YOUR BATTLE IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD

Today’s devotion is from Ephesians 6:12

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The Passion Translation says, ‘Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms…’

Every one of us comes under attack from what seems like and looks like other people. I say “seems like”, because according to the Word, the attack is not coming from human beings. The source of the attack is demonic. When someone lashes out at you, judges you, criticizes you, condemns you, gets angry at you, curses you out, slanders you or accuses you, you have to KNOW the source! If we get tricked into believing that the attack comes from a person, then we can open the door to hurt, offense, and torment. Many believers take the devil’s bait and retaliate by striking back at THE PERSON or withdraw from the person, or judge the person instead of discerning where the attack is coming from.

A person who strikes out at another believer is being used by the devil. A person who judges, blames, criticizes, condemns or accuses another believer is being used by the devil. A person who stirs up strife, says things in anger and hurts another believer is being used by the devil. 

What happens is that some believers will give place to the devil by not walking in the Spirit, by not submitting their thoughts to Philippians 4:8, by not believing the best, by allowing themselves to get offended and by not walking in love towards their fellow believers. This gives the devil an opportunity to deceive them into allowing him to use them and operate through them. Most believers who are used by the devil are deceived and do not even know that the devil is using them to do his work.

They are so deceived that they even believe that they are led by the Spirit in their divisive actions and their destructive words of death.  

Paul the apostle was under continual attack from the Jewish community, from the Roman empire as well as from his fellow believers. I believe that this may have been the thorn in the flesh that he pleaded with the Lord to take away. The Lord then helped Paul overcome this pain of rejection, criticism and accusation through grace! So, when Paul wrote that our battle is not against people and that the source of the attack coming against us is the devil, he was sharing a powerful grace, New Covenant truth.  

Renew your mind to KNOW and to be FULLY PERSUADED that the source of the attack against you is never a person. That way you can stay in a place of compassion and love towards the person, and bind the real culprit.  

When someone is used by the devil to come against me, I always deal with it in the realm of the spirit and seldomly try to straighten things out with the person. I walk in love and forgiveness towards them and pray blessings and deliverance over them in my prayer closet. I speak directly to the source and say, “Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you, the Lord rebuke you! I will not fall for your trap of trying to get me to take the bait of believing that this comes from a person! 

I bind you, in Jesus Name!” Then, I pray for the person with love and compassion according to the leading of the Spirit.

This biblical approach keeps me pure and in the Spirit concerning all people at all times. I am careful not to talk about the situation to others and will not be used spread any of the devil’s venom.  

Family, if we are going to do great exploits for the Lord, we are going to be facing this over and over again, so getting this right is so important. Believers who do not discern this often end up bitter, angry, disillusioned, burned out, out of fellowship and out of ministry.

The devil is under your feet and you are more than a conqueror, discern the source of your challenges and prosper, in Jesus Name!