For anyone that doesn't mind taking the time to read an exceptional article, this one is long but very informative and provoked much thought and question when I read it. If you have the time and commitment, please read through and enjoy as I did.
FAITH VERSUS FEAR
To walk in victory we must distinguish between faith and fear. The enemy has managed to dilute much of our
Christian walk by whispering subtle lies to us that we receive as coming from ourselves. Perhaps he tells us
that we aren't as spiritual as everyone else in the body, we aren't as nice looking, or, if they really knew about our past they
would not accept us, etc. Whatever our weakness, that's the handle he will try to use against us. After listening to these
lies long enough we begin to converse with the enemy unknowingly. It is here that we open the door to the thing we do not
want. It is here that we begin to walk in fear.
What is Faith?
Faith is believing the Word that
the Lord has spoken to us individually, standing on it and waiting,
knowing that
it will come to pass. Notice that I said "the Word that the Lord has
spoken to us", not name-claim, confess-possess. It must be a Word that
the Lord has supernaturally made real to us. says "Now faith is the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen".
What is Fear?
Fear is having "faith" in the word that the enemy has spoken to us, individually, standing on it and waiting,
knowing that it will come to pass. We do not do this knowingly, but that is what happens. When we believe
the lies of the enemy, we find ourselves responding to people and to situations in such a way that actually brings about that
thing which we fear. Job said "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me" (). Fear really is "faith"
in the lie which says that the enemy is in control, that he has as much, if not more power than God. Fear does not help us
fight against the enemy, it agrees with him because he is the author of fear. It is not part of the armor of God described by
Paul in . Fear is the enemy's most deceptive weapon because we believe it is our human emotion.
There is an emotion of fear that is good. It is that which rises up within us when a rattlesnake slithers through the
grass in front of our feet or when we hear an unfamiliar sound in the house in the middle of the night. It is what causes us
to run from a burning building. This fear is self preservation. Perhaps a respect for danger would best describe it. That
is not what I am writing about here.
The Crucial Place
The Lord gave me a picture of a large "Y". The stem represents our lives as we go along day by day. At the
base of the fork is where situations come about that we must deal with. This is the crucial place.
It is here that
we either turn left (that's the way I saw it, with faith on the left
and fear on the right) and enter the Faith road or turn right
and enter the Fear road. The direction that we go depends upon us. It
is here, at the fork, that we stay with the Lord until
we receive a Word concerning the situation, a Word just for us, just
for now. This is not about deciding which loaf of bread
to buy or what to have for supper. Hopefully, we are mature enough in
the Lord that we can walk in His peace concerning
such matters. However, anything that has the potential to change the
direction of our lives or affect the purpose for which
we have been called must be based on a specific Word from God. If we
are seeking healing or deliverance, we also need
a Word of faith for that situation. We may have to wrestle for it.
Jacob wrestled with the Angel of God until He received his
blessing. Moses tells us () that a man (angel) wrestled with Jacob until daybreak. Jacob would not let him
go unless he blessed him. "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men
and have prevailed" (verse 28). He received his blessing, his Word from God! It is also here that we wrestle with the
enemy. "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" (, KJV). We are exhorted to "take up
the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist" (verse 13). It is a spiritual battle. When we have received our Word,
then we can turn onto the Faith road and stand. There might be times when we find ourselves again walking in fear, but
when we realize it we must repent and return to the Word God gave us. Jesus said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has
demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you
have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (). Jesus knew Peter would deny Him. He also knew the motive
would be fear, so He prayed that in the end his faith would prevail and when he had repented, he would be an instrument
of strength to his brothers. The enemy works full time to get us walking in fear, but when we realize that is where we are,
we must repent and renew our faith.
A word of warning: When we feel that we have heard a Word from God concerning an issue which will take
considerable faith, or which involves another person, we must seek confirmation. This would best be given by the elders
in the body. Sometimes we think that we have heard His Word when we have only heard our mind. Someone once told
me that when we pray, the first thought that comes into our mind after praying is God speaking. That is a very shaky rule
to go by. The enemy has access to our mind. The Lord deals in our spirit.
There is a difference between (1) announcing, as fact, that we have heard a Word from God, and thereby expecting
the blessing of those around us, and (2) saying that we believe we have heard from God, but would like confirmation. "The
way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel" (). When someone says
that they have heard a Word from God and does not ask for confirmation, they tie the hands of those around them to dispute
it unless the "Word" is clearly unscriptural.
Keeping our Faith
Once we have confirmation that we have heard His Word we must saturate ourselves with it continuously, so
as not to waver. Paul, speaking of Abraham, said "...with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in
unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also
to perform" (). When you really stop to think about it, would we ever, ever knowingly believe the liar and
the father of lies () who has come to steal, kill and destroy, when we can receive faith from the God of truth () who sent His Son to give us life, and that abundantly ()? I don't think so. It is crucial that we learn to
distinguish between God's voice and that of the enemy.
If you can picture the "Y", abundant life (abundant by His definition, not necessarily material possessions) is found
on the Faith road. Stealing, killing and destruction are on the Fear road. The enemy knows that the Lord wants to give us
life and that it comes through faith in the Word that He gives to us. That is why he, the enemy, tries so hard to keep us
preoccupied with health, family, jobs, relationships, etc. This is the way he can keep us walking in fear. Eyes on God equal
faith. Eyes off of God equal fear.
Even though we will be wrestling with the enemy about something until Jesus comes, we overcome him in each
attack by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony (), the Word we received before entering
the Faith road. If we have had a lifestyle and lifetime of walking in fear and worry, we probably won't change overnight.
Sometimes deliverance is necessary to break the hold. We look at murderers and thieves and surely call them sinners,
but we can be controlled by fear and worry and look so saintly. Fear and worry leads to doubt and bitterness, self-pity and
manipulation of those around us. God knows all hearts.
Speaking of manipulation, many times people try to manipulate others (witchcraft) in order to ward off the lie that
the enemy has told them will happen (fear). They aren't able to trust the Lord (faith) in the situation. This is common with
us as parents concerning our children. We are to train up our children in the way they should go, but we are not to
manipulate and control to the degree that it takes away their free will. God gives each of us a free will which He, Himself,
does not override. Parents are to guide that free will to be a constructive agent for God, but we aren't to take it away or
smother it. Our children must grow up to make responsible decisions. If they have been manipulated as children, they will
not know how to think for themselves as adults. They will have a "kink" which they will have to deal with.
When children are babies, we make all decisions concerning them, but as they grow older we must start backing
off and begin letting them learn from their own mistakes. When they reach adulthood, our time for training them is finished.
We must then wait for them to come to us for advice. That's the way the Lord deals with us. We must not manipulate
circumstances in an attempt to keep them from making mistakes. It is wrong. We can speak truth and be the example,
but manipulation, witchcraft, is not allowed. The Lord says "Take your hands off, This is my business!" That's when we
as parents really learn to walk in faith, really learn that our trust is in Him alone.
If we are habitually walking in fear, we are conversing with the enemy. Eve could not help it when the enemy
started talking to her, but her mistake was listening to and conversing with him. We've heard it said that we can't help it if
a bird lands on the top of our head, but we don't have to let him stay long enough to build a nest. Peter () tells
us to "be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to
devour. But resist him ..."
What did Jesus Say?
Jesus spoke often concerning faith and fear: "Do not fear..." (); "Seeing their faith..." (); "Your
faith has saved you..." (); "Where is your faith?" (); "Do not be afraid..." (); "Do
not fear..." (); "Do not be anxious (fearful)..." (); "O men of little faith!" (); "Do not keep
worrying" (); "Do not be afraid..." (); "Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well" (); "Your faith has made you well" ().
Look closely at the account given in b,23. The father had brought his son who was possessed with a
spirit to Jesus. He said to Him, "But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" And Jesus said to him, "'If You
can!' All things are possible to him who believes". Jesus was saying that it depends on our faith, not His ability. He did His
part 2,000 years ago.
We need to pray and fast, not to receive healing, deliverance, etc., but to receive faith for such things. Faith is the
key that unlocks the doors of heaven, not just praying and fasting alone.
Praying in Fear
We pray concerning our problems, but many times our prayers are motivated by fear, not faith. "Lord, if you
don't heal me, I'll die", "If You don't give me a job, I'll lose all of my possessions", etc. "Me, me, me". God
doesn't want us to be sick, hungry, or unable to pay our bills, but as long as we have fear as the motive for our prayers,
I don't believe He answers. He responds to faith, not fear. God is God and He can do whatever He wants without our
permission, but faith, not fear, is the fuel for answered prayers. "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone
cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will raise him up, and if he has committed
sins, they will be forgiven him" ().
Sometimes people come to the Lord or get an answered prayer in the midst of a tragedy. This may look like God
responded to a prayer of fear when in actuality that person, through the tragedy, came to the end of himself. We read in
, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit". The Psalmist also wrote
() "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou will not despise". God
receives a "broken" or "contrite" spirit, not a fearful one. When anyone comes to the end of himself, giving up on his human
capability to change the situation, then he is ready to receive from God, whether it be salvation, healing or anything else.
Fear embraces - holds on to - self. Faith embraces - holds on to - God.
I once heard a television minister say that if you had been praying for something for a long period of time and had
not gotten an answer, then give money to that particular ministry and your prayer would be answered according to how
much you gave. He said (paraphrase) "God measures our sincerity by how much we give and answers accordingly". That
is intimidation. It puts us on the Fear road. We should hear and obey concerning giving like we do for everything else.
We can't buy God! After all, what do any of us have that doesn't belong to Him anyway? God, speaking to Job ()
said "Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine". In
we read, "Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him
are all things..." Yes, the Scriptures are clear on giving, but not for the purpose of getting in return! That is humanism,
which centers on what we can get from God. It is the wrong motive. He is not our vending machine! Faith is the only
spendable commodity talked about in the Scriptures and even that is a gift from Him. He gives it to us to use in our
interaction with Him. Paul states (, KJV) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God". We should be very careful, lest we try unknowingly to manipulate God. It will never be.
Fear is based on what the enemy tells us will happen. It keeps us distracted, preoccupied and "walking on
eggshells", with peace as an illusive dream. Faith, on the other hand, brings peace to the soul. It is as the soothing balm
of Gilead, no matter what the circumstances are. God honors the prayer of faith not because we deserve it, but because
He did it. It's that simple. We must bind fear and start walking in faith. Faith brings life. Fear brings death.
Bringing Heaven to Earth
We shouldn't pray with the motivation of escaping what the enemy is doing to us (fear), but we should pray with
the motivation of bringing to earth what Jesus accomplished in heaven 2,000 years ago (faith).
The prayer of faith is based on the knowledge that the Word He gives us has already been done in heaven, no
matter what we see at present in the physical. This is what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray "...Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven" (). In heaven His will has already been accomplished. His "Word" is His "will" and
His "will" is His "Word"! The last thing Jesus said before giving up His spirit at Calvary was "It is finished!" ().
The word for "finished" in the Greek is "teleo", meaning "accomplish". He was saying "It is accomplished". At that moment
He had accomplished all that the Father had sent Him to do on earth. Jesus, speaking to the Father, said "I glorified Thee
on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do" ().
What did Jesus accomplish?
Peter tells us () "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and
live in righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed". He paid the price for our sins with His blood - sins
that we began committing in the garden when Adam and Eve first listened to the enemy. Jesus redeemed us - bought us
back - now we can again have communion with God and exercise authority over the evil one and his lies. We read in
, "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to
us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities,
He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him". "...He is the head over all rule and authority"
(). Jesus is that One "...who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and
authorities and powers had been subjected to Him" (). Because of His faithfulness it is now possible for us to
enter into the presence of the Father with Him, "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion..." (). The Father "... raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus" (). He made it possible for us to be seated above fear. It was done in heaven then, and now He is using the prayer
of faith to bring His Word, the Word He speaks to us individually (His will), to earth.
When Peter said "...for by His wounds you were healed", it is unclear whether he meant physical or spiritual healing,
although both are appropriate. Sickness entered the world with sin. When Jesus took our sins, He accomplished our
healing in the heavenly realm. The Greek word for "healed" here is "iaomai" meaning to cure, heal, make whole. Whatever
the application is in this particular Scripture, the same word clearly means physical healing in other Scriptures (; ; ). Jesus accomplished physical as well as spiritual healing for us at Calvary. When we lay hold
of that in faith, we make it possible to receive healing on earth as well as in heaven. Jesus healed all who came to Him.
He never told anyone to "learn to live with it". We have the capability of restoring, through faith, what the enemy has
stolen from us as God's children, that which Jesus accomplished in heaven at Calvary!
Waiting in Faith
The Psalmist () wrote "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Thy consolations delight my
soul". "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High (the Mikdosh) will abide in the shadow of the Almighty"
(). "You will not be AFRAID of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day" (). "No evil will befall you,
nor will any plague come near your tent for He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your
ways" (). We are standing in FAITH when we dwell in His presence and trust Him as arrows from the enemy are
flying overhead, when our problems seem so overwhelming. Paul exhorts us to "Take up the shield of FAITH with which
you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one" (). The Psalmist compares the attack
of the enemy to an "arrow". Paul calls it a "flaming missile". We understand now why we must wear the armor of God for
protection.
"I would have despaired (feared) unless I had believed (had faith) that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the
land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord" ().
Faith involves waiting in the physical to see the manifestation of what has already taken place in the spiritual. Remember,
God is not in our time realm. He sees the completed victory. Our responsibility is to stand in faith, based on the Word He
has given us. "Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run
and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary" (). "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope
is from Him" (). God tells us "the vision (the Word He has given us) is yet for the appointed time; it hastens
toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay" ().
When He says something, He really means it. He is always on time. He is never late. He also says "...the righteous will
live by his faith" ().
Receive your Word from the Lord and wait for the "appointed time". "It is good that a man should both hope and
quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord" (). This is faith. When the manifestation of that Word which He
has given you for a specific situation comes to pass, you can stop waiting, for then it has become fact. Faith isn't needed
then.
Fear in the Body
The reason we see so much contention in the body of Christ is because many believers are walking in fear.
Jesus calls upon His Body to turn the other cheek, ()
but how many do? Only those who are secure
in the faith of their calling do so. If we are seeing things relative
to ourselves and our insecurities, protecting ourselves and
our "hurt" feelings, we are walking in fear. We are afraid that someone
will take what is "ours", or perhaps expose us for
what the enemy has told us we are. This manifests itself many times
through contention and murmuring in the body.
I personally believe fear is the root of all demonic activity. It opens the door for all the others. I believe fear opens the door to pride. "Puffed-up pride" is really "blown-up fear"! Fear tells us how terrible, how
insignificant, how incapable and incompetent we are. In order to cover our fears we welcome pride because pride builds
us up and tells us how wonderful and important we are. The following statement taken from the Orlando Sentinel a few
years ago says it well: "Arrogant people are fearful people. The authority Dr. Theodore Isaac Rubin said that. The more
arrogant, the more fearful". Lucifer said in his heart "I will make myself like the Most High" (). Why? I
believe it was because he was somehow fearful that the position God had given him as the "anointed cherub" wasn't
important enough for him. His position wasn't significant enough. He was seeing everything relative to himself rather than
God and was fearful that he would not get the best end of the deal. It was pride, but fear was the root. Had he not been
fearful and protective of himself, he would have gladly rejoiced in the position to which the Lord had called him, which was
the anointed cherub, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty (b,14). Whenever we protect ourselves, fear is the
root. That's the tactic the serpent used on Eve in the garden. He planted the thought in her mind that she was missing out
on something that she deserved. This caused her to see things relative to herself.
How many in the body of Christ are satisfied with the ministry that God has given them? They do fine until they see
someone doing something that seems more "spiritual" or looks more "important" than what they are doing. Then the enemy
says, "Look at you! You're not doing anything. You should have a ministry like that". (This again puts the focus on the
individual and not on God.) When we listen to the lie, we open the door for any demon who desires to be manifested: pride,
rebellion, jealousy, self-pity, etc. The root is fear; fear of being short-changed, or fear of being cheated out of what we think
we deserve. Again we are seeing things relative to ourselves instead of God.
Fear that Cripples
Fear doesn't always mask itself with pride. It is sometimes manifested directly and renders its victims virtually
disabled. They are unable to function in their everyday lives. The fear of germs results in spending an
abnormal amount of time cleaning and disinfecting. Often they are preoccupied with their health. They become convinced
that every pain that they have in their body is serious and probably terminal. They are afraid of traffic and therefore are
overly cautious on the highway. They are preoccupied with every bite they put in their mouth lest they eat something that
will harm them. They are even fearful of offending God, and as a result they are "crippled" by the Scriptures themselves.
They are afraid they will do something that the Lord will not be pleased with, so they do nothing at all, or they run night and
day doing "good things" for God in an attempt to outrun condemnation and intimidation. Each small decision in their life is
a major effort, because they fear they might make the wrong one. We might say that they have some kind of "phobia" or
that they are "perfectionists", but in reality they are being tormented by fear. They hear the enemy's voice in their minds,
accusing them at every turn. He is called "the accuser of our brethren" (). I once heard it described as
"YAKETY-YAKETY-YAK!"
We should be concerned about our health, driving in traffic, etc. However, when our concerns turn into obsessions,
rendering us unable to function even in simple tasks, we need deliverance! Sometimes it seems like there is a thin line
between common sense and fear.
Our Choice
Jesus said (), "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent
to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,
and you were unwilling". To me this is the saddest Scripture in the Bible. "You were unwilling". It is our choice. The Lord
desires that we, His creation, place ourselves under His wings where there is peace and safety. Are we willing to seek His
presence and His Word so we can stand firm in the faith that He gives us, or will we listen to the lies of the enemy and stand
in fear? (We don't have to seek him.) Jesus said () "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see
that you are not frightened..." He was speaking of the physical, but the enemy will keep us in a constant state of inner war
and turmoil if we allow it. We must respond to what we "see" in faith, not to what we "see" in fear.
Jesus, speaking to Jerusalem, said: "If you had known in this day even you, the things which make for peace! But
now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank
before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation". (). How ironic that fear of bad health, family problems, finances - problems that consume all of our attention and
hem us in on every side - keep us from recognizing the time of His visitation, the very visitation that brings faith and life.
When we get our eyes on ourselves, we become so busy trying to keep from drowning that we don't see His visitation in
our lives. It is our choice.
Deliverance
Jesus, in obedience to His Father, provided victory for us by His death and resurrection. He opened our
individual prisons of fear and guilt and set us free. "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free
indeed" (). In heaven it is finished! As we believe this, we receive initial salvation which is freedom from the
molestation of the enemy. In order to keep victory in our walk, we have to stand firm concerning the Lord's Word to us. John
said "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear..." (). Let us walk in faith, not only for the initial
salvation, but for ongoing victory over the lies of the enemy. When we are walking in fear, we are allowing the enemy to
hold us "hostage". If he can use our insecurities, our fleshly nature, our "low self-esteem", our secret past, or other handles
for manipulation, he can render us ineffective in the Kingdom.
If your life is dominated by fear and you are unable to get victory by yourself, reach out to those who love you and
can help you be set free. I spoke earlier of deliverance. Sometimes the demon of fear has such a hold on a person that
they must seek help to get free. God has put the ministry of deliverance in His body. Ask for help. Accept yourself as God
has made you, but don't accept what the evil one is trying to make of you!
A New Name
Jesus said, "I will give him a white stone, and a new name..." (b). That new name given by God
will describe our function in heaven - our ministry. We've already read how God gave Jacob a new name after
he had wrestled with the angel and prevailed (). God changed his name to Israel meaning "having power
with God" or "God's fighter". He received his new name here on earth.
How many of us have received a new name here on earth, only not from
God? Perhaps you've been told by your
parents, your teachers, or your peers that you are a failure or that
you are stubborn, selfish, lazy, weak, sickly, ugly, stupid,
fat, that you are never going to amount to anything, etc. - the list is
endless. You can hear that new name being spoken
in your mind continuously and you have come to receive your identity
from it. We must never receive our identity from a
weakness, a disability, a sin or from another persons weakness,
disability, or sin. I've heard it said, "Don't be defined by
your deficits!" We become that which we receive as being us! "For as he thinks within himself, so he is..." (a).
We also can receive such names as "the most beautiful", "the most talented", "the cutest", etc. Any name which puts the
focus on ourselves or lifts us up in the eyes of man is also wrong, even if it seems positive. Many people are unable to
function in the Kingdom of God because they can't overcome the desire to be praised by man. We must receive our identity
from our relationship with Messiah. He came to set us free and to restore us to our original calling. The enemy has tried
to steal this from us.
We must rebuke any identification with these "names" because this opens the door for demonic activity. Instead,
we must seek faith to realize the potential the Lord created each of us for. We are individually unique and God has a
purpose and a ministry for us in building His Kingdom. Find that ministry, that assignment the Lord has given to you. Don't
let the enemy rob you of your potential just because he robbed himself of his!
"Repent"
Fear cannot restore what the canker worm has eaten, in fact, it probably opened the door for the canker worm
in the first place. Sometimes God's Word to us is "repent". Read the book of Joel. It is God's Word to His
people, Israel. In this instance, God put the canker worm there Himself because of their sin against Him. He promised
to restore them when they repented. We read in the second chapter of Joel concerning the canker worm. "Therefore also
now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; And rend
your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil" (). "Then I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,
the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you" (). The Hebrew
word for "restore" is "shalam", meaning He will make restitution, reward. The years of destruction will be restored. They
could have rebuked the enemy forever and it probably would not have changed anything, because the canker worm was
a judgment on them from God to bring them to repentance. His desire was to restore them to His purpose and life, not
destruction. The canker worm was not a demonic attack, but a vessel of mercy.
Are our problems a result of our own sin against God? Then we must repent (in our heart as well as in our action).
There is no need to rebuke the enemy if we are being judged by God for disobedience.
You might say "How can we know the difference between God's righteous judgment and the enemy's attack"?
Remember, Jesus said, "the thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have
it more abundantly" (). Perhaps we could use an example: What if your teenager asked to borrow the family
car to go to a ball game? You told him he could not, but while you were out, he took the car anyway. Righteous judgment
is what met him at the door when he came home! (Your judgement, for the purpose of bringing deliverance, so that he
would repent and live!) The enemy's tactics would be to destroy him while he was in his sin - to steal, kill, and destroy -
anything but bring deliverance.
Paul addresses the church in Corinth ()
concerning a member who was practicing sexual sin. Paul
tells them, as a collective body of believers, "to deliver such an one
unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit
may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus". In other words, let him go,
that he may find himself alone with his sin and
realize that it is his choice whether he will continue in it or repent. Apparently the church body had chosen to overlook the
sin, even "puffed up" about it ().
They were to judge the sin by withholding fellowship from the person
(v. 11).
If brothers and sisters know of an ongoing sin in the camp and overlook
it instead of judging it, they are, in a way, putting
a stamp of approval on it and thereby, locking it in. The judgment is
to give the person an opportunity to repent, like God
did to Israel in the book of Joel, so that, in the end, they will live.
Apparently the man did repent because we read "Sufficient
to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many, so that
contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and
comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with
overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye
would confirm your love toward him" (). The intent of judgment was that the sinner would repent and live to
serve God!
If we withdraw fellowship from a brother or sister because of what they do to us personally, then we are only being
self-centered. If we withdraw fellowship because we see them missing their potential in the Lord by their sin, then it is
righteous judgment. It is agape love, God's love. Most of us are so saturated in humanism that we can't comprehend this
action as being love.
The enemy's attack is intended to kill or at least render us useless in the Kingdom. The Lord's judgment is intended
to give life and return us to His purpose.
"My Grace is Sufficient"
In the preceding section we saw where God promised to restore to His children the years that the canker worm
(which was put there by Him) had eaten, if they would repent. We will now find that there is sometimes adversity
that God does not put on His children, but chooses not to remove, knowing that we will grow closer to Him because of it.
I am not talking about sickness and disease.
Some think Paul's "thorn in the flesh" () was a physical problem (perhaps his eyes) which God
refused to heal, but that would not be in agreement with the rest of Scripture. I personally believe his "thorn in the flesh"
was "people problems", external attacks because of his zealousness for the Lord!
Both Moses and Joshua made reference to thorns (; ). They were referring to people,
not physical infirmity. Jesus compared thorn bushes to false prophets who come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are
ravenous wolves (). Whenever you stand up for the Lord you are going to encounter "thorns", the enemy's
messengers, but like Paul, it should only draw attention to the Lord's sufficiency in our weakness. Paul, speaking to his
fellow believers, said "...You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot
in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came upon me
through the plots of the Jews" (). Again, the problem was with people. He was being persecuted because
of his relationship with God, not because of sin. Jesus, speaking to His disciples, said "Blessed are those who have
been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults
at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your
reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (). If you follow Paul's
writings, he spoke often of the persecutions he was undergoing by those who are working against him. We read () of Paul encouraging the saints in Philippi to be "in no way alarmed by your opponents - which is a sign of destruction
for them, but of salvation for you and that too, from God".
My point here is that the Scriptures seem to prove that the Lord does not send the "thorns", but He may choose
to leave them, as in Paul's case. If so, He is capable of giving us faith to stand. He gave Paul a Word concerning this matter
saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" (). Paul would go on
to describe these thorns by saying "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with
persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong". Undergoing persecution from
the outside is much different than being attacked in our physical body. The Lord knows that trials from the outside tend
to draw us closer to Him, whereas sickness from within distracts and kills. He does not put diseases on His children to
"teach" them any more than we would put diseases on our children.
God is not worried
The Dead Sea Scrolls (His Word), were hidden in the caves at Qumron since 70 A.D. God wasn't at all
concerned. (He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps). He knew where they were all of those years.
When His time was right, He manifested them (caused them to be seen by man). He chose 1947, a time when His people
and His land were becoming one again in the eyes of the world. The Scrolls were a witness and a confirmation that God
was linked eternally with His people, the Jews, and His land, Israel.
In like manner, when He gives us a Word, He doesn't worry. He knows it will be manifested in His
time. When we
receive a Word from God, we must wait with assurance. That frees Him to
act when He is ready. If we wait in fear we open
the door for "Ishmaels", as our impatience urges us to try to help God
out. Our interference will always conflict with His plan.
Remember, in every life situation we need faith to get victory. We either get a Word from God which brings His life,
abundantly, or a word from the enemy which brings his destruction, abundantly.
WE ARE EITHER WALKING IN FAITH OR WE ARE WALKING IN FEAR!
OH THAT MY HEART MAY FEEL YOUR TOUCH AND MY SOUL,
YOUR PEACE MAY I RECALL YOUR "WORD" TO ME AND ALL FEARS RELEASE LORD,
YOU ARE FAITHFUL LORD, YOU ARE TRUE YOU WILL DO ALL YOU SAY YOU'LL DO I
PUT MY TRUST IN YOU!
"Redeemer" (to buy back
by paying a price). 
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