No Longer

 "But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be silent, and come out of him.' " Mark 1:25

There's a true story concerning a powerful eastern ruler in the ancient world. He was intent on conquest and was leading his army on a planned invasion of a nearby land. This land happened to be an ally of Rome, the mightiest empire of that time. In response to this threat, Rome didn't send an opposing army, but rather two diplomats who met the invaders and their ruler on the way. They had a simple message. They told him, "Rome says that you shall go this far and no further." The ruler, despite his might and ability to destroy these two, was cowed, and he and his army turned around and went back to their own country. It was not the presence of the two men that frightened them, but the power and authority of the Roman empire they represented. We who call ourselves His must learn from this. We have an enemy, satan, who is intent on destruction, especially as concerns God's people. In ourselves, we are no threat to him, but when we stand in the authority and power of the One whose we are, that enemy, that devil, can do nothing but retreat. Yet how many of us live and stand in His authority?

I have seen so many lives shattered and destroyed by sin. In this last week, I saw another. It never gets easier. Two weeks ago many in our church fellowship went out into the neighborhoods of Lynchburg, Virginia to distribute Christmas food boxes to those in need. All of us saw more than just physical and material need. We saw deep spiritual need as well. In fact, that need was the deepest of all. Their poverty was great in the physical sense, but even greater in the spiritual. They were living in cycles of defeat, and time and practice has proven that their deliverance will not come from government programs or other man centered efforts. It can only come from the One who came to make us free. The One who breaks these cycles of sin and defeat, Jesus Christ.

In nearly four decades of ministry, I have seen so many lives, marriages, and families destroyed by a plethora of addictions and habits. Many of these made attempts to be free of them, but far too many times, they would end up being swallowed anew by these tormentors. They never really knew freedom. I believe that to a great degree, it's because they didn't believe that they could.

Many, too many, have been those who called themselves His. The chains that bound them were never broken. The enemy that stalked them did so relentlessly, and in the end, they were defeated again. The cycle just kept repeating itself. The end of the cycle will always be death. But it needn't be so.

Someone said that there are things in our lives that need to be told "no longer." No longer will I be a slave to you. No longer will you bring destruction to my life, my marriage, my family. No longer will I live in bondage to you. No longer will I live in your grip. The key in this is that when we say this, we do not say it in our authority, but in His. Just as the two diplomats possessed no ability in themselves to turn back that army, neither do we. However, the empire they represented did, and if we are His, His Kingdom is infinitely greater and more powerful than all the kingdoms of the world together could ever be. No kingdom can stand against Him, especially not the kingdom of darkness and death.

What thing or things in your life, your family, your marriage do you need to say "no longer" to? To what "voices" whispering, or shouting, do you need to say "be silent"? Confronted by a demon possessed man in a synagouge, Jesus, in complete authority, silenced it, cast it out. In Christ we have such authority. You have such authority. This year, each day, let us live and walk in that authority. It is time to say, in His power, enough, no longer, no more. And we'll watch the enemy flee every time.

Blessings,

Pastor O