FEAR FACTOR - YOKE DESTROYED

FEAR FACTOR - YOKE DESTROYED - ISAIAH 10:27

Scriptures from the King James Bible

Isaiah 10:27
...and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 

One of the most effective weapons that Satan uses against Christians is fear.  I speak as one who knows from experience.

There was a season when I was a Christian who had more faith in the devil than in our Lord.  Satan had me scared on the regular.  The Holy Bible was a great help, as was prayer, church, and fellowshipping with other Christians.  But fear continued to grip me about various issues.  The best way to describe it is that the Word of GOD was in my head but had NOT yet penetrated my heart in sufficient manner where I could regularly and effectively believe GOD over Satan.  As a result, my faith was more in Satan's words, threats, and actions.  I'm keeping it real here, people.  There were times when I allowed Satan to deceive me into believing that he had more power than GOD - UNTIL - thanks be unto GOD, I learned through process channels designed by our Lord, how to regularly and effectively fight the devil from a place of victory. 

I learned to triumph over Satan by refusing to unduly discuss what he is doing to oppose GOD's purposes.  There are seasons when we need to vent about our challenges as there are seasons when it is justified to complain but, too often, some of GOD'S people invest overtime in venting and complaining about how Satan fights against us.  To do such, glorifies Satan rather than GOD. 

We are commanded to love our enemies.  That is one of the most effective ways to fight the devil.  Love the sinner - hate the sin.

Our Lord taught that we can fight Satan by quoting scripture as JESUS did in Matthew 4.  We can be transformed by renewing our minds in GOD'S Word daily - Romans 12:2.  We can sing and praise our Lord in song, dance, and prayer regularly with fervency.  Most importantly, we are commanded to be doers of the Word of GOD.  Those are GOD'S ways to fight and to resist the devil.   

Yes, our Lord can root and ground us so powerfully that our mind sets and heart sets become one with Him.  It is certainly possible that our automatic responses become increasingly GOD-minded.  GOD can get us to places in Him where we are fully persuaded that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.  There was a season in my life when I would quote that, and other scriptures but my heart was not rooted in those scriptural truths.  My head believed but my heart just didn't get it.

I had to be processed by our Lord to obtain a rock solid belief system.  After various tests and trials, the Lord has worked in me such certainty about His power over all, that it is rare that Satan frightens me.  I say rare, rather than not at all because we know that our flesh makes appearances and we are charged to bring it under subjection.

I don't know if this is the case for anyone else this fresh new year but Satan has already come on strong against me.  My spiritual sense indicates that his fury is fiercer.  Does anyone else get that spiritual sense?

Well, this is a warning for us all.  We are commanded NOT to fear the devil but we must be vigilant because his fury is on the increase because he knows that his time is shorter.

We Christians must fight against fear because the Word of GOD tells us in Matthew 25:25, 26, "And I was afraid, and went and hid..."  "His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant,..."

Of course, baby Christians need to mature and it is understandable that they have more fear issues.  But for some more experienced Christians who have been saved for lengthy periods of time yet still are regularly seized by fear, it is time to grow up.  Otherwise, Satan will continue to wreak havoc on such minds and hearts.

Seek GOD, in earnest, for how to fight the devil and to win on the regular!  Satan aims to devour and what often happens is that too many Christians give Satan ground and he seizes those opportunities to shake to the core.  Truth be told - some Christians are terrified of Satan and have been for longer than the extent of our Lord's longsuffering.  I was afraid a lot until our Lord taught me how to regularly overcome.  After sufficient processes, the Lord told me - enough!  He emphatically told me to stop whining and surrendering to the wiles of Satan, and to execute with GOD's full armour - Ephesians 6.  Our Lord made it clear that He had sufficiently prepared me - now it was up to me to go to it and do it - habitually.  GOD will NOT do it all.  

1 Samuel 17:45 says, "Then said David to the Philistine, thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."  And 1 Samuel 17:48, "...David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine."  

Satan is NOT going to lay down his weapons.  More Christians need to pick up theirs and FIGHT.  Now is the time to fight and to know that, through JESUS, we have the victories.  We are charged to fight the forces of darkness.  If we refuse, Satan celebrates.  

Demons and devils are here.  Principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places - they are all here.  Failure to deal with such will NOT make them disappear.  In the Word of GOD, we read where JESUS rebuked, and cast out devils.  He was NOT afraid of them.  He had and has authority over all the power of the enemy.  We have been given power and authority over all devils.  It says so in GOD's Word.  Luke 9:1, "...and gave them power and authority over all devils,..."  And Luke 10:19, "Behold, I give unto you power...over all the power of the enemy:..." 

We cannot afford to be spiritual punks, or wimps.  Satan can consume only if we cease to yield to our Lord and resist the devil. 

Nehemiah 4:14, "...Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight..."  Nehemiah 4:17, "...every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon."  Jeremiah 51:20, "Thou art my battle ax and weapons of war:..."  Joel 2:7, "They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks."

We can do this, people.  We are built to last - not to faint.  

The Word of GOD is quick and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword - Hebrews 4:12.  We are not our own - we are  bought with a price - 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.  JESUS did not shed his blood to purchase us to have his sheep as prey for the devil.  He died and rose again for us to have Satan as our prey.  We are NOT expected to be tormented by the devil.  We are charged to torment him. 

Let us live up to our Lord's purchase.  Let us reign - in this life - so that we can hear Him say in the next life, "Well done, good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of the Lord." - Matthew 25:23.  

1 Corinthians 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Revelation 5:10
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.   

Sandra Renee Hicks
P.O. Box 1210
Washington, DC  20013


Written Monday January 17, 2011