With Christ having destroyed the work of the enemy by spoiling principalities and powers, making a show of them openly, and triumphing over them through the work of the cross, there remains a freedom and liberty for all believers from the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15).
Seeing then that total deliverance from the work of the devil has been brought about, what then is the difficulty that believers face in trying to live this new life of liberty?
Most of the difficulty believers experience does not lie in the initiated efforts of the adversary (Satan), instead it is within the believer where most of the opposition is initiated and where it occurs. After time, when the situation gets out of control and becomes a major problem, it is here where the devil assumes responsibility and causes a managable thing to become hard to handle.
Right before everything is turned upside down, we ignorantly invite the devil to wreak havoc upon our lives, in our homes, on our jobs, in our relationship, circumstances, etc. whenever we do not acknowledge the truth, and when we refuse to accept and live by it. For the Bible declares in John 8:31-21, " Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
It is the 'un-truth' that holds us captive -- which consists of the opinions, ideas, philosophies of life, and so-called truths that we had before we were saved and are still yet holding on to. Simply because a certain idea, opinion, or philosophy of life that we've had from the past is not necessarily evil by our own interpretation does not mean that it is good to live by. Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
Truth is what makes a believer free from Satan and separate from the world. We must understand that our mindset, before we ever became saved, was one that was developed in, around, amongst, amidst, and within this world -- a world that is corruptible by way of sin's curse; a world that has infiltrated our lives and molded our very thought patterns. And since our way of thinking was begotten by a corruptible world, the decisions we make with this way of thinking can only produce corruptible fruits.
Because of this, our minds must be washed by the water of God's word (Ephesians 5:26-27). Once we begin to fill our thought-life with truth, then we will begin to see the fruits, results, and outcome of truth in every area of our lives. Stop opposing yourself today! Acknowledge and receive God's word -- for it will bring nothing but good fruit in every area your life (Hosea 4:6; 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Corinthians 14:37).
Written By: Bishop Lloyd R. Ocampo
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