I’ve been posting about the link between forgiveness and revival. I think that it’s clear from Scripture that the spiritual battle is not only fought on the ground. There’s a higher aspect to it.
In my last post, I talked about Daniel’s prayer while in Babylon. As he was praying and interceding on earth, the angels were warring in the sky. If we want a breakthrough in our nation, then there must be a spiritual battle.
As in any war, it requires strategy. It’s not just about politics. It’s not even about me sharing the Gospel with someone. We’re in a spiritual war.
Another lesson that we need to learn is that it’s not just up to individuals. In an army, soldiers don’t just wake up and say, “I’m going to go out and fight today.”
“I’m going to do warfare today.”
That doesn’t work in the natural, so why do we think that it has a lasting effect in the spiritual?
Understanding forgiveness will give us a view of the whole war. We are so intent on our individual fight. When that happens, we get self-absorbed and that’s the exact opposite of being humble.
In warfare it’s imperative that I know what the enemy’s objective is in attacking us. What’s our objective in the spiritual war, as the body of Christ?
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
John 20:21
Jesus said this to His disciples after the resurrection. “In the same way that the Father sent me…” Jesus’ objective was to destroy the works of the evil one. How can we do that? There’s only one way – the same as He did.
And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
John 20:22-23
The victory comes through the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, there needs to be forgiveness – the picking up and removal of sin. Sin is that which misses the mark. We are to heal society by forgiveness principles. The principles of sin removal.
In actuality, the word, forgive, is not in second half of the above verse. The word used is seize, take hold, dominate, or arrest.
When we deal with society, sin and people in sin, there are two objectives. The first is to remove sin. This means getting someone saved and/or healed. It might even be getting a godly law passed.
The other objective, if people refuse the Good News, is to arrest sin. We can take dominion over it in the Name of Christ.
“This far and no further.”
Then, we can push it back in the spirit. In my next post I’ll wrap up this subject showing what I believe is God’s way to overcome evil and bring about revival in our nation.
Question: What are the evils that need to be arrested and pushed back in our nation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
The Spirit and the Word 