A Grain Of Wheat Ministries
Read Online
Light in the Darkness
THE SPIRITUAL CONFLICT
Chapter 7
A "Grain Of Wheat" Ministries publication
Written by David W. Dyer
INDEX
Chapter 1: GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN
Chapter 2: HOW THE DEVIL WORKS
Chapter 3: THERE IS A SAVIOR!
Chapter 4: BEING TRANSPARENT WITH GOD
Chapter 5: THE SOUL-LIFE
Chapter 6: HOW GOD MADE MAN
Chapter 7: THE SPIRITUAL CONFLICT (Current Chapter)
Chapter 8: REBUKING OR “BINDING” THE DEVIL
Chapter 7: THE SPIRITUAL CONFLICT
This then brings us back to our first subject which we touched upon in the beginning of this writing where we spoke about a conflict in the spiritual realms of this world. God introduced Adam and Eve into a hostile spiritual environment with instructions to conquer and subdue it. We all know how they failed.
But through Jesus the Anointed One, God is again working to complete this task. He is calling men and women to Himself. He is putting His own life within them and causing them to live righteous lives.
Here, in the middle of Satan’s kingdom, there are human beings living under the government of God! He, working in them and through them, is expressing His holiness right here in Satan’s kingdom. As His life grows up within them, the influence of the evil spirits grows less and less. God is undoing the devil’s programming in their minds. They are no longer his pawns which he used to do his will.
This then becomes a threat to the devil’s sovereignty. His kingdom is under attack. He is losing his hold over many human beings which had previously been under his influence and control. These human beings with God inside of them are also being used to help free others from darkness and sin. They are increasingly God’s instruments through which He speaks and works here on earth.
Since they are becoming more and more free from Satan’s influence, they are defeating him in many ways. This is a great glory to God but a shame to the enemy.
Jesus was a perfect example of a human being over whom the devil had no control. Satan had no beachhead or “ground” in Jesus’ mind through which he could influence Him. Jesus stated: “...for the prince of the world is coming, yet he has nothing in me” (Jn 14:30).
Jesus was the forerunner, the One who has gone in front of us to show us the way. In Him, we see the goal, and He is the one who will do the work in us as we open to Him.
Perhaps some believers have supposed that becoming mature spiritually and getting many victories over sin and deception would lead to a more tranquil life. However, many times just the opposite is the case.
Instead of enjoying a blissful existence, we are thrown more into the spiritual battle for the universe. Instead of finding outward peace, we are confronted with many different kinds of satanic attacks. This is not because we are somehow doing something wrong, but because we are becoming a threat to the kingdom of darkness.
These spiritual attacks can come in many forms. We can be bombarded with discouraging thoughts. We can feel our minds under some kind of pressure that is difficult to describe.
We can be violently accused about something we did which did not offend God, but was in an area where we have a certain weakness. He may arrange some temptations which take all our strength to resist. The devil can arrange circumstances, even using our family and/or people around us to cause us extreme stress.
His purpose in this stress is to push us beyond the limits of our self-control so that we do or say things which are not in harmony with God. We might lose our temper. We might say or do things which are not right. His strategy is to pressure us until we fall in some way.
These trials can become very extreme and the pressure be very great. Sometimes we can be under a kind of spiritual pressure which we don’t think we can endure another minute.
Paul describes a little of this kind of experience when he says: “For we don’t want you to be unaware, brethren, of the suffering which we experienced in Asia. There we were under extreme pressure, far beyond our strength to withstand, so much so that we despaired even of life itself” (2 Cor 1:8). Although this kind of pressure is not constant, it can happen from time to time.
Our job as believers is to just keep standing firmly in the Lord. Using His strength and the “armor” which He has given us, we must not succumb to the impulses to do or say something to try to get relief. We must “stand in the evil day” (Eph 6:13). Our part of this battle is to “resist the devil” (Js 4:7). Our victory is in making it through to the end of the trial without sinning in any way, without expressing our flesh.
This is very important. When the devil arranges such trials for us and we fall, he is showing the universe that he is victorious and has power over us.
But when we make it through these tests without expressing the fallen nature, then Jesus’ victory over Satan becomes our victory and we are then more prepared to help others through their difficult times.
We read: “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon, look, Satan has petitioned to be permitted to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you so that your faith doesn’t fail. And once you have returned from this test, strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:31,32).
This “sift you like wheat” must have been quite an extreme trial. Satan was going to pass him through a severe process. It is not only Peter that is put to these tests, but we are also. However, in His wisdom, God allows these things for our good. When we fail, it helps us see our weakness and cry out to God for transformation. When we are victorious, it is a glory to Him.
End of Chapter 7
Read other chapters online:
Chapter 1: GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN
Chapter 2: HOW THE DEVIL WORKS
Chapter 3: THERE IS A SAVIOR!
Chapter 4: BEING TRANSPARENT WITH GOD
Chapter 5: THE SOUL-LIFE
Chapter 6: HOW GOD MADE MAN
Chapter 7: THE SPIRITUAL CONFLICT (Current Chapter)
Chapter 8: REBUKING OR “BINDING” THE DEVIL
We are always looking to offer books in more languages.
