UNDERSTANDING KINGDOM WARFARE (4)

"Two things become apparent here. The Lord won all his victories not by using bazookas and ICBMs. He won by using the word. Two, he won by doing the one thing that you do with words: speak them out of his mouth, using his tongue, allowed them beyond his lips. In other words our mouths serve as the rocket launchers..."

As I conclude this serial, the following points can bear repeating: One; that the call upon our brothers and sisters in northern Nigeria, who have been the target of brutal, fatal attacks to rise in self-defence, has come not a moment too soon. This is because the aberration of children of a warrior God known and addressed liberally in scripture as Jehovah Sabaoth (the Lord of the Armies of Heaven), being made mince meat, as it were, by agents of a defeated cowardly foe has gone on for too long.

Two, support for that point of view is not support for physically arming Christians with guns and machetes and bombs and forming militias. It is quite simply a call upon children of God to rise up and utilize those weapons that are already available to them as identified in the Bible; weapons, which are in no way physical or carnal; yet they are no less potent. This much is clear from these words of Apostle Paul: “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Three, the resort to spiritual, rather than physical weapons, is necessitated by the biblical insight that the men and women who stalk, attack, maim and kill are not the real enemies. They are mere tools in the hands of an evil general known as satan, who is a spirit and can therefore only be deal with in the spirit realm. Again Apostle Paul offered us that insight when he wrote: “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere (Ephesians 6:12). Or if you prefer it in contemporary English: “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world (CEV)”.

Four, the same Paul identified what he called the whole armour of God clearly in verses 14-17 of Ephesians 6 from which we have already quoted as follows: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (emphasis added).

Five, as I pointed out last week, all but the last component of the “whole armour of God” are defensive weapons. Only the sword of the spirit is a weapon of offense. Yet, a very critical part of defensive warfare is attack, preemptive attack or to put in street language “attack is the best form of defence”. The point was also made that the Church, generally speaking, cannot be found guilty of failing to teach on truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith and salvation. This, as I noted, is understandable because, they are “basic and foundational to our faith”. After all, how can you really be a Christian if you don’t have a measure of faith to lead you to accept the salvation that the gospel of peace (reconciliation with God) offers? How can you be a Christian if you have not accepted Jesus as the way, the truth and the life; the one through whom you are reconciled with God and through whose finished work you have righteousness (right standing) with Him? So, we are inevitably copiously taught these components of the armour. Unfortunately the word as the sword of the Spirit is not as comprehensively taught as it ought to be, and that is what has given the enemy the victory he continues to enjoy, not just in northern Nigeria, but in virtually every part of the world.

Yet, the Bible didn’t mince word about the place of the word in Kingdom warfare. The writer of the book of Hebrews said of this power-packed weapon: “The word is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword… (4:12). The Good News translation of the latter part of Ephesians 6:17 urges us to “accept…the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you” while the Amplified version in that same verse described the word as “the sword that the Spirit wields…” 

At least two verses in the book of Revelations throw further light on this subject. First, the Lord Jesus was not armed any differently. It was said of him that …”out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” (1:16), and then described tellingly as “he which hath the sharp sword with two edges” (2:12).”

Two things become apparent here. The Lord won all his victories not by using bazookas and ICBMs. He won by using the word. Two, he won by doing the one thing that you do with words: speak them out of his mouth, using his tongue, allowed them beyond his lips. In other words our mouths serve as the rocket launchers. That explains why the Bible has such verses as:  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21); “…the lips of the wise shall preserve them (Proverbs 14:3); Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth (Proverbs 6:2).

The critical point to note in all of these, however, is that the mouth is not a free agent. It does not speak of its own volition; it speaks what the mind says to speak. The mind, on the other hand, is, at every given point, fed by one of two sources: the spirit of God though the heart, or the spirit of satan through the senses.  The Bible puts it this way: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart (mind) bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart (mind) bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh (Luke 6:45; parenthesis added).

It takes knowledge to grasp these truths and run with them. That is why teaching is very critical and urgent, if we are to rise from the current helpless victim mentality that pervades the church.

UNDERSTANDING KINGDOM WARFARE (3)

"Only the sword of the spirit is a weapon of offense. Yet, a very critical part of defensive warfare is attack, preventive attack. Interestingly also, there doesn’t seem to be any dearth of consistent teaching on the defensive weapons...But from all indications, it is not being taught in full. Why is the whole word of faith not taught as consistently as the other components of the “weapons of our warfare?"

I have been saying that I whole-heartedly welcome the dawn of reality upon church leaders in Nigeria, who have raised the clarion for self-defence among the Christian communities in northern Nigeria where fatal attacks have become regular fare. I have anchored my agreement with this stance on the position that a victor God, Jehovah Sabaoth (the Lord of the Armies of Heaven), can neither give birth to victim children; nor fail to provide for their protection. But I have also emphasised that Kingdom warfare is not about AK40s or rocket launchers or even machetes; but about weapons provided for in the word of God.

I have tried to show from the word of God that the men and women who aggravate us, who join militias or mobs to kill and to maim us, are mere tools in the hands of forces far above them. That, I have said is the import of Apostle Paul’s declaration that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12), which in contemporary English reads: “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world (CEV)”. I have also made the point that it is a recognition of this  truth that led the apostle to teach that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

I ended the last piece with the example of the Lord Jesus’ encounter with satan in, of all persons, Peter, the apostle, recorded in the book of Matthew, chapter 16. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter; Get thee behind me, Satan… (verses 21-23).

Two things were pointed out from the account. First and, I quote: “Notice, the Bible says, the Lord Jesus spoke to Peter, but addressed satan. Did Peter suddenly transfigured into satan, or did satan become another name for Peter, like Cephas, for instance? The answer is neither. The Lord, in reacting to Peter’s well-meaning rebuke, saw beyond him; he recognized the one speaking through him. In other words, satan was the enemy, not Peter...”

   

Secondly, I wrote: “...Jesus knew who the enemy was, satan, a spirit. He knew that a bazooka won’t dislodge it. So, what did He do? He used the appropriate weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (see Ephesians 6: 17). He used “the weapons of our warfare”, which “are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” He resorted to the word which the Bible assures us is, “is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). God intends that words should be a major weapon of our warfare. It was for the Lord Jesus. That’s why in the book of Revelations, it was said of him that …”out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” (1:16), and was later described as “he which hath the sharp sword with two edges” (2:12).”  

  

As is clear from all of these, there is a need for us to not just familiarize ourselves with the weaponry, but to really learn to use them until we become so proficient in them that we are always battle-ready. As we have seen, Apostle Paul identified the whole armour of God in verses 14-17 of Ephesian 6 in these words: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (emphasis added). 

Interestingly, all but the last are defensive weapons. Only the sword of the spirit is a weapon of offense. Yet, a very critical part of defensive warfare is attack, preventive attack. Interestingly also, there doesn’t seem to be any dearth of consistent teaching on the defensive weapons. This is understandable because, they are seen as basic and foundational to our faith. But so is the word and this is widely recognized. But from all indications, it is not being taught in full. Why is the whole word of faith not taught as consistently as the other components of the “weapons of our warfare? Abuse may have been among the reasons, but I wish to categorically state that it’s the enemy at work!  This is because once the whole word is taught and grasped and many more of us become proficient, he will score fewer and fewer victories. That scares him. (CONCLUDES NEXT WEEK).

UNDERSTANDING KINGDOM WARFARE (2)

"We must understand that for as long as we profess faith in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus and embrace the salvation package that’s ours in Him, satan can only reach us through devious schemes as in using men and women, including, sometimes, people who love us and want the best for us, like Peter was to Jesus".

I have stated that we agree with those Christian leaders who have publicly called on our brothers and sisters constantly under attack by people of other religious persuasions, to rise up in self defence. I have, however, also denounced any resort to physical force as in wielding, guns, machetes or any other man-made weapons of war. Instead, I have advocated the use of the spiritual ammunitions provided for in the Bible.

This, I predicated on the position so eloquently articulated by the Holy Spirit through one of Paul, the Apostle’s letters to the church in Corinth. He had told them us (and them) that though we are no different from other people in that we are as flesh and blood as everyone else, yet, we are not expected to  “war after the flesh”. We are never to depend on physical arms and ammunition, because, in his words, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”

This theme, I explained last week, can be clearer understood though a close look at the sixth chapter of  the apostle’s letter to the Ephesians, which reads: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (verses 10-17).

I had posited that those eight verses “offer great insight into the Kingdom concept of warfare” and that, “verse 12 is very fundamental.” In that verse, Apostle Paul said in contemporary English: “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world (CEV)”. As I said last week, this means that we do not go after “the men, women, boys and girls armed to the teeth bating for our blood; we recognize they are tools of the enemy; so we set our sight on the enemy, which is a spirit and can only be fought in the spirit.” 

An incident recorded in two of the gospels will aid a proper understanding of this concept. Let’s take the Matthew account in chapter 16: “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men (Matthew 16: 21-23). 

Notice, the Bible says, the Lord Jesus spoke to Peter, but addressed satan. Did Peter suddenly transfigured into satan, or did satan become another name for Peter, like Cephas, for instance? The answer is neither. The Lord, in reacting to Peter’s well-meaning rebuke, saw beyond him; he recognized the one speaking through him. In other words, satan was the enemy, not Peter.

This is how we are to see all attacks on us, if we are to live the kingdom life to which we have been called. We must understand that for as long as we profess faith in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus and embrace the salvation package that’s ours in Him, satan can only reach us through devious schemes as in using men and women, including, sometimes, people who love us and want the best for us, like Peter was to Jesus. And, of course, as in the frequent cases of bloody, mindless attacks against our brothers and sisters in parts of Northern Nigeria and many other parts of the world, he will also raise individuals and groups in whom he would deposit hatred for us, just as God deposited His love in us. 

A second principle we must learn from this incident is this. Jesus knew who the enemy was, satan, a spirit. He knew that a bazooka won’t dislodge it. So, what did He do? He used the appropriate weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (see Ephesians 6: 17). He used “the weapons of our warfare”, which “are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” He resorted to the word which the Bible assures us is, “is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). 

God intends that words should be a major weapon of our warfare. It was for the Lord Jesus. That’s why in the book of Revelations, it was said of him that …”out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword” (1:16), and was later described as “he which hath the sharp sword with two edges” (2:12).  What is true of the Lord is true of us, after all, didn’t the Bible also declare that, “…as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17)? (CONTINUES)

UNDERSTANDING KINGDOM WARFARE

"In other words we don’t take on the men, women, boys and girls armed to the teeth bating for our blood; we recognize they are tools of the enemy; so we set our sight on the enemy, which is a spirit and can only be fought in the spirit."

In concluding my five-part serial, “2011 – Year of the Church”, last week, I stated that, a consensus seemed to be building around the need for Christians to rise up and defend themselves against attacks by enemies of their faith. Borne out of frustration with the seeming inability or unwillingness or both, of governments at all levels to protect these citizens, such leaders as Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; Reverend Yuguda Midurvwa, who chairs the Borno State Chapter of the umbrella body, and renowned evangelist, Uma Ukpai were reported in the media to have lent their influential voices to the call for self-defence. 

 I then stated my position in these words:  “It is a consensus that I subscribe to; but the question is how? By taking up AK 47s and fighting back or even making violent preemptive strikes? No, a thousand times, No! The Bible is so clear about this when it says: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). In other words, the Word is our weapon. Like every weapon we need to learn to use it and practice with it till be become proficient in it…”  

Since that piece went out, I just couldn’t get away from the feeling that the need to dwell a bit more on the weapon of the Christian’s warfare and its place in the situation we have in northern Nigeria and many parts of the world is an imperative. This is much more so because, adherents to faith in Jesus Christ have been directly or indirectly labeled as legitimate targets not just of attacks but of annihilation in many parts of the world. And it is becoming as if, like the enemies, our recourse has either be to raw, physical force, as in setting up militias or be ready to lovingly embrace martyrdom. It’s an amazing misreading and misunderstanding of Scripture. And that’s why I have said that the Church has to rise up and begin to teach the people about the power of the word not just in changing and improving their spiritual, financial and material well being, but also in defending themselves against physical attacks. In other words, we need to begin to propagate the kingdom perspective to warfare.

The very first point to note here is that a victor-God, styled as Jehovah Sabaoth (the Lord of hosts), 257 times in the Bible, cannot give birth to victim-children. Therefore, if Christians have become perennial victims, it is either we are not children of God or something has tragically gone wrong. I think it’s the latter and what’s gone wrong, is that we either do not know that the weapon exists or we do not know how to use it. 

The second point is to note is that the same Jehovah Sabaoth is also Jehovah Shalom (God of peace). It is in pursuit of His peace agenda that He gave us His only begotten son that those who believe in Him may be restored. This is important because, the lie has taken root in the church that love is our one and only weapon.  A powerful verse of scripture used to back this position is in the book of Mathew: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (5:44). It came straight out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus Himself. So, it cannot be treated with levity. But a proper understanding of scriptural principles will reveal the truth.

As already quoted above, the Holy Spirit speaking through Apostle Paul, told the Corinthians that though we are flesh and blood, we do not “war after the flesh”. In other words we know better than to depend on physical arms and ammunition. That is why the apostle went on to add that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”

For a clear understanding of this truth, let’s listen to the apostle in his letter to the Ephesian church. His words: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17). 

These verses of scriptures offer great insight into the Kingdom concept of warfare. Verse 12 is very fundamental: “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” or as one translation puts it, “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world (CEV). In other words we don’t take on the men, women, boys and girls armed to the teeth bating for our blood; we recognize they are tools of the enemy; so we set our sight on the enemy, which is a spirit and can only be fought in the spirit (CONTINUES).