RSS

Tag Archives: spiritual warfare

Faith as a Shield

12 Jul
Faith as a Shield

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. We’ve been going through chapter 6 in detail. In talking about God’s Armor, the next piece we’ll see is the Shield of Faith. That’s probably one of the most preached about in our generation.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16

There are some assumptions being made in this verse. Paul says that this is in addition to the pieces already talked about. This assumes that you’re already standing firm in the Word, walking in righteousness, and prepared to do God’s will.

We can stand firm in just these. What we have to realize is that when we take up the shield, we’re going from defense to offense in the spiritual battle. Up until this point, your goal is to keep the enemy from harming you.

You add the shield so that you can now defeat the enemy. You take up the Shield of Faith because you’re now going into the part of the battle where the arrows are flying.

Please understand that I’m not talking about saving faith. You’ve already trusted Christ for that. I’m also not talking about faith in the promises of God. I’m looking at using faith in the middle of the battle as a shield.

It’s your protection against the flaming arrows of the evil one. This means that there’s more than just one arrow headed in your direction.

That brings me to the word, shield, itself. The Greek word used in this verse is not the little one that looks like a trashcan cover. Get that picture out of your mind, even though most of the illustrations for the Christian armor look like that.

The word Paul uses comes from the word door. That’s because this shield is as big as a door. The soldier could hide behind it and be totally protected from these arrows as long as he stayed there.

That tells me that faith protects my whole life. So far, the armor has protected my mind, my heart, and my will. This piece protects everything else.

This shield protects me from evil. What kind of evil? I’m talking about the random evil that’s flying in the front lines. The archers on the wall loose a volley of arrows against those who are advancing. These are simply flying to take out whoever they can hit.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day…
Psalms 91:5

If the enemy can hit our flesh with evil, then our flesh will take us out of the fight. We’ll end up battling our own sin nature instead of defeating the devil’s kingdom.

These are the flaming arrows of the enemy. As the weapons of the enemy hit the wooden shield, it begins to wear away. If you just stand still in your Christian walk, you begin to lose ground. Your faith begins to fade.

That’s why prayer, reading the word, and fellowship with other believers are so vital to our walk with the Lord. We need to continue in all of these things just to stand still. If that’s the case, then I really need to build my faith for moving forward in God.

However, there’s one more purpose of the shield other than for protection. In the Roman army, everybody’s shield was painted differently. They did this because your shield identified your family. Members of the same family had the same design on their shields.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Hebrews 3:6

The fact is that we’re now in God’s family. This verse tells us that we can show it by our outspokenness. When we walk in faith, we can boldly declare our expectation in Christ. In that way, we show what family we belong to.

In my next post, I’ll talk about how to use and apply this piece of armor.

Question: How has God shielded you from the enemy’s attacks?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 12, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Unseen Battle

21 Jun
The Unseen Battle

I’m continuing my posts through the book of Ephesians. Paul is writing about the spiritual battle we’re in. I think that the church gets in trouble when it loses sight of this. If we don’t understand the battle, then we’ll never walk in victory.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12

The Scripture is clear. The battle takes place in the unseen world. My fight isn’t against people or even the issues that I can see with my eyes.

It would be so much easier if I could see my enemy. The fact is that there’s no group that you can point to and say, “They’re the enemy.” People and organizations are not the enemy.

We want to blame someone. “It’s their fault.” That’s not the attitude we should have. It’s clear from Scripture that the enemy is unseen. There is a whole spiritual world that’s just out of reach to our five senses. It cannot be felt or touched, yet it’s just as real.

The people around me are the casualties – prisoners of war held captive in unseen detention centers. Sometimes they don’t even want to be set free because the deception feels so good at the moment. My job is not to try and convince them to join with me.

The role of the church is to fight the unseen enemy. Tear down the invisible walls. Then turn the light on in the prison cells so that the captives can see the truth of their situation. Only then will they run to Christ the Savior.

But this seems to be the hardest thing to get believers to understand. Our struggle is not in the physical world, but the spiritual. It’s not us vs. the world. I’m not trying to get them to change sides. That will never bring about the desired results.

I want the same mindset that Jesus had when He walked the earth.

…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
1 John 3:8b

We need to know that there’s a spiritual world, and that’s where our battle is being fought right now. But how many of us really understand what that means? While many believers can quote 2 Corinthians 2:4 – the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world – we don’t get the whole picture.

We don’t use physical weapons, but does that mean that the war itself is any different than a natural war? The enemy’s kingdom is very organized. The verse I started with talks about many levels of authority in their ranks. It’s time that the church gets organized for battle as well.

We also need to realize that this unseen world is organized. Actually, it’s more organized than the church. The enemy knows that the battle for souls goes on 24/7. We like to take breaks and holidays from the struggle. We think that because we did something special for God today, we can take the next few days off – “let our hair down” for a while. I believe that’s why the church in America seems to be so ineffective for the most part.

Do you realize that Satan has never personally attacked you? He has probably never even planned anything to come against you. We only face the lower levels of the dark forces; the rulers and authorities.

That’s why when you step up in ministry there’s a shift to a more intense battle. You find yourself moving up the ranks and facing tougher opponents in the spirit.

It’s time for God’s people to take this unseen battle seriously. We need to begin living our faith the way God intended us to. We need to lift up the Word of God as an offensive weapon against the darkness of this age. It’s time for the light of Christ to shine through us to set the captives free.

Be a part of God’s victorious church. Arm yourself for the unseen battle through prayer and the Word. It’s time to strike fear into the heart of the true enemy – the unseen kingdom of darkness.

We need a revival.

Question: What needs to take place for the church as a whole to wake up?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on June 21, 2023 in Ministry, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Strong in the Lord

16 Jun
Strong in the Lord

As we continue through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we now come to the section known as the Armor of God. It’s all about the spiritual battles that we face. I feel that this is one of the most important teachings of Scripture, so I’ll probably spend a lot of time in this section.

It’s unfortunate that many Christians wait until they’re in the middle of a spiritual firefight to learn how to be victorious. I might be dating myself, but one of my favorite Sy-Fy movies is The Matrix. It had an interesting concept.

Because they lived in a virtual world, if they needed to know Karate, they could just download it into their brain. If they needed to fly a helicopter, they could download that knowledge. We need to realize that our spiritual struggle doesn’t work like that.

How do we prepare for the challenges ahead? The same way a soldier does. Boot camp consists of two aspects – knowledge and work.

For us, it’s knowledge of the Scripture and God’s voice. Then we have to work at implementing what we know to do.

You may be thinking, “That’s not an easy thing to do.” You’re right. In most cases it turns out to be beyond our ability. But that’s why understanding the spiritual battle is so important.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Ephesians 6:10

I’m glad that we’re not told to psych ourselves up and power our way through the challenges. I don’t want to have to rely on my willpower. I’ve got an advantage that the world doesn’t have.

I’m told to be strong in the Lord. Sometimes this goes against our nature. We want the ability to brag about our accomplishments. We want to say that our intelligence or strength was what it took to overcome the obstacles before us.

Many Christians would rather bury their heads in the sand than face the truth. We’re in a battle. We’re fighting for the souls of the men and women around us. Most of them are not even aware of what’s really going on in the spirit.

That’s why so often we make our plans then ask God to bless them. Wouldn’t we be much better off if we asked the Lord for His plan right at the start?

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11

The fact is that it’s not about my glory, but His. If I were able to lay hold of my own destiny, why would I need Christ? The work before me is too much for me by myself.

If you’re not facing any challenges, then you’re not living up to your full potential in Christ. That statement is true, whether we want to hear it or not. As much as we’d like a nice easy road, that’s not what the Lord promised us.

When we finally learn to admit this truth, life gets so much more enjoyable. Not that I can sit back and let God do all the work, but I know He’s there to cover my weaknesses. I don’t have to worry about whether I can handle the problem or not.

If I’ll draw on His strength and listen to the Holy Spirit, then there’s nothing that can stop me. We need to rest in God’s ability and not our own.

Question: What are you going through right now that’s too big for you to handle?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on June 16, 2023 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , ,

The Unity of the Spirit

19 Apr
The Unity of the Spirit

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, we must keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is beginning to emphasize our corporate walk. He’s showing us how to function together as the body of Christ on earth. This thought continues.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3

In order to grasp this, we must first define the term, unity. We must understand that there’s a big difference between unity and agreement. Most Christians use these two terms interchangeably. Actually, they’re two very different truths.

The Word of God is clear that agreement is when we think and believe the same way.

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 18:19

In this verse, the Greek word that’s translated, agree, is sumphoneo. It’s where we get our English word symphony. It literally means to sound together. You agree on the facts, so you speak the same thing.

This means that if I believe Jesus is Healer, and you believe Jesus is Healer, we’ll sound the same when we speak. In that case, we’re in agreement. That makes it a function of our soul.

Unity is a whole different thing. Look at the above verse from Ephesians again.

In the same way that agreement is a function of our soul, unity is a function of our spirits. What we need to realize is that we’ve already been made one in Christ. It’s now our job to keep or guard the unity of the spirit.

In the Greek, the phrase, make every effort, means to use prompt and earnest effort. This tells me that it requires work on our part. There’s something we need to do. In order to keep this unity, it will require the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

It’s all about allowing the Lord to connect me to those around me in the body of Christ. Only then can we fulfill our calling together. Listen to Paul’s exhortation to the Philippian church.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel…

Philippians 1:27 NIV

Whenever I read this verse, I have to change the tone of my voice. This should be read like a general encouraging his troops on the eve of battle. Their goal is to have complete victory over their enemy.

It’s the same for the church of Jesus Christ. Everyday should be considered life on a battleground. As a matter of fact, Paul will get into that further on in this letter to the Ephesians.

Too many believers don’t understand this fact. They think that they can float through life caring only for themselves. That’s a recipe for defeat.

The Lord, Himself, as well as the apostles make it clear that we’re in a spiritual battle. If that’s the case, then it’s impossible to win this victory all by ourselves.

Paul’s commands are perfectly clear. We are to stand firm in one spirit. That’s the only way that we can be contending as one man for the Gospel. In order to do that, we need to line up our spirits with the Holy Spirit.

I believe that this means we need to be praying in the spirit. It’s this prayer in the spirit that unifies us for the spiritual war that we face each day. This is the unifying factor in the church.

Question: How often are you involved in corporate prayer in the spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 19, 2023 in Fellowship, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

What Are You Trusting God For?

29 Dec
What Are You Trusting God For?

We’re continuing our walk through the Gospel of Luke. At this point, I’m posting about how Christ walked in the power of God. In my last one, I started talking about His time in the wilderness as He faced the devil.

It’s now the end of the Lord’s forty day fast. I can only imagine how the Lord was feeling at the end of this time. But at this point it’s over; He could eat now, according to the rules of fasting.

It’s interesting to see how the devil attacks Jesus. This is how most of our temptations are based. It will give us insight into how the enemy works against us as well.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Luke 4:3

Think about Jesus’ teaching. Specifically how He taught on prayer. In what we commonly call “The Lord’s Prayer,” He prayed, “Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)

This prayer is a Son praying to the Father. If you look closely at this line, it’s not a request. Jesus is assuming that daily bread is the right of a son. He doesn’t say that God promised it to Him. He simply lays claim to what He wants, knowing God’s provision for His sons.

That’s what life in the family is like. My children would ask, “What are we having for supper?” They didn’t ask if I was going to feed them. The assumption was that the food was theirs. I don’t see anything wrong with that type of thinking.

I believe that Satan based his attack upon this prayer. However, the enemy worded it in the form of a promise. He said, “If you are The Son of God…” He challenged Jesus to prove it by claiming the promise for daily provision. The sad thing is that we would have taken the bait, and we do regularly. Then we say that the Holy Spirit told us to do it.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.'”

Luke 4:4

Jesus’ response is clear. The fast was over. It was perfectly in order for Him to eat. But that wasn’t the issue. Jesus wasn’t there in the wilderness for the purpose of eating. He was there to hear from the Father.

In His answer to the enemy, Jesus quotes a verse from Deuteronomy.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:3

There is so much truth to be found here. The reason for fasting was to humble Himself before the Father. Jesus caused Himself to be hungry in order to feed His spirit.

It’s also important to see that in the context of this verse, Israel’s hunger was relieved by a miraculous provision of bread. That’s what the enemy was trying to get Jesus to copy. But the Lord didn’t take the bait.

The reason for His time in the wilderness was to hear a Word from the mouth of the Father. Jesus wasn’t there simply for recreational purposes.

Jesus was telling Satan, “I didn’t come here for bread; I came to hear a Word from the Father.” If the Lord wanted to eat, He could have brought food.

This is a classic strategy that Satan uses over and over again. Sadly, we continue to fall victim to it. We can be tempted to “over-claim” the promises.

In America we already have too much stuff and we’re constantly “believing God” for more. It seems that Christians are always “trusting God” for bigger houses, better cars, and more toys. Then, we get discouraged when our “faith” doesn’t pay off.

I believe that it’s time for God’s people to grow up and act like mature sons and daughters of God – like Jesus.

Question: What should we be trusting God for?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
2 Comments

Posted by on December 29, 2021 in Faith, God's Provision, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare, Times in the Wilderness

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Don’t Ignore Your Sword

24 Sep
Don’t Ignore Your Sword

We’ve been looking at the concept of authority in the book of Romans. So far I’ve talked about the chains of authority as seen in our society. However, there’s a spiritual side to this as well.

Last time, we left of in this verse of Paul’s letter to the Roman church. He is talking about the person in the position of authority.

For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Romans 13:4

This verse contains a deep spiritual truth that we often miss because we usually apply this only in the natural. Think about what the apostle is saying here.

He’s talking about those who have been given authority by God. Have you been given authority from God? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!!!”

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

Because of the work of Christ on the cross, we have authority over all of the enemy’s kingdom. We don’t have to fear them.

Another question to ask yourself is; are you God’s servant to do good to those around you? Again, the answer to that one should be a “yes.” We are all God’s servants, if we’re in Christ.

But, now we get to the important phrase; he does not bear the sword for nothing. Do you have a sword? That’s the big question.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17

We definitely have access to a sword. However, are we using it? Why has God given us the ability to take up this weapon?

God has given us the sword of the spirit. It’s the rhema-word of God. That requires us to be listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit.

The fact is, if you’re in Christ, then you are God’s servant. You’re in a position of authority. You have not been given the sword of the spirit simply for show. There’s a divine purpose for it.

As God’s people we’ve been given the assignment to clean things up spiritually. It’s just like in the old western movies where the Texas Ranger arrives at a lawless frontier town. Everything gets put in order.

We’re supposed to be wreaking havoc on the enemies’ turf. Isn’t that what the Lord told His disciples?

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Matthew 16:18

The gates of hell should not be prevailing against us. Where are the gates of hell? They surround the enemy’s strongholds. This verse is a call for us to walk in the offensive power of the spirit.

Unfortunately, many Christians bear the sword for no reason. Actually, a large number of us don’t ever pick it up.

According to the verse in Romans, we’re literally called punishers. Our goal should be to bring down God’s wrath upon the enemy’s spiritual kingdom right now. We should be putting fear into the hearts of demonic forces around the world.

But, that will require us to spend quality time in the Holy Spirit’s presence. It’s all about prayer in the spirit, meditation on God’s Word, and obedience to His voice. The body of Christ, in our generation, needs to wake up to this truth.

Question: How do you view God’s authority operating through you?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 24, 2021 in Encouragement, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Wrapped in Zeal

03 Sep
Wrapped in Zeal

We’re continuing through the book of Romans. Paul is showing us how to live our best life as part of Christ’s body.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Romans 12:11

In my last post we talked about having sincere love for others. But, right on the heels of that, Paul tells us that we need to be zealous for the Lord.

Zeal itself is a very strong emotion. It’s when you desire to possess some quality or possession of the one you’re zealous for. It’s actually the same as jealousy – only it’s the positive side of that quality.

But, I’m talking about being zealous toward Christ. This is a passionate, consuming zeal that’s focused on the Lord. It drives us toward the accomplishment of His will and the maintaining of His honor.

All of this is done in the face of whatever’s happening in the world around us. It doesn’t matter whether we’re in the middle of good or bad circumstances.

We’ve all heard of the armor of God in Ephesians, chapter 6. Many people talk about the need to put on this holy armor. But do you know that there’s one more piece of clothing available to us that covers it all?

Paul the Apostle was a Bible scholar. He knew the Scripture better than most others of his day. What we fail to realize, is that he didn’t come up with the teaching of the armor of God on his own. It was actually from the book of Isaiah.

In Isaiah, chapter 59, we see God Himself putting on the armor – at least the helmet and breastplate. This is His personal armor – it was made to fit Him. That’s why I need to abide in Christ for it to fit me. But that’s another teaching…

I want to talk about something else that Isaiah saw as the Lord was preparing for the spiritual battle.

He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
Isaiah 59:17

The reason that Isaiah could only see the breastplate and helmet was because God put on some clothes over the suit of armor. Did you know that one of these is available to us today?

It’s not the garments of vengeance. We know from Scripture that vengeance is His alone.

I believe that part of our problems stem from the fact that we want the armor but still fail to fully clothe ourselves. It’s the zeal of the Lord that covers it all. That’s one of the things that the church is lacking in this generation.

That’s why zeal is one of the first things that Paul talks about for the mature believer. It’s the cloak that should cover all that we do for Christ. He answers the question; when should we be seen without the cloak? NEVER!!

Zeal is actually our passion for the Lord on display for all to see. Of course, Christ must be the focus of our zeal. We need to get emotional about our God. We need to stir it up.

That’s what warriors do before a battle. They would hold council the night before they met the enemy. They’d tell stories of former victories, sing, chant victory slogans, and raise the war cry. All of this was to stir up the emotion of zeal.

In the spiritual struggles we face, there’s no difference in the way we achieve victory. God wants us to put on His zeal before we enter the heat of battle. We must take up this attitude: “I live for the honor of Christ!”

That’s why we should be running daily into the Lord’s presence. As we sing, worship, read and confess the Scripture, and pray in the spirit, we’re stirring ourselves up. There’s no better preparation for the battles ahead.

Question: How often do you get emotional about the Lord?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 3, 2021 in Encouragement, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Nature of Spiritual Warfare

28 Aug

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.  He has spoken very boldly to them on a variety of topics.

He knew that there were some critics in that church.  He knew what their response would be to some of his teachings.  He now wants to pre-empt their comments.

By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you — I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away!  I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
2 Corinthians 10:1-2

He gets right to the heart of the matter.  These people have a worldly mindset.  They view the church the same way they would see any secular organization.

It’s not the same.  The church is not an organization, but an organism – the body of Christ on earth.  As such, we live by a whole different set of standards.

That also puts us in the middle of a spiritual conflict between us and the world.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
2 Corinthians 10:3

We’re in a battle. Not against people, but unseen spiritual forces. Do we really understand the nature of this conflict?

I’ve heard Christians use the term spiritual warfare in many different contexts. Does our teaching line up with Scripture? That’s what matters.

At one point the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and made a statement I found hard to accept. What I heard on the inside was, “Do you realize that there’s been no spiritual warfare for hundreds of years?”

How can this be true? I hear people say they’re doing spiritual warfare all the time. We sing about it. We preach about it.  Eventually, I was able to understand what the Spirit of God was trying to get across to me.

In the above verse, the phrase, wage war, literally means to serve in a military campaign. This is where our definition of spiritual warfare falls short. Our skirmishes are not warfare.

According to the Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary, war is “a contest between or among nations…carried on by force or with arms.” That’s where we miss it. War is between nations, not individuals.

For instance, what if I got upset about some things that Canada is doing (I’m not!). What if I then covered myself in weaponry, Rambo style, then walked to the border of Canada and declared that I was going to war against them. How long do you think that “war” would last?

As crazy as that sounds, that’s what many believers do in the spirit. Then they call what they’re doing spiritual warfare.

We need to realize that true spiritual warfare will not take place until the church wakes up from its sleep. Then, in the spirit, we must begin to pull down the strongholds of Satan. This is not just the job of one or two bold Christians. It’s something that the Lord is calling us all to take part in.

We can either spend our time complaining about our society or doing something that will make a difference. Time on our knees before God will bring great change on the earth. Prayer, fasting, intercession, and prayer in the spirit are what it will take to bring revival to our land.

Question: What’s your part in this spiritual battle?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
1 Comment

Posted by on August 28, 2020 in Ministry, Prayer, Spiritual Warfare, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Spiritual Warfare – The Final Challenge

13 Mar

This will be my last post in the series about spiritual warfare.  I’m looking at Christ as our example.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Matthew 4:8-9

This was probably the greatest attack the enemy could have aimed at the Lord.  Jesus knew that God’s plan called Him to buy the world with His blood on the cross.  This would be an easy way out of that suffering.  But if He took the deal He would have lost it all.

It’s clear that the final attack is aimed at the world.  Why the world?  Remember the goal…our goal is not personal comfort or the safety of the church.  What we’re fighting for is to set the captives free.

That’s why we pick up the shield and advance forward toward the enemy’s camp.  It’s to save souls.

The battle must go from personal to the kingdom.  What I talked about in my last two posts was just a defensive battle.  Now you’re at hell’s gates.  Now you’re taking something from the enemy.

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Matthew 4:10

Jesus saw through the devil’s deception.  It was all about worship.  The Lord was being tempted to pay homage to the ruler of the world.

We fall into that trap when we decide that we want to impress the world.  You can’t do both; you can’t impress them and free them at the same time.

We are here to impose God’s freedom on the enemy’s kingdom.  But we lack understanding if we think it’s like opening up a jail or a prison camp.  It’s not like that.  It’s more like an opium den.  The people we’re trying to set free are all addicts to sin, just like you and I were.  It’s destroying them, but they don’t want freedom.

By the power of God, the church is out to break down the strongholds of the enemy.  In the eyes of the world, it’s like we’re removing their supply of drugs.  It’s the sin they’re addicted to that we’re attacking.  That’s why we’re so hated much of the time.

But that’s why we’re in the battle.  It’s to save lives.  The real question of all this is; are you willing?  Are you ready and able to go to spiritual war?  This generation of America is at stake.

The Lord is looking for the faithful.  He’s calling to assemble His army.  You’re needed on the front lines.

Question: What role do you play in this war to set the captives free from their bondage to sin?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 13, 2020 in Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Spiritual Warfare – It’s Bigger than Me

11 Mar

I’m posting about the spiritual battle that we have to contend with as believers.  I’m using Christ as our example.  In my last post, I talked about the devil attacking who we are in Christ.  The next attack is more subtle.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Matthew 4:5-6

Remember that I said it’s not about mindlessly quoting the Bible.  That doesn’t bring about the victory.  In this verse, we see the reason for that.  The devil has the Bible memorized.  He can quote it better than we can sometimes.

What is this attack?  By using the Bible, Satan is trying to attack the church.  He wants to go through you to bring down other believers.

If you’re a warrior, then the enemy needs to bring you down so that he can attack the church. That’s what the verse meant that said that the battle entails persistency and petition around all the saints. (Ephesians 6:17-18)

Other Christians aren’t really watching the battle.  Many times they’re off in “praise land,” never realizing that they’re being protected.  There are those whose ministry is interceding for them – protecting them.

Why would the devil have told Christ to jump from the temple?  The angels would have protected Him and it would have fulfilled a prophecy from Malachi.

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
Malachi 3:1

Had He jumped off the roof, Christ would have appeared suddenly in the Temple.  The people would have flocked to Him.  But what would they be following?  In a word – sensationalism.

God doesn’t want us following the spectacular.

“He’s on TV, he must be spiritual.”

This attack asks; am I going to build God’s kingdom?  Am I going to protect God’s people?  Or am I going to live for self?  This attack happens after a victory in another area.  I’ve overcome the temptation to sin, now I want the fame, recognition, and money that I deserve.

This attack is all about whether I want to advance myself or God’s kingdom.  Many choose to exalt themselves.  The body of Christ is not a place for self-advancement.  It’s got to be the Lord who exalts us.  Christ’s answer to this attack was simple.

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Matthew 4:7

This is making God the focus of our examination.  The fact is, God doesn’t have to prove He’s going to bless me before I serve Him.  I obey Him because He’s God.  He’s done so much for me already; the Lord has nothing He needs to prove to me.

It’s when we need something more than what Christ has already provided that we fall victim to this trap.  Instead of testing God, our goal should be simply to hear and obey Him.

Question: What are some of the things we chase after that are unneeded in our Christian walk?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on March 11, 2020 in Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →