Entering His Rest by Standing on His Promises
Occupy
The Bible commands us to stand and occupy the land until Jesus comes again. (Luke 19:13) Everywhere our feet trod, we shall possess the land. (Joshua 1:3) He is our portion and He is our commander. Jesus stripped the enemy of all power and authority. The Lord in turn gave those who believe in Him all power and authority over the earth. “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Luke 10:19 The Bible says we are the head and not the tail, more than conquerors. So why do so many of us still struggle?
If the battle is the Lord’s, why do so many Christians feel defeated? The Word of God says we battle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) Part of the problem is the tendency for us to try to fight our own battles in the flesh. We must realize that it is not other people we are battling against, but evil spirits that operate through people and situations designed to get us off track.
Strategies
One of the main ways the enemy can get us off track is through deception. To overcome deception, we must know the Word of God and we must also know the character of God. He is a good God and works all things together for our good. When we understand the perfect love of the Lord, we will no longer fear the battle. The Bible says Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth in him. (John 8:44) He will do whatever he can to deceive us with well devised strategies. I picture the enemy sitting at a large table with his cohorts devising deceptive plans and every evil work under the sun.
The good news is we serve a God who has no equal, a God that laughs at the plans of the enemy. There is no greater name than Jesus. There is no greater power than the Holy Spirit. All things are possible for God, through God, and with God. The Lord has strategies and He reveals those strategies to His prophets. The Lord is implementing many of His strategies right now. We are entering a new season; a time in which the Father is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh. He will do this by infusing His Spirit into Christian artists, writers, producers, leaders and ministers of all kinds. This new move of His Spirit will be unlike anything we have ever seen. God is going mainstream! His Spirit will move like a river and everywhere the river flows there will be life. (Ezekiel 47:9) Life in the form of healing, deliverance and creative miracles. All we have to do is step into the river.
Get Low for the Pure Flow
Lana Vawser, a prophetess from Australia once said: “For the pure flow, you must get low.” What I think that means is that we must humble ourselves, but not in false humility. False humility is nauseating. True humility is a state of the human heart. It is a heart that is pure and soft. Genuine humility is not allowing other people to walk all over us like a doormat. No! It is a submissive posture we take before the Lord Jesus. It is all about surrendering our plans, and our prestige, to do His will. It’s not about title, position, or power. In fact, the Lord says, “Not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit.” Zechariah 4:6
Yes, Jesus already knows our heart and that we are but flesh. He knows we have the propensity to sin and get all caught up in ourselves and our “fantastic ministries.” But you see, the Lord is not moved by our huge ministries or our big-name preachers. He is concerned about human souls. He is ready and willing to pour out His Spirit on all flesh; unbelievers and believers alike. He is moved with great compassion when He looks toward humanity. Virtue flows from Jesus as He touches and meets the needs of mankind.
He will use everyday situations, everyday people and everyday love. We live in a world just brimming with depressed, overworked, diseased, angry, bitter and lost human beings. Humanity is straining under the weight of the enemy’s darkness and deception. Now more than ever we need those who believe to operate in deliverance and every gift the Lord has bestowed. We need believers in Christ that are not afraid to let their light shine and shine brightly to pierce the darkness. (Isaiah 60:2)
We need to be plugged into the Holy Spirit and connected to Jesus Christ so we can bear much fruit. For the Word says we can do nothing apart from Him. (John 15:5) He is the vine and we are the branches. As we move out in faith and allow the Lord to lead us, He will provide opportunities and situations which require us to rely on Him and Him alone.
Walk by Faith and Not by Sight
When we place our trust in Jesus, we can overcome any obstacle. We cannot base our belief system on natural circumstances instead we must declare and decree His promises and watch Him deliver us from our enemies. He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. This indicates that even though our enemies may surround us and even threaten us, Jesus still provides for us.
It is essential that we renew our minds by studying the Bible and spending time with the Lord. Our faith grows by hearing the Word and applying that Word to our everyday life. He speaks to us in a still small voice through dreams and visions, through anointed music, through books and movies, and a multitude of other ways. The point is, if we quite ourselves and seek Him with our whole heart we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13) Not only will we be victorious, but we will be filled with the peace that passes all understanding. This peace is the kind of peace that only the Lord can give. It is a peace that does not come from the world. By resting on His promises and declaring His Word over our lives, the lives of others, and our world we will see Him move on our behalf because the battle is the Lord’s.