Spiritual Warfare - 8

Taking my stand for people – Gaining territory

 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.   Joshua 1:3 (NKJV)


 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma   .Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV)

Once I have found my position of victory and security and know how to take my stand in that position, I need to progress from there to gain territory. Gaining souls is gaining territory. This we do, because of the love of Christ in our hearts for others. In  spiritual warfare, fighting for others is gaining territory. Bringing people from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, bringing people to salvation in Christ Jesus, helping people to be established in the faith, set free from the snares of the devil, and causing them to walk in victory, is spiritual gain for us. Exposing and destroying the works of satan in the lives of people brings defeat to his kingdom.  Thus we progress in this path.

This we do, by preaching, teaching, interceding and helping with love.

We have been commanded and given the authority in Jesus, to preaching and teach.

 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.   Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.   2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJV)

We have been given the authority and power in Jesus to trample the enemy and set people free.

 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”   Matthew 16:19 (NKJV)

 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.   Luke 10:18-19 (NKJV)

We have been given the anointing in Jesus to set the captives free.

 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,   Isaiah 61:1-2 (NKJV)

We have been asked to serve with love.

 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.   Galatians 5:13 (NKJV)

Therefore in the spiritual battle, we fight for others.

 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”   Nehemiah 4:14 (NKJV)

 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”   Esther 4:14 (NKJV)

We don’t fight with people, but we fight for people.

We don’t fight for land or possessions, but we fight for people.

Since we have been saved by grace, we should desire to see that grace extended to others so that they also may be saved. The sufferings in this world cannot be compared to the eternal torment in hell-fire. We have a glimpse of it in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the Lord rained down brimstone and fire and the smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace. God’s grace and mercy prevail before His judgment comes.

When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” ¹⁶ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. ¹⁷ So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”   Genesis 19:15-17 (NKJV)

Rotorua in New Zealand gives us a picture of the place of eternal torment. It gives us a glimpse of bubbling, boiling mud and Sulphur. May we consider this and have our hearts filled with compassion to see many saved from being cast into hell.

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.   Jude 20-23 (NKJV)