Learning to depend on God in fighting evil (part 2)
Yesterday I shared the story about how I started to learn to trust God in radical ways. Fast forward 17 years and I’m still learning how to depend on Jesus. My spiritual legs are still shaky. But I now understand that there’s just one way to learn to depend on him more, and that is by practicing depending on him. It sounds basic – surely there must be a more complicated way, perhaps involving a seminary course, to grow in faith.
So many of us who are learning to walk in the spiritual realm are clinging to the safety of spiritual furniture, thinking we’ll learn to depend on God more thru another Bible study or sermon. That was my life for 30 years. I believed the doctrine of impotence and spiritual excuses that had me sidelined and ineffective in far too many spiritual battles.
Meanwhile, the enemy was nipping at my heels and loved the fact that I was numb and oblivious to his designs to steal, kill, and destroy.
It took a raw, face-to-face confrontation with evil to shock me into a state of wakefulness and show me how anemic my faith was. And it took me years after that to learn to depend on Jesus and the authority he’s given me.
It’s time many of us woke up like this. Don’t wait till you’re 30 to begin to really probe the limits of the authority you have. My advice is to find some people in your world who desperately need the power of God. Ask God what he wants to do in that situation, and then, relying on his power as opposed to your own skills, go do it.
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Thanks, Seth, for addressing this very topic. It’s been my theme and prayer request and humbly so as I feel I should have this dependence thing down a little better at my age. I’m pressing through with another bout of cancer (prayer and natural means) and last night had some separate pains (like Heather’s) keeping me awake for hours. Sometimes learning authority/dependence seems like trial and error???? After rebuking the enemy, Mark and I then felt led to intercede for a number of people. Then I meditated on Scriptures as I laid there. I know it’s not a formula thing, but I do feel the Lord Himself teaches dependence, and He brought me through. Even the physical well being is not an end, but a means to be about the Kingdom. This morning, I believed the Lord spoke of the even more difficult times ahead and, in His love and wisdom, He wants to prepare us for the heightened level of battle coming. Personal, spiritual boot camp. It is a fight of faith. There’s so much demonic activity out there, and I want to be useful to the Lord in setting people free.
Kathy, we agree with you in Jesus’ name as you are being called to another level of faithfulness and pain. We ask the Lord for a complete healing in your body and ask that he would reveal to you how to pray and walk in authority during this time.
If you guys are interested, I’ve got the PHW folks coming here 3/16-18 to train us – would love to have you here and to pray with you more.
Seth, thankyou for this post. I encourages me to have someone willing to publically face and address such an essential part of everyones’ struggle.. Christian and non. Especially since my daughter is Racing 2007 with God. Strong warriors are being raised up for God’s Kingdom here. We need to “see” that our struggle is not with “flesh and blood”. God is definitely with our 2007 world racers. I pray for His “full armor” on all on you and covering prayers of strength, courage and protection in our Lord Jesus’name Amen
Well, I waited till I was 34, and I agree with Seth, don’t wait that long. But even if you are 60.. it is still a journey worth taking! Seth, as always, thank you thank you thank you!
-Kelly
I am very tired, pray and pray some more that is what I BELIEVED but my legs are too shakey and I’m tired of taking one step forward and two steps back, when does it end when do we stop getting pecked on? are we even capable of winning and where are all the maracles. how fear is a fight when we are being tricked and manipulated and surrounded by chaos,hy does God not help his children how much more pain is humanity to endure.
its interesting i stumbled across this tonight as i have been battling fear for the past few days…once i opened my eyes to what was going on, i simply started to pray “love is patient..love is kind” then i grabbed my bible and read that lovely verse in COR. reading this got me back in GODS power, and OUT of the hands of the enemy….for torment DOES NOT come from our LORD, but rather from the father of LIES!
thank you jesus!
karen