BRINGING OUT THE OLD
SPIRITUAL TOOLS AND WEAPONS
When I was cleaning my
garage, I found some sculpting tools someone made for me out of rebar. I always
loved the feel of those tools. I picked one up, got my mallet down off the peg
board and cut away a few chips of soapstone on a falcon sculpture I started
years ago. I remembered the feeling of apprehension, then satisfaction as I chipped
away at the stone. I decided to start using those wonderful tools again. Our
spiritual tools are like that.
We sometimes forget how
useful and satisfying it is to rebuke demons and make them flee, or to pray
perfectly for a situation by praying in tongues. Or what about getting down on
our knees to pray like we did when we were children? (When was the last time
you did that?) Or what about the golden rule of treating others as we would
want to be treated? Or how about when you decided to read the Bible cover to
cover and God opened your eyes to so many new amazing things?
So many of those good
Bible principles and/or weapons in our arsenal that we’ve forgotten about. Maybe
it’s time to take inventory of some of those old beloved friends that used to
be so much a part of our daily routines at one time.
I was reminded of that
just the other day. If you remember from my last article (this past Sunday), my
school friend said she was
inspired to stand up and say: “Every devil spirit in my mind and in this house
HAVE to go, NOW, in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.” From James 4:7 we know
that if you “resist the devil,
he will flee from you.”
As I was walking
into a confusing situation the other day, I remembered my friend’s words and I
remembered that scripture about resisting the devil. I decided to sharpen up
that weapon. Sometimes we put up with things we don’t have to put up with. That’s
exactly my point. I’d forgotten such a simple spiritual weapon and was enduring
rather than conquering!
It wasn’t that I
did any heavy duty casting out of devil spirits. I wasn’t in the position for
that, but I just made them shut up and not act up. Just like when Jesus talked
to the storm in Mark 4:39: “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” When I walked into that confusing
situation it was like a storm of thoughts and I could feel the demons stirring
things up like crazy, so I rebuked them and everything got very calm. It was
awesome.
For some reason I
hadn’t thought of using that particular weapon in a while, so it was so good to
be reminded of how wonderful it is.
In the Bible we
see that God often urges His people to remember the things of old, bring them
to mind again. Remember what He’s done for us before and remember how we used
what He said—to get free of things, to get prayers answered, to be happier,
etc.
David has a great
way of saying it in Psalm 77. The whole chapter is beautiful, but here I want
to show you verses 5 to 11:
“I
have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to
remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit
made diligent search.
“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will he be favorable no more?
Is his mercy clean gone forever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath
God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?
Selah [consider this carefully].
“And I said, ‘This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years
of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy
wonders of old.’”
David
was having a hard time so he started to have a good heart to heart talk with
himself and he searched for an answer. He wondered if it was God’s fault, or if
it was God that had forsaken him. He deeply considered the possibility. But
then he woke up! “This is MY infirmity!” So David was his own enemy. It wasn’t
God at all. And when he realized that, he made himself remember the good things
God had taught him in the past. That was his answer and sometimes it’s ours
too.
Let’s
just take a minute or two to take inventory and list some of the good things we
learned or did in the past. Let’s do some refreshing of our lives with them—sharpening
our old weapons and making new use of our older tools that worked well and
still do.
Love,
Carolyn
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