Category: Gospel Leadership

July 28 2020

The Helmet of Salvation

A. Scott Ingram Armor of God, Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership Christian Life 0

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:13-18a

In this series on Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God, we began by looking at the foundational pieces of our armor, which give us the ability to “stand firm.” These included the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, and the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. Then, with the Shield of Faith, we turned our attention to those pieces of armor which Paul commanded us “in all circumstances” to “take up,” implying their use is for active battle with the enemy. This active usage is necessary to understand as we turn our attention to the “Helmet of Salvation.”

Protection for Your Head

First and foremost we must see that a helmet covers our head in battle, yet it is not something a person would wear full-time. Soldiers at rest would still be wearing their breastplates, belts, and shoes. However, when not in battle, they would remove their helmets, and set down their shields and swords. Now, even though Paul implies that our battle is 24/7, and we must always be armed with these pieces of armor, this is an important distinction that Paul makes, in the purposes of the armor.

What we see, then, is that the helmet of salvation cannot be intended to imply simply being born-again. Born-again salvation is not something we can ever take off, or hope to survive without it. It is not something you “take up” and put down again. That salvation must cover your whole life, and is foundational to being able to put on any of God’s armor at all. So then what is Paul talking about?

When God Puts On His Armor

What Paul is doing in commanding us to “take up” the helmet of salvation, is actually pulling up a historical reference in Isaiah, in which God, as rescuer of His people, puts on His own armor and goes into battle.

The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, so will he repay…And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.
^{Isaiah 59:15-18,20}

When God saw that there was no justice and there was no righteous one to deliver His people, He Himself went into battle. He put on the Breastplate of Righteousness, which we have already discussed. That is righteousness which guards the hearts from any sinful infiltration. Then He puts on His helmet of salvation – an active piece of battle armor – signifying that He has set His mind to bring salvation to others.

Bringing Salvation Into Battle

The point is that when we take up the helmet of salvation, our minds are completely covered (filled) by the mission of God to bring salvation into the world.

Of course, this does bring with it an element of personal salvation in the battle itself. We obviously set our mind on God who is our own deliverer, and know that He will see us through to the end. As one writer said,

The emphasis on salvation is not so much about final salvation as it is about the present experience of salvation, helping the readers to understand the divine power and deliverance they have already received in Christ.
^{Grant R. Osborne, Ephesians: Verse by Verse, Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017), 232.}

More than our own salvation, though, this is about having the mindset of Jesus Himself, who came to “seek and save that which was lost” and to “destroy the works of the devil” (Luke 19:10 and 1 John 3:8)! As we put on the helmet of salvation, we are aligning ourselves with God in His battle, to bring salvation to the world. As Thomas Neufeld says,

the salvation of the believers is already assured (Ephesians 2:8). That is, after all, the gist of the whole first half of the letter. In the context of putting on the armor, however, the image of grasping the helmet of salvation is meant to place on the church the task of bringing liberation to those in bondage by imitating the God of Isaiah 59.
^{Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld, Ephesians, Believers Church Bible Commentary (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2001), 303.}

I want to go off topic for a minute, so that we can get a better picture of the value of the helmet of salvation (and the sword of the spirit).

The Mark of the Beast

There is a lot of discussion nowadays about the “mark of the beast” in Revelation 13, which will be taken by those who are unfaithful to God. While I know that there are many sci-fi thrillers that promote this as a microchip to be planted in the hands or foreheads of unbelievers and force upon Christians, I do not believe that is what John is discussing at all.

“Hands and forehead” is an example of metaphorical language, which was used repeatedly in scripture. Deuteronomy 6:8 commanded the children of Israel to bind God’s commands to their hands and their foreheads. In Exodus 13:8-10, Moses instructs the people that the celebration of Passover should take place every year, like a sign on their hands and their foreheads.

The symbolism of the hands and foreheads is fairly easy to understand. When you have something “on your head” it refers to the thoughts and intentions of your mind. Then, putting that same mark on your hands, implies the putting those thoughts into action. This is exactly why, when we see someone doing something dumb, we ask, “What has gotten in your head?” Or, when we see a child walking through the room, hiding something behind their backs, and we know they are planning to do something that is not ok, we asked them, “what is in your hand?”

The first rule of Bible Study is that “scripture interprets scripture.” Therefore, we must view the mark in Revelation 13 with the same understanding.

Humanism is on the Rise

In discussing the mark of the beast, the Bible says in Revelation 13:18,

This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

First, we must understand that the number, 666, is prophetic language. The number of man is the number 6, as we were created on the 6^th day. BibleStudy.org says,

In the Bible, the number 6 symbolizes man and human weakness, the evils of Satan and the manifestation of sin. Man was created on the sixth day.
https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/6.html

Secondly, we must know that when something in scripture is repeated three times, it is a rhetorical device which implies the perfection of that thing. For example, in Isaiah 6:3 the seraphim declare that God is “holy, holy, holy.” He is not just holy. He is not just “more holy.” He is the “most holy” or “perfect in holiness.”

To apply the same device to the number of man — the triple 6 — the mark of the beast is not just the number of sinful man, but sinful man in his complete fallen state. It is the complete worship of ourselves as God, which was the original temptation (Genesis 3:5). It is the same attitude that led to the tower of Babel – to show mankind’s greatness (Genesis 11:4). It is the same “mark” that has driven modern-day “anti-Christs” like Hitler — to create the master race of mankind.

The number 666 implies a complete dedication to secular humanism – that we do not need a god, we can be God ourselves. To take that “mark” on our forehead, implies that all of our thoughts are guided by it, and to put it on our hands is to dedicate our works to building our own greatness in the world. It is to live our lives according to the lie, “you can be like God.”

The Mark of Christ

In opposition to the mark of the beast, we are called to have the mind of Christ, as Philippians tells us:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
^{Philippians 2:5-8}

When you have the mind of Christ, it is impossible to take the mark of the beast!

If it isn’t obvious, already, this is exactly the point of taking on the helmet of salvation. We cover our heads – our thoughts – with the purposes of God in this world. We stop thinking about building our own Kingdom. Instead, we are fully concerned with building His!

A One-Track Mind

This takes us back, then, to our first post in this series, where we discussed the role of mindsets in the Christian life and spiritual warfare. When our minds are fully consumed by the purposes and promises of God, the enemy has no chance at getting into our heads. He cannot break through that helmet with fear or anxiety, or selfish desires.

As we “take up” the helmet of salvation, we are dedicating our minds to the things of God, and refusing to let anything distract us from standing alongside Him in His battle for the salvation of the world. His desire is that “all would come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) and to bring about the restoration of all things. Our desire should be to stand with Him in battle with a mind to give Him the reward of His suffering.

We will discuss how those thoughts turn to action in the next post, where we will discuss the “sword of the Spirit.”

Let’s Connect

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and testimonies in the comment section.

If you are encouraged by what you are reading, you can sign up for my weekly roundup newsletter, below. It would be a privilege to have you, and I promise never to spam you or share your information with anyone!

You can also join me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler, to continue the discussion on this post and more!

Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

July 24 2020

The Shield of Faith

A. Scott Ingram Armor of God, Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership God, Gospel, Jesus 0

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
^{Ephesians 6:13-18a}

In this series on Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God, we have already looked in depth at the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, and what it means to have the readiness of the Gospel of Peace as shoes for your feet. These three have been foundational layers to our armor, for our ability to “stand firm.” Now, in this post, we turn our attention to the pieces of armor which Paul commands us to be armed with “in all circumstances,” so that we can win in the daily battle with the enemy. We will begin these pieces of armor with the “Shield of Faith.”

What is Faith

As believers, we talk a lot about “the Christian faith” or “having faith in Jesus,” so it seems like the word should be simple to define. However, we could be talking about many things when we say “faith.”

There is the simplest definition of faith, being “belief.” There is the active view of faith being “belief in action;” or “because I believe ______, I do ______.” This would go hand in hand with James’ teaching that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

We could also be talking about “the faith,” which can mean either the complete set of teachings of the Christian religion (Jude 3) or your personal adherence to a particular creed or set of beliefs (1 Timothy 6:12).

Possibly one of the most simple explanations of “faith,” which we hear preached often is found in Hebrews 11:1.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Honestly, though, that explanation of faith is still a pretty confusing concept to grasp. Trying to add clarity to this definition, one Bible handbook says that faith is:

Confident trust in the promises of God, centered in His provision of spiritual life through a sacrifice (which would be the sacrifice of Jesus); it is the sole condition of salvation and is not a work, but, in fact, a gift of God… synonymous with belief.
^{Paul S. Karleen, The Handbook to Bible Study: With a Guide to the Scofield Study System (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), 324.}

I really like that definition, and within it I see three ways in which our faith is built, which then merge together to form the “shield” we carry into battle.

1. Faith Comes from God

Firstly, faith is a gift from God. It is not something we create within ourselves, and biblically, it is not something we can even choose to step into. Jesus is the one who creates faith in us. Even our choice to get saved is something He initiates in us, through the power of the Holy Spirit! This is why Hebrews 12:2 calls Him “the founder and perfecter of our faith.”

If He is the one who put faith in us, and He is the one who will see that faith through to completion, then one way we tangibly grow our faith is to stick close to Him in life’s journey. In fact that is exactly what the Passion Translation of Hebrews 12:2 says,

“We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection.”

2. Faith Comes from God’s Word

The second way our faith grows is through God’s word. The Bible teaches that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Greek word used here for “word” is “rhema.” This literally means “that which is spoken.” We must therefore include the written word of God in the Bible, by which God has spoken to every generation of believers, as well as the inner voice of the Holy Spirit which continually speaks to us intimately and personally.

The Written Word of God

From the scriptures, we can see who God has revealed Himself to be, and know the plans He has shared concerning human history and the establishment of His Kingdom. As we learn what the Bible teaches, we can then have a clear view of the world around us, judging what is in accordance to His plan and what is not. We will discuss this more when we look at the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” but for now, me must understand that the Bible is the foundation of everything God will speak to us personally.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
^{Hebrews 4:12}

The Spoken Word of God

Beyond just the Bible, however, we must also be seeking to develop a deep relationship with the Spirit of God, who is always with us and speaking to us.

As miraculous of a gift as the Bible is, the complete thoughts and intentions of God cannot fully be contained in a book. In fact, Jesus told His disciples that even after His three years with them there was still so much more to speak, but the time was too short and they wouldn’t be able to take it all in. He therefore promised the Holy Spirit who would continue to speak and reveal the things of God.

““I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
^{John 16:12-15}

The Holy Spirit will take the scriptures and make them real to us. He will apply them to our lives, personally, and He will further reveal the plans and intentions of God over us.

As we hear God’s Word – in the Bible and through the Holy Spirit – our faith will continue to be developed and strengthened.

3. Faith Comes from Our History with the Lord

The third way our faith grows comes through experience of the Christian life. We know that faith starts as a gift, and is built as we continue to hear God speaking over us, however, our faith will begin to grow exponentially as we experience God’s faithfulness, first hand. It is inevitable that we will develop more and more trust in Him, as we experience His continued faithfulness to us.

We must learn to keep a personal record of His continued faithfulness to His promises. I would suggest that it is a good idea to write them down. This is the same testimony of faith that was commanded to the Jews as they walked through life with the Lord.

In fact, 21 times in the book of Exodus, God gave some teaching on how the testimony of His faithfulness was to be kept. In the books of Psalms, the musicians reference either the command to, or the blessings of, remembering the testimony of God — 23 of those references are in Psalm 119 alone.

Your testimonies are righteous forever; (they) give me understanding that I may live.
^{Psalm 119:144}

One of the ways believer’s overcome the enemy in the book of Revelation is by keeping the testimony of Jesus!

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”
^{Revelations 12:11}

So faith comes as the Lord initiates it inside of us and as we choose to walk closely with Him. It develops as we hear the Word of the Lord, both written in the Bible and spoken by the Holy Spirit. And it grows all-the-more as we learn to keep account of His faithfulness to us. This faith, then, which is fully-established and growing, becomes the shield we carry which puts out the flaming darts of the devil! So what are those darts?

The Darts of The Enemy

The enemy’s goal is to discredit God and bring doubt into our minds concerning His Word and His intention. He wants us to doubt God’s goodness and His faithfulness to us. From his first attack on humans in the garden of Eden, this tactic was evident.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say…”
^{Genesis 3:1}

His goal was to bring doubt to Eve’s mind regarding the Lord!

He did the same thing when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, urging Jesus to distrust what God had already spoken over Him. The last voice we hear before Jesus goes into the wilderness is that of the Father:

The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
^{Luke 3:22}

The next thing we hear is the devil challenging that word:

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God…”
^{Luke 4:3}

Our daily encounters with the enemy are no different. He wants us to doubt who we are in Christ; he wants to convince us that we lack what God says we have, and if possible, he wants to destroy any relationship we have to God through our salvation in Jesus. These attacks are why we must hold our shield of faith, boldly, and resist these blows.

Holding Our Shield

As we know God intimately, hear His Word, and establish a personal record of His faithfulness to us, our shield of faith is forged. We are then readily equipped to discern God’s plans by faith, and to extinguish the power of the enemy’s darts.

The shield of faith — that “confident trust in the promises of God, centered in His provision of spiritual life” — gives us the ability to break down every doubt the enemy tries to create in us! We must not forget, however, that Paul’s command is to carry this shield “in all circumstances.” We never know when the attack will come, so we must not allow ourselves to be caught unarmed. The Apostle Peter reminds us of this same thing:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith…”
^{1 Peter 5:8-9}

We must always be growing in our faith, so that no flaming dart of the enemy can land a blow!

Let’s Connect

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and testimonies in the comment section.

In the next post we will look at the Helmet of Salvation. You can make sure to never miss a post by signing up for my weekly roundup newsletter, below. It would be my honor to have you, and I promise never to spam you or share your information with anyone!

You can also join me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler, to continue the discussion on this post and more!

Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

July 21 2020

The Shoes of The Gospel of Peace

A. Scott Ingram Armor of God, Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership Christian Life, eirēnē, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, Gospel, Gospel Leadership, irene, Jesus, pax, prince of peace 0

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
^{Ephesians 6:13-18a}

So far in this series on Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God, we have learned how to put on the Belt of Truth, by filtering everything through the lens of Christ, and the Breastplate of Righteousness, as we guard our hearts from sinful passions and temptations. Now we turn our attention to the shoes of our spiritual armor, which is “the readiness of the gospel of peace.”

As the commandment given by the Apostle Paul in this passage is to “stand firm,” we must be very careful to understand this piece of the armor. After all, it is our shoes which give us the ability to stand. If your shoes are slippery, or do not fit well, you will surely fall.

Mixed Understanding

To be honest, this piece of armor may be the most misunderstood. A quick survey of other materials on the “shoes of the gospel of peace” leads in various directions. The most common is to say that to put on the “shoes of the gospel” is a call to evangelism. Some writers will allude to Romans 10:15, where Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:7, “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”

While I do believe that part of our spiritual warfare in this life includes sharing the gospel with others, I do not believe that is what the armor of God passage of scripture is referencing. To understand the shoes we will put on, we must first truly understand the definition of this “peace.”

Understanding Peace

The Greek word used in this verse is “eirēnē,” (or “Irene”) which is the New Testament equivalent of the Hebrew, “shalom.” In fact, the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament used by Jesus) usually translates the Hebrew word “shalom” as “eirēnē.”

The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible say that this word means:

Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people.
^{Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Peace,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1634.}

To fully grasp the understanding of this peace, we should not be thinking of person-to person peacemaking, such as a treaty to end a war. That would typically be spoken of using the Latin word “pax,” which is legislated peace by treaty or law. (The Pax Romana was “the peace of Rome” granted by citizenship under Roman law.)

While the Latin pax “in the first instance denotes a reciprocal legal relationship between two parties,” eirēnē is “primarily no more than the passionately asserted, emotionally felt and palpable opposite of polemos (war, battle).”
_{^{Werner Foerster, “Εἰρήνη, Εἰρηνεύω, Εἰρηνικός, Εἰρηνοποιός, Εἰρηνοποιέω,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 401.}}

We should, therefore, understand eirēnē in Ephesians to mean the existence of peace itself, rather than the act of bringing peace. In Jesus, we have peace. We live in peace, even if there is war outside.

The Gospel of Peace

Another Bible dictionary says the definition of peace includes the idea of:

prosperity, success; welfare, state of health; friendliness; deliverance, salvation…
^{The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Septuagint (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).}

When we truly understand the Gospel of Peace, we come to know that all of these are gifts from God to His children. These are not just promises which await us in eternity, but they are realities we can and should live in now, by faith!

The Baker Encyclopedia goes on:

In prophetic material, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and able to be experienced by faith.
^{(emphasis mine)}

We must understand then, that the gospel of peace is this: through Jesus Christ, God has not only forgiven our sins, but He has already established His Kingdom (His reign) in us, which grants us His peace, now!

As believers, we should be living in this peace of God (shalom/eirēnē), right now, even though the war over the rest of creation is still raging! On the final judgement day, when God defeats all of His enemies, then the pax (legislated peace) of God will be established over all creation for eternity.

How Does Peace Become Shoes?

Take note that Ephesians does not tells us that it is the “Gospel of Peace” itself which is the shoes for our armor. It is “the readiness of the Gospel of Peace.” Not to make things more difficult than they need to be, we must take a look at this word readiness, since the English use of the word may be slightly different than the Greek author’s intention.

In English, the simple reading sounds like it is saying, “for shoes, make yourself ready with the Gospel of Peace.” Although this might be considered technically true, it does not give the proper understanding.

The root word does not mean “get yourself ready,” but rather implies that something “is already made ready.” The Septuagint writers used this same Greek word as they translated Old Testament words like “foundation” and “support.”

It does not imply that you need to get yourself at peace so that you may stand. Rather it means that your peace, protection, provision, and well-being is ALREADY established in Jesus Christ, as the foundation upon which you must choose, daily, to stand! It literally says that for shoes, put on the solid foundation which has been laid for you by the Prince of Peace.

Standing on a Stable Foundation

As I said in the beginning, it is our shoes which give us the ability to “stand firm” or cause us to fall. Paul is telling us that our standing is all about our foundation; our support — The Gospel of Peace.

The shoes given by the Lord, as part of our armor, give us stability as we stand on the foundation of God’s peace in our lives. When we are grounded in the Lord as the one who fulfills His promises to us — to be our provider, our protector, our healer, etc — then our well-being will be secure, and we will have the resilience to “stand firm.”

If, however, we do not stand on the foundation of the gospel of peace, we will never be secure when opposition comes. If Jesus isn’t our security, then we will build false idols to protect ourselves. (How many times did Israel fall because they trusted other nations to protect them, rather than God?) If Jesus isn’t our provider, then we will stumble in our calling, as we struggle to find resources outside of His plan. If Jesus isn’t our healer, the enemy can use any form of sickness to shake our stability. (COVID19 anyone?)

We must remove any counterfeit shoes, given to us by the world or the enemy, which do not give true peace. Although they may offer temporary comfort and stability, they will not be able to stand up in the day of testing!

The Gospel of Peace is our only solid foundation, as we have assurance that Jesus cares about our total wellbeing, and will do whatever it takes to give us His security, even when the world around us is at war.

Jesus’ Plan for Us is Peace

This is one of the toughest lessons of the Christian life, but it is one we must learn quickly, if we are to overcome “the evil day.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He promises us His peace, if we will receive it, and stand on it!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
^{John 14:27}

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
^{Matthew 6:25-34}

Let’s Connect

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and testimonies in the comment section.

In the next post we will look at the Shield of Faith.

You can make sure to never miss a post by signing up for my weekly roundup newsletter, below. It would be my honor to have you, and I promise never to spam you or share your information with anyone!

You can also join me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler, to continue the discussion on this post and more!

Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

July 14 2020

The Breastplate of Righteousness

A. Scott Ingram Armor of God, Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership armor of God, breastplate of righteousness, Christian Life 0

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:13-18a

As we continue our discussion of “spiritual warfare” and the armor of God, we have established that we have an enemy who stands against us and against Truth, seeking to destroy us. We said that Truth is not a set of provable facts. Rather, the biblical idea is that truth must also be an “experiential reality,” and that Truth has a name: Jesus. Therefore to put on the belt of truth is to live in Jesus, and let every other outside influence be filtered through Him. This belt holds the rest of our armor together. We now turn our attention to the next item in our armor: the “breastplate of righteousness.”

What is Righteousness

In the New Testament, each time the word “righteousness” is used, it comes from a Greek root which generally implies “upright conduct of a person in civil society” or “obedience to the law.” It’s general usage in Roman society was used to describe a person who kept the law, not just because it was the “rule” but out of an obligation to civil society. For instance, one lexicon says,

“In Greco-Roman tradition a (righteous) person is one who upholds the customs and norms of behavior, including especially public service, that make for a well-ordered, civilized society.”
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 246.

Righteousness, then, is not a commitment to keep the law for the sake of the law itself. Rather, righteousness is a commitment to obey the law because we understand that our actions have direct impact on the relationship we have with others around us.

Righteousness In Relationship to God

That is not a complete definition of biblical righteousness, however. Righteousness is further understood by the people of the New Testament era, (Hebrews, Christians, and other pagan religions) as being connected directly to the legal decree of deity. In order to be considered “righteous” as a citizen of the community, your life must also be lived according to the will of that community’s deity. The New Bible Dictionary says,

“Referred to relations between men, righteous action is action which conforms to the requirements of the relationship and in a more general sense promotes the well-being and peace of the community… When we move from relations between men to those between God and men…righteousness implies a correct relationship to the will of God which was particularly expressed and interpreted by Israel’s covenant with God.”
B. A. Milne, “Righteousness,” ed. D. R. W. Wood et al., New Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 1020.

The point I want to make is that righteousness is not just the understanding that a person is “innocent” of breaking civic law. If that were the complete definition, then the Apostle Paul’s declarations of his past life as a Pharisee would have been enough. However, once he had come into relationship with the God of the Universe through faith in Jesus Christ, Paul came to understand that righteousness is not just innocence. For true righteousness cannot be established outside of relationship with the lawgiver. (See Philippians 3:4-10.)

A Real Life Example

To give a simple explanation of what I mean, let me use myself as an example. I currently live in Uganda, Africa. I am an American citizen and therefore, in order to live here, it is not just a matter of following the law. I also must go through a process of “becoming known.” In order to get a missionary visa, I must introduce myself to the government, have a background check, and explain my intentions for living here.

Having done all of that, I am now committed to living a life of “righteousness” in regards to the law AND in relationship to the government of Uganda. I am here at their pleasure. Therefore, I refuse to conduct my life in such a way to cause offense to either the law or the lawgivers of this nation.

Righteousness Requires Obedience And Relationship

As Christians, our righteousness in God functions in much the same way. Once we are in Christ, our sinful past has been cleansed. All offense is expunged from our legal record (see 1 John 1:9) and we are transferred out of the kingdoms of this world and made citizens in the Kingdom of God. Our calling to righteousness, then, is about maintaining our right to live as citizens of this Kingdom. That righteousness is two-fold:

First, it requires ongoing relationship with God Himself. We must be in relationship with Him. Then, secondly, it requires obedience to His commands. These two things are inseparable in scripture. Let me give two examples:

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus is essentially saying that if you want to declare yourself righteous by living in relationship with the Judge and Lawgiver, you must also obey the rules put in place by Him! (This has great impact for those who ascribe to the hyper-grace movement, but I do not have the space to dive into that in depth here.)

My second example is a little more involved. Jesus, speaking of the final day of judgment, says this,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
Matthew 7:21-23

In this passage, I believe Jesus is actually making the same statement twice. First he says that people will call Him “Lord,” which is their way of making a claim of relationship: you are my Lord, and I am Your servant. However, He says that calling Him Lord is not enough. You must do the will of your Lord. You must obey Him.

He then reverses the same idea. He says there are going to be many who come claiming to have done the will of the Lord – prophesying, delivering people from demons, and other great works of God’s Kingdom – and yet his answer is “I never knew you.” There is no relationship.

Without both — obedience and relationship — you cannot be declared righteous biblically!

What is a Breastplate

To understand how righteousness fits in the armor of God, we must also look at the purpose of a breastplate. Simply, the Greek word for breastplate is “thoraka,” from which we get our word “thorax.” This word was used by Greek speakers to discuss the trunk of the body, itself (as we would today), as well as to name the piece of armor assigned to that part of the body.

The thorax of the human body is everything between the neck and waist. It is the trunk of the body. More importantly, it is the location of all our vital organs – our heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, etc. The breastplate, then, was one of the most vital pieces of your armor, because without it, your life is vulnerable at each blow from the enemy.

You can go into battle without your shield. You can potentially survive a fight without a sword or without shoes. It may make fighting more difficult, but it is possible. However, without a breastplate, one shot to your vital organs means the end. “Game over.”

The Breastplate of Righteousness

To put it all together, then, the Bible is telling us that righteousness – relationship with God and obedience to His command – is what guards all of our spiritual vitality at the heart level. Simply, we would say that the breastplate of righteousness guards our heart. Joshua Young-Gi Hong discusses the need to wear a breastplate of righteousness when he says,

A righteous saint protects his heart from Satan’s attack. If there is an element of iniquity in our life, the devil will accuse us in front of God. Also, the devil will echo a voice of guilt in our heart, “How could you commit such a terrible sin as a child of God?” Whenever we commit a sin, the devil will try to take advantage of it to make us fall. Thus, we should not allow any room for the devil to accuse us and make us feel guilty.
Joshua Young-Gi Hong, Building a House of Prayer: 18 Prayer Models for Approaching God’s Throne, ed. David A. Womack (Alachua, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2008), 33.

The breastplate of righteousness, then follows the belt of truth in this way: We first step into the Truth, that is Jesus, by being born again through faith in Him. That faith become the filter for everything we let into our lives. Then, the breastplate of righteousness becomes an added layer of protection as we make it our heart’s goal to remain in close fellowship with the Lord and to obey his every command. We refuse to let our hearts be captured by sinful passions and demonic temptations.

In fact, the reverse is also true. Paul writes that those who live unrighteous lives actually suppress truth (see Romans 1:18)! Obedience to the Truth (which is Jesus) is the definition of righteousness (see Romans 2:8 and 2 Thessalonians 2:12).

Removing False Breastplates

This is not legalism. In fact, legalism itself is a piece of the devil’s false armor. To wear a breastplate of legalism is to attempt to protect our heart from sin outside of relationship with God. It is a form of pride working outwardly as self-righteousness. We must lay down any form of self-righteousness in order to find the protection of God’s righteousness.

The breastplate of righteousness is also not built on the foundation of our shame or self-loathing. This could lead to a breastplate of false-humility, or worse! Holding on to our past sins and condemnation could leave gaps in the true armor God intended to cover us completely.

While our own righteousness is fully dependent on Jesus Christ and His forgiveness, it must become our own identity in this world. It is a good thing to be declared righteous by Him, and to also have our actions and therefore our reputation be declared righteous by others. To be sure, we will eventually lay our crowns at Jesus’ feet, but our righteousness in Him will cover us for eternity. It is our identity.

Put On The Breastplate of Righteousness

Our goal, then, is to put off all the old self with its pride, sinful passions and desires, and all the condemnation from our past, and to daily put on God’s righteousness, given to us through Jesus Christ, as a protection for our hearts. He must be our love and our passions must be to do His will.

When our lives are lived in Truth and our hearts are guarded by righteousness, then it will be easy to put to death all that is earthly in us (Colossians 3:5), and to stand in the peace of Christ. That, of course, will take us to the shoes of the gospel of peace, in the next post.

Let’s Connect

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and testimonies in the comment section.

If you want to keep up with the blog and all my other #ChristianLife and #GospelLeadership content, I would be honored to have you sign up for my weekly roundup newsletter, below. I promise not to spam you!

You can also join me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler, to continue the discussion on this post and more!

Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

July 11 2020

The Belt of Truth

A. Scott Ingram Armor of God, Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership Gospel, Salvation, satan 0

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:13-18a

Having established that the armor of God is not a metaphor or inspirational idea, but is in fact a reality we must step into each day, we now turn our attention to putting on each piece of the armor of God, listed in Ephesians 6, beginning with the “belt of truth.”

The Belt of Truth

Belts are not made just for fashion. Though they definitely make an outfit look complete, and can add a little bit of bling with a shiny buckle, for many people like myself, our bodies are not exactly proportioned to most clothing. A belt is an absolute necessity. We need help. We rely on belts, daily, to keep our pants from slipping down and our shirts from bunching up or coming untucked.

The same is true for the belt of truth. Without it, our armor is incomplete. Without truth to hold it together, other parts of the armor will not be able to completely do their work, either. It is designed to hold everything together.

Surrounded with Truth

The symbolism of the belt is that it must surround us. While other pieces of the armor, as we will see in future posts, are tailored for individual body parts, such as the helmet, breastplate, or shoes, the idea of the belt is that truth is what encompasses you all the way around.

To put on the belt of truth, then, is to take on a personal commitment to live in the light of God’s truth, to stay safely within a hedge of protection that blocks and filters the lies and false realities of the enemy.

What is Truth?

The Greek word used for truth in this passage is “aletheia.” Strongs concordance defines this truth in two ways. The first is objective truth as in “what is true in any matter under consideration…” That is truth “in reality.”

The cultural impact of this definition cannot be overstated, as this word carries a connotation which our world is becoming extremely hostile toward: the idea that there is such a thing as universal truth that is not subject to human will or emotions, or to time and place. It is reality because God says it is reality, and it will never change.

The second way Strongs concordance defines “aletheia” is in terms of a subjective truth, as in “that candor of mind which is free from affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood and deceit.” “Subjective” here, then, cannot be taken to imply that this absolute truth is subject to our belief in it. Rather, it must be taken to mean that our will and emotions must become subject to this “truth in reality,” and thereby forsake all untruths that do not measure up.

I do not mean to get too technical with this understanding of the word, but we must be clear on what the Bible says, or else we will be vulnerable to the influence of culture and our spiritual enemy in how we understand “truth.”

Living in Reality

With this definition in mind, to put on the belt of truth is to understand that God has established an absolute truth to which all humanity will be held accountable. This is a tangible, experiential truth, which when held up against all other false realities, will prove itself true every time. Putting on this belt means that we will make the choice to live in this truth, no matter what our emotions, desires, or cultures tells us is “better” or “right.”

Choosing to stand on a belief in absolute truth is a major claim to make. In fact, this claim to truth is as the heart of all opposition to Christianity (and all other religions that claim to be absolute).

This claim to truth is the biggest target of attack by every enemy we have, in the world and in the spirit realm. Just look at how believers are portrayed in the media and in the entertainment industry. We are faced every day with the message that “what is true for you is true for you, and what is true for me is true for me,” and therefore “tolerance” must take precedence over any idea of “truth.”

However, believing that God’s truth is the only truth, is the foundation of our salvation and hope!

Truth Emancipates Us

Jesus made a bold statement in John 8:32, in which He not only claims that there is an absolute truth, but that when we come to live in that truth, it will set us free.

“…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Once again, the Greek word used here is “aletheia.” It says that you will know THE truth – truth in reality – and THE truth will set you free from slavery to sin, death and the devil (see John 8:31-59).

What this means is that as believers we have an obligation not only to find out what God’s truth is, but we must also make the commitment to be conformed to that truth, and cast off every other false reality the devil or the world wants to build around us. Our freedom from the kingdom of darkness depends on it. But where do we find this “truth?”

Truth in the Word

Of course, the standard way believers come to understand truth is through the writings of scripture. However, in discussing the armor of God, I would argue that Bible study is not the intention of the writer. Paul already includes the Word of God in the armor, not as the truth that surrounds us like a belt, but rather as the sword we carry to attack our enemies (Ephesians 6:17).

If not scripture, then, what is this truth we are supposed to be surrounded with, which holds all the rest of our spiritual armor together? The answer isn’t in the book, but in God Himself!

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
John 14:6

Truth is a Person

When we put on the belt of truth, the implication is that we are literally putting on Christ, who is the Truth. We are not just opening our minds to what is true, but we are asking Him to cover us, and conform every part of our lives to His image. This is commanded of us elsewhere in scripture:

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Romans 13:14

Yes, this “putting on” happens at the moment of salvation (see Galatians 3:27), but it is also a continual command to the believer. When Paul tells the Romans to “put on” it literally means “clothe yourself with,” and is an imperative command in an active, ongoing sense. It is not something you did in the past, or something you are commanded to do in the future. It is an ongoing all-the-time command.

Put on the Belt of Truth

To put on the belt of truth, then, means that we are first born again in Jesus Christ, and have put our full faith in Him as Savior, and give Him our full allegiance as Lord.

It is then something we continue to do every day – every moment – as we look to Him as our source of truth in all things. This requires relationship with Him. It requires learning to hear His voice. It requires conditioning our mindset to filter everything through His reality (again, see 2 Corinthians 10:5).

For the believer, Jesus alone is Truth. We do not look to political parties. We do not look to our favorite news stations. We do not look to pundits or podcasts or teachers or celebrities. We do not even rely on our pastors and spiritual leaders. Although any and all of these voices may speak truth to us, we cannot stake our lives on it. We must first submit it all to His testing.

Jesus said “I Am the Truth” and we are called to surround ourselves completely with Him! If we will do that, then every other piece of our armor will be held fast, and we will be able to “stand firm” against the enemy.

What about You?

The starting place to put on the belt of truth is to be saved by the One who is The Truth, Jesus Christ. If you have never been saved and want to find out what that means, I would love nothing more than to talk to you. Please, reach out to me to find a time to chat!

If you have been saved, though, the question is are you living in relationship with The Truth, or is your life being guided by the daily news cycle or your Facebook feed? Some of us have neglected the ongoing practice of “putting on” the belt of truth each day, and it has left us vulnerable. Maybe it’s time to repent, and return to The Truth, so that we can then wear all the armor correctly, and find our victory in this battle.

Continue reading in the next post, as we look at the Breastplate of Righteousness. With it, we will seek to take our life in the Truth to another level, protecting our hearts from sinful passions and temptations of the enemy.

Let’s Connect

I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, or testimonies in the comment section.

You can also join me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler, to continue the discussion on this post and more!

Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

July 7 2020

The Armor of God

A. Scott Ingram Armor of God, Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership armor of God, deliverance, Gospel 0

In the last post I sought to explain that spiritual warfare does not begin with demonic manifestations and professional exorcists. Instead, the battle with the enemy begins in the mind. The Apostle Paul tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, and he charges us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (see 2 Corinthians 10:6). In his letter to the Ephesians, he picks up this same theme when he tells them:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
Ephesians 6:10-13

A Spiritual Enemy

In both of these passages Paul tells us that our enemy is not flesh, and therefore we cannot successfully do battle with weapons of the flesh. This is a call to grow in discernment (see Hebrews 5:14)!

In the modern world of news media and with videos recorded and distributed on every smart phone, it is the fleshly input filling our mind day-by-day that keeps us in a worldly mindset. Since we live in the flesh, we allow ourselves to be guided by the flesh rather than the Spirit, and that is disastrous.

The Lord’s command is to be in the world, but to understand that we are not of this world (see John 17:15-17 and James 4:4). We are not limited by the physical boundaries of this world, because we are united with the Lord, (1 Corinthians 6:17). We are spiritual beings, and we must learn to live from a higher place, in Christ, if we are to have success in this battle (see Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 3:1-4).

The Armor is Real

As we come to understand the spiritual reality of our own lives and that our enemy is not fighting us in the flesh, we will see that the “armor of God” which Paul speaks of is not just a symbolic metaphor or inspirational picture to guide our lives. It is, in fact, a spiritual reality which we must learn to step into each day!

I saw this explained, recently, in the book, “Deliverance and Inner Healing“, which states this fact better than I can. In the book Mark Sanford tells the story of a man called “Steve,” who:

“asked me why, for him, the armor of Ephesians 6 seemed so ineffective. Morning by morning he had asked God to outfit him with each piece, yet his tormentors’ arrows had not been extinguished.”
_{Sandford, John L, and Mark Sandford. Deliverance and Inner Healing. Chosen Books, 2008. Page 100}

Sanford goes on to explain that at the core of Steve’s issue was a “warped understanding of God’s grace” as he “was steeped in a doctrine that minimizes or eliminates the need for sanctification beyond the born-again experience. To him, therefore, the armor was no more than a magic wand to dispense with evil.” Sanford says that he had to explain to Steve that

“the armor is a literal reality and not just a metaphor… The one wearing the breastplate of righteousness, for example, is saying, ‘I don’t have to trust in my own goodness. I trust Jesus to be righteous for me.’ To wear the helmet of salvation is to say, ‘I don’t have to worry about what others think. I know who I am in Christ.”
_{Sandford, John L, and Mark Sandford. Deliverance and Inner Healing. Chosen Books, 2008. Page 101}

Stand Firm

The command, given to believer’s by Paul, is to put on the armor of God so that we can “stand firm” against every attack of the enemy. In Steve’s story, salvation was primarily about the next life. This mindset kept him in the flesh, and he didn’t see the armor of God as a literal covering for his spirit-man, which left him exposed to every “flaming dart” of the enemy in the present.

When we come to understand that right now we are living in a spiritual reality, and that every single day is a battle — that our enemy is bombarding us at every opportunity — we will finally understand the call to guard ourselves with God’s armor.

As believers living in the fallen world, we must understand that every thought that enters our head from the outside has the potential to be either empowered by the Holy Spirit or poisoned by the devil’s lies. When we listen to the Lord, “praying at all times in the Spirit,” He will guide us through life (Eph. 6:18). However, the culture has yet to be redeemed, and is still under the control of the ruling spiritual authorities. This allows “society” to be manipulated into willing evangelists for the enemy.

The Schemes of the Enemy

The world around us hits us, every day, with messages saying “God is dead;” “faith in the Bible is ignorant superstition;” “people are inherently good” and “it can’t be sin if you follow your heart.” The devil wants us to believe that mankind is the highest being in existence, and is therefore the sole determiner of morality and justice. The end result is to believe “only the strong survive” leading to the oppression of others, or to be guided by the philosophy, “just do what feels good” (see 1 Corinthians 15:32).

If we do not put on the armor of God, we will be knocked down by these subtle (and not-so-subtle) messages coming at us. That is why the armor of God, as we will come to see, is primarily a protection from the lies and condemnations of the devil.

We will see that as we wrap ourselves with the belt of truth, our armor will be held firmly in place when a false reality claims our attention. We will understand that as we put on the breastplate of righteousness, our heart is protected from the sinful desires and passions being promoted around us. We will learn that wearing the shoes of the gospel of peace will help us stand firm in a world of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety.

You are a spiritual being, and you are in a spiritual war. As you come to understand this reality, I hope you will be equipped to withstand the evil days ahead, and follow Jesus in a life of triumph over the devil and his tactics. You were set free when you were saved. Let us not return to the yoke of slavery in the kingdom of darkness. We will begin to actively arm ourselves with the “Belt of Truth” in the next post.

Let’s Connect

I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, or testimonies in the comment section.

You can also join me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Parler, to continue the discussion on this post and more!

You can also find out more about my ministry work in East Africa, and see how you can partner with us to take the gospel into the world by training leaders and planting churches at www.SozoMinistries.net.

Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

July 3 2020

Spiritual Warfare

A. Scott Ingram Armor of God, Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership armor of God, deliverance, exorcism, helmet of salvation, spiritual warfare 1

For many Christians around the world, this current season of COVID19 lockdowns, political uprisings, race riots, natural disasters, religious persecution and more has led to struggles with stress, anxiety, loneliness, shame, depression, and hopelessness. These external causes are leading to major internal effects. I do not believe this demonstrates a lack of faith, in believers, as stress is a normal part of life. I do see, however, a lack of understanding among many, that we are in a season of mass spiritual warfare! By looking at these issues only from the human perspective, too many of us are not realizing the stakes, and losing the battle.

Mindset Matters

Often in our ministry in East Africa, we are called to do ministry in the realm of deliverance and exorcism. Thanks to Hollywood portrayals, it is pictures of extreme demonic possessions that many people think of when they hear “spiritual warfare.” However realistic (or not) those portrayals may be, that is actually only a small part of spiritual warfare. The battle starts well before someone gets “possessed” and manifests those extreme displays. The most basic level of spiritual warfare begins in the mind.

We should realize that the Bible has a lot to say about our mindset, and the outworking thereof. Just notice the simple commands given to believers in the New Testament:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2

“…put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22-24

“(You) have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
Colossians 3:10

More could be listed, but I believe you get the point. The way we live out our new identity in Christ and become conformed to His image is directly tied to the continual renewing of our minds.

What You Behold You Become

There is a principle in scripture which teaches that “what you behold, you become.” This is true whether we are looking at holy things or at worldly things. As something continually grabs our attention, eventually it captures our hearts, informs our desires, and then becomes our pursuit. This is why the Bible tells us to think on Holy things, and to fix our eyes on Jesus!

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”
Hebrews 12:1-2

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18

This is the starting place for believers to win the spiritual war. The devil’s attacks come against every person with one goal in mind: to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:10). So we shouldn’t be thinking of spiritual warfare only in terms of demonic manifestations, curses, and witchcraft. His schemes are much broader and much more crafty than that. If the enemy can capture our minds with false idols, fear and anxieties, or ungodly pursuits, he knows he can get a foothold in our lives.

Spiritual Warfare Begins in the Mind

The devil’s first front of attack is your mind. He wants to put thoughts in your head which lead to stress, anxiety, fear, etc. Just as he led Adam and Eve to doubt what God had spoken and led them in temptation to eat the fruit, He ultimately wants to take your eyes off of Jesus and all the promises of God over your life, and lead you into a place of distrust. Just look at every message coming your way from the world on any given day. The avenue doesn’t matter: news media, social networks, community gossip, political messaging, television and movie themes. The world system is designed to lead you to doubt the Word of the Lord, and turn your faith away from Him. As I have said many times, fear is faith in the devil rather than God. The same is true of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, etc.

The good news is that the Lord has given us the ability to withstand every one of these mental attacks which comes from the enemy! The better news is that it doesn’t require us to engage in facebook arguments or march and counter-march in major social movements. It simply requires us to bring every thought into submission to Him.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Once our minds are free from the devil’s mental and emotional attacks, we are free to step into the battle ourselves by intercession and prayer, and then acting on whatever the Holy Spirit speaks to us to do.

We Must Prepare Ourselves for Battle

When the Apostle Paul was giving his final charge to the church at Ephesus, he wanted them to be equipped for every form of spiritual warfare that would come their way. He warned them that this battle was going to come against them all, and that they must be prepared for battle.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
Ephesians 6:10-13

Just like the Ephesian believers, I believe the greatest thing we can do as Christians today is to wake up every morning and make sure we are clothed in the full armor of God.

The Armor of God

As we enter this new blog series on spiritual warfare, this will be our aim, to dismantle the false armor the enemy wants to trick us into wearing, and to replace it, each day, with the armor God gives us to protect our mind, our emotions, and our actions in the world. Over the next few weeks we will look in detail at each piece of God’s armor and how it protects an aspect of your being:

My prayer is that by the end of this series, you will stand victorious over your fears, anxieties, depressions and hopelessness, in this current season and beyond. May God give us the grace!

You can make sure not to miss a single post by signing up for my weekly newsletter below. I would be honored to have you there. You can also connect with me on social media, to continue the discussion on living the Christian life and Gospel leadership. I am on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and now Parler! See you there.

Click here to go to part 2: The Armor of God.

Photo by Henry Hustava on Unsplash

June 19 2020

How to Pray for the Sick

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts christian healing, Salvation 2

We have come a long way in this blog series on Christian Healing! We began with the biblical basis for healing, then discussed if healing should be expected today. We looked at the authority of all believers to heal the sick, and talked practically about “healing by command.” Shifting directions from authority to anointing, we looked at the Holy Spirit’s power for healing, and in the last post we discussed the biblical “gifts of healing.”

Now, finally, with the foundations having been laid, I hope you are ready to go after healing and begin praying for the sick, yourself! In this post, I want to share with you the most effective prayer model for healing I have ever seen. It is the one I have used when praying for the sick for almost a decade, and it is the one we teach to all of our churches and ministry partners in Sozo Ministries.

Are Prayer Models Biblical?

Before I give you the steps for praying for the sick, I first want to deal with the objection that prayer should be a spontaneous conversation with God, rather than a structured format to follow.

I do agree with that sentiment, completely. However, in the New Testament, as the disciples walked with Jesus and saw him doing public ministry, as well as observing His private life of prayer with the Father, they knew something was missing in their own prayer life. They asked Him, “teach us to pray,” at which point Jesus gave them what we now call “The Lord’s Prayer” (Luke 11:1-4).

That prayer was not intended to be used for repetitive, ritual recitations. Nor was it supposed to be a formula to get God to move on their behalf. It was simply given to them as a model to follow, as they began to pray to the Lord for themselves.

In the same way, the prayer model I will share is not a “repeat these words” kind of prayer, nor is it a “principle” to get God to do what you want. Instead, it is a method of thinking about praying for the sick, which enables a person to minister effectively.

I learned this prayer model in 2012 from Dr. Randy Clark, and it has forever changed my fruitfulness in the healing ministry.

How to Pray for the Sick

As you enter into a time of ministry to the sick, it is important to check your motivations from the outset. Although we do desire to see miracles for healing take place, our primary goal is that the person would experience the love of God working through us. It is never our goal to glorify ourselves or to “show off” with God’s power.

We must also understand that for healing to take place, we must be praying with faith that God wants to heal. We should never offer a quick prayer, saying “God, if it is your will, please heal this person.” That is not loving to the person, and it shows little faith.

Praying for the sick should be an earnest pursuit, seeking that God would touch this person and free them from the bondage of sickness and disease. These five steps will help you to do that.

Step 1: Interview

When a person was brought to Jesus for healing, He usually took time to question them, before jumping into pray. His question, often, was “what do you want me to do for you?” (see Luke 18:41).

We too must take time to interview the person needing healing, in order to find out what is going on and how they want us to pray. Begin by asking questions like:

How can I pray for you today?

What sicknesses or injuries do you have?
How long have you had this issue?
On a scale of 1-10, where is you pain level to begin with?
What is/was the cause?
What are the doctors telling you about this condition?
Do you take any medications for this?

The basic goal of this step is to try and understand what they want prayer for. We must join our prayer with their desires, and not our own.

Recently I was leading a healing crusade in a rural district in Uganda. A man came forward for prayer, who was walking with a cane, and had one foot twisted sideways by polio. A chair was brought for him, and I automatically assumed that this was what he wanted prayer for, so I knelt down to place my hands on his leg. Thankfully, I caught myself and as I knelt, I asked him, “how can I pray for you today.” He told me that he has suffered greatly with constant ringing in his ears, and was going deaf in one of them. He wanted me to pray for his hearing!

It took some time, and multiple prayers, but we did see this man’s hearing healed. Afterwards I asked if he wanted prayer for his twisted leg as well. Unfortunately, he wasn’t interested at that time. The thing I wanted to pray for was not his priority.

Listening to the person, rather than jumping to conclusions, is loving them. That is our first priority in any time of prayer!

As much as you are listening to what the person has to say in the interview time, you should also be listening to the Holy Spirit for His insight into the problem. For instance, some sicknesses may have roots in spiritual issues such as sin, bitterness, unforgiveness, emotional wounds, or even the effects of a curse or a demonic affliction. The Lord may give you words of knowledge or words of wisdom in how to deal with these issues.

Step 2: Prayer Selection

When we see Jesus and the disciples pray, there are two ways that they demonstrate for us. The first is a petitioning prayer. This is when we ask the Lord to heal the person. For example, “God, right now I ask in Jesus Name, that you would take this pain from my brother…”

The second way we see Jesus and the disciples heal is through the use of command, which we have already discussed in depth. This is when, rather than petitioning God to do something, we speak to the disease or injury in the name of Jesus, and command it to leave. For example, “In the name of Jesus, I command this pain to leave…”

Dr. Clark says, “A command is appropriate as your initial step unless you are led otherwise by the Holy Spirit…” This is especially true when there has been a word of knowledge given for their specific issue.

You would also use a command when there is evidence of a demonic power causing the affliction or in breaking a curse over the person. For example, “In Jesus name, I break the curse over this person, and command this afflicting spirit to leave…”

After you have interviewed the person and discerned what the Holy Spirit is saying, you should decide which prayer to begin your ministry time with. Don’t worry about making a wrong choice as you will likely be praying more than one time, and can change your approach as the Spirit and situation lead you.

Step 3: Pray

This step is pretty straight forward. Pray for the person using the style of prayer you chose following the interview.

Some tips for praying:

Instruct the person not to pray. Instead, they should be resting and positioned to receive from the Lord. They should also be paying attention to their body for any changes in their condition or other manifestations of the Spirit.
Keep your eyes opened during your prayer. Watch for any physical activity that may tell you if the Spirit is doing something.
- Sometimes in a prayer people will feel extreme temperature changes, especially in the pray-er’s hands. They may also be moved to laughing or crying. They may begin to shake. They may fall down. All of these have been viewed through Christian history as potential signs that God is working. Let it build your faith in your praying.
Always pray in Jesus’ name. That is where our authority to heal lies. By praying in His name, we are speaking with the authority He gives to us as His church.
If you are praying for someone with an unseen disease where an immediate healing would not be detectable, such as cancer or diabetes, you might opt to pray with a petitioning prayer, rather than using a command. Since there may be no manifestations taking place, and they will not know if they are healed immediately, your prayer time should be long enough that the person feels encouraged and loved through the time of ministry. Let them know your faith is with them for their healing.
If you are praying for a very evident affliction like one leg being shorter than the other or a visible tumor, you should begin by praying with commanding prayers, and watching for any change in the condition.
If you are praying for an unseen affliction, but where healing would be evident to that person, such as back pain or TMJ (popping in the jaw), you should pray shorter prayers and re-interview often to find out what they are feeling, if anything.

Step 4: Re-Interview

After praying for a short period of time, especially when commanding sicknesses to leave, you should stop often and re-interveiw that person. In this step you are trying to discern, if possible, whether healing is occurring. You want to ask questions like, “how is your pain level now?” “Are you feeling anything?” “Can you move it any more than before?”

If it is a physical affliction, where healing would be evident immediately, ask them to try and do something they couldn’t do before. They shouldn’t do something that will injure them worse, but sometimes the simple act of faith to make an attempt at something they couldn’t do before is the catalyst for their immediate healing.

It is important to understand that most often healing is not an instantaneous process. You may be ministering to one person for a good amount of time seeing a progressive healing take place a little more each time you pray. Be encouraged by this. Jesus, Himself, prayed for one blind man multiple times before he was healed (see Mark 8:22-25)!

During the re-interviewing process, you may need to ask further questions intended on probing at a deeper cause for a stubborn illness where no healing is taking place. For instance, if the person was injured in a motorcycle accident years before, perhaps they need to forgive the person who hit them before healing will come. People will not always be forthcoming with heart issues, so these things may take time to uncover.

One other thing to be aware of is that the demonic can play a role in sickness without the person realizing it. This would become apparent in cases such as the illness increasing in intensity or pain moving from one location to another. When this is the case, you should begin praying to cast out the spirit rather than praying about the condition.

When to Stop Praying

After you re-interview them, return to steps 2 through 4 again, as necessary. You may pray and re-interview many times during one ministry session.

I once prayed for a woman with pain in her neck, shoulders, and upper back, which she had carried for a few years. She began by telling me her pain was a 9. After three prayers, it finally moved down to an 8. Then a 7. Then a 5. Then a 4.5 and a 4. All in all, I ministered to this lady for more than half an hour before the pain had completely left (as well as a spirit of affliction, which became evident during the prayer). She walked away totally healed. I just kept telling myself, “Jesus prayed again, so can I.”

You should stop praying when:

The person is completely healed.
The Holy Spirit leads you to stop.
There has been no further healing taking place for some time, and you don’t feel led to pray any other way.
The person asks you to stop.

Step 5: Post-Prayer Suggestions

If the person has been healed, then all that is left to do is praise God together for this gift. Celebrate with that person, and reflect with them on God’s faithfulness and love for them.

If the person who has been healed had to walk through the process of repentance of sin or forgiveness of a past wound in order to receive salvation, remind them that God has set them free from that as well. They no longer have the right to return to their bitterness or sin. To do so, may in fact undo the healing they have just received.

Encourage the person to share their testimony of this experience. If possible, do so immediately in the meeting you are a part of, but if not, they should at least share with their family and friends what has taken place. As a ministry we make it a priority to record video testimonies of every major healing which takes place, if at all possible. When we cannot get the recording, we will try to get the basics of the testimony in writing.

If the person is not healed, remember that we must leave them feeling loved by God and by us. Encourage them that sometimes healing is not immediate and may still come following this time of prayer. They should keep praying and seeking God to grant them this miracle. Encourage them to seek prayer from others, and to continue to press in to God in intimacy.

If the person is holding on to some sin, unforgiveness or other issue that you feel is holding back their healing experience, then encourage them in the gospel and push them to seek repentance in that situation.

Never blame the person for their not being healed. While it is true that sometimes a lack of faith is the reason we don’t see healing occur, it is never our place to judge the level of faith in others. In fact, in Matthew 17, when the disciples were unable to heal an epileptic child, Jesus blames the disciples’ lack of faith, rather than that of the boy or his family.

Give them a scripture they can hold to, if one comes to mind, looking to the full promise of God for their life and eternity.

It’s Your Time

I hope that through this post, and all those leading up to it, you have had your questions answered and that you are feeling more equipped to pray for the sick. My final word of advice is “try.” As I shared in my own journey into healing ministry, I was praying for people every week for months before God brought the breakthrough moment and people began getting healed.

After Heidi Baker received the Word of the Lord that she would see the blind see, the deaf hear, and the dead raised, she prayed for the blind and deaf in her area of Mozambique daily for over a year, before any of them began to be healed.

I believe it was John Wimber who first said, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.” The only way you will begin to see people get healed is to take the risk and pray for them.

A note to pastors: The church should be a safe place for people to try out their spiritual gifts, be able to fail and make mistakes without condemnation, and to grow into all they are called to be in the Lord. It is your job to be equipping the saints to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). I highly encourage you that if you are functioning in the healing ministry, to also be equipping your church members to do the same.

Lets Connect

I would love to hear your thoughts or questions in the comments below. You can also join me on social media to continue the conversation there. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

June 16 2020

Christian Healing: Gifts of Healing

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts divine healing, healing anointing 0

In the last post, we discussed the “power gifts” of the Holy Spirit and how a person may receive those special anointings. Now, we will dig a little deeper into understanding the “gifts of healing,” which is one of the nine anointings or “manifestations” of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Healing Gifts

To understand the healing anointing, we must see that a person does not receive “a gift of healing.” Instead, the word gift is plural. The anointing is for “gifts of healing.”

This is an interesting distinction in how the gifting for healing has been viewed in the 20^th century where certain leaders claimed to carry the healing gift as though it is an official position. We have seen many famous evangelists take on the title of “divine healer” or “the man of power.” Unfortunately, there is not an office of healer in the New Testament.

There is Not an Office of Healer

The five spiritual “offices” given in the New Testament are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. This is often referred to as the fivefold ministry. The Bible says these are unique callings placed on certain people by Jesus Himself, rather than by the Holy Spirit as in 1 Corinthians.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ …And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers…”
Ephesians 4:7-8,11

These “offices” are directly tied to the long-term discipleship and empowerment of the church (see Ephesians 4:11-16), and should therefore should be considered as God-given job descriptions rather than hierarchical titles to go in front of our names.

Healing vs Prophecy

To better explain, let me divert from healing for a minute…

What you may notice in the two scriptures above is that there is a calling of Prophet given by Jesus in Ephesians and there is also the gift of prophecy given by the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians. These two things are not the same!

When Paul writes about the gift of prophecy and its use in the church, he says, “you can all prophesy one by one” (1 Corinthians 14:31). The implication is that every member of the church can, at times, give prophetic utterances from the Lord. That is the gift of prophecy from the Spirit. This does not mean that all believers were Prophets by calling/office.

Office Prophets have an assignment on their lives to lay the directional foundations of the church and nations (Ephesians 2:20). Their prophetic gift is constantly at work in Christ, and their revelation is often much deeper than an “occasional” gift of prophecy received when someone comes under the anointing.

The reason I divert to prophecy is because this distinction between giftings and offices is important in understanding how the gift of healing works. Contrary to prophecy, healing does NOT connect directly with a spiritual office given by Jesus. As I said before, there is not an office of healer (remember, we all have authority to heal!).

This becomes foundational to understanding why there are multiple “gifts” when the Holy Spirit brings His anointing for healing.

Various Types of Healings

As I have read the writings of various ministers, contemporary and historical, who are each recognized for their healing gifts, there are differing opinions for why the “gifts” are plural.

One explanation is because there are various types of healing which can be received, such as:

physical wounds like broken bones or open lesions,
bodily infirmities like HIV or diabetes,
mental illnesses like schizophrenia,
emotional illnesses like anxiety or depression,
soul sicknesses, such as issues coming from traumatic experiences or abuse
spiritual sickness, often coming from demonic strongholds and torments.

Another explanation is that there are various means by which God brings healing, such as:

The laying on of hands,
Anointing with oil
The word of command,
Anointed items such as Paul’s prayer cloths,
Anointed presence such as Peter’s shadow, or
Inspired human wisdom in medical professionals.

Every Healing is Another Gift

While those explanations are mere speculation, there may be a lot of truth to them, and they are very helpful observations. Still, I prefer a much simpler explanation.

I believe that the reason Paul uses the plural “gifts” when discussing healing, is because each healing that takes place is a distinct gift being given to the person healed.

That means that I, as the minister, do not receive the gift of healing. Instead, when operating in this anointing of the Holy Spirit, God uses me to deliver His gifts of healing to those in need.

If someone gets healed of cancer, that is their gift. If someone gets healed of three broken ribs, they have received three gifts of healing. Each sickness or condition God heals is another gift!

God’s Delivery Person

What I like about this understanding, too, is that it removes the pressure from me as the minister. I am not the one with controlling the gift, and therefore do not have to feel the pressure on me to perform.

Instead, I am simply acting as the delivery man, who gets to bring God’s gifts to people as He chooses to distribute them. It is His good pleasure and His timing; not mine! (Side note: this is why the gift of Word of Knowledge is often connected with healing.)

When someone is healed of anything, we give God all the praise. When someone is not healed, we learn to press in to Him more and more for His gifts!

Pursuing the Gift to Get the Anointing

As we said before, the gifts you receive will be determined in large part to how you are pursuing God and how you are seeking to love others. God seems to give healing anointing to those who are praying for the sick. (And unless you pray for the sick, you cannot know if the anointing is there in the first place!)

In the next post we will talk about how you can directly pursue this gift by stepping out and praying for the sick! Until then, I would love to hear your thoughts or questions in the comments below.

As always, you can join me on social media, as well, to get even more #ChristianLife and #GospelLeadership insights throughout the week. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Also, I would be honored if you choose to subscribe to my newsletter below. I promise to never spam your inbox or share your information. You can expect a weekly content roundup in your inbox every Sunday.

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

June 2 2020

Christian Healing: Pentecostal Power

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts healing anointing 0

Up to this point in this series on Christian Healing, I have shared my journey into the healing ministry; discussed the foundations of Christian healing in the Bible; looked at whether healing is for today; and spent a few posts discussing the authority of every believer to heal (here, here, and here).

In this post, I will begin to shift the focus from the authority of all believers to heal, and begin to look at the special anointing for healing given in the Bible, to some believers. It is in this and the next post that we will discuss the empowerment of the Holy Spirit which multiplies the believer’s authority for the church age, and the “gifts of healing” spoken of by the Apostle Paul in His letter to the Corinthian church.

Understanding God’s Anointing

Right before Jesus left this earth, He told his disciples:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

This “power” was something different than the “authority” which He had already given them to proclaim His Kingdom, heal the sick and cast out demons (Matthew 10:1). This power was something new; something they had not yet experienced.

In the greek text, the word “authority” is “ousia” which, according to one dictionary, means, “a state of control over something” or the ability to “command, control or govern.”

This is in direct contrast the the word for “power,” which is ”dynamai” in Acts 1:8, which comes from the root word “dunamis.” According to the same dictionary, this word means the“potential for functioning in some way, power, might, strength, force, capability… specifically, the power that works wonders.” This greek word is where we get our English word, dynamite. This is an explosive power, much bigger than can be contained in ourselves.

I have stated before that while both of these are gifts for believers which come from God, I do believe they are received in different ways. Authority is given by Jesus to all believers. This is why He can command His disciples to command others to do the same things He commissioned them to do (Matthew 28:18-20).

Power, on the other hand, is given through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and each believer will receive different aspects of His anointing, as their specific needs, callings, and even pursuits will determine. While all have the authority to heal, not everyone will have His anointing for the healing gift.

How the Anointing Comes

Jesus directly tied the power-anointing to the coming of the Holy Spirit. This was something He had promised many times in His earthly ministry. (See, for instance, John 16:4-15.) Whereas Jesus was Emmanuel – “God with us” – the Holy Spirit’s presence would be different. He would be “God in us.” This would be the divine union of God and mankind, which up to that point, had only been seen in a select few prophets and leaders in Israel’s history. This would be the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”
Joel 2:28-29

As Jesus left the earth, His final instruction to the disciples was to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to bring this anointing on them (Acts 1:4).

The Day of Pentecost

Finally, on the day of Pentecost, 40 days after Jesus had been crucified for the sin of the world, God released the Holy Spirit on His church with that power. We read about this in Acts 2:

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4

As they take this Holy Spirit party to the streets, there is a lot of commotion in the crowd. People are hearing these uneducated Jews speaking in various languages; proclaiming the Kingdom of God. This spectacle was too much for many in the crowds, leading some to believe they were drunk and rambling, but Peter stands up and announces that this is the fulfillments of Joel’s prophecy.

In a matter of minutes, this new power from on High escalated the effectiveness of the Apostles ministries beyond anything they had seen before, and that day, over 3000 people chose to give their lives to Christ.

The Power Gifts

As time went on, the Apostles learned to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and came to understand more about ministry under His anointing. They began to share this knowledge among the churches. The most famous passage regarding the Holy Spirit and His giftings was from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth:

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed… Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-7

Paul goes on to list 9 particular gifts He had seen in use (though other gifts are listed elsewhere in the Bible.) These gifts are:

words of wisdom,
words of knowledge,
gifts of faith,
gifts of healing,
working of miracles,
prophetic utterances,
discerning of spirits,
various forms of tongues, and
interpretation of unknown tongues.

The word for “gifts” here is the Greek word, “charis” or “charismata” which can be interpreted as “grace-gifts.” The same dictionary refers to them as, “special gifts of a non-material sort, bestowed through God’s generosity on individual Christians.” It is from this word for gifts that we get our word “charismatic.”

Everyone Gets Power; Just Not The Same Gifts

Paul makes it clear that although all believers were to be filled with the Holy Spirit and walking in His power, the particular gifts each one receives were determined based on the individual.

While it is impossible to clearly articulate all the reasons God would choose to give some gifts to certain believers, and not to others, I do believe scripture gives us some clear understanding on a few of these reasons.

Gifted For Our Calling

The first reason is that our gifts will likely be suited to our specific calling in God’s service. For instance, scripture seems to record that the first Apostles were able, at times, to act in every one of the gifts, though they likely did not walk in every gift all the time. This makes sense, since the Apostles were foundational in establishing every part of the church.

It therefore makes sense to me that other callings would also receive gifts from the Holy Spirit, specific to their role in the body. I think of evangelists who work primarily with non-believers. Their calling would likely make use of gifts of prophecy, healing, or working miracles, to demonstrate the power of God. Pastors, on the other hand, might be better served by gifts like word of knowledge or word of wisdom, as they instruct the body of Christ to become more like Jesus. Intercessory callings, as well, would need gifts like tongues and interpretation of tongues.

I know that I am speaking hypothetically, as I cannot prove this theory from scripture. My point, however, is not without some basis in the writings of other ministers. Dr. Randy Clark, for instance, lumps the giftings together into groupings, which he sees as being interconnected for similar purposes.

Gifted for Our Season

The second reason a person might get particular gifts is that Holy Spirit might distribute certain ones to you based on the season He created you to minister in.

History has taught us that although all of the gifts of the Spirit have been active in every age, there are seasons in which some gifts take priority on the larger, global stage. Think about the great healing revival that took place in the U.S. and spread around the world in the 1950’s, or the restoration movement of the prophetic gifting in the 1980’s. Other gifts were still taking place in those seasons, but as God gifted certain ministers with stronger anointings in these giftings, it was directly linked to what He was doing on a large scale in that season. His global purposes in those seasons demanded more of one particular gifting than others.

Gifted Through Impartation

A third way a person receives particular giftings, is through the transference of anointing from another minister. I won’t take long to discuss this here, as I have shared in depth on the subject in a podcast episode. Suffice it to say that gifts of the spirit being passed through the laying on of hands, is a foundational teaching of the church (see Hebrews 6:1-2) and one that is demonstrated repeatedly in scripture (for example, 2 Timothy 1:6 and Romans 1:11).

Gifted Because of Our Desires

A fourth determining factor, and the one I put more stock in than the other theories, is that God distributes His giftings based on the passions and desires of the one receiving.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1,

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

And again in verse 39,

So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy…

If Paul, two chapters earlier tells us that gifts are given at the sole discretion of the Holy Spirit, why then would he tell the believers to “desire” specific gifts, unless their desire plays into the gifts they receive?

The word, “desire” means, to “be positively and intensely interested in something, strive, desire, exert oneself earnestly, be dedicated” to that thing. It carries the weight of English words like “be jealous for,” “burn with desire for,” or even “to lust after,” if it is possible to read lust without a sinful connotation.

Paul tells us very clearly that the Holy Spirit determines which gifts we get, and therefore, we need to live our lives with such passion for His works in our lives, that He will give us the gifts we are seeking.

Jesus Himself said,

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:8-11

As a good Father, God responds to our desires when they are glorifying to Him.

Seeking an Anointing for Healing

To bring our focus back to the matter at hand — an anointing for healing — I think there is one undeniable way a person can receive an anointing for healing from the Lord: Go out and pray for the sick!

You can pray for the gift. You can study the gift. You can read every one of my blog posts on healing. You can follow others with the gift of healing. You can attend healing schools and healing conferences. And all of those things may be helpful to you in one way or another, but until you begin to actually move in such a way that gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to anoint you and use you for healing, it will never happen.

The healing anointing comes when we are actually seeking God’s power to heal the sick. That is how we show the Lord we are serious. We take the risk, and expect Him to meet us in the moment.

In my experience, when our desire is to serve His Kingdom with His power and gifts, He makes a way for us to grow in those gifts and anointing. As I shared before, I was praying for the sick every week for months when I lived in Haiti, and no one was getting healed. I began reading books and watching videos, trying to learn more about how He works this gift, and God met me through it all. My desire for healing moved God’s heart and He directed me to Dr. Randy Clark’s conference, where I received an impartation, and I began seeing healing the next week when the blind man in South Sudan received his healing. The gifting has continued to increase exponentially since that time.

What About You?

In the next post, we will look specifically at the “gift of healing” and how it works in the body of Christ. For now, I just want to ask you: what gift of the Holy Spirit are you burning for? If you could have any of His power gifts discussed in scripture, which one would it be, and why? Are you pursuing it? Are you studying how the gift works and looking for opportunities to learn from others in that area? Are you taking risks, and stepping out in faith to see what God might do? That is the way you are going to find His anointing coming upon you!

Whether it’s healing you are seeking, or not, I would love to hear about your pursuit in the comments below.

As always, I would also love to connect with you on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter ) and it would be my honor to have you subscribe to my weekly newsletter which goes out every Sunday morning.

If you’re enjoying the content I produce, a little caffeine to keep me going would be appreciated!

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash