God is calling all believers to be watchful and prayerful ?
There a tendency of believers to shy away from talk of demons because of being foolish they gravitate to protection, hope and mercy but ignore scriptures like James 2: 19
James 2:19
Thou believest that there is one god; thou doest well the devils also believe and tremble
The spiritual realm is as real as the screen in front of you demons are as real as the angels we love to read about when it comes to our protection . demons are nothing to fear or be afraid of because we are offered power and protection though the blood of Jesus Christ however there is no excuse to be ignorant to the fact that demons unclean and evil spirits still operate in the world today
If you didn’t know demons can see they have eyes and they can recognize who this person is or who that person is
Mark 3:11
And unclean spirit, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying thou art the son of God.
They saw him and they knew to take it a step further demons can teach albeit falsely but they can still possess a person to teach heresy
Timothy 4:1
Now the spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
We need to realize who we are up against
There is a massive warning sign on a road called Christ like person
Do you know what that warning sign would say?
• Driver beware do not travel this journey with lack of knowledge
You see there are serious consequences to having a lack of knowledge and I can tell you that this is the biggest weakness when it comes to the average believer.
An average believer is a surface level bible reader meaning they read the bible but they don’t intentionally study the bible they read god’s word, but they don’t intentionally seek to gain knowledge from the bible and that’s the problem
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge I reject you from being a priest to me . and since you have forgotten the law of your god, I als0 will forget your children.
Have you ever met another believer who is in the middle of the spiritual battle but they don’t know that they are in one they are being attacked left right and center their marriage is under attack and they think its their friends who are the problem they they’re sick in their bodies but the doctor can’t seem to find a cause their money isn’t adding up even though they have automated their saving nothing makes sense to them regardless of what’s going on because there is a lack of knowledge
I say a lack of knowledge because a surface level believer would fight everyone and everything in front of them but a mature believer.
A Massive believer would know Ephesians 6:12
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This is the knowledge that we need to know that our fight is not in this physical realm but it is in the supernatural realm and the thing is in the spiritual realm can often manifest itself in the physical realm which is what can throw off the surface level believer.
When a demon possessed man encountered
Matthew 17:18
And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
The boy was demon possessed Jesus rebuked the demon possessed Jesus rebuked the demon it came out of the boy however the result of the demon being cast away was healing personally.
The boy was free but no that’s not what it is saying
First Jesus rebuked the demon.
Secondly it came out of the boy .
Thirdly he was healed at the moment.
The demon was responsible for sickness because we tend to associate the effects of demon possession with screaming shouting or a person being disfigured and making unnatural noises but in this case the result of the boy being possessed by a demon was his illness.
Matthew 17:15
Lord, have mercy on my son , for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and opt into the water.
We understand that demons don’t walk around tormenting and pushing people they manifest in different ways they are in the spiritual realm but they can physically manifest
The sickness of the boy came about as a result of the demon possession hence why Jesus rebuked the demon the boy was instantly healed.
So I vowed like to submit to you that is entirely possible for some sickness for some disease to have no medical cure because its spiritual in nature.
The doctors can’t find a cause they can’t explain how or why this is happening, but the solution goes back to a lack of knowledge a lack of knowledge that wrestle not against flesh and blood but against evil forces in the spiritual realm.
So we need to be prayerful
We need to especially be careful that we are not lacking in knowledge in our lives.
Matthew 10:1
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits. to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
We have been given this authority over unclean spirits the holy spirit empowers us to cast them out and have victory in our lives there is a common misconception among many believers the majority of believers do believe in the supernatural and in the spirit realm but like one pastor said a lot of church going believers don’t believe that they will ever have to face a demon on a evil spirit at any point in their lifetime in fact you’ll find that they believe that evil forces exist but they’re only active in other parts of the world in some remote country that thousands of miles away from the safety of local communities abundantly clear about the incredible power of god and the protection he offers his children .
We are to be aware not afraid.
You can be aware of dangers but not be frightened by them and this is how we should approach this matter of invisible spiritually world around us we should be aware that there are forces against us but we are not afraid because we have the lord on our side and he is the lord of hosts meaning he commands an army of angels to fight on our side.
Exodus 14:14
The lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
We must move and live with this knowledge that although there is evil we are covered as children of god many people enter our lives in fact we come across a lot of people over the course of our lifetime.
Some we remember for the right reasons one thing that we can all accept on should accept us that we do encounter numerous people.
But they don’t all stick around forever
There are many instances in which certain people might only come into our lives for a short while but at some point they leave however sometimes the problem we face is that us as humans tends to become attached to people making it difficult for us to let go of them.
We know that there is a purpose for every person that god places in our lives nothing is coincidental.
God doesn’t have the same plan for everyone there may be instances in which god allows you to meet someone on multiple people and spend time with them for a specific reason or season.
The reason may be for a particular need that you or they have
Which could only be met by one or both of you.
This need can be spiritual, mental , physical or emotional perhaps it is for guidance through prayer and advice on this could be a short lived encounter that eventually brings about good change.
It could be that god is trying to protect you from that person and the effects that their prolonged presence can have on your life.
Maybe that person brings out the worst in you but in the long run this relationship may act as a lesson or it can even highlight a habit or characteristic that you have maybe the person’s intentions are not pure and could eventually end up hurting you whatever the reason or season the important things is to recognize when it is time to let go and you should do this prayerfully because when you do so god will give you the grace to accept that its time to let go and so I encourage each and every one of you to pray for discernment from the holy spirit so that you can judge the situation appropriately and make the right choices it can be very difficult to let go of someone even when we should this is our nature as humans.
We get attached to people we grow fond of them and find it hard to imagine life without them.
Because of this we are blinded and therefore unable to see how these people may be hurting on discouraging us but god sees everything. He sees the whole picture whereas we only see what we want to see a really good example of this is when somebody is in love and unable to let go of the person they love but god knows that person is not building them up and drawing them closer to him and therefore the relationship would not be pleasing to god nor fulfilling for the couple this is just one example there are many situations situations similar to this one is there someone in your life that you need to let go of in order to grow in your faith
Is there someone you need to help to let go of you.
If you are in a situation such as this pray for god’s grace to guide you so that you are able to accept your reality and take action .
Pray for the lord to show you how to go about this and for his will to be done.
Throughout this whole process trust him this is why the apostle paul reminds us that we know that all things work together for good to those who love god to those who are called according to his purpose so if god wants to remove someone from your life.
Trust that he’s doing it for your own good often times when god wants to remove some people from our lives .
We may find that we don’t need to do anything those people actually do the work by distancing themselves from us .
This may hurt our feelings but it’s a blessing in disguise especially if those people are ungodly.
They may feel threatened by your faith and as a result they don’t want anything to do with you.
Your relationship with god may fill them with hatred your spirit irritates their demons so to speak we’ve seen this happen countless times throughout scripture
Jezebel despised the prophet Elijah because she knows he was a man of god.
She hated him so much that she was determined to tell him king saul felt envious and spiteful of David for the same reason he was a godly man that drove saul to pursue David in order to kill him wicked and unrighteous people can often sense god’s presence in our lives and his spirit working through us and this can bother them so they remove themselves from our lives it can be upsetting when people treat us poorly because of our faith in god but don’t let that feeling linger people come and go but god is always there . Jesus tells us that he is with us always even to the end of the age .
He is not like people.
Let this encourage you and embrace this biblical truth when you hold on to this you are no longer afraid to walk away from those people you will see it for the blessings that it is .
The more you mature in your walk as a believer you will begin to ensure that you are not surrounded by people who despise your faith and hold you back after all we have been commanded throughout scripture to stay away from wicked people.
Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly non standeth in the way of sinner nor silleth in the way of sinners nor silleth in the seat of the scornful.
Win win situation
We distance ourselves from bad company
At the same time allowing our relationship with god to flourish because the stumbling block has been removed so let us trust in him and his plans because he knows who what is best for us .
His will is perfect for now the plans I have for you declares the lord .
Ephesians 1:5
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will
This means that god decided in advance to adopt us to himself through Jesus Christ.
So the truth is that we are loved.
We are so dearly loved by god almightly and so I believe that god would have us in those moments when we feel alone .
He would have us remember that a price was paid for us.
Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price with his life and he did this while we were yet still summers all that we may be adopted into the family of god and so in speaking to anyone who feels rejected anyone who feels abandoned the word I would like to give you is that accepted you are called you are loved and welcomed with open arms by Jesus Christ.
My people perish because of lack of knowledge
Do not be in the category of people who perish because of lack of knowledge.
A lack of knowledge that the devil will dress himself up as as something harmless there couldn’t possibly be anything wrong with a souvenor .
There’s nothing wrong with me accepting a gift from someone while in traveling the world be vigilant .
Deuteronomy 6: 6-9
And these words, which I command thee this day , shall be in thine heart
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou silleset in thine house, and when thou lust down, and when thou reset up.
Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand , and thy shall be as fronters between their eyes and thou shall write them upon the post of thy house and on thy gates and it shall be when the lord thy god shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers to Abraham to Issac and to Jacob to give the great and goodly cities which thou buildest not, god instructs the children of Israel to keep the word of god in a prominent role in the household
The home should be a sanctuary a holy place it should be peace serenity and joy.
God’s word is elevated and lived out now
We need knowledge commanding the authority
We have in Jesus because when you lack this knowledge this is no way that we walk in dominion .
A lack of knowledge is what in people perishing according to the bible .
The one who doesn’t know who they are in Christ in authority.
There are some deep revelations that and god can reveal to you only if you choose him with an intensity.
Call to me and I will answer you and show you great things
Jeremiah 33:3
Call unto me and I will answer thee and show great and almighty things which knowest not.
Luke 10:19
Behold I give unto your power to tread on serpants and scorpians and over all the power of the enemy : and nothing shall by any means hurt you
2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen as temporary : but the things which are not seen are eternal.
