Uncovering the Devil's Strategy

[Episkopos]

In this episode we seek to uncover what has been covered up; to dig up what has been buried; to expose the devil's strategy - that of taking what is of God for himself. Are we truly standing naked before God? Is the Lord truly our covering, or have we sought refuge in an ideology that we seek to justify ourselves with in our natural and unbroken condition?

 

[Lizbeth]

In this episode we seek to uncover what has been covered up; to dig up what has been buried; to expose the devil's strategy - that of taking what is of God for himself. Are we truly standing naked before God? Is the Lord truly our covering, or have we sought refuge in an ideology that we seek to justify ourselves with in our natural and unbroken condition?

Rom 3:19-28

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no FLESH be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.



The apostle here is telling us how it is the FLESH of man, the fallen flesh nature, that is not justified before God……ie, it is the old man living which is not justified. However those in Christ are justified because through faith in Christ, the old man is put to death, and through receiving Christ, His Spirit, we have become new creatures….our new man is created perfect, ie, after the image of Christ….it is spiritual. And now it is BECAUSE we have been justified and received Christ, the new man, we are admonished to learn to walk in it/him…to walk worthy of what has been done within us…..that is how the scriptures talk and teach. He, the new man, is in us like a seed in a manner of speaking, that needs to grow and mature until it becomes a fruit-bearing tree……like Jesus Himself was born of God as a babe and grew and learned obedience through the things He suffered….being the example and forerunner for us. Corn of wheat (seed) hidden in the ground of our earthen vessel must “die” in order to produce a crop.

The flesh and fallen nature (self) is the problem we all have (through inheriting it from Adam)……..because the devil allures through the flesh, and that is the thing we are called to overcome by the new spiritual man within. We are on a journey of learning to overcome the flesh/self…..a journey of apprehending that for which Christ apprehended us. Paul was ahead of most of us because of the measure of grace he received, as an apostle in the newly born church and “great grace was upon them all” in the beginning (and because of the truth that who is forgiven much loves much…Paul had been forgiven of much, having cruelly persecuted the church). And yet even he said that he didn’t consider he had yet apprehended. It seems as though whatever level of growth and grace one attains, there is still more that can be attained. I suspect that even those who have apprehended the “second blessing” and are walking in it still continue to keep growing both in understanding and spiritual maturity. (Of the increase of His government there is no end, perhaps because the Lord Himself is eternal and infinite. Even the angels are depicted as still learning in heaven, wondering and marvelling at things that were being revealed that they hitherto had not known.)


You touch on quite a few things that I can agree with, things the Lord has shown me too……..eg, false covering that we all took refuge in, and the need to be naked before the Lord as it were….His strength is only made perfect in our utter weakness, not when we are relying on self and its false coverings. But I just beg of you to reconsider and not take away the foundation without which it would be impossible for the rest of the building to be built to completion. Perfection without has to come from the perfection within….it is even like a revealing of it as the veil of self/flesh nature is torn/broken.

 

[Episkopos]

You touch on quite a few things that I can agree with, things the Lord has shown me too……..eg, false covering that we all took refuge in, and the need to be naked before the Lord as it were….His strength is only made perfect in our utter weakness, not when we are relying on self and its false coverings. But I just beg of you to reconsider and not take away the foundation without which it would be impossible for the rest of the building to be built to completion. Perfection without has to come from the perfection within….it is even like a revealing of it as the veil of self/flesh nature is torn/broken.

My contention is that most are building on the foundation of Christ with wood, hay, and stubble...based on a very human understanding of AVOIDING going back to Jesus for the finishing of their faith...and that due to crazy doctrines that appeal to the flesh that seeks salvation for itself.

 

[Lizbeth]

My contention is that most are building on the foundation of Christ with wood, hay, and stubble...based on a very human understanding of AVOIDING going back to Jesus for the finishing of their faith...and that due to crazy doctrines that appeal to the flesh that seeks salvation for itself.

Yes, Christ in us is the foundation........just think, His perfection, righteousness, holiness and life are in IN us and belong to our new man. Building with wood, hay and stubble is about building with things that are not of Him, not of His Spirit and not of faith. But if a believer is truly following the Lord in sincerity and seeking Him and His kingdom, and growing in Him, they are being built up in and by the Lord, and He will finish the good work He began in us. If by crazy doctrine you mean the doctrine of imputed righteousness and being justified by faith in Christ, that is not crazy, that is the essence of the gospel and being saved by grace apart from works. Justified means exonerated....a judge has the power to exonerate someone even if they are guilty. In our case exoneration is just and justified because Jesus has paid the penalty for us, and we have agreed to the transaction.

 

[Episkopos]

Yes, Christ in us is the foundation........just think, His perfection, righteousness, holiness and life are in IN us and belong to our new man. Building with wood, hay and stubble is about building with things that are not of Him, not of His Spirit and not of faith. But if a believer is truly following the Lord in sincerity and seeking Him and His kingdom, and growing in Him, they are being built up in and by the Lord, and He will finish the good work He began in us. If by crazy doctrine you mean the doctrine of imputed righteousness and being justified by faith in Christ, that is not crazy, that is the essence of the gospel and being saved by grace apart from works. Justified means exonerated....a judge has the power to exonerate someone even if they are guilty. In our case exoneration is just and justified because Jesus has paid the penalty for us, and we have agreed to the transaction.

You are avoiding the difficulty of entering into the Beloved. Many will seek to enter in but be unable. This generation doesn't even try to enter in....because of automatic "exoneration". A race is not about exoneration...it is an ordeal meant to train and pressure us to high effort...in this case a test of faith. Those who do run in a race run all, but only one wins the prize. Because of strange doctrines no one seeks to win Christ.

What I see you doing is confusing standards...whether it is being a guest at the wedding feast of the Lamb, or else being the Bride. Sitting in the wrong spot gets you ejected into outer darkness, potentially. Claiming to be something one is not is iniquity. We are told to depart from iniquity. Blessed is the person to whom God does not impute iniquity. Blessed are the humble who don't claim anything for themselves.

 

[MatthewG]

I personally believe that the Devil has been done away with.

Many people say Satan/Devil is still running around, I don't believe that to be true anymore, considering Jesus put the Devil in his place, and destroyed him.

As a Song says "I am my own worst enemy!" And nothing far more is said, that could make that any more truer than it stands independently on its own, but they also say "Those who are doing something on an independent move" are deceived.

Just as much as a person who states "Sorry hunny, you didn't have faith enough. Therefore, God never healed you."


There is a lot of sick dark things, that go on behind the door of religion, all caused by the same person. The person who wants it.

 

[Lizbeth]

You are avoiding the difficulty of entering into the Beloved. Many will seek to enter in but be unable. This generation doesn't even try to enter in....because of automatic "exoneration". A race is not about exoneration...it is an ordeal meant to train and pressure us to high effort...in this case a test of faith. Those who do run in a race run all, but only one wins the prize. Because of strange doctrines no one seeks to win Christ.

What I see you doing is confusing standards...whether it is being a guest at the wedding feast of the Lamb, or else being the Bride. Sitting in the wrong spot gets you ejected into outer darkness, potentially. Claiming to be something one is not is iniquity. We are told to depart from iniquity. Blessed is the person to whom God does not impute iniquity. Blessed are the humble who don't claim anything for themselves.

Yes, blessed are the humble who don't claim anything for themselves....but give all the glory and thanks and praise to the One to whom it belongs because He is the One who is worthy. The more we go along the more we realize the truth of both our own unworthiness and His worthiness. It is for good reason we will lay our crowns at HIS feet. And we must run the race lawfully to receive the crown.

We see the unwise virgins in the parable seeking to enter in, but are unable to.......for the simple reason that they had left it too late to obtain the oil needed for their lamps to light the way, and the door had been shut. The parable agrees with this:

Luk 13:23-25

Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are


And this also agrees with where it says elsewhere to seek the Lord while He may be found.....and while it is still called "Today".