Thursday, August 15, 2013

Spiritual Warfare - The Civil War over TRUTH

This is the second in a series of posts (I have no idea how many there will be) based on a revelation of the Great Civil War in which we are engaged and that it is the real Spiritual Warfare in our lives.  This truth has to do with individuals, but it also has to do with groups and populations.  Ultimately it has to do with nations.  We are engaged in a great civil war over truth. 

We hear all the time, "The devil is a lie".  I know what people say, but a cleverly packaged mostly true can sound good, even be Biblical, and still be untruth.

The devil has always used this to deceive.  In the Garden, Hath God Said?  With Jesus temptation in the desert.  IF you are...

I speak to those reading understanding that you know the stories.

God is speaking as he says this, "I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE".   We get that.  We can say yea and AMEN.  BUT what about the deceptions that trap us all sometimes.  I have been there.  I have been trapped with cleverly designed untruths.  I am sorry and shamed every time it happens.

Even good Christen brethren can without knowing it, bring untruth into your life.  It requires diligent discernment to know.  The prophet says this:

Zechariah 8:16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Seems easy enough, but it starts with us.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise Philippians 6:8 NLT

This does NOT mean we won't sometimes offend someone by sharing truth with them.  If you share what Paul the Apostle wrote in the First Chapter of Romans, there are people who will be offended.  

If you stand for Jesus even in your personal life. you will offend people.  Truth has a way of ripping off the deceptions of the devil.  Yet, we want to win them.  

The first challenge for the child of God is to not be deceived themselves.  Even the Pharisees, the most externally righteous of Jesus day were offended by HIM, and he was TRUTH.  

The real spiritual warfare takes place in that Belt of Truth you use to gird up your loins, buckled firmly around your waist.  Keeping you secure in an important area and preparing you to run when you need to.
  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist-- Ephesians 6:14

Here's the battle zone in the civil war we fight personally and in our nation.  The enemy is trying to loosen even remove the belt of truth from you.  He does it with insidious lies.  Lies perhaps you have believed for a very long time.  Lies you thought all along were Gospel truth.  

Here's a prophetic fact, a deeply embedded lie you have carried for a long time has put you in chains and removing them from your life is going to be very painful.  It will hurt.  It will cause distress like you cannot believe.  It will be more convenient and less stressful to stay in your comfort zone of lies.

The worst lies are those told to us in our culture.  By our peers.  Even by our parents and relatives.  I know, I grew up with some whoppers and have slowly moved away from things that 40 years ago I KNEW were true.

I won't name them, but you must use the word of God, your discernment and the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your heart and mind at peace.  If a belief you have had, or still have causes you to lose peace, it's probably NOT truth.  Examine it.

Here's the last piece of prophetic advice.  You can't convince others of the bondage of lies in their lives.  They can only be inspired to examine themselves and come to new levels of truth finding.

The amount of disinformation, urban legends, rumors, false beliefs, bias, fear based opinion and cultural institutional assumptions will cause anyone who becomes a truth seeker to win the spiritual civil war going on in your life. 

Receive a lie, it will put you in chains.  Breaking those chains and come into the truth... that is the word of the Lord... NOW!

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