Standing Required
How’s this for a big idea….
We don’t need to advance against Satan. We just need to stand and not give up any ground. It’s up to us to not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! The battle is already won.
When I read this concept in Watchman Nee’s little book Sit, Walk, Stand it was scary simple. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross. The outcome of this war between ‘spirits of the air’ has already been determined. Our side wins.
Personalize this concept. When you and I were saved, we were forgiven and washed clean of all our sins past, present and future. Our lives became holy through Christ’s payment, not through our behavior. In battlefield parlance, the ground was taken by Jesus’ victory over death and evil 2000 years ago.
God makes Himself available to us through the Holy Spirit as we sit before His throne, let Him love on us as we praise and thank Him. Then we walk with Him as we live our lives, hopefully living examined lives where we do His will and apply His Word. We become His ‘hands and feet’ as we love and serve others in His name. We connect with Jesus through prayer, through a local church, through praise, worship, service and giving.
But nowhere are we called to defeat Satan. We’re simply challenged to stand. Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-18 tells us to put on the ‘full armor of God’ but all the elements, (except possibly the sword) are defensive in nature. In verse 11, He says we put on this ‘armor’ “to stand against the wiles of the devil”. Three more times we read the word ‘stand’. He doesn’t say ‘march’, ‘advance’, ‘crush’, ‘defeat’, ‘eliminate’ . . . none of those. He says to ‘stand’ against and to ‘withstand in the evil day’.
What does this mean from a practical standpoint?
1. Acknowledge he’s there – You can’t stand against an enemy you don’t believe exists. There is a devil, a ‘father of lies’, an ‘internal accuser’, an unspeakably evil spirit working against Jesus in every facet of earthly life. Jesus believed in the devil, why would I doubt his existence? Without seeing a boogeyman behind every tree, become aware that he’s coming at you – evil and its subtle influence in your life and the lives of your family.
2. Draw lines, set boundaries – Satan’s trying to tug you into places Jesus doesn’t want you to go. Draw lines far in front of those points of temptation. Let’s say it’s drinking. Set your line at no drinking or at one drink, one beer, one glass of wine. I tell my guys “One is understandable, the second one has a different purpose.” If lust is your weakness, draw the line so you just don’t see movies, TV shows or subscribe to magazines that are going to suck you in. Charles Stanley taught years ago “Spiritual battles are won and lost at the threshold of the mind.” Not in the middle, at the beginning. You can opt out early and shut the devil down before he gets any momentum in your thinking.
3. Call for help – When Satan attacks, when you’re thinking stuff, contemplating doing something you know is going to open the door to evil, call Jesus and a friend. The name of Jesus has an amazing effect on ‘spiritual forces of the air’. Amazing things happen when you say His name out loud. He is the Light of the world. Where light is, darkness can’t be. So when you invite Him in, He shows up and the pressure’s reduced. Calling a friend and bringing your temptation into the ‘light’ of awareness – both yours and your friends – gives additional strength to your stand.
Question: Doesn’t it feel better knowing we aren’t called to defeat evil but to simply stand against it? That feels like a more ‘doable’ deal to me. How about you? Share here.
Breathe New Life Into Your Discipleship
Small group mentoring can help you engage your people, build your core group of leaders, and transform your church. Our free resources equip you with all the tools you need to launch a sustainable mentoring program.
Responses (6)
Regi —
wow. You have really opened up a big subject here. I really like what you said about calling for help. Saying the name of Jesus out loud. When you call him, he will show up. Thanks Regi!
v/r
Mark
This is an outstanding post, Regi. Thanks for sharing this with us. Stand, Don’t Open Doors, Call on Him and get some guys to hold each other firm.
I think a rewording is needed to be in line with our faith in Jesus Christ because He is not to be “invited in” again nor is He going to “show up” when He is dwelling within us as promised for all saved believers & He has never left. His help will come, but testifying as if He is not with you always is not in according to our faith in Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Matthew 28:20….and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Christ is in us and is with us always; may these youtube music videos from Christ Tomlin remind readers of this truth as we need Him in us always as promised so we can resist the devil as well as the temptations in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rR_Rdb1CTE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA5IDnpGhc
For believers that do experience the supernatural “showing up” of what they believe to be the Holy Spirit, the fact that He is in you means that spirit coming over you “again” is not the Holy Spirit, and you need only to call on Jesus for help to stand. I
In many of these movements of the “Spirit” wherein believers experience an initial supernatural encounter and thus not only do they chase after that spirit again to receive after a sensational sign in the flesh, even the sign of tongues which comes with no interpretation, but others that sees this are misled into believing they need that too, and some “address” the Holy Spirit to come come and fall on them, and thus invoking the phenomenon, and in many of these movements of the “Spirit”, believers are “falling”.
And yet we are to put on the whole armour of God to stand.
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore…..
What are we to guard against to prevent us from falling? Seeking to receive the Holy Spirit “again”.
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, ……
Yet some will attest to tongues coming by this same rudiment, but as some doubt that God’s gift of tongues is only of other men’s lips for God to speak unto the people ( 1 Corinthians 14:20-21 ) because they believe when tongues comes without interpretation, it must be a prayer language, they ignore these verses for our discernment in testing the spirits…
Matthew 7: 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
1 John 4:1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world…..4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
Proverbs 25:26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring. 27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. 28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
There is an apostate preaching of another baptism with the Holy Ghost with evidence of tongues which happens to come with no interpretation. and yet by this same rudiment, they address the Holy Spirit in these movements of the “Spirit” like “slain in the Spirit” and “holy laughter” movment where believers are falling down in receiving the “Spirit” “again” after that supernatural sign in the flesh.
Hence, Matthew 7:18 should prove that God’s gift of tongues is really only of other men’s lips to speak unto the people.
So this is how we stand by His grace & by His help, when we do not believe every spirit that comes over us but test them, even when they are supposedly bringing tongues which comes with no interpretation, because ..
Believers cannot receive Jesus again since He is always with us…
By His grace & by His help, keeping the faith by not chasing after the Holy Spirit to receive again when He is already within you by “faith” and not by sight, is the only way believers can stand to avoid falling for the devil.
Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Be kind of hard for the Son of God to keep this promise if He has the Holy Spirit doing “visitations” in causing believers to fall supernaturally.
I really believe that the battle has been won. That Jesus overcame Satan when he died on the cross and was accepted into heaven, as the perfect Lamb of God. The way I understand it, the power Satan has is deception. Our problem is a lack of light and therefore he has the ability to deceive and win. Most of the world , including a lot of the church is not walking in a lot of God’s Grace. Grace – God’s free power is available to us all. 100 percent. God has made many promises, many requests, and his Grace is available to live comfortably. The truth shall set us free. Humble yourself and God will lift you up. Pray. Knock on the door and he will open. I have found the truth I have received has come from revelation. Truth doesn’t come from from anyone but God.