In Ephesians 6:12 we learn that as believers in Chirst: " we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places"

It can be rather easy as I have found out recently to fall into the trap of becoming much like Peter when he cut off the soldiers ear when they came to arrest Jesus. When we face opposition to ones who oppose our faith, our God we sometimes feel very threatened by the actual people rather than keeping to that scripture. Keeping in mind that we should not blame or feel threatened by the people who speak those words against us, and our God.

Jesus said "Father forgive them, they know not what they do". sometimes in our zeal and ferver for our God we sometimes forget those words Jesus spoke and end up in a word battle with people. I have had to repent of just such those things recently and thus wrote this hub concerning it.

It is acceptable and we should take a stand for Christ. Being bold in our testimony and exposing the sin, the lies of satan and his demons. But we should always keep in mind this verse of scripture as well  “I  am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves,  so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Quoting scripture to ones who have not the ears for hearing, nor the eyes for seeing can lead to trouble sometimes. Not that we shouldn't quote scripture in fact we should always as Gods word will not come back void. It is all truth! But we should be careful as in being wise as the serpent, in not casting our pearls before swine.

That particular scripture found in Matthew 7:6 says: "Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces." Having said that, we should not be afraid or ashamed of sharing the gospel either. So it is a fine balance there. The meaning of this scripture is easy to understand really: "Do not persist in offering what is sacred to those who have no appreciation for it."
Many people, not only do not appreciate spiritual things,but belittle and rail against them. And, not only that, some will persecute those who try to bring the sacred things to them. That which is "holy" and the "pearls," of course, refer to God's holy word.

 

 

 

This has always been an enigma to me. Those who profess the name of Jesus and then condone and even take part in the things of the world. I have been attacked at times spiritually speaking by some of these. And it is not easy to decipher then if I am casting to "pigs" or not. I know that sounds harsh but it's Gods word. lol

I find it is best in these cases to "test" the spirits. I have offered and even challenged those with finding scripture to back their accusations against me. They offered none. This is the first clue so to speak that they are not working through the spirit or through Gods Word. It is true though that even satan knows scripture and had used it to tempt Jesus Himself. So then one must look at the context and how the scripture is manifesting.

case in point, if you are up against one such as these and are not sure, I suggest to test the spirit this way. Look at the scripture carefully. Allow Gods Holy Spirit to show it to you. If you feel guilty, it is not from God! God does not cause guilt! The Holy Spirit and if it is given by the spirit will convict in a gentle, loving manner deep inside you. Too, read the scripture in it's entirety to know how it was first given and in what context it was written in.

For example I was posed with "well if God is so loving why did he in the Old Testament kill all those people in Egypt?" Do you see where the twist of the truth came in? God did not kill those people. Pharoah did! It was Pharoahs defiance of God several, several times that caused the death of those people. The scenario they posed would be like a child blaming the parent if they kept touching a hot stove and got burned.

No matter who we are facing whether it be a "wishy-washy" believer, an unbeliever, or a group of them we need to do this daily and throughout the day:

Get prayed up!

No matter who we speak to and in what form whether it's in person, on the phone, on the internet or whatever the avenue. We should every single day get prayed up in the spirit. We should read Gods word daily! We find here in this scripture where we are to put on the full armor of God! To be well equipped to go into battle. A soldier would not confront his enemy without the essential things needed to fight, and neither should we as soldiers for Christ!

And what are the essentials needed for our battles with satan and his army (those principalities and powers and rulers of dark places), in Gods Word.

Be Strong in the Lord: Our strength does not come from the world. We are to be strong in the Lord. How is one strong in the Lord? Our strength in the Lord comes through spiritual training, learning to trust the Lord. David was strong in the Lord, because he had God’s Spirit; David fought a lion and a bear before he fought Goliath. He knew God’s power.

In the power of his might: Paul on the outward appearance was seen as weak; David on the outward appearance was a shepherd boy without armor. All throughout scripture, we see weak people do extraordinary things. Abraham an old childless man became the forefather of nations. Gideon, a farm boy, defeats the armies of Midian (Judges 8:4). Joseph the slave becomes head over all Egypt. Daniel the Babylonian hostage becomes a ruler in Babylon and Persia. Peter a fisherman becomes a leader in the church. Paul a murderer, an enemy of Christ, becomes the apostle to the Gentiles. What did all these people have in common? They operated in the power of his might. Through their weakness, they learned to trust in the Lord’s might. Many times God is prevented from working in our lives, because we rely on our might, our wisdom and our strength. God on the other hand, loves to use what is despised in the world, because He is glorified, through it. We need to learn to move in the power of his might, not our own.

Put on the whole armor of God:

Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Do you see there?

The belt of truth: always be truthful.

Eph 4:25 (NKJ) Therefore, put away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor."

John 4:24 (NIV) "God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The Breastplate of Righteousness:

Php 3:9 (NRS) ...Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith

Ps 94:15 (NIV) Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Pr 2:7-8 (NIV) He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path.

Standing on Gods Word, Eph 6:15 (NIV) ...your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace: Think about this you are about to go into a battle, what is a must have? Shoes! The gospel should always be the shoes we put on our feet. Our feet are the foundational requirements to be able to stand!

1 Cor 15:1-4 (Wey) But let me recall to you, brethren, the Good News [Gospel] which I brought you, which you accepted, and on which you are standing, through which also you are obtaining salvation, if you bear in mind the words in which I proclaimed it--unless indeed your faith has been unreal from the very first...-- that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that He was buried; that He rose to life again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

Shield of faith:

1 Tim 6:12 (NIV) Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 John 5:4-5 (Wey) For every child of God overcomes the world; and the victorious principle which has overcome the world is our faith. Who but the man that believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world?

Pr 30:5 (NIV) "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

The helmet of salvation:

Isa 59:16-17 (KJV) And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation (Jesus) upon his head...

Ps 140:7 (NAS) "O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation [Yeshua], You have covered my head in the day of battle."

Jesus--Yeshua in Hebrew--means "Salvation". Salvation is Jesus Christ.

The sword of the Spirit: This is why we need to get into Gods Word daily! We need to allow His Word to completely fill our hearts and minds.

Heb 4:12-13 (NKJ) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account

Ps 149:4-6 (NIV) For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands.

We need to be strong in the Lord:

1 Cor 16:13 (NIV) Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

2 Tim 2:1 (GLT) ...Be empowered by grace in Christ Jesus.

And why it is so important that we put on the FULL armor of God daily: so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes and battle him fully equipped!

** Listen to the song below by ce ce winans "Waging War" it is a great way to get stirred up in the spirit!!!**