Duane L. Truitt
"Copyright" Duane Truitt 2001
“All rights reserved.”
Dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ!
A great war is raging inter-dimensionally throughout the world today
and God’s prayer warriors are bombarding the forces of darkness in ways
not known to many Christians.
The weapons of God’s people are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the tearing down of the
strongholds of the enemy. Please refer to 2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 in
your Bible.
In order to use the Lord’s weapons, we must do what the next verse teaches us.
4
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ;
5 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
This is important preparation for the soldiers of intercession, which
desire to invade the enemy’s camp in the world today. This warfare is
inter-dimensional in the scope of operations.
The dimensional or spiritual aspect of this war must be understood!
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.
This
warfare is not against people, but is truly to be fought on a
different level; a spiritual area of conflict, unfamiliar to the
majority of God’s people.
As we proceed in our pursuit for
spiritual knowledge, I will try to share some information that the Lord
has allowed me to understand concerning His weapons for the children of
God.
Let us proceed with our preparation. We are to put on the whole armour of God for our own defense.
11 Put on the whole armour 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.
13 Wherefore take
unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in
the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Many
Christians enter into the supernatural realm without the realization
of the great dangers hidden from their view. The scripture is very
clear about the importance of our preparation. How do you take on the
whole armour of God? What should we do after taking this armour on?
The answer to the second question is given in the next verse, “stand
therefore”. We are not to retreat, but are instructed to stand. What
do we do while standing? Study verses 18 through 20, and you will see
the counsel of the word pertaining to what to do. Paul told them to
pray for him in verse 19. He told them in verse 20 what he was. It is
important to note that he was an ambassador in bonds. We should pray
for people like this, also.
Now let us proceed with the first
question about putting on the armour of God. Isaiah 11:5 tells us
about righteousness. “And righteousness shall be the girdle of his
loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
Our
Righteousness is through Christ, who is the Truth. Our faith in Christ
Jesus is our key to wearing the protection of our loins “being girt
about with truth,” mentioned in Ephesians 6:14. We put on understanding
of our righteousness in Christ by faith. This gives us strength to run
the race set before us and to stand confidently in the truth before our
enemies. Faithfulness is very important.
As we stand in the Lord’s righteousness, we put on the breastplate of righteousness, which protects our heart.
Our feet are shod with the preparation of the good news, the gospel.
We are to be prepared to stand in faith and to carry the good news, our
steps being ordered by the Lord.
Above all, we are to take
the shield of faith to protect us from the darts of the wicked. We know
from scripture that it is impossible to please God without faith.
Faith will literally stop the darts of the enemy.
Our helmet
of salvation is protection of our mind from attacks on our single-minded
trust, resolve, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and mental security in
our salvation, purpose and battle against the devil.
The
sword of the Spirit is our aggressive and defensive weapon necessary for
standing in the midst of battle and conquering the field of spiritual
warfare. The Word of God is two edged, sharp enough to divide the soul
and spirit. To not only scatter the spirits of the enemy, but also to
pierce the most hardened hearts of men, convicting them of sin by the
Holy Spirit and destroying the blinders over the eyes of the lost, that
they might see. This mighty weapon will protect and keep you in God’s
will, destroying the darts of doubt and fears and error.
The scripture tells in Romans 13:12: “The night is far spent, the day
is at hand: Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us
put on the armour of light”.
This is putting the light of God’s
protection, which is done by casting off the works of darkness. Be
honest with God, repentant, turning away from sins and putting on the
Lord Jesus Christ as verse 14 tells us. We are to make no provision for
the flesh to sin. No room or space is to be allowed in us for the
enemy to claim. Ephesians 4:27 tells us: “Neither give place to the
devil.”
Too many believers have given portions of their daily
walk to the works of the devil. This must change! We need the armour
of light!
We need the protection of God’s glory to protect
us. The glory can be received through our Lord Jesus Christ by doing
the fast of Isaiah 58:6-7. In verse 8 we can see the reward.
There is much to be said about the protection of the Lord. However we
shall proceed to the authority given to believers by the Lord Jesus
Christ, who paid for us with His Blood!
Jesus said in Matthew
18, verse 18: “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven”.
In verse 19, the Lord tells us:
“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my
Father which is in heaven.”
Can you see why the devil
does every thing he can to divide God’s people? Do you see the reason
that the enemy tries to divide families, husbands and wives? The church
is the Lord’s people. He promised to be in the midst of two or three
gathered in His name in verse 20.
Most Christians do not
realize what this truly means for them. John 15:7 gives individual
Christians a wonderful promise, if they do what is said. “If ye abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you.” Please read the 15th chapter of John. It will
give you much wisdom.
With this foundation of God’s
word, I would like to begin to share some of the wonderful spiritual
weapons of our precious Lord Jesus Christ, that He has given us. It is
time to start using them!
Because of the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross we have the authority to
bind and to loose. Jesus gave that authority to us. We have the
blessing of agreement prayer. I hope to touch on many of our weapons
and deal more specifically with weapons less known to many of God’s
people.
1 Corinthians 13:8 teaches us the key of success:
“Charity never faileth:” This is crucial to our success in our spiritual
warfare.
Psalm 8:2 tells us: “Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that
thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” The praise of little
children is a key for stopping the enemy in his tracks and the avenger,
which may include vengeful counter attacks from the enemy because of
your stand against him. This also may be a key of mercy pertaining to
mistakes, where in vengeance might be taken.
Our children are so important. We should raise them to love and praise the Lord! It is important for them and for us.
Jesus calls knowledge a key in Luke 11:52. Also, we find that God’s
people perish for lack of knowledge in Hosea 4:6. According to 1 John
2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”
In 1 Corinthians 2:16 we learn that we have the mind of Christ.
Philippians 2:5 states: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus:” This is vital to our warfare. We must allow the Lord’s
thoughts to be our thoughts. This is an important key in receiving the
knowledge, wisdom and understanding that we need so much!
We
are told to judge not in Luke 6:37. The counsel of the Word of God
tells us to be merciful in verse 36. These are keys to peace and
avoiding the prospect of judgment upon our lives. This would, of
course, help us in our spiritual warfare. We can war in confidence when
our hearts are pure and our minds are at peace because of the avoidance
of judgment in our lives.
Galatians 5:1 tells us: “STAND
fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be
not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Part of verse 13 tells
us: “but by love serve one another.”
We are to walk in the
Spirit with the promise that “ye shall not fulfill the lust of the
flesh.” Verse 16 carries this promise.
The fruit of the
Spirit is very important. They are love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. There is no law
against these. They are found in verses 22 and 23.
Charity
never fails! Charity is the selfless loving and caring for others. It
is the giving of one’s self for another, putting others before
ourselves, and giving cheerfully to the needs of others. It is God’s
perfect love manifesting in His people.
Love is a key to
working faith. Check out Galatians 5:6. For too long the church has
been divided. We must love one another and show the world that we are
one as the Lord prayed we would be in John 17:21. The key to this unity
is the glory given to Jesus that he gave to us, mentioned in verse 22.
The bible has many keys and spiritual weapons in it to help us to come forth victorious in the many battles we must fight!
The joy of the Lord is your strength, according to Nehemiah 8:10. A
merry heart does good like a medicine according to Proverbs 17:22. It
is important for health as we fight the fight before us.
We
should know that faith works well in peace. Worry hinders faith. We
are given a measure of faith and may grow from faith to faith. There is
also the gift of faith, mentioned among the nine gifts of the Spirit.
Peace is the opposite of worry, which is a form of fear. We realize
that fear has torment. Therefore peace is very important to our
spiritual preparedness.
Longsuffering is important to
success. Many have lost great opportunities with people by not
suffering the trials of discipleship.
Gentleness is a quiet,
powerful weapon against the dart of wrath. Proverbs 15:1 tells us: “A
SOFT answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” This
is truly a weapon against the wrath of man. It is a defensive weapon
that all Christians should know in their lives and ministries.
Actually, it is also an offensive weapon in that wrath turns away;
therefore it is defeated.
We know that goodness is a great
witness to the life of a believer. It shows the change that Christ
makes in the lives of His people. This is important to the word of our
testimony, which is a part of our overcoming this world.
“NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
states
this fact very well. Faith is the literal substance of the things we
hope for. God creates things from faith, which actually exists as a
substance, though invisible to our natural eyes. Without faith it is
impossible to please God. God operates with faith and we are made in
His image. God creates with faith and requires faith in us toward Him
the author and finisher of our faith.
Faith is given to us in
a measure. It grows from faith to faith. It comes by hearing and
hearing by God’s Word. We hear and receive faith if we want to, and our
ability to hear comes also from God’s Word. Jesus is the living Word
of God. Faith, hope and charity, abides. These three keys are
connected. Faith works by love and cannot work for us without hope; for
faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Meekness has
several blessings. We are to instruct in meekness. 2 Timothy 2: 25
refers to this. It is a key to guidance from the Lord. The meek shall
inherit the earth. The Lord lifts up the meek. Do you need lifted?
The meek will be beautified with salvation. They shall eat and be
satisfied. Look into the book of psalms and read about meekness. These
are great blessings to us in our walk of faith in the Lord. Moses was
the meekest man on the earth in his day. Check it out in Numbers 12:3.
Temperance is self-control. If we lose that, we can lose many
victories in our walk with God and the work of our ministry and
spiritual warfare. The loss of self-control bring a loss of respect, of
which people will not listen as easily to our sharing of Christ, nor
our counsels.
There are some special weapons, unrealized by the majority of God’s
people for the most part. Let us enter in the knowledge of one of the
most powerful weapons we have through Jesus name.
Some years ago the Lord allowed me to experience some interesting
things in the area of spiritual warfare. An individual under the care
of my ministry was opened up to the spirit realm and saw a vision of the
Lord according to the testimony of that person.
After seeing
the Lord, the individual started to walk to their home several blocks
away from the ministry building. The eyes were still open to the
dimension of the spirit realm. A demon was sighted and rebuked. She
continued her journey until she saw coming forth from a sewer another
demon. In fear she crossed the street and was harassed by a demon in a
tree. She phoned the ministry from a phone booth and was found staring
up at the tree, petrified.
She was eventually taken back to
the ministry headquarters. Her strength was leaving her. Normal
prayers did not seem to conquer the enemy. Though the Lord sent an
angel to strengthen her, to my memory and perception of the situation.
An area of scripture was brought to my mind. It is found in 2
Thessalonians 2:8. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, Whom the
Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming:” My understanding was being opened to one
of the most powerful spiritual weapons we have as Christians.
The light scatters the darkness. God’s glory is a weapon! Through the
name of Jesus we have the authority to loose it against the powers of
darkness. I prayed with another person who saw a vision of the demon
that was oppressing this poor young woman. I loosed the light of God
against it and the person seeing the vision saw the victory over the
enemy as the light struck it’s target. The woman was free. This opened
me up to a wonderful discovery and victory in the ministry of
intercession. Many experiences followed, giving me wonderful
confirmations of the reality of this crucial weapon. The scripture gave
me more important confirmations, letting me know that I was on the
right track.
Habakkuk 3:4 gives us a unique insight into the
power of God! “And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming
out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.”
The
horns coming out of His hand was a ray of light. There was the hiding
of his power, in the light coming out of His hand. We can loose that
light against the enemy and the works of darkness.
We
are the body of Christ. Our hands have become His hands on the earth
today. We are the candles of the Lord. The Lord’s light is in those
who have His life.
Psalm 18:12-14 says, “At the brightness
that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of
fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his
voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and
scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.” The
Lord uses supernatural and natural lightning in the weapons arsenal of
His kingdom. According to our faith, be it unto us. All things are
possible to him that believeth. This is basically what the Word of God
teaches us. Jesus calmed the storm, walked on water and raised the
dead. He taught us that greater works would we do. It is by His
Spirit and in Jesus name that these works must be done. Where are the
greater works? Look beyond where we have been and start believing God
for the seemingly impossible. He is looking for a people who will dare
to believe Him for mighty things for His Glory!
David said to
the Lord in Psalm 144:6: “Cast forth lightning, and scatter them:
shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.” Zechariah 9:14 says: “And
the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as
lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with
whirlwinds of the south.” The arrow of the Lord goes forth as lightning
and we can see that whirlwinds are also involved with the movement of
God.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 tells believers that: “Ye are all
the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness.” The word light in my research seems to be
related to shine or make manifest, especially by rays.
As
believers and children of light through Jesus Christ the Lord. We can
literally manifest the light of God and become a spiritual weapon
against the works of darkness and against the demonic realm.
Jesus is the light and He lives in His people and desires for His Glory
to rest upon us, His body that He indwells. Christ’s Glory is a
spiritual weapon that scatters the darkness.
Ephesians 5:8
says: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the
Lord: walk as children of light:” Verse 9 gives us some keys to our
walking in the light. “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness
and righteousness and truth;)” These things are important in the
manifestation of light in our lives.
The word light seems to come from the same Greek word as in the scripture mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:5.
The Armour of light mentioned in Romans 13:12, also seems to have the
same origin. A friend of mine shared how a light around him protected
him, which he could see. Those wanting to approach him could not enter
the circle of light.
We need to abide in the Lord! 1 John
1:5 declares: “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
In this light there is no darkness, therefore this is an important
defensive key for us. If we are fully in God, who is light, we would be
free of all darkness, for in this light there is no darkness.
1 John 2:10 gives us a vital statement. “He that loveth his brother
abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.”
This is a guarantee of success for our Christian walk if we do as it
says, which is in agreement with the scripture that tells us “charity
never faileth:” What a blessing from the Lord in His loving light!
I recommend the reading of John 15. This chapter in John deals with
abiding in Jesus and is very important to our walk in the Lord and our
success in every way, including our spiritual warfare against the powers
of darkness. Jesus will bless those who put the Word of God in their
hearts and abide in Him. Obedience to the Lord is something we must all
do with His help. Oh friends, let us walk in charity and help one
another in the Lord! Christ’s coming is near!
Colossians
1:12 is a wonderful verse and should be read with the verses. But let
me give you this verse. “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:”
What a blessing for us! There is an inheritance of the saints in light.
Throughout this ministry in the latter years from the moment that the
Lord began instructing me on this matter, I have been blessed to witness
many victories using the rays of light in spiritual warfare.
One time during prayer an individual had a vision of a bar. The name
of it was seen and a demon was sitting on top of it. The light was
loosed against it and it disappeared. In the same room where we were
praying, another individual was amazed. This person testified that she
was being tempted to go that bar. We didn’t know that, but God did.
All glory is to the Lord Jesus!
Time after time, the Lord
gave examples of the importance of this weapon. There is much scripture
to base this information on. I encourage you to search the scriptures
and find more about this weapon of our warfare and it’s different
applications. Let us proceed further into the weapons, keys and
principles of our inter-dimensional warfare.
Please remember
that it is always wise to bind the strongman, Satan, and the ruling
spirit involved in the battle, whether it is casting out demons from an
individual, city, country, or situation. Whatever the battle may be.
It is also wise to pray for protection upon people who may be affected,
including people that are close to you, also, animals and properties.
You want to prevent retaliation. This is especially important when
coming against a spirit of death. In the faith of Christ we need not
fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a
sound mind. That is what His Word teaches us; so do not be afraid. We
must fight the fight of faith.
We overcome by the blood of
the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Our trust must be in Christ’s
blood shed for our sins. Our testimony is our faith in action. God did
not call us to be silent or hidden in our Christian walk.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
The preaching of the cross is the power of God unto salvation. We must
always keep our priorities in order in our ministries. Submission to
the Lord Jesus is always necessary. After submission is resisting the
devil. The Bible promises us that he will flee. This is a spiritual
law or principle. It is a promise of God. The devil is obligated to
obey and he will in terror. Have faith in God’s Word and you will be
free if you do it!
What if your faith is weak? Call for the
elders of the church, intercessors and feed on the Word of God until
your faith is strong enough to be free. Be honest with God, like the
man who told the Lord he believed, but asked Him to help his unbelief.
God met the need for this man. Trust Him to meet yours. Be firm and
unwavering. Go after your miracle like the blind man who cried out to
the Lord in spite of the words that others were saying, which would have
stopped most people. The man received his miracle.
Spiritual Law is a set of principles in the Word of God that we must go
by. The devil and angels must also abide by the rules of God. This is
very important for us to understand. It will increase the ministry
results of all who learn to walk in the principles of the Word of God.
Deliverance can come quicker and so can healing. Knowledge is a great
weapon against the enemy.
In Luke 9:1, we find that Jesus gave the twelve disciples authority and power over all devils, and to heal diseases.
Mark 16:17 states: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”
This is a promise to the believer, a principle, a spiritual law that
the enemy must respond to. The devil is required to obey the believer,
when we command him to leave. He will test people’s faith and knowledge
of their authority and waste time while putting on a show. We need to
know our authority and look at the Lord’s example. It did not take the
Lord very long to cast out devils. He had the faith, the knowledge and
wisdom. Seek these things, for greater works will we do because Jesus
went to the Father. So when it seems to take too long to set someone
free, there is a reason. Sharpen our hearing Dear Lord Jesus, that we
may know the reason.
Some people want to hold on to the sin
that the demon is making a claim to. Sometimes the name of the demon
should be identified. One time Jesus asked, “What is thy name?” in Mark
5:9. Usually this is not necessary. However, Jesus is our example and
there is precedent for this. I believe the Lord did this as an example
for our instruction. Discerning of spirits can give us this
information as the Spirit leads. According to your faith, be it unto
you.
Jesus sent people out in teams. This is very wise.
There is protection in numbers. I have found that a team working in
deliverance is very effective. A team of two or three is good. Three
is very beneficial. One can cast the demons out and discern the
spirits, while the other two can intercede and discern any needed names
or number. If the team is fully operative and led by the Spirit, the
devil cannot hide. God can also reveal any hindrances if there is a
problem. I highly recommend team ministry!
Ecclesiastes
4:9,10 tells us God’s wisdom. “Two are better than one; because they
have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift
up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he
hath not another to help him up.” Verse 12 says: “And if one prevail
against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not
quickly broken.” Team ministry is wisdom!
Marriage is very
good, when the couple loves the Lord and walk in unity, as they are one
flesh. If they walk in the Spirit of the Lord, they are a tremendous
weapon against the devil. They have the advantage of binding and
loosing, and also the benefit of agreement intercession.
Spiritual law is important to understand. In the world, when one breaks
the law, the police arrest the individual if they are instructed to do
so. Sometimes it is necessary for someone to press charges. In
spiritual warfare, demons sometimes rebel, hoping that the believer will
give up. They try to deceive. That is why discerning of spirits is so
important and team ministry is good.
God has sent
angels to help us who are inheritors of salvation. When casting out a
demon, if you come across a rebellious one and know what you are dealing
with and there is no claim on the individual pertaining to the
willingness to give up sin. Then you have the option of asking God to
have His angel take the demon to the pit for breaking spiritual law,
because believers have the authority and right to cast the demons out.
There are some cases where the believer needs to have fasted or to be in
the process of fasting. Because Jesus said in the case of the dumb and
deaf spirit: Mark 9:29 …“This kind can come forth by nothing, but by
prayer and fasting.” However if the believer is ready in their faith and
properly prepared, he or she may in the case of a rebellious demon ask
The Lord to have His angel take the demon.
In Jude, verse 6
tells us: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left
their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” These angels broke
spiritual law. They wrongfully left their own habitation and were bound
in chains. They are still in chains. Not all fallen angels are in
chains. Satan is an example of that. Yes, he is a lawbreaker! But, he
is temporarily permitted to operate, as well as other fallen angels,
but cannot do anything without permission. Read Job. However, there
are still rules that the enemy must abide by. Who are the angels that
are mentioned in Jude? Though angels are not given in marriage, in
Genesis, it is believed by many that these angels left their habitation
and took wives, bringing pollution into the creation of man. Josephus,
the Jewish historian, reinforces this belief. However, because of the
division of opinions on this issue, let us not quibble over this! But,
rather agree that there was a group of angels mentioned in Jude that did
leave their habitation and are in chains for it until the great day.
They broke spiritual law!
John 1:12 tells us: “But as many
as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name:” Romans 8:14 tells us: “For as many
as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” We need to
know who we are in all humility and honesty, in Christ Jesus. We have
authority in Jesus name. Let us walk in this principle and truth and be
led by the Spirit of God, which is necessary for our ministries to
succeed!
We will proceed to other spiritual weapons of our warfare.
The
nine mentioned in 1 Corinthians, chapter 12 are: the word of wisdom,
the word of knowledge, faith, the gifts of healing, working of miracles,
prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues and the
interpretation of tongues.
These are supernaturally given to
individuals for the edification of the church. They are also very
effective weapons in our war against the devil.
A word of wisdom
can be a solution to solving a problem. It can give us important
direction. It is valuable mixed with knowledge. You can research the
Bible and find much wisdom.
The word of knowledge can build faith
that can bring miracles to peoples lives. Much can be found on
knowledge. The word of knowledge is not all knowledge, but a word or
portion of knowledge.
Faith is a gift of great importance. We
are all given the measure of faith and can grow from faith to faith.
However, the gift of faith is different. It manifests many times for
specific purposes. One time I was at a meeting. After it was over a
minister had me pray for a young man who had tunnel vision. A gift of
faith started operating in me. I basically told the young man that he
would be healed before he left the building. We tested his vision to
see how limited it was and prayed. He was instantly healed! The Lord
Jesus be praised. I understood that a doctor confirmed that he was
well. Throughout the course of this ministry God has had mercy upon me
and has allowed me to work in this gift many times when ministering to
those needing a touch from God.
The gifts of healing are a sign
to the unbeliever, and healing is the children's bread. This gift is
plural, the gifts of healing. God gives the anointing to an individual
and gives gifts to the people that they pray for. The gift of faith
works with the gifts of healing many times. It is involved in the signs
that follow the believer in Mark 16.
The gifts of healing are
used in the deliverance ministry. Luke 6:18 relates to us: “And they
that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.”
Working
of miracles and the gifts of healing are very important in the work of
the Holy Spirit in drawing people to Christ and faith in Christ. John
6: 2 tell us: “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his
miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” Acts 8:6 proclaims:
“And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which
Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”
In
John 2:11 we find “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of
Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on
him.” A miracle of judgment caused a man to believe in Acts 13:9-12.
“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set
his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou
child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not
cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand
of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun
for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness;
and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the
deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the
doctrine of the Lord.”
Prophecy is a very interesting weapon of
our warfare. It is for the believer, but is very effective in the
ministry of soul winning. For the believer it is an effective tool for
the uplifting and exhorting of the heart and mind.
1
Corinthians 14:23-25 gives us some wonderful insight. “If therefore the
whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with
tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers,
will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come
in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he
is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest;
and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that
God is in you of a truth.”
Prophesy in this example, given by
all; reveal the secrets of the unbeliever’s heart. I believe that word
of knowledge and possibly the word of wisdom would be working in this
example also. The secrets of the heart revealed would cause such a man
to fall on his face worshipping God, and would know and testify that God
is in you of a truth. What a mighty tool for soul winning!
Personal
prophecy is a warriors weapon too. In 1 Timothy 1:18,19, Paul commands
Timothy. “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to
the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war
a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having
put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:” Prophecies give us hope
and a vision of purpose in lives and ministry. It is important to
remember them in our prayers and keep our sights on the lord’s goals for
our lives, that we fight the good fight of faith and win.
Divers
kinds of tongues are truly a sign to the unbeliever. In the book of
Acts, when God poured out His Spirit upon the believers in the upper
room, it drew the attention of the people, hearing the wonderful things
of God in there own languages. This attention gave Peter the
opportunity to preach the Gospel and about 3,000 souls were added to the
church in one day.
The unknown tongue is used to praise and talk
to God in mysteries. Those speaking in tongues are to ask God for the
interpretation. The interpretation of tongues will reveal the mysteries
of God to us.
There is so much that can be said concerning the
weapons of our warfare. The fire of God purges us and prepares us and
devours the enemy’s works and can be loosed to accomplish warfare much
like the light of God! Study the word and pray for understanding.
I
believe that if you will do this, you will be amazed at the wonders you
may find to help you in the walk of Christ. Let me end this discourse
of the moment with these scriptures.
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if any man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”