Temptation and Judgment

If you want to set some demons to flight and bring down the glory of God, here is one sure fire way to do it: Okay, your scenario is that you're in a situation where you know that the right thing to do or say is going to really upset some apple carts and probably release all the demons of hell to wreak havoc all over the place, and stir up a hornets's nest like you've never seen. Right? WRONG!! That is exactly what the demons that are pressing you to NOT do or say what is right WANT you to think! Why? So that they aren't put to flight, THAT'S WHY! Demons operate on sheer intimidation, just like a bully. Do you know what is the only way to get a bully off your back? You turn around and bust his mouth as hard as you can, then you're rid of the bully. I've seen it more times than I can count. Demons have no power except what we allow them to talk us into believing they have. For instance if you do what is right in a difficult situation where you are vastly outnumbered, it is going to cause you nothing but a whole lot more trouble. You simply must face down that spirit of fear that is intimidating you to do nothing, or to just go along with what is wrong; and bust it in the mouth real good. I guarantee you that you will set that spirit to flight. This is the understanding that the apostle Paul instructed Timothy with: "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God" (II Tim. 1:6-8).

We sometimes find ourselves in very difficult situations as I've stated, and the seemingly easy thing to do is just to not go against the grain of everyone else. But the result of that mistake is a loss of power, love, and confidence toward God in our soul and spirit. If we "resist the devil" in these circumstances, he has no choice but to "flee from [us]," and when we do what is right without fearing what will come of it, God will "draw nigh to [us]" (Jas. 4:7,8). When we give that space to God to draw nigh to us then we will win the victory and put intimidating demons to flight. So in that case we take away the devil's space in the situation and give that space to God. There can be no other result but victory when we follow this pattern, because it is the same as was told King Jehoshaphat and all Judah a long time ago: "Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's" (II Chr. 20:15). The Lord is with us when we do what is right and he will always back us up, but he is not with us to be afraid to do the right thing. That is why the law gave the following commandment: "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment" (Exd. 23:2). It was the fear of the giants in the land of Canaan that motivated the evil report of the ten spies that Moses sent to spy out the land. Because Israel was influenced by the fear of those ten spies, and because they disregarded the faith and courage of Joshua and Caleb to take the land, they were cursed to wander in the wilderness for forty years before they could take a land that was meant for them to take in days (Num. ch. 13 & ch. 14).

It was the spirit "of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" that inspired David to face down the Philistine giant Goliath when the entire army was influenced by the fearfulness of the backslidden King Saul (I Sam. 17). David was promoted in the kingdom as a result. It was the fearless refusal to comply with wrong that gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego the courage and confidence to walk into the fiery furnace and come out of it unharmed (Dan. 3). Same with Daniel's encounter with the den of Lion's. All of these men were promoted in the kingdom as well, after conquering their adversities. In fact it has been the same with all of God's faithful of all generations, and it is the same today. John very candidly informed us of the whole solution of how to be the winners of these battles that we face: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (I Jn. 4:18). If we aren't there yet, then we need to pray through and get the strength to get there, for I assure you that 'there' is there to get. Speaking of some of the vast hardships that may face us as children of God in a perverse world, the apostle Paul had this to say about these adversities: "Nay, IN ALL THESE THINGS we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37). And never forget what Elisha told his servant when the entire city that they were in was besieged by the Syrian army, for the sake of capturing Elisha: "And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (II Kin. 6:17). There's nothing more I can say, just Amen.