Tag: Proverbs 28:13

Spiritual Warfare – Part 2

In today’s reflections, I will be sharing a summary of what the Lord Jesus has been teaching me through Biblical Restoration Ministries (BRM) concerning the biblical process for finding freedom in Christ that delivers us from spiritual bondage.

As stated in the first part of this spiritual warfare series, Satan is a defeated enemy. He has been stripped of his power at the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 2:13-15; Heb. 2:14-15). The Devil has no power over God’s children except what we permit him to have in our Christian lives. Here is a summary of the steps to freedom in Christ: [1]

1. WE MUST SEE AND FEEL SIN AS JESUS DOES. That is, we must have a genuine repentance of sin. When a Christian expresses a desire to find freedom in Christ, it is important not to assume that he or she has genuinely repented of his or her sin. Only the Holy Spirit can convict us of sin (cf. John 16:7-11).

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth, “8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.” (2 Cor. 7:8-9). The “sorrow” the Corinthians felt from a previous “letter” Paul wrote to them, was of a “godly manner” (2 Cor. 7:8-9). This sorrow they felt was what God felt about their sin. Since Jesus dwells in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 3:16-17; Gal. 2:20), genuine repentance of a Christian feels what Jesus feels about something, especially our sin. This is key to experiencing victory over spiritual bondage. When we feel and think the same way as Jesus does about our sin, we experience God’s deliverance from that sin.

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Cor. 7:10).  “Godly sorrow” or grief about our sin that God sees and feels, “produces repentance leading to salvation.”  The word “salvation” refers to “deliverance” from that sin. Since Paul is writing to Christians (2 Cor. 1:1, 8, 19-24; 3:2-3; 4:13-14; et al.), he is not talking about deliverance from the penalty of sin to get to heaven. He is talking about deliverance from the power of sin so one may grow spiritually and experience victory in his or her Christian life over that sin.

“The sorrow of the world” is grief about getting caught in our sin or having to face the consequences of our sin. This type of sorrow does not deliver from that sin. Instead, this grief produces “death.” Godly sorrow feels and sees sin the same way God does and leads to repentance that delivers from that sin.

2. WE MUST TAKE BACK THE GROUND GIVEN TO THE ENEMY. As discussed in part 1 of this spiritual warfare series, we give “place” or “ground” to the Devil (Eph. 4:26-27) when we refuse to let go of our sin, confess it, and forsake it (Prov. 28:13). Satan wants to build his “strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4) of lies on the ground we have given him which will begin to undermine our relationship with and testimony for Jesus.

After repenting, the way we take back that ground we have given to the enemy is by making an open declaration that what we did was wrong. This involves announcing that in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood, we are asking Him to take back any ground we have yielded to Satan. We announce to the forces of evil that right now, we renounce Satan’s works and ways in our lives, and that we want nothing to do with them any longer.

Logan writes, “For many this declaration is where the real battle starts. Why? Because they are standing against Satan, in most cases for the first time in their lives! These are Christians who have let Satan push them around and keep them in bondage their whole lives without ever once resisting him.

“Remember that ‘ground’ is legal jurisdiction. It is like giving the enemy the key to my house. Whey I yield ground, I am giving the enemy permission to attack me with destructive thoughts and temptations. Looking at it from another angle, I have strayed into his jurisdiction, his territory, and that gives him a claim I must renounce.” [2] [emphasis added]

The occult is one area where we can clearly give Satan ground on which to build his strongholds. Other areas include bitterness, lack of a clear conscience, pride, sexual sin, and unforgiveness. [3]

Once all the ground has been taken back from the Devil (his legal right to attack us), then it is time to command the enemy in the name and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to leave and go where Jesus sends him, never to return nor send replacements.

3. TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDS. The Devil is a liar (John 8:44). As discussed in part 1, a “stronghold” is a fortress of lies that Satan builds in our hearts and minds (2 Cor. 10:4). Unlike fortresses that are built with stone and brick, these strongholds cannot be destroyed by the weapons of our flesh.

What undermines and destroys a lie? The truth! Christ said that the truth is what sets us free from bondage to sin and shame (John 8:31-32). The more we abide in Jesus’ word, the more we will know the truth which will help us identify the lies we have believed so we can replace them with Jesus’ truth (cf. Psa. 119:28-29).

Keep in mind that Satan is a deceiver (Rev. 12:9). Since Jesus defeated the Devil at the cross (Col. 2:13-15), Satan’s only power in our lives now is in the lie and deception. A deception is when our mind and emotions believe something that is not true. Deceptions may be 90 percent truth and only 10 percent lie, but the power of a deception is only broken when we discern that it is a lie.

Our enemy is not only a liar and a deceiver, but he is also “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10).  Satan will accuse God to me, me to God, and me to me. He will intrude his thoughts into our minds and then accuse us for having them. [4]

For example, if you listen to your parents constantly criticizing you, you will begin to believe you can’t do anything right or be good enough. Satan can use that critical voice to develop thoughts and feelings of deep inadequacy and insecurity so that they become a stronghold in your life.

The Bible says the Devil is “the ruler of the world” (John 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; Eph. 2:2). He can use his world system to shape our beliefs. He may use family, peers, education, politics, television, social media, and even the music we listen to. That is why it is essential that we renew our minds by thinking God’s thoughts through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (Rom. 12:2). One way to do that is by focusing our minds on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Phil. 4:8).

4. BUILDING TOWERS OF TRUTH. When we tear down a stronghold, it is important to build a tower of truth in its place. This involves reprogramming our minds with the truth about ourselves, God, and Satan and his ways. God’s Word, the Bible, is the ultimate source of the truth we need to replace Satan’s strongholds of lies. Then when the Devil comes with his intruding thoughts – lies, deceptions, and accusations – we can flee to the tower.

I love this verse: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Prov. 18:10). “The name of the Lord” Jesus Christ is our strong tower. He is “the truth” (John 14:6) and He is “full of truth” (John 1:14). When we “run” (not walk) to Jesus and listen to and do what Jesus says to us in His word, we can be “safe” from the attacks of the evil one.

5. TAKING THOUGHTS CAPTIVE. The Bible instructs us, “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Spiritual warfare takes place in the mind of Christians. We see this with the use of the following words: “arguments… knowledge… thought.”

God wants us to take “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). We are to bring our thoughts in line with what God desires and what pleases Him.

Evans writes, “Satan’s strategy is to block the knowledge and/or application of God’s Word in the thinking of believers so that they can be held hostage by his lies, which are communicated through false teaching.

“If addictive behavior is present in a person’s life, that behavior is not the stronghold but merely its fruit. Strongholds can only be demolished by the knowledge of God – that is, by truth. As Jesus told his disciples, ‘The truth will set you free’ (John 8:32). When your relationship to the living Word connects to the written Word, ‘you really will be free’ (John 8:36). If you’re not taking every thought captive to obey Christ and are instead succumbing to a stronghold, it’s because you either don’t know the truth or aren’t making use of the truth you know.”  [5] [emphasis added]

Another reason a Christian may not be taking every thought captive to obey Christ and is therefore succumbing to a stronghold, is because the thought is not from himself. It may be from the Devil or his wicked spirits. Such a thought requires Jesus to take that thought captive. I believe this is what happened in Matthew 16:21-23.

When Jesus predicted His upcoming sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection (Matt. 16:21), Peter rebuked Christ for talking about the cross. “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matt. 16:22). Immediately Jesus does not just inform Peter that this thought was from the Devil, but He rebukes the Devil, saying,  “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt. 16:23).Jesus did not tell Peter to take that thought captive because he was not capable of doing that. Instead, Jesus rebuked the Devil. What this tells me is there are some of our thoughts that Christ Himself must take captive because they come from the enemy who is oppressing us.

How do we differentiate between our own thoughts and Satan’s when both are contrary to God’s will? I believe one way is to see if we can take them captive through prayer and the application of God’s Word. God wants us to control our thoughts. Otherwise, why would He tell us to take them captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)? If we are unable to take the thoughts captive that are contrary to the will of God, it may be because they come from our enemy.

In recent years, I encountered thoughts that dominated my thinking and behavior which were contrary to my Christian beliefs and values. It was not until I went to Biblical Restoration Ministries that those dominating thoughts were taken to Jesus to send where He wanted them to go. This resulted in a new level of freedom from sin and shame that I had never experienced before. I give all the glory to my Lord Jesus in me Who is far greater than he who is in the world.

Lord willing, in the future we will begin to look at the spiritual conflict all Christians face and the resources God has given us to experience victory in our lives.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Much of the following is adapted from Jim Logan, Reclaiming Surrendered Ground (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), pp. 38-42.

[2] Ibid., pg. 40.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid., pg. 41.

[5] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2578.

I John 5 – Part 5

“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.” I John 5:16

As the apostle John approached the end of his letter, he resumed talking about prayer that expresses faith in the name of God’s Son (I John 5:13b -15). John spoke of praying for our own needs especially as it relates to God’s will which is revealed in His commandments. God has commanded us to love one another (I John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11-12; cf. John 13:34-35). When we ask God to help us do this, we can be confident He hears this request favorably because we know this is according to His revealed will (5:14-15).

But John does not want us to stop with praying for our own needs (5:14-15), he also wants us to pray for the needs of others (5:16-17). When other Christians love us, we may not see our need to ask God for help to love them back. But when a Christian sins against us we may recognize our need for God’s help. Jesus taught that praying for someone who has sinned against us is an act of love (cf. Matt. 5:44). 1

Hence, John writes, “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.” (I John 5:16). We can pray with confidence for a “brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death” that God will answer our prayer favorably. God will give us “life” to give to our brothers “who commit sin not leading to death” (5:16a). 2

Hence, “the name of the Son of God” (5:13b) becomes “life” “for the sinning believer who gets a longer life plus joy when he repents and for the praying brother when he receives a positive answer for his prayer. We get joy from answered prayer, and the sinning brother gets restored joy when he returns to fellowship (and potentially a longer life).” 3

“John offers a specific example of confident prayer that is according to God’s will and that involves a horizontal expression of love. If you see a brother committing a sin, he needs a believer who is intimate with God to intercede for him (5:16). As a result of his own intimacy intimacy with God, Moses intervened on behalf of Israel (Exod. 32:7-14). When the four men who carried the paralytic took him to Jesus, He forgave and healed when He saw their faith (Mark 2:5). When we reach out in love to a brother or sister who is being defeated, God can allow that believer to piggyback on our faith to receive deliverance. That’s what the family of God is about.” 4

However, this promise does not apply to Christians who commit sin leading directly or immediately to a premature physical death. 5 John writes, “There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.” (5:16b). A Christian brother is not encouraged to pray for another believer who is committing a sin that leads immediately to a swift physical death. Nor is he instructed not to pray for him.

“In other words, if a Christian suspects that a sin leading directly to death is being committed, he is free to pray for the sinning believer, but without any certainty about the outcome of his prayer. Although there is no guarantee, it is always possible that God may ‘relent’ from His judgment.” 6

“All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.” (I John 5:17). All “unrighteousness” (adikia) or wrongdoing in God’s eyes “is sin” but out of this broad spectrum “there is sin not leading to death.” This last phrase sin “not leading to death” (mē pros thanaton/ou pros thanaton) occurs three times in 5:16-17 and should be understood to mean “not punished by death.” 7

The distinction in I John 5:16-17 is between sins for which death is a rapid consequence and sins for which it is not. Obviously, all Christians still sin (I John 1:8, 10). But God makes a distinction between sins that result in premature death and those that do not such as envy, lying, slander, gossip, pride, manipulation, anger, deception, lust, or hypocrisy. 8

This is also not a reference to eternal “death” as some teach. 9 John is speaking here of a believer’s Christian “brother” who has eternal life which can never be lost (5:1, 13; cf. John 6:35-30; 10:28-29).

Examples of sin leading to a premature or swift physical death among Christians is seen in Acts 5:1-11 and I Corinthians 3:16-17; 5:5; 11:30. 10 Ananias and Sapphira “lied … to God” the Holy Spirit about the amount of money they obtained when they sold their property and gave only “part” of the proceeds to the apostles to distribute to other believers (Acts 4:34-5:4). They wanted God and other believers to think they were more generous than they actually were. As a result of not allowing the Holy Spirit to control them, both Ananias and Sapphira “immediately” died (Acts 5:5-10).

The Christians at Corinth also committed sins which could lead to premature death. These included:

  • Exalting God’s servants instead of God will “destroy” (phtheiro) or “defile” the local church (“you” = plural) which is “the temple of God” in whom “the Spirit of God dwells” (I Cor. 3:16-17). Bringing harm to the local church through illegitimate divisions or false doctrine could result in a premature physical death. 11
  • Continuing in sexual immorality as a Corinthian believer did with “his father’s wife” (I Cor. 5:1) or the sinning believer’s stepmother. Paul instructed the church to “deliver such a one to Satan” by excommunicating him from the church so God’s protective covering is removed from his life. 12 Then Satan can use the world which he controls (John 12:31; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:12; Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:19) 13  “for the destruction of the flesh” of this wayward believer so “that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” (I Cor. 5:5). The word “flesh” is not likely to refer to the man’s sinful desires because Satan is not likely to destroy them. It is better to understand the “flesh” to be his physical life which when destroyed would “save” this Christian from the additional loss of eternal rewards before he faces Jesus at the Judgment Seat (cf. I Cor. 3:8-15). A similar view is that the word “save” (sōzō) is often used in the New Testament to mean being healed or being healthy (cf. Matt. 9:21-22; Mark 5:23, 28, 34; 6:56; 10:52; Luke 7:50; 8:36, 48, 50; 17:19; 18:42; Acts 4:9; 14:9; Jas. 5:15). According to this view, Paul’s desire is that this man’s spirit will be healthy in the day of the Lord Jesus through his repentant response to church discipline. 14 “The day of the Lord Jesus” is a reference to the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. I Cor. 1:8; 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:10; Phil. 2:16; 2 Thess. 2:2). 15
  • The misuse of the Lord’s Supper to fulfill fleshly desires left “many” Corinthian believers “weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” (I Cor. 11:30). The word “sleep” refers to physical death (cf. John 11:11-13).

God wants His children to take sin seriously. The Bible tells us that believers who take sin lightly are flirting with death:

Proverbs 10:27: “The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.”

Proverbs 11:19: “As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.”

Proverbs 13:14: “The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.”

Proverbs 19:16: “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.”

All sin if practiced long and hard enough will lead to physical death (James 1:14-15). Believers who understand this will pray for their fellow Christians who are sinning (I John 5:16). James writes, “19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20). When Christians (“Brethren”) are aware of another believer (“anyone among you”) who “wanders from the truth” and “turns him back” primarily through prayer (cf. James 5:13-18), the one who prays saves the sinning believer’s “soul from death” (premature physical death) “and covers a multitude of sins.” This last phrase alludes to Proverbs 10:12 which says, “But love covers all sins.” There may have been a vast number of decisions and choices that led a particular believer away from the Lord. But with the sacrificial love of Christ, James says praying Christians can be used of God to provide a covering for past sins and lead an astray brother or sister to restoration. 16

James 5:19-20 is speaking as much to the Christian who prays as he is to the Christian who strays. Evans writes, “Some believers aid the spiritual regression of fellow Christians by assuming it’s none of their business. But if your child darted into the street in front of a car, would you say it’s none of your business? Of course not! Though many believers fail to comprehend their responsibility to the family of faith, your Christianity is real when you see a brother in Christ backsliding and act in love. You cannot be a passive Christian.” 17

I believe the apostle John would agree with this. While God gives us eternal life as a free gift the moment we believe in the name of the Son of God (cf. 5:1, 13), we who are believers can give extended physical “life” to sinning believers, in some cases, when we pray in the name of the Son of God to be merciful to them (5:16-17). 18

However, it is important to remember that if a believer hardens his or her heart and refuses to confess and forsake their sins, he or she cannot expect mercy from God. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” It never benefits a Christian to harden his heart and cover up or hide his sins. God’s promises that if a sinning believer “confesses and forsakes” his sins, he “will have mercy.”

One of the greatest ways we can show God’s love to a sinning believer is to pray for him or her that God would bring them to repentance so the joy of fellowship with God and other Christians can be restored. We might not know if God will judge the sinning believer with premature physical death. In such cases we can pray that God will bring His will to pass for them. 19

Prayer:  O Father, forgive us for failing to take sin seriously in our own lives and in the lives of fellow believers in Jesus. It can be easy for us to justify our apathy or lack of love for a sinning Christian by telling ourselves it is none of our business. Thank You for reminding us that if we love You, we are also to love a sinning brother or sister in Christ by praying for them in the name of the Son of God so they can be given a longer life and greater joy when they repent and return to fellowship with You and other Christians. Even though we do not know if You will judge a sinning believer with a premature physical death, we can still pray that You will bring Your will to pass in their lives. Right now, we pray for so and so, that You would turn him from the error of his way and restore him to close fellowship with You and Your children. Have mercy on us all heavenly Father. Thank You for hearing our prayers. In the matchless name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

ENDNOTES:

1. David R. Anderson, Maximum Joy: I John – Relationship or Fellowship? (Grace Theology Press, 2013 Kindle Edition), pg. 253.

2. In the phrase “he will ask [aitēsei], and He will give [dōsei] him [auton] life” —the first “he” (singular)in the text is the antecedent to the “him” (singular)because the second “He” refers to God who answers the prayer, and “life” is given to “him” (singular) to pass on “to those” [toise – plural] who are committing sin that does not lead to death (Anderson, Maximum Joy, pg. 253).

3. Ibid.

4. Tony Evans, CSB Bibles by Holman, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (B & H Publishing Group, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 2952.

5. Zane C. Hodges; Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Dwight Hunt; Shawn Leach; The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 604; Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on I John, 2022 Edition, pg. 116;

6. Hodges, The Grace New Testament Commentary, pg. 604.  

7. Zane C. Hodges, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, Editors John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (David C. Cook, 2018 Kindle Edition), Kindle Location 4095.

8. Anderson, Maximum Joy, pg. 253.

9. Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on I John, pp. 116-117, 119 cites Randall K. J. Tan, “Should We Pray for Straying Brethren? John’s Confidence in 1 John 5:16-17,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 45:4 (December 2002), pp. 599-609; Robert W. Yarbrough, 1—3 John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), pp. 306-313; Rudolf Schnachenburg, The Johannine Epistles, translated from the 7th ed. of Die Johannesbriefe (1984) by Reginald and Ilse Fuller (New York: Crossroad Publishing Co., 1992), pg. 249; and John R. W. Stott, The Epistles of John, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964), pp. 186-191.

10. Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on I John, pg. 116; Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, pp. 2952-2953; Hodges, The Grace New Testament Commentary, pg. 604; Hodges, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, Kindle Location 4092 to 4097; Anderson, Maximum Joy, pg. 253.

11. Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, pg. 2490.

12. Dwight Hunt, Robert Wilkin; J. Bond; Gary Derickson; Brad Doskocil; Zane Hodges; Shawn Leach; The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition (Grace Evangelical Society, Kindle Edition, 2019), pg. 357.

13. Ibid. pp. 355, 357.

14. Ibid., pg. 357.

15. Robert Wilkin, The Grace New Testament Commentary, pg. 469.

16. Evans, Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, pg. 2890.

17. Ibid., pp. 2889-2890.

18. Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on I John, pg. 121.

19. Ibid., pg. 118 cites Robert W. Cook, “Hamartiological Problems in First John,” Bibliotheca Sacra 123; 491 (July-September 1966), pp. 257-59; and Samuel C. Storms, Reaching God’s Ear (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1988), pp. 241-53.