Authority through Submission

While the Bible gives us no basis to believe there are demons under “every rock” making every bad situation happen, it also gives us every reason to realize that demons (like angels) are real and active in our lives and the lives of people around us. Consider: Jesus’s encounters with demons were frequent and real. The angel responding to Daniel’s prayer makes it clear he was delayed in answering because he was caught up in spiritual warfare with a demonic principality for 21 days (Daniel 10:10-14). The pagan gods which people worshipped were (and are, today) true demonic entities—for example, see verses like Psalm 106:36–37 which says: They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, and 1 Corinthians 10:20 which says: No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. . . Additionally, it is clear Pharoah’s magicians had true power to some degree that came from a source not of God, as did Simon in Acts. Or, simply talk to missionaries today who have encountered witch doctors with true power over a village and the villager’s health and welfare, or to people in the United States who have encountered the demonic through occultic or “ghostly” encounters.

Yes, the Bible makes it clear the spiritual world is real and that we are not to engage in the occult or contacting it. So, with it being true, and likely, that we will encounter the demonic world at work against us or those around us, what should our stand be as Christians? In a nutshell, we should be aware but not afraid, dealing with it in simple authority and not giving it more attention than we give God. As Christians we have authority against the demonic realm when we encounter it, and interestingly that authority comes from submission. One would think authority would come from being the biggest and most powerful we can make ourselves, but the contrary is true. Our authority comes from our submission to Christ.

The Centurion recognized that structure of authority when he asked Jesus to heal his servant and Jesus said He would come and do it. Matthew 8:8-9 tells us: But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." The Centurion recognized, as seen when he said “I too”, that Jesus was under God’s authority, and he understood the authority that gave Jesus because he, himself, was also a man OF authority because he was a man UNDER authority.

When I was in Panama in the military I visited many amazing villages deep in the interior that I fell in love with, so to speak. I visited them in a place of authority, as a platoon leader with a heavily armed platoon, under the authority, and with the backing, of the United States army. But, as a civilian, as much as I would like to take my family to visit them I wouldn’t because I would not be sure of our safety since I would not be in a position of authority. Back then I carried authority in the village because I was, myself, under authority I was submitted to.

As Christians we have authority in the spiritual realm because we, ourselves, are under authority. The seven sons of the priest Sceva found out what it is like to confront demons when they themselves were not under God’s authority. Acts 19:15-16 tells us what happened when they tried to command a demon to leave a man simply using Jesus’ name, but not being under Jesus’ authority. It says: But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. On the other hand, Paul, who the seven men were trying to imitate, simply commanded demons to leave and they did, and there is no indication it was a big, showy, screaming, drawn out exorcism process. Paul was a man of authority, because he was a man under authority. On his own he was nothing, but in Christ he carried Christ’s authority. This is a Kingdom of God principle we must understand.

Two of the best known New Testament passages about the devil are 1 Peter 5:6-9 and James 4:7. Do you see a common theme in each of them?

1 Peter 5:6-9  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God . . . Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him . . .

James 4:7   Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Do you notice that both talk about resisting the devil, and both begin with humbling and submitting ourselves to God? By placing ourselves under God’s authority and reign, we walk in God’s authority. This makes sense. If we humble and submit ourselves before and to God we will walk in His plans and ways, and that means we will be right where He calls us to be, doing His will, and with His full backing. But when we resist God and go on our own paths, we find ourselves outside of God’s plan, and therefore under our authority and not His (this is not a salvation issue, but a daily issue). May this amazing reality give us a place for thought this week as we reflect on the authority we gain by submitting to authority.

Thanks for sharing in my life. God bless you.   —Erick

Shuttle Launch and the Wizard of Oz . . .

I must confess—I was caught off guard this morning with the emotion I felt while watching the shuttle Atlantis take off for the final Space Shuttle launch ever. I did not expect to feel such sadness, such a mix of emotions, and to have some tears trickle down my face. I don't know if it was the combined weight of remembering the first launch and having lived through the triumphs and the horror of the tragedies, or just plain ol' sentimentality. But, it was a moment in which I felt far more than I expected to.

Man is truly amazing. Who can watch that giant shuttle lift off, defy the bounds of gravity, and return safely and not realize that? If we are but a mere reflection of God, in whose image we are made, He must be so absolutely incredible and amazing that words can't begin to describe Him . . . and, of course, He is!

Watching the launch, I was struck, as the TV showed scenes of the launch center with its banks and banks of people and computers, at how many hundreds of people behind the scenes whose names will never be known by more than a handful of people made it possible for those few heroes in the cockpit to do what they do. It is not unlike the Kingdom of God work—there are the "few" with the visibility, the "few" with the name recognition or that an entire church prays for as they are in the mission field, etc., . . . and for each of them there are entire corps of people making it possible through prayer, financial support, keeping a home in order, being a friend or a support. These people each share the victory, though often there are only one or two sets of eyes recording their quiet service and support.

I was also struck, as I was hit by so many emotions, by how beautiful the human heart and mind are, when those parts made in God's image shine. It is truly amazing to feel such things as joy, pride, wistfulness, love, honor, sacrifice, courage, and more. How horrible it would be to not feel—to just go through life driven by primal urges and instincts. Man is truly amazing, and his myriad of emotions and possible things he can experience are amazing, but there is, of course, only one true way those can be good and the way they were intended—and that is harnessed to God with His Spirit inside of us.

Last night, after finding out about a month ago that one of the youth in our group hadn't seen The Wizard of Oz, we had a fun movie night at the church building, with the big 12' screen set up, watching it. A lady in our fellowship provided a soda, candy bar, and bag of popcorn for each of us, and it was a wonderful evening. When it was over we "grabbed some carpet" (my call to sit down on the floor in a casual circle and get in to some good God talk) and I shared some thoughts. Of course Baum wasn't writing a Christian analogy when he wrote the story, but there is an amazing (probably unintentional) message in it about how we are all looking for something and, if we aren't careful, we'll pursue it in things that appear to satisfy and be the source of our answer, but are really counterfeit masks when revealed . . . but sometimes it is too late.

Man is truly amazing, and his emotions and capacities are beautiful, but only when in relationship with His Creator. When we start looking for courage and identity (the lion), or wisdom (the scarecrow), or a heart and love (the tin man), or a home (a place of belonging and security, like Dorothy), apart from finding those things in and through God, we can step in to treacherous places with horrible costs. Just like Eve—if we doubt God's Word, trustworthiness, or love we can start to believe we can find pleasure (the tree was pleasing to the sight), provision for our needs (it was good for food), or wisdom (it was desirable to make one wise) apart from God and His Word and His wisdom.

It is striking to me how, after they achieved their goal and met the wizard, there was "one more thing" required. Isn't it always that way with anything of the world? It satisfies for a season, but then we need a little more to keep up being satisfied. God alone, through Jesus, truly satisfies and fulfills—and only when we are in a relationship with Him and in His will. It was also striking to me how the witch wanted to create a poison that was attractive to the eye and soothing (the poppy field that put them to sleep). Satan knows that few of us will leave the road and be distracted from the goal and the race with "obvious, big sin" . . . but if he can make something pleasing and appealing and seemingly harmless we are tempted to step off the path, step away from the course, "for just a little bit" and then lulled into his trap.

So, these are just a few thoughts I've had in the midst of trying to finish up the collection of stuff for the youth group's history cookbook. Thanks for "listening" to my rambling, and maybe something in it will speak to your heart. I never promised this blog would be all serious theological posts, but simply a place for me to share for anyone who might be interested. And, just remember, Christian—when the evil one faces you and cackles in your face, you have living water to throw his way! Enjoy him melting when you do!

Eating the Enemy's Food . . .

A short time after the Israelites crossed the Jordan and built the memorial God commanded them to with stones from the bottom of the Jordan (from where they had crossed in dry land), but before they went against Jericho, Joshua 5:10-12 tells us:

While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

There are some key things here, I believe:

1) After the Jordan, and before the verses above, they circumcised the males at God's command. This was an act of the covenant with Abraham—whom the promise for the land before them originated in. We, too, are in a covenant with God (a better covenant, one brought about by Christ's blood), and we are strengthened by reminding ourselves of that covenant of grace, of Christ's FULL payment, of our new relationship with God and our complete acceptance through Christ.

2) They kept the Passover, the reminder of God's protection of them because of the lamb's blood on their doors. We do well to keep present in our mind the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, that died for us (on the Passover). Because of His blood, His full payment for OUR sins, we do not die, but sleep, we close our eyes here and open them in the welcoming presence of the Lord. We can say to death, "Where is your sting?" and we can live with confidence here.

3) The Israelites were on the "right" side of the Jordan because they chose faith, and they chose to trust God and His promises. It required great faith and trust to succeed where their fathers had failed because of fear and unbelief. They had the command from God, and the promise from God to give them the land, and they needed to cross the Jordan and go against a formidable mass of enemies in faith that:

a) God was big enough to back up His Word.
b) God was trustworthy.
c) God was with them and would not leave them.
d) God would direct them each step of the way as they walked in faith, obedient, not knowing HOW He would bring His Word to pass, simply trusting that He would.

Then, and only then, did they get to eat what was theirs and that which the enemy had wrongly possessed. They got to take back what they should have already had. The manna ceased (God had still taken care of them, they were just in the desert wilderness), and they finally ate of the land that was once the food of their enemy.

What has been stolen in your life that God has said should be yours? Jesus says that the thief, Satan, comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus comes with restoration, healing, joy, and peace. Is it a relationship? Is it joy? Is it the freedom of grace? Is it the rest of trust and surrender? Is it your belief? Is it the spark in your eye? Is it your courage? Is it health? Is it victory in your family? Is it peace? Is it the realization of who you are in Christ? Is it the expectancy you once had? Is it . . .?

Remind yourself of your covenant with God—one you never could earn, so one you can't lose by messing up. Remind yourself of the precious blood of Jesus that saves you from death. Remind yourself of God's promises to you. Remind yourself of the complete work Jesus did on the cross, and the complete joy and freedom and rest that allows us when we understand it. Take captive your fears, negative expectancy, hopelessness, and unbelief to the truths and promises and testimony of God. Step out in faith. Be obedient. Trust. Surrender your plans and ways and the world's advice and wisdom to a life of trust and faith, and stand in confidence. You are God's child, adopted and joined to Him by His very self in the presence of the Holy Spirit. He will not leave you. Go forth boldly. Courageously. Resting from your own work, yielded to His work in and through you.

It is God's plan. Years later we see how the Philistines tormented Israel with fear and intimidation. Then one man, David, stood in faith, reminded of God's testimony and faithfulness in the past, and—against all the common sense of the world—defeated an armored giant with a sling and a stone. His faith, and the courage of faith, inspired an army of God's people who drove the enemy from the land and came back and PLUNDERED the enemy's camp . . . they took what used to be the enemy's, and made it theirs! To use an analogy Jesus would use later, they bound the strongman and then plundered his goods.

The strongman needs binding, the giant needs defeating, the river needs crossing everywhere we look—and God is waiting for us to ask so He can show us where He is at work and where He is ready to partner with us. All around us people are bound with fear, hopelessness, addiction, depression, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, sickness, broken marriages . . . it is time to rise up. It is time to surrender ourselves to God, hear His voice, and let Him live through us. It is time to drive out the enemy, and plunder his goods. It is time to take back what has been stolen.

Woosh . . .

Imagine a room, filled with people in a kingdom buzzing and chatting, and suddenly the double doors at the room's end open and in comes a son or daughter of the king. There is, somehow, a sudden shift in the atmosphere and everyone pauses and takes notice. If you are on their good side and love them, you find in their presence a strength. If you are on their bad side and hate them, you tremble and glare because you know they carry royal authority, and you know that authority is over you. Whatever you feel about them---good or bad---you are affected by them. You can't help it. They are royalty . . .

Tonight I wasn't going to be able to be with Mary Ann as she read to the girls, prayed with them, and tucked them in. I suddenly felt compelled to pray over her before she went to do it (sometimes it isn't as pretty as it sounds if the girls are tired or push it). As I was praying over her I found myself saying, suddenly, out loud, something to the effect of, ". . . and I remind you, Satan, that Mary Ann is a daughter of the King. She is the daughter of the Creator of the Universe. She is related to Jesus of Nazareth, who defeated you and whom you hate. Where she is you have no authority because she is the King's own."

I don't know how to describe it---it wasn't like it was a vision or anything---but suddenly, as I spoke, I saw her in my mind "gliding" into the girls' room and as I saw that I felt(?) "woosh" (a highly theological term, I know) as I suddenly felt/perceived the power of her royalty as the daughter of the King. It sounds funny, but it is really the best word: woosh. I literally could feel the spiritual presence she would carry into the room that, like a wind, would touch the farthest corners of the room and alter the entire room. As I reflected on it in the moments that followed, I thought, "I'll bet that is how it is in the spiritual realm when a follower and lover of Jesus comes in. Woosh, and the room takes notice as someone royal just entered and the entire room's atmosphere and attention shifted."

I think we don't realize who we are in the spiritual realm as God's adopted children who carry His authority and Holy Spirit. I think this is because we too often interpret who we are by how we FEEL about ourselves, and not by who God says we are: forgiven, loved, adopted, sealed, His children, joint heirs with Christ, those with bold access to His throne, His chosen people, His ambassadors, those who operate in His name (authority). While, in reality, we carry HIS righteousness, HIS authority, HIS seal, HIS Spirit, we FEEL all OUR darkness, OUR failures, OUR aging bodies, OUR lack of faith, and we identify that as who we are.

I wonder if, when we enter a room, feeling like we are just sort of dragging ourselves in, there maybe really is a "woosh" in the spiritual realm---the angelic hosts notice and, marveling at this love of the King they can't quite fathom, say, "There is one of the King's children---one whom He died for and loves and whom He has a covenant bond with and who speaks for Him," and the hosts of darkness draw back and tremble and hope that we don't realize who we are or begin to exercise our place of authority over them and their works.

I don't know how theologically correct all that is, but I have a feeling it might be more true than we realize.

---Think about who our God is, and who He has made us to be. It is actually amazing!

---Reflect on the testimony we have from the Gospels and Acts of the early disciples and Apostles when they understood and walked in the authority Jesus gave them. We don't see drawn out, flamboyant, long-winded, fever-pitched battles and screaming. They simply spoke and commanded (I get the sense probably quietly and confidently) and darkness and its works (sickness, bondage, torment, etc.) submitted.

---Think about Genesis 20 when Abimelech (a gentile) was right and on the higher ground and Abraham (God's covenant partner) was at a low point of faith and conduct. It was still Abraham's prayers that were required to heal Abimelech's household! Even at his weakest, Abraham carried more influence in the spiritual realm than Abimelech did at his strength! What a lesson in who we are in Christ that is for us, the children of God in the New Covenant!

When we meditate on these things it becomes no wonder the Bible promises that the devil WILL flee when we resist him. It is no wonder Bill Johnson could say that when a Christian enters a room the entire equation and situation changes because the Spirit (presence) of God Almighty enters with him (or her).

I wonder, if we really realized who we are in Christ and actually walked it out each day bringing that awareness and authority to bear in every situation we are in, what this world would look like . . . I wonder what might happen if we spoke in Jesus' name and actually expected something to happen---expected it to the point where we would be shocked if it didn't . . . I wonder . . .