The above photograph of the beautiful red blossom of the cannonball tree was taken last month at Foster Botanical Gardens here in Honolulu. The "fruit" produced by this tree is large, round, a cannon-type ball and rather ugly to behold. I have posted photos of their fruit in the past. When the fruit falls from the tree and hits the ground (or you) it bursts open and emits a foul smell. So this tree has its own "weapons".
We need weapons to fight and wrestle against the schemes of the devil and his demons. Let me quote Ephesians 6:10-12:
(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 ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
It would be a good idea to read all of Ephesians 6, or especially verses 10-20. The verses quoted above tell us (1) to be strong in the Lord; you can do that by much prayer and Bible study and thereby developing a strong, close, intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (2) To put on the whole armor of God so we may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Read from verses 13 to 20 to discover what the armor of God is that we need. Most Christians are familiar with what they are). Verse 12 is what we will deal with primarily in this post, as even many believers are not aware of the meaning of the terms found there.
As brought out in the video below, people can sometimes be cruel, hateful, and cold. We need to look beyond imperfect humans, and to realize that the real enemy is not "flesh and blood", but the unseen evil spirits prompting that cruel behavior. The "principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places;" it is obvious that this is referring to evil spirits as well as the devil himself, all of whom are seeking to destroy us. They are the source and origin of all spiritual conflicts. These malignant spirits are rulers over the darkness of this world; their kingdom is the kingdom of darkness, full of misery and pain and troubles of the mind and of the spirit, and sometimes behind health issues. You need to be strong in the Lord to be able to wrestle against them. Pray without ceasing and be in the Holy Word constantly. Ask the good Lord to give you an extra portion of His Holy Spirit for strength in combating these evil influences.
It is no secret that the world is becoming more and more corrupt and evil in these last days we find ourselves living in now. It is no doubt because the devil knows his time is short and he is full of wrath in his insane battle to rule instead of God.
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." - Revelation 12:12
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." - 1 Peter 5:8-9
Satan works extra hard on believers, to bring them down and cause them to stray and to make them ineffective, because he already has the world under his power.
Always remember that God has your back. He will protect you and watch over you. You cannot fight evil forces all by yourself. By saying previously that we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to help us wrestle against the devil and his demons, I am also saying that it is God who will help you fight the devil and his minions. The good Lord loves us and will strengthen us. The victory is ours by the Lord's assistance. Remember also that "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4b). This verse is referring primarily to the false prophets inspired by the antichrist spirit and the antichrist spirit itself, but in my opinion it is applicable to how God will help us with the demonic world as well.
Always remember that God has your back. He will protect you and watch over you. You cannot fight evil forces all by yourself. By saying previously that we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to help us wrestle against the devil and his demons, I am also saying that it is God who will help you fight the devil and his minions. The good Lord loves us and will strengthen us. The victory is ours by the Lord's assistance. Remember also that "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4b). This verse is referring primarily to the false prophets inspired by the antichrist spirit and the antichrist spirit itself, but in my opinion it is applicable to how God will help us with the demonic world as well.
The devil definitely has the spirit of being against Christ.
One commentator tells us, "Wherever we come in contact with evil - whether in our own hearts or elsewhere - there we are to make war."
What if you are not a believer? Don't feel as if God cannot forgive your sins, however gross they may be. Remember, King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband murdered. The Lord forgave him when he showed genuine repentance. (2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12). Don't let the evil powers control you any longer. Turn to God in true repentance, pray to Him for forgiveness, and believe with all your being that Jesus is the Savior whose shed blood at Calvary can wash your sins away.
Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us "(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Jesus will welcome you with open arms of love and forgiveness. He is waiting to hear from you.
Prophecy in the News has a new host, Lyn Leahz, and following is a 9 minute video on the subject of spiritual warfare, in which she also uses Ephesians 6 as the basis for her talk. She stresses to fight the enemy with the Word of God.
Have a Christ centered weekend.....and life !
