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3/05/12 TO RULE THROUGH PEACE
HEARD: Kingdoms that model. Your own story? No, this is His story. As you rule with peace. It’s an authority.
Matt 5:9 NKJV
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Rom 12:17-21 NKJV
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
MY WARRIOR STORY
I used to be a full time warrior, I fought principalities regularly, seeing them and hearing them and being taken up into the sky and literally wrestling with them. I suffered much abuse and trauma through out those horrific years and I did all I could to overcome. One time on the way to an out of town conference, I prayed and prayed about this principality asking the Lord what I should do. Bob Jones shared at the conference about seeing and hearing a principality and he described what he looked like. I was shocked because this was the same one I had seen, smelled and heard so many times. I asked Bob what I could do about closing this door and Bob told me it was beyond my metron and to lay everything down at the cross. Bob was the only authentic prophet I knew and it was something I could hardly get a grip for, because I was a full time warrior. But God used the one person I trusted to have the Word of the Lord for me, and I was totally set up to receive it.
John 3:30 NKJV
He must increase, but I must decrease.
2 Chron 20:20 NKJV
Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.
So every time I heard, saw, smelled, experienced this foul thing, I would say, “Lord Jesus You heard that. By the Word of the prophet, I choose to lay my battle axe down at Your feet. I choose to allow You to become my Defense. I choose to obey the Word of the prophet and expect to prosper.” I did this 100s, 1000s of times. Within 2 months someone sent me a book from John Paul Jackson, called “Needless Casualties of War.” John Paul Jackson is another prophet. His mother was visited by an angel. He told her that she would become PG with a prophet to be sent to the world in the 11th hour, and as a sign, she would carry him 11 months in the womb. This came to pass and John Paul has been raised up for his end time ministry for the last days. I knew this story, had talked with John Paul and also knew that Bob Jones totally endorsed his calling. So I read, then re-read, then read again. It was so totally foreign to my mindset about HOW to war properly, according to thoroughly laid out scripture. It blew me away. And as I said, it took me a whole year to truly swallow the book as straight from God’s perspective of how to interpret scripture and warfare.
John Paul shares a revelation the Lord gave him about the church inappropriately fighting principalities. He was told that people are dying, getting very sick and falling due to going outside their metron (their sphere of authority.) They are also getting well after repenting of doing so. John Paul scripturally documents what is safe warfare and what is not.
I do not have the time to summarize what John Paul shares so well. If you have not read his book, it explains the appropriate way to understand scriptures on warfare.
However outside of John Paul’s book, the following is what the Lord taught me on the subject. I have copied and pasted sections of some of my writings here. This is what the Lord has taught me since reading his book.
SCRIPTURAL ROLE MODELS
1. When Jesus saw satan fall like lightning from heaven it was when His disciples were casting out demons from people living on earth. (Luke 10:18) Jesus never told His disciples to war against principalities, rather He told them to cast out demons from people who are living on earth. I personally believe this was His example that earthly warfare causes principalities to fall in the same way a general falls when his army is overcome.
2. There is nothing in the scriptures where the disciples fought principalities. They were told by Jesus to cast out demons, that is all.
3. The apostle Paul spent two years in Ephesus (Acts 19:10) which was the capital of worshipping the goddess Diana. In the height of riot, they said that in those two years Paul did not speak out against the main principality over that city or try to take her on, (rather he pointed to Jesus Christ). (Acts 19:34-37)
4. Paul told us to stand against and withstand principalities. This is in the defensive mode in context to wrestling and standing. (Eph 6:12-18) This is not an aggressive one of destroying them, railing against them, commanding them to fall, judging them or tormenting them, etc. If you do a word study to the foundations of the word wrestle, you will find it has to do with literally hurling off as in a wrestling match. I have experienced this in the sky several times in wrestling against principalities, it is a literal experience that Paul was speaking of.
When I have been taken up into the sky against my will to wrestle one, I have used the authority the Lord has given to bind in Jesus Name in order to ESCAPE the experience and these times have been a divine deliverance and rescue. In these situations, the binding has been temporary. I have experienced both the anointing, the Presence of the Lord, His help, angelic help, and authority in various degrees during some of these experiences. After my experiencing these episodes, I have come to believe that when Paul spoke of wrestling with these powers, he literally did so and was quite familiar with the experience. I personally know others who also have had this wrestling match experience.
Taking a defensive position does not mean that we go after principalities, with the intent that we can remove them from their position or power in the second heaven. Rather a defensive position is the posture of “standing against such” when a principality personally manifests as in a visitation to a personal life and opposes us or our loved ones. John Paul also endorses this exception to warring with principalities. (pages 90, 91, 93)
5. Angels respect principalities and/or dignitaries. If you do a word study on dignitaries and authorities in context to the scriptures in Jude, it is speaking of the celestial ones, not people as some translations suggest. It is very important not to rail against principalities, this is against scripture.
2 Peter 2:11 NKJV
Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
Jude 9 NKJV
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
6. In Zech 3:2, whether it is interpreted that this is the angel of the Lord, or Jesus Himself, it is obvious that there was respect for rebuking satan.
VISION - SATAN’S TRAP
Given to Keith Davis: http://www.whitedoveministries.org/
[permission given to post this vision]
Keith Davis had a vision in January of 99 as they were praying for the revelations for the new year. He saw a battlefield and he was in it and had a sword in his right hand. Many others also were fighting what they thought was the end time battle. The following is a quote from a tape of his vision.
“One step at a time we were driving them back and we thought we were winning. The battle was bloody and ferocious. We had the false impressions that we were winning the end time battle.
All of a sudden we reached a certain point and could not proceed any further. We could not understand what had happened. We realized the Lord had stopped us. He looked up and the clouds parted and all of satan’s big cannons were pointing right at us. IN REALITY IT WAS A TRAP and we were not as prepared for the end time battle as we thought.
Immediately I was transported to an operating room and was on the operating table. The technicians were working feverishly and stripping off my flesh. I said, “Where am I?” I saw a little white germ of life and had been stripped back to the origin of life. They began to put me back together and were taking off the Lord’s body and were putting it on me. I looked just like myself. But when I returned to the battle. I didn’t have to have a sword, instead when I spoke the enemy was annihilated, wiped out.” (Romans 13:14: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.)
{end of Paul Keith Davis vision}
Scripture tells us to STAND against principalities not aggressively go after them to take them down. So the only time we should be addressing a principality at all is when they manifest to us and are directly coming against us in a manifested way. Then when they are on our turf, in our face and home and we see and hear them, yes we can bind them in Jesus Name, command them to go and call upon the Name of Jesus to deliver us.
Think about when Jesus Himself saw satan during the temptation. Jesus had full authority as Son of God, and Jesus stood His ground and turned His face towards His Father and His Word. He did not aggressively engage in war with satan.
Therefore we dont go around doing spiritual mapping and figuring out what principality reigns over what territory and start actively warring against them.
We have authority over ALL the power of the enemy and so we bind demons, bind ALL their demonic plans. We CAN totally DESTROY demonic and principality PLANS, but not destroy the spirits and principalities. We are not to avenge ourselves or torment or judge them in any way. We are told to bind them, stand against them, and tell them to go, just like Jesus did.
For many years I was a warrior in the traditional sense. I saw and heard demons in my prayer times and wholeheartedly rebuked them so I could commune with the Lord. Many of you also know I was taken up into the second heaven and fought principalities. During my years of transition, the Lord kept telling me two things. One, I had lost my resting place. And two, the priests of the Lord were not allowed to sweat and neither was I. I knew this was a strong parable, because for years I had been asking Him to bring me into Sabbath rest. I knew there was a place of rest to which I had yet to come. (Ezek 44: 16-18; Heb 4:1-3)
We never lay down our armor or our stand, but we can learn to stand against the demonic from a different position. This position is one of rest, which is fueled by intimacy with the Lord. There are several things the Lord has been teaching me about warring from a place of peace and rest. I want to share them with you.
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WALKING IN PEACE
Notice that when Paul spoke about wrestling against principalities, he shared the strange weapons we are to use. One of those weapons is the shoes of peace. As I was pondering feet and walking in peace, the Lord reminded me that the God of PEACE would shortly crush satan under our feet. (Eph 6:15; Rom 16:20) That was a real revelation of truth.
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JESUS OUR ROLE MODEL
Jesus did not sweat bullets when He rebuked demons. He did not war or strive with them, He simply commanded them to leave. It was not a big deal. It was because He walked in the power of the anointing and was in such intimacy with the Father that demons did not want to be anywhere close to Him!!!
Jesus spoke with authority in His voice, but He did not have to yell at demons.
Matt 12:18-21 NLT
"Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, and I am very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or shout; he will not raise his voice in public. He will not crush those who are weak, or quench the smallest hope, until he brings full justice with his final victory. And his name will be the hope of all the world."
We must learn to speak with authority in His Name, or at least know and hold our authority over them. We contend for our ground, and that takes tenacity and persistence to learn it and keep it. But after that, we will be learning the easier way is the power of His anointing that flushes them up and out. I believe the Lord will teach us that it is His anointing that breaks the yoke and no amount of sweat will produce the anointing. Once we learn to walk in that anointing, we learn to lay everything aside that causes us to sweat.
Mark 1:27 NKJV
Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."
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SABBATH REST
The scripture says that what we hear must be mixed with faith in order to enter in to this rest. When we have genuine faith, we don't have to strive, we simply know and believe. That knowing is a simple rest in hearing what God says and then believing Him. He carries us in such a place.
Heb 4:1-3 NKJV
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest , let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,'" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
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EVERY DEMON CREATES UNREST
ALL demonic activity generates unrest. When one third of heaven lost their habitation with God, they lost peace, because He IS Peace.
Isa 9:6-7 NKJV
… Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…
(Isa 14:13; Dan 8:10; Rev 12:4)
All demons have their own personality. Each driving thing in them cries to be resolved, because it produces unrest. Think of lust. It has no peace until it is temporarily resolved. Lust is unrest in the appetites. If you consider the demons which you are aware of, you will see that each and every one represents unrest, with their seeking peace, or resolution to their need in some area of the soul or body. Demons are similar to caged animals in a zoo. They wander to and fro looking for peace and comfort. And even if "caged" in people, they have no rest; they continue to fight for power over man's will, so their places of unrest will be satiated… thus finding temporary peace.
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PEACE CLOSES DOORS TO DEMONIC BACKLASH
After my many years of horrendous warfare, I learned some real keys to closing demonic doors to backlash.
I finally learned that fear, doubt and wavering widely opened the doors to backlash.
I learned that whatsoever is not of faith, was sin. (Rom 14:23) I discovered that when I made choices which were not of faith, it opened the door to backlash. I finally was trained that in stretching forth to take ground from the enemy, I had to do it in faith. And the sign of that faith was PEACE, without the demonic unrest of fear, doubt or wavering.
That place of peace was a result of knowing that when I had heard the Lord, it was time to move forward through prayer or choice, stretching me into a new place. (The only way that knowing can happen is if we learn to wait upon Him for the confirmations to be established in what He has said.) If I doubted, wavered or feared when I stretched into new boundaries, then the door for backlash was wide open. It was my stability in knowing His will, without doubting, which made a difference for my learning to "stand" in peace. I have been so "trained" through demonic backlash that it has turned into a huge blessing for I am learning what it means to walk in His peace!
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RIGHTEOUSNESS PRODUCES PEACE
I also learned to apply the scripture that says when a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies at peace with him. (Prov 16:7) To me that means, when we walk in right places, in righteousness, in right standing and in the right way that pleases Him, then the discipline from our enemies, comes to naught. It closes the door to their torment. So another way of warring in peace and rest is to live to please the Lord, making righteous choices that honor Him.
Isa 32:17 NKJV
The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
Ps 85:10-13 NLT
Righteousness and peace have kissed! Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven. Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful crops. Righteousness goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps.
KJV Matthew 18:34
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
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TRUSTING IN GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY PRODUCES PEACE
The deepest peace one can obtain is totally trusting and relying upon God’s Sovereignty. That means everything must pass through Him to gain permission to touch us. There are many reasons why He allows things to occur. However because God is good, He works everything together for good in our lives and for His purpose.
§ To come into Jesus’ image and follow His same path
§ To learn to rule and reign over the earth and the demonic
§ To submit unto God
§ To separate from the devil
§ To separate from the carnal and ungodly world
§ To destroy the works of the enemy
§ To usher in His kingdom
§ To get our attention
§ To teach us
§ To lead us
§ To protect us
§ To discipline us
§ To love us
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURES ON GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
ABOUT LEARNING TO REST
When God says He is leading us to a better place, it is a place called REST and it is because He knows we wont go there on our own. In our weariness, it may sound like a haven, but it is very hard to take a warrior off the field and bring him to a place where he can really “let down” and receive the attention needed.
A warrior is used to action, battle, stress, noise, performance, and duty. Take away all of that, and no matter how totally exhausted, spent and wounded they are, they feel totally worthless, useless and void of purpose. A warrior, no matter what the nature of the battle - is persistent, tenacious, and faithful to the end. Though wounded and full of holes, a warrior just doesnt quit.
People who have been in deep trauma - it is hard to reach them, touch them, get through to them because they are either totally numb, or so sore they wince at even the thought of someone getting close. This is also true with God’s approach too. It takes time for Him to lead such a one to that place, and then it takes time for Him to whoo all the stress away just to get close enough to a layer to begin the healing process.
Matt 11:28-30 NKJV
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Ps 23 NKJV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
There is training to learn on the battle field that can not be learned any other way. Likewise, there are lessons to learn in seasons of rest that can not be taught in any other atmosphere. I am reminded of the scripture where it says He MAKES me lie down and beside still waters. Sheep when agitated or tormented are unable to lay down and rest. Rough, fast paced waters are noisy and not conducive to being still.
As we learn to lay everything down and wait upon the Lord, qw will rise with new strength, new power, new anointing, new authority, a new position. When that season is completed, we will have a new skin and will think different and our life will be different because we will be a different person.
Heb 4:9-10 NKJV
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
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