7/34 Personal Spiritual Warfare in Christian Foundations
As we continue looking at the theme of growing from slaves to the world’s ways, through servanthood, we need to continue to focus on our personal growth. In centuries past, new Christians were given a good cleaning time before expected to be mature. In today’s church world, often new converts are just ;thrown in the deep end’ and expected to grow and serve the ‘religious system church’.
Sad to say, what that produces is ‘serving orphans’. We need time and space with the Lord to deal with our own ‘heart stuff’ to really grow in our walk with the Lord. That is what ‘Sanctification’ is all about.
- God’s Plan before time began: WE ARE AT WAR!
a) Once there was only one Spirit Being, we call ‘God’. God’s Great Plan began in the spiritual dimension first. We are designed to live in a spiritual as well as physical world.
b) There is only one spiritual world with two kingdoms (Eph. 2:2, Mat. 6:33). Satan and his demons are real (Mat. 4:10).
c) The battle is fought in the spiritual dimension first and then manifests in the physical/emotional realm. The results are either health or dis-ease. Much of the pain and illness we experience is because we have broken God’s basic spiritual principles.
d) Much of pain and sickness is the result of lifestyle.
- The Battle Zone is WITHIN US!
a) In 1 Cor. 11:31, we are encouraged to learn to “ … judge ourselves so that we would not come under judgement …. “. This means ‘to discern’ our own spiritual heart condition, so we can avoid the weakness and sickness that Paul spoke of.
b) We live in a world that has great ignorance of God’s kingdom. We can be dulled or deceived over the enemy’s tactics.
c) Satan can only touch our lives if he has a ‘legal right’! Many of a counsellor’s aims are to sort out what possible legal rights the person has given the enemy.
d) Jesus taught a lot about unforgiveness and heart judgements as roots; both can cripple our spiritual, emotional and physical health.
- The Battle Zone is Personal: the FIRST Battle zone is in the MIND.
a) We have been brainwashed by the world’s thinking, our parents, peers and our education system. We all believe half-truths and ‘heart lies’, which certainly contribute to illness and ‘dis-ease’.
b) We must learn to guard and filter the thoughts that go through our mind. Not all the thoughts that come into your mind are your thoughts. You do not have to ‘grow’ all the thoughts that come into your mind.
c) The answer? Learn to ‘cast down vain imaginations’,
(2 Cor. 10:5), disputing the false beliefs and lies the enemy has planted in your thinking processes. Destroy the false, pessimistic self-talk that leads to further emotional, physical dysfunctions and illness.
d) Renew your mind by seeing yourself as a loving Father God sees you. One reason we stay in sickness and torment comes down to our own Ignorance and Deception – the lies the enemy has planted, that we still believe. Learn your position in Christ! You are an Eagle not a worm!
- The Battle Zone is Hidden: The SECOND Battle zone is in the HEART.
We live out of what is in our heart! (Prov. 4:23). Therefore, we need to understand our heart. It is like a mansion, with rooms filled with good and painful treasures. Our heart looks at these ‘treasures’ for its protection, security, comfort, strength or meaning for life. God calls these false, vain ‘‘treasures’’ = idols.
Part of His love for us is to reveal the idols we have stored in our heart. Idols can cause us great emotional pain and sometimes physical sickness.
Satan touches our life through the heart idols we treasure. It is the idols in the heart that are a gathering place for the enemy and his demonic spies, (1 Cor. 8:4).
5. We all store childhood hurts in our heart. The enemy feeds on the hurts, pain and the unforgiveness we hide away in the rooms in our heart.
a) A simple analogy is that food scraps from a rubbish dump will attract rats. Remove what attracts demons and be relatively free of the ‘rats’, the demons (Psalms 51:10, 73:1).
b) We do this by renewing the mind and allowing the Lord Jesus to touch and heal the pain within us.
c) Another very serious message Jesus taught: If we have unforgiveness and judgement in our heart, then God allows us to be afflicted by demonic powers until we see His hand of Truth, (Matthew 18:32-35).
e) If the heart is angry, then it can become bitter and twisted, locking in demonic 
powers over us and causing great mischief (Heb. 12:15). The progression goes something like this::
hurt heart –> makes a judgement –> becomes an angry heart –> turns into an unforgiving heart (bitter) –> spiritual bondage results –> problems of all sorts, including physical illness begin to manifest.
We need to learn God’s emotional release principles so the hurt heart can be able to really ‘forgive from the heart!!!
- Conclusion: The Battle is ALL AROUND US!
a) There is a great cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil, of angelic and demonic warring in the world around us.
b) We can begin to change by bringing God’s kingdom to Earth in us. I can only change myself with God’s help; I cannot make anyone else change. My lifestyle change may be needed.
Ask the Lord Jesus to start and/or to continue the work in your heart – THAT YOUR HEART MIGHT KNOW JESUS’ TOUCH.
a) To show you the deeper reasons, the root causes for the illness and pain you may carry,
b) To reveal any ‘idols’ that are blocking the healing you are seeking,
c) To open the network of half truths and heart lies that the enemy has set around you,
d) To help you see how the personal judgements and unforgiveness toward anyone have hindered your wholeness.
…. and then as a result, your healing and wholeness will flow from the inside to the outside. Father God LOVES YOU TOO MUCH to leave you in your pain and illness. HE CAME TO HEAL … but we must do it HIS WAY.
Susanne Fengler. Blog Author
www.christianfoundations.jesus-treeoflife.info
Tags: Satan's legal rights
Filed under: From Slave to Sonship
Leave a Reply