Q4. Seated with Christ in Heavenly Places
#1
Posted 24 July 2006 - 01:21 AM
#2
Posted 01 October 2006 - 05:05 AM
Gods creation does precisely what God created it to do - all of it except us... Today's study really has been an encouragement, thank you.
Ken Haynes
S.A.F.E. Ministries SETTING ADDICTIONS FREE ETERNALLY
http://mysite.verizon.net/resq9hok/
#3
Posted 02 October 2006 - 12:17 AM
Paul's mention of Jesus' power over death, the Name above all Names--the Highest--is the living Lord, He has been given the authority over all things on earth. This has been mentioned by Paul to encourage the believers. We don't have to feel defeated...Christ is Victor! He's on our team & we can't lose!!
We feel powerless in the face of spiritual enemies because we are relying on our own strength.
Paul was encouraging the Ephesians by showing them how much power our God has & then that we can tap into the very power which raised Christ from the dead.
Writing this again places me in awe as to the kind of power God has & that we can have that power too--so hard to understand the scope of that power!! I guess we all need to be encouraged in those thoughts and back it up with regular Bible reading/study. Wow!
Lord, how can you stretch me today? I praise you! Amen.
#4
Posted 02 October 2006 - 12:14 PM
As Paul exalts Christ's complete victory and superior rank over all spiritual powers, he is giving all of us the encouragement that there is absolutely no enitity or force in all of the universe and beyond that is mighty enough to defeat the power of God - power that dwells within us! Everything/anything that comes against us is already under His feet in the stance of victory. A head will never betray or desert its body. We can trust that this immeasurable power and great might of God will not fail us. It's our call to believe it and trust our lives into His hands.
#5
Posted 03 October 2006 - 12:44 AM
The first question is horrible but essential. I think a lot of it is ignorance. We need a lot more teaching on this in our churches, and a lot more practice in our prayer meetings. Then people can take it home and practice it therein daily life as well. But the other side of the question is about personal inertia, the I'm alright Jack syndrome. We believers don't have the right to such inertia because it does not glorify Father and is totally absent in Him. There is tremendous need out there in our communities and powerful prayer is definitely our responsibility. Where there is no love then nothing else has value (1 Cor 13:1). The whole point about being born again into the spirit is that we become alive to what the Spirit is doing and participate in it in Spirit and in Truth with the whole of our heart (emotion power, love, compassion), mind (mental brilliance submitted to Christ - the mind of Christ in us), soul (will, determination, persistance, vision, community membership, dreams,)and strength (money, education, muscle, affiliations, giftings, wisdom and understanding, forgiveness, teaching the next generation all we know, vigour, passion, values and faith).
Christ's [/b]VICTORY[b] is the whole good news, because we are supposed to walk in the very same victory that he already walked in. We have the power of His Name in order to win every battle. If we haven't got that we have nothing! Victory and overcoming is what will be celebrated in Heaven (Rev. 2,3) Victory is the outcome of faith, and Jesus' concern was whether He would find faith on the earth when He returned. faith is manifested in victory! This is the Message we preach and believe. This is the essence!
Feeling powerless is a consequence of ignorance (overcome by teaching and study of the Word of God) and inertia (lack of application or due diligence if you like!) We would not apply it to our businesses. We need to apply wisdom and due diligence to our faith.
Paul was assuring the Ephesians of Christ's power, authority, positioning above all other forces or entities which are described as "under his feet". He assured them of their participation in all this as the body of which Christ is the head, undivided, unassailable, and in total authority on earth. We just need to send our messages to the brain (Jesus) which will respond appropriately! But we need to do that constantly as it happens in our own bodies!
This encourages us to be in constant contact with the head about every situation. We need to pray without ceasing, giving the brain (Jesus) constant feedback about the situation in every part of the body (us), so that the brain can keep things in right order and appropriate responses. If the situations are painful, our messages to the brain will double, triple in intensity (using the powers that have been made available to us) until the needed response comes back. The body won't let up on its needs being met (prayers for those in the community of faith and those who need to be).
#6
Posted 03 October 2006 - 03:30 AM
I believe that Paul thought it important enough to mention being prepared for engaging in spiritual warfare because Satan does not lose easily, he will do everything in his power to try to make us believe that we, as believers in Christ, are still within his reach. Paul was doing his best to prepare the Ephesians and other readers of his letters to be constantly ready for an attack, to not rest in the belief that a Christian's life is easy.
#7
Posted 03 October 2006 - 05:14 AM
For me, it has in the past been because again, I was programmed in a church where I was taught that satan controls the world and all that is in it. This passage of teaching came from when Jesus was in the wilderness with satan and when he offered all the power and the glory of it to Jesus.
Satan tried to use his power over Jesus like he did over the first Adam. Jesus knew He had the authority but didn’t use it or wield it. Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Jesus was not alone when satan tempted Him. When the devil said unto Him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
I think Jesus had a great big smile upon His face when He replied, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. It was like Jesus said, “look here buddy, I am God so don’t tempt me and remember next time that you are to bow before Me.”
Knowing that , ‘in the name of Jesus’, we have the same power over satan, I am not afraid of him anymore. He knows that I know the truth and in reality, satan fears us. That’s why he tries to make us stumble to make God out to be a liar. But when we walk with the power of God inside us, we walk right over the top of satan, and he knows that he is defeated by those who truly walk in the spirit. This doesn’t keep him from trying, it only teaches us to keep our weapons sharp and ready.
Why is Christ's exaltation, demonstration of complete victory, and superior rank over all spiritual powers important enough for Paul to mention it to his readers?
So that we would know that we walk with the Victor in our corner.
Why do we tend to feel powerless in the face of spiritual enemies? Because sometimes we falter in faith when we are attacked. Something comes along and we begin to look at that and our eyes are turned away from Him and we loose our focus. Because we shrink in the face of the enemy, we weaken in our faith. But thank God, He reminds us of who we are in Him and then we get up off the ground and come out fighting in truth and in love and by His word, we stand boldly against the evil one. The power over fear of death and death it’s self is broken. We need not be afraid but instead, rejoice in The Lord. That too makes satan cringe. Again, I say, “Rejoice in The Lord always!”
What was Paul assuring the Ephesians of? That they, like we are not controlled by the sinful nature but instead we are controlled by the Spirit of God who dwells in us. It is His Spirit which is alive and well with-in.
What does this encourage us to do? To stand bold in the Name of Jesus.
#8 Guest_Tabatha_*
Posted 03 October 2006 - 04:07 PM
I say all this to say the church's neglect to teach that we have the authority with in us to overcome the enemy if we would just release our faith and believeHe would dwell within us is greater than he who is in the world. The word also say be not ignorant of his (devil) devices ( 2 cor. 2:11) Christians don't realize the power they have in the blood and the name of Jesus. They just don't declare or decree the weapons of warfare God has given them. They are afraid of the spirit realm. That is why the giftings are not used in the church's plus lack of teaching. Christians need to wake up and realize we are at war not only in the natural but also in the spiritual.
We also make our selves powerless because of our words. Words are powerful we can either speak a curse or a blessing opening up the door for the enemy.( Matthew 12: 31-36 )
#9
Posted 04 October 2006 - 09:42 AM
We have a hard time accepting thing we can't see,feel or touch. We have a hard time allowing ourselves to believe that there can be a spiritual force at work in us and other, and even around us causing thing to happen that effect our lives.
Paul want the people to know that Christ is in charge of all things not just them. He has and will control all evil as well as good in the time set by the Father. He is the Head and thus has the ability to know and control all things.
We feel powerless because we can see spirits thus we can't control them physically, wew give in to the idea that we are not in control. We forget that God has given us the power aof prayer and through Him we can have dominion over the things we can't see.
Paul was reassuring them that even though they were going through hard time and for some physicial punishment for their belief in Christ that God was in control and had given Jesus all power when He raised Him from the dead. Jesus would be the lasting power in their life, they would need no other to see them through. He would be there as Head in this life and the one to come.
It incourages us to remain faithful knowing we have the same promise that Christ is also our head, and thus He is in total control. We are His bought with a price and He will see us through if we only stay faithful and trust in Him for all things.
#10
Posted 04 October 2006 - 01:52 PM
Paul makes it abundantly clear throughout his writings that we are engaged in a war, a war for our souls as this is the only way that the enemy can hurt a victorious God. Paul teaches us the reality of the hierarchy of angels and devils and that our Lord is the Head of all having put all things under His feet at Calvary.
When we become enlightened about spiritual attacks to ourselves we are often defenseless by ignorance, forgetting that at the very name of Jesus the devil has to flee and that, we are covered by the Lord's blood, which when we plead, the Adversary cannot pentrate. This is a foundation belief that many contemporary Christians have a hard time accepting. So, Paul pleads with us to use the power of the Holy Spirit to fight our foe knowing that we have the victory in Jesus, the One, the Almighty Potentate.
It is very refreshing and energizing to start each day victorious. Put the devil at bay, in the name of Jesus!
#11
Posted 04 October 2006 - 03:30 PM
Pastor Ralph, on Jul 23 2006, 09:21 PM, said:
Afraid we are not fully equipped. We need to remember that He that has appointed us, has equipped us and that through Jesus we have strength and power (unimaginable). Easy words to say, hard actions to do. It comes down to do you really believe what you believe? It's scary to think of the power we have access to. I appreciate how Paul brought words of encouragement. I need to stay in the Word and remain strong in my faith that through the power of God I can achieve great things for the Father. I loved the comparison to WWII occupation. What a great way to think of our victory in Jesus and that now we must do clean up and get the message of freedom out to those who haven't heard
#12
Posted 04 October 2006 - 04:50 PM
Pastor Ralph, on Jul 24 2006, 02:21 AM, said:
I guess there are various reasons why we take a "pass" when it comes to spiritual warfare. Maybe we're unaware it's happening. Possibly we try to fight it ourselves without Christ and the Holy Spirit working within us.
As Christians we can be confident that Christ has won the final victory - we cannot lose. The contract has been signed, all we have to do is wait a short while for delivery.
Thank you Lord,
John.
#13
Posted 04 October 2006 - 09:14 PM
We take a pass on spiritual warfare because we are afraid and we are not equipped for this type of warfare. Would a man go to war without his armor? Would this man not have a plan for battle? Would this man not weigh the cost of this battle by being prepared? If a man does not know how to fight why would he go to battle?
Many of us are not prepared eventhough we believe that we are. But when tragedy hits us we cry out to the Lord because we are not prepared. That is why Paul stresses the importance of Faith. Not just saying you have faith, but believing that the Battle has already been won. Believing that we posess the power to overcome every adversity that satan throws at us. We must believe that we are his children and he has prepared us, he has even given his Son to show us the way. We must study and be prepared because the battles we face now are nothing compared to the battle that lies ahead. Paul is trying to give us the armor we need to win ALL battles for Christ. We must not leave this responsibility to someone else getting the Truth Out, we as true Christians must be prepared so we can prepare others for the battles that are ahead.
#14
Posted 04 October 2006 - 09:17 PM
We often pass because instead of looking at the battle in the spiritual we feel it with our flesh. It is not a battle that can be fault anyother way except by the spirit. It takes the same thing for us it took for Jesus, death. Not the physical death but Jesus died to everything except the Father's will and we will have to die to everything but the will of Jesus Christ.
Christ is our example and he overcame the power of His enemies. With the conquering done by Jesus as His heirs and co heirs we also have the power to overcome our enemies.
We feel powerless because our eyes see the natural that says it is impossible but by the spirit we can say and know that all things are possible through Jesus Christ.
Paul assured them and encourages us that Christ is real, he is alive not just a idol God that sits there unable to deliver and save but Christ paid it all for us and all that Christ has is ours if we abide in Him and He in us.
#15
Posted 05 October 2006 - 12:22 AM
Westerners have some problem with releasing their emotion into things. There is some stranglehold on getting involved. My brother grew up as a highland dancer, yet now he will not dance with his wife. It's not lack of ability. It's some sort of cultural prohibition. I believe the same prohibition strangles our prayer life, our passionate giving of ourselves to each other, to warfare, to loving. How often do we see people prostrate themselves in repentance or worship. It "isn't done!". Our pastors (very young church) have had an international miracle ministry, yet in our church the pace is so slow. They have been trying desperately to invoke our passion in services and after three years it's is just beginning to show. "Worship the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART, MIND, SOUL AND STRENGTH says our God. We can barrack at the football like maniacs, but in church we think we have to be restrained and conservative! Forget it. Forget what other people think. Go into services and get excited, responsive, jump up and down, yell agreement with the pastor, clap, kneel, dance, praise furiously, passionately. Talk Jesus all week and hug everybody. Find out how you can serve your brother/sister in Christ. Jealously guard daily praise, worship, prayer and study. Encourage one another in this. Be a leader in applying great passion to the Lord. He did it for us! He says we are not to be ashamed before men, and He will then acknowledge us before His Father in Heaven.
We have a wonderful prayer meeting in which we are free to worship, speak the words,visions that theSpirit is giving us, get confirmation fromeach othere of the way theSpirit is leading, bring in Scripture, sing, dance, clap, shout, prophesy, whatever. Few are there. We are just beginning to break ice! I am so thankful to be there. We are taught to come with great excitement and expectation about what the Spirit will do, to come prepared with our own prayer life in order, bring the annointing in with us from our own prayer closet. We are learning. Our worship leader won't stop worshipping until he feels breakthrough in the Heavenlies. I thank God for pastors that haven't completely given up on us, seeing that they see so much on their overseas missions. How they have struggled with us. What incredible examples they have set!
Oh, brothers and sisters, let us take up the banners, let us forge a new way within our culture. God has invested so much in us that we are not using! Our talents are buried in the ground and we are culpable, answerable. "All our heart, mind, soul and strength" means swing from the chandeliers if that's what it takes!
Christ's exaltation, demonstration of complete victory, and superior rank over all spiritual powers is important because the same power works in us, His people. We have the use of His Name, the seal of the HolySpirit, and to be ineffective in using it is a blasphemy of His Name. Not to walk in the works that He has prepared for us to walk in is an abuse of the HolySpirit. It is to misrepresent Christ to the world. At all costs we have to break through! Our inertia is deadly! Let us bury it! Let us seek the Spirit diligently as did the disciples praying for the imprisoned Peter. They gathered together and simply didn't stop praying, worshipping, until he knocked on the door. Where is our love today? Buried in a mountainof worldly expectation. Why are we not praying in the early hours of the morning? Jesus always was! Why is our heart not throbbing with first love every moment of the day? Solomon's beloved's was. Why is our ear not tuned to the Spirit as it is to our ipod's and cell phones? What a waste!
Why powerless in the face of the spiritual enemies? Ignorance and lack of due diligence. It's all in the Bible. There is nothing hidden any more. There is so much good teaching available to us today. There is no excuse.
What is Paul assuring the Ephesians of? He is telling them that everything is there. All it requires is our implementation.
Hopefully it encourages us to repent of inertia and change our habits! The table has been abundantly laid but the wedding guests are too busy or don't dress correctly.
#16
Posted 05 October 2006 - 12:28 AM
Paul wanted the Ephesians (chrisitians) to be aware that they have power and authority over Satan, the enemy. They received this benefit, the authority, when they were saved and received the Holy Spirit. They have the authority by using "The name of Jesus" as well as they are covered by the blood of Jesus. Satan flees when "The Blood" is mentioned.
Some Christians feel powerless, if they are not grounded in the Word and do not practice a personal and daily time with the Lord. They allow their faith to get weak.
I believe that Paul was assuring the Ephesians that they, as christians, have the power and authority to get in Satan's face. Paul knew that this would help them build up their Faith.
We should be encouraged in knoweng that we are in Christ and He is in us and that we have the Power and Authority to speak to the enemy "in Jesus name". Satan must get off our shoulders and flee. We are children of God. We have that authority. All we got to do is utilize it....if you will put it into action. Be build up in your most Holy Faith.
#17
Posted 05 October 2006 - 04:24 AM
#18
Posted 05 October 2006 - 07:51 AM
Pauls response is critical to the church at Ephesus, and to us, as a reminder WHO Christ is! That He rules over EVERYTHING. He is the one we focus on, draw strength from, praise and adore, He alone. With that in mind with Christ on our side nothing can stand up to that. Be it spiritual, physical, whatever, we are tapped into the greatest power in the universe. That is what Paul is reminding us about.
Perhaps we feel 'powerless' because we are trying to fight on our own strength, we cannot sustain that at all!
As Christians we have the Holy Spirit within us, empowering us against spiritual attacks. Prayer and the Word are definetly Very Powerful weapons we have at our disposal. So we need to soak in the Word and praying on our knees daily!!
Paul is assuring us of victory in Christ, with Christ who is above all, we will stand together against the evil one.
Pray, pray and soak in His Word!!!
#19
Posted 05 October 2006 - 08:48 AM
Paul needed to let Christians know that Christ is the Head of the Church and has been exalted above all powers. This information is to let us know that since our Captain is the head and is more powerful than any other power, it follows that we (in Him and He in us) are also exalted and should not therefore go timidly about in fear. Praise God for the power we have in Christ Jesus.
We tend to feel powerless in the face of warfare because we do not remember to fall back on the source of our power but rather, we face battle in the power of our own strenth. We see only our weakness or the size of the enemy. The Children of Israel saw the size of Goliath and knew the history of his victories and were thus very afraid of him because they failed to remeber that their God was more powerful than any being. However David knew that victory was not by their might/ power but by the Spirit of God. This made him courageous to face Goliath victoriously.
Pual was assuring the Ephesians that they had power to be victorius Christians because they had the source power that was more powerful than any other. This assuarance is for us too and should encourage us to face our battles with courage and faith in the power of God.
#20
Posted 05 October 2006 - 09:53 AM
Pastor Ralph, on Jul 24 2006, 01:21 AM, said:
We so often take a “pass” when it comes to spiritual warfare, because we human who live in physical world tend not dislike to enter spiritual world. We often feel fear and not having enough strength, faith, armor and skill to enter the war.
Christ's exaltation, demonstration of complete victory, and superior rank over all spiritual powers is important enough for Paul to mention it to his readers, because by that Paul want to tell us how great, superior, and powerful is Christ who is our head, who will accompany and help us in the spiritual war.
We tend to feel powerless in the face of spiritual enemies because we do not know our power and armor, or we know but we do not have confidence. The devil is expert for making us fell powerless by his roaring (1 Peter 5:8). He want us to see him more powerful than us, but actually not.
Paul was assuring the Ephesians of that we have the great power because God has given us it, so that we are much more powerful that our enemies.
This encourages me to enter bravely the warfare and do my duties that is just a mop-up operation, as Occupation Force for Jesus and as an Expiditionary Force

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