Monday, January 29, 2007

Refuse the lie

Fresh Outlook Magazine

Having disarmed principalities and power, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Col. 2:15


A few days ago I watched a movie about a man who had cancer; it was contained in his arm. Therefore, if the doctors took off his arm, what had the ability to kill him would lose its power. The cancer would be cut off ~ and could do no more harm. Now, I am not making light of having a limb removed, I simply want to show you something that God has shown me in this analogy. You are going to love it. I have been so excited about this that I can’t sit still to write to you today.

There is an occurrence that happens to amputees when they have a limb removed, doctors call it phantom pain. It is simply this, even though the arm or limb has been removed, the patient will often feel pain where the limb once was. They feel pain and discomfort and other sensations. There is no logical reason for this because the limb is gone – but nevertheless, the pain is very, very real.

The Lord began to speak to me about this. This is the way the enemy works with us. Colossians 2:15 tells us that Jesus disarmed the enemy – cut off all his power and even made a spectacle of him. He has NO POWER OVER YOU ANY LONGER! Yet, he often comes at you with lies. He comes at you with feelings and thoughts, things that seem very real to you, but, John 8:44 tells us that Satan is the father of lies. He has no truth in him. If we could ever see him for who he really is AND for who he really is NOT. What do I mean by that? I feel that many Christians believe the devil has more power than he really has. We think he has the power to put sickness on us. We feel he has the power to destroy our marriages. We feel he has the power to ruin our finances. But he doesn’t. Jesus took all his power, he has none. That is why the Bible declares that he roams about ‘as a’ roaring lion. You see, he is NOT a roaring lion – he just acts like one. He only has the power you give him.

If you refuse to give in to his lies, he loses. He may tell you that you are going to have cancer and die. The doctors may even agree with him, but if you refuse to give in to it, if you refuse to accept it – he will have to back off. Why? Because the greater One lives in you and the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will quicken your mortal body and bring life to it.

There was a situation with my daughter that the enemy has come at me with all week, telling me that it was never going to happen and it was all my fault. But, it was a lie. Exactly what I had been confessing and praying came to pass, this very morning. The thoughts coming at me were lies and I didn’t give into the lie. Sure, he can lie to you, but if it goes against the Word of God and you refuse to receive it, God will show Himself faithful every time.

Let me share something else with you that happened this very week. If you are a person who decides to follow God and be used of God, the enemy is going to make sure you have many pressures come your way – but again, you don’t have to bow to them. Take them to God and lay them at His feet, He can handle them. Anyway, the pressures were intense but I was refusing them. At night, when I wasn’t on guard because I was sleeping, the devil began to try to put symptoms of stress on my body. I lay there in bed and refused it. I continued to say ‘no, I am not having this in my body, you cannot come on my body.’ And it left. That happened for three nights this week and I continued to refuse his lie – and that is all it was – a lie. Had I received his lie, my body would be suffering from effects of stress, but I continued to say what the Bible said about my body. If you can’t find it in the Bible, if it is not something God said we have to endure, then it is a lie from the devil.

He has no legal authority to attack your body, your finances, your marriage, your ministry, your children, or your mind…if he tries, he is on your turf and you have the legal authority to back him off and tell him to go.

If I could get you to see one thing today it would be this; whatever he is telling you – it is a lie and he does not have the power to back it up. He doesn’t have the power to cause it to come to pass…unless you come into agreement with him. Don’t agree with him. Don’t let words of defeat come out of your mouth. Don’t agree with him. Don’t let words of fear come out of your mouth. Don’t react to fear. Run at it, instead. If he says ‘you are not going to make it this time.’ Laugh in his face, that’s what the Bible says that God does. Imitate God. Laugh at him and tell him that you are not only going to make it but you are going to tell the whole world what God has done for you.

If you stood in a boxing match and let the opponent hit you over and over and you just stood there and took it, you would be defeated, right? But, if every time he hit you, you hit him back, with God on your side, you would win the match. Just as you will win the match you are in today. You must hit back every time the enemy throws something at you. Don’t just stand there, hit back. Don’t just listen to him and meditate on his lies, hit back. How do you do that? With the Word of God, with scriptures, with prayer, with fasting, with walking in love, with tithing and giving. Hit him back – and hit him where it hurts. Ask the Lord how you can hit him where it hurts and begin to hit back. Don’t sit in the corner and whine and complain that the devil is beating up on you – he’s too small to accomplish that – and he doesn’t have that power. Stand up! Fight back and refuse to back off what you know is yours – with God on your side, you can’t fail. Now…get up and fight!

editor@freshoutlookmag.com

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