“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1Jn 2:27)
Journal,
The term spiritual [pneumatikos; phyoo-mat-ik-os’] has to do with the nature of spirits. It comes from two words that express both invisibility and power. Because the term spiritual is generic, the Biblical context determines how it is being used.
For the most part the word ‘spiritual‘ has regard to the Holy Spirit and to that which pertains to the Lord and to His kingdom. The one exception is where Paul draws attention to our struggle with opposing dark forces.
He says our struggle is, “Against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Paul is emphasizing the nature of our unseen warfare. The Lord spoke of the opposing darkness –
“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.” (Joh 14:30-31)
The apostle also draws attention to this in other places.
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2Co 4:3-4)
And again –
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2Co 10:3-5)
It is not my purpose to give Satan any acclamation. We must never lose sight that God’s greater power is at work in lives of believer. However, it is important to have some understanding about how dark forces work.
Activities of Darkness
First realize that not everything bad that happens in a person’s life should be contributed to a demonic power or to personal sin. Many sicknesses, diseases, mental disturbances, and such like can derive from various causes, including unhealthy living.
Be that as it is, there are dark spiritual powers continually at work in this world, whose sole purpose is to break down humanity. Satan is the thief of life.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Joh 10:10)
The apostle John also speaks to this when he said, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” (1Jn3:8)
Dark powers make their contribution to suicides, to breakdown in marriages, to drug addictions, to riots of all sorts. Yes, there can be spirits at work in suicides, in adultery, certainly in pornography and the drug world, in molestation, in murders, and on and on and on.
Dark spirits are largely responsible for warfare on this planet. One of the greater examples of the past century is with the man, Adolph Hitler. This man and his private army (SS troop) were totally under the controlling power of the demonic. The larger part of the nation of Germany became mesmerized under these dark powers. (Think of all the genocide that is continually at work on this planet.)
The Power of the Mind
How are the dark powers able to gain such control over people and nations? There is a saying that if Satan can control your thought life, he can control all your life. It has to do with the mind and with the flesh. And Satan knows that our lives can be controlled by what we think we are.
Think of all the avenues that the dark powers have with regard to the human mind. The movie industry is continually at work, shaping the way people think. Pornography is a major industry with billions of dollars flowing into its coffers. Rappers and rock stars have huge attendances of those who are hero-worshiping them.
Religious organizations that once declared holiness in life and faith in God, are now ordaining homosexuals. Is it not sad to see how many churches have begun to adopt the ways of the world, supposedly to win souls. Anything wrong with this picture?
Think about it – Repentance seems to have become lost in the shuffle. Nowadays it is popular to just say, ‘I believe in the Lord, therefore I am a Christian.’ And then the person continues on their merry way.
But where the Bible speaks of repentance, it means to change your attitude and mind about sin. Repentance is a turning from sin and a turning to the Lord form of life and living.
Let’s continue.
Pay attention to how our government continues to erode down the dark path. Prayer removed from school. The killing of innocents. (Babies in the womb.) Swiftly moving down the road of sanctioning marriages of men to men, and women to women.
I don’t need to add to this. It is unfolding right before our eyes.
David said it as well as it can be said –
“Your beauty, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How have the mighty fallen!” (2Sa 1:19)
Is it out of control? Not at all. All of this was foretold by the holy apostles and prophets.
So the question remains – Where does this leave believers?
The apostle John spoke of…
The Greater Who is in You Life
When a person is born again, they are transformed from the dark side of this world into the light of the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Where the world continues under a dominion of darkness, the believer now lives in the power of light.
Bottom line – The Bible teaches us to not let anything that happens on the earth disturb us. God has oversight of all world events. In fact, the Bible is the only book on earth that records history before it happens.
With that in mind, let’s just direct our minds to a more personal level.
What do we need to understand?
The important thing to understand is that every true believer has in the deepest part of their spiritual make up, an intrinsic life-giving power. This life power is called
, ‘the anointing.’
[Chrisma; khris’mah – The root of this word and the word Christ, is the same. It means the anointing we have is from the Anointed. Jesus anoints us with His life.]
The Bible speaks of this inward power as a springing-up fountain. The anointing is the abiding life of Jesus Christ.
The wisdom-life and the power-life that flowed from Jesus, is the same wisdom-life and power-life given to believers.
In our case this power life is fully under the auspices and control of the Holy Spirit. It is this power life that fits us for our present journey as aliens and pilgrims in this world. This life power teaches us how to live and enables us to deal with the darkness of this present world.
The Old Testament prophet called attention to this forthcoming life power –
“Then you will say on that day, ‘I will give thanks to You, O LORD; for although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
“‘Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.’
“Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.“ (Isa 12:1-3)
Where Isaiah says, ‘On that day,’ Isaiah is drawing attention to our new covenant experience in Christ Jesus. (The Old Testament prophets spoke beyond their own personal experiences of their time.)
Where he says that we would draw water from the springs of salvation, this directs itself to the new life power that makes a Christian a Christian. (Christian means ‘an anointed one’, ‘like Christ’, or, ‘belonging to Christ.’)
For example the apostle Peter said,
“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name [I am a Christian].” (1Pe 4:14-16)
Now take note of these Scriptures –
“ [to lady at well] … but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (Joh 4:14)
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.“‘” (Joh 7:37-38)
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal 2:20)
To say this another way, the anointing is …
The Life Force of Heaven
The life force of heaven enters a believers heart at the moment they receive Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior. It remains in the believer for all eternity. The life force comes with the sprinkled blood of Jesus, and with God’s family seal of redemption.
Listen carefully to what the apostle wrote –
” …we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, YOU WERE SEALED in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Eph 1:11-14)
“And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” (1Pe 1:8)
A part of our inheritance begins in this life. We are now sons and daughters of the living God. We are now citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. We can now draw on heaven’s spiritual resources and blessings. But our full reward takes place with our departure to heaven.
So, in the meantime, in our hearts there is a special treasure. Where Paul uses the word ‘pledge’, he is saying that a part of heaven’s realness has been sealed in the hearts of all God’s children. This is why we sing songs about heaven and even get home-sick at times.
There is so much more to be said about our life-anointing. Perhaps this bit has helped you realize what John meant when he, ‘Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.’
But there is one last thing I need to share. It is where John said…
You Have No Need for Anyone to Teach You
If we have no need for someone to teach us, what then is the purpose of the church? What is the purpose of God setting in the body of Christ all the various ministries, including pastors and teachers?
John is not coming against God placed ministries. These ministries are needed to help believers to grow in the Lord, both in understanding and in their experiences with Christ.
John is saying that a person born again does not need a special someone to tell them what God is like. This is because the very life of God (the anointing) is in the heart of every believer. The believer experiences God for Himself.
Jesus said that our walk with the Lord would be a walk of knowing who we were walking with.
Listen to these well quoted Scriptures –
“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” (Joh 10:14)
And again –
“But you [unbelievers] do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (Joh 10:26-30)
Sometimes a song says it well enough.
Take time to listen to this Hillsong, ‘I Desire Jesus.’
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL4_R_aI82k&feature=related[/youtube]Yours in Christ always,
Buddy
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