"Learning the Hard Way" - Too

 "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" (Hebrews 5:8 KJV)

  "Don't look out only for your own interest, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." (Philippians 2:4-8 NLT)

 So yesterday there were two messages I heard about that same message I shared yesterday morning. We really have to believe that God is speaking to us; and we really do need to listen! One of those messages was dealing with our need to get free from the power of the enemy. Something we need to understand, which is not a thing that our flesh is all that willing to do.

 Back in the early days, I had several copies of a book called, "Counter Attack," which was about taking down strongholds. As I was reading the end of 2 Chronicles to my wife last night, I was reminded about how easy it is for us to creep back into doing things which do not glorify the Lord. They don't really need to be the things we think are wickedness; they can just be things which do not put all of our trust in God. As the children of Israel repeatedly did, offering to and worshipping other gods, almost as if it were an addiction, they couldn't stop! 

 We must not forget that Israel is pretty much a mirror image of ourselves; not only do we have the same blessings that God has given them, but we also have the same up and down spiritual battles that they had to deal with, on so many levels. Which is where that book had the most to say about why we have more ability to overcome, if we just stay on the offence and not the defense, as if we don't have more weapons than the enemy does, because we most certainly do! 

 Or, maybe we don't want to use them, maybe because are afraid, they might interfere with the things we keep wanting to do...

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For our weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV)