Tag: deliverance

March 26 2021

How Jesus Revealed His Kingdom

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Jesus & The Gospel, Kingdom of God Christian, Christian Life, deliverance, God's Kingdom, Gospel, gospel of the Kingdom, Jesus is God, Jesus is king, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven 1

When Jesus showed up on the earth, bringing His new kingdom into existence, it was evident that everything changed. The devil’s authority was overthrown (Colossians 2:15, Matthew 28:18). The penalty for the fall of man into sin was paid in full. There was now an offer to every person for salvation, healing, and deliverance, as we choose to follow this new King!

In this post, I want us to fix our attention on how Jesus revealed this new reality during His time on earth. This is especially necessary as there are many Christians who hold to a theological belief that, although Jesus launched His kingdom at His first coming, the benefits of this new kingdom cannot be experienced until His second coming. This view, however, twists or completely overlooks major portions of the gospel narrative! His kingdom is here, now, even if not yet fully realized. The question is not if we can experience it; but how much of His kingdom can we experience now, before He comes again?

Kingdom Revealed

The first thing Jesus did as He entered the public ministry, was to declare to Israel that the fulfillment of God’s promise of a new king — a Messiah — was coming to pass in front of their eyes.

According to Luke, after Jesus was baptized (Luke 3:21-22) he spent time in the wilderness overcoming the enemy’s temptations (Luke 4:1-13) and being empowered by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14). Then, in His first act of ministry, He went into the synagogue at Nazareth and revealed Himself as the promised Messiah!

First, he stands up to read from the scriptures. He chooses to read one of the most well-known prophetic promises about the King-to-come from Isaiah 61:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
^{Luke 4:18-19}

He then puts away the scroll, and takes his seat to teach the congregation regarding the scripture. However, instead of giving an exegetical explanation of the passage, Jesus looks at the hopeful Jews and says, essentially, “Ta-da! I’m the one!” The bible says:

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
^{Luke 4:20-21 (emphasis mine)}

For anyone who says, “Jesus never claimed to be God.” They are wrong. Over and over again, Jesus claims to be one with the Father, and the fulfillment of all the promises. For example, Jesus said:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
^{Matthew 5:17 (emphasis mine)}

He also said

…the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
^{John 5:37-40 (emphasis mine)}

It is clear that Jesus revealed Himself as the King and Messiah of God.

Kingdom Proclaimed

From this first introduction as God’s coming King, Jesus proceeded to spend His entire earthly ministry proclaiming the good news of this new kingdom. Everywhere He went, this was His only message: the kingdom of God has come.

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom…
^{Matthew 4:23}

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom…
Matthew 9:35

Remember, a “gospel” is the “good news” concerning a victory which has taken place. The “good news” Jesus proclaimed, is that the Kingdom of God is here, now, replacing the kingdom of darkness which has reigned since the fall:

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
^{Luke 17:20-21 (emphasis mine)}

In other words, the kingdom of God is right here, within your reach. Don’t miss it!

Kingdom Explained

Beyond His public proclamations, we also see that in every teaching, Jesus had one central message: life in the kingdom of God.

He continually taught the disciples what life in the Kingdom looks like. The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 has been called by some scholars, “the Kingdom manifesto,” because Jesus is demonstrating the cultural and lifestyle differences between His kingdom and the kingdoms of men.

In almost every parable, Jesus begins by saying, “the kingdom of God is like…” and “the kingdom of heaven is like…” Just read through Matthew 13 for a number of examples.

It was not enough for His disciples to know that the kingdom was present in Him. He wanted them to understand the new reality which they were being called to live in, themselves. They were being set free from the world’s rules and expectations, and must learn to see their lives through the eyes of God’s kingdom culture.

Up until His final teaching at the last supper, Jesus was explaining how life in His kingdom is different:

And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you…”
^{Luke 22:25-26a}

Kingdom Demonstrated

Although the message of God’s kingdom was a continual theme in Jewish writings and teachings, in hearing it from Jesus, it was different. For the first time, the words being spoken came with authority and demonstrations of power to back them up!

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, testified to Jesus:

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
^{John 3:2 (emphasis mine)}

Returning to the verses already quoted above, not only did Jesus go around “proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom…” but they go on to say,

…proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
^{Matthew 4:23}

…proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
^{Matthew 9:35}

Matthew 8:16 says, “they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.” Matthew 12:15 says that, “many followed him, and he healed them all.”

The point is that Jesus didn’t just do a few miracles, signs, and wonders. Everywhere He went He was healing the sick, casting out demons, and demonstrating God’s kingdom. The culture of His kingdom was different, and it was evident! In fact, responding to a challenge by the Pharisees, He declares that all of these signs prove the Kingdom of God is present!

…if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
^{Matthew 12:28}

In another place, He says that the physical manifestations also prove His ability to forgive sin, something only God can do (See Matthew 9:1-8)!

This is why the Apostle Paul, later declares,

For the kingdom realm of God comes with power, not simply impressive words.
^{1 Corinthians 4:20 (The Passion Translation)}

Kingdom Sought After

Jesus not only proclaimed the kingdom with word and demonstrated it with power in His own life; He also tells the disciples that their prayers should be seeking a greater demonstration of this power in the earth as a whole! When he taught them “the Lord’s prayer,” He instructs them to pray and ask God to manifest the Kingdom:

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
^{Matthew 6:10}

As long as we live in this world, our desire and prayers must be focused on His kingdom being manifested around us!

Kingdom Commissioned

Finally, after revealing, proclaiming, teaching, demonstrating, and telling the disciples to seek the kingdom, He commissioned His followers to join Him in bringing this kingdom to the world.

It began with the 12:

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction… These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
^{Matthew 10:1, 5-8}

Later, the same commission was given to 72 other disciples:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. (And He said to them) Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
^{Luke 10:1, 8-9}

As Jesus began to prepare for His departure from the earth, He made this incredible promise:

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
^{John 14:12 (emphasis mine)}

And in His final commission before His ascension, He commissioned the entire church, throughout future generations, to continue proclaiming and demonstrating the kingdom of God, until He returns.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
^{Matthew 28:18-20 (emphasis mine)}

Mark’s gospel shares this same commission this way:

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
^{Mark 16:15-18 (emphasis mine)}

And that is exactly what happened!

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
^{Mark 16:19-20 (emphasis mine)}

The Kingdom Is The Point

When we look at all that Jesus taught and did, it becomes clear that He had one mission while on earth, and that was to launch His kingdom among men, ushering us into the rule and reign of God.

As we will see in the next post, to limit Jesus’ gospel to simply the salvation of our souls at the end of time is a big mistake. His Kingdom came then, it is here now, and it will increase for all eternity (Isaiah 9:7). As believers, we must join Him on this mission of revealing His kingdom to the lost world, until the day He comes again (Matthew 24:14).

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March 16 2021

A New Kingdom

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Jesus & The Gospel, Kingdom of God Christian, deliverance, Healing 1

A couple of weeks ago, we took a look at how a new kingdom of darkness became the reality on the earth, after heaven’s departure at the fall of mankind. We saw that there was a new, innate identity in mankind – “sinner” – which had effects on all of creation, creating brokenness and bondage to the devil. However, as we will see today, all of that changed when Jesus showed up.

There were many prophecies regarding the Messiah who would come, bringing salvation to mankind. Last week, we looked at how Jesus fulfilled all of these prophetic pictures throughout the Old Testament, but what were the effects? It isn’t enough that He fulfilled prophecies, if there is not tangible evidence that anything changed.

The good news (gospel) is that Jesus brought a brand new reality into the world when He went to the cross. He pronounced that the Kingdom of God has come (Luke 17:20-21; Matthew 9:35), and demonstrated this Kingdom in miraculous ways.

God’s Plan for Restoration

All along, God’s people held to God’s promises to restore all things. Not only did He promise to renew the creation itself, but for people, God promised salvation, healing and deliverance. Just take a quick look at Psalm 103:

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit…
^{Psalm 103:2-4 (emphasis mine)}

Yet as mankind was in bondage to sin, they struggled for generations to keep the faith and continue hoping for these promises to be fulfilled. However, when “the fullness of time” came, and Jesus made His appearance into the world, He established a new Kingdom which changed everything!

How did He do it? By restoring lost humanity to what we were before the fall!

Sozo

The Greek word for the salvation which Jesus brought into the world is “sozo” (or “sodezo,” depending on who is transliterating). It is used, in some grammatical variation, 192 times in the New Testament and is used in various ways to describe different aspects of salvation.

Salvation

In Mark 16:16 it says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (sozo)…” This is the same usage as when the angel prophesied to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, telling him, “[Mary] will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save (sozo) his people from their sins.” At the most basic level, “sozo” means salvation from sins.

Healing

In other places, however, “sozo” is translated to mean physical healing. In Mark 6:56, for example, it says, “And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well (sozo).” It is obvious, then, that sozo does not just have effect on the soul of man, to save us, but that Jesus’ salvation also carries with it the healing of our physical bodies!

Deliverance

Still, in other places, “sozo” is used to mean deliverance from bondage to demons. In Luke 8:35-36, for instance, after Jesus has cast out the legion of demons into a herd of pigs, the Bible says, “Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed (sozo).” Now, even though the English translators chose the word “healed” in this passage, this man was not sick. He was in bondage. Jesus’ salvation delivered this man from the power of the devil. “Sozo,” then, also means deliverance from the power and authority of the devil and His demons!

I could give many more examples where the biblical writers used the word “sozo,” but let’s just summarize by seeing what a Bible dictionary says about this little word:

Sozo means “save, rescue, deliver; keep safe, preserve; cure, make well.”
^{Barclay M. Newman Jr., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament. (Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies, 1993), 177.}

This is Complete Salvation

As human beings, we are made up of three distinct parts, which form our existence. We are a soul (psyche), living as a spirit, all contained within a physical body.

Your soul, at the most basic level, is you. It is your mind, will and emotions. When I say, “I am Scott,” I am speaking of my soul — the thing that makes me who I am. It is the soul of which Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” It is your soul that was transformed by sin, and which needs to be saved.

Your spirit, on the other hand, is the supernatural essence of your being. It is your spirit which was transferred into Satan’s custody through the fall into sin and rejection of God. Your spirit must be delivered from this bondage.

And your body, which is the physical (natural) aspect of your being, as it exists inside the creation, broken by the effects of sin and God’s curse, must be restored to health and wholeness.

To put it simply Jesus did not just die to save your soul. He died to save you completely! That is “sozo.” Let’s take a minute to look at how.

Mankind Redeemed

As we discussed before, although mankind was created in the image of God and appointed to represent Him as stewards over the creation, when we entered into sin, that image inside us was marred. Instead of “good” as God had created us, our very nature was changed and we were now “sinner.” However, Jesus’ greatest promise of salvation was that our sin could be forgiven and our hearts (psyche) could be restored back into alignment and fellowship with God. When Jesus saved our soul, our identity is changed!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself…
^{2 Corinthians 5:17-18}

When Jesus died on the cross, there was an exchange that took place. Jesus took our sin into Himself (1 Peter 2:24), experienced our separation from God (Matthew 27:46), and bore the curse of death on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Then, as soon as we put our faith in Him, we receive His righteousness, imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21), as all the record of our sinful history is erased (Colossians 2:14). Not only is righteousness “imputed,” but grace is imparted to us to remain righteous moving forward (Romans 6:17-19).

In every way, Jesus saved us from our sins!

Deliverance from the Devil

As we have looked at before, when mankind sinned there was a transfer of authority that happened in the creation. In the beginning, God gave mankind the mandate to govern over creation. However, when we broke fellowship with Him through sin, our authority was transferred to the devil (Luke 4:5-7)! His kingdom of darkness consumed the creation, and we became his faithful citizens.

As we lived in sin, we were dominated by the king of sin. In the most literal sense we had been adopted into the devil’s family, which is why Jesus continually rebukes the faithless religious leaders by calling them “children of the devil” (see 1 John 3:8 and Matthew 13:38).

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.”
^{John 8:42-44}

However, when Jesus saved us from our sins, our identity changed, the Bible declares that the devil lost his rights to us!

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
John 1:12

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
^{Colossians 1:13–14}

The Apostle Paul also talks about this transfer when he writes to the Ephesians. He begins by recalling the old life, lived in blind bondage to the devil:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
^{Ephesians 2:1-3 (emphasis mine)}

However, when Jesus saved us, all of that changed. Not only did He save us from our sins, but He spiritually removed us from the devil’s domain:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…
^{Ephesians 2:4-6 (emphasis mine)}

Just as our soul was saved and we were reconciled to God, our spirits are delivered from the power of the devil and are now hidden in Christ. As believers in Jesus’ gospel, we now live in a new Kingdom!

This is one of my favorite mysteries of the Gospel: that when Jesus saved us, His Spirit came to live inside of us, while our spirits have ascended to sit with Him in heaven. That is a current reality, not a future expectation! The gospels are full of stories of how Jesus delivered people from the grips of the demonic when He forgave sin and removed their authority. It is an inseparable part of His (sozo) salvation.

Healing for Brokenness

Finally, as Jesus forgave our sin and transferred us into His Kingdom reality, He brought healing to all the brokenness in our physical bodies. Since we still live in the midst of the broken world, it is true that some of His healing will not come until the final restoration of all things. However, as believers who pray like Jesus prayed (see Matthew 6:10), it should be our desire to see as much healing take place now as God wants to release!

Peter, quoting from Isaiah 53:5, declares:

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
^{1 Peter 2:24}

Peter does not put this in the future tense. He says it is already your reality in Jesus! Just as He has already forgiven all of your sins; He has also purchased your complete healing by the marks on His physical body.

Repeatedly, everywhere Jesus went, He healed the sick. It was a physical manifestation of His (sozo) salvation, which we now share through faith in Him.

Jesus’ salvation for humanity covered us completely — body, soul, and spirit — as He saves, heals, and delivers those who believe in Him. In the next post, we will see how Jesus’ put these gifts of salvation on full display when He revealed His Kingdom to the world.

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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.

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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 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.

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May 27 2020

Christian Healing: Authority and Anointing

A. Scott Ingram Christian Life, Christian Life and Gospel Leadership, Gospel Leadership, Physical Healing, Spiritual Gifts christian healing, deliverance, Salvation 1

Over the course of the last two posts I have discussed how we as believers have the authority from Christ to heal the sick, and looked at how to practice that authority through ‘command’. While there is an indispensable need for the body of Christ to understand that authority as foundational to healing, we will now begin to turn our attention to the multiplied fruit of healing which comes through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

In order to understand how the authority of the believer is compounded to accomplish more in the here and now, than we could ever have thought possible, let’s first recap where we have been so far.

Healing was Anticipated in the Promise of Messiah

It could be argued that the promise of healing began in the Old Testament, as soon as sin entered the world. Through the protoevangelion (first gospel) in Genesis 3:16, God promises a redeemer who would undo all of the works of sin and destroy the devil. As sickness was introduced in the fall of man, healing is a necessary part of the restoration God would bring through His coming Savior.

All throughout the Old Testament, then, this promise of healing is repeatedly tied to the Messiah who would save the world from sin, heal their sicknesses and disease, and deliver mankind from bondage to the devil and his kingdom of darkness. In previous posts we have already looked at God’s revealed name of Jehovah Rapha, and the promise of healing in passages like Psalm 103 and Isaiah 53. We won’t take time to do that again here.

Healing Starts in The Atonement

The realization of all of God’s promises came through the sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus. This is stated explicitly in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you… was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Jesus stood in the synagogue at Nazareth and declared, in Luke 4:16-21, that He was the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecy, and specifically those listed in Isaiah 61. We have looked at those verses already in the previous posts. I won’t dig into them again.

Sozo – Complete Salvation

Even the greek word for “saved” in the New Testament — “sozo” — is an all encompassing term for the fulfillment of the promises found in Jesus’ atonement! (What a great name for a ministry…)

The Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament defines sozo this way:

σῴζω – save (of Christian salvation); save, rescue, deliver; keep safe, preserve; cure, make well.
Newman, B.M., Jr., 1993. A Concise Greek-English dictionary of the New Testament.

To make it as simple as possible: the atonement of Jesus Christ offers ‘complete salvation’ to those who come to Him by faith. That is salvation from sin, healing in their physical bodies, and deliverance from the power of their enemy, the Devil. To remove any one of these fulfilled promises is to remove power from the cross!

Healing Authority is Your Inheritance

Knowing that Jesus purchased our healing, we then turned our attention to the fact that He passed the authority to heal on to His first apostles, other disciples, and then to the whole church.

He did not just talk about healing as something which was available through Him. He commanded believers to put that authority into action by healing the sick. Just as He spoke to diseases to leave and ordered bodies to be restored, He commanded His followers to do the same. This command was clearly one which the New Testament expected to continue throughout the church age (Mark 16:15-18).

All believers have not only been promised healing in our own bodies, but have received the authority to extend Christ’s healing to others who come by faith and receive! It is a universal promise within the body of Christ!

Healing Anointing Multiplies the Fruit

The authority of all believers to heal in Jesus’ name is amazing enough, but that is not the full extent of Christian healing in the New Testament! As my spiritual father, Dr. Randy Clark always says, “there is more!”

As I have sought the Lord to understand the healing gift, the Holy Spirit spoke to me recently and said:

“While all believer’s have the authority to command healing, and all believers carry the inheritance of My atonement – salvation, healing, and deliverance – the ‘charis’ gift of healing, and the anointing to heal is reserved for those who are hungry and pursuing.”

He explained to me that although the authority to heal is there for all people, it is through the anointing of the Holy Spirit that He amplifies everything His blood purchased, “on earth as it is in heaven.” Yet it is up to us to seek Him for the more of His anointing.

Remember, before Jesus left the earth He had already given the disciples authority, yet he told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to empower them before they began to minister:

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:4-5

It is through the empowering of the Holy Spirit which God releases His special grace-gifts into His church. As we seek Him for His anointing to heal, there is a compounding effect on producing fruit.

Simply put, while all can heal the sick, even more people will be healed as we pursue — and receive — the power of God in the Holy Spirit, and receive the “gifts of healing” He distributes to His church!

This is what I discovered early on, in my journey into the healing ministry. There is a common grace for healing in the church (authority), yet the easiest way to see fruit is to partner our authority with His anointing. After the prayer of impartation from Dr. Clark, I received a Holy Spirit anointing to heal the sick and immediately blind eyes were opened, the lame walked, and since then, the healing miracles have continued to increase in my ministry, more and more.

What About You?

As we have laid this foundation for healing already, and have discussed the authority of all believers for healing, in the next post we will dig deeper into this anointing and the Holy Spirit’s “gifts of healing.”

I do hope that through these posts you are already growing in your faith for healing. I believe that as we all come into an understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit to fully empower us in this work, that it will be the first step in launching you into the healing ministry. Stay tuned…

For now, I would love to hear your thoughts and questions in the comments below. If you are enjoying what you’re reading, I would be honored if you would subscribe to my weekly newsletter below! You can also join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date what everything the Lord is doing in my ministry. I would love to connect with you there.

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