Winning The Invisible War Part II

I know this is late. But hey, better late than never, eh?

This is a period of turmoil. The magma is brewing before the volcano erupts. The safety valve is dysfuntional, and the pressure is building up in the sealed pot. The matter is about to implode anytime, and when it will blow is up to anyone's guess. Only God knows the time, and the Time is nigh.

Winning the invisible war. M'sia is going through a period of spiritual warfare. How well we fight the war depend on how prepared we are. Are we loosening up? Are we compromising the truth for convenience? Our arrows to our bows are still abundant, our voices not hoarse from battlecries, much energy is still left in us, therefore, not until we are deprived of whatever resources we have, we shall not yield to the enemy. This is the begining of a new era. Let us take what is rightfully ours.

The series of Winning The Invisible War is not a peroration, it is an analytical view of massive flooding of our nation, the course of a revival. Like a magician, a sheet in placed over his forearm. When he pulls it away, a pigeon appears on his wrist. This is a transitional period, His hand is upon us.

Once again, this point is stressed: we do not choose to engage in a war. But in this turbulent period, war is already at hand. It's not a choice we undertake, it's an obligation we must not forsake for the furtherance of development, be it personal or at a national level. We may choose not to fight, but the barrage of offenses will not cease until we are whipped to our knees, begging for mercy, which will not be shown by the devil. The evil one feeds on our weaknesses, our falls. The weaker we are, the more triumphant it is.

The devil intends to destroy us via 3 networks: the world, the flesh, the devil itself.

Our world seems more corrupted that it is righteous. Each man is living for himself. Everything from the media, our speech, our actions, our thoughts, the business world, the business of politics, everything is being defiled. All works are tainted by misdemeanours. No one's right, and there isn't much we can do, except to minimise the damage. We put up a resistance against the evil one. We win battles, we lose some; the war is not won until the second coming of our Lord Saviour. The devil does not have a weak eye. It spots our weaknesses, and it only attacks our weak points. To fully and effectively repel its advances, we need to put on the full gamut of the holy armour. It's given freely to all, the choice to don this armour lays on our free will.

We are all God's children. Put the theories that say otherwise aside. Science must not contradict the Word, but merely a study to explain His creations. As demons are stationed in various arenas to tempt us, to influence us, to dictate us, so is the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit upon us wherever, whenever we are. We receive inputs from both sides, but our outputs come from ourselves. There may be times, however, we shut of input from one side. This happens when we're compromising the truth for convenience. Yes, the assumption that the input from the Righteous One is blocked is made here.

Worldy systems are made to demote God. The way of the world promotes self gratification and feeds the flesh. Our worldly lifestyle, philosophy, thinking and mindset is bent to fit our means. Are we so flexible, that our moral values can be so flawed. Where is our foundation? Where is our backbone? Where are our principles? Are we so spineless that we lean against any structure that provides temporary stability. Are we compromising the truth to our convenience? (Read 1 John 5:19 and John 13: 22)

In Ps Timothy's sermon, when we yield to the ways of this world, we start:

1. to be squeezed into its mold of thinking and philosophy. The world sells you the idea of a lifestyle it wants you to have.
2. to question God's word, His purpose and plan.
3. to gain approval from our peers, thus conforming to a certain lifestyle.
4. to treat Christianity as a religion i.e. Sunday (or Saturday) church attendance and tithes become a routine. We stop living the way of Christ.
5. set His agendas aside.

It's a dangerous territory we're venturing in. It's uncharted, unmapped. Let us give thanks for the presence of the Holy Spirit, that we are always guided.

The next network: flesh. Read Galatians 5: 17.

Our Creator knows our carnal desires. He knows our tendency to sin. We harbour an evil capacity to sin against Him. It is not easy to reject our flesh.

He knows, so He provides a solution to every problem. He knows we need Him, so He is always there. He gives us peace against our inclination to sin. By giving in to our flesh, we begin to:

1. live independently from God
2. live for pleasure
3. choose with clear self agenda
4. sin and rebel against God

To receive Christ is not to stop sinning. We are imperfect beings. By submitting ourselves to Christ, we are putting our trust in Him to shape us, to allow Him to work in our lives, and in return, we subject ourselves to His works by repenting. To live for Christ is to gain the enmity of the world, the flesh, the devil. We do not have to be a pastor to be an ascetic. He calls for us to redeem the world, so we have to be placed in various work envinronments to spread His word.

Lastly, the devil as our oppressor. It delights at our falls. It clasps its deformed, malicious hands in glee when we commit mistakes. The devil works out schemes and plans to invade our spiritual life. Like an incoming wave, it splashes on us. Unlike a wave, it does not recede. It is like a creeper, once grounded, it sets it roots deeper into our spirituality. It gets harder to uproot the evil entities, the more we allow it to grow.

The levels of satanic invasion are these: spiritual negligence, willfull disobedience and lifestyle of rebellious actions.

1. Spiritual negligence starts with a mild attack e.g. mild bitterness, mild negative thoughts, mild indulgence. Little by little, it accentuates. Mild becomes occasional. The grip on reality slackens, and we begin to compromise the truth to satisfy our temptations. Once in a while, we convince ourselves it is alright to sin because we falsely remind ourselves we are still in control. The rot to decadence, thus begins. You feel the tustle, but with time, God's Holy Word is dismissed. Carelessness and compromise sinks in, like an anchor setting the vessel stationary.
2. Thence, willful disobedience becomes second life. There's no more clamouring between the good and bad. At this time, the evil one is gaining ground. We close our ears to the Holy Spirit. Now, the devil is on the passenger seat, navigating us. Frequent indulgence sets in. We begin to disobey without any sign of repentance. We start to resist God and His voice. We allow Satan a foothold to work in our lives. We are confused with right and wrong.
3. Outright indulgence commences. It's no longer a sin to lie, no longer a sin to live a life of corruption, no longer a sin to curse, no longer a sin to covet. Our rebellion (words, thoughts) is brought to the open. Satan has succesfully penetrated our defences, and its flag planted to signify its triumph. With this victory, Satan builds a new barrier, one that resists the Word of God. At this stage, we are conquered by the evil one, acting as a demonic stronghold. We give heed to demonic voices. We become evil people.

The question is this. Have you given ground to the enemy lately. Are you allowing it more space to work? Are you resisting the devil. Look at your life. What are your weak points. Is the devil winning the spiritual warfare. You can't win this war alone. As we speak, our Creator, the Forgiveness of Sins, is knocking at the door. He does not barge His way in. His knocks are soft, and His ways loving and brisk. Welcome Him into your life, and He will breathe new life in you. He will renew you. He will uproot the devil, and in replacement, plant the Holy Spirit in you. Let His face shine on you, let His hand move yours, let His love cleanse your sins. Read Deuteronomy 10: 12-13).

He does not ask much. He only wants to see your life lived according to His Word. This is a corrupted world we are living in. We can't live it with our own efforts.

The final words are these: if we're not doing the will of God, we might be, we may already be, doing the will of the devil. (2 Timothy 2: 26, 1 John 3: 8)

Winning The Invisible War Part I

References from this entry are from Ephesians 6: 10-20, NIV Life Application Study Bible and Ps Timothy's sermon. As a reminder, the notes I upload here are subject to my interpretation. If any questions should arise, please feel free to leave a comment. I missed this sermon by Ps Timothy, so this entry is made possible by Edwina's notes. Thanks Ed!

The first part encompasses the structure of methods that the enemy engages to overcome us, the second part deals with the networks that work under Satan's flagship. I hope the reading of this entry is as serious as the constant tapping my fingers are on the keyboard, as vigorous as how my mind is working, and as convicted as how the Holy Spirit is stirring my heart. Any light-mindedness, I urge to be extinguished for a while, lest the Word of God is looked upon with contempt. Spiritual warfare is real, and it's taking place every minute of the day. Let's start taking notice of its significance.

As a martial artist is taught of delivering deadly blows, evasive defence movements, increased efficacy of kicking styles, so is the demon schooled in elaborate methods to deceive and entrap us. Yes, it is not up to us to look for the devil; a hungry, blood-thirsty predator does not wait for its prey, rather it stalks its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike. It knows our shames, our guilt, and intends to use them to its advantage. When the moment is right, it switches mode from being an observer to being an invader of our life, because we have unconsciously allowed it to. Our shambles, when not submitted to The Forgiver of Sins, are exploited by the evil one. That is where, instead of battling against the evil one, we find ourselves already enslaved by it.

The devil masters in 5 techniques of trap setting. Let's run this down point by point.

1. Devour. This is perhaps the main objective of the evil one. It wishes to destroy us. It wishes to run us over, to trample us like a mass of stampede whilst we lay helplessly on the ground. It wishes to devour our soul and spirit. And it does not stop until it has achieved its goal. It is, again, up to us to set a resistance against it. Be self-controlled and alert. We all have our weaknesses. None of our wall of defence is complete; there are weak points, cracks on it. The evil one is cunning, it strikes at our weak points. The Word of God asks for us to resist when there are times like these (1Peter 5: 8-9).

2. Wiles (Ephesians 6: 11). "The enemy watches, takes down notes, waits patiently, slowly but surely. His schemes are systematic, well thought out procedures and plans to entrap us". While we wile away our free time with idleness, the enemy is thinking of ways to expand its blackening, darkening territory within our faintly lighted body. We must not wait for it to strike. As the devil is under Satan's tutelage, we are under God's protection. The contours of our great foundation in Christ must not be upheaved. Daily devotions, prayers, fellowship with our brothers and sisters- these are vital steps towards creating a impervious lattice against contamination and corruption.

3. Devices (2 Corinthians 2: 11). Are we not aware of the enemy's schemes? Therefore, be vigilant. Honesty never fails. Compromise leads to lies. When we sit on the fence with our back facing the devil, it shall gag us, chain us up and blindfold us when we least expect it, and like a kidnapper, pulls us down to the abyss that we may never see light at the end of it. Unlike a kidnapper, it demands no ransom. It wants our soul and spirit. Are we focusing at the wrong goals? Take a moment to reflect. The armour of God consists of the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the footgear of readiness to spread His word, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of God (the Word of God). Put on the pieces of armour God has forged for us.

4. Foothold (Ephesians 4: 26-27). A foothold for the evil one is like an open door of a rich home to a burglar. The level of difficulty for the breach of our defences depends on how strong the resistance we put up. When we compromise, we have already faltered. When we put our trust in God, and heed his words, we are strong and unyielding to the enemy's attacks. If the enemy has set up camp within your territory, burn it with the Holy Spirit, lay siege upon it, flood and drown its occupants with the Word of God.

5. Opportune time (Luke 4: 13). Before you wave your flag of victory, take a step back and re-examine your losses. Yes, this time you have conquered the devil in His mighty name. It does not stop there. As long as we are alive, as long as we have breath in us, spiritual warfare does not end. As God does not give up on us, so will the devil continue his endless tirade towards destroying the bridge that connects us with God.

Let us continue the steadfast and faithful relationship with our Heavenly Father. Persistence and Patience.

Spiritual Warfare

A friend in need is a friend indeed; one of the few idioms that I learnt as a child. When I was stressed over a major exam, a friend flooded my message inbox with Bible verses and words of encouragement. I admit, I am ashamed of myself for not doing the same for her. I was riddled with personal problems a few weeks ago that I forgot that some of you had an even larger hurdle to cross. I wouldn't say I'm a lousy person, but as a friend, I concede that sometimes, there are much more I can/should do.

I have been taking notes regularly, but I couldn't seem to post them, not for technical reasons. This blog is not about me, it's about blessing others, for reasons only God would know. I wrestled with Him. I asked Him many questions. He answered me through these verses: Galatians 5: 7 and Luke 17: 10.

Attacks were coming from all directions, and I found myself caught in the crossfire. There were many issues I had to deal with. Actually, there was only one, but from that issue, sprung others that were unknown. I was, in one way, confused with all the input of details. I got out of it, and with it, gifts and endowment that brought much joy to my soul. I wanted to cry craven, but He did not give up on me. He used people close to me to reverberate His message. His message was trenchant and piercing, that I did not have much choice but to heed His words.

Admist the entire period, He was impressing me another connection; a dyadic. I realise, if I could decipher this miraculous code, it will stay with me forever. It would be perpetuating. I am not able to generate much thought into that yet, let's see how that goes. All in His time.

I missed the first part of last Sunday's message (Winning The Invisible Part I). I was in my hometown. Little did I know, that the message preached by a guest speaker in my family church carries a similar meaning to the one which was preached two days ago. Both speakers shared about spiritual warfare. Let me share with you the message spoken by Rev Peter Chin. I will follow it up with Ps Timothy's message in the next entry.

Be Filled With The Holy Spirit Ephesians 5-6

Being filled with Holy Spirit is a command, not a choice! This is evident in Ephesians 5: 18. We are rebelling against our Creator if we refuse to be filled. However, it is not by our efforts, but by God's grace we are filled. Therefore, pray persistently to be filled. Truly, He listens to our prayers. The weight of persistence is significant, and He does not take it lightly. This, in turn, is evident in Luke 18:6. The sin of omission is great, so let us not make the mistake of ignoring His Word. The Bible is not merely suited to our means; He demands absolute obedience, not a half-hearted one.

Now, what is the importance of the Holy Spirit? Why must we be filled?

Much is said about the devil. Many movies are made about them. Horror movies usually end with a triumphant note for the evil one. The most important lesson, perhaps, the only lesson, that is learnt from these movies is that we are continuosly being attacked by the devil. He does not let us off easy. The devil is like a roaring lion, ready to devour whenever an opportunity is given (1Peter 5: 8- 9). Warfare is real, and many of us are in bondage. Let us not fear the evil one, but to realise that they hold a certain degree of power of us, only if we allow it to. Let us also realise that God gives us authority over them.

We fight the war against the devil, to win the world for our Lord. This task is not impossible. But vital steps must be taken, His commands must be adhered to. Christians have to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The next question should be this: What are the requirements to be filled?

Complete commitment to our Lord and Saviour. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. We can only be filled when we let go of ourselves and surrender the key to our body to Him. He is not a god of force, He knocks, but only enters when we open the door to welcome Him. The time for Him to fill us is only when we surrender truthfully to Him and Him alone. Think of it as a host-guest relationship. By surrendering, we are inviting the Holy Spirit to scrutinize our thoughts and personal memories. No details are spared, no embarrasing and detestable memories spared. The act of surrendering is parallel to our will to be changed.

Now, the filling of the Holy Spirit is not a one time experience. It is a continous process. The next question: How can we be continously filled?

Simple. How do you remember a fact? Continous enforcement. Keep searching, keep submitting. When you're constantly filled, you would want more. If you're passionate for God, why can't you weep, dance, shout and sing for God? Nonetheless, if you're not submitting yourself to God, you are not being filled even when you're singing or worshipping Him. Submission involves all areas of our lives. God is omnipotent and omnipresent, He is not only there when we're praying or in church. He is everywhere, and anytime of the day He is with us. He is with me when I'm watching a movie, He is with me when I'm typing this, He is looking at me when I'm kicking the ball. He hears me when I utter words abhorrent to His ears. There isn't any moment in our lives we can hide from Him. We never win a hide-and-seek game against Him.

The HS endows us with the spirit of adoration and appreciation. I believe when these virtues are present, there is a decresed tendency to complain and to murmur. On the contrary, we become more encouraging and humbly grateful. Prayers made in the spirit of murmuring is not condoned by Him, thence the absence of the manifestation of the HS. Pray with encouragement and the spirit of thanksgiving.