Posted on July 25, 2017 by Steven Richichi

Where Swords Are Crossed

Matthew 10:34 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.”  When you were born into the earth you were born into a war zone.  When you got born again the war didn’t stop, you just changed sides!  Faith is the weapon you use tear down the kingdom of darkness and advance the kingdom of God.  To be forewarned is to be forearmed!

1 Timothy 6:12  “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”  2 Timothy 4:7  “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

Luke 10:19 (ESV) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.  James 4:7  “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”   Satan’s only weapon is deception which he uses to get you to surrender the power you have.  Here are some critical areas where the devil will fight you with fiery darts:

  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER THE  WORD AND PRAYER.  Acts 6:1-4 (ESV)  Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Prayer is God’s invitation to get involved.  God can whip the devil with one hand tied behind His back.  With prayer, He chooses to let people get involved in the devil’s defeat.  The Word is the sword you use.  This is true for the believer who has their own ministry.  God chose man to win a spiritual battle.  If you are to prevail, you must pray.  It must be a priority.  Don’t let distractions like phone calls and texts stop you.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER PRAISE.  Psalms 8:2 (ESV) Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established STRENGTH (translated “praise” in Matt. 21:16) because of your foes, to STILL (Satan uses WORDS to fight) the enemy and the avenger. Psalms 9:1-3 (ESV)  I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. 2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.  3 WHEN my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish BEFORE YOUR PRESENCE.  Praise ushers in the presence of God and silences the enemy..  The devil uses words, but praise shuts him up.  If you can shut the enemy up, you win the battle.  By an act of your will you can praise God.  The devil hates praise – he wants it for himself.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER MARRIAGE. Malachi 2:13-15 (ESV Strong’s)  And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves   1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)  Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.  Lack of respect of the wife will lead to strife and unanswered prayer.  Marriage has three main points of contention: MONEY, SEX, AND COMMUNICATION.  God hates divorce, be sure the devil loves it.  
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER CHILDREN, BOTH HAVING THEM AND TRAINING THEM.  They are the heritage of the Lord, the ones who carry the knowledge of God into the next generation.  A blessing, an arrow in y9our quiver – why would you want to stop that?  You have a divine responsibility to train them – according to their “bent” or God given gifts and personality.  They have different personalities and temperaments.  What is their school training them in? American public schools, by law, train them in secular humanism.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER SOULS.  Matthew 28:18-20   You are called to influence souls for the kingdom of God…be sure there will be resistance.  Witness, you have the power.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.  Psalms 72:1-4 (ESV)  Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!  2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!  3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!  4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!  Remember, the devil is an oppressor and cruel tyrant, Jesus came to bring liberty to the captives and oppressed.  Luke 4:18-19 Jesus came to “set captives free.”
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER EDUCATION.  Train up your child!  Education is the way children, people and nations are discipled.  Evolution (total exclusion of God the Creator), homosexuality, history (no resemblance to what actually happened), world view (American exceptionalism) are perverted by the public school system.  Its not always what they hear, its what they don’t hear! Public schools are forbidden by law to tell the truth.  Colleges are even worse. The UW system is among the most liberal.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER POLITICS.  Politics is simply the making of policy or setting a course of action.  Your mission is to promote policies that strengthen the nation and advance the kingdom of God.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER LAND.  The control of physical turf.  You can pass through, dwell on or you can possess.  The devil wants to possess the land.  The kingdoms of this earth belong to the living God.  Your home is sanctified property.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER MONEY.  Ecclesiastes 10:19 (NKJV)  A feast is made for laughter,  And wine makes merry; But money answers everything.  Where your treasure is…  Jesus said money was to be used to influence people for eternity.  Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) 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. Money is neutral – it takes on the personality of its owner.  Your money equals your life.  It’s fluid.  The devil wants to possess it.
  1. THE DEVIL WILL FIGHT YOU OVER PRIORITIES.  There are three priorities, God, Country, and Family.  God is first, country comes before your family.  That’s why we need to be involved.  America is unique.  It was founded for religious freedom to workship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Constitution of America is based on the Word of God.  Third is Family.  God wants your family to be blessed.  When we get things out of order we have a problem.  It is good to go to church.  Christians have to make choices about schools.  They choose public because it is “free” or because it has a great sports program.  But what does it cost?  Make sure “family time” doesn’t trump “God time”.  

The wicked are Satan’s ministers, the righteous are God’s, there are many non-combatants in the middle.  Take up your sword for God in these areas and you’ll find that YOU CAN PUT A THOUSAND TO FLIGHT!