Background

One of the areas that I do not like to talk and confess much in public is the area of Spiritual Warfare; especially the targeted ones.

 

Public Image

When one has a public image that he or she is cultivating, one immediately becomes a visible and viable target of Satan and his minions.

Portions

Here are some of the portions that is used against a person :-

1. Health
2. Psychological
3. Accidents

Health

One might experience new health attacks or reemergence of old ones.

Psychological

Mental health issues.  Tiredness.

Accidents

As one’s health fail,  as psychological multi-dimensional shell games occur, the target could find himself having accidents.

Car Accidents.  Slipping and Falling. 

Working out at the gym, but losing focus and dead weight falling on one.

 

Defense

Here are some defensive toolsets.

1. Know God
   • Know God as a father
   • Know God as a life giver and preserver
   • Know God as in him
   • Know God in keeping his commandments
   • Know God as a creator
2. Economical With God
   • Assurance Based On Intimacy
   • Let Your Yes, Be Yes
3. Personal Relationship
4. Transparency
5. Communal

 

Know God

Know God as a father

In Matthew 6:9–13 ( Link )  and Luke 11:2-4 ( Link ).

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done
in earth, as it is in heaven:

Know God as a life giver and preserver

Job 12:7-10 ( Link )

But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind

Know God as in him

( 1st John 4:13 ) [ Link ]

1st John 4:13 says that “Love Comes from God”

.…No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.

Know God in keeping his commandments

( 1st John 2:3 ) [ Link ]

The doors of God are closed to those who find loopholes in his word.

By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.

Know God as a creator

( Romans 1:20 ) [ Link ]

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse

 

Economical With God

Assurance based on Intimacy

Scripture

Matthews 6:6-8 ( Link )

…But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…

Commentary

1. Prayer
   • Just as fasting, it clearly states when you pray
   • Inner Room
     • It speaks of an inner room; an inner court relationship and experience
   • Shut Your Door
     • He is your father
     • It says you shut the door
     • Don’t have God do it
     • It states you do it
2. Secrets
   • It lets us in on the fact that there are secrets in the relationship
   • There is a covering of you on his part
3. Babble
   • No Big Talk
   • Tower of Babel ( Genesis 11:1-9 )
4. Father Knows
   • Based on intimacy
   • Jesus, the ultimate inside man, acknowledges on behalf of the father, that the father knows

Let Your Yes, Be Yes

…Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’

Anything more comes from the evil one.

( Matthews 5:36-37 ) ( Link )

 

Personal Relationship

( Hebrews 10:24-25 ) [ Link ]

Apostle Paul says…

…And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Paul was very specific as to meeting with each other and encouraging one another.

 

Transparency

( 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 ) [ Link ]

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity.

We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.

For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand.

And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Discernment

Spirit of Slavery

Scripture

The Slave Girl ( Acts 16:16-18 ) ( Link )

One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of clairvoyance, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling.

This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”

She continued this for many days. Eventually, Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.…

 

Commentary

1. Place of Prayer
   • We were going to the place of prayer
2. Spirit of Slavery
   • Has to work for itself
   • Has to create space and influence for its owners
   • Has to lay claim to Words of Wisdom
     • These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation
3. Aggravation
   • Is your closeness to God one that you can pick up
     • When someone’s name, spirit, or works is being misappropriated
     • How do you guard God’s work, name, and creations
4. Spoke to the Spirit
   • Did not speak to the girl
   • But, directly to the Spirit

 

Communal

Watchman

Scripture

New Life in Christ

( Ephesians 4:25 ) ( Link )

…Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.

“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
and do not give the devil a foothold.…

Trials

( Psalm 17:3 ) ( Link )

You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night

Commentary

There is a calling on spiritual men and women to live well within their community.

 

Summary

Abstract

In closing as you:-

1. Grow spiritually
2. Share more of yourself
3. Avail yourself to God and his people

You open up yourself and turn your back to Satan.

Your susceptibility to attack and your exposed surface area increases as you form and extend your relationships.

For instance:-

1. As your Church grows
2. As your interpersonal relationships broaden
3. As work and reputational acumen develops

Deadened resistance will re-rise themselves up.

Satan knows God will try to use you.

That is, as you go, God will follow.

Satan is not going to just raise up his hands, walk away, and give up claimed territory.

 

Personal

Getting things Wrong

Family, we are going to get some things wrong.

Likely a lot wrong.

Find trust and depth in and within “multiplicity of elders“.

For a Christian,  the headship are God, Son, and Holy Spirit:-

1. Be governed by the Godhead.
2. Allow Jesus to wash you.
3. Make room for the Holy Spirit.

When in doubt speak and confront the situation with precision and openness.

A couple of days ago, I got some things wrong with wifey.

I confronted her and she spoke candidly.

Part of it is that God wanted her to see that she can hurt me.

The good thing is she was not hurting me, it was something else, that was trying to assume her place and role.

We had to pull out those roots.

They were easily pulled out as they were outside of her, myself, and us.

God needed both of us to come to a place where we practiced transparency and gave each other permission to uproot the intruder.

Quoting Bible Verses

The Devil knows all the bible verses.

But, he walks forward and says none of it convicts him.

In a house of matured Church, plenty and likely all of it applies.

So take the Kobe Bryant plan and buy wifey a new diamond.