When Persecution Comes Calling

For anyone that has been following the news there are a growing number of stories that speak of the persecution of Christians. For many, such articles seem surreal, they remain so far removed from our current peaceful existence that we find no reason to try and relate, let alone guard ourselves from similar violation. But what if trouble does come near our door? Must we fall victim to the plans of a corrupt and tyrannical world system? Should we yield ourselves over to those that would gladly bring harm to us or to those we love?   Of course the answer is “no”, but we must also gain some perspective on how Jesus saves us from such unwarranted trouble. Only when God’s people stand in Christ do we let Jesus be the one that decides our fate. Let’s consider a few valuable truths that make victory possible.

Dwelling with the Most High

When we got saved the authority of Jesus was given to us through a personal connection with the Savior. Jesus became our standard in life and faith and His rule became our source of authority.

Ephesians 2:6-7 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Seated with Christ means two things; one it means we have ceased from our own works in order to live our Christian life through Him. Jesus has provided us a full and rich alternative to a life once subject to corruption.

Secondly it means that we have gained a spiritual position in Christ that is raised above the dictates of a fallen world. We can literally hold on to the perspective that we are raised above and held in the hollow of God’s hand.

Now that should encourage us to want to remain in God’s favor. From this regal place of authority we can conclude that the kingdoms of this world are under our feet. However there is one thing that stops us from living in that place of total victory; it has to do with our dependence on our old man’s ways; let me explain.

At one time humanity received a commission from God to be fruitful and take dominion and this was a good thing. The intent was for man to be a steward of God’s creation which gave him freedom to be a sovereign over the physical world (Sovereign means that no one stands between him and his earthly rule). However as man sinned and lost connection with God, his natural ability to take dominion became corrupt. Left to his own devices he lost his sovereign status and became a slave to the god of this world. This transference of power is outlined in the Devil’s dialog with Jesus in Luke 4:5:

The devil led him (Jesus) up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

As believers this should concern us for one reason. Even though we have been invited to rest in the kingdom and partake of all that is victorious in Christ, the dividing line between success and failure often depends on the choices we make. The Apostle Paul helps us understand what we should be choosing; he says;

Romans 8:5-6 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Now don’t get me wrong, we are still creatures born of the flesh and live out our days while deciding what’s best for body, soul and spirit. However when we received the free gift of God it was an invitation to be governed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. In that environment the flesh responds to righteousness and our sinful ways begin to fade; that is if we want them to fade.

When the flesh still rules in compromising situations it is then deciding our fate. Yet sinful actions then reveal an open door to unwanted control and dominance. Think of it this way; those that pick up the sword die by the sword; or more to the point; those that pick up the flesh are prone to suffering because of the flesh. So quite often the thing we call persecution is simply a matter of having created an open door to an outside attack. You name the unwanted encounter; it’s a sure thing that it rides on the coat tails of some of our past fleshly indiscretions. Likewise our fleshly actions then get owned by the Devil and his minions.

For the record, every stronghold is based on our freewill choice to be worldly and then owned, even governed, by the presence of a demonic power.

For this reason people are able to notice the spiritual sign on our foreheads that reads, “open for business”. In this way each example of lust, pride or greed  gathers flies as well as an audience of likeminded individuals. Some will then approach us wanting to join the party, some will want to crash the party; some will want to abuse the party; while the wise person will seek to run away from us. Resolving fleshly points of compromise remains a valuable first step in limiting unwanted persecution. This comes about as we confess our sins and align ourselves with the victory Jesus afforded us at the Cross. Take a look at all the benefits provided us when Jesus died on the Cross.

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Beyond clearing the slate of a compromised way of life, we need to know that persecution can still come to those that have a pure heart. But even here we are not ill equipped to respond. The ministry of Jesus on our lives can set at bay added trouble as we speak the truth in Christ. What we want to capture is an understanding that victory is very much tied to our voice.

Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes and so is justified, and with the mouth he confesses and confirms salvation.

In the Greek, the word “confess” is “homologeo” and is defined as: saying the same thing as another, i.e. agreeing with; conceding to confess, declare; professing to declare openly, speak out freely; praising and celebrating. Other scriptures that bring forth the same truth are: Mat. 10:32, 1 Tim. 6:12, Heb. 13:15, 2 Cor. 4:13. The emphasis on agreement with God is alive throughout the scriptures, and if we want, it can be alive within each one of us.

We bring this to light to make a point; so much of the ministry of Jesus relies upon the spoken word. Prayer remains verbal, many of the gifts of the Spirit depend on a verbal response, and certainly the ascension gifts rely upon the spoken word. Most notably we are also learning that strongholds crater when we declare victory in Christ by our spoken word. This is because Jesus by the Holy Spirit remains with us. For this reason persecution can also be overcome by our word. Remember this is about the believer’s authority in Christ. So, if demonic oppression is in our way we can declare the Name of Jesus/Yeshua to set at bay dark powers. This is true even when we see such forces at work within the actions of evil men.

You See; humanity either serves Jesus with the strength of body, soul and spirit or they serve the world. As mankind submits to sin, he is giving over power to demonic control. From that day forward man has lost authority over aspects of body, soul and spirit. Hence when evil men seek to violate our space we retain authority in Jesus to tell such powers to stop. Notice I said “We tell powers to stop”. We don’t have power over the flesh of mankind but rather we have full victory in Christ over the powers which rule in men’s actions.

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Let me give you an example:

I was just getting out of my car the other day to go into a store, when a large dog in another vehicle started to bark at me. In frustration I yelled at the dog to shut up. Just about that time the owner of the dog was coming out of the store and he took offense at me yelling at his dog. With an angry and violent attitude he proceeded to intimidate me by getting in my face. In that moment I thought I was about to get hit by a guy half my age but then the Holy Spirit prompted me to bind the spirit that was so violent in this man.

“In the Name of Jesus – I bind you!”

Within seconds the man went passive like a little boy, backed off and in protest lightly brushed against me as he left the confrontation.

Let’s Talk About Persecution

Psalm 83:2-4 See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
 

Persecution takes many forms. Evil men that are set on dominating humanity adopt a course of action that brings destruction. Yet their lofty goals come from a heart that doesn’t know God. In their exuberance to quash those that actually know their Maker they call upon the strength of their body, soul and spirit to win the war. But as we have pointed out; fleshly actions find spiritual support along the way.

1. So if man believes his strength in body can win, a power backs up strength in body.
2. If man believes his strength in mind, will and emotions can win, a power backs up his strength in soul.
3. If man believes his strength in spirit can win, a power backs up strength in spirit.

This last attribute in man yields a lot of influence. Man’s natural human spirit has been dominating since the fall and serves selfish interests. If dominance is the game then the natural spirit in man will move to control others. The unique quality in man’s natural spirit is it can extend its reach beyond the body and influence spiritual realms. When the natural spirit in man seeks to exert its dominance it can manifest in a number of ways.

• The natural spirit of man can interact with other people.
• The natural spirit of man can interact with a compromised angelic realm.
• The natural spirit of man tunes into the wishes of the Serpent.
• The natural spirit of man makes connections with demons.

Yet let me point out that none of it is good. Though the Bible talks about events where man was caught up in the spirit, governed by the will of God; the fallen drive within man’s natural spirit can only foment evil. The only exception to the rule is when a man and women become one in marriage.

This drive to do evil in spirit is where men often seek to extend their reach into the lives of others. When we are subservient to others we can find ourselves linked in spirit in compromised ways. In such a case we can then find ourselves channeling their ideals, their attitudes, emotions, arguments; even their likes and dislikes. However, by being linked we are also inviting someone or something else to speak through us. A dominant projection coming from others can literally take over our mind and heart.

Kevin’s story brings home this point: Kevin suffered the loss of his wife and two sons to divorce. But there were opportunities for him to connect with his kids on a regular basis. Yet besides the adjustment that takes place when parents separate, there appeared to be an added struggle noticeable in Kevin’s youngest son. Some how in the boy there was great anger and disdain for his Dad and it was certainly contrary to his normal light hearted nature.
As Kevin went to God regarding the problem it became clear that the anger was coming from his ex-spouse. In this respect the wife was projecting her disdain for Kevin through the life and spirit of their youngest son. So Kevin prayed that his son would no longer be a spiritual conduit of the wife’s anger.

“In the Name of Jesus, my son is no longer a conduit of my ex-wife’s anger and disdain.”

Within minutes the happy countenance of the boy returned, followed by an uninitiated “I love you Dad!”

This is a valuable subject to master. Humanity is prone to slinging arrows when ever it gets a chance. But this same ability to project can also affect the training of animals.

Since mankind seeks to take dominion, he also exerts control by the strength of his will. So if a man is evil in his ways he will instill within an animal a heightened level of violence. Not just by fleshly commands but by a spiritual link.

An interesting thing happened the other day as I was riding my bike near a park. I observed a man with a pit bull a far distance away from me. Yet as I was riding past, the dog became violent with its tone and I then realized I had seen this dog before. Last summer this same violent behavior was being promoted by the dog’s owner. This man was actually encouraging the dog to be aggressively violent towards people and the only restraint that kept humanity safe was the owners grip on a leash.

Coming back to the present day; as I was passing by this encounter, a young mother with her baby and her family pet dog was entering the same park. Seeing how this violent dog threat became even more real, the Holy Spirit prompted me to verbally step in to thwart a potentially deadly outcome. In an instant the Holy Spirit unctioned me to declare a spiritual severing between the pit bull and the will of the dog’s master. I said:

“In the Name of Jesus, I sever the spiritual link between the dog and its master.”

In that moment the pit bull let out a hair raising scream, attesting to the presence of an added demonic influence. The pit bull then went completely passive and sought to hide itself.
 

Our authority “in the Name” and “in the power of the Holy Spirit” is our weapon when confronted by evil. We are talking about spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 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.

Our nation and the world we live in are being assaulted by evil on an unprecedented scale. For example; as civil powers, as well as military authorities, find reason to bend to the will of evil over lords, the proverbial dog and master scenario remains in effect. However, if a regimental body gets spiritually separated from its captain, confusion sets in and the soldiers cease in their pursuit. A similar event once happened as it was spoken of in Judges 7:22.

When three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. Our New Testament version finds its power and authority as we proclaim the Name of Jesus.

So how do we proceed in Christ in the days ahead?

First and foremost; we seek for Jesus to renew our minds and hearts. We come out of the world where compromise makes us a casualty of demonic interference. As we see our own misdeeds resolved in Christ we come out from under the control of evil men and kingdoms.

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Secondly; even if we remain crusty at times with one foot in the world and one in the kingdom, we still retain authority in Christ over demonic hosts. But I must add that it helps for us to see more clearly the spiritual battle that we face without the added compromise.

Thirdly; we don’t look for trouble; but spend our days seeking Jesus for everything pertaining to life and godliness.

Fourthly; when trouble does come near our door we overcome with words that first gain the attention of our King; I.E. prayer. In a split second the Holy Spirit tells us how to proceed when time is of the essence. We then verbally address powers that stand in the way and remain prone to manipulating others to participate in evil ways. Make no mistake; mankind is a slave to the god of this world; but the spiritual darkness that rules each life scenario gets leveled at the Cross.

Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

“In the Name of Jesus, I sever the spiritual link between this evil master and its subjects. I also bind the violent spirits that are at work in this man, this crowd, this army, this assault against me, my house, my children, my life, my people, my city, my country etc.

In the presence of our God and King our voice, our confession and our declarations level every unwanted advance?

Check out some other great articles to help you thrive in Jesus

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Out from the Shadow of Other Gods

Every Christian is desperate for a true relationship and life changing experience with God, but our most prevalent model of success and failure has been religion. The things that have been taught us have had more to do with man’s search for a god, rather than in God showing us His ways. There is a place where religion dies and genuine relationship begins. The first in a series, the author provides a platform for change and a simple yet powerful way out from the trappings of humanities religion. Ministering with honor to the pastor as well as to the prodigal and revealing a surprising bounty of Jesus in every page. Get ready to be encouraged, challenged, and renewed in your walk of faith.

The Shadow of the Spiritual

Got Spirit?

That’s an interesting question, but after two thousand years of Christian history, maybe we should be asking “which spirit?” Though the Christian faith has been provided with a sure foundation in Christ, our propensity to get worldly or even religious has actually pushed us past safe boundaries. There is a quagmire of spiritual alternatives all vying for our attention, yet none of them has anything to do with a true faith in Jesus. “The Shadow of the Spiritual” is meaty, thought provoking, in-depth look into the rising tide of spiritual pollution within the Church. Its lingering effects remain oppressive and damaging to any believer who desires a pure expression of relationship with the Son of God. This self help book is a must read for any Christian wanting to understand how improper spiritual connections get formed, fed and how unhealthy spiritual bondage gets passed around. Yet, by embracing a simple biblical truth, we can separate ourselves from all sorts of added trouble. The second in a series, the author provides a platform for change and a simple yet powerful way out from the trappings of humanities many fallen exploits.

Lord I Want To Change!

Is It time for a change? The Christian life is not always an easy life. Though we are assured that all things have become new, “New life” may end up looking a lot like the old one. This is due to our inability to properly transition away from certain worldly influences. A growing number of our troubles include the weight of family dysfunction, years of social conditioning and any number of personal failures remaining a black mark on our record. All of these issues have a tendency to warp our sense of “self” and we walk through life emotionally crippled; yet Jesus has other plans for us. The Bible provides the Christian a “get out of jail free card”. Jesus offers us a simple and effective way of escape out from the trappings of a difficult past. If you have ever wondered whether there is more to the Christian life, then get ready to be encouraged, challenged, and set free in your walk of faith.

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