|
The
Call to War
Book excerpt from
'Warfare Prayer'
by Colonel Janet Munn
The authority God delegates to sincere followers is eminently
practical. It is not merely about sitting in heaven with
the angels and saints and martyrs and 24 elders and four
living beings. It is about winning the war on earth
right now. And the devil struggles with all his energy
to dissuade, discourage, distort so that we settle for our
current level of obedience. Our clear understanding and
embrace of this thoroughly biblical authority will empower us
to confidently and victoriously confront the enemy in every
situation.
The Authority of the Believer: Exercising Our Dominion in
Christ
God gave the dominion of earth to humans
A. God gave
the dominion of the earth to humans forever. He releases
His power in the earthly realm in response to redeemed humans
living in agreement with Him (in their individual sphere of
influence). The Spirit moves in response to what God’s
people say and do. Jesus will rule the earth forever in
partnership with His Bride who is filled with adoring
obedience.
Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; let them have dominion… over all the earth…
God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth
and subdue it; have dominion over… every
living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28) ‘Let
Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and
let them have dominion over… every…
thing… upon the earth.’ … God said to them, ‘Be
fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over… every living thing that
moves upon the earth.’ (Genesis 1:26-28 NRSV)
The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth He has given
to human beings. (Psalm 115:16 NRSV)
What are human beings that You are mindful of them…
You have given them dominion over the works of your
hands; You have put all things under their feet. (Psalm 8:406
NRSV)
For all things are yours: whether…the world
or life or death, or things present or things to come – all
are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. (1
Corinthians 3:21-23 NKJV)
Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me
may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My
glory which You have given Me… (John 17:24 NKJV)
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me
on My throne... (Revelation 3:21 NKJV)
B. When God
gave the governing authority of the earth to Adam, he had the
right to use it in any way that he chose. He did the
unthinkable with it. He committed high treason and gave
his authority over the earth to satan (Luke 4:5-6 NKJV).
At that time, satan became “the god of this world.”
This authority…has been delivered to me
[satan], and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4:6 NKJV)
Whose minds the god of this age has
blinded…lest the light of the gospel…shine on them. (2
Corinthians 4:4 NKJV)
C. At the
cross, Jesus as a Man defeated satan and all demonic powers
and made a public spectacle of them before all in heaven and
hell. He has won the victory, but it must be enforced in
this age. Authority is delegated power. A police officer
stops a car by the authority of the government, not his
physical power. Like the policeman, we must put our hand
up and invoke the name of Jesus.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He
made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them
in it [His death and resurrection]. (Colossians 2:15
NKJV)
D. We must
enforce Jesus’ authority on earth. The enemy’s attacks
against us will continue if we accept them. There are
two common errors in responding to satan’s attack. First,
to ask God to resist satan for us. We must not ask
God to do what He entrusted to us. As God will not plant
the seeds and pull the weeds for the farmer, so He will not
rebuke the devil for us. Second, to accept satan’s
attack under the banner of honouring the sovereignty of God.
They say, “Jesus, I trust Your leadership.” We trust His
leadership best when we obey His command to actively resist
what the devil presents to us. It is a misapplication of
the glorious doctrine of God’s sovereignty to passively accept
what we must actively resist. There is no “cease fire” in our
spiritual conflict.
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and
he will flee from you. (James 4:7 NKJV)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith… (1
Peter 5:8-9 NKJV)
E. We must
use our authority against satan, who seeks to steal, kill, and
destroy God’s blessing in our life (by fear, addictions,
emotional oppression, division, sickness, financial
oppression, etc.). Jesus gives insight into satan’s
nature and tactics against us whenever he is involved in our
life.
The thief [satan] does not come except to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10 NKJV)
F. The
principalities and powers speak of the invisible demonic
hierarchy in the spirit realm. Our primary problems are
not of human origin, but are invisible enemies. To stand
(v. 13) is to refuse to accept satan’s attacks. God’s
Word is our weapon. We resist satan’s attacks by
speaking the Word. Heightened strife or negative
emotions often involve satan’s flaming missiles striking us.
We do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers…in the heavenly places. Take up the whole armor
of God… having done all, to stand… taking the shield
of faith with which you will be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked one… Take the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God… (Ephesians 6:12-17)
G. Our
problems are often the result of several factors working
together including psychological issues (our
mindset, belief systems, and life choices),
physiological issues (diet, alcohol, chemicals, etc.),
sociological issues (what others do to us), and
spiritual (demonic attack). By using our
authority, we can remove the added pressure that demons bring
to our problems. This makes it easier to solve
physiological, psychological, and sociological problems.
Exercising authority against satan’s attack does not
automatically cancel all the consequences of our wrong choices
or the effects of what others do to us. There are
varying degrees of demonic oppression.
H. Fear,
rejection, and addictive urges are a form of demonic
oppression that must be rebuked. If they are allowed to
gain dominance in our thinking, they will dominate our life
with despair. We must take authority over the spirit of
fear. It must not be accepted or allowed to grow.
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of
power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Our spiritual authority
is based on Jesus’ victory and exaltation
A. Our
spiritual authority is based on our union with Jesus.
The authority that Jesus received as an “exalted Man” is given
to His people. God gave Jesus to the Church (v. 22) as
our head (v. 22) and made us His body or the vehicle through
which He expresses His power on earth (v. 23).
The Father of glory, may give to you… revelation in
the knowledge of Him… that you may know… The exceeding
greatness of His power toward us who believe… which He
[the Father] worked in Christ when He raised Him…and seated
Him at His right hand in the heavenly places… He put
all things under His [Jesus’] feet, and gave Him to
be head over all things to the church, which is His
body, the fullness of Him… (Ephesians 1:17-23 NKJV)
We have the same category of power within us that God used
when He raised Jesus from the dead. Money can’t buy it.
Threats can’t make it happen. Military power/natural
weapons can’t compare to this power.
In 1 Corinthians 12 the emphasis is on the people of God, the
Body of Christ connected to each other. But in Ephesians
1 the emphasis is on the Body connected to Jesus, the Head –
forever and ever.
B. We must
take our place of authority in Christ as those seated in
heavenly places with Jesus (Ephesians 1:3, 20-22; 2:6).
Having been raised to sit with Jesus in heavenly places, we
are given access to God’s throne. When we pray
according to God’s will, our prayers reach His throne and find
approval, resulting in the release of power. We must
know who we are in Christ.
Raised us up together, and made us sit
together in the heavenly places in Christ... (Ephesians
2:6 NKJV)
C. The
command of faith doesn't always bring results instantly.
Do not become sluggish, but…through faith and
patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12 NKJV)
D. Our
authority is based on what Jesus accomplished, not on our
moods, feelings, fervor or recent victories.
“Not by [human] might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” Says
the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV)
Examples of wrestling in prayer:
Take (wield) the Sword of the Spirit: A human being agreeing
with Jesus. Speaking the Word of God and keeping at it –
that is wielding the Sword of the Spirit. (Don’t endure it –
speak to it.)
1
“I refuse to accept this any more.
I refuse passivity but I rise up against it in the authority
of Jesus Christ, who has conquered every foe.”
2. “I will
steadfastly resist.”
3. “In the
name of Jesus I cancel your assignment against me.”
4. “In the
name of Jesus, go, now – (be specific). Leave my
marriage, my children, my parents, my finances, my thought
life, my relationships.”
5. “Take your
hands off my marriage. I cancel your assignment against
me in Jesus’ name.”
6. “I plead
the blood of Jesus Christ over my body.”
7. “I take
authority over… fear… lust… perversion… suicide… demonic
harassment and torment.”
8. “In the
name of Jesus I bind that spirit of fear.”
9. “Release
Your glory, Lord. Release Your manifest presence now, Lord.”
We call Salvationists (and all warriors of Jesus
everywhere) worldwide to join spiritual battle on the grounds
of a sober reading of Scripture, a conviction of the triumph
of Christ, the inviolable freedom and dignity of persons, and
a commitment to the redemption of the world in all its
dimensions – physical, spiritual, social, economic and
political.
We affirm that Christ our Lord calls us to join him
in holy war against evil in all its forms and against every
power that stands against the reign of God. We fight in the
power of the Spirit in the assurance of ultimate and absolute
victory through Christ’s redemptive work. (from “Called to Be
God’s People” – International Spiritual Life Commission –
bracket added by Munn and Court)
(Speak the word – don’t just think it)
|
