4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
-- I Thes. 1:4-5
Before going forth into warfare for the sake of others make sure of your own status. Remaining in a good status requires two aspects, these being humility and devotion. For the root problem has been and shall always be sin. Without sin there would be no fallen angels, no entropy, and no war either against the flesh within or the world without. When sin is paid for a person is taken out of the darkness, enslavement, and freed from a mindset for the work of the devil. This does not necessarily mean they are scotch free from hard work (it simply means without the grace provided by the gospel, hard work would never pan out...). This is mostly a recap of what I said earlier in a different form.
What needs to be added is the following, sin led to fallen angels and fallen man, sin can attract the fallen or enticement can be produced by the fallen. Yet with resistance to sin the spirits flee. No matter how you look at the issue the main problem is sin and the only solution is the gospel. This is the essence of humility, with confession humility grows and dependence on God becomes increasingly tangible. Doing so will soak in deeper reliance on God and this stunning realization; if we are faithful in "small" things, He is faithful in big things. Of course remaining pure is no small matter but I propose the "big" area is when we try to expand to helping others. James 4:5-7, 1 Peter 5:4-6, Luke 16:9-11.
Humility keeps us dependant and suppresses pride (like the desire to grab our own glory in deliverance). Devotion to God is very specific to fighting one particular struggle, faithlessness. Unbelief is, in essence, thinking God not big enough, the gospel not good enough, nor the Word effective enough to actually deliver from sin. This mindset can either be veiled in a habitual pattern of sin, because if we had the faith repentance would be possible, or in actual doubting of the goodness or power of God. I have found through observation unbelief often is accompanied by oppression. How or when the oppressor comes is speculation but the symptoms are classic and easily identifiable. Hopelessness, depression, brooding, anxiety, and things like these compound the cause, unbelief. Rom. 10:16-18, Gal. 3:1-9, Matt. 17:17-21, 1 Sam. 15:10; 24-25 16:14-15; 23.
Humility and devotion are merely the evidences of something much better, the gospel. These truths are merely fruits from the double beamed tree. Just as no one ever lived without a heart nor did a car ever start without an engine just so do these truths depend on the Mover for their efficacy. Go and do likewise.
Discernment is required. Some are given the gift of discernment of spirits as their spiritual gifting, but many are not. Whether or not you have (or think you have) been given this gift be sure to pray for discernment when you have reason to think an alien will is influencing you. When a temptation seems to never end, to last beyond reason or normal boundaries, and when prayer and recitation of the scriptures seem not avail much then sometimes this may be the influence of an imp. Be careful to remember our warfare is against our own flesh and that sin is always the root cause and root problem, in addressing the root other powers loose most of their leeway.
This warfare is easiest won by prevention, yet there are times when preventative measures fail and we fall. When this time occurs remember the authority, by the power of the Name, given unto us (in various places, one of which is Mark 16:17) and with faith standing against the deceiver. Remember to repent of your sin (repentance being asking forgiveness as well as the grace to turn away and walk in it no more, and then so doing) which brought you to the place of vulnerability in the first place.
Be devoted to God and thereby faith be inculcated into your heart. For faith is the root of our power, just as pride is the root of theirs. Faith protects when pride subverts, faith makes strong where pride makes vulnerable, faith makes effective where pride exposes, and faith give God the glory where pride seeks its own. Devote yourself to God and believe, whereby you shall stand in the day of darkness. Eph. 6:13.
Dt
P.s. For reasons I shall not say the commentary on deliverance of others shall not be posted now and may never be posted in the future. I sincerely hope the commentary has been beneficial to you but I adjure you to be wise and most of all draw near to God.
4 comments:
So... faith is the antidote to pride. I like to think in opposites, so I thought humility would be the solution to a proud heart. But humility isn't enough...there are humble people who are vulnerable to such things. Faith involves humility, but rather than saying simply that my power isn't enough (as humility would do), it designates someone whose power is sufficient. Cool! Thanks, V!
^_^ That is a supremely good way of putting it! Thank you!
Heeeeeeee's back! Dude, it's been a while, but quality over quantity, eh?
That last paragraph was very good. "For faith is the root of our power, just as pride is the root of theirs." Hmm, faith is so unlike anything else, because it finds all of its value its object. So saying that faith is the root of our power is, for the Christian, saying that Christ is the root of our power.
...I'm still thinking... that's a good thing...
To answer your question to me a few days ago, it's still bouncing around.
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