6TH JULY, 2024

PASTOR OLUBI JOHNSON

THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S

Psalms 24:7-8 NKJV
Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

We are involved in a spiritual battle that is going on all the time! It is a battle for the control of our souls: mind, will and emotions. Satan, through the air and our physical senses (which together constitute the gate to our souls), seeks to dominate our souls with the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life, thereby choking or making the Word of God in our lives unfruitful (Eph. 2:2-3; Gal. 5:16-17).

Sadly, many Christians are ignorant of this battle, supposing that many of our thoughts and feelings are just ‘natural’: not knowing they are being remotely controlled by wicked spirits in the air around us (1Pt. 2:11).

The majority of such satanic influences on our souls are very subtle, as they are not obviously immoral. Like pride and stubbornness, disguised as independence and self reliance; covetousness disguised as ambition; laziness disguised as weakness and tiredness etc.

For instance, feeling weak and sleepy when you want to pray and read your Bible is, many times, not just natural tiredness but demonic influence on your soul and body to hinder your spiritual development. So you find that if you were to watch television or read a secular book instead, you would not feel so weak or sleepy!

These satanic spiritual forces can only be overcome by the more powerful spiritual forces released by the Holy Spirit: the fruit of Spirit (Gal. 5:16; 22-24; Rom. 8:13).

Consequently, it is vital to understand that it is the Lord, using His angels, that fights the battle and not us. So He gives us the strength to turn back the battle at the gates, so that these lusts of the flesh are rendered ineffective or neutralized in our souls and bodies.

However, we are the instrument, or the ‘battle-axe’ that the Lord uses: we make ourselves available and the Lord fights through us (Jer. 51:20; Isa. 41:15).

To allow God to fight effectively through you, you need to live in God’s presence by following sequential steps below:
1. Maintaining an inner attitude of divine love (1Jn. 4:12;16-18).
2. Praying frequently, fervently and effectually in the Spirit (Jude 20-22, 1Jn. 4:13).
3. Reading, studying, confessing, meditating and practising the Word daily (1Jn. 2:5-6).
4. Acknowledge God in all your ways by staying your mind on Him, especially during temptation (Isa. 26:3).

Isaiah 28:5-6 NIV
In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

For more on today’s study visit:
https://t.ly/9NcXg

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