Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Tone Of The Room

I awoke thinking about spiritual warfare. Here are some verses on the subject:

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." - 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 ESV

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." - Ephesians 6:12-13 ESV

"And he said to me, 'O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.' And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling... The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.'" - Daniel 10:11, 13-14 ESV

"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." - John 14:30-31a ESV

"And Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' He replied, 'My name is Legion, for we are many.'

And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country." - Mark 5:9-10 ESV

A legion was a Roman military formation, in the time of Augustus had 6826 men with a combination of foot soldiers and men on horseback.

It is important to remember that what we face on a daily basis is not all genetics and social interaction. There is a spiritual tone to situations and even geographical locations.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood..." - Ephesians 6:12a ESV

The things we experience many people experience. Moods can be massive things like clouds blown on the wind covering groups of people.

"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." - 1 John 4:4 ESV

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:37-39 ESV

Instead of coming under the mood of the room we can walk as ambassadors of another kingdom.

"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." - 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 ESV

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:4 ESV

The newness of life that Jesus walked in made it impossible for Him to be held down... in the world... and when it was time for Him to ascend to the Father.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" - James 4:7-12 ESV

Today we can discern the tone of the room but submit to God and not to the whatever is around us. We can resist the urge to judge others only because we have submitted to the judgement of sin on the cross. We are God's people who represent God's mind and God's heart or we can speak from the dust and mind low dusty things.

What will it be? Sunshine or gloom. Man's reasoning or God's mind. A blinded mind or an illumination of Spirit.

--

No comments:

Post a Comment