For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor.10:3-6)

Strongholds are beliefs or belief systems established deep within us that argue against and push back against God’s truth. Our deepest beliefs are written on our hearts. Those are our “core beliefs.”  These are written primarily through the power of experiences and typically trump and color our intellectual beliefs.  If these beliefs are contrary to God’s word, then they fall into the category of strongholds of the enemy.

Core beliefs can also be strongholds of truth where positive experiences have brought us to conclusions about self, God, or life that lineup with God’s truth.  When David was considering the possibility of facing Goliath in battle he referred to two previous formative experiences in his life.  When questioned about the wisdom of assaulting the Philistine champion, he said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Sam.17:37).  During his days as a shepherd, David’s flocks had been assaulted by wild animals and he was forced to step in to defend and rescue his sheep.  He had overcome both a lion and a bear and had concluded that God had given him supernatural assistance both times.  As a result, he believed in his heart that God was with him and whenever he faced an enemy greater than himself, God would supernaturally give him the victory.  That truth was written on his heart because of past experiences and the logic of men could not dissuade him of that conviction.

When past experiences have resulted in conclusions contrary to God’s truth and when the enemy has reinforced those lies through the years, how can they be overcome?  The world would give us positive thoughts or mantras to repeat over and over so that our thought patterns might be modified. My experience with that approach is that it works – for a while. People can be buoyed by these new ways of thinking for a while but the power fades and any additional negative experiences put people back in the same old place. If demonic forces have been assigned to support the false belief system, their “inner voices” will certainly overcome the “new truth” they have been given by counselors or friends.

What it takes to overcome a stronghold established by an experience is not only the written word of God but a current experience to confirm that word and make it more compelling than Satan’s lies.  Experiences with God come in many forms.  Notice some of the experiences that created a new paradigm of faith for individuals in the New Testament.  Saul (the apostle Paul) was convinced of God’s truth about Jesus when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and experienced several days of blindness.  After Peter had been told through a vision that God was accepting what had once been called unclean, Peter witnessed the Holy Spirit falling on the gentile Cornelius and his household so that Peter was finally convinced that God has accepted the gentile believers into the church.   Many Jews who had not believed in Jesus, suddenly became believers when Jesus called Lazarus out of his tomb. The list goes on.

We can experience God in many ways.  We can experience him by hearing him speak to us.  We can experience him by receiving a strong insight or revelation as we study his written word. We can experience him by prayers being answered in powerful or even “miraculous” ways.  We can experience him through an unexpected or miraculous healing, a prophetic word, or a word of knowledge.  We can experience him by feeling his presence or by receiving freedom through deliverance in the name of Jesus. We can experience him through angelic encounters, by experiencing the gift of tongues or through dreams or visions.  There are innumerable ways that we can experience God.  When we do experience him our core beliefs are impacted.

The most powerful moments of emotional healing come when we experience the personal touch of God – his love, his presence, his care, or his affirmation as a father.  Prayer invites and sets in motion those encounters. A whisper from God about his love for us and his delight in who we are can dramatically alter our self-image. God’s love for us expressed in healing or deliverance creates powerful paradigm shifts that release us from lies that have held us in bondage to fear, condemnation, rejection and loneliness.  The word of God gives meaning to these experiences but the experiences confirm the word of God deep in our hearts so that faith takes root. Then we can believe other promises of God even without direct experience with the promise.

Ultimately, the exercise of divine weapons reveals God to us and reveals his heart toward us.  That is what sets us free from the lies and oppression of the enemy. Truth that has been revealed to our hearts by the Spirit is much more powerful than truth communicated to our intellect through reading or teaching.  It absolutely takes both, but without experiencing God, life transformation is not as powerful or complete.  Even the written word of God has been given to point us to God so that we might experience him.

Ananias could have attempted a Torah study with Saul of Tarsus to convince him that Jesus was truly the Son of God.  He could have brought his best intellectual arguments and Saul would have argued back.  Saul’s intellectual resistance, however, was no match for a light brighter than the sun and a voice from heaven. Experience destroyed the strongholds in Saul’s heart and mind and he became the apostle Paul.  Divine weapons allow us to experience God so that we might willingly submit every thought to the Lordship of Jesus.  Divine weapons demonstrate that God exists, Jesus is Lord, and that God is good, knows us personally, and cares for us deeply.  They demonstrate that God is greater than Satan and that our ultimate victory is assured.  If a man can get all of that in his heart – count him in!   As the church begins to exercise all the divine weapons at our disposal, more people will be transformed, more people will love because they have been loved, and more unbelievers will run to Jesus.  Be blessed.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor.10:3-6)

As we continue to look at Paul’s concept of “divine weapons” in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, I want to remind us that Paul begins this text with the assumption that followers of Jesus live in a state of war with the enemy – like it or not.  Since we live in a state of war we must cover ourselves with armor and wield weapons or be defeated and, perhaps, destroyed.  However, Paul is clear that we should put on the armor of God (divine armor) and carry weapons that are unlike the weapons of the world and that actually go beyond the reach of worldly weapons.

Paul states that in contrast to weapons of the world, we fight with weapons that are fueled by divine power so that they have the capacity to demolish strongholds.  So … what are these strongholds that can only be decimated by the power of God? I’m going to quote Dutch Sheets regarding the meaning of the word.

The word is “ochuroma,” coming from the root word “echo,” which means to “have” or “hold.” This word for “stronghold” (KJV) or “fortress” (NASB) is literally a place from which to hold something strongly. It is also the word for fort, a castle, or a prison… In essence, Satan has a place of strength within unbelievers from which he can hold onto them strongly.  (Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer, p.183)

Sheets says that a stronghold is a place within unbelievers but strongholds can also exist within believers. Notice the nature of strongholds from the rest of this text.  Paul speaks about arguments, pretensions, knowledge, and thoughts. All of these are related to belief systems within us that argue or “push back” against God’s truth.  They are belief systems that bring us (or part of us) into agreement with Satan and out of alignment with God. When we agree with Satan we give him legal access to at least part of our life.

I like to compare Satan’s presence in the life of a believer to a house in which the manager of the house has rented out a room to the enemy.  Jesus is the owner of the home but he has made us stewards or managers over the house. We have the right to decide who visits the house and even who lives in the house.  As we come into agreement with Satan about certain areas of our life, in effect, we have rented out a room to him.  He doesn’t own the house but with a presence within the house, he can harass us and affect the entire environment or health within the home.

Satan’s great weapon has always been “the lie.”  His lies, if uncorrected, can create a belief system, a perspective, or a view of ourselves, God and others that lead us astray and that can keep us from experiencing freedom, healing, and effectiveness in the kingdom of God.  Most strongholds are beliefs that are rooted in experiences from our past rather than something that was taught to us … especially traumatic experiences.

Most of these beliefs are also rooted in our childhood.  Without being formally taught, we simply drew conclusions about ourselves, God, and life in general as a result of experiences.  For instance, an abused child will often come to the conclusion that there must be something terribly wrong or unacceptable about him/her for parents to treat them in such a way. Molested children carry a deep sense of shame or defectiveness about themselves because of the experiences they have had that were hidden in darkness. A child who experiences a traumatic loss or losses may come to believe that he/she will eventually lose everyone he/she loves.  Some abused children also come to the conclusion that even God doesn’t love them since he “allowed those things to happen” or that he may love them but he is powerless to protect them.  Children who grow up in homes where love is conditional may come to believe that all love is conditional and must be earned – even God’s love.

You can see how each of these belief systems oppose God’s truth and can get in the way of trusting God, believing his promises, loving others, or getting hold of grace.  Satan then reinforces these beliefs at every opportunity and may assign demonic spirits to continually reinforce and magnify those lies.  Beliefs established by experiences in our childhood, have typically been with us so long that we are unaware of the power they exert over us.  These beliefs or strongholds reside deep within us and “push back” against God’s truth.

When we believe one thing in our head and another in our hearts, we experience the presence of strongholds.  When out intellect argues against the truth of God’s word because it is not “rational” or “logical” we are experiencing strongholds. When demons are active in maintaining these false beliefs then we are dealing with spiritual strongholds.

Since there is a spiritual dimension that works to maintain the lies that Satan has crafted or reinforced, then only “weapons” that can touch the spiritual realm can be effective.  Weapons of the world don’t touch the spiritual realm and so must eventually fail.  Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  If truth sets us free, lies keep us in bondage. Strongholds (false belief systems) keep us in bondage in some part of our life and in some way affect every other part of our life. To demolish these belief systems that argue against God’s truth and that even pretend to be the truth requires the exercise of divine power.  We’ll talk about that tomorrow.  Be blessed.

At our church we are kicking off the winter round of Free Indeed which is the core of our Freedom Ministries.  It is an eight-week study of the transforming power of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, who we are as followers of Jesus, and spiritual weapons that bring healing and freedom from the oppression of the enemy.  It’s followed by an experiential weekend of healing and deliverance.  We typically have sixty to eighty participants each time we offer Free Indeed. The curriculum used in Free Indeed was the core material from which Born to Be Free was written.

One of our key texts in the study is from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor.10:3-6)

As we start off a new year I would like to spend several blog entries exploring this important passage.  Paul begins with a statement that simply assumes that Christians live in a state of war. Of course, this echoes his letter to the Ephesians in which he says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of darkness against which we must take a stand.  In that text he suggests that we need to put on the armor of God every day because we exist in a state of war.

I’ve often mentioned the fact that Adam turned over the dominion God had given him to Satan but with the coming of the second Adam, the Messiah, the kingdom of God was re-established on the earth with a mandate to take back everything that had been stolen by the enemy.   The blood of Christ cancelled any legal claim that the enemy had on the earth so the only thing left was to forcibly evict him from the property.  When Jesus launched his own invasion of the earth, war broke out. We push back the lines of darkness primarily by rescuing captives and establishing the kingdom of God in their hearts.

Of course, Satan does not simply sit and watch his kingdom dissolve. He fights back.  The gates of hell will not prevail against Christ and his church but the enemy doesn’t go away quietly.  In this war, Satan engages every believer on an individual basis in an attempt to kill, steal and destroy.  Some days we hardly sense any interference from the enemy while on other days we experience a full-scale assault against us, our family, and the culture in which we live.  Make no mistake, you have parachuted into enemy territory and he is not only giving up ground grudgingly but is often trying to retake ground he has lost – even in your life.

To ignore the fact that, as a believer, you are at war is perilous.  At the beginning of World War II, certain European nations believed that they had made peace or were in a neutral position with Germany. They simply woke up one day to hear the roar of Nazi tanks in the city streets and the click of hobnail boots on their sidewalks. In there desire to avoid war they ignored the realities around them and rather than mobilize for war they simply woke up as prisoners of the Third Reich.

Paul, then, wants us all to know that we exist in a state if war and should live as soldiers who train, prepare, arm themselves, and take ground or defend ground as it is needed.  The most important things he says, however, is that the weapons of this world are ineffective against spiritual forces.  Jesus has made divine weapons available to us and those weapons are empowered by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

The church, in recent years, has too often tried to accomplish Christ’s mission on the earth with worldly weapons. The core of the mission is stated in Luke 4 which is quoted from Isaiah 61.  The mission is to preach good news, heal broken hearts, and set captives free. Many churches have accepted the mission but have armed themselves poorly to accomplish it.

First of all, it requires the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news” (Isa.61:1). A huge chunk of the church has maintained a very limited view of the Holy Spirit and of his anointing on God’s people. In fact, much of the church has adopted a view that desires the Holy Spirit to act in the context of the ordinary rather than the extraordinary or the miraculous.  Instead of going to war with assault rifles and tanks, the church goes to war with BB guns.

In addition, in a effort to fulfill Christ’s mission of healing broken hearts and setting people free from bondage, the church has run to the self-help section of the bookstore and brought into the church weapons of the world – psychology, twelve-step programs, and counselors trained in secular schools.  Each of these offers a level of help and because there is some improvement the church has assumed that “some improvement” is God’s best. In many cases we have simply tried to anoint the weapons of the world with a prayer and some bible verses but that hardly does it.

Divine weapons require working from an entirely different paradigm and require very different strategies. The New Testament does not paint a picture of people coming to Christ and achieving “some improvement.”  What we see is rebirth, radical transformation, and new creations. That goes way beyond “some improvement.”  Divine weapons can take you there. Weapons of the world can only take you part of the way.

In my next blog we will begin to discuss the concept of strongholds and how divine weapons bring down the enemy even when he has maintained a strong position in the past.  Be blessed and remember that He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world!

As Christians, we are unique in the universe.  We live under grace while everyone and everything else exists under law.  Law operates on the basis of authority and legalities. When Jesus died on the cross he redeemed us from the dominion of darkness (Col.1:13-14) and in doing so revoked Satan’s legal right to lay claim to us or treat us as slaves. For those who enter the kingdom of God by faith in Jesus Christ, Satan’s access is limited.  Temptation and persecution from the outside seem to be permitted in the spiritual realm.  Otherwise, we would not need divine weapons (2 Cor. 10:3), the armor of God (Eph.6:10-11), or an awareness of Satan’s schemes contrived against us.  We are told, however, that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear (1 Cor.10:13). Therefore, God has set limits on the extent to which Satan can attack or harass those who belong to Jesus.   The book of Job reflects those kind of spiritual boundaries.  As Satan came before God wanting to target Job, God set definite limits on Satan’s access to Job with each round of temptations.

For unbelievers, Satan seems to have very few limitations. The evil, brokenness, and perversion that is so prevalent in our world attests to that. That condition is not necessarily confined to the 21^st Century. The man who lived among the tombs in Mark 5 who had a “legion” of demons resident within him attests to that.  The question is, “Can Christians be afflicted with demonic spirits so that deliverance is needed to set them free?” and, if so, “How does Satan gain access to them since they have been delivered from his dominion?”  Great questions!  I’m glad you asked.

Many will argue that demons cannot possess believers because we belong to Christ and his Spirit lives within us.  I fully agree because possession implies ownership and we have certainly been purchased by the blood of Christ.  I do not believe Christians can be possessed by Satan (owned), but I believe they can be harassed and afflicted by spirits who are attached or residing within the person.

Jesus speaks about an unclean spirit being cast out of a man and then returning to that “house” to find it “unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order.” The spirit returns and brings other demonic spirits with him. (Mt.12:43-45).  Think of your body as a house. Suppose you decide to rent out a room in your house to generate some extra income. A young man knocks on your door and tells you that a friend told him about your room for rent.  He tells you that he goes to school all day and studies at night, is quiet, has few friends and you will hardly know he is there. You shake hands, write out a brief lease with the monthly amount you agree on and rent out the room.

In a week or two, however, you begin to notice loud music, friends coming to his room at all hours, and horrid smells drifting through the house.  You confront your renter and tell him that he is making your life miserable and he will need to move. He laughs, says he will stay as long as he likes and shows you the lease that you signed without written stipulations regarding noise, friends, or smells.  He has not taken possession of your house.  Except for the one room, the rest of your house still belongs to you, functions well, and is neat and clean.  However, because he was given a legal right to establish a dwelling in one room of your house, he can harass you from that position and eventually make your life miserable.  You will need to find a way to void his lease and then you can have him and his friends removed.

Although Jesus has removed Satan’s legal right to access believers, in general, an individual believer can give the enemy the right to rent a room “in their house” which can lead to a great deal of torment and chaos in that believer’s life.  So, how can Satan gain legal access to set up a stronghold in a believer’s life?  It happens through the process of coming into agreement with Satan in part of your life.  As you agree with him you walk with him (Amos 3:3).  If you walk with someone long enough, it is only a matter of time until they come home with you.

1. When Christians refuse to submit an area of their life to the lordship of Jesus and persist in unrepented sin, the enemy has open access to any area that is not under the Lordship of Jesus.
2. A refusal to forgive those who have wronged us gives Satan a legal right to invade a believer’s life because our refusal to forgive keeps God’s forgiveness from covering our sins.
3. “Sins of the Father’s” can give the enemy access. Scripture declares that certain sins will be passed down to the children to the 3^rd and 4^th generations. That means that the consequences of that sin will be inherited by the children which may include demonic assignments.
4. Curses that are attached to sins or that have been spoken over an individual may have demons assigned to enforce the curse and that curse will give the enemy a legal right to invade a believer’s life.
5. Many people come to Christ demonized and, like the promised land, the enemy still must be driven out even after entering into their salvation.
6. Unbelief can also be an open door to the enemy. Unbelief in God or the Word of God is actually coming into agreement with Satan.  Paul tells us that strongholds are belief systems within us that oppose God’s truth. When we fail to believe God about who we are in Christ, who Christ is, God’s standards for living, etc. we open a door to the demonic.
7. Experience also tells us that the demonic can gain entrance to our hearts through trauma  – especially violent or sexual trauma.  The wounds seem to create an opening for the enemy’s lies and the lies create an agreement with Satan.  Sometime the bitterness and unforgiveness attached to wounds opens the door as well.

Although saved and in Christ, we know that many Christians live in bondage to addictions; are tormented by fears and deep depression; live for decades with “secret sins;” and carry deep emotional wounds for years that destroy one relationship after another.  If believers can carry that kind of bondage and darkness within of them – even though they are saved – why would we doubt that they can be afflicted by demons as well?

Tomorrow, how to rid “your house” of the demonic in Part 7.

The demonic is a spiritual reality that the church is commanded to deal with through the authority of Jesus Christ.  By the church, I mean every believer.  Christ, through his death and resurrection, has disarmed the enemy but we are still left to enforce the victory.  My father served in the Pacific during World War II.  He fought in the Philippines and New Guinea. Long after the Japanese signed the papers of surrender, Japanese forces on islands throughout the Pacific continued to fight.  Some fought because they were not aware of their nation’s surrender.  Others fought because they wouldn’t accept the surrender. The victory was won, but still had to be enforced.

When Jehovah brought Israel to the brink of entering Canaan, God told Joshua to get the people ready to cross the Jordan into the land he was about to give them.  He promised that he would give them every place where they set their feet and that no would be able to stand against them as long as they were faithful to God. But…Israel would have to arm themselves, cross the river and engage the enemy in battle.  In heaven the victory was already won, God had already given the land to Israel, and he promised that by the power of God, they would overcome all opposition to their taking possession of the land.  But, there were enemy forces in the land and God expected his people to partner with him in driving out the enemy.

The question could be asked, “Why didn’t God just drive out the hostile tribes with plagues or angelic armies before Israel arrived? Why fight battles that have already been won?  Experiencing the power of God to deliver is a much greater lesson than simply hearing about the power of God to deliver.  It is in the battle that you grow strong and in the victories that your faith increases.  That is true in dealing with the demonic as well.  The victory is settled. The power of God goes before us. But we are called to enter into the battle with full assurance of victory.  To experience the authority of Jesus Christ and the transformation of lives as you command demons makes the reality of the spiritual realm and the power of Jesus Christ undeniable. Every promise of Christ is established that much more firmly in your heart because you have experienced what once you only read about.

Let me list some promises and precedents to underline the victory that believers are called to enforce on the earth today:

Jesus was commissioned by the Father to not only preach the good news but to set captives free.

 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release for the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed. (Lk. 4:18)

 Jesus has authority over the demonic:

 That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick.  (Mt.8:16)

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me.  (Mt.28:18)

The Kingdom on earth is manifested by authority over the demonic.

 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. (Mt.12:28)

The Apostles were given authority over the demonic.

 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: … As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.  (Mt. 10:5-8)

Seventy ordinary believers were given authority over the demonic.

 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”  He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.  See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Lk. 10:17-20)

All believers are given authority over the demonic.

And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; (Mk.16:17)

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (Jn.14:12)

We have received the same commission that Jesus was given to preach the gospel and set captives free.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (Jn.20:21)

Having firmed up the promises and precedents for believers having authority, our next Blog will begin to discuss the work of demons and how the believer exercises the authority that has been given to all who follow Jesus.

As followers of Jesus, how many of us really believe that “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” (Eph. 6:12)?

The New Testament is full of reverences to satanic schemes, demonic oppression and torment, and battles in the heavenly realms.  It is full of admonitions to recognize the enemy’s ploys and stand up against him.  In Matthew 4, we see a wilderness showdown between Jesus and Satan as soon as Christ’s public ministry is launched.  We then see Jesus, the twelve, the seventy, and the church exercising authority illness and over demons and casting them out each time the gospel was preached.

There are a number of ways demons afflict people in the New Testament record.  There is the tormented and “insane” tomb dweller of Mark 5.   Then there were those who were deaf, mute, and blind.  Some had back problems for years while others seemed to have conditions that produced seizures. Undoubtedly demons manifested in people in numerous other ways as well.  Tradition maintains that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute before coming to Jesus. We are told in scripture that she had seven demons cast out of her.  No doubt they contributed heavily to her brokenness and destructive lifestyle.  Many references to deliverance say that a demon was cast out and the person was healed as a result. It’s fair to speculate that demons manifested as all kinds of physical and mental illnesses as well as physical conditions.  Wherever there is an authentic disease or condition that exists in the natural realm, it is likely that demons mimic and produce those conditions in many. For one, medication will suffice.  For the other, deliverance is needed.

It’s interesting to me that many of the people who came to Jesus seemed to have an accurate diagnosis of physical illness versus demonic affliction. One would come and say that his daughter or servant was ill and needed healing while another would come and say that his son or daughter was suffering from a demon. We live in a culture where even Bible believing Christians never consider that an illness or psychological condition might be caused by demonic forces.

First century Jews lived in a culture that gave great credence to the spiritual realm.  When disaster, affliction, or torment entered their lives, they considered spiritual causes as much or more than natural causes.  So they ran to Jesus or his followers and found healing and deliverance. In our world of rationalism, technology, and science those who believe that physical illness, physical impairments, addictions, learning disabilities, or psychological conditions such as depression, rage, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. might be rooted in demonic activity are considered weird or backward.  In many cases, even the church rejects the notion of demonic affliction and would invite anyone who wanted to minister deliverance or supernatural healing to leave immediately.

Yet the biblical model is to preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, and even raise the dead.  Most churches declare that the Bible is their guide in all things and strive to duplicate biblical patterns and models in their churches … until it comes to “spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.” How many of us have heard prayers asking God to help the doctors do what they do rather than asking God to heal by his power and compassion?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t go to doctors or pray for them. I believe medicine is a grace of God and doctors are a grace to this world.  What I am saying is that greater power and greater solutions lie in the spiritual realm. I am saying that some illness and physical conditions have spiritual roots and vaccines will not solve that issue.

It is clear that the majority of believers in the western church believe our healing is in the hands of doctors and secular therapists much more than in the hands of God. Even believers tend to exhaust all solutions they can find in the natural realm before they turn to the spiritual realm in desperation. Paul’s admonitions would seem to suggest that we should look for spiritual solutions even before we turn to solutions in the natural realm.

I am encouraged, however.  There is a worldwide move of God at this present time where the power of the kingdom of heaven is being displayed in the name of Jesus. Millions are coming to Christ.  Thousands are being healed and delivered.  Even in western nations and America, churches are beginning to live out the commands to preach, heal and set free in the name of Jesus. It is just my heart that every Christian would find the power of Jesus Christ for their lives and the lives of those they love who live in torment and brokenness.  The church simply needs to remember Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 6 to live with an awareness of where the real battles are waged and the real solutions are found.  Then, press in to discover the power of God and the divine weapons he offers to every follower of Jesus.

I have a 97 Honda Accord.  It’s paid for, gets good mileage, and most of the paint is still stuck to the body.  It runs good and the insurance is cheap. But, I think the front end may need to be aligned. It tends to drift to the right instead of staying in the center of the lane. One or both front wheels have turned a few degrees from the factory settings.

I also live in West Texas which is the galactic center of pickup-world.  Most of the pickups are new and shiny and pricy but a few are beat up, rusty, and old enough to smoke.  Occasionally you will see one of these “classics” running down the road with one front wheel pointing at a 45 degree angle from the other. That is seriously out of alignment. When that is going on the front end shakes, the tires get exceptionally hot and the tread wears off like a pencil eraser in the hands of a five year old.  At any speed, these pickup trucks put everyone around them in danger and may be life threatening to those actually along for the ride. In the automotive world, alignment is important. Both front wheels need to track together and need to be set to the “specs” of the one who designed it.

In the arena of spiritual warfare, alignment is even more critical.  Spiritual alignment is the metric that tells us whether of not we are tracking with God.   When our lives begin to diverge from the track God that has laid out for us, shaking occurs, friction increases, and control becomes an issue. If not corrected, we will end up in the ditch and probably take others with us. The primary strategy of the enemy is to get us out of alignment with God.  This strategy appeared first in the Garden when Satan convinced Adam and Eve to alter their view of God and, in doing so, they altered their alignment.  Rather than tracking with God they began to track with Satan.  In some ways it was a subtle realignment.  It was just a question of whether God was being totally fair with them or whether he could always be trusted to have their best interest at heart.

God had given them a clear commandment to steer away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but they began to steer toward the tree as they came into agreement with Satan about God’s commands and character.  God had said that eating the fruit of that tree would be disastrous. Satan said it would be liberating and enlightening.  God had said that the fruit would leave them impoverished and touched by death. God said the barriers he had erected around that tree were for their safety.  Satan said the barriers were there to keep them away from the best things in life and that God was only bluffing about the death thing.  We all know the rest of the story.

By coming into agreement with Satan while rejecting the word of God, Adam surrendered the glory and dominion that God had given him.  Adam and Even had been given dominion (authority) over all of God’s works on the earth. When Adam aligned himself with Satan, and chose to act from that place, he forfeited his dominion and gave his authority over the earth to Satan – who then became the “prince of this world.”

The Old Testament prophet put is this way.  “How can two walk together unless they be agreed?”  The corollary could be stated, “If two are agreed, then they end up walking together.”  This verse implies equality, but Satan never grants equality to anyone. He is determined to rule. If we align ourselves with Satan, then he will eventually exercise his dominion and control over us.

Jesus, has taken away all of Satan’s rightful dominion over those who are in Christ. But we, like Adam, can give Satan dominion over a piece of real estate in our own lives when we come into agreement with him about that slice of our life.  When we refuse to repent of a persistent sin, refuse to acknowledge our responsibility, when we refuse to forgive, or when we put an ungodly relationship ahead of God, we give Satan authority in that part of our life. From that position, he can create havoc in all kinds of ways.

To confess is to agree with God.  It is to say what God says about Christ or a sin or any other truth that God has declared.  In the arena of spiritual warfare, we need to be sure that we stay in alignment with the Father. We need to be careful to say what he says about Jesus, about life, and about ourselves. Declarations from our mouths that are contrary to God’s word begin to move us from an aligned position with Christ toward a position aligned with Satan.  Sometimes, the misalignment is just a few degrees.  Then that minor vibration becomes the norm.  We don’t even notice it anymore.  Then a few more degrees of departure may occur, and then a few more. Before we know it, we have given authority to Satan to have access to our lives and family, and we are headed for the ditch.

The solution is always careful realignment based on a Holy Spirit scan that tells you where adjustments need to be made. A life of saying what God says about everything and quick repentance when we notice our misalignment disarms the enemy and restores our authority in Christ. Watch for spiritual vibrations, shaking, and wobbling or persistent pulls to the left or right.  Alignment or agreement with God in every area of your life, thoughts and words is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of divine weapons God has given you.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  2 Cor. 10:-4-5

When the Apostle Paul spoke of divine weapons, he said that they had power to demolish or tear down strongholds. He goes on to say that with God’s power we demolish arguments and pretensions that set themselves up against the knowledge of God. He then counsels us to take our thoughts captive, submitting them wholly to Christ. Paul’s emphasis in this passage is on our thought life.

Somewhere deep within us lay powerful belief systems. Some are aligned with God’s truth and others are contrary to God’s truth. These belief systems shape the way we perceive reality. They are about the stuff that life is made of. Is there a God? What is he like? Can God be trusted? Does he care about me? Who am I? Do I matter? Why do I exist?

These core beliefs are usually established through life experiences rather than teaching.  We believe many things that have been deposited in our intellect through teaching.  But we also believe things in a deeper part of our being that scripture calls “the heart.” Those beliefs in our heart that align with God’s truth got there by revelation.  Those beliefs contrary to God’s truth were usually planted as we drew some conclusion about life, God,  or ourselves because of a traumatic experience.  These beliefs usually trump the things we have been taught.

Strongholds, then, are belief systems deep within us that are contrary to God’s truth. Satan works to establish and reinforce beliefs that are not aligned with God. Notice that these strongholds are active – arguing against God’s revealed truth and making arrogant, deceptive claims (pretension) that deny the sovereignty and the goodness of God.  As demons are assigned to reinforce these lies, these belief systems become spiritual strongholds.

God’s divine weapons have power to demolish these strongholds and to bring our thoughts into a surrendered relationship to Jesus, who is truth. Secular tools and techniques for interior alteration and healing, by their very nature, fall short of tearing down these strongholds that limit our ability to fully experience God. It takes spiritual power to penetrate spiritual fortifications. Paul clearly states that our real battles are not fought against flesh and blood but waged in the spiritual realm, with God’s power and his weapons.

When the church depends on the strategies of the world for healing and transformation, it fails God’s people. The power of God expressed through revelation, prayer, declarations, spiritual authority, deliverance and a host of spiritual gifts have divine power to bring down the enemy and the fortifications he has built.  Too often believers run to the world first for help and turn to God only as a last resort.  We must take Paul’s teaching to heart.  We must always run to God and his arsenal of divine weapons first because that is where real power, healing and freedom truly reside for every need of man.