures were able to reveal God’s general will for the situation but not his specific will. They needed direction from heaven in addition to the written word of God. If we do not believe that the Spirit speaks and leads in addition to the written Word, we will miss much of God’s specific will in our lives and miss many of his purposes.

In this chapter, Paul counsels us to desire what the Spirit desires and to invite the Spirit to govern our minds – our thought processes. He makes the point that this governing of our thoughts by the Spirit is a primary step to freedom from sin and the demands of our fallen nature. We need to understand that Satan attacks us through our ungoverned thoughts and the desires of the flesh so that this Spirit-led life is key to overcoming the enemy and taking “every thought captive and making it obedient to Jesus Christ” (2 Cor.10:5). Paul points our that our willing submission to the Spirit of Christ is the doorway to life and peace.

The Spirit is so critical to our life in Christ that Paul declares that those who do not have the Spirit do not even belong to Christ. Those who have the Spirit but who do not pursue the leading and the gifts of the Spirit will live a powerless and, in many ways, an undirected life. Paul is building up to the idea that we are more than conquerors but being certain of where we stand with the Lord (no condemnation) and being Spirit-led through the Word and in addition to the Word are foundational to our victories. It’s interesting that Paul seems to feel that you are either controlled by the flesh (the sinful nature) or by the Spirit. He doesn’t give much ground to being in between.

By experience we know that sometimes the flesh leads and at other times the Spirit leads but a life that is comfortable compromising with the sinful nature will soon loose ground to that nature. Because of that our focus, our purpose, and our prayer should be that we hear the Spirit more and more clearly and submit more and more quickly to his leading. That is the key to power and freedom in the kingdom of God!

I’m amazed that in four gospels made up of 89 chapters that recount the life of Jesus, not one of the writers gives a physical description of the Messiah – the deliverer for whom Israel had waited since Moses. They also omit a myriad of details that I think would be incredibly interesting. The gospel writers give us a brief introduction to the birth of Jesus, a snapshot of Jesus at about age 12, and then nothing until he begins a three-year ministry at the age of 30. The writers knew Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. They spent every day of three years with the Son of God but chose (or the Holy Spirit chose) not to fill in the blanks of his years in Nazareth. Neither did they tell us whether he was tall, short, or average. Whether he was thin, stocky, or even pudgy. They never mentioned the color of his eyes, the texture of his hair, or whether he had a dark or light complexion. We don’t know if his nose was large or unusually small or if he had a deep voice or a high, nasal tone.

What physical appearance does your imagination project when you think of Jesus? Does he laugh through the day or is he mostly serious? Does he ever whistle or sing a song or is he always taking care of business? Does he get excited when someone is healed, angry when an injustice is done, or is he always cool and calm – unruffled by events around him? Is he gentle and domestic or is he strong and aggressive? Does he make requests or issue orders in clipped sentences? Some of these things may not matter so much but if we are to become like Jesus then our view of him in many things does matter. I wonder if we need to stop from time to time and see if our personal vision of Jesus needs adjustment.

Most of us probably assume that our view of Jesus is the biblical view. But since many of us disagree about other biblical doctrines we probably disagree about what Jesus was really like as he walked in the flesh. If we see Jesus as the gentle Mr. Rogers then we too may become very gentle and almost passive toward life and be overwhelmed in the face of any situation that requires an aggressive response. If we believe that Jesus watched the world around him with the detachment of a distant and objective observer then we too may watch the triumphs and tragedies of lives around us with detachment and avoid emotional investment in others or in a cause as we take a cerebral, passionless approach to our faith.

If we see him like ourselves, then we may feel that Jesus would see no need for change in us and, therefore, not experience much transformation at all as his disciple. If we see him as a white American then we may find ourselves standing against Israel forgetting that Jesus came as a Jew. If we see Jesus as a social revolutionary with long hair and an unkempt beard then we might lead the way in civil disobedience for some cause we believe offends heaven. If we believe Jesus spent his time pointing out the failings of sinners then we may well do the same or if we see him as so accepting that he never mentions the sin in a persons life then we may be tolerant and accepting of everyone and everything – in the name of Jesus.

How do you see Jesus? Do you see him as predictable and definable and model your Christian walk after that view? Why didn’t the writers of the gospels or Peter when he wrote his letters give us more detail? One reason may be that Jesus simply cannot be typecast. He has never been one-dimensional. At times he seems to ignore the sins of those around him while at other times he warns and rebukes men for their sin. At times he seems passive and gentle and at other times he is turning over tables in the temple or rebuking his own followers. He is both the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. He is not only the Prince of Peace but also the one who brought a sword of division to the earth – the fragrance of life to some and the aroma of death to those who reject him.

In a sense, Jesus has many layers and one view of him does not do him justice. In many ways he seems unpredictable and surprising but I believe it is because he did not set his own agenda. Jesus clearly tells us that he only did what the Father directed him to do and only said what the Father directed him to say. That is probably the one thing that defines the man Jesus more than anything else and that set him apart from all other men. Jesus was truly Spirit-led and since the Father’s ways are beyond our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts, we should expect those who are Spirit-led to be somewhat unpredictable and multi-dimensional as well.

If we are never surprised by what we find ourselves doing or saying then we are probably not being responsive to the Spirit and if we are not being led by the Spirit then we may not be as much like Jesus as we think we are. Hearing the Spirit and being responsive to him is what sets certain people apart in the kingdom of God. I want to hear the Spirit not just in the quiet of an early morning devotional but also in the chaotic craziness of the mall at Christmas time or in rush hour traffic. I want to hear him in the heat of spiritual battle and in the complexities of a family crisis. That is the consistency that I find most in Jesus and the one I want to grow in during 2015 – hearing, doing, and saying only what I receive from Jesus. Perhaps, you will join me!

Enough about curses. In this last segment on words, let’s move on to the empowering and encouraging aspect of our words. God has placed us on this planet and called us into his kingdom to rule on his behalf. In order to do that, he has given us authority and authority is expressed through words.

Jesus came as a man. His most used self-descriptor in the gospels was Son of Man. One of the reasons he came as a man was to demonstrate the life that each of us can have as we walk in fellowship with the Father. What Jesus did, we can do. Jesus lived a life as a representative of the Father expressing his authority and directing the power of heaven through his words.

Through words he commanded men to be healed, demons to depart, the dead to come forth, storms to cease, lepers to be cleansed, blind eyes to see, and lame men to leap. His words released the power of heaven into situations on earth. His words were powerful because he was declaring the Father’s will over individuals and circumstances. Jesus said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it” (Jn.12:49). Remember God’s word to Isaiah. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa.55:11). When God’s word goes forth it will accomplish his purposes whether from the lips of the Father, his Son, or those who represent him – his sons and daughter’s on the earth.

If it is a specific word and a fresh word from the Lord it is powerful. If it is a declaration, a prayer, or a command that expresses his will as revealed in scripture it is also powerful. Our words release God to fulfill his intentions on the earth. We do not control God but God, in his own sovereignty, has determined to rule in partnership with his people and, in many cases, he waits on us to declare his word over circumstances he wishes to change before he acts. Most of us understand that concept when it comes to healing or deliverance or provision. But what about the process of shaping the lives of people?

God’s word is compared to a seed in numerous places in the scripture. It goes forth carrying an innate power to produce life. In the right environment it will grow and bear abundant fruit. Many prophetic words are words that God is broadcasting with the potential to produce what has been declared if they are accompanied by faith and obedience. Sometimes the faith is in the one who receives the word. Sometimes the faith is in the one who declares the word.

Speaking life over people is simply declaring God’s will and God’s truth over a person. Like watering a seed, we are calling out the potential for good and greatness that God has placed in every person. We are calling out their destiny in Christ. Our words, because we have authority, impart power to that potential. When we encourage one another, build up one another, or bless one another we are imparting power to the potential God has placed in each of his children. When we call out gifts, faith, leadership, salvation, success, or godliness in others we are releasing the work of the Spirit in those individuals to produce what we are calling out. That is speaking life over others (or ourselves) rather than death. That is blessing rather than cursing. We are doing more than expressing sentiment; we are releasing the power of heaven because we represent heaven. This is especially true as we declare life and destiny over children.

So…measure your words. Be intentional. Be life-giving. Words matter because they have power. Recognize the power God has placed in your mouth and use it to administer God’s grace in every life and every situation – including your own and be blessed!

Words Matter (Part 5) – More About Curses

Biblically, there are two sources of curses. One is the result of persistent and unrepented sin on the part of a person, a family, or a nation. The other source is a spoken curse established by our own words or the words of another. If you read through Deuteronomy 28, you will see that God established certain consequences for obedience and disobedience to the covenant he established with his people. Obedience brought an array of blessings while disobedience triggered an array of curses. Those curses manifested in the form of crop failures, financial woes, oppression by others, health issues, problems with pregnancies, drought, defeat, mental illnesses, and so forth. God also established a principle that the children would experience the punishment of their Father’s sins to the third and fourth generation (see Ex. 20:5).

These consequences are called curses and some of those curses may be attached to families for generations. I do not believe that God is the source of these evils since by nature he is good and he is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 Jn. 1:5). Since Adam turned his dominion, planet earth, over to Satan, God’s people have lived behind enemy lines. Satan is always poised to kill, steal, and destroy anything or anyone that God loves. There are times when our persistent sins, our rebellion, and our pride force God to lift his hand of protection that has restrained Satan because our actions have given Satan a legal right to come after us. We experience Satan’s attacks as curses. Paul expressed that reality in his letter to the Galatians. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.         The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal.6:7-8). Consequences operate in the spiritual realm as well as in the natural realm. God warns us and even pleads with us not to open ourselves up to curses. The biblical pattern for breaking these sin curses is to acknowledge our sin or the sins of our Fathers, repent of our sins, renounce the sins that have brought the curse, and then to nullify those curses in the name of Jesus who became a curse for us that we might be blessed. There is an entire chapter on curses and vows in my book Born to Be Free if you want more detail on that.

In addition to sin curses are word curses. In a sense, the words of man have creative power. God spoke the universe into existence with words. Man is made in his image and although that image has been diminished by sin, remnants of his nature are still reflected in all men. Our words can create by setting forces in motion that establish the very things we spoke. We pray and we declare God’s word over situations and people with faith that he will establish what we prayed or declared when our words express his will. That is true because God has given his people authority. But Satan can also give authority to those who walk with him. In my last blog, I mentioned Balaam who had the capacity to inflict curses on others. We are told in Joshua 13:22 that Balaam practiced sorcery or divination. In other words, he called on demonic powers to enforce his curses.

We have no need to fear curses. The bible tells, “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest” (Prov.26:2). In other words, curses spoken by others don’t have the power to affect us if we walk with the Father and keep our hearts and words aligned with Him. However, most of us have seasons where our walk is more of a stagger and in those seasons we may be open to a curse spoken by others. Since we have authority, our own words may act as curses when we pronounce judgments and negative outcomes over ourselves. If we have opened ourselves up then repentance, renouncing the sin or the words, and the blood and authority of Christ is sufficient to nullify any curses. Each time Israel fell under a season of cursing because of disobedience, repentance and renouncing broke the curses and opened up a season of God’s blessings again. As our hearts turn to the Father, he is able to place his hand of protection and blessing over us again.

What we need to remember, however, is that we can be aligned with God in 90% of our lives but if we have reserved 10% for the flesh, secret addictions, unforgiveness, etc. that 10% makes us vulnerable to curses spoken by others. Our own words always have authority to establish curses. Again…I don’t believe that a single utterance will open us up to a curse but if we persist in sin or negative words we may find ourselves being oppressed and afflicted by the enemy. Words matter and so we want to speak only as Jesus would speak and always speak life over others and ourselves. Be blessed!