A Sacrifice of Praise

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name” – Heb. 13:15 (NIV)

Praise becomes a sacrifice (costly) when we offer it to God in the midst of the contrary situations of life. It doesn’t really take much to praise God when things are fine or not too bad. But it is much harder to keep on praising God when our hopes are dashed and we are surrounded by troubles. Surely it is much easier at such times to blame rather than praise God. Yet learning to offer costly praise is crucial if we want to see God’s victory.

In Hebrew 13: 15 the Bible says that what we are doing by such a sacrifice is confessing his name. What that means is that as we continue to praise God even when all seems hopeless, we are confessing all that God is, over our situation. We are confessing that he is love, even though it looks as if he has abandoned us. We are confessing that he is all-wise despite the confusion that faces us. We are confessing his almighty power, even though our situation may look impossible. The bible says, “with such sacrifices God is pleased”(Heb.13: 16 – NIV), and it causes him to act mightily on our behalf.

That was what happened to Paul and Silas. They had been shamefully beaten by the people they had gone to help, and when they found themselves faced with a night of hopelessness in prison, they CHOSE to offer a sacrifice of praise. Their minds may have rebelled against it, but they decided not to miss the opportunity to offer God a sacrifice. We know how this their sacrifice went up as a sweet smelling savour to God, and provoked him to come down and shake their prison.

This kind of praise has very little to do with our emotions. God does not look at our feelings but rather at our willingness to praise him in spite of how we may be feeling. This kind of offering is one that comes from our heart and our will, but it must be expressed through our lips. Not only does it bring God’s intervention, but also the repeated offering of this kind of sacrifice builds character into us. So let’s not waste the opportunity that the troubles of life offer us. Let us offer unto God a sacrifice of praise!

In concluding here is a chorus from a song by Larnelle Harris:

“When praise demands a sacrifice,

I’d worship even then.

Surrendering the dearest things in life;

And if devotion cost me all,

He’d find me faithful to his call

When praise demands a sacrifice”

Noise in the Sanctuary

“All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps” Isaiah 14: 11 (NIV)

It is possible to be involved in church or in ministry and yet be making only noise, unable to impart life to men. Popularity  is not the same as effectiveness in ministry, and neither is multiplied activity. The seeds that fell on the rocky soil quickly sprang up. It appeared to be genuine but it lacked depth and so when the test came it was discovered for what it was – empty. We must not judge our usefulness by our visibility before men. We must be careful to grow deep roots.

Sometimes we do not originally set out to make noise. The Baal prophets on Mount Carmel were very earnest. They were intent on receiving an answer by fire but they ended up making only noise. Today the church is filled with earnest but empty people. People zealously pursuing one activity after another but only making noise in the sanctuary. We can’t give what we do not have. If we have not taken the time to develop depth – to have a deepening intimacy with Jesus, then our life and ministry will only be noise no matter how hard we try.

The answer is not in concentrating on not making noise but rather in concentrating on having depth. The same harp that is producing noise in this verse is what David used to produce powerful anointing to cast out demons. It’s not in methods or strategies, it’s in what we have in us.

God does not Pretend

“He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendour into the hands of the enemy.” –Psalm 78:61 NIV

The truth in this verse is strange. That God would support the sending of his holy ark – the symbol of his might and presence in Israel – into captivity. We as humans do not normally act in this way. We work hard to protect our interests and everything that represents our glory, whether they are beneficial or not. We do not ever like to appear as failures.

But God is not like this. God has no problem in doing things that may make him appear as a failure if it would achieve his purposes. He would allow his temple to be desecrated and his ark to be taken captive, if it would help to wake His people up to repentance and restoration to him.

God is never in the business of make-believe. He rejoices in the truth. For He is the TRUTH. God’s glory is manifest in the beauty of holiness. He will have nothing less. He is prepared to tear everything down if it is false and empty, if this would allow him to build up in us something that is true and beautiful. This, right there, is a message to someone wondering why God is allowing such and such in his or her life which may look like a real shame.

There is a way in which we could become so familiar with God, that we would feel that our double life doesn’t matter. I must not ever fool myself into thinking that God would not allow such and such to happen to me, because of  special favour I have with him, or because of his mercies. No, it is because of his mercies and love that he chastens us!

“…. because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” Hebrews 12:6

He that truly loves God will not take God for granted. No. He walks in reverential fear of the One who loved us so much that he was willing to die for us.

New wine requires new wine skins

“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”” – Matthew 9:17 NIV

You are entering a new season in your life. God is doing a new thing.

I know that that phrase can sound so like a cliché, but it is true because it is in the nature of God always to do new things.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Yet behold what God does generally: I believe that he wants to do some new things in our individual lives. He is in the process of ushering a new season into our lives.

This was the case of the Jews at the time of Christ’s advent on earth as recorded in the Gospels. God had burst into their normal routine and he was doing a new thing. Christ had come in the flesh and was walking among them. It was a new season. This was the new wine. Wine here signifies the Holy Spirit and a new move of His among us.

Now here was the tragedy – the new wine had come yet they sought to retain their old wineskin and were working hard to try to contain him in that old wineskin. This was the reason why the majority of the Jews in those days missed out of that new wine. Most times the more religious a person is, the harder it is to move with God. The religious spirit is an ugly spirit,  and because it lives within the church it is very difficult to discern when it is ruling us. But the test question is, ‘What am I following? Rules or Christ? What does my heart pant for? Christ? Or just to belong and be accepted in the group?

So here is what I am trying to say: When God begins to do a new thing in my life I need to change some of the ways in which I do things so as to contain what he is doing. I can’t go on doing everything as before in a new season.

Sometimes the reason we are not co-operating with God – to cast away the old and be in shape for the new – is because we do not even discern that the new wine has come or is almost here. Just as the Jews did not recognise that the Christ had come.

The first prayer I encourage you to pray as you head into this year is ‘Lord please help me to see what you are doing in my life’. Then look around and notice what the new wine is that God is bringing into your life.

Then the second question you need the help of God to answer so as to contain, and flow in, this new wine, is this: ‘What needs to change in my life so that I will be able to contain this new wine?’ It is not necessarily bad things that have to go. Sometimes the biggest stumbling blocks are those things that were good and useful in the past season, but which are not necessary now, or have even begun to distract you from Christ in this season.

How will you walk into the New Year?

Happy New Year to each one of you dear ones! It’s been a long while since I posted here but starting now I’ll be posting new articles every week. Get ready to be encouraged.. May 2019 be filled with favour and grace upon you and your loved ones.

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There are two ways you can walk into the New Year. You can either walk into it facing forward or facing backward. To walk backwards into the future is to go into it looking backwards as you allow the past to define the steps you take in the future. But to walk forwards into the future is to go into

it believing, expecting and looking forwards to all that God has in store for you. So let me ask you: How are you going to walk into your New Year?

No matter what the past has been, I want to encourage you to walk into the future facing forward. To walk forwards into the future is to walk into it remembering what the prophet Jeremiah said;

‘Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’

(Lam 3:22 – 23) NIV 1984

I can personally relate to this message that I am sharing with you. The past year was a very bitter-sweet year for me. It was a year of incredible personal pain and struggles on one hand, and at the same time it was been a year of incredible personal growth, encouraging growth in ministry and one that has been loaded with many divine interventions and miracles. Indeed at the end of last year I could testify with the prophet that it is ‘because of the LORD’s great love we have not been consumed’. I was still standing. God had been good to me despite the troubles that I faced. And I am sure that if you too do not allow the tears of your pains to blur your vision, you will agree with me

that despite the troubles of the past God has been good to you too.

God offers us a new beginning every new day. With each new day He offers us a new day of compassion. I believe that in the same way, He offers me and also you a New Year that is a new beginning – a New Year filled with his compassionate plans and purposes; a New Year pregnant with possibilities to become more like Jesus in every way;  a year with extraordinary open doors to win more souls for Christ; a year to trust God to take the Gospel to many more nations that have never yet heard of Him. I believe that if you will choose to walk into 2019 facing forward, the best is yet to come.

I am no motivational speaker and I do not speak these words lightly. They are true. I do not speak of a future without pain or trouble. No. I am sure the days ahead will have its share of pain and trouble. But we can expect God to be God in the days ahead. We can be sure that His compassions will never

fail no matter what lies ahead. We can open up the ears of our inner man to His big plans for our lives. We must not limit God. We dare not! Our plans must be great because his faithfulness in the coming days will be great.

So I ask you again, ‘How are you walking into the New Year – backwards or forwards?’ I am praying that you will choose to walk forwards into it and that it will be the greatest year of your life thus far.

How will you walk into 2013?

There are two ways you can walk into the coming year. You can either walk into it facing forward or facing backward.

To walk backwards into the New Year is to go into it looking backwards as you allow the past to define the steps you take in the New Year. But to walk forwards into the New Year is to go into it believing, expecting and looking forwards to all that God has in store for you.  So let me ask you: How are you going to walk into 2013?

No matter what the past has been, I want to encourage you to walk into 2013 facing forward. To walk forwards into the New Year is to walk into it remembering what the prophet Jeremiah said;

‘Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:   Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’ (Lam 3:22 – 23) NIV 1984

I can personally relate to this message that I am sharing with you. 2012 has been a very bitter-sweet year for me. It has been a year of incredible personal pain and struggles on one hand, and at the same time it has been a year of incredible personal growth, encouraging growth in ministry and one that has been loaded with many divine interventions and miracles. Indeed I can testify with the prophet that it is ‘because of the LORD’s great love we have not been consumed’. I am still standing. I am still here. God has been good to me in 2012, and I am sure that if you too do not allow the tears of your pains to blur your vision, you will agree with me that in 2012 God has been good to you too.

God offers us a new beginning every new day. With each new day He offers us a new day of compassion. I believe that in the same way, He offers me and also you a New Year that is a new beginning – a New Year filled with his compassionate plans and purposes; a New Year pregnant with possibilities to become more like Jesus in every way;  a year with extraordinary open doors to win more souls for Christ; a year to trust God to take the Gospel to many more nations that have never yet heard of Him. I believe that if you will choose to walk into 2013 facing forward, the best is yet to come.

I am no motivational speaker and I do not speak these words lightly. They are true. I do not speak of a year without pain or trouble. No. I am sure 2013 will have its share of pain and trouble. But we can expect God to be God in 2013. We can be sure that His compassions will never fail in 2013 no matter what lies ahead. We can open up the ears of our inner man to His big plans for our lives. We must not limit God in 2013. We dare not! Our plans must be great because his faithfulness in 2013 will be great.

So I ask you again, ‘How are you walking into 2013 – backwards or forwards?’ I am praying that you will choose to walk forwards into it and that it will be the greatest year of your life thus far.

Enforcing his Lordship among the Nations

The Invisible War (6) – Enforcing his Lordship among the Nations. “Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82:3-4

The ultimate goal of all spiritual warfare is the enforcing of God’s rule. It is true that we are to resist the devil in our individual lives, but we are called to go beyond fighting for our interests into expanding the kingdom of God in our world.

The entire conflict is not over men’s possessions but rather over men’s souls. The chief purpose for which God is teaching us to fight is so that we may be enlisted into the battle for souls. All around us untold millions are bound and unable to respond to the gospel or to change. Look around at your unsaved relatives; remember your rebellious children, and your confused neighbours. Now lift up your eyes and look at the thousands of ethnic groups in the world still unreached because of demonic strongholds that hold them bound. Consider that there are now over one billion Muslims blind to the love of Christ. How are they going to be freed?

It would not do to preach the gospel to them if we do not first of all bind the strong man that holds them captive. Just think, why do very intelligent people find it hard to understand the simple message of the gospel? The bible says the god of this world has veiled their mind. And it is only through our resisting the devil that they will be free to see and choose Christ.

After two years of fruitless missionary work among the Lisu people in Asia, J.O. Fraser realised that only prayer could free these people. So he got his mother (in England) to gather around godly men and women who committed themselves to do spiritual warfare for the souls of the Lisu, and this is what turned the tide. After some years a mighty move of God came among these people that saw thousands of souls swept into the kingdom of God. When we bind the devil he is forced to liberate souls.

Some years ago I was with a church-planting team in one of the dark places of the earth, in the north of Nigeria. It was a place where two years of faithful preaching and praying had borne no fruit. God led us to fast and pray for days against the spiritual strongholds of Satan in that land. We also sent out a call to the people of God to stand with us to push back the darkness, and then things did happen; within less than a year the people’s attitude began changing and a church was able to be planted.

You ask, “why are untold millions still unreached?” The answer is simple – we do not have enough people in our ranks standing in the gap and pulling down strongholds.

Personally, I believe that there is an unprecedented harvest of souls among the millions of Muslims coming  soon, if enough of us will fight for their souls. Even here in our work among the unreached peoples in Africa we feel a great need for those who will join us in this battle for the precious souls of men. Will you be enlisted?

A friend of mine wrote some while ago that every soul that is won to Jesus is the vengeance of God against the enemy. Soul winning is spiritual warfare.

Let us pray: O Lord, teach us how to pray! Open our eyes to the true nature of this warfare. Give us your passion for the lost. Give us a vision for the nations. Teach us to go beyond focusing on ourselves and so vindicate the weak and fatherless. Help us to give ourselves to rescuing the weak and needy, to deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. O Lord, teach us how to pray in Jesus’ Name!

FOR FURTHER MEDITATION: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; 10:4-6; Eph. 6: 10-18; 1 Thess. 2:18

Are We Fighting the Wrong Enemy?

The Invisible War (5) – ’For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and gainst wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.’ Ephesians 6: 12

There was a preacher in Togo who set up a large camp where he gathered people to teach them what he called ‘dangerous prayers’. According to him, the cause of most of our ills is wicked men who in partnership with demons were set to trouble our lives and we are to stop them. His teachings were based on scriptural injunctions like Exodus 22:18; ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’, and other similar verses. And he taught the people to pray that these, their human enemies, would be destroyed by the ‘fire of the Holy Spirit’. This is indeed dangerous prayer because it is unbiblical to pray against our human enemy. We are called to pray for them.

This teaching might be new to some of you, but this erroneous interpretation of scripture is rampant in some places. I have heard some argue that David prayed against his enemies in the Psalms so why can’t we? Don’t they realise that that was in Old Testament times? Jesus teaches us explicitly otherwise. Now remember that David not only prayed that his human enemies would die, he also went out and killed them with God’s help! Are we to do that too? No, that was under the law. Grace teaches us differently. Jesus said,

“You have heard that the Law of Moses says, ‘Love your neighbour’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too.  If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT)

This false teaching causes a lot of harm. It creates a set of Christians who are suspicious of others for every misfortune they encounter. It does not enhance love and fellowship among people. There are men who have abandoned their elderly mothers because they have ‘discerned’ that  they are the demonic agents troubling them. There are marriages that have been broken because the man has received a revelation that his wife is the witch troubling him.

This teaching feeds our carnal desire for revenge. If there is someone out there who is fighting us then we naturally want him or her to get their just punishment. Like James and John in Luke 9:54 when the crowd was against them, we often would like to ask God to send fire on the heads of our enemies. I recently heard a preacher justify this teaching by saying ‘Jesus told us to pray for our enemies but he didn’t tell us what to pray for them, so let’s pray that they fall and die!’

Now some of us may not have gone that far, but we do bear grudges against those who have hurt us and we wish in our hearts that they would be punished. That wish in itself is like praying against them. It’s ‘dangerous prayer’ too because it will harm us and God’s purposes. We are called to forgive those who hurt us. Please take time and meditate on the Lord’s words above.

What I want to point out now is that ‘we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms’. It is dangerous to be confused about who our enemy is.

Let us pray: Father, forgive us for every unforgiveness in us. We realise that no matter how wicked men may be to us, we are not to war against them but rather pray for your best for them. Lord, we repent of every error we have walked in, and receive from you grace to face our true enemies – the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world. Once again, Lord, we pray – Teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight in Jesus’ Name!

FOR FURTHER MEDITATION: Please go through all the references in the article especially Matthew 5:43-48 and also Romans 12:19-21, Luke 9: 51-56

Defeating the Spirit of Fear through our Authority in Christ

The Invisible War 4: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear’ Psalm 27:1-3 KJV

Fear is one of the most effective fiery darts the enemy uses to render many of us ineffective in this invisible war. You see you cannot walk in fear and overcome Satan. This is why the Bible contains more than 365 exhortations to ‘Fear not’. This is an important command from Jesus Christ, our Commander-in-Chief – ‘Fear not.’

Our eyes must be opened to see fear as an enemy. The devil is using his spirit of fear these days, to cause many to be weak and ineffective. Fear brings bondage (Hebrew 2:15). Some are walking in the fear of death or some other phobia. Others are just generally fearful and they think this is normal. No, the righteous are called to be as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). There is no reason why we should walk in fear.

‘For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ Romans 8:15 (KJV)

We can walk in boldness and freedom from fear because we know that we belong to God and he has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. We must resist fear because it opens us up to the attack of the enemy. In the story of my friend who was attacked by the witch (in part 3 of this series), it was fear that opened the door. Indeed, there is no witch or demon who has authority over a believer unless we give it to them. When we are controlled by this spirit of fear, we open up ourselves to the enemy’s attacks. We must resist fear because it is a weapon of the enemy and does not come from our Father:

‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind’ 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

To be effective in spiritual warfare we need to understand and be convinced of our authority in Christ. To walk in fear is to demonstrate that we do not understand our authority. If you are born-again, Christ has given you his authority over all the works of Satan and his demons. Through his glorious victory at Calvary, Jesus has authority over all the powers of hell:

‘… and having spoiled principalities and powers, he (Jesus) made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.’ Colossians 2: 15 (KJV)

Through the cross, our Lord defeated the devil and all his cohorts and took the keys of hell and death from them. That is why it is written:

‘….God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

It is based on this victorious authority that Jesus commissions every believer to go and win the world for him:

‘And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’ Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)

When we are born into God’s family, Christ by his Spirit lives in us and gives us his authority to be sons of God (John 1:12). This is why Romans 8:15 says we have received the Spirit of adoption. When you are adopted into a family you receive the name of that family, and with that name you have whatever authority it carries. We too have been given the authority in the mighty name of Jesus. So when we come against the devil in spiritual warfare we do not come in our own power but in our delegated authority from Jesus Christ. This is what makes the enemy tremble.

When Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you’ (Luke 10:19 KJV), he was also talking to every believer. Our authority is derived from the authority that Jesus (who lives in us) has over the devil. That is why it is written:

‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world (Satan)’. 1 John 4:4

We do not go against the devil in our own name but in the name of Jesus. When we resist the enemy in that name they have no choice but to obey. It has nothing to do with how strong we think we are, it has to do with the authority of him in whose name we come. In Togo, where I used to be, we had traffic wardens. Now if that same man were to attempt to control the traffic without his uniform, he would be run down by some vehicle. A man is no match for a vehicle in motion. But in his uniform he represents the entire power of the state of Togo. And because of this delegated authority, drivers obey him, for to mess with him would be to mess with the Togolese authority. This is the same with us.

So arise and shake off fear and begin to resist the devil in the mighty name of Jesus until you have enforced the Lordship of Jesus over every area of your life. You can no longer afford to throw up your hands in helplessness. You have been given authority. Use it! If you do not use your authority angels will not resist Satan for you. God is calling you to resist him and he will flee. Can’t you see the enemy’s works in you and around you? Stand up now and fight for your life, for your loved ones, for your nation and for all the nations around you. This is war!

Let us pray: Father, we thank you that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to our Captain, Jesus Christ. And we thank you for giving us this authority by which we can tread upon every work of darkness and prevail. We refuse to walk in fear. We refuse to give place to the spirit of fear. You have given us a Spirit of power that makes us bold to confront and defeat the enemy. We are fearless because we know that you are always with us. Lord, cause these revelations to percolate into our spirit man. Teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight in Jesus’ Name!

FOR FURTHER MEDITATION: Please go through all the references in the article and also 1 John 4: 14-18; Isaiah 43:1-3; John 14:27; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Eph. 1:20-23; 1 John 2:14; 3:8; 5:4-5

Resisting the Enemy

The Invisible War (3) – ”Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Previously we saw that the most important aspect of spiritual warfare is submitting to God. But spiritual warfare does not end there. We must go on and resist the devil.

To resist means to ‘stand against’, ‘oppose’, or ‘refuse to give place to’. To effectively oppose or resist a thing you must locate it first. The first thing then is to discern when and where the enemy is at work in your environment in order to resist him.

Many times it is obvious when the enemy is at work. So we resist him. But there are also instances when it is difficult to know. It is not every mishap that is an attack from the devil.

How can one discern the enemy’s work? My answer is – ‘Ask the Lord.’ When we ask sincerely and in faith, God will let us know one way or the other what is happening. Some years ago during a time of serious financial difficulty I sought the Lord, and he showed me that it was he himself and not the devil, putting me through a season of testing.

But there are times when it is obviously the enemy at work. A friend of mine had been suffering from a strange ailment for 2 years after an encounter he had had with a witch who had scared him so much that he was overwhelmed with fear, and soon after this, the ailment had begun. When we prayed and resisted the devil together the ailment stopped.

There is a principle in 2 Samuel 21:1 that I find useful for discerning the enemy’s activities:

‘Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites’ (KJV).

Note the word ‘year after year’. When you find a mishap repeating itself with apparent consistency in your life then it is important to inquire of God what is behind it like David did. There are families, for example where everyone seems to die as soon as they turn 30. Or there are others who every business they start seems to collapse. It is important not to overlook such a circle but to set aside time to inquire of God what is happening. And God will show you.

Finally, after discerning the enemy’s activities how do we resist him? Simple, just talk to him out loud as you would to someone standing before you and command him to stop what he is doing in the Name of Jesus. I would say for example, something like this: “You demon who is causing discord in this relationship, I command you to stop right now in Jesus’ Name!’ And that’s it. If said in faith, it is very powerful because of the authority we have in Christ. Next time we shall look at this authority.

Let us pray: Father, we thank you that you are our Captain who leads us into battle. We thank you that through your help we can discern the activities of the enemy and resist him. Help us to grow in discernment so that we might not give any foothold to the enemy. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

FOR FURTHER MEDITATION: 1 Peter 5: 8 – 9; Eph. 6:13 (NLT); Matt. 17:14-21; James 4:7