SPIRITUAL WARFARE

I am passing the following message from David Wilkerson that I just received today.  Great spiritual warfare is being waged against the people of God.  It has grown in intensity.  I am sharing David's incredible insight on this warfare and his admonition to the Body of Christ.  It has blessed me and I know that it will bless you.

How to Stand Up and Fight!
Pastor David Wilkerson

With all the talk going on in the church about spiritual warfare, Christians still have not learned how to stand up to the enemy. We are pushovers for the devil!

I don’t believe every misfortune that befalls a Christian comes from the devil. We wrongly blame him for a lot of our own carelessness, disobedience and laziness.

It’s easy to blame the devil for our foolishness. That way, we don’t have to deal with it. But there is a real devil present in the world today—and he is busy at work!

Let me tell you something of Satan’s strategy. If he cannot pull the Almighty out of his throne, he will try to tear God’s image out of you! He wants to turn worshippers into murmurers and blasphemers.

Satan cannot attack you at will. God has put a wall of fire around each of his children, and Satan cannot go beyond that wall without God’s permission.

Satan cannot read a Christian’s mind. Some people are afraid to pray because they think the devil eavesdrops on them! Others think the devil can read their every thought. Not so! Only God is omnipresent and omniscient.

Scripture commands us to stand up, be strong and do battle against the flesh and the devil: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). “Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).

You have to become fed up with being held down by the devil—living low, depressed, joyless, empty, harassed!

The book of Judges tells us, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel” (Judges 6:1–2).

The Israelites were at their lowest point ever. They were driven to living in dark caves and damp dens, starving, scared and helpless. Then something happened. It started with Gideon, and it spread throughout the whole camp: Israel got sick and tired of hiding in those dark caves!

Gideon said to himself, “How long should we put up with this? They go through our land with no opposition. Nobody stands up and does anything about it! We’re told we have a God who moved for our fathers. But look at us now—we are stripped, helpless. We live in constant fear!”

Something rose up within Gideon. And he said just what God was waiting to hear: “This has gone far enough! We serve a mighty, victorious God. Why do we go on, day after day, taking this abuse?”

God will not do anything until you are thoroughly disgusted—until you are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

You have to do as Gideon did—cry out to the Lord! We serve the same God that Israel did. If he heard Israel’s cry in their idolatry, he will hear you—in your sincerity.

Through The Tempest

The following poem was written by a former student of mine in West Virginia.  It is powerful and will lift you up!  Thank God for Kari!

Mike Edds

Through The Tempest
by Kari Parsley

　

Ever find yourself in a place
Where you feel the sun will never shine
The storm clouds reach beyond what you can see
Past the horizons golden line?
 
“Will this storm ever end, Lord?”
You once again ask
“Will I ever see clear skies
Or stand in the golden rays to bask?”
 
You look to find a hurricane approaching
On what once was a calm sea
Your life a raging tempest
Nothing like it use to be
 
The towering waves hurl themselves at you
Trying to engulf you in a dark abyss
You embrace the mighty rock
As fear blinds you with its cold mist
 
Clinging for your life
You say a simple prayer
“Lord, get me through this storm
I know that you are there!”
 
The thunders rolls in laughter
As lightning does her victory dance
The mocking sea waves goodbye
Knowing you don’t stand a chance
 
When you feel the darkness surround you
And it seems like the end
You may feel like God can’t see you
In this tempest that you’re in
 
Just close your eyes and listen
To the words and you will feel
Echoing inside your heart
“Peace Be Still.”
 
Strength engulfs you
Now you are standing strong
Anchored to the rock
Your fears and worries gone
 
Through the tempest appears
A ray of golden sun
Just hold on a little longer
For a new day has begun
 
The waves rise in fury
To once again knock you down
But finds it is no use
You are standing on solid ground
 
Thunder roars in defeat
As the tempest slowly dies
The waves again become peaceful
No matter how hard they fight
 
The Son shines so brightly
He dries away all the pain
His love shines so strong
Nothing will ever be the same
 
He Says To You
“During these storms and trials
It may seem like I am not there
Like I have abandoned you
Or I simply didn’t care
 
I want you to know I was with you
I was the mighty rock that you embraced
I held back the raging tempest
And all the problems you face
 
I was never far away
I was only hidden behind the clouds
But I calmed the storm around you
When you called my name out loud.
　
When the storm clouds are upon you
Know that everything will be fine
Cause sometimes you must go through the tempest
So you will brightly shine”
 
So to become the mighty warrior
God has called us to be
Sometimes we must face obstacles
And the wrath of an angry sea
 
Your weakness is turned to strength
Wisdom and knowledge are learned
So you can help others through their storms
And be their light in return
 
For He will never forsake you
When the darkness clouds your skies
He will be with you through the tempest
Facing it by your side.