The Christian Metal Realm is a community made up largely of Christians who also happen to love heavy metal! You do not have to be a Christian to join, but you MUST be respectful. |
| | |
| Author | Message |
|---|
hallowedbethyname
Number of posts: 91
Registration date: 2008-02-04
 |  Subject: SPIRITUAL WARFARE !  Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:31 am | |
|
As I sit today writing to you all, my friends under the cloud of God’s glory, I felt the Holy Spirit move me to share this with you. If we all know this, then at least by reading this, we might remember who we are, the next time the devil comes trying to punk you out.
On my way home from work today, the devil brought an onslaught up against me. I won’t go into details, cause that’s what the devil wants me to do, focus on my problems, and not the word of God. I am victorious, because Jesus is my Savior, the very essence of God. Everyone has been up against the devil so I am sure you can all relate!
The devil has a tool belt full of tactic’s to use against you and I. Please grasp this: The devil has been around for, well a long time, and he is a very powerful adversary. Our short life span put up against the devil’s amassed knowledge makes us ill equipped against his tactics alone, and understand this is when we need to be stong in our faith in God.
Doubt. If Satan can get us to doubt God, he knows that our doubt will drive us away from God. God desires us to trust and believe in His promises and the one trait that pleases God is Faith... faith in His promises and of who He is.
(Heb 11:6) and without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him.
If the devil can get us to doubt God, then our life and our life hereafter is in peril. He wants nothing more than to frustrate God's plan of redemption of Mankind and to destroy His creation, you and I. ... As the scripture says, God is true to His word and promises, but Satan wants us to doubt and not have faith in God and His plan for our lives.
(Heb 6:17) Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath.
(Heb 6:18) This was so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before us
Discouragement is the playground the devil loves to frolic in, and he tempts you to look at your problems, rather than God. We are most vulnerable when we are in a state of discouragement. This is the time when we question everything and this is the door that ushers in the devils plans where he revels in his attacks and accusations against God. How many of us have asked ourselves this question:
"Why did God allow this to happen?"
Discouragement has an uglier more deceitful side called, despair, and despair is the catalyst to losing hope. It is in these deep emotions that Satan can influence feelings and actions that can cause us to react in ways that sometimes have no remedy. This is something that Satan doesn't want for us to do, to Trust God.
God promises us that if we trust in Jesus, he will help us go through all things and even when we are at our lowest, he will give us a peace that we ourselves cannot understand, but will help us through our tough times.
(2Co 4:7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;
(2Co 4: [i] we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair;
(2Co 4:9) pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; with him.[/i]
God also promises that He will work the bad things in our life against Satan's plans and even our down times will benefit us since God will make all things work in our favor, good and bad.
(Rom 8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.
(Rom 8:29)[i] For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
(Rom 8:30) and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.[/i]
Deception: Satan likes to divert our thinking away from things that are important to God. He is always trying to make us think that what God wants for us is not as rewarding or enjoyable as things that displease God. The Lord wants man to perform honest work for honest wages while Satan offers deception as a way of getting what you want. God wants to instill patience in us while Satan wants to install impatience in us by wanting everything now. Patience is an asset that is earned over time, while Satan teaches "another way" contrary to God's will..
(Luke 21:19) In your patience ye shall win your souls.
(Rom 8:25) But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
(Rom 15:4) For whatever things were written, were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope.
(1Ti 6:11) But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
(Heb 6:12) that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
(Jas 1:3) Knowing that the proving of your faith creates patience.
(Jas 1:4) And let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.
Defeat. Through defeat, Satan limits and robs us of a future inheritance. Defeat has a nastier side, called disappointment. We've all been disappointed at some time in our lives. If Satan plays his cards right, he can overcome our future successes when he uses defeat to frustrate and stop our moves forward towards a goal we've set. All Satan wants is that we give up if we are met with defeat and Satan wants to place us in a state of despondency.
Through defeat, Satan can again bring question and doubt towards God. As mentioned in the section above, Discouragement, Satan has a powerful tool when used with defeat.
(2Co 4: we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair;
(2Co 4:9) pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed;
(2Co 4:10) always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body.
(2Co 4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
It was here that Paul reminded me, though we may think we are at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of our hope. We are subject to sin and suffering, but Gods will never abandons us. As believers, Christ won victory over death, and gave us the gift of eternal life, even though we were not worthy of it. All our risks, humiliations, and trials are opportunities for Christ to demonstrate his power and presence in and through us. My friends, when opposition, slander, or disappointment threaten to rob you of the victory, remember that no one, including the devil, can destroy what God has accomplished through you, and his will for the purpose of your life! Take heart, if you fail at something do not accept the lie of defeat in your life.
Doubt, discouragement, deception, defeat, these things are powerful tools the devil will use against us time and time again. So I call upon you, to put on the full Armor of God.
Jesus taught us how to pray:
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the Glory forever, Amen”
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, James wrote:
“Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
The Bible tells us,
“Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes.”
As I said at the beginning of this shared word with you, this is how I defeated the devil’s tactics against me. I sought the word of God, and was reminded of who he is, and he reminded me of who I was. I realize now, after all that I have been through, just why the devil brought such an onslaught against me, because the Lord’s will for my life, is greater than him, because Satan is already been defeated.
As I sit here and write this, I am alone. My Beautiful wife Ann Marie, my children, my Mother and Father, are all at the Jersey shore, enjoying a relaxing up-coming week of vacation, and this is when the devil chose to strike. But I should have known it was coming. I would like to share with you, a letter I received just earlier this week:
Prayer for You-
Someone recently gave me one of your CDs and upon listening to it, God gave me a deep burden to pray for you. I do not know if you know the depth of our ministry to the metal culture from '88-'94 (lightshineministries) but let me assure you that I understand the pressure you are facing (or will be facing) as Satan attempts to destroy the machine that you have created that is leading many to Jesus. I know what it is like to get slammed by the enemy and I also know how to get back up on my feet again. God bless you guys and your wives and children.
Tom Denlinger - Vocalist for SARDONYX
I have never met this man in my life, or sad to say, ever heard of Sardonyx, yet God placed a warrior in my path, and I flat out missed sensing the attack. Little did the devil know, God has me, right where he wants me. Ready to step onto the battlefield of Cornerstone, and not forget, who I am, why I am there, and that I, as well as my family, and my band-mates, are protected by an army of Angels.
I pray for all who read this, to always remember who you are!
You are “New Wine” under the covenant of Jesus blood, custom designed original masterpieces, hand crafted children by a Father of pure love – for his purpose!
Blessings,
Blaine
Lead Guitarist in God’s Metal Ministry
FAITH FACTOR
|
|   | | Musclecar1975
Number of posts: 457
Age: 39
Registration date: 2009-06-15
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:23 pm | |
| Thank you for this awesome post.  I have been going through some pretty rough trials these past few months that have left me depressed, discouraged and seriously questioning God's love for me and willingness to do good in my life. I have serious trust issues with God, and going through one of the worst seasons of my life has really made me distrust Him even more so. I know this is all the work of the enemy. I have resolved to submit completely to God and to trust Him, and the enemy is still coming after me in the form of another attack. But I am determined to press on. I'm going to bookmark this page, so I can refer back to it. Thanks again for this encouraging thread, it really spoke to me. God bless!
Last edited by Musclecar1975 on Sat Jul 04, 2009 5:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
| | | | wv_metaller4christ
Number of posts: 563
Age: 23
Registration date: 2009-06-02
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Sat Jul 04, 2009 5:25 pm | |
| nice... I really needed to see that |
| | | | Kit
Number of posts: 137
Age: 20
Registration date: 2009-06-16
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:49 pm | |
| If you want to see how the Devil works in context, read The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. Satan is a very subtle guy. It's unfair how subtle he is.
_________________
"When I get hold of the big bad wolf
I just push him under to drown
Then I bite him in a million bits
And I gobble him right down"
-Animal Crackers in My Soup by Shirley Temple... brutal
|
| | | | Musclecar1975
Number of posts: 457
Age: 39
Registration date: 2009-06-15
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Sat Jul 04, 2009 6:59 pm | |
| I read The Screwtape Letters and thought it was quite good. My favorite fictional books on spiritual warfare are Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing The Darkness. I've found these to be excellent books that painted a really vivid picture for me on the topic of spiritual warfare. |
| | | | Guest
Guest
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:45 pm | |
| Great post. |
| | | | GODSWIZARD
Play it LOUD!!
Number of posts: 17790
Age: 52
Registration date: 2007-01-06
| | | | | Kuba
The Demon Slayer
Number of posts: 1069
Registration date: 2007-07-12
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:47 pm | |
| |
| | | | Equus Albus
Number of posts: 101
Age: 20
Registration date: 2009-07-20
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:07 pm | |
| Thanks for posting this, it's exactly what I was needing ^^ |
| | | | _Wes
Number of posts: 1898
Age: 41
Registration date: 2007-04-07
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:27 am | |
| Yup - let me be a 'me too'. Great post - and something I needed to see - and share. . . God bless you Bro, for sharing!! |
| | | | wv_metaller4christ
Number of posts: 563
Age: 23
Registration date: 2009-06-02
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:51 pm | |
| |
| | | | Guitar_Guy_77FP
Number of posts: 7
Registration date: 2009-07-27
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:03 am | |
| | Musclecar1975 wrote: | | I read The Screwtape Letters and thought it was quite good. My favorite fictional books on spiritual warfare are Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing The Darkness. I've found these to be excellent books that painted a really vivid picture for me on the topic of spiritual warfare. |
Ditto!
my wife did some missionary work in Zambia, twenty miles away from 'witchcraft central' apparently. The experiences that the whole team went through while over there tested and strengthened their faith. |
| | | | Musclecar1975
Number of posts: 457
Age: 39
Registration date: 2009-06-15
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:31 am | |
| | Guitar_Guy_77FP wrote: | | Musclecar1975 wrote: | | I read The Screwtape Letters and thought it was quite good. My favorite fictional books on spiritual warfare are Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing The Darkness. I've found these to be excellent books that painted a really vivid picture for me on the topic of spiritual warfare. |
Ditto!
my wife did some missionary work in Zambia, twenty miles away from 'witchcraft central' apparently. The experiences that the whole team went through while over there tested and strengthened their faith. |
Your wife's story sounds a lot like my friend's story....she also went to Zambia last year for mission work and said the same thing about everyone's strength being strengthed over there.... |
| | | | Guitar_Guy_77FP
Number of posts: 7
Registration date: 2009-07-27
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:00 am | |
| | Musclecar1975 wrote: | | I have resolved to submit completely to God and to trust Him, and the enemy is still coming after me in the form of another attack. But I am determined to press on. |
...and to make things worse there were attacks against the team leaders when they all arrived home to the UK and Ireland.
Now i'm gonna listen to 'Breakfast with Alice (Cooper)' on Planet Rock Player to cheer myself up, (followed by a decade of the rosary using a medal of St Benedict) |
| | | | Musclecar1975
Number of posts: 457
Age: 39
Registration date: 2009-06-15
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:03 pm | |
| | Guitar_Guy_77FP wrote: | | Musclecar1975 wrote: | | I have resolved to submit completely to God and to trust Him, and the enemy is still coming after me in the form of another attack. But I am determined to press on. |
...and to make things worse there were attacks against the team leaders when they all arrived home to the UK and Ireland.
Now i'm gonna listen to 'Breakfast with Alice (Cooper)' on Planet Rock Player to cheer myself up, (followed by a decade of the rosary using a medal of St Benedict) |
Yup, that sounds like the enemy, all right. I heard a sermon by Greg Laurie before where he said that oftentimes, the enemy will attack us when we have a victorious moment. He said that's when we should be especially on guard.
I can't wait till Jesus comes back and gives the enemy what's coming to him. I'm so sick of all this spiritual warfare.  |
| | | | Gone
Number of posts: 969
Registration date: 2008-12-03
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:07 pm | |
| The greatest spiritual warfare isn't against satan or witchcraft, imo, it is against our fallen selves. which no matter how much of an Uber Christian you may be.. will remain fallen to it's death. Everyone one of us is a devil, in our own right.. apart from our Born Again selves.. which is yet only a seedling. So also the Apostle Paul acknowledged this well.. in that he declared himself.. " the chief of sinners".
Last edited by Gone on Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:15 pm; edited 2 times in total |
| | | | Musclecar1975
Number of posts: 457
Age: 39
Registration date: 2009-06-15
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:13 pm | |
| Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Of course, we do battle our flesh as well. |
| | | | candlemass
The Idiot Formerley Known As The Changeling
Number of posts: 3350
Age: 46
Registration date: 2007-04-08
| | | | | GODSWIZARD
Play it LOUD!!
Number of posts: 17790
Age: 52
Registration date: 2007-01-06
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Wed Jul 29, 2009 5:46 pm | |
| |
| | | | Gone
Number of posts: 969
Registration date: 2008-12-03
| | Subject: Re: SPIRITUAL WARFARE ! Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:46 pm | |
| I actually don't hate Satan at all. Knowing that I am not Good and only the Father is.. makes me incapable of Hating anyone.. even the most supremely hellish beings. Well, it makes me incapable of hating something without falling from Righteousness and thereby Falling from Joy. It is only people that believe they are Good that are able to Hate, because they have taken the place of God by thinking that they are Good. God the Father, who alone is Good, can judge perfectly. We cannot, who are not Good. That was actually the sin of Satan.. believing he was Good, instead of God the Father... and with it he fell. Because once a being believes it is Good, it takes on the power of judgment upon itself.. which is God's alone to wield. Hell is the abode of the Good, Heaven is the abode of the Righteous. Goodness and Righteousness are two separate matters. AS Christians, we are called to be righteous, not Good. Righteousness is Knowing that you are not Good and only God is. For Christ himself spoke.. " why do you cal me good? do you not know that only the father in heaven is good?" - paraphrasing. Do you call yourself Good, when even Christ did not? Learn from Christ and become Free from the penalty of believing you are Good, which is Death. Become free from Good ( and thereby the Law and Sin) through Righteousness, as Christ taught us. .. you will not learn this stuff form most Church's, one must learn from the Actual Church. |
| | | | |
| Page 1 of 2 | Goto page : 1, 2  |
| | Permissions of this forum: | You cannot reply to topics in this forum
| |
| |
| |
|
Home 
FAQ 
Search 
Register 
Memberlist 
Usergroups 
Log in 
These posts are witness to that. 
