We look at the life of Jesus and how He lived. Many think that Jesus was a pacifist, and those that believe that don’t understand war, the enemy, or how to fight.
We warn our children about strangers and we teach them how to stay out of trouble, but the sad truth is, we don’t teach them how to fight the most important battles against the fiercest of enemies. In growing up, I was always taught to “turn the other cheek,” to avoid conflict at all costs because that’s what Jesus would have done. This man-made, worldly philosophy laid the groundwork for me being beaten by an enemy that has no interest in peaceful co-existence, only to steal, kill and destroy my life. While Jesus never fought in the ways that most people think, He did engage in true warfare, an obedient soldier to the end, with victory being won on the cross.
There are conventional means of fighting that we are all familiar with. We fight using our fists, our words, education, through our finances, but these are only earthly tactics that have no bearing in the real world of the spirit. The spiritual world is the real arena, with the physical being the poor reflection that we look into – a mirror darkly – that shows not the true reflection of the reality for which we walk, but ghosts and shadows of limited existence. Every one of us has been trained, to a degree, to fight in a pure terrain fashion, but few understand how to put on our real armor, not to mention how to wield a sword. If you are still groping in the dark and haven’t found the light, you are an instant casualty, but if you’ve found the light of Jesus Christ, you have a battle plan, defensive tactics, and weaponry that can defeat an enemy with every stroke.
Sadly, most Christians instantly show their bellies by one of two methods, not fighting because “that’s what Jesus would do,” or they ignore training.
Jesus didn’t fight, He was a pacifist.
Every time I hear this clap-trap, bile begins to come up through my throat. While Jesus didn’t use a right-cross, he did wield a pretty big sword, tear down strongholds, and cast aside arguments with anyone who would challenge Him. Jesus never backed down from a fight, but he didn’t engage in carnal battles, but warfare of a spiritual nature, which is the real arena. Jesus knew the enemy’s tactics and went directly at them with the Word of God. He understood that Satan, nor demons/unclean spirits can’t openly defy God as they are subject to His Laws and commands. They can corrupt, but they are given permission to do so up to a point. No demon, not even Satan, could go directly against God’s Will if they had not been given permission to do so first by God Himself. This is why the “other guy” and his backup singers like to work us.
Why do Satan/demons go after humanity?
There are multiple reasons and the halls of theology are full of books that go into theories, but I’m going to put my own theory out there that might take up a page or two. Satan and demons cannot directly defy God, but they can indirectly defy Him by using us (humans) as proxies. Humanity can say “no” to God’s commands, even if God were to allow bad things to happen to us. We have been given free will and nothing can take that away or make us change our hearts and minds if we choose a path to walk on, even if the course of our decisions were to lead to destruction or paradise. The enemy whispers enticements and works our flesh-points so that we can defy God for them to the detriment of our souls. This battleground is our fight, and it’s a fight that we (Christians) are losing by listening to an enemy that doesn’t want us to train, put on our armor, or pick up a sword for the sake of looking like a peaceful false savior that was manufactured by the temporary ruler of this world.
We ignore our training.
Too often, Christians are taught to ask God for help in every battle that comes our way. We run to our Father every time the playground bully hits us in the nose with tears of “why did he do that?” streaming down our downcast face. We allow this filthy tyrant to take the things that God has given us, like our health, our marriage, finances, and other assets God has entrusted us to manage and care for. We wonder why bad things happen and never take into consideration that when we roll over and show our bellies to an unmerciful enemy, he’s gonna keep on kicking us, even when we are down – they get pleasure from it. We ask our Father to fight our battles, the battles we can fight directly, all the while, God has given us the tools and the authority to not only fight but win and take back everything the enemy has taken from us!
I used to say “well, I’ll just let the Devil take those things, it really didn’t matter,” until I read about what David did when the enemies of the rightful king came and took what was given to him by Abba Father as found in 1 Samuel 30:16-21:
“And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.””
It’s important to read the entirety of chapter 30 for context.
David did not give up until everything – and then some (“…this is David’s spoil) was returned and the enemy lay dead or was running away. Some may think “well, that was the Old Testament, but that’s not the case anymore.” To those that think that way, you’ve had so much taken from you by the enemy that you have already bowed in his shadow. Truth is being ignored and we are losing our battles for the sake of a false narrative. To capitulate the truth for the sake of peace is to collaborate with the enemy in the face of God.
Jesus never collaborated with Satan for the sake of peaceful co-existence, He fought until His dying breath on a cross long ago and His “spoils of war” came by way of God giving Him authority over Heaven and Earth, giving us authority to trample the enemy every time they poke their snake-like heads out of their holes attempting to bite our feet while we walk through this mortal coil.
So, what are we to do?
Some time ago, a sister in Christ was going through some major health issues. I had found out about them through her posts on Facebook, and I felt led by the Spirit to speak the truth about her situation. This is what I wrote:
Before you go to war, read 1 Samuel 30 in its entirety. You are about to go to war, not with illness, but with unclean spirits that have taken your health. You do not stop fighting until everything that they have taken from you is back in your hands. God has given that to you, and it’s not Satan’s to take.
You will have people in your life that will watch you go through this and become weary like the men who went with David, and you will have others in your life that will feed your negativity. To all of those, you must cast them off and fight with those who will fight with you. You and the God that lives on the inside of you (Romans 8:9-11) WILL be victorious.
First, you must cast off the devils by the authority of Jesus. It’s good to do this with another Christian who believes, as we are meant to do this as an act of service for each other. They must say “in the name of Jesus, I bind and cast all devils from this area and all of their works.” It may take a little time, and you may encounter resistance, but this must be done first.
Once this is done, command, in the same manner, healing to be in that area, as well as the rest of your body. From this moment on, after all has been done, the resistance begins, and you know that we have the power given to us by God himself that if we resist the devil, he will flee. You resist him by thanking God for the restoration that has already happened and is now happening. You praise God every time you feel afraid – demons and the Devil hate that.
This applies to all Christians in every area. We don’t wrestle with earthly things, but against spiritual things that rebelled against God so long ago.
NEVER SURRENDER TO THE ENEMY!
