Standing in Christ

I just finished reading the book “Sit, Walk, Stand” by Watchman Nee, the book goes into what it means to sit, walk and stand in Christ’s power, and also goes into detail about what it truly means to put on the full armor of God and to stand against the enemy. Through this book, Christ revealed to me something that I had never really come to fully understand, as Christians we do not have to be on the offensive to win victory.

 

 Paul says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

 

I find myself struggling against my sin and spiritual persecution trying to press Satan to stop attacking me. I can fast, pray, struggle and resist my sin, but I am really trying to fight something that has already been won.

 

“Satan’s primary goal is not to get us to sin, but simply to make it easy for us to do so by getting us off the ground of perfect triumph on to which the Lord has brought us”(Watchman Nee). We cannot let Satan advance; we have to realize that Satan was once and for all defeated at Calvary.

 

We are left with nothing to offensively fight the devil for; Christ has already won the battle. I am left with the full armor of God holding the ground Christ has already won.

 

This also pertains to Satan’s more visible power here on earth, often I hear about Catholic priests who cast out demons with special prayer or chants. I was also in a Christian book store and saw a book that had special prayers to cast out demons. I think it is quite the contrary; Christ gives every believer the means necessary to cast out demons and that is by His name. Every passage I read pertaining to exorcism or someone being healed after Christ’s ascension is by Christ’s name and not anyone else’s name. 

 

Thankfully God did not say take this armor and this sword now go chase after the devil and make new ground, because I find myself doing it all the time and feeling helpless and Satan’s lies begin to sink into my mind. Praise God we are left to stand against the enemy knowing that we are victorious because Christ is victorious!

 

Vulnerability

Main Entry: vul·ner·a·ble
Pronunciation: \ˈvəl-n(ə-)rə-bəl, ˈvəl-nər-bəl\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Late Latin vulnerabilis, from Latin vulnerare to wound, from vulner-, vulnus wound; probably akin to Latin vellere to pluck, Greek oulē wound
Date: 1605

1 : capable of being physically or emotionally wounded

2 : open to attack or damage : assailable

God convicted me of the level of vulnerability I am willing to commit into relationships with my friends and even people I don’t know well. I struggle with being vulnerable with those who are not in my d-group. I find the easiest way to have a surface level relationship is to forget about being vulnerable, making myself look unapproachable. I find it easy to cover up my sin and I end up talking more about things Ive conquered rather then what I am struggling with. I love the feeling and the way the Holy Spirit accompanies vulnerability with other believers and even non-believers, but often I find it awkward to do so. However, God is challenging and changing me to stop making surface level relationships and to stop portraying myself as a surface level person.  I feel God uses me when I am vulnerable, with myself, and others. I feel when I am open and honest with others Matthew 18:20 truly comes to life as God says it will.

Radical Love

                 A few days ago God convicted me of something big. Something at the time that was small to me, but big to Him as all sin is. In my selfish desires I find it easy to blow people off and sometimes even my friends when it comes to certain issues or things they are interested in that I’m not. Sometimes I even blow people off who just want to be around me. Well the other day after hearing Brian Cosby teach on true repentance and radical love I was immediately convicted realizing how much of an impact my life has on my peers and younger kids looking to me as a leader. Usually I find the easiest way out in a situation I’m uncomfortable with is to ignore the person or the true problem. Sometimes to the point when I become a coward for not speaking about the issue or confronting the person.  That night I felt the Holy Spirit move in me a direction that I am uncomfortable with; giving others face time even when I feel they don’t deserve it. Jesus gave me a visualization of what that looks like and how grotesquely wrong I am for rejecting people over the small things. I was reminded of the fact that Jesus loves me all the time and is willing and wants to speak to me in His throne room every single moment of my life, however, I don’t. I even blow Him off by consciously sinning against him. Yet he still loves me and isn’t angered by my foolishness, rather he responds to me in love. That is a love that I will never fully understand, but a love I know that is always with me, a radical love. So I write this challenged by God to set an example and to remember the love He shows me even when I don’t deserve it.