A few years ago I had a short, yet very vivid dream.
The dream started with a man trying to get in our back door. He had one foot in but I was pushing hard against the door and managed to close and lock it. Suddenly, I saw him through the window walking around the side of the house, and I remembered that I had left the front window open, so I ran to the living room where he was already trying to climb in.
Now, in the dream my hubby was not at home at the time, but I pretended to call out for him to “get the gun” as I was trying to keep the thief out of our home.
I was yelling threats at the intruder, and I had even grabbed a blunt object that I preceded to pound over his head.
My efforts were keeping him at bay, but he was still half way in our home, and smirking up at me the whole time.
Suddenly, I woke up.
A bit shaken I prayed, “Lord, what was that about?”
He spoke to my heart, “My child, you are trying to fight spirtual battles with physical weapons. This is why you are so weary.”
Then the Holy Spirit gave me these two verses.
“Wherefore He says, God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:6-7
I knew exactly what the Lord meant.
I was struggling with circumstances in my life, and fighting battles that have already been won in Christ Jesus!! That is why the “thief” was smirking at me the whole time in my dream. Because when we fight problems through only physical means (by our flesh/human efforts), this is the devils territory. In truth, we are called to “fight the good fight of faith” in what Jesus has already provided for us by grace. (1 Tim. 6:12)
“Submit to God” means to trust in Him/His word. You should arm yourself with every verse that deals with your particular circumstance “battle” with a victor’s stance on His word, (by meditating/chewing on/speaking & declaring) until it gets down into your heart. “How a man thinks in his heart so is he.” Proverbs 23:7
I had been studying the word for many years, yet in recent months I had neglected to “abide” in Him (His word/presence) to build up my faith muscles.
“Now faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1
See, I was living off of “yesterday” faith, not “now” faith, this is how the devil was able to steal my joy and peace in a difficult situation. I was worn out, both mentally and physically because “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) I had forgotten that, “… we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12)
And when you soul is not at rest, it affects your physical body as well. “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drys the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
I was not focusing on God’s love for me and Jesus’s victory over the devil, I was too busy fighting off the intruder. We are not fighting the devil anymore. He is a defeated foe!
You know, by choosing to stand (believe/put faith in) the word of God over what we see, taste, hear, smell or feel, we are “resisting” (actively fighting against) the devil.
When truth comes in, light is shed in our lives.
And when a burglar trips the alarm, the bells go off, the property is flooded with light, and the thief flees in terror!
As I was writing this column, and reflecting on these truths, it occurred to me that when we are abiding in the word of God, then we are fully equipped and ready to rebuke Satan.
If he even approaches us, and tries to steal the word from us, alarms will sound in our spirit, and the light of the Gospel (good news) will send him running … before he even gets a foot in the door. We can/must “take every thought captive unto the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)
We are standing on the word of God, and reminding Satan that every born again child of God is in the body of Christ, and “all things are under His feet,” therefore Satan is under OUR feet. Eph. 1:19-23
The devil knows this. But he is not sure if we do.
“Fight the good fight of faith.” 1 Tim. 6:12
(All scripture taken from the NKJV.)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
