"Spiritual Conflicts"
We don't wage war with human plans and methods.
We use God's mighty weapons.
2 Corinthians 10:3
In Mainland China during 2002, Pastor Li De Xian and his wife Zhao Xia refused to be silenced. “Christ was the first to suffer,” Pastor Li De Xian said. We just follow him. There are many thorns, but we are just injured a little on our feet. This suffering is very little.” Despite continual pressure from the Public Security Bureau, Pastor Li refuses to miss a service unless he is in prison or change his message of salvation through Jesus Christ. He has been arrested so many times during the past two years that he has lost count. During one recent detention, jailers tied his arms and legs together and chained his arms and legs to a bedpost for three days. When they finally released him from this torture, he was forced to work on an assembly line in the prison factory putting bulbs into strings of Christmas lights to send to America. “Don’t feel sorry for us,” Zhao Xia says of their lifestyle. “At least we are constantly reminded that we are in a spiritual war. We know for whom we are fighting. We know who the enemy is. And we are fighting. Perhaps we should pray for you Christians outside of China. In your leisure, in your affluence, in your freedom, sometimes you no longer realize that you are in spiritual warfare.”
_____________________________________________
Struggles are won by the person who believes...
through Christ they can.
____________________________________________
Spiritual conflict exists between the two kingdoms of supernatural force in the universe - the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the Devil. These kingdoms operate side by side with these differences: God’s kingdom is built on love, peace, joy, and divine power. Satan’s kingdom is built on self-centeredness, fear, control, and corrupt power. God brings life and order. Satan brings death and chaos. God isn't limited by time. Satan is confined to time limitations and must wait. God knows everything including our thoughts, our motives, and the secrets we’ve hidden in our hearts. Satan only knows what he can see and hear, as he can’t read our minds. God provides. Satan steals. God is omnipresent and not limited to a physical location. Satan is not omnipresent, so he can only be in one place at a time. God forgives and blesses. Satan accuses and curses. God is truth. Satan distorts the truth. God convicts. Satan condemns. God searches for weak people to strengthen them. Satan searches for weak people to destroy them. God sets people free. Satan influences people and polticial/social/relgious systems to trap individuals.
1. Is Satan a literal being? Yes. Satan is a fallen angel. He is the author of sin making him the #1 enemy to spiritual survival. He was the first to show an irreverance for God. His huge ego and consuming self-centeredness to replace God as heaven’s object of worship led him to rebel. In response to Satan's rebellion, God expelled him from heaven along with one third of the angels that joined in his rebellion. These fallen angels are now called demons. They are the Devil's army of evil soldiers who carry out his subversive plans throughout the earth. They are disembodied spirits with evil appetites. He commands his hierarchy of demons to influence people and established polticial/social/relgious systems.
Before Satan's fall, his name was Lucifer that meant Morning Star. On Lucifer's expulsion, he experienced a name change reflecting his new character traits:
Satan – accuser/adversary. "Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them." (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Dragon – rebellious. "There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon and his angels. This great dragon--the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world--was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." (Revelation 12:7,9)
Old Serpent - seductive; "Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14) Satan doesn't have creative powers. He is a mimic and can only counterfeit what God created. Satan is a master illusionist. He wears masks to hide his identity, so he can work out his schemes undercover. A mask is part of his subtlety. He knows if we recognized him working, we would immediately use our authority in Jesus and scripture to chase him away.
Devil – lies, slanders, and accuses "Watch out for your great enemy, the Devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) "One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them. "Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the LORD, "I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that's going on." (Job 1:6-8)
Thief - “The thief, Satan, does not come 'except' to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." (John 10:10)
Murderer & liar - a master of diguise; “He was a Murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) "You are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)
The Devil works at persuading people to reject Jesus as their Savior. If Satan doesn’t succeed at this, his secondary goal is to keep them from a close relationship with God.
2. How do God's angels function on earth?
Before Satan's fall, his name was Lucifer that meant Morning Star. On Lucifer's expulsion, he experienced a name change reflecting his new character traits:
Satan – accuser/adversary. "Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them." (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Dragon – rebellious. "There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon and his angels. This great dragon--the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world--was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." (Revelation 12:7,9)
Old Serpent - seductive; "Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14) Satan doesn't have creative powers. He is a mimic and can only counterfeit what God created. Satan is a master illusionist. He wears masks to hide his identity, so he can work out his schemes undercover. A mask is part of his subtlety. He knows if we recognized him working, we would immediately use our authority in Jesus and scripture to chase him away.
Devil – lies, slanders, and accuses "Watch out for your great enemy, the Devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) "One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them. "Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the LORD, "I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that's going on." (Job 1:6-8)
Thief - “The thief, Satan, does not come 'except' to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." (John 10:10)
Murderer & liar - a master of diguise; “He was a Murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) "You are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)
The Devil works at persuading people to reject Jesus as their Savior. If Satan doesn’t succeed at this, his secondary goal is to keep them from a close relationship with God.
2. How do God's angels function on earth?"Angels are only servants. They are spirits sent from God to care for those who will receive salvation." (Hebrews 1:14) Holy angels are spiritual beings possessing supernatural powers. Their attributes include: great strength, wisdom, meekness, and holiness. They execute the purposes of God, celebrate the praises of God, and rejoice over every person who becomes born again. Angels have greater power than demons as they stand in the radiance of God's glory and then carry this powerful glory wherever they go. An angelic visitation to a person is an expression of God's favor. Some times angels look like brilliant heavenly beings and at other times, they appear to look like ordinary people. Hebrews 13:2, talks about covert angelic appearances: “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without knowing it.”
3. Where do my spiritual struggles take place?
3. Where do my spiritual struggles take place? Within your thoughts. This is where we either win or lose every spiritual conflict. Through Christ's death and resurrection, the devil’s teeth and claws were pulled out. In spite of this, Satan presents himself as undefeated. He goes about "roaring" as a lion trying to intimidate us into believing he can chew us up and spit us out. The truth is Jesus crushed the Devil’s authority over every Christian. Now, the only power the Devil has over us is what we give him through our free will choices. If we accept the bait he uses to trap us, they become an integral part of our thought patterns. Now, Satan's gained a degree of influence over our decisions. Identifying these patterns is accomplished with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit.
4. What are the character traits Christ Followers need to develop?
Patience: Being calm and steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
Alertness: Awareness of spiritual events and respond with the right actions.
Discipline: Lifestyle imposed from within one's self.
Confidence: Dependent on God for His resources and strength.
Wisdom: Practical application of knowledge and discernment.
Endurance: Able to persevere regardless of the physical and spiritual demands.
5. What is spiritual armor?
4. What are the character traits Christ Followers need to develop? Patience: Being calm and steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
Alertness: Awareness of spiritual events and respond with the right actions.
Discipline: Lifestyle imposed from within one's self.
Confidence: Dependent on God for His resources and strength.
Wisdom: Practical application of knowledge and discernment.
Endurance: Able to persevere regardless of the physical and spiritual demands.
5. What is spiritual armor? In addition to the authority we have in the name of Jesus, we have invisible spiritual resources for advancing and maintaining God's Kingdom in our lives. Ephesians 6:14-17 says, "Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Every day spiritual preparedness is required. Ask the Holy Spirit to anoint your spiritual armor. Without the Holy Spirit’s anointing, we end up relying on our own natural strength.
· Belt of truth: It maintains our integrity, keeps us undivided, and leads us in the right direction.
· Breastplate of righteousness: It protects our emotions and silences accusations. The breastplate of righteousness enables us to live a life characterized by righteous living. This righteousness is not our own, but of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· Shoes of peace: A soldier knows that if he is having trouble with his feet, he can't fight well. We need the firm footing that comes from standing on the Gospel of peace. This keeps our balance, stability, and mobility.
· Shield of trust/faith: It protects us from fear, doubt, and confusion. Our defense is our faith. As we take up the shield of faith we are able to quench the arrows of temptation. "In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan." (Ephesians 6:16) "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
· Helmet of deliverance: It protects our mind from becoming deceived, doubtful, and discouraged.
· Sword of the Spirit: God's Word is our sword. "I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy." (Luke 10:19) Jesus used scripture to defeat Satan when attacked: "Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. Then the Devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread." But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, `People need more than bread for their life.'" Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The Devil told him, "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them--because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, `You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him." Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, `He orders his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone." Jesus responded, "The Scriptures also say, `Do not test the Lord your God.'" When the Devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came." (Luke 4:1-13) Jesus is the champion of Dragon Slayers.
6. Can I be a Dragon Slayer?
As Christ’s disciples, we are equipped to be Dragon Slayers just like Jesus. Wherever he went he exposed the works of darkness. We aren’t to go hunting for demons, but when they raise their ugly heads in our lives or someone’s life we are to command them to leave and go to the feet of Jesus. Faith is the connecting force in exericising the authority we have in Jesus name in taking dominion over Satan. As a Dragon Slayer, it is our responsibility to exercise this authority. When we do demons are leave and diseases fall off of people bringing wholeness. In other words, Dragons are slayed. Read one of my personal experiences of being a Dragon Slayer.
7. What is fasting?
(Refer to Chapter 4 question #10 for more details on fasting.) It is another powerful resource. Fasting means to do without; to practice self denial. We usually think of fasting as abstaining from food, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. It can be refusing to participate in anything that hinders or distracts our communion with God. There is no spiritual value in fasting alone. What makes fasting powerful is our focus on God through prayer and study of the Bible. As a result of these, fasting heightens our spiritual discernment. "When you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." (Matthew 6:16-18)
8. What is a satanic attack?
It is a calculated assault by the Devil with the intent to harm a person spiritually, physically, mentally, materially, and emotionally.
Satan tries to convince us we are powerless and to give up. He doesn’t fight fair. "Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes." (2 Corinthians 2:11) There are three gates Satan uses: Our bodies, which includes our senses of vision, hearing, taste, and smell; our carnal appetites; and our time. The attacks will look like the following:
• Offenses. When others say or do something that is uncomfortable for us and we react to it negatively it creates an offense. No one goes through life without being offended by others, but the consequences of an offense are avoided by quickly choosing to walk in love by forgiving the person by which the offense came. Offenses are blessing blockers. Satan uses offenses to shift us from walking in love into fear. For love is our power and when we are seduced into holding onto an offense we lose our power. The additional consequences of an unforgiven offense are: hardened heart toward God, persistent hurt feelings, lack of peace, unfulfilled expectations, decreased anointing, joy in serving the Lord is diminished, speech is polluted by unresolved anger affecting family, friends, and ministry. “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back." (Matthew 18:15)
• Deception. Satan is out to convince us to be the god of our lives, to not take our spiritual life so seriously, and not to be too radical in living out our beliefs. He attempts to get us to call what is good "bad" and what is bad "good." He is a master of twisting the truth and hiding what is harmful to us so it appears to be beneficial. In order to discern deception, we need to know what our weaknesses are. If we know one of our weaknesses is emotional attacks then the breastplate of righteousness is the piece of armor to cover this weakness. If our minds are filled with negative thoughts, then we would apply the helmet of salvation.
• Pride. Pride is an inward attitude of believing we are in control of how long we will live and what we are able to accomplish without a dependency on God for its fulfillment. James 4:13-17, "Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil." Functioning in pride is seen when: we find ourselves wanting people to praise us; we keep score on our achievements and compare them to others; we rejoice in other’s failures and resent their successes; we exchange our faith in the Lord for self-reliance; and we are compelled to defend ourselves against criticism. When walking in pride, God loves us so much he will send warnings through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Conviction can be experienced as an uneasiness in our stomach or feeling uncomfortable in our spirit man, but conviction of the Holy Spirit is never expressed as condemnation.
• Slander: If we slander, criticize, or gossip, we have literally partnered with the Devil in his plans to wound the person spoken about. This sin must be confessed immediately. “If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” (James 1:26)
9. What are the signs of a spiritual attack?
Red flags get our attention when we come to a construction zone on a road. As we spot these flags our alertness goes up a notch and we slow down. There are red flags in the spiritual realm also. When we spot one, we have uncovered the working of the enemy. Here are the nine red flags to look for when uncovering a demonic attack. Use the following as a guide. If you see all of these, you have identified a major attack.
· One heavy circumstance after another.
· Accusations.
· Ongoing thoughts of what we don't have, rather than our blessings.
· Continual temptations at the same point of weakness.
· Fear based on lies. Expose the lie.
· Doubts about the truthfulness and goodness of God.
· General sense of heaviness and depression.
· Deception.
· Division in relationships.
10. How am I to respond to an attack?
As you do the practical, God will do the supernatural. Begin by thanking the Holy Spirit for anointing you and use your spiritual weapons. Then "rejoice" by declaring the truth of who you are in Christ. Then "resist" the devil by by declaring you're not particpating in his delusion. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you." (James 4:7)
11. What if I've fallen into Satan’s traps?
Run to God, refocus, and get back to walking in love towards others and towards yourself. Don't allow guilt or shame to prevent you from receiving the freedom God has for you. Confess your sin, receive God's forgiveness, forgive yourself, and resolve to not engage in the behaviors you just repented of. After you repent, God still has a wonderful plan for your life and puts it back into action. If you fall down again, he gives you the courage to get back up. When we confess our sins intimate communion with God is restored. If we attempt to keep our sin as a secret hidden in darkness, it leads to shame and separation from a close relationship with God along with a tendency to repeat the sin again. One of our greatest weapons is our intimacy with Jesus. Intimacy is developed during our times of prayer. Our level of spiritual authority is in direct proportion to our spiritual intimacy. Jesus is our role model for this type of lifestyle. He depended on God for everything he needed.
As you face spiritual battles remind yourself: "Victory consists of getting up just one time more than I’ve fallen down." In the future, there may be times when you will need Crisis Help.
Read the next chapter: Crisis Help or choose a title below.
Knowing God Power of Prayer Spiritual Warfare Glossary
Born to Love Renew the Mind Crisis Help What Readers Are Saying
Divine Connection Are You a Misfit? Love in Action ____________________________________________________________________________
Scriptures quotations taken from the New Living Translation® (NLT) Bible. Copyright © 1996 Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
CJB denotes scripture quotations taken from the Complete Jewish Bible® (CJB) Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern and used with the permission of Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 615, Clarksville, Maryland 21029. This Bible is available through Messianic Jewish Resources at: MessianicJewish.net
The story, 'Not Afraid of the Cross', is an excerpt from the book "Jesus Freaks" 1999 and used with permission by Voice of the Martyrs (http://www.persecution.com) and DC Talk; published by Albury Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
6. Can I be a Dragon Slayer?As Christ’s disciples, we are equipped to be Dragon Slayers just like Jesus. Wherever he went he exposed the works of darkness. We aren’t to go hunting for demons, but when they raise their ugly heads in our lives or someone’s life we are to command them to leave and go to the feet of Jesus. Faith is the connecting force in exericising the authority we have in Jesus name in taking dominion over Satan. As a Dragon Slayer, it is our responsibility to exercise this authority. When we do demons are leave and diseases fall off of people bringing wholeness. In other words, Dragons are slayed. Read one of my personal experiences of being a Dragon Slayer.
7. What is fasting?(Refer to Chapter 4 question #10 for more details on fasting.) It is another powerful resource. Fasting means to do without; to practice self denial. We usually think of fasting as abstaining from food, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. It can be refusing to participate in anything that hinders or distracts our communion with God. There is no spiritual value in fasting alone. What makes fasting powerful is our focus on God through prayer and study of the Bible. As a result of these, fasting heightens our spiritual discernment. "When you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I assure you, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will suspect you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in secret. And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." (Matthew 6:16-18)
8. What is a satanic attack?It is a calculated assault by the Devil with the intent to harm a person spiritually, physically, mentally, materially, and emotionally.
Satan tries to convince us we are powerless and to give up. He doesn’t fight fair. "Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes." (2 Corinthians 2:11) There are three gates Satan uses: Our bodies, which includes our senses of vision, hearing, taste, and smell; our carnal appetites; and our time. The attacks will look like the following:
• Offenses. When others say or do something that is uncomfortable for us and we react to it negatively it creates an offense. No one goes through life without being offended by others, but the consequences of an offense are avoided by quickly choosing to walk in love by forgiving the person by which the offense came. Offenses are blessing blockers. Satan uses offenses to shift us from walking in love into fear. For love is our power and when we are seduced into holding onto an offense we lose our power. The additional consequences of an unforgiven offense are: hardened heart toward God, persistent hurt feelings, lack of peace, unfulfilled expectations, decreased anointing, joy in serving the Lord is diminished, speech is polluted by unresolved anger affecting family, friends, and ministry. “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back." (Matthew 18:15)
• Deception. Satan is out to convince us to be the god of our lives, to not take our spiritual life so seriously, and not to be too radical in living out our beliefs. He attempts to get us to call what is good "bad" and what is bad "good." He is a master of twisting the truth and hiding what is harmful to us so it appears to be beneficial. In order to discern deception, we need to know what our weaknesses are. If we know one of our weaknesses is emotional attacks then the breastplate of righteousness is the piece of armor to cover this weakness. If our minds are filled with negative thoughts, then we would apply the helmet of salvation.
• Pride. Pride is an inward attitude of believing we are in control of how long we will live and what we are able to accomplish without a dependency on God for its fulfillment. James 4:13-17, "Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil." Functioning in pride is seen when: we find ourselves wanting people to praise us; we keep score on our achievements and compare them to others; we rejoice in other’s failures and resent their successes; we exchange our faith in the Lord for self-reliance; and we are compelled to defend ourselves against criticism. When walking in pride, God loves us so much he will send warnings through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Conviction can be experienced as an uneasiness in our stomach or feeling uncomfortable in our spirit man, but conviction of the Holy Spirit is never expressed as condemnation.
• Slander: If we slander, criticize, or gossip, we have literally partnered with the Devil in his plans to wound the person spoken about. This sin must be confessed immediately. “If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” (James 1:26)
9. What are the signs of a spiritual attack?Red flags get our attention when we come to a construction zone on a road. As we spot these flags our alertness goes up a notch and we slow down. There are red flags in the spiritual realm also. When we spot one, we have uncovered the working of the enemy. Here are the nine red flags to look for when uncovering a demonic attack. Use the following as a guide. If you see all of these, you have identified a major attack.
· One heavy circumstance after another.
· Accusations.
· Ongoing thoughts of what we don't have, rather than our blessings.
· Continual temptations at the same point of weakness.
· Fear based on lies. Expose the lie.
· Doubts about the truthfulness and goodness of God.
· General sense of heaviness and depression.
· Deception.
· Division in relationships.
10. How am I to respond to an attack?As you do the practical, God will do the supernatural. Begin by thanking the Holy Spirit for anointing you and use your spiritual weapons. Then "rejoice" by declaring the truth of who you are in Christ. Then "resist" the devil by by declaring you're not particpating in his delusion. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you." (James 4:7)
11. What if I've fallen into Satan’s traps?Run to God, refocus, and get back to walking in love towards others and towards yourself. Don't allow guilt or shame to prevent you from receiving the freedom God has for you. Confess your sin, receive God's forgiveness, forgive yourself, and resolve to not engage in the behaviors you just repented of. After you repent, God still has a wonderful plan for your life and puts it back into action. If you fall down again, he gives you the courage to get back up. When we confess our sins intimate communion with God is restored. If we attempt to keep our sin as a secret hidden in darkness, it leads to shame and separation from a close relationship with God along with a tendency to repeat the sin again. One of our greatest weapons is our intimacy with Jesus. Intimacy is developed during our times of prayer. Our level of spiritual authority is in direct proportion to our spiritual intimacy. Jesus is our role model for this type of lifestyle. He depended on God for everything he needed.
As you face spiritual battles remind yourself: "Victory consists of getting up just one time more than I’ve fallen down." In the future, there may be times when you will need Crisis Help.
Read the next chapter: Crisis Help or choose a title below.
Knowing God Power of Prayer Spiritual Warfare Glossary
Born to Love Renew the Mind Crisis Help What Readers Are Saying
Divine Connection Are You a Misfit? Love in Action ____________________________________________________________________________
Scriptures quotations taken from the New Living Translation® (NLT) Bible. Copyright © 1996 Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
CJB denotes scripture quotations taken from the Complete Jewish Bible® (CJB) Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern and used with the permission of Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 615, Clarksville, Maryland 21029. This Bible is available through Messianic Jewish Resources at: MessianicJewish.net
The story, 'Not Afraid of the Cross', is an excerpt from the book "Jesus Freaks" 1999 and used with permission by Voice of the Martyrs (http://www.persecution.com) and DC Talk; published by Albury Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma.