Arise!

Then Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." Mark 5:9..."The Church doing Christ's mission with Christ's heart in Christ's power should expect....full demonic assault met with decisive Kingdom conquest....When Jesus is on the move, the demons get no rest." Mark Buchanan

In His Word, whenever Christ encountered the demonic, there was usually a uniform response; violence. Not violence against Him, because they knew they had no power over Him. It was violence against those they possessed, their victims. Almost always, the humans they possessed sought to do harm to themselves, wounding and cutting their bodies, throwing themselves into a fire, and other destructive acts. In all of these, Christ silenced their voices, and broke their power over the ones they tormented. The truth of Buchanan's words were shown again and again in Christ's ministry. Some form of demonic assault always rose up against it. It still does, and we're seeing it unfold before our very eyes in our day.

We are seeing violence, lawlessness, rebellion, in unprecedented ways in our culture and throughout the world. Many see it as evidence for Christ's soon return, and perhaps it is, but what I believe is even clearer is that the enemy is rising up in these unrestrained ways because the sleeping church in the west is finally waking up, and hearing the words, "Arise, shine, for your light has come." True, many parts of His Body remain asleep or drowsing, but everywhere there are believers crying out to Him, turning away from that which is profane in order to lay hold of that which is holy. Satan has noticed, and he assaults this moving with all his might. Buchanan says that when Jesus is moving, demons get no rest. He certainly isn't at rest in the days we live in now.

It's always been popular to say the devil knows he's defeated. I've a good pastor friend that disagrees with that statement, and I agree with him. He said that the devil doesn't believe he's defeated at all. He thinks he can still win. He doesn't believe he was defeated at Christ's cross. He doesn't believe he was defeated by the empty tomb. I expect he will spend eternity in his hell refusing to believe he is beaten. So he fights on....in futility. But we, the people of the Spirit, cannot be complacent. We must respond to his assaults in His Holy Spirit power. We will see them intensify in these days and those to come. If we will press on in His power, we will experience decisive victory because that is the victory won by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's the only victory He knows. His victory is ours, but it is not entered into by slumbering at the side of the road. It is entered into by way of the cross and the resurrection. Yet, in which do we and our fellowships find ourselves? In slumber, or moving in the power of His resurrection?

I mentioned violence in the devil's assault, but there is a subtler, more disguised "violence" against us as well. We're seeing it in the form of the demonic control he seeks to implement against first the church, and then the entire culture as well. I heard a man say that the term "new normal" is being used to lull us into accepting controls and restraints upon us, once unthinkable, in the name of safety. He seeks to establish such control over us through fear....and he has realized far too much success. We, the Church, have the foremost responsibility to stand against this. If we don't, we too will be overcome. We will have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory......because we have missed the call to arise, to shine, for His Light has come, is come, and will continue to come.

Blessings,
Pastor O