"Spiritual warfare considerations are often low on the list
of ministry priorities. The skepticism of society to this matter has often
reflected in the life of the church and it's theology too, in practice if not
in theory. The spiritual weapons and armor listed by Paul seem ethereal and
impractical by worldly standards (Ephesians 6:12-18). All too often Christian
counselors concede to the world's methods steeped in naturalism. We are
unnecessarily medicating thousands of folks who need deliverance. Even among
conservative Bible believers, we're hesitant to ascribe events to supernatural
agency. This also plays out as an over emphasis on political and social
activism. Conflating faith and political activism lead to an inevitable
confusion between the two. Fighting the world with worldly means will
ultimately fail. They may bring some results- activism does have its results-
but they will not be the ones The Lord wants. In this war if we win a battle by
using worldly means, then we have really lost. On the other hand, when we seem
to lose a battle while waiting on God, in reality we have won. The world may
mistakenly say, “They have lost." But if we seem to be beaten in a
specific battle, not because of sin, or lack of commitment or lack of prayer or
lack of paying a price, but because we have waited on God and refused to resort
to the flesh, then we have won. The powers of darkness are real, we need to be
conscious of their influence and we need to respond to them appropriately.
" The Supernatural World View-Chris Putnam
I've been learning a lot about how to overcome through suffering.
There are all kinds of suffering we face…some more intense than others, but all
are real and every circumstance we face that is hard or difficult is meant for
a purpose. I want to share what that purpose is.
How are we to respond to afflictions, hardships, persecutions,
trials of many kinds? Answer: ".....WE REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS, knowing
that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love
has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to
us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a
good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:3-8)
How did Jesus win the war of sin and death in us so that we can
make the right choice not to sin out of love for him, and instead GIVE THANKS
in EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE? "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so
closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking
to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, who for THE JOY SET BEFORE
HIM endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of
the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
WHAT IS THAT JOY SET BEFORE JESUS that made his suffering worth
it to him? Answer: PLEASING his Dad in
obedience was his joy because that meant we could live and be the JOY and
DELIGHT of one another's heart forever. He died to save us! In truth, Jesus
made it possible for us to be in a right relationship with God the Father, Himself,
and God the Holy Spirit. He defeated our sin and death!
My prayer is that we all would see how much God loves us, that
we would see that it is our personal sin natures that separate us from him, and
that we would turn away from our lifestyles of sin and agree with his Word that
we need the new nature he provides. Why?
Simply out of gratitude and love for Jesus who endured all the punishment for
us. May he himself be our JOY in return.
To love and trust Jesus is to endure any suffering for him
through thanksgiving whether it be sufferings that can be out of our control
like sickness, economic collapse, losing loved ones, hardships, persecutions,
afflictions. In addition, rather than continued choices of sin to mask pain ( like
abuse of drugs and alcohol and prescription drugs, anger, violence, stealing,
gossiping, sexual immoralities, over spending , or continued ignoring of the
problem and running away etc. ) we can unleash the power of God in our lives by
REJOICING in the trial. See the pain as a form discipline, and literally and
verbally thank God when it hurts the most. This in turn can ignite the power of
God to deliver us from not only the flesh, but also greater forms of spiritual strongholds.
The enemy flees when we resist him and when we obey and give thanks there is
nothing for the enemy to grab a hold of. The God of the Bible is really alive
and he will respond to you powerfully. Wait on Him in faith! It will produce
endurance, character, hope, and love for God.
We can give thanks in the most difficult of circumstances by
being satisfied and grateful in Jesus alone and by seeing who he truly is....
God in a human body meant to die for us. Blessed are those who have eyes that
can truly see who Jesus is. It is by reading the Bible that one starts to have
faith in Jesus.
The way the world is headed, along with our own flesh tendencies
without being yielded to God, plus the spiritual enemy the Devil are all going
to put up a fight against those who are serious about learning how to obey God
out of sincere love for Jesus.....the means is through suffering. We all
have our sufferings. May God bless us to fully surrender in faith to the Lord
during the time of sorrows. He is a living God who is so sovereign and in
control of authoring faith in us, and loving us through every form of suffering
even the form that seems the most impossible to endure....death. The God of the
Bible is the only one who can bring life out of death. Let's keep working out
this amazing salvation with fear and trembling. Deliverance comes when we win
the battle in the mind and finally believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
and see him clearly. We must stop believing in lies to start winning. The Word
of God does not lie to us nor contradict itself. We desperately need new
perspectives of truth from God’s Word to battle the lies we believe that keep
us from rejoicing and thanking God during trials.
I've been reading and rereading the following verses for encouragement
and to transform my mind. I hope they encourage you to face anything difficult
you are facing from the past, now and in the future:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ~ 9But he said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of
Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions,
and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ~ 3For though we walk
in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of
our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy
arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take
every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to
punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
1 Timothy 4:6-10 ~ 6If you put these
things before the brothers,a you will be a good servant of Christ
Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that
you have followed. 7Have nothing to do
with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8for while bodily
training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds
promise for the present life and also for the life to come.9The saying is
trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10For to this end we
toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the
living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Romans 6:15-19 ~ 15What then? Are we
to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know
that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,c you are slaves of the one whom you
obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to
righteousness? 17But thanks be to
God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart
to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18and, having been
set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in
human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once
presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more
lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to
sanctification.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ~ 3Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all
comfort, 4who comforts us in
all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as we share
abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in
comfort too.a 6If we are
afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is
for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same
sufferings that we suffer. 7Our hope for you
is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also
share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:8-10 ~8For we do not want
you to be unaware, brothers,b of the affliction we experienced in
Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of
life itself. 9Indeed, we felt
that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on
ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10He delivered us
from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope
that he will deliver us again.
2 Corinthians 2:4 ~4For I wrote to you
out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause
you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
2 Corinthians 2:9 ~9For this is why I
wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.
2 Corinthians 3:12 ~12Since we have such
a hope, we are very bold,
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 ~14But their minds
were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil
remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15Yes, to this day
whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16But when onec turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17Now the Lordd is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, with
unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same
image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is
the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 4:8 ~ 8We are afflicted in every way, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
2 Corinthians 4:14 ~ 14knowing that he who raised the Lord
Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
2 Corinthians 4:15 ~15For it is all for
your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase
thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ~16So we do not lose
heart. Though our outer selfd is wasting away, our inner self is
being renewed day by day. 17For this light
momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all
comparison, 18as we look not to
the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that
are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 5:2-5 ~ 2For in this tent we groan, longing to
put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it ona we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we
groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be
further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very
thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
2 Corinthians 5:7 ~ 7for we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ~14For
the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has
died for all, therefore all have died; 15and
he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but
for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16From
now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once
regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.b The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 ~1Working
together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in
vain. 2For
he says, “In a favorable
time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold,
now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We
put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our
ministry, 4but
as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in
afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings,
imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by
purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by
truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for
the right hand and for the left; 8through
honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors,
and yet are true; 9as
unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and
yet not killed; 10as
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having
nothing, yet possessing everything. 11We
have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You
are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13In
return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
John 14:21 ~21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who
loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him
and manifest myself to him.”
John 14:22-24 ~ 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to him,
“Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”23Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me,
he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him. 24Whoever does not
love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the
Father’s who sent me.
Romans 5:1-5 ~1Therefore, since
we have been justified by faith, wea have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. 2Through him we
have also obtained access by faithb into this grace in which we stand, and
wec rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. 3Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing
that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has
been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Psalm 51:12 ~12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and
uphold me with a willing spirit.
James 1:2-4 ~2Count it all joy,
my brothers,b when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. 4And let
steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
Hebrews 12:1-2 ~1Therefore, since
we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every
weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus,
the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the
throne of God.
Hebrews 12:7-13 ~7It
is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For
what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If
you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are
illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides
this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.
Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For
they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he
disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11For
the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by
it. 12Therefore
lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and
make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of
joint but rather be healed.
Psalm 75:7 ~7but it is God who executes judgment, putting
down one and lifting up another.
Romans 8:18 & 22-28 ~18For I consider
that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory
that is to be revealed to us.….22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together
in the pains of childbirth until now.23And
not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption
of our bodies. 24For
in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes
for what he sees? 25But
if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26Likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for
words. 27And
he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, becauseg the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will
of God. 28And
we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,h for those who are called according to his purpose.
1 Peter 4:1-2 ~1Since therefore
Christ suffered in the flesh,a arm yourselves with the same way of
thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2so as to live for
the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will
of God.
1 Peter 4:12 & 13 ~12Beloved, do not be
surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though
something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice
insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad
when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:19 ~ 19Therefore let
those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful
Creator while doing good.
Philippians 1:29 ~29For it has been
granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him
but also suffer for his sake,
2 Timothy 1:7-9 ~7for
God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.8Therefore
do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but
share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9who
saved us and called us toa a holy calling, not because of our works but because of
his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages
began,b
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