Galatians 2:20

[faithfulness]

It is victory over the Devil because, if there is one thing that is the playground of the Devil, it is unbelief, and if there is one thing that the Devil is always seeking to promote and maintain, it is unfaith. The hallmark of the Devil's work from the Garden to the end is unbelief, doubt of God, to question about God and God's ways - and God's motives. That is where the Devil is coming all the time - with an 'if'. If this and if that. If God were what He says He is, then this would not be. You know the thousands of 'ifs' and 'buts' of the Devil. The only power of victory over the Devil is faith in God. We can use the language of victory and power over Satan and it counts for nothing. We must have a new position of power over the enemy. The key is faith; it may be faith in the Blood, or in the Name, or in the Lord, but it is faith.

It is power over the world. "This is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). The world in this sense is that whole system and order and atmosphere and attitude of things which must have the seen, and the present. What is the mark of the world? It must see, it must have now. Anything that is unseen and not present is utterly outside of the mentality of the world, and we know how much of the world there is in our nature and the battle is there. Faith overcomes that world that is in our own natures and around us. "The things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18). Faith has to do with those things.

We could talk for many hours on the matter of faith. Please do not think I am laying down the law to you. God knows the battle in all of our hearts on this matter and how true we know this to be in our own experience. We simply talk to one another solemnly. We shall always have to fall down before Him and say, Lord, increase our faith! There will be many times when we shall say, Lord, I have not faith for that, I have not faith to face this, to accept this. It is a matter of a new dealing with the Lord on this question of faith. There is the fact, it has to be faced, to be settled, to be resolved again and again. Everything depends upon it - the Victory in every realm, going on with the Lord, getting through to what God has purposed. It is all this matter of faith in God, and thereby being well-pleasing unto Him. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Heb. 11:6). Lord, increase our faith!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

But I see another dimension to faith. I see it as a key to a greater realm. If trust could be seen as defensive in nature, there is an aggressive aspect to faith that takes ground away from the enemy to capture it for the Lord. The Kingdom of God is entered into by a forceful faith that moves INTO intimacy with God. Trust implies that we wait on the Lord in a patient way...which IS very important. I think it comes down to there being a time for every purpose..and a measure of faith for every aspect of the walk in Christ.

Yes, I agree about the aggressive aspect. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men take it by force. I’ve thought of it as adamant, obstinate stubbornness but aggressive stubbornness is a better way to put it. He makes our forehead very hard.
Trust is a shield, for defense, and the word is a sword, for violent thrusts. At first we use mostly the defensive weapon of trust but when God sees we learn to not put it down (learn the obedience of trust) He recalls to our minds a verse when needed that gives us something not just to defend against fiery darts with but to damage with also. That’s training our hands for war.

I think it’s why we are so delighted when we hear the story of the old farmer with his last 3 hogs he slaughtered for food for he and his wife during the depression. We admire the story because he used both the shield and the sword so well and victoriously. The man had killed his last 3 hogs and hung them in the barn and a neighbor with a wife and kids came begging him if he had anything left to eat he could share. He said he would give them a hog. He went into the barn to get it and began thinking, I will give him the smallest one since these are the last of our food for the wife and I and I don’t know what we will do when they’re gone. Then he muttered, no, he will have the biggest one since he has many more mouths to feed and if you don’t shut up I’ll give him ALL of them!

And yes, that patient aspect is also there. After you have have done all you can to trust and stood your ground, you wait.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

It is victory over the Devil because, if there is one thing that is the playground of the Devil, it is unbelief, and if there is one thing that the Devil is always seeking to promote and maintain, it is unfaith. The hallmark of the Devil's work from the Garden to the end is unbelief, doubt of God, to question about God and God's ways - and God's motives. That is where the Devil is coming all the time - with an 'if'. If this and if that. If God were what He says He is, then this would not be. You know the thousands of 'ifs' and 'buts' of the Devil. The only power of victory over the Devil is faith in God. We can use the language of victory and power over Satan and it counts for nothing. We must have a new position of power over the enemy. The key is faith; it may be faith in the Blood, or in the Name, or in the Lord, but it is faith.

It is power over the world. "This is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). The world in this sense is that whole system and order and atmosphere and attitude of things which must have the seen, and the present. What is the mark of the world? It must see, it must have now. Anything that is unseen and not present is utterly outside of the mentality of the world, and we know how much of the world there is in our nature and the battle is there. Faith overcomes that world that is in our own natures and around us. "The things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18). Faith has to do with those things.

We could talk for many hours on the matter of faith. Please do not think I am laying down the law to you. God knows the battle in all of our hearts on this matter and how true we know this to be in our own experience. We simply talk to one another solemnly. We shall always have to fall down before Him and say, Lord, increase our faith! There will be many times when we shall say, Lord, I have not faith for that, I have not faith to face this, to accept this. It is a matter of a new dealing with the Lord on this question of faith. There is the fact, it has to be faced, to be settled, to be resolved again and again. Everything depends upon it - the Victory in every realm, going on with the Lord, getting through to what God has purposed. It is all this matter of faith in God, and thereby being well-pleasing unto Him. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Heb. 11:6). Lord, increase our faith!

I will have to check out that author when I have time. Thank you for sharing those posts. The man saw what I have seen, the entire wilderness time, our whole wandering life, is over trust. It isn’t over doctrines. It is about doing all we can to stand firm in trust. If we all did that, we would enter the kingdom now, because it is the only thing He wants from us. It is ONLY unbelief that prevents us from seizing the kingdom of God now. I question if we aren’t just wasting time with talking about anything if we aren’t building each other up in our trust.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Many Christians seize some part of this world or some part of the self with so tight a grip that they spend their whole lives making only a snail’s progress toward their Center. Thank God, sometimes your Lord, out of His boundless love, strikes the burden violently from your hand. It is then that you realize just how very much you had been hindered and held back."

This describes all of us at some point. And where one of us is hindered and held back we all are. We are no different than Israel. Talk about a snails pace, forty years and they still didn’t come to what God had for them because of their refusal to stubbornly and aggressively choose trust over all their fears.

If God said of the men who had the unity of one language, they must be stopped from building because now nothing they purpose to do will be impossible for them, what do you suppose would happen if we all came to the unity of stubborn and brave trust? Nothing we purposed to do would be impossible for us. If trust the size of a mustard seed can say to a mountain, be moved, and it will be moved, the unity of trust is what satan will work against and will create any and every obfuscation around. He has no problem with our arguing over doctrines, but he is terrified that we will come to the unity of trust. He is terrified we will see the importance of and will build each other up in, trust. He is terrified we will drop all the busy and distracting brickmaking of debating and focus with laser precision on our lack of trust to make sure no one lags behind in it.

 

[faithfulness]

This describes all of us at some point. And where one of us is hindered and held back we all are. We are no different than Israel. Talk about a snails pace, forty years and they still didn’t come to what God had for them because of their refusal to stubbornly and aggressively choose trust over all their fears.

If God said of the men who had the unity of one language, they must be stopped from building because now nothing they purpose to do will be impossible for them, what do you suppose would happen if we all came to the unity of stubborn and brave trust? Nothing we purposed to do would be impossible for us. If trust the size of a mustard seed can say to a mountain, be moved, and it will be moved, the unity of trust is what satan will work against and will create any and every obfuscation around. He has no problem with our arguing over doctrines, but he is terrified that we will come to the unity of trust. He is terrified we will see the importance of and will build each other up in, trust. He is terrified we will drop all the busy and distracting brickmaking of debating and focus with laser precision on our lack of trust to make sure no one lags behind in it.

Amen. Love your choice of phrase "focus with laser precision." Military and spiritual warfare speak.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
[The book of Hebrews was written to Hebrews who had studied the Torah and Prophets].

"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

Note His love and purpose of fruit and fruitfulness from Genesis to Revelation.
And come to love His amazing grace in rebuke and correction [with discretion] through His Body.
25 Important Bible Scriptures on Rebuke – ConnectUS (connectusfund.org)

Might I add in conjunction:
The first commandment: שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל Hear O Israel; the Lord our God is one..[And and and]
Deuteronomy 6 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.kjv
So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah. cjb
Thus hearing = with the intent to obey = the obedience of faith...

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Stand firm is a command as you know and not a suggestion.
7 Biblical Verses on Standing Firm (godsfingerprints.co)

Thanks for your bold fellowship on the forum and taking the time to read lengthy posts that some won't.

Blessed be the Holy One

 

[farouk]

Amen. Love your choice of phrase "focus with laser precision." Military and spiritual warfare phrase!
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." Never thought I'd come to see His amazing grace through rebuke and correction, and His love and purpose of fruit from Genesis to Revelation.

25 Important Bible Scriptures on Rebuke – ConnectUS (connectusfund.org)

Might I add in conjunction:
The first and greatest commandment: שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל Hear O Israel...
Deuteronomy 6 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. kjv
hearing with the intent to obey = the obedience of faith...
So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah. cjb

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Stand firm is a commandment and as you know, not a suggestion.
7 Biblical Verses on Standing Firm (godsfingerprints.co)

Thanks for your bold fellowship on the forum and taking the time to read lengthy posts that most won't.

Blessed be the Holy One

Hebrews 4.12 is the first quote there, right?

 

[faithfulness]

Hebrews 4.12 is the first quote there, right?

Right.

 

[farouk]

Right.

@faithfulness A searching verse, indeed....

 

[Behold]

Legalists spend all their time talking about faithfulness, ...their own......as if its impressive.
God is not impressed with you., when you spend more time or all your time talking about commandments, and self effort, and never do you talk about the wonder of His SON, and what He has done for you.
But, if you like, ... go ahead and FAKE IT, and write a few sentences, and then you can get right back to your usual posts about commandments and your own self effort, (faithfulness).

Now...Let me tell you what is Impressive.
Its GOD's Faithfulness, to save you, and keep you saved.
It Philippians 1:6, where God says He started your born again Sonship in you, and will be FAITHFUL to complete it........for you.
See that?
THAT is impressive.
That's worth shouting about, as well as dying for..........absolutely.

 

[Behold]

Something that blows me away is that God himself, in all his holiness and love, would dwell in the heart of man - in me!

We have been brought into union with God by the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can separate us from him any longer.
He is closer than our breath.
He is more real than the very ground beneath our feet.

The New Testament is filled with truth about our union with God.

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Romans 6:4 “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Colossians 1:27 “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

There is never a single moment that you are apart from God.
God is in you and with you through every trial, success, victory, and defeat.
He is for you and available to you all day, every day.
Even in our sin, God remains.
Even in our rebellion, God dwells within us.

What’s left for us to do is learn how to allow this union to permeate every area of our lives.
To work out our salvation is to learn to cast aside that which belongs to our former self and live out of our new identity as unified with Christ himself.

If we’re going to truly centre our lives around meeting with God, we must learn to acknowledge the fact that he is already with us.

He is not a distant God who has to travel from his throne in heaven down to us whenever we make time for him.
He’s not a God who only dwells in churches, fellowships, ministries, or clergy.
He is the God who dwells within you, loves you, likes you, and longs to be with you in constant communion.

Take time to renew your mind to the truth of your union with God.
Ask him to reveal his nearness that you might “walk in newness of life” today (Romans 6:4).
Make space in your heart and mind to allow the presence of God to permeate every area of your life.

Fix your eyes on Jesus!

……………………..

Prayer
Spend some time meditating on your union with God.
Renew your mind by placing your trust in Scripture rather than your feelings or past experiences.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Cor 5:17

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” 1 Cor 6:19-20

As Jesus begins to live in us, everything about us begins to change.

· Our minds change.
· Our desires change.
· Our wills change.
· Our relationships change.
· Ultimately, our reason for living changes.

Possessions and position are no longer our priorities.
Comfort and security are no longer our concerns.
Safety is no longer our goal, because self is no longer our god.
We now want God’s glory more than we want our own lives.
The more we glorify God, the more we enjoy Him and realise that this is what it means biblically to be a Christian.

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ" Phil 3:8

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal his nearness.
Ask him to help you be a person who receives rather than strives and who rests rather than toils.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

So often we take feelings of loneliness, rejection, shame, and guilt and believe that they must be truth.
Truth isn’t found in our emotions, but rather in the word of God.
Our mind is the gateway to our emotions.
We feel the way we do because of what we perceive and believe.
If we engage in the process of renewing our mind to God’s word, our emotions will get in line with truth.
You and God are one.
There is nothing you or anyone else can do to change that.
Allow the truth of Scripture to guide you into a lifestyle of centring your life around the union already available to you in Christ.

Sent to me via e-mail.

Nice post.