Break free from evil part 12: Growing in faith and confidence
He was so confident that every time He was asked who He was, who sent Him and what is His mission, Jesus was always able to answer His critics right away. For instance, when He declared His public ministry before the Orthodox synagogue which He attended, they almost killed Him for saying that the prophecy was already fulfilled in their hearing, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord”(Isaiah 61:1-2).
When Jesus finished reading this text and declared it was fulfilled TODAY, His entire congregation was astonished and filled with wrath, is this not Jesus the son of Joseph? (See Luke 4:18-31). Rather than asking Him or inquiring where He got His bold declaration, they thought it blasphemy that He declared He was the One sent by God to fulfill these Messianic prophecies. Therefore, they rose up and brought Him outside the city and into a hill that they might throw Him down, but He simply passed away in their midst unscathed. This was the same characteristic that Jesus displayed in His ministry, every time the priests tried to catch His words that they might use it against Him. Where did He get His confidence and boldness? Again if we look back into the launching of His ministry, Jesus just came back from a 40day fasting and prayer, the Word telling us, “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region”(Luke 4:14).
In another scene, after a day’s work of teaching and miracles, Jesus dismissed the people “And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray” (Mark 6:46). All these stories were not concocted, that though Jesus was fully divine, yet He too was human who needed rest and prayer. Prayer was the single greatest weapon He used to drive evil away from the lives of people and bring them healing, wisdom and knowledge. Because He was so intimate with the Father, and confident of His love for the people, He knew whom the Father wants to heal, deliver or give words of encouragements. In fact, this closeness was inseparable so that He even said, “I and the Father are one.” In the same way, if we will draw near to the Lord, keep prayer on our lips, we have the unfathomable riches of God on our side. Whenever we wake up and there is a need, we can always tap to that resource and bring healing when it is needed, food when it is provision, deliverance when it is freedom, vision when it is blindness and life when it is death, comfort when it is anguish. “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Growing in confidence
In 1 Samuel 17:1-11, we are told that the Philistines were all lined up for the battle against the Israelites, and then, as if to display their arrogance, brought their massive weaponry into the thick of the conflict and challenged the Israelites if they could truly fight them. “Bring out your champion and let each of us fight together,” shouted the giant in taunting manner. “If he will win, we will be your slaves, but if I will win, you will be our servants,” rung the words that made all the knees of the army captains buckle with fear.
Yet at the same time as this was happening, a young boy happened to passed by them, and in a seemingly innocent haughtiness, he asked, “who is this uncircumcised that chances to defy the armies of God? Let me get his head off.” So the epic battle that brought David into the throne of Israel begun. Confidence is an essential leadership trait that we all need in order to live a fulfilling life. If we lack confidence, we will not take any risk even if it is better to do so.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Evidently, if we want to succeed in this life, we have to take risks for every decision that we make. Just as David took the risk to bring down the giant with just a slingshot of stone, confidence tell us that we must take chances. Although Saul’s armor and sword could be more powerful than the slingshot and stone, David’s lack of experience and practice in using them caused him to choose what he could handle well (1 Samuel 17:39).
The first principle in warfare is to know your enemy and the second one is to know your weapons well. A good weapon is next to nothing unless tested. Because David’s hand is more skilled in pulling the stone than the sword at this point, he chose well to get his well worn slingshot. Sometimes, we are placed in a position that demands us to be alert, smart and decisive for the good of all. In David’s success of conquering the giant, we are given three insights that we can use to conquer any lingering doubts that we have in our lives, abilities and decision-making.
- Confidence demands leadership in times of crisis
- Confidence grows from former exploits
- Confidence takes action
As the young shepherd boy tells us, true leadership demands action and there cannot be action if fear freezes us to our feet. In order to move and decide, one has to take action; one has to see the cause. So when the young boy saw that the giant pinned down the army of Saul, he took action. He found comfort that he killed the lion and the bear, so God will also give the head of the giant into his hands (1 Samuel 17:36). In fact, he who was a mere boy challenged the giant and said, “This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head” (1 Samuel 17:46 NIV). Like David, the Apostle Paul also reminds us that we can do all things through Him who empowers us. God can do more and is able to do “immeasurably more than all that we could ask, or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Is there any lack, fear, doubt or misery in your life that you want removed? You can overcome it through Him who gives us the power and strength (see Philippians 4:13-14) because God can do exceedingly, abundantly and mightily “above all that we could ask” from Him (Ephesians 3:20). Our resolve is to never walk in fear but in peace, joy, love and sound mind because our confidence is in God’s ability to meet every need, including those that we think are just natural events. Read the following scriptures, memorize them, meditate on them and pray them for your comfort and strength.
“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”Acts 4:13
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:15-17
“And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.” Philippians 1:28 KJV
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:6-7
“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29
Pursue God then chaste your enemies away
Just as David was first a worshipper of God in the fields before cutting off the head of the giant, do not attempt to engage in warfare where you do not understand anything. It is always better to fight those things that we understand or know than to engage a principality or world ruler which we do not even understand one bit about. God is light, and if we are walking with Him, He will enlighten us. He is the truth that can set us free from darkness and ignorance. Therefore, in areas that you have bondage, seek the truth from the Lord who can also set you free. Become a worshipper, a lover of Jesus.
Just as light pierces the darkness at night when we open our window, truth enlightens us, removes our ignorance and sets us free from deception. The Lord once told me that fasting is good, but what is better is to live a fasted life. To live a fasted life does not mean to fast for 60 years although Brother Klaus, the patron saint of Switzerland is reputed to have fasted for 19 years, what He meant is to live with the Lord always before our face. This also does not mean that I should never fast because He already told me to live the fasted life. By no means, sometimes we engage in fasting in order to humble ourselves or to seek a particular direction for our lives. His teaching however remains valid that we should seek to live the fasted life, which is no other than putting the Lord first in everything and in every way in our lives.
Sometimes, the ministry itself has become an idol that we need to seek to do things right by bringing this idol into the altar of God. By this, the Lord is helping us and setting us free from our delusions. There is no true freedom therefore apart from the Lord. Even His blessings will corrupt us if we do not live for Him and seek to do things with Him. This is the way it happened to the Israelites who went astray in their hearts in the Promised Land. God’s blessing was corrupted because they forget the Lord who gave them all the blessings they have. Seek therefore not just the blessings but also the giver of the blessings. It is not biblical to seek only one, but we have to seek both the Giver and the gifts.
The enemy can seek to re-enter your life
Once we have been freed, let us endeavor to live a life that is
pleasing to God. There is no better way to do that than seeking to grow
closer with the Lord each day. Set aside a time to seek Him, pray to
Him about your daily needs, about your neighbor’s needs and about your
country’s needs. We have to learn to pray for ourselves right and then
to pray also for others. Just as the Apostle Paul warned the Galatians
about being bewitched by the works of the devil, and becoming enslaved
again, let us take heed not to fall into the same pit. Because they
listened to the wrong messengers and allowed them to preach to their
churches, these were so carried away by the false brethren who came in
to sneak and spy about their freedom in Christ. When we attempt to go
back to where we have been, to where we were previously slaves of, we
are starting to wallow in the mire. Freedom was given for service and
not for licentiousness.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing
firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Galatians 5:13-17
The Lord Jesus Himself taught that “when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26). When the enemy seeks to re-enter your life, resist him steadfast in your faith and bind him in the name of Jesus. Do not allow yourself to fall into an occasion with sin. This way we do not allow the devil to get any foothold in us or to gain any entrance in our lives. To do this, it is better to fight the enemy outside the city gates, that is when we have not fallen yet into sin and we are still being tempted by it. Think of it this way, that it is always better that a vessel has never been soiled than to wash it or for someone to get wounded and then to heal it or for a kingdom to be set on fire than to dose it off with water.
But once we fall into sin, let us repent immediately and flee away from that which made us to stumble. For it is always easier to resist an enemy outside the city gates than when it has been allowed to enter the city and laid waste a lifetime of work. He who therefore knowingly commit sins, has allowed the devil to take him captive, bound his hands and feet without any resistance. Be steadfast in your fight, resolve to fortify the mind of the Word of God so that you can resist the devil and cast him out while trying to build a nest on your head. Resolve to never allow your garments soiled by even the thought of sinning because those who spontaneously do these things are prone to be left by the Spirit of God. Their conscience can become seared by continual and deliberate sinning so that He left them to their minds to become depraved. This is a fearful thing to happen.
For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Hebrews 12:17
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:24-25
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
In : Word for the week
Tags: break free from evil growing in faith and confidence
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