If the Bible is the truth, and I am sure it is. Then Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father, right now.
He is making intersession for us but He (Jesus) is finished with all He was sent here to do. I covered this on Friday, but now someone (read the church) needs to stand.
What does that mean exactly? It means when Satan starts spreading all of his lies and deception in your life, use the authority Jesus won back at Calvary, to stand against him. The Bible is clear on this, read James 4:6,7:
6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
How do you win against Satan in your life? It is right here; humble yourself before God, submit yourself to God, then resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The word says resist, which means to actively stand against or withstand. This means to do more than say, "I need you to leave me alone devil." I read this as saying after you have humbled yourself and submitted to God's word, you than have the power to overcome the devil.
Why would Jesus leave this world and sit down in heaven, if He did not give you the power to overcome the enemy? He did and you can, but it takes effort on your part. That is where many get tripped up, they think God and Satan are some how working as a team to "make you stronger" by allowing Satan to pound you. That does not happen.
Satan is defeated and only has the power over you that you give him. I know that puts the responsibility on you but it is your life, your free will and so God is counting on you to choose His truth over Satan's lies.
So my post reads if Jesus is sitting someone needs to stand. Read what Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For 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. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (Emphasis mine)
Do you think Paul is talking to you? If you are part of the body of Christ, you are exactly who he is talking to. So humble yourself and admit to yourself that without Jesus you are nothing. Next, submit yourself to God's word. (Learn it and live it.) Then take your stand against a defeated enemy. I have covered this before but notice it says "wiles" of the devil. Not power of the devil but lies, deception schemes etc.
Wow, I wasn't even going to post anything today but this is what was on my heart, I hope it speaks to yours.
2 comments:
Greg,
There is at least one time that we know that Jesus was standing instead of sitting at the right hand of God.
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56)
When you stand for Christ and are persecuted for it, he will stand up for you as you enter his presence in heaven. I can think of no greater honor to be given by the Son of God to one of His followers.
Tom,
Stephen made some enemies but he never backed down even though it cost him his life on earth. That is exactly the spirit we need to defeat Satan.
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. (Acts 6:8-10)
How powerful would the church be if there were hundreds or thousands of "Stephens" full of faith and power, doing great wonders and proclaiming God's wisdom?
All must die, but how many followers of Christ will make Jesus stand?
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelation 12:11)
This scripture is what we have based our clothing line on and gives us (I think) the key to victory over Satan.
First God gave us the blood of Christ, then the word your testimony and finally a sacrificial life of dying daily to self.
Abiding in the Holy Spirit is the only way to this kind of victory.
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