Trials, Blessings and Cursings and Walking with God

[Axehead]

Do we really need the Greek to understand the Word? We have the Holy Spirit and experience. We are to experience the "doing" of the Word and when we do that, we will experience what the Word really means. That is what I mean by "our experience". You cannot really know God unless you are willing to obey His Word and walk with Him. Then you get to know Him and the powers of darkness much better. Not that we are trying to get to know the powers of darkness, they just come with the territory. I knew nothing about the powers of darkness until I began to walk with the Lord. That is because I was no longer in "agreement" with them. When you are no longer in agreement with the Devil you wilI begin experiencing the spiritual battle of Eph 6 that you all know of.

Ok, this is a rhetorical question (you don't have to answer). How many know that the "blessings and curses" are still here, today?

How many can remember a time in their life when they sinned and were unwilling (for whatever reason) to turn from that sin (as a Christian) and stop and can testify that this then brought down God's hedge of protection in their life and they were attacked by the "powers of darkness" (chastening from the Lord)? That attack could have manifested in any number of ways.

How many know that God uses the "powers of darkness" to chasten us so that the "peaceable fruit of righteousness" will manifest in our lives?

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

And when you repented of your sin, the Lord restored you. I am sure there are some testimonies of this situation, however I don't expect or am I asking for anyone to "testify".

Here is another situation which I don't need the Greek for. How many have been obeying the Lord and walking in purity and righteousness and faithfulness before Him according to the revelation they had, and yet you were still attacked by the "powers of darkness" and afflicted. You can't think of any reason why it happened but later could testify of something the Lord brought out of your heart through that situation that you needed to know about in order to go deeper in your walk with Him. It seems like there is always something else that the Lord wants to reveal to us so that we can deal with it, and when we do, it brings us into a deeper walk with Him.

This is the refining process of God, in conforming us to the image of His Son.

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Now, with these two situations, are we called to judge one another or comfort, encourage and pray for one another in the Lord?

Job shows us that we really don't know the cause of our brother's external problems unless of course the brother knows himself and tells you. The book of Job teaches us to have compassion on one another, understanding that the Lord is dealing with every one of His sons.

Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

No one is free from spiritual warfare and attacks and we all lose many battles along the way as we are learning how to walk with God and trust Him. However, we will win the overall war through Jesus Christ, if we faint not, if we do not draw back in unbelief.

Finally, I do not believe that if one has been afflicted with a sickness and they don't get healed before they die that they will then lose their salvation.

Axehead

 

[THE Gypsy]

...“The scriptural way to see things is to set the Lord always before us, put Christ in the center of our vision, and if Satan is lurking around he will appear on the margin only and be seen as but a shadow on the edge of the brightness. It is always wrong to reverse this—to set Satan in the focus of our vision and push God out to the margin. Nothing but tragedy can come of such inversion.

The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf; they have but to stay close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears but the presence of the shepherd.”

Excerpt From: Tozer, A.W. “Born After Midnight.”

 

[Axehead]

...“The scriptural way to see things is to set the Lord always before us, put Christ in the center of our vision, and if Satan is lurking around he will appear on the margin only and be seen as but a shadow on the edge of the brightness. It is always wrong to reverse this—to set Satan in the focus of our vision and push God out to the margin. Nothing but tragedy can come of such inversion.

The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf; they have but to stay close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears but the presence of the shepherd.”

Excerpt From: Tozer, A.W. “Born After Midnight.”

Amen! Good quote by Tozer. Setting sin as our focus will set Satan as the focus. Holding fast to Jesus will keep Satan out.

Notice that Paul and Peter don't ignore Satan. Rather they give some very important instructions concerning him.

Paul understood this and knew that we could give place to the Devil. He had to deal with that many times amongst the Believers.
Eph_4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

We are commanded to resist Satan with steadfastness, since he will continue to attack. He doesn't take weekends off.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Ananias failed to resist the Devil and the consequences were cursings to him and not a blessing.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Alexander the Coppersmith, failed to resist the Devil, too.
2Ti_4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

1Ti 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
1Ti 1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Rather than submit to God, Ananias turned his heart toward greed (sin) and wanting to look good before men (pride), thus in not resisting sin, he was submitting to the Devil.
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

It is ok to know about your enemy, in fact it is very important not to be ignorant. Paul mentions that he was not in the least ignorant of the Adversary.

2Co 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Paul knew quite well about the cleverness, trickery and deceit that the Devil employs to entrap those who are ignorant of him.
2Co 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.

We are told that the Enemy can come as an "Angel of Light", therefore it is important to have discernment and understand what an impostor looks like. The Word of God and the Spirit of God give us discernment.

2Co_11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Paul had more experience in the area of the Devil's deceptions than he probably cared for.
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

The deception of the Church brought much grief to him as it does to all those who love the truth.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Yes, Paul was not ignorant of the Devil's devices nor his intentions and did not want us to be ignorant, either.

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

He was operating in a prophetic way when he said that "grievous wolves would enter in amongst us" after he died.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

And that these "wolves" would arise from within our midst.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Paul set an example for the Church to cease not to warn others of these wolves that would seek to draw disciples after them rather than point people towards Jesus Christ.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Axehead

 

[THE Gypsy]

Believe me, I know the enemy up close and personal.

Tozer also made the statement regarding Satan, in the same book,...“I have observed among spiritual persons a tendency either to ignore him altogether or to make too much of him. Both are wrong.”

 

[Axehead]

Believe me, I know the enemy up close and personal.

Tozer also made the statement regarding Satan, in the same book,...“I have observed among spiritual persons a tendency either to ignore him altogether or to make too much of him. Both are wrong.”

Yes, and praise God we cannot "make too much of" Jesus Christ.