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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Once you have discovered that you are royalty, you must understand how royalty operates. In the kingdom of God it is not about perks, servants, living large, or living in constant comfort with every material desire coming your way. It is about relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. It is about contentment with what we have. It is about expanding the borders of the kingdom through faith, love, and sometimes war.

To be successful in your role of governing earth on God’s behalf, you must understand that you have authority as a member of the royal family and as an ambassador of Christ. Many believers today have no sense of authority or power in their Christian life. They believe that Jesus has all authority but have no concept that they also walk in authority and should exercise that authority on behalf of their king.

Jesus demonstrated the authority that a man in fellowship with God can wield on the earth. He demonstrated it as Son of Man not as Son of God. We know this to be true because Jesus declared, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 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. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (Jn.14:11-15).

Jesus clearly says that those who have faith in him will do what he had been doing which he clearly identifies as his miracles – healing, casting out demons, raising the dead, stilling the storm, etc. He goes on to say that those who have faith will do even greater things than he did. Hard to imagine isn’t it, but that is what he said. As a member of the royal family and as a representative of Jesus on earth (who should re-present Jesus) you should expect Jesus to do miracles through you. If you read the context above, he not only gives you that opportunity but also commands you to ask him to do miracles through you for the glory of the Father.

Jesus modeled his plan for the church by exercising the authority of heaven himself and then delegating that authority to others. First he delegated his authority to those he called apostles. “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness” (Mt.10:1). Secondly, he delegated heavenly authority to a wider circle of followers who go unnamed in the scriptures. “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Lk.10:17-20). Snakes and scorpions in this context are metaphors for demonic spirits.

After modeling his “delegation strategy” he continued with his declaration that those who had faith in him (any believer in any century) would do what he had been doing and would do even greater things. He then delegated his power and authority to his church by the distribution of spiritual gifts through his Spirit. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues”(1 Cor. 12:7-10). Notice that power and authority are the benchmarks of the Kingdom. As a member of that Kingdom and the household of God, power and authority are attached to your position. You are appointed in the Kingdom and no appointing comes without anointing. Your anointing is the Holy Spirit who releases power and authority through you.

It’s interesting that we often teach people to pray for healing by asking Jesus to come and heal. That’s not a bad prayer but it is not what Jesus commanded. He told us to go and heal rather than to go and pray and ask him to come and heal. We often approach healing and deliverance like deputies who have been given authority to enforce the law but every time we should make an arrest we locate the criminal but then call the sheriff to come make the arrest. Deputies have been delegated power and authority to enforce the law. We have been given power and authority to enforce the laws of heaven. When we begin to walk in the knowledge of that authority and begin to exercise it for kingdom purposes, then we will be living as royalty.

That is who you are in Christ – appointed, anointed, empowered!

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.10:4-6).

These verses are essential to our understanding of spiritual warfare and to our ability to gain victory over the enemy. Even those of us whose church homes are “Spirit-filled” need to be reminded of the truths imbedded in this brief text. We need to be reminded because there is something in us (and me) that constantly wants to default back to the perspectives of the natural man whose eyes are on the world and the solutions the world offers.

In these verses, Paul echoes his thoughts from his letter to the church at Ephesus that our real struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers (see Eph. 6:12). Like the proverbial iceberg, the part of the battle we can see is the smaller part. The greater part resides in the unseen realm and because the critical battles are going to be fought in the spiritual realm, worldly weapons and strategies will not save the day. Jesus spoke about his followers being in the world but not of the world. Paul parallels that thought when he says that although we live in the world we do not and should not wage war as the world does. In these few words he alerts us to the fact that even the saved often look to the world for answers before searching out and employing the divine weapons of prayer, declaration, deliverance, confession, repentance, faith and so on.

The truth is that the church as a whole is not well versed in the use of divine weapons. Most believers run to the help the world offers before finally resorting to fasting and prayer and the exercise of spiritual authority which they should have run to first. Think about it. How often do churches refer crumbling marriages to secular “professional” counselors or to counselors who are Christians but who have been trained only in secular approaches to counseling? Does he church not have wisdom to bring healing to these marriages?

For a number of years I served on a visiting committee that helped to evaluate the Marriage and Family Department at a well know Christian university in Texas. Once a year we would meet with graduate students who were finishing the program to ask them about the training they had received and their experience at the school. Year after year we heard positive statements about the faculty and the school but also heard them voice disappointment that they had not really learned how to do Christian counseling with a spiritual emphasis on using the Word, prayer, emotional healing ministered by the Holy Spirit, and spiritual authority exercised by believers over the forces of evil. Nearly every student sensed a need for such training but did not receive it.   The head of the department agreed that such training could be useful but told me on several occasions that in order for their graduates to receive licensing from the state to be a professional counselor, so many state-mandated courses were required that their was no room in the curriculum for the training most students were asking for. Once again, we let the world shape and determine our approach to helping and healing broken people. And once again we act as if the strategies of the world are superior to anything the kingdom can offer.

So, year after year, this Christian university and many others train believers to use the weapons (strategies) of the world but not divine weapons. And yet, Paul clearly states that the weapons of the world are ultimately ineffective. In his letter to the church at Corinth, he scolded the believers there because they were taking each other to court over matters that should have been handled by the church. He said, “Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers” (1 Cor.6:3-5). The same should be true with marriage issues, emotional healing, and addictions. The church has the wisdom and the power of Jesus Christ deposited in us through the Holy Spirit. The world should be coming to the church to learn how to heal relationships and broken hearts rather than the church going to the world.

I am not opposed to medicine and many things the world offers in terms of therapies and support have some value. I believe the grace of God has given the world doctors and counselors. I’m just saying they inevitably fall short if they don’t address the spiritual realities behind many of our conditions. Worldly strategies teach us to manage our issues rather than gaining victory over them. Divine weapons are the most powerful and most effective approaches to human struggles and yet we often only go to those when we have exhausted everything the world offers.

Paul’s letters remind us that we have the resources of heaven at hand and should always go there first. Where there is bondage or deep wounds that lay havoc to marriages or individual lives, strongholds exist where the enemy has found a opening in our souls and has dig in deeply to exploit our pain and make it worse. Only divine weapons can tear down such strongholds. Let’s remember that the power and strategies of God should be our first approach to every issue and not our last resort after the world has failed us once again.

For many years I have felt that a popular “end-times theology” undermines the mission of the church and contradicts a great deal of scripture. I also believe that it can seep into our own personal view of life and undermine our own victorious mindset as well. This particular theology was popularized in the 70’s and really launched into the psyche of the church by Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth. This view depicts the last days as a dismal day for the church and believers everywhere. It promotes a view of a one world order, the anti-Christ, and the downward spiral of all nations and cultures into an abyss that can only be redeemed by the coming of the Lord and the rapture of the saints who have become powerless in the face of all that evil.

The damaging part of this theology in my mind is the inevitability of the outcomes and the powerlessness of the church to stand against it. The power of evil is so overwhelming that the only thing to do is to bunker in and pray for the Lord’s quick return. Too often that is also translated into the lives of individual believers so that they “check out” and give in to the world system rather than working to redeem it and establish a glowing and victorious bride for the Lord to retrieve. That theology can and has instilled a sense of futility and hopelessness in the hearts of many believers.

There is also a dynamic that sociologists and psychologists call a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Simply stated, it means that we often act in ways that confirm the beliefs we already hold about ourselves or others. For instance, if a child experiences the loss of a parent, he or she may come to believe that they will eventually lose anyone that they come to love or depend on. In response to that belief, this child may grow into an adult who never fully commits to a relationship or who never fully engages emotionally with anyone because they believe that person will eventually leave them or that they will lose them to some tragedy. Because they never commit to a relationship or connect emotionally, their relationships keep ending and those who attempted to connect with them move on. When those relationships end, the individual is all the more convinced that their beliefs are true and inevitable.

When Christians believe that poverty, evil, tyranny, persecution, unbelief, and the demise of Christianity on the earth are inevitable they withdraw from the battle. When they withdraw, evil wins and they believe all the more that the end is near and there is no use trying to save America much less the world. With this mindset, believers who are supposed to be more than conquerors withdraw from the cultural battles, stay out of politics, retreat from championing social justice, and even fail to vote because they think it won’t matter. Believers with this view cease to be salt and light in the world and simply forfeit the battle to the enemy.

Kris Vallotton adds an interesting insight into this same dynamic in his book, How Heaven Invades Earth, (p.204). “But what happened to destiny when our prophetic people were taught that there wasn’t supposed to be a future because the end of the world was near? They stopped prophesying into the future. And what took place in the absence of the Holy Spirit’s prophetic intonation is absolutely frightening; a visionary vortex, or vacuum was suddenly created that sucked every kind of dark, foretelling spirit into it. This has resulted in the worst psychic resurgence since the days of Daniel. We have Wiccans, New Age people, fortune tellers, astrologers, and psychics all sharing their insights in the highest offices of the land.” That used to be the role of God’s prophets but we left the playing field.

When God’s people leave the playing field the enemy regains his swagger. We are promised that if we resist the devil he will flee from us but this particular theology teaches that there is no point in our resistance. There is another centuries-old theology that declares a triumphant church on the earth that welcomes back the groom rather than a church that has scurried off the field because she was helpless against the one Christ has already defeated. Those who know that they are more than conquerors do not surrender to a bully or a tyrant but stand and fight knowing that they will win because their champion is Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth. They don’t give in to injustice, false religion, abortion, violence, deceit, divorce, or any other works of the devil. They don’t give in on a personal level nor do they abandon the culture in which God has commanded them to be salt and light. All the gifts, the power, and the authority Christ has delegated to his church are not just for the church to be exercised behind high walls. They have also been given to redeem the culture and finally the world. We have been letting the devil push us around too long. It’s time to push back.

Jonathan Edwards was one of the leading American thinkers, theologians, and pastors in the 1700’s. He once said, “When the church is revived, so it the devil.” His point, of course, was that then God begins to move in powerful ways on the earth, the enemy doesn’t just role over but doubles has efforts to oppose the work of God – in a nation, a community, a church, or an individual’s life.

When a believer who has been casual about his or her relationship with Jesus begins to get “seriously serious” about Jesus, it is not uncommon for “all hell” to break loose in his or her life. We typically expect God to smooth the road for us when we truly start pressing into our relationships with him and truly start serving him, so when everything starts blowing up we may begin to believe we were better off as a casual follower of Christ. Of course, that is exactly what satan is hoping for.

The problem is that, in most cases, believers have not been taught about spiritual realities or trained in spiritual warfare. We should all know that we will endure seasons of battle with the enemy throughout our lives because that is the nature of war and we are in a war. Instead of “throwing in the towel,” mature believers simply dig in and begin to exercise the divine weapons God has given them (2 Cor. 1:4-6). They also know that the battle will be theirs in time if they simply remain in Christ, persist in faith, and battle the enemy with prayer and the authority of heaven. Paul reminded the church in Rome of the same truth when he said, “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom.16:19-20).

If you have gotten serious about your faith lately and things have started to blow apart around you, don’t be surprised. And don’t be surprised if God allows that to go on for a while. If you are going to live a committed Christian life you will need to get into shape spiritually. If you have been sitting in the stands for a while and then decide you want to get in the game, the coach is going to put you through some hard workouts to build muscle and stamina in your spiritual life so that you can walk off the filed a winner. Paul often compared the believer’s life to an athletic contest. Athletes have to train and training is hard…even painful. Not only do you have to get in shape but you also have to develop skills and learn strategies. It is no different in the spiritual realm.

When you decide that you want in the game and that you want to be an impact player in the kingdom of God, the devil will show up. When he does, things will get crazy but God has not abandoned you. Rather, he is using that difficult season to train you. Let me tell you from experience, that you do not want to learn how to fight those battles through trial and error nor do you want to go it alone. You will need others to fight along side you and spiritual mentors to teach you how to wield divine weapons.

Remember that great verse from James where he tells us to resist the devil and he will flee from us (Ja.4:7)? Sometimes we will have to resist for a season, not just a moment. But as you resist you grow stronger and wiser. You also gain more authority in the spiritual realm as you engage in the battle. At some point, the enemy will know that he is beaten and he will flee.

God is moving in amazing ways alI across the planet. At the same time, the persecutions of Christians is at an historic high. When the church is revived so is the devil. I also believe that God is preparing a great offensive in America because the enemy has been stirred. Even in the Bible Belt” of West Texas demonic activity is noticeably increasing – so much so that even those who don’t believe in the demonic are asking questions. Children and teens are manifesting demons in ways we haven’t seen before, people are sensing evil in their homes and asking believers to come and pray for their houses, the marriages and health of church leaders are under extreme attack, and so forth.

God’s people need to learn how to fight in the spiritual realm. We need to learn how to put  on spiritual armor and wield spiritual weapons.  If you have not been trained, find someone to train you. God has left it to us to drive back the enemy and this season of warfare is not going away for a while. Read books, get involved with credible ministries in your area that know how to pray, heal, and minister deliverance. Get in the word more than ever and build up your faith. Learn to fast and ask God for the spiritual gifts needed in this season. We do not need to fear but we do need to fight. Its time for every believer to get in the game! Be blessed and victorious in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

… I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev. 3:7, 11-13)

This letter offers more promises to the faithful who hold on to their faith until the end. One of the constant messages of the book of Revelation is that in order to experience eternal life and to receive your reward you must finish the race. No medals are given to those who step off the track and never cross the finish line. No victor’s crowns are given to the runner who begins the marathon as a whim and then soon tires of the race and goes on to other pursuits. No crowns are given to those who stop as soon as it gets hard – when the hill is steep, the sun is hot, or when wind is against you. You must finish even if you crawl across the finish line.

Endurance is not a trait of modern life for most of us. As soon as the job gets hard we quit. As soon as a marriage enters a difficult season we divorce. As soon as our faith really begins to cost us something we may lay it aside. But the kingdom of God calls us to endure and when we do the King is pleased and in his pleasure he give’s great reward.

Philadelphia was a church that had little strength but had held onto the truths of the faith even as they had experienced the bite of persecution. In the midst of their trials Jesus called to them like a coach from the sideline, “Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Rev.3:11). Then he promises them strength, glory and a permanent place in the kingdom of heaven if they would just hold on until he came. For those in Philadelphia and for all those who hold fast until the end, Jesus promises to make us “pillars in the temple of God.”

Pillars are the strength and glory of a temple. They create space, hold up the roof, and supports glorious art and architecture that can be seen for miles. They let in light and the cooling breeze and are often are seen as works of art in themselves. In the Temple of Solomon, pillars were huge, ornate, and costly. Some were so impressive that they were given names. They were permanent and glorious.

Jesus promises that those who finish the race will be given a permanent place in the temple of God. They will be known for their own strength and glory. They will also clearly belong to God and the city of God, as the names of both will be written on those who endure. In the ancient world, certain cities and kings were so great that the citizens of those cities held special honor wherever they went. They shared in the glory of the king and in the greatness of the city. As citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem where the Great King rules, we also walk in that glory and power now. How much more will that be true when we are in the physical presence of the King?

Jesus makes one other great promise as well. He promises to write his new name on each of us if we hold on to our faith to the end. He will make us his possession in the New Jerusalem and we will reflect his honor and glory as well. When scripture speaks of “a new name,” it usually implies a new found relationship with the Father or a new order of things in the same way that Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Peter were given new names. When the heavenly Jerusalem is finally established on the earth, a new order of things on the earth and in heaven will be established. Jesus will garner even more glory and more titles beyond King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The faithful will share in that glory and will wear the name of their King and his glorious titles throughout eternity. They will have a permanent place in the presence of the Father (in his temple) and although they were scorned on earth, they will be honored in the courts of heaven.

The time is coming and is already here when being a Christian will not be a title of honor and acceptance in this world. There is a real war on Christianity in this nation and across the world. Believers who hold to the truth of God are being painted as intolerant, hatemongers, bigots, and the like. Governments are competing with God to dictate truth, determine morality, define marriage, and decide who lives and dies. Those who love God will be despised by those who despise him. But Jesus says, “Hold on, I am coming soon. And those who do not deny my name will be honored and rewarded in ways they cannot possible imagine. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take your crown!”

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev.3:4-6)

In some ways, Sardis came off as the least pleasing church in the list of churches in Asia. Jesus charged them with living on a reputation that pertained only to the past. He pronounced them spiritually dead and charged them with not completing the work he had given them. He called them to repentance and obedience and warned them that if they did not “wake up” he would come when they least expected it to discipline them.

And yet, he was very aware of the few in their midst who had been faithful and had continued to serve while the rest had abandoned their calling. He described them as those who had not “soiled” their clothes. The Greek word translated as soiled means “to defile by sexual immorality and/or involvement in pagan idolatry.” Those who had coasted to a halt in their passion for Jesus and their service to God had drifted back into a mixture of Christianity and pagan immorality. They kept an appearance of faithfulness and maintained ties with the church but partied with the pagans on weekends.

God knows our hearts, our lives, our works, our secrets, and our sins. We cannot hide our unfaithfulness from him in the midst of the congregation on Sunday nor will our faithfulness go unnoticed even in the midst of the unfaithful. The writer of Hebrews told the faithful Jews, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Notice that God notices.

As difficult as it is to stay on track with the Father in the face of persecution, it is often more difficult to stay on track in a fellowship of lukewarm and dispassionate believers. In that environment, over time it is easy to begin to believe that “lukewarmness” is the standard and is somehow acceptable to the Lord. In his letter to Sardis, Jesus is clear that a casual attitude toward the cross and a double-minded man who tries to dance with the Lord on Sundays while dancing with the world the rest of the week is unacceptable. It’s like a man who sleeps with prostitutes six days and week but comes home declaring faithfulness to his wife on Sundays.

But Jesus declares that the faithful walk with him and they dress in white – the color of righteousness and priesthood. He promises all of us that when we live a life of overcoming the enemy and faithfully remain in the ranks of heaven, we also will be dressed in white. Not only that but those who continue in faithfulness will have their names eternally written in the book of life. Jesus declares that he will personally acknowledge the names of those who do not compromise, who do not become casual or careless, and who do not lose their passion for the kingdom before the Father and his angels.

Too many believers had a heavenly fire in their hearts for a season and served God with energy and passion for a time. But after a few years the kingdom of heaven lost its fascination for them. The riches and pleasures of the world began to glow brighter than the treasures of heaven. Little by little they began to mix the “not so bad” things of the world with the good things of heaven and eventually they simply slipped back in the world while maintaining their “membership” at the local church. Many believers know that their faith is not what is used to be but are banking on God remembering what they used to do when they stand before him. This letter indicates that these “believers” are in a very dangerous place.

We can easily look down on those who have slipped away but we can all be tempted to do the same thing when, after years of going to church, our faith can seem ordinary, humdrum, less rewarding than what the world is offering, and has even become unpopular and criticized in the culture. We must all guard against this “natural erosion” of faith and passion. How can we guard our hearts and keep the fire alive? Be sure you stay around people who still have a fire in their bones for the kingdom. The heat from their fires will keep your embers burning. If your group of believers has settled down and made peace with the world, find a new group. Intentionally risk. Develop a habit of doing “crazy things” for Jesus. Go on mission trips to 3^rd world countries. Pray for the sick at the local HEB. Share your faith with a stranger. Pursue the gift of tongues or prophecy. Consistently do things that are a “little scary.”

Risking things for the kingdom and being around others who risk makes your life in Christ an adventure. It does not get boring or irrelevant. It keeps stoking the fires and the excitement of seeing God do miracles through you makes the promises of the world seem lackluster. I believe that Jesus will not only acknowledge your name before the Father and his angels on the Day of Judgment, but even now as we passionately serve him. Those who serve faithfully now are already known in heaven and your name is already spoken there. Remember when God asked Satan if he had considered Job? Remember the angel who told Daniel that he was already highly esteemed in heaven. If you are living four Jesus, your name is already spoken in the courts of the King. Live in a way to insure that your name never fades in the halls of heaven but is mentioned there often until you arrive in person.  Be blessed.

We do a lot of equipping in the arena of spiritual warfare. Paul tells us that the church in his day was not unaware of Satan’s schemes. In other words, the mature followers of Christ in Paul’s day had an understanding of how Satan worked and how he laid traps for God’s people. We should have the same awareness, so we equip believers with that knowledge.

The downside of that equipping is that some people then begin to see every event in their life as an attack from Satan. A flat tire is an attack. A cold is an attack. Sugar ants in the kitchen become another harassment from the enemy. Let me be clear. I do believe and teach that many things in our lives that others see as simply events in the natural realm have roots in the spiritual realm and that we are targets of the enemy. I believe that in many cases we should look for spiritual causation before addressing causes that might rest in the natural realm. But, as in most theology, balance is important. The truth lies in the center of the road. Muddy ditches lie on either side.

The balance is that although Satan is real and that demons show up in many situations, we should not give Satan too much credit nor should we fear him. The New Testament teaching is that we should be wise and cautious regarding the enemy but not afraid. Peter tells us to be self-controlled and alert since the devil prowls around like a roaring lion. He did not say to be afraid but to be alert. And he said to avoid the Devil’s reach by exercising self-control. In other words, don’t get caught up in sin and don’t act in impulsive or foolish ways and the devil is not to be a big concern.

God’s word actually portrays Satan as being on the defensive and demonstrates the power of Christ’s authority over the enemy time and time again. Remember that Jesus declared that the gates of Hell would not be able to prevail against his church (see Mt.16:18). The image is the gates of a walled city under siege. The gates of Hell will not be able to withstand the assaults of God’s people. In scripture, gates usually represent power or authority. Jesus clearly says that the power and authority of the kingdom of darkness is no match for the kingdom of light. When Jesus sent out the twelve and the seventy he gave them power and authority over the enemy, disease, and sometimes even death. He has given the same authority to us. John reminded the church that he that is in us (Jesus) is greater than he that is in the world (1 Jn.4:4). Jesus declared that the prince of this world (Satan) had been condemned (see Jn.16:11) and that he would be driven out (see Jn.12:31).

When we begin to speak to a person about deliverance it is not unusual for that individual to begin to experience anxiety, fear, or even panic. They are simply sensing what the demonic spirit is experiencing as that spirit knows that he will not be able to withstand the authority of Jesus coming against him for very long….the gates of Hell shall not prevail. Remember the encouragement of James who declares that if we resist the devil he will flee from us (James 4:7).   When a spirit flees he is afraid.

When our lives are aligned with Christ and we have removed those things that might give the enemy some temporary authority to harass or afflict us then we need to be alert, we need to be self-controlled, we need to be submitted to God, but we do not need to be afraid. When I stand in the ranks with the Commander of the armies of heaven and pray for his protection over me, then I should expect it and not believe that everything that disrupts my life in a fallen world is demonic. If it is, then Christ can’t or won’t protect me. Christ can and will protect me because his name is above all names and he has all authority in heaven and on earth.

I will agree that there may be times when Jesus allows the enemy to harass me but it is so that I can learn to fight…not just for me but for others and, more importantly, so that I can experience the victory that is ours in Christ. In the first part of the book of Judges we are told, “The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath” (Judges 2:23-3:3).

God left battles for the Hebrews not only so they could learn the tactics of war but so that they could be strengthened in their faith. It is in the midst of battle that men learn that a faithful God partners with his people for victory. God can do all things without us but he typically gives the victory through us using our hands, our prayers, and our commands to overcome the enemy. In the process we mature and learn over and over again that he is faithful and that he that is in us is greater than he that is in the world.

So there are times when we will have to stand against the enemy while at the same time we must remember that the victory is assured. The enemy has been defeated. We are simply left to enforce and enjoy the victory that has already been won. The enemy loves to cast a large shadow and growl and boast of his power but when we stand against him with the power of heaven he flees.

Be wise, be aware, but don’t be afraid and don’t give him too much credit. You are in Christ and Christ is in you. When you know that then the devil is on the run.