Whether you use this gift for your own spiritual growth or translate it for your church’s community, be sure to keep Jesus as the forefront. Spiritual gifts, especially tongues, can cause offense because they are culturally and societally foreign. In the Book of Acts, the apostles’ use of tongues caused such a commotion that thousands were saved but many were held back due to offense:
And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine” (Acts 2:12-13).
The key to moving past offense is to examine a gift’s fruit. If it moves people closer to Jesus, then it is from God. Jesus spoke about examining fruit throughout His ministry to help His followers navigate false doctrine. In Matthew, He encouraged His followers:
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:15-17).
If you find yourself uncomfortable with a gift or ministry, use discernment to examine its fruit. Be careful, however, not to let your own personal biases skew your judgment.
Sometimes our personal fears and viewpoints warp our opinions. Though some moves of God cause discomfort, the resulting fruits should always lead people closer to Jesus. Peter confronted peoples’ fears about tongues in Acts when he encouraged them that this demonstration was the result of an outpouring of God. Following his message, thousands were saved.
Often when God prompts me to pray, I naturally slip into my prayer language. I find that this helps to disconnect my mind from trying to solve the problem myself and prepares me to hear the Lord’s solution. The gifts of the Spirit should never be separate from the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Just because the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit are listed in separate letters does not mean we should keep them apart. We assess the gifts of the Spirit by their fruit. If a tongue or prophecy does not lead to deeper love, joy, peace, or any of the other fruits, then we should be cautious in accepting its practice. If it does, then we should not hesitate to incorporate it into our lives.
Another potent weapon of warfare—and arguably one of our most effective—is God’s Word. Described as the Sword of the Spirit, Scripture is one of our most devastating tools to use against the enemy:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
Jesus demonstrated the Word’s effectiveness while being tempted by Satan. After He was assaulted by the devil’s use of Scripture, He relied on His knowledge of the Word to combat the enemy. As a result, He was able to outsmart the devil at his own game. In our own lives, it is imperative we grow in our study of God’s Word. We equip ourselves with wisdom and outsmart the enemy’s attacks when we absorb Scripture.
WE ASSESS THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT BY THEIR FRUIT.
During Jehoshaphat’s reign, discovery and implementation of God’s Word led to an entire nation’s survival:
In the third year of his [Jehoshaphat’s] reign he sent his officials…to teach in the cities of Judah…. And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:7, 9-10).
The passage further states how the Philistines, sworn enemies of Judah, brought gifts of tribute. When Judah studied God’s Word, the fear of the Lord fell upon their enemies. This led to an era of peace. Jehoshaphat ushered in an era of peace and attained a nationwide shifting of atmospheres when he ingrained his kingdom’s culture with the virtues of Scripture.
Joy, peace, and hope are other powerful spiritual weapons. In our fight against darkness, fruits of the Spirit like joy can carry us past the enemy’s attacks. The Bible states:
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
According to the Bible, we cannot possess strength apart from God’s joy. It makes us capable of surviving even the bleakest seasons. Paul states:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Even in something as terrible as the cross, Jesus saw the redemption of His orphaned brothers and sisters and pressed forward. Christ used joy to fuel His own perseverance in the midst of struggle.
Think about this the next time you face a severe hardship. Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” The point is to keep our focus on the victory ahead and not get bogged down in present circumstances. By focusing on the reward, we push through and fix our eyes on God’s unshakeable promises. King David wrote:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me (Psalm 23:4).
With joy and perseverance, our focus stays on the victory ahead and propels us forward.
Peace is another weapon of God’s Kingdom that does not always make sense to our human minds. As Bill Johnson always says, “Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of security in God.” Supernatural peace is God’s perspective on things. God is an omniscient Being and therefore all-knowing. Nothing that happens surprises Him. Consequently, He is never worried. He becomes our peace because He is peace.
BY FOCUSING ON THE REWARD, WE PUSH THROUGH AND FIX OUR EYES ON GOD’S UNSHAKEABLE PROMISES.
When peace becomes our default, we view things from a place of victory. From this vantage point, we discern attacks, hear God’s strategies, and embrace a powerful stance.
How does peace become our default spiritual state? In the New Testament, the apostle John gives us a clue:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).
The Greek word for peace, eirene (eye-ray-nay), means a state of rest, quietness and calmness, an absence of strife; tranquility.5
As Bill Johnson reveals, Jesus is not talking about the peace experienced when there is no war but rather the state of remaining unshakable even in the midst of turmoil. This type of peace is supernatural. We do not work to attain it. It is already accomplished for us and comes as a gift from Jesus. The “peace I leave you” and the peace “I give to you” is actually His peace He gives to us.
The peace Jesus leaves for us is a fruit abiding in Him. As we connect to this fruit, we are grafted into Him as a branch is connected to the vine:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
As we embrace this gift, things that normally upset us bounce harmlessly off our shields. We become immune to the devil’s fiery arrows as the Holy Spirit covers us with protection.
Jesus tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Christ reminds us that we are responsible for stewarding our hearts and our peace. We are in charge of how we look at and
react to each situation. This is important to remember when engaged in spiritual warfare. Oftentimes situations look bad, even hopeless. However, holding on to the truth of God’s perspective calms even the darkest storms.
I remember walking around my neighborhood one day angry and frustrated about how things were going. I felt victimized by the trials our family faced. I put my earphones in my ears and listened to some music to distract myself, and instead of the expected music I heard Bill Johnson’s voice say, “You know, every trial is a practice at a win!”
Whoa, I thought, I’m not practicing my win. In truth, I was practicing my skills of whining. This thought shifted my inner frustration to peace. I returned home eager to give up complaining and to begin my process of winning.
Hope, the confident expectation of good, is yet another tool we can wield in spiritual warfare. One of our congregants routinely reminds us that, “The person who has the most hope in the room has the most influence.” Hope leaves the door open for God to fight for us in our circumstances. Without hope, our faith diminishes. Hope brings boldness and confidence in God. As we wield this weapon, it allows us to pray with faith and receive God’s grace even after we make a mess.
Hope empowers us to believe and pray into the deliverance of impossible situations. To see breakthrough in our lives, we need to embrace hope:
And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor (Job 11:18-19).
The word hope in this passage translates as “things hoped for, expectation.” When we carry an expectation for good (and especially when we see it fulfilled), that energy drives us into success. Solomon described this in one of his most famous proverbs:
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12).
To navigate trials successfully, hope is critical. If you find yourself in a season without hope, turn your gaze to heaven and ask for a fresh release:
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).
HOPE EMPOWERS US TO BELIEVE AND PRAY INTO THE DELIVERANCE OF IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS.
The final spiritual weapon to be covered in this chapter is the ability to encourage one’s self in the Lord. David was an expert at this both before and after becoming king. The Psalms are filled with passages where he, filled with doubt, brought his needs before the Father and allowed truth to change his perspective. Even in the darkest of passages, David managed to align himself with God’s perspective:
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah. I say to the Lord, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord! O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle (Psalm 140:5-7).
And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue” (1 Samuel 30:6-8).
David’s ability to navigate discouragement led to his success both before and after becoming king. Even today, Christians admire his ferocity and dependence on God. Though his life was marked by sin, his repentant attitude earned him such a place in God’s heart that he became part of the physical blood-line of Jesus.
Much of David’s strength was his ability to stay focused on God’s true nature—His goodness. This allowed him to engage in raw discussions with the Lord and to seize His destiny’s promises. As we focus on God’s goodness, we, too, can move deeper into our spiritual callings and rid ourselves of the filth of discouragement. Bill Johnson’s book, Strengthen Yourself in the Lord, is an excellent tool for learning how to turn to God in the midst of crisis and remain encouraged.
NOTES
1. Stephen De Silva, “Hope Is a Handshake,” Bethel.TV, August 19, 2015. http://www.bethel.tv/watch/3673/culture-of-hope/2015/09/16?session=1229.
2. “Shirtless in MY Offering,” https://shop.bethel.com/collections/prosperous-soul/products/shirtless-in-my-offering.
3. “Praying it Forward,” https://shop.bethel.com/collections/prosperous-soul/products/praying-it-forward.
4. “Praying from Power,” https://shop.bethel.com/collections/dawna-de-silva/products/praying-from-power.
5. Blue Letter Bible, s.v. “Eirēnē,” accessed February 14, 2017, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1515&t=ESV.
SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
Several years back, I spoke at a conference where a sickly woman shared an unfortunate experience. While walking through her neighborhood, she noticed something odd about a house on her street. She believed it was haunted and, out of good intentions, decided to cast out any unclean spirits. Standing in front of the house, she declared, “Come out in Jesus’s name!”
The demons did come out. Unfortunately, her spiritual authority was a few sizes too small. The demons attacked, and she spent the next two weeks battling an intense cough. When she asked why the evil spirits had been allowed to attack her, I replied, “Did you ask permission from the Holy Spirit before confronting them?” Her stunned silence that followed confirmed my suspicions.
What happened to this woman reminds me of the sons of Sceva in the Bible. In both cases, neither group carried sufficient spiritual authority. In the Sceva case, a group of untrained (and perhaps unsaved) Jews took it upon themselves to cast out demons in the name of Jesus. The problem was they had little to no relationship with God. When they entered the demon-possessed man’s house, the evil spirit recognized their lack of authority and overpowered them. Sceva’s sons ended up fleeing the house naked and bleeding:
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded (Acts 19:13-16).
I believe that when we operate outside of God’s will, we face the possibility of stepping outside of His protection. A good friend of mine, Cyndi Barber, likens it to walking out from under an umbrella while standing in the rain. Just as it would be foolish to leave an umbrella’s covering in the midst of a storm, it would be impossible to leave the Lord’s covering and not be affected.
I believe this is one of the reasons Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing. Discerning God’s hand of protection, Jesus stayed within the reins of His assignment and only stepped out when He felt certain prompts coincided with the Father’s will:
And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly (Matthew 15:22-28).
JUST AS IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO LEAVE AN UMBRELLA’S COVERING IN THE MIDST OF A STORM, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO LEAVE THE LORD’S COVERING AND NOT BE AFFECT
ED.
Paul discussed the Lord’s covering while writing of his extensive ministry trip:
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia (Acts 16:6).
I wonder what might have happened had Paul refused to obey the Holy Spirit. This may have left him vulnerable to a spiritual attack or slowed the effectiveness of his ministry. Though I do not believe God abandons His followers, I wonder how often our spiritual authority is weakened through acts of disobedience. Though all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Christ, we—His ambassadors—have boundaries assigned to us by God that we must honor.
Understanding our spiritual boundaries will give us security. It will also encourage us to steward our connection with the Father. Without relying on His presence, we may find ourselves entering into unguarded territory. Take the story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman, for example. Had the Father explicitly told Jesus not to intervene, Christ simply would have ignored the woman and passed on. We can assume this because Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing (see John 5:19). But when He sensed the Father’s heart being moved by this woman’s faith, Jesus stepped outside of His original assignment (deliverance for the Jews) and extended a gift of miraculous intervention. If Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing, how much more should we adhere to His example?
Jesus is our model, so we too need to steward a strong connection with the Father. As we engage in our individual, God-given destinies, we need to be aware of the Spirit’s promptings. This enables us to act in situations where we may not normally feel called to intervene. This is the powerful Christian’s life. As we co-labor with Him to see heaven’s Kingdom invade earth, our hearts listen to the commands of heaven so we can adjust our paths accordingly.
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