The Fullness of the Spirit

How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit & Walk in Victory

David Chapman

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All Bible quotations are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Copyright © 2014

TRU Publishing

P.O. Box 201

Thatcher, Arizona 85552

Table of Contents

End-Time Revival

What Did Jesus Have to Say About the Holy Spirit?

Why Every Believer Should Pray in Tongues

Fallacies about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Bible Way to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Victory in Jesus

Spiritual Warfare

Winning the Battle for the Mind

The Importance of Worship

Four Circles of Anointing

God’s Will and the Spirit Led Life

End-Time Revival

We are living in the last days.  Theologians have debated whether or not the Bible speaks of an end-time revival before the return of Jesus.  Those who say there will not be a revival point to the rise of evil foretold in Scripture. Certainly, the Bible tells us that there will be increased demonic activity in the end-times.  The apostle Paul was very explicit in his writings to Timothy about this matter:

1 Timothy 4:1-2

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron

2 Timothy 3:1-5

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

2 Timothy 4:3-4

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Yet amidst all of this Satanic assault upon the earth, there remains the Church of the Living God, washed in the Blood and filled with the Holy Spirit!  Unquestionably, the Church is in the hour of its greatest spiritual conflict.  The devil knows that his time is short and he is unleashed to deceive and devour as many as possible.  But as dark as the darkness will get (and it will be very dark), the light and glory upon the Church will be even greater.

Isaiah saw this day and proclaimed:

Isaiah 60:1-2

1 Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

The darkness that Paul spoke of is going to get deeper and deeper until it covers the earth, but in the midst of that darkness, a light arises – it is the Church, and God’s glory rests upon her.  To think for one minute that God is going to be outdone by the devil in the earth’s final hour is foolishness.

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew chapter 16 that He would build His Church upon the rock of the revelation of Jesus and that gates of hell would not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Some key points from this passage:

- The Church is built on the revelation of Jesus.  If you’re looking for a church, find one that preaches a revelation of Jesus! Good Sunday School programs and great music are nice to have, but if there is no true revelation of Jesus coming forth from the pulpit into the pews, the gates of hell will prevail against it.

- Jesus is building His Church.  The Church doesn’t belong to a man, or a group of people. For those who think that the church at the end times will be less powerful than the church in the book of Acts, I would question how Jesus could spend 2,000 years building something and it be less than when He started.

- The gates of hell will not prevail against the Church.  I have never seen a gate attack anyone.  The Church is not to be on the defensive, but rather on the offensive.  We are to charge the gates and take back enemy-held territory.

Jesus continued his sermon by telling the disciples how the Church was to operate in this conflict:

Matthew 18:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The keys of authority have been given to the Church to bind and to loose.  You might ask, “To what do the keys go?” The keys go to the gate in verse 18, of course.  We have been given all authority over Satan and his works of darkness.  Whatever we bind on earth in Jesus’ name is honored in heaven and backed by the power of God.  Whatever we loose on earth is endorsed by God and loosed by the power of God.

The Church can do nothing without the power of the Holy Spirit.  The denominations that have rejected the power of the Holy Spirit have begun to wither and die out.  In many cities, these churches are consolidating due to the absence of a growing congregation.  People are hungry for the power of God.  They are searching and are not finding what they are looking for in the traditional denominations. As a comparison, the Pentecostal/ Charismatic movement has exponentially grown over the past 100 years.  This movement, birthed by the Holy Spirit, had humble beginnings. It started with the historic Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California (1906-1915). God used William Seymour, a one-eyed, 34-year-old son of a former slave to start the revival. They met in a glorified shack that was 60’ x 40’ and crowded up to 1,500 people in and around it every night.

Christians who attend Spirit-filled churches now make-up 27% of the world’s Christians and 8.5% of the world’s population (584 million people).  The two regions of the world that have been most effected are the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa with approximately 7 out of every 10 Pentecostal/ Charismatic Christian coming from these areas.

The End-Time Church as see in Revelation

A study of the letters of Jesus to the seven churches of Asia Minor in the Book of Revelation reveals that there are three churches that remain until the end-times:

1. The Church at Sardis: “You have a name that lives, but are dead” (Revelation 3:1).  This church represents religion, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.  Sadly, after the rapture of the Church, many congregations will be scarcely affected, as they were never truly born again, but instead trusted in church membership to get them into Heaven.

2. The Church at Laodecia: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16).  This group is prevalent in the world today.  But as the darkness gets darker and the light on the Church gets lighter, lukewarm Christians will be forced to choose.

3. The Church at Philadelphia: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). The Church at Philadelphia represents the true bride of Christ… the Church that is spoken of in Ephesians 5:

Ephesians 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

This is the glorious bride, full of the power of the Spirit.  We shall stand in the last hour being adorned with God’s glory.  The Church will make warfare in the heavenlies and be victorious.  The battle spoken of in Ephesians chapter 6 will be our normal course of duty.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter got up before the bewildered crowd and preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.  He said that “This is that!”  He was referring to Joel 2:28-32.

Acts 2:17-21

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness. And the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

These are the “last of the last days” and God is pouring out His Spirit.  He will not force anyone to go along against their will.  But for those who are hungry, He will use you to usher in the greatest move of God in the history of the Church.

What Did Jesus Have to Say About the Holy Spirit?

Jesus had much to say about the person of the Holy Spirit and His role in the life of the believer.  Also, there is much to be learned about the Holy Spirit by studying His role in the ministry of Jesus upon the earth.  Some have erroneously assumed that Jesus performed His miracles as God; however, Scripture is very clear that Jesus temporarily laid aside the attributes of His deity (see Philippians 2:6-8), and performed His ministry as a man anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Before the age of 30, Jesus did no miracles.  His first miracle was recorded in John chapter two – turning the water into wine.  What happened in the earthly life of Jesus that propelled Him into the great ministry that we read about in the gospels? The answer to this question is found in Matthew 3:16:

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

The Spirit of God came upon Jesus and anointed Him for ministry.

After Jesus had been tempted by the devil in the wilderness, the Word says that He returned in the Power of the Spirit.

Luke 4:14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.

The ministry of Jesus was marked by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus operated in the Spirit without measure.

John 3:34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

When Jesus entered his hometown of Nazareth, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood to read from the book of Isaiah:

Luke 4:18-19

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Jesus told the people that He was the fulfillment of this prophecy (v. 21).  Instead of rejoicing, the people were filled with wrath and tried to push him over a cliff (vv. 28-29).  In Mark’s gospel, it was written that Jesus could do no mighty work in His own hometown because of unbelief (Mark 6:1-6).

There was a five-fold purpose for the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus.

1. Healing for the brokenhearted

2. Liberty to the captives

3. Recovery of sight to the blind

4. Liberty to the oppressed

5. Acceptable Year of the Lord

Wherever Jesus went, He operated as a man anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, destroying the works of the devil (Acts 10:38).

Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

So we see clearly from Scripture that the basis of Jesus’ ministry was the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus also had much to say about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, especially after His departure.

Regeneration and the New Birth

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to Jesus by night and sought answers about how to enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:5-8

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

One needs to remember that being a Pharisee was tedious work.  Their sect extrapolated a list of 613 laws out of the Law of Moses.  There were 365 negative laws and 248 positive ones.  Think about it, they had a “thou shalt not” for every day of the year! Plus, they had thousands of oral laws to follow.  There were 1,400 for the Sabbath alone! Nowhere in these exhaustive lists was the command that “you must be born again.” Jesus spoke of the work of the Holy Spirit to regenerate the heart of man.

Jesus, again, spoke of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in John chapter seven.

John 7:37-39

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Every Christian has the Holy Spirit within – otherwise, they would not be born again.  Under the Old Testament, people were saved by an outward adherence to God’s Law and the atonement (covering) that came through animal sacrifices (a type of the Cross).  But Jesus spoke of a completely different and radical experience where the Holy Spirit would live in you, and be like a river of living water on the inside.

Jesus’ Departure and the Coming of the Holy Spirit

Much of the meat of what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit is found in John’s gospel chapters 14 and 16.  The timing of these chapters is the Last Supper, just before Jesus was taken to be crucified.  He had spent over three years with His disciples and the reality of His departure was hitting them.  But everything that Jesus had been teaching them about the Holy Spirit was now more real and near than ever.

Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit was currently with them, but would soon be in them.

John 14:16-17

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

The Holy Spirit is our Teacher.

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Jesus told the disciples that it was to their advantage that He goes away, because they could have a deeper and more powerful relationship with God through the indwelling Holy Spirit than they had by living with Jesus 24/7.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Jesus spoke of the work of the Holy Spirit in the earth.

John 16:8-11

8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 of sin because they do not believe in Me

10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;

11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The Holy Spirit is our Guide.

John 16:12-14

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would show us things to come.  The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).

After His Resurrection

After His resurrection, Jesus had very clear instructions about the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave the Great Commission to every believer.

Mark 16:17-18

16 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

This is the first record that we have of Jesus telling His followers that they would speak with new tongues.  Further, in addition to telling the disciples that neither serpents nor poison would have power over them, He told them that they would cast out devils and heal the sick in His name.

Some Christians have fear about receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  They aren’t sure that what they receive will be genuine and authentic.  However, Jesus said that the Father would not give them a counterfeit.

Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

Instead of releasing them into their ministries, Jesus instead told them to wait… to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

The final words of Jesus before He ascended to Heaven were about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4-8

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

While the disciples’ focus at that moment was upon the establishment of Jesus’ physical kingdom, He quickly re-directed the disciples to the coming power of the Holy Spirit.

This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2:1-4

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The River is an Acts 2:4 church.  We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and will not water down the Word in order to make everyone feel “comfortable.”  Our focus is not on speaking in tongues, but on Jesus.  But after reading everything Jesus said about the Holy Spirit and seeing how He operated in the power of the Spirit, how can we not recognize that without the Spirit’s working in our lives, we cannot fully serve Jesus.

Why Every Believer Should Pray in Tongues

There are many reason for believers to pray in tongues.  Below, I have listed some of the more prominent ones.

1. Tongues is the initial sign of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

I avoid using the word “evidence” when referring to tongues in relation to the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  It is, however, the initial sign of the baptism.  Power for service is much greater evidence.

Mark 16: 17

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.

Acts 2:1-4

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Tongues are a supernatural sign of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  Peter got up to preach on the day of Pentecost, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of tongues, and declared. “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16).  This supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring was Biblical, and without hesitation Peter declared to the multitudes gathered, “This is that!”

Tongues are a great reminder to the child of God that he has received the gift of the Holy Spirit, a subsequent experience to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

2. Praying in tongues edifies and builds up the believer

1 Corinthians 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.

Jude 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

The original Greek word for “edifies” in 1 Corinthians is oikodomeo and means, “to build a house.”  The foundation for our spiritual house is our salvation by the blood of Jesus, but the work of the Holy Spirit through praying in tongues helps us to build up our house.

Think of praying in the Spirit as recharging your spiritual batteries.  Jude verse 20 says that we build ourselves up.  Being in this world takes a lot out of a believer.  Hebrews 2:1 tells us that we are leaking vessels, and as such, we need to stay filled up.

3. Praying in tongues allows us to pray the perfect will of God.

There are multiple facets to the great subject of prayer.  For example, there is the prayer of faith, which is based on the revealed will of God as shown through His Word, and there is consecratory prayer where we seek for God’s will in the unrevealed areas of God’s plan.  Jesus prayed to the Father, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

One of the beautiful benefits of praying in tongues is that it allows us to pray the perfect will of God for our lives through the Holy Spirit in us.

Romans 8:26-28

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

We are weak in our own ability, but the Holy Spirit is our Helper.  He makes intercession on our behalf when we pray in tongues – these are groanings which cannot be uttered in articulate speech.  The Holy Spirit knows the perfect will of God in every situation.  The human mind can only know what has been revealed.  If we limit our prayers to that which has already been revealed, we limit the Holy Spirit from working in our lives as He desires.

Notice that the oft-quoted verse 28 begins with a conjunction – And.  A conjunction is a joiner, a word that connects parts of a sentence.  Here, the word and suggests that one idea (verse 28) is the result of another (verses 26-27).  The reason that all things work together for good is because the Holy Spirit is making intercession for us according to the will of God.  He primarily does this through the believer praying in the Spirit.

4. Praying in tongues allows for you to pray for the unknown.

1 Corinthians 14:2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

Here, Paul explained that praying in tongues allows the believer to pray the mysteries of God.  The word translated mysteries in this verse means, “hidden thing, secret counsel.”  There are times when God will arrest my attention or awaken me in the middle of the night to pray in the Spirit.  I don’t know why I am praying or who/what I am praying for, but I pray in tongues until I feel a release in my spirit.  There have been countless times that someone has later told me that something was going on in their life at that exact same time.

5. Praying in Tongues Give You a Boldness to Witness for Christ

Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that after you receive the baptism with Holy Spirit, you would receive power to be witnesses unto Him.  As with all of the gifts from our Father, freely we receive and freely we should give.  The baptism with the Holy Spirit is not just to give us glory goose bumps, but rather to empower us for service that goes beyond what we are capable of doing in and of ourselves.

Fallacies about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

The English word fallacy means, “A misleading or unsound argument, erroneous.” The religious world is full of erroneous teaching about the baptism and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  However, Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and told them, “Concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant” (1 Corinthians 12:1).

The following are some of the more prominent fallacies and the corresponding truth from God’s Word.

Fallacy 1: The baptism with the Holy Spirit, with the sign of tongues is no longer for today.

This is known as the cessationist view (i.e., to come to an end). The passage of Scripture primarily used by those who adhere to this position is found in 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 13:8-10:

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

Here, Paul tells the church that there will be a time that prophecies and tongues will cease (v. 8).  He goes on and explains the timing of when this will happen: when that which is perfect is come (v. 10).  Those who hold to a cessation theology believe that this event is when the Bible was completed and no further Inspired Scripture was given.  This seems logical and even believable, if only one stopped reading at verse 10.  However, Paul goes on and clearly identifies the event to which he is referring.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

The event which Paul is speaking of is when we get to Heaven!  It is then that we will know just as we are known.  Of course, in Heaven there is no further need for prophecies or tongues or more knowledge.

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, clarified how long and to whom the gift of the Holy Spirit was for:

Acts 2:38-39

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Fallacy 2: Paul said it is better to speak five words in an understood language then to speak 10,000 words in a tongue; therefore, tongues must be of minimal value.

I want to address this on two fronts, the first of which is Paul’s personal testimony.  Let’s read the passage in context:

1 Corinthians 14:18-19

18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;

19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul prefaces his comment about speaking in an understood language by telling the Corinthian believers that he speaks with tongues more than all of them.  The literal rendering is “more than all of you put together.”  This certainly doesn’t sound like Paul is minimizing the personal gift of tongues.

Understanding the difference between the personal use of tongues, as mentioned by Paul in verse 18, and the public gift of tongues (v. 19), helps us to arrive at the correct interpretation of what Paul is instructing.

The gift of tongues is listed in 1 Corinthians 12 as one of the nine gifts of the Spirit.  This is different from the personal gift of tongues, as received through the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Faith is also listed as a gift of the Holy Spirit, but we know that there is also a personal faith that is separate from the public gift of faith.  Scripture says that not everyone receives the same gifts of the Spirit for public use in the church (1 Corinthians 12:11). However, in the upper room, all 120 who were present received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues – 100% of them.

What Paul is instructing in our text is that when the church comes together, it would serve no purpose to stand in front of the congregation and speak in an unknown tongue, unless there is an interpretation.  No one would be edified except the speaker.

To summarize:

Personal Use of Tongues

Public Use of Tongues

- Unto God

- Doesn’t need interpretation

- As often as desired

- Before people

- Must be interpreted

- Only when the Spirit prompts

Fallacy 3: You can only pray in tongues when the Spirit moves upon you.

Paul told the Corinthians that he spoke in tongues more than all of them put together (1 Corinthians 12:18).  And those people spoke in tongues – a lot!  Paul knew the importance of staying connected to the power source – the Holy Spirit.

Some believers have rarely spoken in tongues since they received the initial baptism with the Holy Spirit. The baptism was not meant for a one-time experience, but a continual refreshing and empowerment.

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.

The literal rendering of this in the Greek is, “be being filled,” as it is in the present continual tense.  In other words, always be in the state of being filled.  The Holy Spirit lives inside out you, but so many people are waiting for an external experience, for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.

Praying in tongues is a gift that must be exercised.  Jude 20 tells us that this type of prayer will build us up on our most holy faith.

Fallacy 4: A believer must tarry before receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told the disciple to tarry in Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit.

Luke 24: 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.

Up until this point, the Holy Spirit had not come.  It was an unfulfilled promise until Jesus ascended to Heaven.  Therefore, Jesus told them to wait.

John 14:16-17

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Notice that Jesus said that the Father would give them the Holy Spirit, Who was currently with them, but in the future would be in them.  Until Jesus ascended, the disciples only had the Holy Spirit upon them, in measure.  But on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out and there was no longer a need to wait or tarry for Him.

Before Pentecost

After Pentecost (Acts 2)

The Spirit with you

The Spirit in you

Fallacy 5: Speaking in tongues is a gift that not everyone can receive.

This error stems from failing to understand the distinction between the gift of speaking with different tongues (which must be interpreted) and the personal use of tongues through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Of course, they are both gifts, but one is for public use and is only used as the Spirit wills.  Not everyone receives this gift.  We cover this gift more extensively in the section of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the accompanying sign of speaking in tongues is for every child of God.  How many people were in the upper room on the day of Pentecost? How many people got filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues? The answer to both of these questions is 120, or 100% of those present.

Listen to the promise of Jesus:

Luke 11:11-13

11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?

12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a free gift to every child of God who asks.

Fallacy 6: “If I don’t understand what I am saying in tongues, I might unknowingly be cursing the Lord.”

This idea is simply a manifestation of the carnal thought life trying to rationalize the things of God.  We already established above, from Luke chapter 11, the following:

- If you ask the Father for a piece of bread, He won’t give you a stone

- If you ask the Father for a fish, He won’t give you a serpent

- If you ask the Father for an egg, He won’t give you a scorpion

And most importantly, if you ask the Father for the Holy Spirit, he will not give you a counterfeit!

The Apostle Paul also addresses this concern in his first letter to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

There is absolutely no reason to fear the Holy Spirit, His presence or His baptism of power.  This experience will give you power to witness for Christ.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,

10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

I want to draw your attention to two words in this passage: diversities and same (found in verses 4, 5 and 6).  Diversity and Sameness will flow at the same time when the anointing is present.  These two words are antonyms in the natural but synonyms in the Spirit.  In other words, we all function a little differently (diversity), but it’s the same Holy Spirit that is anointing us.  Don’t try to copy other people. Function in the unction that God has given you.

For the purpose of understanding how these gifts flow together, I have grouped the nine gifts into three categories:

1. Gifts that Reveal something – the Revelation Gifts

2. Gifts that Say something – the Vocal Gifts

3. Gifts that Do something – the Power Gifts

The Revelation Gifts

1. The Word of Wisdom

2. The Word of Knowledge

3. Discerning of Spirits

The Vocal Gifts

1. Prophecy

2. Different Kinds of Tongues

3. Interpretation of Tongues

The Power Gifts

1. Faith

2. Gifts of Healing

3. Working of Miracles

The Revelation Gifts

1. The Word of Wisdom: This gift has nothing to do with natural, earthly wisdom.  The gift of the word of wisdom is the supernatural revealing of the prophetic future; it is speaking hidden truths of what is not known by way of human wisdom.

This gift differs from the word of knowledge in that it reveals something about the future.  The word of wisdom often operates in conjunction with the gift of prophecy.

Remember, it is a “word” or a fragment of God’s wisdom.  God typically does not reveal all of His plan at once, but instead requires us to walk by faith.

The word of wisdom can manifest in various ways.  Joseph interpreted dreams; Daniel received visions, Ezekiel was caught up in the Spirit.  Most commonly, the Holy Spirit speaks into your spirit with a knowing.  One may not understand, but yet knows.

2. The Word of Knowledge: The gift of the word of knowledge is revelation of something that has happened in the past or present that could not be known in the natural.

It may also include a revelation of God’s divine will and plan. As with the word of wisdom, it is only a “word” or fragment of God’s omniscience.

Jesus was operating in the word of knowledge when He told the Samaritan woman that she’d had five husbands and that the one she was with currently was not her husband (John chapter 4).

Elisha was a man of God that frequently received words of knowledge (2 Kings chapters 5-6).  As with the word of wisdom, there are a variety of ways that this gift manifests.

3. Discerning of Spirits: Discerning of spirits is the supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to perceive the source of a spiritual manifestation and determine whether it is of God or from the devil.

In the end-times, there are many seducing spirits and doctrines of devils and the gift of discerning of spirits is greatly needed in this hour.

As a word of caution, this is not the gift of suspicion.  Additionally, when God gives you discernment, it is not for the purpose of gossip, but rather for prayer.  Be Spirit-led in who you share confidential matters with.

Examples of this gift in the New Testament include Paul in Acts 16 with the woman who had the spirit of divination and Peter in Acts 8 with Simon the sorcerer.

The Vocal Gifts

1. Prophecy: People usually think that "prophecy" means to predict (foretell) what will happen in the future. This is frequently confused because people fail to understand that there is a difference between the simple gift of prophecy and the office of a prophet.  Prophecy in the New Testament church carried no prediction with it whatsoever, for "he that prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Corinthians 14:3).

- Edification

- Exhortation

- Comfort

Prophecy is divinely inspired and anointed utterance; a supernatural proclamation in a known language. It is the manifestation of the Spirit of God - not of the human intellect.

Prophecy does not come from man’s intellect, but from the Spirit of God.  As with all nine gifts, it is “as the Spirit wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11) and not as man wills.

Scripture tells us that prophecy within the church should be judged (1 Corinthians 14:29).  If it doesn’t line up to the Word of God, it should be rejected.

2. Different Kinds of Tongues: This gift is the supernatural utterance in an unknown tongue that must be accompanied by an interpretation. When combined with the interpretation, it is the equivalent of prophecy, much in the same way that two nickels equals a dime.

This gift is different from the personal gift of tongues.  The personal gift on tongues does not require interpretation, but the public gift of tongues does.

The gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues is unique from the other seven gifts in that all of the other gifts were functional in the Old Testament and the Gospels.  But the gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues is identified only with the Church age.

When the Spirit wants to manifest this gift through someone, frequently they will begin speaking in tongues under their breath and begin to speak more authoritatively to feel a boldness come upon them; they feel the “need” to speak out.  The public gift of tongues carries a unique sound.

There are certain guidelines for this particular gift:

- If there is no interpreter keep silent (1 Corinthians 14:28).

- There should be no more than three messages in tongues in any given worship service (1 Corinthians 14:27)

Note: In a worship service there will be those who are signing or praying in the Spirit, but not in such a way to draw attention or gain an audience.  This is acceptable.  However, if everyone is silent and one speaks out, there should be an interpretation.

3. Interpretation of Tongues: The gift of the interpretation of tongues is the supernatural interpretation of what has been spoken in an unknown tongue.  To be clear, this gift is not a translation of that tongue, but an interpretation.  The tongue may be two minutes in length, but the interpretation only 10 words.  However, it has been documented numerous times that a tongue was given in the language known to someone in the crowd, but unknown to the speaker, and the interpretation was completely accurate based on the testimony of the person who spoke the language.

When the Holy Spirit gives someone an interpretation, it may come during the tongue or immediately after.  Sometimes God gives you the entire message before you speak it and other times just a word or two, which must be spoken out in faith before the Spirit gives you more.

The Power Gifts

1. Faith: The gift of faith is the supernatural ability to believe God without doubt, overcome unbelief, and visualize what God wants to accomplish.

This is not individual, ordinary faith.  Ordinary faith comes by "hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10: 17).  The gift of faith will manifest in dire situation where one has “maxed out” their personal faith.

The book of Daniel contains two excellent examples of the gift of faith:

1. Daniel in the lion’s den

2. The three Hebrews in the fiery furnace

When Jesus spoke to the fig tree in Matthew 21:19 and cursed it because there was no fruit, this was the gift of faith in operation.  The next day, when the disciples passed by, they marveled that it had withered.

2. Gifts of Healing: The gift of healings refers to supernatural healing without human aid; it is a special gift to pray for specific diseases. Healing can come through the touch of faith (James 5:14-15); by speaking the word of faith (Luke 7:1-10); or by the presence of God being manifested (Mark 6:56).

This gift is the only one of the nine that is listed in the plural, “gifts” of healing, not gift (singular) of healing. Over the course of church history, there have been numerous examples of men and women who were anointed for healing in specific areas such as vision or cancers.  If one person possessed all of the gifts of healing, the temptation for pride would almost surely be too great.

Further, all healing is not physical; supernatural healing can occur for the spiritual, emotional or mental state of a person as well.

All healing under the New Covenant is based on the finished work of Christ on the Cross.  By His stripes we were healed (1 Peter 2:24).

3. Working of Miracles: A miracle is the supernatural intervention by God in the ordinary course of nature.  The miracle often conflicts with the laws of nature. It is the supernatural power of God to intervene and counteract earthly and/or evil forces.

The Bible is filled with miracles.  Of course, they are only miracles from man’s point of view.  To God, they are very ordinary events.

It should be noted that there is a “work or working” involved in this gift and not simply a receiving of miracles. The person being used by God must simply follow the command given by the mother of Jesus at the marriage feast in Cana: “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

Miracles can be healing related or they can be supernatural occurrences outside of the ordinary, such as Peter getting the gold coin from the fish’s mouth.  When is a healing a miracle? When the healing is instantaneous or of a creative nature.

Keep in mind, nine of the 37 recorded miracles of Jesus were not of a healing nature:

1. Water to wine (John 2:1-11)

2. Catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11)

3. Calms storm (Matthew 8:23-27)

4. Feeds 5,000 (Mark 6:30-44)

5. Walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33)

6. Feeds 4,000 (Mark 8:1-13)

7. Gold coin from fish (Matthew 17:24-27)

8. Withers fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22)

9. Second catch of fish (Matthew 21:4-11

Paul said that all of these gifts or manifestations of the Spirit were as the Spirit wills:

1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

The Bible Way to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

The following is a step-by-step guide to receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  By no means, do all of the steps need to be followed.  However, I have included some valuable tips that I have learned over the years from helping people who struggle in this area.  Sometimes the mental block is so great that one gives up and resigns to the notion that “it must not be for me.”  There is no need to think that way.

Step One

Verse yourself in all of the promises for the Holy Spirit baptism found within the Word of God.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

Tradition is a big hindrance to receiving the baptism – often Pentecostal tradition is the culprit!

Step Two

Remove from your mind any preconceived notion about how it will happen, what you will feel, and what your heavenly language will sound like.  The Holy Spirit comes and manifests in different ways.

Simply trust God that He will give you the genuine and authentic gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).

Step Three

Pray and ask the Father for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.

“Father, I ask You for the baptism with the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name, in accordance with Your Word. I am Your child, saved by the Blood of Jesus.  I am hungry for more of You and desire to be empowered to serve You even greater.  By faith, I receive the baptism right now.”

Lift your hands to God in a surrender mode and begin to yield to the Holy Spirit.

Step Four

At this point, stop speaking in English.  You cannot speak in your native language and your heavenly language at the same time.

Also, relax or open your mouth.  Many people clinch their jaws shut, somehow expecting God to open their mouths for them.  It does not work that way.  The Holy Spirit is a Gentleman and does not force His way upon us.

Step Five

Yield your tongue to God and by faith begin to speak out whatever sound comes up.  It may be a single syllable; be obedient to speak it out.

Do not allow the fear of “making it up” to rob you of God’s blessing.  The Father will NOT give you a counterfeit!

Keep speaking!  Sometimes the faucet starts with a drip and a drop, but there’s more coming!

Step Six

Purpose to pray to God in tongues every day.  Do not allow your gift to become stagnant.  Ephesians 5:18 literally says, “Be being filled with the Spirit.”  This means, continually exercise your gift.

Do not wait for the Holy Spirit to “come upon you” and “inspire” you to pray in tongues.  This is the reason that some Christians rarely speak in tongues.  They have confused the public gift of tongues with the personal gift of tongues.  The Holy Spirit dwells in you now.  Refer to all of the benefits of praying in tongues in the section, “Why Every Believer Should Pray in Tongues.”

1 Corinthians 14:32-33 says, And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. This means that you are in control of the gift; you use it as often or as seldom as you want and as loud or as soft as you want.

Some Pentecostals believe that you must quiver and shake when speaking in tongues… that there must be accompanying physical and/or emotional displays.  That’s fine if they choose to do that (as long as it’s not disruptive), but it is not necessary in any way.

Receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit often becomes difficult because of mental blocks.  If someone had a failed attempt to receive, it can become a hindrance to their faith.  Paul said that we receive the Spirit by faith (Galatians 3:2).  Most often, the failed attempts resulted from a group of well-meaning Christians trying to whip the person into a frenzy praying at the altar.  Understand that God is not the author of confusion.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is the doorway into all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as listed in 1 Corinthians 12, and as described in this module.  The Word of God says to covet, or seek, the gifts of the Spirit with a motive of love, to build up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:31).

Victory in Jesus

The Spirit-filled believer is going to experience spiritual warfare. Satan is a (legally) defeated foe in the life of every believer.  The power of the blood crushed Satan’s head (Genesis 3:15).  Why then, are so many Christians walking in defeat in their experience? This victory must be applied by faith.  1 John 5:4 says, this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

- FALSE: The Believer is fighting to get to the victory

- TRUE: The Believer is fighting from the place of victory

These are completely different mentalities.  The false mentality is where Satan wants the Believer to live.  This is a setup for perpetual failure. Fighting from the place of victory is how we are instructed from God’s Word.  This is not to imply that there will not be a struggle or an adversary to contend with.  However, as a Believer stands his ground on the Word – submitting to God and resisting the devil (James 4:7), the enemy will flee.

Satan knows that he is defeated by the blood of Jesus.  He also understands that as you gain knowledge through the Word and appropriate the Truth, that you will be made free (John 8:32). This is why the enemy accuses and condemns the child of God – in order to talk you out of the victory.

This is God’s promise:

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus

It should be noted that there are many ways that Satan lies to the believer, not just with words.

All of these lies are for one purpose: to get the child of God to forfeit his victory.  One of the topics that we will cover in this series is Why God Allows Satan to Continue.  We certainly have an adversary and God has allowed him to test the child of God.  But it is important that we understand the purpose behind it.  Religion and tradition have concocted man-made theories about this purpose.  But we will find out what the Word of God says – without running it through the spin cycle of doubt and unbelief.

The Bible clearly tells us to know about our enemy and his tactics:

2 Corinthians 2:11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Let is key in on three words in this verse, and their meaning:

- Advantage: The original Greek word is pleonekteo and means, “to have more, to take a greater share.” This is what Satan is after – more of your life.  He wants back what no longer belongs to him.

- Ignorant: The original Greek word is agnoeo and means, “lack of information, failure to understand.” This is the root of the problem in many cases.  There is a lack of knowledge about our adversary and consequently he operates undetected.

- Devices: The original Greek word is noema and means, “the mind, intellect, thoughts and purposes.” The devil is not omniscient! Through the Word, you can gain the advantage on him.

In addition to knowing about the enemy, Believers must know what their weapons are and how to use them.  God has not left us defenseless against the devil.  In fact, we have everything that we need to demonstrate the defeat the devil – every day.  Revelation 12:10-11 provides great insight on this subject:

Revelation 12:

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

The accuser of the brethren is defeated by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.  Further, we see a key that is often overlooked: these overcomers did not love their lives – to the death.  Jesus plainly said that if we seek to save our life that we will lose it, but if we seek to lose our life, we will gain it (Luke 17:33).  Self-centeredness is an open door for the devil’s operations.

The devil tries to get the child of God to retreat, draw back and focus on self.  He whispers, “poor me” into our thought life.  He says, “stay home from church; nobody cares about you anyway.” All of this is a direct attack of the devil to get you to quit.  The one thing that will get you to quit faster than anything is to focus on all of your own problems and hurts.

Some have dismissed the modern day reality of a literal devil.  They do not believe that he exists, and if he does, he is not personally influencing their lives in any way.  However, Scriptures paints a much different picture.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

The devil is seeking those whom he may devour.  In this series, we will show from the Word of God how we can live in victory over Satan and his tactics.

Spiritual Warfare

Some Christians are ignorant of the operations of the devil.  They don’t understand what areas that a demon can attack a believer.  Some are ignorant to the point that they believe that a demon cannot influence a Christian at all. This is falling right into Satan's trap; it allows his covert operations to remain undetected and intact.  He can accomplish much more in darkness than when exposed.  Satan has the legal right to traffic in the realm of darkness, whether a Christian is there or not. The devil knows that his time is short, and he is on a rampage of destruction. This is not the time to be ignorant of Satan's devices. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:11:

Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

The word "ignorant" is taken from the Greek word agnoeo, it means "to be ignorant, to have no discernment of, failure to understand; to commit a fault arising from the lack of discernment." Many Christians open the door for demonic involvement because of a lack of discernment. Two-thirds of organized Christendom has no understanding of the spirit world.  Therefore, Satan has the advantage over them. The spirit world is more real than the material world.  Everything we see in the material realm was first conceived in the spirit realm. This domain is where Satan and his demons operate, as well as the angels of the Lord.

Some Christians think that as long as they believe, they cannot be harmed by demonic forces. This type of believing is only mental assent and not heart faith.

Satan’s Assignment

We must know that Christians are the special object of Satan's hatred, for they represent God in the earth. He already has the people of the world under his control; he need not bother with them. Two classes of people receive special attention from Satan:

1. Those working for him

2. Those working against him

If you are working against him, he has an assignment out on you. The good news is that the blood of Jesus has already defeated him and the Holy Spirit will give you discernment and power to overcome!

The Christian must "keep" himself if he is to remain free from demonic involvement. Let us note right here that a true Christian cannot be demon possessed! The purpose of this lesson is to show you that there are areas that Satan is working against Christians that exclude possession. These are the areas in which we must guard our hearts. 1 John 5:18 says:

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

A more complete rendering of this would be “whoever is born of God does not practice sin.” There is a keeping process involved for the believer, using the blood, the Word and the name of Jesus – the weapons of our warfare.

KEY: The original Greek word for "touch" in this verse means "to handle in such a way as to influence, to manipulate." The entry level workings of Satan are centered in manipulation.

Notice the Word says that there is a condition on our part if we are to be protected from Satan's assignments. The more effective a Christian is at doing the will of God, the more elaborate and sophisticated the assignment of Satan is against him. The Apostle Paul himself said, "Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I Paul, time and again--but Satan hindered us" (I Thessalonians 2:18).

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:22-24 that light could be turned into darkness:

Matthew 6:

22 The lamp of the body is the eye, if therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is bad [margin: evil or unhealthy], your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness how great is that darkness.

24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

We need to examine this process of light turning into darkness. It does not happen all at once, it is a gradual process. A Christian has the legal right to say “NO!” to the devil at any time.  As a believer, we cannot say, "The devil made me do it." Satan can take no ground other than what we yield. Now, let us look at how to take back the ground you may have already forfeited.

The Armor of God

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, outlined the Christian soldier’s responsibilities and armor.

Ephesians 6:10-11

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Paul uses a word in these statements on two occasions that comes from the original Greek root word dynamoo.  It is the word from which “dynamite” is derived.  Paul is speaking of an explosive power in the believer’s life.  The word is translated “strong” in verse 10 and “able” in verse 11.  This power comes from one source – the Holy Spirit.

It requires the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the wiles of the devil.  I continually emphasize how the devil gains the advantage over the believer – it is through schemes, deceit, lies, and trickery.  He has been stripped of all legitimate authority.

Paul next goes on to describe the nature of our conflict:

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Paul could have used any of a number of terms here instead of wrestling. He had perfect command of the Greek language and could have picked a word such as fight, contend or oppose. Why did Paul choose wrestle? Quite simply, it denotes actual contact combat. One can, fight without contact; one can contend or oppose without contact, but have you ever seen anyone try to wrestle without contact? It is impossible!  Our conflict with demons is on a contact basis. They are always coming against us in a tangible way, buffeting us in the flesh.

2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

It is interesting that the Greek word for “buffet” here is kolaphizo and means “to strike with the fist.”  Again, Paul gives us such graphic word pictures.  Here, the messenger [Gr. Angelos] or angel of Satan is seen as physically punching Paul with his fist.  How can anyone fail to see the nature of the conflict that we, as believers, are in?

The Devil’s Org Chart

Revealed in Ephesians 6:12 are four levels of demon power:

1. Principalities: Lower level demons that we most commonly deal with on a personal, daily level.

2. Powers: Also lower level demons in Satan's chain of command. (The term "lower level" does not denote insignificance, only rank).

3. Rulers of Darkness: Demons that rule over territories, and have lower level demons under their command.

4. Wicked Spirits in Heavenly Places: This of course being the second heaven, the atmosphere above (see Ephesians 2:2).  This is where Satan's government is carried out. In this place are the highest rank of demons, including Satan himself and his fallen arch-angels. They rule over entire nations, such as the Prince of Persia in Daniel's day. Their job is to master-mind and to see that evil prevails against the church (a losing cause, by the way) and covers the earth.

The following is an organizational chart of the devil’s operations.

Listen to the words of Gabriel, the Arch Angel, when addressing Daniel regarding his prayer and the spiritual battle that played out in the spirit realm:

Daniel 10:

12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

Satan did not want this revelation concerning the end times to get to Daniel and opposed the messenger of God, Gabriel.  Assistance had to be obtained from Michael, the warring Arch Angel, to break through.  It is important to remember that there will be no significant breakthrough from God in your life that will not be contested by the enemy.  But let it be clear that God heard Daniel on the first day and sent the answer.  It is upon us to stand and not to give place to the devil with double-mindedness and unbelief.

This wrestling match which Paul spoke of was an effective allegory because the readers of his letter understood of what a Greek wrestling match was composed. A winner was declared when one of the wrestlers successfully pinned the neck area of his opponent. The loser was made to endure a terrible and painful blinding by the gauging out of the eves.  All that lose this spiritual wrestling match also endure a blinding, a loss of spiritual discernment.

The good news is that, as believers, we are fighting from the place of victory and not to get to the victory.  What do you do from the place of victory? You stand.

Ephesians 6:13-14

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore…

KEY: In order to stand for the breakthrough, one must have “done all” before taking the final stand.  Meaning, have you done what the Word says to do?

In answer to this hierarchy of demonic power arrayed against us, the believers are to put on the whole armor of God as detailed in Ephesians 6:14-18:

Ephesians 6:14-19

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel

1. The Belt of Truth (v 14): The Roman soldier’s belt was large with many loops to hold weapons (the Lord has many weapons available for the Spirit-filled believer). It was tied in several places to keep it secure (all of God’s truth must be appropriated).  Further, there were markings to designate past campaigns (we are overcomers).

Truth and integrity of heart is what holds the armor together. When one departs from God's truth and personal integrity all else is out of place.

Jesus said that it was the Truth that we know that would make us free (John 8:31-32).  The Believer’s armor must be held together by revelation truth from God’s Word.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness (v 14): The breastplate was connected to the belt. It was not clunky but light weight enough to allow freedom of movement. Conversely, the righteousness of God doesn’t weigh us down. The Pharisees had 613 laws and thousands that they had made up. Talk about being weighed down! However, the Bible says in 1 John 5:3 that God’s commandments are not burdensome.

The breastplate covers the vital organs such as the heart. It is the righteousness of God in Christ that covers us. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags. His righteousness must be go beyond a legal fact to an experiential reality in our lives if true protection is to be found.

Satan attacks the Believer’s right standing with God probably more than any other area.  He tries to place a blanket of guilt upon us to get us to draw back from God.  Righteousness produces boldness!

3. Gospel Shoes (v 15): The Roman soldier’s shoes were heavy-soled sandals with metal studs on the bottom for good footing on uneven or slippery ground.

The center of the believer's life must be focused on evangelism. This puts our attention and concerns on the needs of others. When our focus is self-centered in our Christian walk, there is a hole in the armor.

Shoes reflect one’s walk.  The Believer’s walk must be about more than individual needs.  Get involved in the work of the ministry – put your gospel shoes to work!

4. Shield of Faith (v 16): The Roman soldier’s shield was long and rectangular (knees to chin). When they had an arrow barrage, they would get on their knees for protection. Similarly, the believer must get on his knees in prayer during times of attack.

Faith quenches all of the fiery darts of the wicked one. When Satan was attacking Simon Peter, it was Peter's faith that Jesus prayed for (Luke 22:31-32). It is the faith of God in our hearts that overcomes the world (I John 5:4). Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

One of the reasons that God allows Satan to continue is to allow our faith to be developed.  Faith comes by hearing the Word, but it is exercised when we go through the circumstances of life.

One additional comment about the shield: soldiers could also come together when under attack and hold over their heads, side by side, and provide a covering – a canopy of protection.  Remember, the shield is not only for your protection, but also for the body.

5. Helmet of Salvation (v 17): The Roman soldier’s helmet was the best helmet in the ancient world.  It provided total protection in the head area.

Since the helmet covers the head area, it should be understood that this represents the mind. The importance of protecting the thought life cannot be emphasized enough. Here once again it is reiterated to us that we need to cover our minds with God's armor. More often than not this is the place that Satan finds access.

Two areas of our thought life that Satan wants to control:

- The memory to replay the past

- The imagination to pre-play the future

6. Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) (v 17): This is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal. "Word" here is the Greek word rhema, meaning "the intimate personal word from God as spoken through His overall Word." In other words, it is not head knowledge of the Word that will defeat the devil. It is the revelation knowledge of the Word spoken out of our mouths from the spirit that will drive back the enemy. This is the weapon that Jesus Himself employed during His, wilderness temptation. Three times Jesus declared "IT IS WRITTEN!" until Satan had to flee!

Satan knows the written Word, but he has no revelation knowledge of the Truth because he is cut off from the life of God.

Roman soldiers were taught to thrust, not cut. A stroke with the edge rarely kills, but a stab is usually fatal. The rhema of God is like a pinpoint stab into Satan’s unprotected area.

7. Prayer (vv 18-19): This is not a weapon per say, but the place in which the weapons are engaged. The armor is not a mythical metaphor without any practical value.  The armor is dynamic in its working when employed in prayer. This is the battle ground, where the battle is fought and won.  Satan trembles when the weakest saint of God gets on his knees to pray.  Satan is not fearful of men of standing, but rather men of kneeling.

Spiritual warfare is conducted in the prayer closet.  Daniel chapter 10 reveals the nature of this warfare and the Believer’s role in standing for the breakthrough. We will cover this later in the module.

There are different kinds of prayer listed here by Paul:

- Prayer in the Spirit: There are levels of prayer that can only be accomplished in the Spirit. Praying in other tongues in intercession opens up a whole new arena of power in our lives, for Satan has no power over our heavenly language.

- Supplication: This refers to making specific requests to God.  If you are looking for a generic answer then make a generic prayer.  If you need something specific then first make sure it lines up with the Word of God and then pray specifically.

- Watchful Prayer: This is intercessory prayer. Essentially, it is taking up God’s cause and going through the birthing process until the Holy Spirit releases you – or when you have “given birth” in the Spirit.

- Persevering Prayer: There are times when the believer must ask… seek… and knock in order to get the answer.  Jesus also called this persistent prayer – a refusal to be denied (Luke 11:5-8).

- Prayer for God’s Leaders: In verse 19 Paul clearly expressed the need for the saints to pray for him that God would give him utterance and that he would speak boldly.  Much of what is coming forth from the pulpit is based on the prayer of the church. If the church wants a prophetic word from God, then much prayer is required.

When Jesus commissioned and sent forth the 70 disciples, he gave them power over unclean spirits in His-name.  Luke 10:17 records their triumphant return:

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!"

Jesus responded to them by saying:

Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)

Notice the play on words between "authority" and "power."  This is vital to our understanding.  Satan has never lost his power. He is not a toothless lion as some depict. If this were so, why would there be four billion people under his control (see Revelation 12:9)? Why would there be so much violence and suffering in the world?  He has not lost his power.

KEY: Jesus did not say that He would give us more power than the devil.  He said He has given us AUTHORITY over his power.

In 1 Timothy 4:1, the Apostle Paul said that in the last days there would be:

- A great departure from the Faith.

- Seducing spirits sent into all the earth.

- Doctrines of demons taught as the doctrines of God.

As believers, we must rise up in the authority that God has given us. This is not a game that we are in, but real warfare. Up to this point, many have been losing the battle.  If you see any place in your life that Satan has taken the advantage, please repent and recapture that forfeited ground. God wants you walking in complete victory!

Practical ways to put this teaching into practice:

1. Educate yourself in the Word of God on how Satan operates.  Scripture has much to say about our adversary’s methods.  Spend 30 minutes a day studying the Word of God.  Begin in the New Testament and lay the foundation of understanding before you explore the Old Testament in depth.  Of particular importance are passages about the nature of God, who you are in Christ, the spiritual weapons given by God and the tactics of the devil.

2. Live a life of holiness.  Satan still has authority in the realm of darkness.  If you choose to go onto the devil’s playground, expect to be harmed.  Put away from you all that contaminates the soul.

3. Put on the Armor of God: No, I’m not talking about some imaginary suit.  Apply the principles for which the armor stands.

1. Have integrity and speak the truth.

2. Appropriate the righteousness of God in your life.

3. Share Christ with others.

4. Be prepared to exercise faith when the devil opposes you.

5. Protect your thought life.  Garbage in – garbage out.

6. Speak the Word of God and apply it in every situation.

4. Commit to being a Prayer Warrior.  Change happens because of prayer. Put into practice the different types of prayer listed.  The focus of your entire prayer time cannot be your personal needs.

Why God Allows Satan to Continue

Have you ever wondered why God just didn’t snuff out Satan after he rebelled in heaven? Or how about after the devil brought down Adam and Eve in the garden? He is God… He can do anything He wants as long as it doesn’t violate His own Word.  Further, if not after the previous two events, why not cast him into the bottomless pit after Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross?

We see from Scripture that Satan was allowed to test Job.  He was given permission by God to test God’s servant.  Satan accused Job to God that he was only serving God because of the blessing he received from doing so.  Yet Job had this testimony after Satan’s first round of attacks:

Job 1:21-22

21 And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return there.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

This enraged Satan that Job would not curse God.  He subsequently was allowed to attack Job’s health.  But once more, Job passed the test, even though his wife had now sided with Satan:

Job 2:9-10

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

The remainder of the book of Job was Job’s attempt to understand why all this had happened, with the help of his three well-intentioned but uninformed friends.  Interestingly, God never revealed the why to Job, but did bless with him with double in the end. Job’s trial lasted about 9 months and he lived 140 years after the trial. Don’t focus on what you’re going through or why, but instead know that God is at work. Trust Him!

Simon Peter was tested by Satan, allowed by God, prior to the crucifixion of Jesus.  Peter miserably failed his test but was also restored by God.

Luke 22:31-32

31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

The literal Greek for this passage says, “Satan has desired to claim you back for himself.”  But the devil had to go through Jesus in order to get to Peter. Before Jesus let Satan through, He prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail.  The end result was that Peter was strengthened in his faith.  On the day of Pentecost, just 50 days later, it was Peter standing before all of the renowned men of Israel, preaching the Gospel without the fear of man.

These two occasions of Job and Peter draw out a very important principle.  The word “purchased” in the New Testament is peri-poieomai and is found in Acts 20:28: “He has purchased with His own blood.”  The term is a compound word, peri and poieomai.  It literally means “to purchase and draw a circle around.”

As can be seen by this diagram, the Believer dwells in a place of safety from all the harm of the enemy.  However, as with Job and Peter, there are times when Satan is allowed to enter our circle.  At this point, we must understand that it is not for Satan to defeat the Believer, but for the Believer to demonstrate the defeat of the devil. It should also be understood that the Believer may also open the door through sin and allow the devil into his circle.

Two Reasons for the devil to be in your circle:

1. Permitted by God in order for the Believer to demonstrate the defeat of Satan.

2. Permitted by the Believer by opening the door through sin.

If the root cause if the latter, repent, ask for God’s forgiveness, receive cleansing by the blood and drive the devil out of your circle!  If it is the former, walk in faith and trust God – speak the Word and do not complain.

6 Reasons God Allows Satan to Continue

There are specific and strategic reasons that God allowed Satan to continue.  It must be understood that man has a free will and may choose to do evil instead of serving Christ.

1. To develop faith and character in the Believer (see above)

2. To keep the Believer humble (2 Corinthians 12:7)

3. To provide conflict for the Believer that he might be rewarded through overcoming (1 John 2:13, 4:4, Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28, 3:5, 12, 21)

4. To demonstrate the power of God over the power of Satan (Mark 16:17-20, Luke 10:17-19)

5. In certain cases, to afflict people to bring them to repentance (1 Corinthians 5:1-6)

6. To purge man of all possibility of falling in the eternal future (Revelation 20).

Winning the Battle for the Mind

Strongholds over Regions

There are different types of strongholds.  There are strongholds over regions:

- Daniel 10:13, Prince of Persia

- Mark 5: 9-10, 20, Legion over Decapolis

- Ephesians 6:12, Four levels of demonic power

- Acts 16:16-18, 30-31, Spirit of divination (Gr. Python) over Philippi

- Revelation 2:13, Satan’s seat at Pergamos

Mental Strongholds

Even with all of the regional strongholds, the greatest power that the enemy can have is through the mind of a defeated Christian – by setting up strongholds.  A stronghold of the mind can be defined as a mental fortress, a demonically induced pattern of thinking, a house made of thoughts

A believer’s defeat comes from the arena of the mind.  Jeremiah 6:19 says, “Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people—the fruit of their thoughts.”  The essence of who we are is in our thought life (Proverbs 23:7).  Satan wants to keep our minds carnal, in the death realm, and have our attitudes rooted there.  This way, he can continue to manipulate you to failure (Romans 8:6-7).

We are not talking about demon possession, but rather varying levels of demonic involvement in our thought life, up to and including oppression.

When we are saved, our spirit is sanctified instantaneously, but our soul (mind, will and emotions) is sanctified progressively.  Our bodies will be sanctified in the future; until then, we must crucify the flesh daily.

Spirit = Instantly          Soul = Progressively          Body = Future

The mind is the most difficult area to bring into submission, as it was under the control of the enemy for so long.  What must we do? Renew our minds to the truth of God’s Word – Romans 12:2.  We are not to be conformed to this world (literally, external patterns that don’t come from within).  As we renew, we will come against walls and fortifications that don’t want to submit.  Most of these fortifications were placed there before we were born again.

Two areas of our thought life that Satan wants to control:

1. The memory to replay the past

2. The imagination to pre-play the future

In the Old Testament, during the time of the kings, there were high places set up for the purpose of worshipping pagan idols.

Numbers 33:51-52:

51 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places.

God did not want the Israelites to become Promised Land Captives.  Meaning, they would be outwardly free from Egypt but enslaved to the ways and idols of the inhabitants of the land.  The “high places” in our life are those external patterns and images that we absorb while growing up and the years spent before knowing Christ.  Scripture says that many kings did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but did not tear down the high places (1 Kings 22:42-43).  1 Kings 15:14 goes so far as to say that King Asa’s heart was right with God, but he did not tear down the high places.  It is not a condition of the heart, but of the mind.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about the subject of the believer being defeated in the arena of the mind.  Writing by the Spirit of God, he specifically told them how to gain and maintain the victory.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

Understanding Mental Strongholds:

- The carnal mind is hostile to God.  It takes the supernatural power of God to tear down strongholds; religion cannot deliver you.  Isaiah 10:27 says, “The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”

- Remember that a stronghold is a “house made of thoughts.”  Luke 11:24 says that when an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he seeks rest (Gr. “an agreeable environment”).  Ultimately, he wants to return to the “house” he came out of.  The enemy does not want to give up the controls he has in your mind.

- The stronghold or fortress has three gates:

- Eyes: Job 31:1, ““I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?

- Ears: Mark 4:24, “Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear.’”

- Mouth: Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

- There are three elements to a stronghold: the outer wall, the inner wall, and the fortress.  We will look at them from the inside-out:

- The Fortress: the stronghold itself is here.  This is where the enemy finds rest – i.e., an agreeable environment.  You have thought this way for so long that the stronghold is secure, completely un-dealt with.

- The Inner Wall: Imaginations (calculations, reasonings, arguments).  Your reasonings must not be sympathetic to your stronghold.  Do not allow yourself to justify your attitudes and behavior.

- The Outer Wall: The “high thing” – Pride!  The wall is very high and defensive.  Pride exalts itself against the knowledge of God.  When truth comes, it raises itself (“I already know that,” “I don’t agree,” “so-and-so needs that”)

- Proverbs 18:11-12 (Amplified): “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and is a high protecting wall in his own imagination and conceit.  Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor.”

- This is what you must do in order to tear down the stronghold, the high places of your thought life that are hostile to God.

- Penetrate the outer wall of pride and admit that you need to be free.

- Stop being sympathetic to the stronghold by making excuses for your attitudes and behavior.

- Finally, by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, you root out those demonically induced patterns of thinking.  Jesus said that, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make your free” (John 8:32).

The Example of King David

Keep doing what God told you to be doing.  King David fell into adultery because “at the time when kings go to war, David stayed at home” (2 Samuel 11:1).  The stronghold of lust overcame David because he gave it opportunity.  Reasoning and pride kept David bound to his sin:

- Reasoning (Inner Wall): “If her husband was dead I could rightfully marry her”

- Pride (Outer Wall): Nathan gave the story of the man’s lamb and David rose up in anger.  Pride wouldn’t allow him to deal with his own sin.  Nathan cried out, “You are the man!”

- When pride was broken and his reasonings were exposed, his stronghold was laid waste.

- Psalm 51:10-12

How to Stay Free

- Fill up the vacancy with the Word of God.  Continue in the Word (John 8:31-32) and renew your mind daily (Romans 12:2).

- Be diligent to keep yourself (1 John 5:18).

- Stay your mind on God and He will give you perfect peace.  What will that peace do? Mount a garrison around your heart and mind (Philippians 4:7).

- Keep on the armor of God and learn to use the weapons of your warfare: The Word, The Blood and the Name of Jesus! (Ephesians 6:10-17)

- Allow God to become your stronghold!

Psalm 18:1-3

1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

The Importance of Worship

The Spirit-filled believer’s highest calling is to worship God.  When God created man, He breathed into him the breath of life.  This life was not only physical life, but more importantly, spiritual life as well.  When Adam sinned, he was cut off from the life of God… separated from communion with the Father.  This created a God-shaped void in man that cannot be filled by anything else in this world.  Man searches but cannot find fulfillment outside of relationship with God.  The void is always present.  Conversely, when God breathed into Adam His very own life, there was a man-shaped “void” in God that only man can fill.  For this reason, God seeks worshippers.  He desires to spend time with His children and fill them with good things in His presence.

Psalm 16:11 In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 100 outlines three important components to spending time in God’s presence.

1. Enter His gates with thanksgiving (v. 4)

2. Come into His courts with praise (v. 4)

3. Come before His presence with singing (v. 2)

We must first enter with thanksgiving.  An attitude of thankfulness and gratitude is required when coming before the King.  There is no other way to make entry.  As we begin to express our thankfulness, we move into praise within His courts.  Praise is our response to all that He has done and all that we are believing that God will do in our lives.  Isaiah 61:3 says to “put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”  Praise, active praise, will drive back the enemy.  Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people.  As we praise Him, the presence of God is enthroned upon the praises of His people and we enter the highest crescendo, which is worship.  Worship is our response to His presence.

Praise = our response to God’s goodness

Worship = our response to God’s presence

There will always be times that we don’t feel like praising and worshiping God. The song book of Israel – Psalms – is a great place to turn when we feel this way. Consider David, who wrote about half of the Psalms.  When discouraged, he would encourage himself by praising God.  Yes, he kept it real, he didn’t hold back any of his feelings leading up to when he praised God.  But ultimately, he knew that expressing praise to God was the way to overcome discouragement.  He didn’t base it on a feeling, and at times, he literally spoke to his soul and commanded it to rise up and give God praise.

Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

Throughout the book of Psalms, although despair runs the deepest, praise ascends to the highest.

The Greatest Commandment

One day, the Pharisees decided to test Jesus by asking Him which was the greatest commandment in the law.

Matthew 22:34-38

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.”

Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the true essence of worship.  The Pharisees understood religion, but Jesus was speaking to them about the language of the heart.  God wants His people to express this kind of love for Him… to love the Lord with our entire being.

People often question what is the greatest sin?  Is it murder?  The love of money?  Blasphemy?  In fact, it is none of these things.  If the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, then by consequence, the greatest sin would be the failure to do so.

The Greatest Sin = The Failure to Love the Lord with All Your Heart, Soul & Mind

Jesus went on to say, “And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  It is important to note that Jesus places this act of love for our fellow man second, after loving the Lord your God.  It is clear that if we get our vertical relationship right that our horizontal ones will fall into alignment.

First get the Vertical Relationship right and the Horizontal ones will come into alignment

But what does it really mean to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind?  How can we do this and in what way do we demonstrate this love for Him?  There are many man-made rules that religion has created over the centuries.  Religion would have you to believe that if you keep these traditions of men then your requirement is fulfilled.  However, Jesus was talking about the heart, that place that only God can touch, where true worship comes from.  Listen to what Jesus said to the religious leaders of His day:

Matthew 15:8-9

8 These people draw near to Me with their mouth,  and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Jesus referred to this as vain worship.  There was an outward show, but their hearts were far from God.  When Jesus was having the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, she wanted to focus the discussion on the external components of “worship,” such as where we should do it.  But Jesus brought her back to the meaning of true worship.

John 4:19-24

19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus said that true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.  Religion always has a counterfeit to the things of God.  These counterfeits never require the consecration of the heart, but instead focus on outward things.  The counterfeit or substitute for spirit is emotion and the counterfeit for truth is tradition.

True Worship

Counterfeit Worship

Spirit

Truth

Emotion

Tradition

It is an easy trap to get caught up in, responding emotionally to the music and lifting hands because that is what we are “supposed to do.”  How many times do we come to God’s house and go through the motions of worship when our hearts are far from Him?  Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the Father is seeking true worshippers.  He is not seeking prayer warriors, witnesses, preachers or organists.  All of these things are good and needed.  But in the New Testament, God is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth.

List of things God is seeking:

1. True worshippers

The Law of First Mention

There is a principle of biblical interpretation that is called “the law of first mention.”  This means that the first mention of a term or subject carries a lot of weight about its significance and provides a clear indication of the meaning.  The first occurrence of the word “worship” is found in Genesis 22:5 when Abraham was commanded to offer up his only son to God.

Genesis 22:1-5

1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”

The seriousness of worship can clearly be seen in this first mention.  The worship of the Living God is not some casual experience where you get a few goose bumps.  It is not an emotional buzz you get because the music was especially good that day.  It is a life changing act of consecration and obedience.  It means total surrender.  In this first mention, it meant that Abraham was willing to offer back to God everything that he had lived for in the past 35 to 40 years.  Isaac meant everything to him.  He was the fulfillment of God’s promise in his life, but somewhere along the way, Abraham had turned Isaac into an idol.  He was too consumed with the blessing and not the Blesser.  And now God was requiring Abraham to give him back to Him.

Psalm 24:3-4

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol…

How often do we allow the many blessings from God in our lives to detract from our singular focus of worshipping Him?  As we can see with Abraham, to worship God has cost… at the least it means death to self.  God told Moses that no man can see Him and live (Exodus 33:20).  Only dead men can see God.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

A Pure Heart

A pure heart in worship is one that is without secret agenda and is free from ulterior motives.  To worship God without an agenda centers on seeking God’s face (Who He is) and not His hand (what He does).  There is a time to ask God for His blessing and seek Him for what He does, but worship is not that time.  Standing in His presence is a time of intimacy when nothing is asked for except more of Him.

- In Worship we seek God’s face and not His hand

- His Face = Who He is

- His Hand = What He does

Notice also from Psalm 24 that David spoke about not lifting your soul up to an idol.  An idol is anything in our lives that takes the place of God in our priorities.  Idolatry will prevent a believer from enjoying the fullness of God’s manifest presence.

Matthew 5:8 The pure in heart shall see God.

Hebrews 12:14 Without holiness no one will see the Lord

What does it mean to have a pure heart when it comes to worship?  How can one do introspection to examine his heart if he is unclear what it means to have a pure heart?  Purity differs from Holiness.  In its simplest form, to be pure means “to be free from mixture,” but to be holy means “to be free from contamination.”

Pure = Free from Mixture

Holy = Free from Contamination

To see God in worship, our hearts need to be pure – free from mixture, meaning an undivided heart.  True worship requires singular focus.  Once we have removed the contamination (i.e., the sin) out of our lives (through the work of the cross), our attention should be on giving God our undivided attention in worship.

Enter the Secret Place and Close the Door

Worship is an intimate experience between a child of God and the Heavenly Father.  Jesus taught the importance of entering a secret place when spending time with God.

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

The Greek word used for “room” is also translated “secret chamber” in Matthew 24:26.  Jesus is not speaking of a literal room, closet or secret chamber, but one of the heart.    Even in a crowded worship service, you can enter into the secret place.  It is the same place spoken of in Psalm 91 (“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”).

Jesus also said that after you enter into the secret place to shut the door.  What does it mean to shut the door?  There are so many potential distractions that can steal our focus.  Satan is the master of distractions.  The last thing he wants is true worship of the Heavenly Father.  The enemy doesn’t mind good music, lifting hands, and all the other outward forms of worship, but when a believer’s heart connects with God in true worship in spirit and truth, he knows that life-changing power from God has dispelled him.

Worship requires singular focus on God.  In today’s world, there are constant multiple inputs vying for our attention.  At work, it is multi-tasking all day long, every day.  The days of focusing on one project are over.  The weekends are overbooked with events with the kids and grandkids and non-stop activities.  Sunday rolls around and on the drive to church, the driver is listening to the radio, drinking a cup of coffee, holding a conversation and texting… at the same time.  When he enters the sanctuary for worship, it can be the hardest thing to enter the secret place and shut the door.  This is why we must condition ourselves to the secret place.  Spending time with God alone prepares us for spending time with Him in a public worship meeting.

Worship requires Singular Focus on God

But we are Programmed for Multiple Channels of Input

When we truly “lock in” with our worship in our meetings, in one accord, the manifest presence of God is going to be revealed and the miraculous will begin to flow.

I present two examples, one from the Old Testament and one from the New:

2 Chronicles 5:11-14

11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions),

12 and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets—

13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,

14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Acts 2:1-4

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Peter rose before the people and preached under the unction of the Spirit:

Acts 2:16-18

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days;

And they shall prophesy.

These are the last days and God is calling His remnant to come before Him and worship Him in spirit and truth.

Psalm 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.

Find a church where people worship God. One of the biggest mistakes that believers who are newly filled with the Spirit make is staying in a church that doesn’t openly worship God as a congregation. Find a church that is alive and on fire for Jesus.

Four Circles of Anointing

When a person gets born again into the family of God, he or she gets placed into the circle of God’s family. This is the circle of God’s ownership.  God wants His children to grow and mature in their relationship with Him – in their anointing.  The diagram below shows four levels, or circles, of God’s anointing. These circles can be represented by the 500, the 70, the 12 and the 3 (disciples).

The Family Anointing

This family circle is represented by the 500 mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:6. These were those who witnessed Him after His resurrection.

Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

As previously mentioned, the original Greek word for “purchased” in this verse is peri-poieomai and is a compound word meaning to “purchase” (poieomai) and “to encircle” (peri). We are purchased by the blood of Jesus and then God draws a circle of ownership around us.  That circle is the blood line!

The Family Circle is the Blood Line

God will not allow anything into your circle that you do not have the ability to overcome by faith.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Luke 22:21-32

Keys to the Family Circle:

- The only way into the family is through the blood of Jesus.  It is not based on works, but by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

- The Spirit of Adoption is sent into our hearts (Romans 8:15).

- Jesus is the Door (John 10:1-3). There is no other way into the circle of God’s family (John 14:6).

- We become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

- When we enter the circle, we become new creations and old things are passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).

- There is an anointing on the family when we come together (Psalm 133).

- One cannot enter the circle for temporal or self-serving reasons. Jesus only commits Himself to those who commit to Him from their hearts (John 2:23-25, 1 John 2:19).

God does not want His children to stay on the peripheral of His circle.  He wants us to move beyond being a spectator and press in for more of Him. Remember this group is represented by the 500 who witnessed Him after His resurrection, but there were only 120 in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost.

The Service Anointing

The service circle is represented by the 70, whom Jesus sent forth on His behalf.

Luke 10:1-2

1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

How sad that “the laborers are few.” Very few in the family circle ever press in to the service anointing. Although the 12 were with Jesus all the time and were of great assistance to our Lord’s mission on earth, they could not do everything.  Many in the church today rely on the pastor, the staff and the designated volunteers to do everything.  Their function within the church is mainly that of a spectator and recipient.

God has called His children to press in and become servants.  Jesus said to be faithful in the small things and He would make you ruler over much (Matthew 25:23). Start where you are and help… serve… give.

Consider these two strong words from Jesus:

Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Luke 19:13 …Occupy till I come.

This means that we should not wait until the situation is perfect before we serve. The devil will always be there to resist your service to the Lord. We must move forward with violent faith and occupy, that is, take enemy-held territory until He comes.

Keys to the Service Circle:

- As the Family Circle is drawn by Blood of Jesus, this line is drawn by the Baptism with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us power to serve. Without Him, our efforts are wood, hay and stubble before the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12).

- Though many great things may be accomplished in the service circle, our rejoicing should be because we are in the family circle:

Luke 10:17-20

17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

- There’s a group who operates within the principles of this circle, but have not come within the family circle.  Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23).

The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Move beyond the family circle and get into the service circle.  Jesus said that the greatest among us would be our servant (Matthew 23:11). Jesus Himself demonstrated this servant’s heart by washing the disciples’ feet (Matthew 26).

The Fellowship Anointing

The fellowship circle is represented by the 12 disciples.  They were with Jesus at all times.  He was part of every area of their lives, not just during “religious services” or acts of service. Keep in mind that when Jesus chose the 12, there were already many who were following Jesus. My hunch is that everywhere Jesus went, they were there. When Jesus, told them individually, “Follow Me,” they took Him literally.  Every time He turned around, there they were.

Mark 3:13-19

13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.

14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,

15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;

17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”;

18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;

19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

Did you notice that the mission statement of the 12 begins with: “That they might be WITH HIM” (v. 14)? This is the first and highest calling of any servant of God – to be with Him. The beginning stages of service to the Lord are usually about doing things for God in order to please Him. But as we progress in our relationship with God, our service becomes more of an overflow of His presence that comes from spending time with God.

Near the end of Luke chapter 10, it is recorded that Jesus went to visit a woman’s home named Martha, who had a sister named Mary (Luke 10:38-42). Martha and Mary were very different in their approach to Jesus.

Martha

Mary

- Received Jesus (v. 38)

- Served Jesus – distracted with much serving (v. 40)

- Prayed to Jesus (“Lord, do you not care…”) (v. 40)

- Worried and Troubled (v. 41)

- Spent time with Jesus sitting at His feet (v. 39)

- Heard His Word (v. 39)

- Wasn’t distracted and worried (v. 40)

- Had her priorities right (v. 42)

Mary’s focus was on the Vertical – her fellowship with God, while Martha’s focus was on the Horizontal – what she could do to serve Him.

As it was then, so it is now:

The Horizontal distracts us from the Vertical

Keys to the Fellowship Circle:

- Make spending time with God your number one priority in life (Matthew 6:33).

- Abide in the Vine (Jesus). If you abide in Him, you will bear much fruit, but without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5).

- Service to the Lord becomes an overflow of our fellowship with Jesus:

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

- When you walk in fellowship with Jesus, He anoints your head with oil and your cup runs over (Psalm 23:5).

- Sometimes you have to “come apart before you come apart.” In other words, if you don’t learn how to separate yourself (come apart) into quiet time with God, your life will come apart into a mess. At the peak of their ministry of miracles, Jesus told the disciples: “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:30-32).

- Jesus Himself had to continually withdraw from the crowds and spend time with the Father:

Luke 5:15-16

15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

The Privilege Anointing

The privilege circle is represented by the three – Peter, James and John. These three were among the 12, but Jesus took only these three with Him during some of the most significant moments of His earth walk.

These three were partakers of His Power, His Glory and His Sufferings:

1. Power: (Mark 5:35-43.) Jairus’ little daughter was deathly sick when he went to Jesus. Along the way, word came that his daughter had died. Listen to the response of Jesus:

Mark 5:36-37

36“ Do not be afraid; only believe.”

37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

Those present ridiculed Jesus (v. 40) when He came to restore the little girl to life. Jesus ordered everyone except the parents and the three out of the house.  Jesus commanded life to come back into that little girl’s body and she was resurrected. Only the three from the 12 were partakers of His power that day.

When you have a life and death situation, find those who have pressed in to this place of privilege. A wise man once said, “I do not tell my problems to anyone who does not have the capability to help me solve them”

There are times when unbelief must be driven from the room in order for God to do the miracle.  The Lord is limited in His house by the doubt and unbelief of His own children.

2. Glory: (Mark 9:1-2, 18.) In His transfiguration, His appearing in glory with Moses and Elijah, only the three – Peter, James and John – were with Him.

There will always be those who have pressed in for a fuller revelation of Jesus. When Jesus asked His disciples who He was, it was Peter, one of the three, who declared “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Matthew 16:16).

God desires to take each of us “from glory to glory:”

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

If you want to see His glory, you must hunger and thirst for Him. He will not reveal His glory to the curiosity seeker, nor to the frivolous.

3. Sufferings: (Mark 14:32-34.) When Jesus went to Gethsemane, He took only the three – Peter, James and John with Him. They were to be partakers, together with Him, of His suffering – His agony in the garden.

Jesus’ agony was so severe that He sweated great drops of blood. Dr. Mark Eastman wrote the following:

The notion that someone could actually sweat blood seems contrived. However, there is a rare but recognized condition called hematohydrosis, in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to express blood. This usually occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress.

Jesus wasn't sweating blood because he was afraid of the physical pain of the cross, but because He would have to be separated from His Father for the first and only time. Jesus prayed, “Not my will but Yours be done.” He did so three times.

Unfortunately, in the hour of His greatest need, even the three let Jesus down. He told them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch [pray]” (Mark 14:34). However, when He returned, He found them sleeping; not just once, but three times (v. 37, 40, 41).

Some believers think that suffering should never be part of the Christian’s vocabulary. However, Scripture says the following:

Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

1 Peter 4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Those within the privilege circle will be allowed to feel God’s heartache over the condition of the world and the hurts of His people. Most Christians are so busy telling God about their troubles and heartaches that they never allow themselves to feel His.

Keys to the Privilege Circle

- In Ezekiel it states that God sought for an intercessor:

Ezekiel 22:30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

Notice, that God was seeking for just one and found none. The privilege circle is not about your own awesomeness, but about being willing to go where no one wants to go. Sure, many want to see His power and His glory, but few are willing to feel His suffering.

- The privilege circle is made up of men and women who God can trust. God gave Lester Sumrall his biggest assignment at the age of 70, after over 50 years of ministry. Brother Sumrall asked God, “Why now?!” God told him, “Now I know that I can trust you.”

- The privilege circle is made up of men and women who are close to God’s heart. What they are asked to do may never get notoriety and acclaim from man. It may appear to be thankless work in the trenches, bearing God’s burden.  But God sees and will reward when the time comes for the only true rewards to be given.

Summary

What is the point of all of this? Does Jesus love the 70 more than the 500, the 12 more than the 70, the 3 more than the 12? No! No! No! Rather, the opposite is true, they loved Jesus more.

Each one of us can have as much of God as we want.  None of us will share the same path, nor should we ever compare ourselves with one another.  These circles are not about who’s better or more important. Peter asked Jesus, after His resurrection, “What will John do?” and Jesus answered him, “What is that to you?” (John 21:21-23).

The key to all of it is to stay in love with Jesus! Never forsake your first love (Revelation 2:4). This love relationship will take you as far as you can go.

I have discovered that the further you go in God, the more humble you become.  Consider the Apostle Paul:

- In the beginning of his ministry during his missionary journeys, he declared: “I am the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9).

- In the middle of his ministry during his first Roman imprisonment, he said: “I am the least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8).

- At the end of his ministry, before he died, Paul proclaimed: “I am the chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Paul was not regressing in his relationship God.  On the contrary, the closer that you get to the center of God’s circle – Jesus – the more that your boast becomes only in Him!

Jesus, it’s all about You!

God’s Will and the Spirit Led Life

The Word of God is filled with so many promises about God’s will for His children.  In fact, we can know for sure, the following:

- God’s plans for us are for good and not for evil (Jer. 29:11)

- God has an expected outcome (Jer. 29:11)

- God calls the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:10)

- God works all things together for good (Rom. 8:28)

- What the devil means for evil, God turns for good (Gen. 50:20)

- We were ordained to do specific things in our life before the foundations of the world (Eph. 2:10)

- We are His workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

- Our minds must be renewed if we are going to do God’s perfect will (Rom. 12:2)

- There will be some suffering along the way when doing God’s will (1 Pet. 3:17, 4:19)

- The Holy Spirit will teach us and guide us into all truth (John 14:26, 16:13)

- God wants His children to be led by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14)

- Under the Old Covenant, God’s primary way of leading His people was outward signs, but under the New Covenant, His primary way is through the Holy Spirit (John 16:13)

- Satan always has a counterfeit to God’s perfect will (Luke ch. 4)

- Expect opposition from the enemy when doing God’s will (1 Thes. 2:18)

The Apostle Paul was a man who was led by the Holy Spirit and understood how to ascertain God’s will.  In Acts chapter 16, we can glean many wonderful truths about following God

Acts 16:

6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

There are some very interesting points in this passage of Scripture regarding how God's will comes about in our lives.  As we learn to live the Spirit-led life, more and more, we cease from making decisions in the natural, based on what we see and think, and instead make decisions based on what the Holy Spirit is telling us.

Let's look closer at these encounters that Paul was having with the Holy Spirit.  First, the Holy Spirit forbid him to go into Asia and preach the word.  I'm sure it seemed like a good idea to Paul to go into Asia, but it was not the right time in God's plan.  There are good ideas and then there are God ideas!

The original word translated "forbidden" in verse 6 is the Greek word kolyo and it means

"To prevent by word or act."

There are times when God will prevent something in our lives by some act – making it impossible to go in a certain direction.  In other words, God closes the door.  The promotion at work falls through... the scholarship to school gets denied... the relationship that you thought was from Him ends abruptly, etc.  In these times, God will give you a peace in your spirit that this is from Him.  It meets with discouragement initially, but as time passes, you begin to understand that is was not God's will.

There are also times when the Spirit of God prevents something in our life by speaking to us in the inward man.  He gives us a "check" in our spirit that something is not from Him, or not at this time.  By the same token, He gives us peace and a "green light" to move forward when something is His will.

In this instance, Paul got the check in his spirit - a red light - "don't go!"  If we want to be effective messengers for Christ, it is important that we not only have the right message, but also the right audience - at the right time.  Psalm 127:1 says, Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Next, Paul and his team tried to go into Bithynia, but again, the Holy Spirit did not permit them.  One may think that as long as you are doing what God has called you to do, that you can do it just anywhere.  While there may be a measure of blessing in this approach, the fullness of the blessing will only come from being in God's perfect will.  Kenneth Hagin used to have a saying about doing the right thing in the wrong place or at the wrong time; he said that it was like washing your feet with your socks on.  If we want God's full blessing in our lives, we must be willing to go where He wants us.  We cannot pursue God's will with built-in conditions.  "God, I will do what You want me to do, but only if..."

There is danger in relying solely on outward signs and confirmations to determine God's will.  While God will often confirm what He is saying in your inward man with outward signs, to base decisions solely upon these external factors is to deny the presence of the Holy Spirit within you.  God's highest order of guidance is through direct communion with you.

One might say that “I need these signs from God in order to have faith.”  Keep in mind that God dealt with Israel, His chosen people, under the Old Covenant, primarily through outward signs.  Under the New Covenant, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.  When God brought Israel out of Egypt, He gave them outward signs 24/7.  They knew exactly where they were supposed to be.  They had a cloud by day and a fire by night to give them clear and distinct direction at all times… yet they all died in the wilderness due to unbelief.

I once moved across the country and accepted the pastorate of a church because all of the external factors lined up.  I felt that I was finished where I was... this congregation contacted me and wanted me... my house sold on the first day I put it on the market... But all the while, I was miserable in my spirit.  I kept ignoring His voice and it got weaker and weaker.  I let the outward things overrule what the Holy Spirit was telling me... warning me.  It ended up being one of the worst experiences in my life.

It is certainly acceptable to pray for God to open doors that He wants you to go through and to close doors that He does not want you to go through; however, we must understand that we have an adversary who seeks to deceive us with counterfeit.  The antidote for that is the discernment that the Holy Spirit gives us in our spirit to know what is from God and what is from the enemy.  The word translated "discern" in the New Testament is the Greek word diakrino and it means "to separate, to distinguish one from another."  When two things look the same on the outside, the Holy Spirit is able to show us which one is from God.

I have had God tell me that something was from Him and it appeared in the natural that there was no way that it could happen.  In fact, everything that God has truly blessed me with has looked impossible at one point or another.  If I was basing everything off of opened and closed doors, I would have walked away from God's blessing many times.  If God speaks to you that something is His will, stand in faith, no matter what it looks like in the natural.  God has a plan and a purpose in how He is doing things.  It's great when everything falls into place and you have the peace of God to move forward, the green light.  But sometimes, God gives us His peace but allows the devil to test us in order to make us battle-tested.

Colossians 3:15 tells us to “let the peace of God rule in our hearts.”  The original word for rule in the Greek is brabeuo (pronounced brab-yoo-o) and literally means “to umpire.”  In sporting events, the umpire makes the call… the final decision.  He is in the best position to know what happened and his ruling is final.  God’s peace is much this way, acting like an umpire in our heart to let us know the will of God.

Back to our passage: Paul finally got God's direction.  He saw a vision from God of a man from Macedonia asking him to come over and help.  After prayer, it says that Paul "concluded" that this was from God.  Once you get God's direction, make a conclusion!  The time for being wishy-washy is over.  Don't be double-minded.  James warns us that if we are double-minded that we won't receive anything from the Lord

James 1:5-8

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

It is impossible to move forward if you are continually second-guessing your decisions.  Get God’s clear direction and then gird up the loins of your mind and be determined.  When you doubt yourself and whether or not you are in God’s will, it becomes easy to quit when things get challenging.  I have known pastors who started churches and quickly became discouraged because it wasn’t growing as fast as they expected.   Sadly, almost all of them quit before long.  If you want to be in the ministry, prepare for rejection because it will come.  Many times, the same people who are telling you how anointed you are will be spreading lies about you somewhere down the road because they are offended at something said or done.

As we continue with this passage in Acts 16, we are going to see why it was so important that Paul made a firm conclusion regarding God’s will.

Acts 16:16-18

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.

17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”

18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

When you follow God’s will as a Spirit-led believer, expect to have a few encounters with the devil!  The enemy wasn’t so concerned when you were off doing good works according to your thoughts and plans.  But when you get locked in on God’s will… His plan, Satan will send out an All Points Bulletin on your whereabouts.  You can expect to have some contact combat with the enemy when you are doing God’s will.

The original word translated as spirit of divination is the Greek word pythos, which literally means python.  A python suffocates its victims and this is how this demonic entity was ruling over this region.  But as the enemy likes to do, he was masquerading as a follower of Christ.  Paul listened to her say all the right things for several days, while feeling this suffocation in his spirit, before he turned to her and commanded the spirit to come out of her.  She was instantaneously delivered.

Of course her masters immediately realized that their profits were gone and had them beaten and thrown into prison.

Acts 16:20-24

20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;

21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”

22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.

23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

This would have been an appropriate time to get in the flesh and begin to question God’s will!  “Why did You let this happen to me God?!” “I was doing Your will… I should have gone into Asia… I should have gone into Bithynia…”  At times like these, it is easy to let the doubts begin to flood your mind.  Instead of complaining… instead of second-guessing and doubting God’s will, let’s look to see what Paul and Silas did:

Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Paul understood the secret to overcoming adversity… he knew the power of praise!  Every time the devil throws a shot at you, instead of getting mad at God, choose to praise Him.  You may think that everything would be easier if you’d chosen a different path, but easy is not the definition of God’s will.  God had a purpose for Paul being exactly where he was and if he had gotten bitter and angry, God’s objective would not have been accomplished.

Acts 16:26-31

26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.

28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”

29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

God brought deliverance in the situation and began a revival as a result of Paul’s obedience.  No matter what you are going through right now, God has a plan and a purpose.  Allow Him to work through you in order to touch the lives of those around you.  There is more at stake than your personal situation.  God’s will always puts us in a position to be a blessing to others.

Points to remember:

- God’s highest order of guidance for His people is through the Holy Spirit (John ch. 14-16, Rom. 8:14)

- While God opens and closes doors, we should always seek to know God’s direction in the inward man, the hidden man of the heart (Rev. 3:8)

- Let the peace of God rule (umpire) in your heart (Col. 3:15)

- Expect opposition from the enemy as you pursue God’s plan for your life (1 Thes. 2:18)

- Praise and thank God in all things! (1 Thes. 5:18)

There are some who reading this who need to change their lives in order to fulfill God’s destiny.  It seems too big… insurmountable.  Know this: you will never change your destiny until you change something that you do daily.  The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.  Begin today!  Take the step of faith necessary to accomplish God’s will for your life.

The Spirit-filled life is one of adventure and power, amidst great opposition.  Through the Holy Spirit you can overcome all the trials of life. Step outside of your comfort zone and be a willing vessel.

Remember, what Jesus stated was the purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism:

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Table of Contents

End-Time Revival

What Did Jesus Have to Say About the Holy Spirit?

Why Every Believer Should Pray in Tongues

Fallacies about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Bible Way to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Victory in Jesus

Spiritual Warfare

Winning the Battle for the Mind

The Importance of Worship

Four Circles of Anointing

God’s Will and the Spirit Led Life