I n 1974, Albert Morris wrote a song called “Feelings”. It was a sappy song about feelings of heartbreak over lost love. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes I like sappy Hallmark movies and all that, but this guy repeats the word “feelings” so many times in the song that it seems his emotions have taken over his life and left him in misery. The point I’m trying to make here is that often we too allow our feelings to control us. However, through faith in Jesus and obedience to all he taught, we are given authority over the enemy, who speaks lies that affect our feelings. We have the power and the authority to control our feelings instead of our feelings controlling us.
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19)
In a spiritual warfare Bible class I recently attended, the speaker Dean Sherman affirmed our authority over the enemy by driving home the point: “He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world” (1John 4:4)
He also said: If someone can make you angry, then they have authority over you. Basically, you are giving YOUR authority away. That was a revelation to me and I vowed not to allow the enemy any control over my feelings any longer.
A sister in Christ, who was facilitating the class, taught us that if we don’t apply our knowledge of Biblical revelation on a register basis, it will build up like a veil over our eyes, like a bunch of knowledge just sitting there. Scripture tells us that Jesus healed a blind man by putting mud on his eyes and telling him to wash. We will walk around in a state with spiritual eyes that do not see until we’re obedient to this metaphorical washing.
“AI” explains the analogy like this: just as washing prepares clothes for use, washing the mud off your eyes is symbolic of washing your mind to prepare it to receive and retain new information. The act of washing, especially when done repeatedly, can also be seen as a metaphor for the repetition and reinforcement that is necessary for knowledge retention. The reinforcement is the applying of what has beed revealed.
So, it was time to wash the metaphorical mud (all the Biblical knowledge I have learned) off my eyes and prove I heard and understood the revelation, and was ready to follow through. However, as usual, God tests everything He reveals to me.
Before the class even ended (online), my loved one came barreling into our home, loud and annoying with habits that can drive me crazy. After an hour of constant annoyance, anger began to well up in both my husband and myself.
I removed myself from the room and remembered what I had just learned. I warred with the enemy declaring my authority over him and I refused to give it away. I decided, no matter what, I wasn’t going to be angry. When I felt calm, I came back into the family room and sat down with the family. Then it was my husband’s turn, as the annoyance persisted. I watched him storm into the bedroom in silence.
Later that evening, we discussed the situation as it related to the class and realized we both had done the same thing. We maintained our authority and repeated “He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world” like a mantra. We were determined to sleep in the peace of Jesus that night, and leave that enemy defeated.
The enemy is not our loved one. We knew this was a spiritual battle and the enemy was using our loved one’s behavior to get the better of us. The awesome thing was, not only were we victorious in maintaining our authority over the enemy and his tactics, but our loved one’s behavior was subdued as he became calm and more self-controlled. All praise to God our Father who gives us every spiritual blessing promised by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
You can overcome mountains (big problems) with the authority you have been given by Jesus and being obedient to use it.
In the book of Judges, over and over again, the Israelite tribes were not obedient to what God told them to do. They lacked the faith to believe God and take Him at his Word. As a result, they never overcame their enemies. Instead, they decided to dwell with them and make them a slave force. This is what happened with most of the nations in Canaan. (1 Kings 9:21) But generations later, because they chose to dwell with the enemy instead of being obedient to Yahweh, they became the captives and were forced to serve the king of Babylon for 70 years. (Jeremiah 25:11) The point of this is: If you don’t overcome the mountain, the mountain will overcome you and your future generations.
For example: If you are battling for a loved one to overcome alcoholism, but you “responsibly” drink alcohol, you are dwelling with the same enemy spirit that you want your loved one to overcome. Even if you are not an alcoholic, you are allowing that enemy spirit to reside alongside you in your land. Not only will it be more difficult for your loved one to overcome that mountain, but the next generation could be cursed with the disease as well. (This is called a generational curse that can be overcome through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice at the cross.) *Please understand that I am not saying drinking alcohol is sinful, as there are instances in the Bible where wine was consumed.
There was a judge of Israel who knew the authority he possessed through faith in his God, the God of the covenant of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. His name was Jephthah and this is part of what he spoke to the King of the Ammonites in refusing to give back the land the Lord had given them.
“… whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess.” (Judges 11:24 (NIV)
This is another verse that can help you affirm your possession of authority. It is worthy of repetition in the first person. Say it to yourself: “Whatever the Lord our God has given me, I will possess.” He has given you authority over your enemies, He has given you salvation, healing from sickness and disease, and he has delivered you from captivity…if you believe it and accept it. Look at what Jesus said after being tested 40 days in the wilderness.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 NIV)
If you take Jesus at His Word, you can be an OVERCOMER. You can overcome all the enemy pits against you. These spiritual battles can be won by being a doer of the Word. So, like me, wash the mud from your eyes and practice what you’ve learned. But remember, spiritual warfare is a regular part of the Christian life, not a one-time event. By faith you can step into victory…however long it takes.
Thank you for reading my blog. Stay tuned for more of “Why the Word”.
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