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We have been talking about the reality of spiritual warfare, and how the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world are in conflict with each other. We learned that when we do things to build God's kingdom (like healing the sick), those same actions tear down the devil's kingdom. In other words, the devil feels attacked by our kingdom activity, so he is likely to fight back by counter-attacking us. God knows those battles will come and He doesn't want us to be taken out by the enemy's attacks. So He has given us spiritual weapons that we can use to defend ourselves. That includes the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6. It also includes various things we can do to prepare ourselves for battle, so that we will prevail when the enemy attacks us.
Lesson 10 shares 9 things we can do to prepare ourselves. They are:
We already looked at the first five in previous lessons. So lets pick up from where we left off...
LIVE HEALTHY
If we don't want the enemy to attack us with physical sickness, then we need to make sure we don't give him 'open door invitations' by having a lifestyle that promotes sickness. We must not invite attacks on our health through things like exhaustion, being overweight, eating unbalanced or unhealthy diets, etc.
Let's talk about our eating as an example. It should not be a surprise to us that certain types of eating promote health and other types of eating promote sickness. For instance, things like too much cholesterol, too much fat or too much salt can cause heart and circulatory system problems.
Unfortunately, the things that seem to taste best to most people have a lot of the stuff in them that harms the circulatory system, leading to problems like heart disease and high blood pressure. This includes good tasting things like sour cream, salad dressings, butter and margarine, creamy sauces, potato chips, fatty meats, cheeses, chocolates, etc.
Likewise, too much refined sugar can be problematic. Sugar is a good thing in it's natural form, such as in an apple or in a bunch of grapes. But refined sugar is not all that good for us. If we eat too much of it, the brain will send a message to the pancreas to secrete insulin. The insulin collects the sugar from the blood and stores it in the body as fat (which can make us overweight). And as the insulin clears the sugar out of our blood, we can get tired, weak, irritable and moody--it effects us physically and emotionally.
Eating a little sugar gives you more energy and you may feel a "rush" or a "high." But eating too much sugar will end up making you feel weak and tired about 45 minutes afterwards. And doing that repeatedly can also put a strain on your pancreas so that it becomes unable to produce insulin. We call that "diet induced diabetes" and it is definitely not a good thing.
Improper diet can cause a lot of different health related problems. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure. Not drinking enough water can lead to kidney problems. Potassium deficiencies can lead to muscle problems (and our heart is a muscle). Calcium deficiency can lead to bone problems. If we have inadequate levels of the B vitamins, we won't be able to manage stress in a healthy way. Insufficient levels of magnesium can cause heart palpitations. Obesity leads to a large collection of health related problems. And some nutritionists tell us that eating certain foods and related products can lead to an increased risk of cancer.
If we know that we are going to be targets for enemy counter attack, we don't want to intentionally do things to our body that can harm it. We don't want to make it easy for the devil to attack us in our health. Instead, we need to think of our body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and do our best to take good care of it.
Healthy living is more than just what we eat. It includes getting enough exercise, getting enough sleep and having good strategies in place to manage stress. In short, it involves inviting God's Lordship into those areas of our lives.
That means we may have to make changes in our lifestyle as God moves in to those area and gives us directions. He may ask us to stop frying our fish and start having it broiled. He may ask us to give up ice cream, cookies and pastries for fresh fruits. He may ask us to give up our late night television so we can go to bed earlier and get additional sleep. He may even get involved in what we are or are not allowed to watch. For instance, if we are struggling with stress that could effect our health, God may ask us to stop watching certain types of TV shows (suspense movies, horror movies, etc). Or He may ask us to spend less time on the computer and "move more" (e.g., get some exercise).
Many of us have unhealthy habits that endanger our health, and that makes it easy for the devil to move in and attack us in this area. So we need to make some changes in our habits. The best way to figure out what changes to make is to start praying about it and consulting God for direction and advice. He will most likely lead us to some resources to help us come up with a strategy for living a healthier lifestyle.
The bottom line is that we need to be proactive in guarding our health so that it is harder for the devil to attack with sickness and disease.
STAY COVERED BY PRAYER
Never underestimate the power of prayer and intercession, or how much of a covering this can give you. If you are doing any type of healing prayer, then find at least a friend or two to cover you in prayer. In fact, you can make agreements with another friend who needs prayer to each cover the other. That way you can each agree with each other for God to cover and protect both of you. Jesus talked about how powerful agreement is in prayer. Look at Matthew 18:18-20:
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them."
Since there is great power when people agree together in prayer, be sure to arrange personal intercessor coverage for yourself in these areas:
STAY CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH OTHER BELIVERS
Do you know why many animals travel in groups (herds, flocks, packs, etc)?. It is because they intuitively understand an important principle that seems to elude many believers. There is safety in numbers. You are less likely to be attacked by a predator if you are in a large group than if you are off by yourself.
It is very important for us to stay connected with other believers. We are much more vulnerable to enemy attack when we are isolated. Among other things, they can provide a support system for you: they can pray for you and comfort you if you are attacked, as well as providing practical help. They can cover you in prayer. They can encourage you when you feel like giving up. They can call it to your attention when you are about to take a wrong step or go off in a potentially dangerous direction. They can hold you accountable, which helps you to be more successful in walking out God's will in your day-to-day life. They can call your attention to blind spots that the enemy attacks you through. They can stand with you in the midst of the storm and lend you their strength when you feel too weary (or too beat up) to go on. They can encourage you and inspire you. They can make you feel loved and valued. They can speak into your life and help you stay attuned to the Spirit's leading.
The devil wants very much to get us to isolate from each other, and he uses strategies like offense and misunderstanding in an attempt to accomplish that. The reason he works so hard to keep us separated and isolated is so that it is easier for him to attack/harm us. Let's not play into His hands and make it easier for him to counter-attack. Instead, let's obey Jesus' directive in John 13:34 to "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
Here are a few verses to ponder on this topic:
John 13:35 - "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."
Romans 12:10 - "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
Galatians 5:3b - "...serve one another in love."
Hebrews 10:24 - "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
1 Peter 5:14 - "Greet one another with a kiss of love."
Hebrews 10:24-25 - "Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching."