Influence

This is an important question because we are influenced by so much around us and most of it, we are not consciously aware of. For example, the entire advertising industry is based upon name recognition and repetition of ads and commercials. It’s called branding a product in the business. The idea is that when you shop for an item you will, often without thinking, choose their product. Advertisers are trying to create name recognition even for products you don’t use… now! Think about It, 15-20 minutes of a one-hour TV show are commercials! Because of the repetition, the message becomes subliminal- you’re not even consciously aware of it.

The same thing is happening on a spiritual level. The three areas of concern are the influence of other people’s spirit, the influence of the Devil, and of course the influence of God through the Holy Spirit. 

We are Spirit, Soul and Body!

What do I mean by the influence of the human spirit? Remember what I said in a previous post. “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but we are spiritual beings having a human experience”. How you see yourself is so important in this regard. John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life”. You are spirit, soul, and body, not simply soul and body!

Remember:

• Your physical body communicates with the physical realm through taste, sight, hearing smell and touch. 

• Your soul, which means your mind, will, and personality, communicates with the souls of other people. This is the issue when we talk about the influence of the souls of others.

• Your spirit, which has been born again and is able to communicate with God’s spirit now but has always been able to be influenced by the Devil, who is also spirit. 

Factors in Making Decisions in Life- Love or Fear!

In general, people are influenced in their decision making in one of two ways, love or fear. Keep in mind what the Bible has to say about fear,

• 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear (timidity), but of power (Dynamis) and of love (Agape) and of a sound mind (Self-Control)”.

• 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear (dread or terror) in love (Agape); but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment (punishment). But he who fears has not been made perfect in love (Agape)”.

• The Love Factor– True love is unconditional, which means it is not about what you can get back. It is a decision rather than a feeling or emotion. I like the definition of love as, “living your life for someone else’s good”. What matters is pleasing the one you love, not necessarily an emotion but a decision. It is a commitment to love, through thick and thin. 
  
  Today, sex often passes for love, but in truth, sex is about pleasure and usually pleasing self. It is emotion-based, the degree of love is dependent on feelings. It is a poor counterfeit for unconditional love. Unconditional love is the kind of love God has for you and the kind of love He wants to teach you to have for others.

• The Fear Factor– This has to do with the fear of the loss of a person, place or thing. 

• The fear of the loss of a relationship– over the ages people have made incredibly bad decisions trying to hold onto a relationship. I’ve seen many cases of people staying in an abusive relationship for fear of losing the relationship, codependence is a word that comes to mind. Wikipedia defines Codependency as a behavioral condition in a relationship where one person enables another person’s addiction, poor mental health, immaturity, irresponsibility, or under-achievement. Among the core characteristics of codependency is an excessive reliance on other people for approval and a sense of identity.

• The fear of the loss of money/finances– It says in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”. The gain or loss of money is a slippery slope and has caused people to do things they would never imagine they were capable of. The slippery slide always begins with small things. A petty theft, a minor betrayal, a lie on an application, and then on to bigger dishonesty. Greed and integrity cannot exist together.  

• The fear of the loss of influence or power– whether in the board-room of corporate America or in the family home the sense of losing power or influence over others has led to the manipulation and control over others. 

• The fear of pain. The fear of pain can take many forms. Growing as a Believer requires change, whether they are physical, emotional, or spiritual. It may mean a change in friends, job, education, location, habits, and behaviors. Many people find that those kinds of changes are painful, but they are also filled with great rewards. Remember the expression, “Doing something over and over again, expecting change is a form of insanity!” Hear from God and Just Do It!

Let me personalize the verse I quoted earlier, it is worth memorizing:

• 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given ME a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”.

Let me close with this thought. Learn to recognize that when you experience fear that it’s not coming from God. When those feelings come upon you, turn to Jesus, and call out to Him. Repeat 1 Timothy 1:7. Be reminded that on the Cross, Jesus paid the price to set you free from fear. He has exchanged that spirit of fear with His spirit of love, joy, and peace! 

Spiritual Warfare?

When I use the term spiritual warfare, what kind of mental picture do you have? 

1. Is it a picture of Christians dressed in armor with swords battling against the devil and his demons? 
2. Is it “rebuking” or rebuffing the devil with carefully chosen scriptural words? 
3. Or is it about taking authority over cities, towns, and neighborhoods using your authority over the evil one?
4. Finally, are you going against the principalities, powers, and dominions of the air which are mentioned in the Bible?

I am not criticizing or mocking these endeavors, because I’ve been there! However, these endeavors may make people feel good that they are taking some kind of action. But the battle is not “out there” the battle is “in and for control of your mind”. That is why it is rightly called the “Battlefield of the mind”!

The Devil is real

In western cultures, the devil doesn’t want you to believe he exists. He has convinced many that he is a myth or fairytale, created by people to “scare” children into walking the straight and narrow. He would rather have you think of him as some cartoon figure dressed in red with horns and a tail. 

The Devil is not some harmless being, he wants to destroy you and will use any means possible. Remember he is spiritual, not physical, therefore the only weapon he has is the weapon of suggestion or temptation. Having said that, believe me when I say that he is good at his craft. He is a consummate liar, and deception is his primary tool. 

In the Garden of Eden listen to what Eve said to God after she ate of the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:13 And the Lord God said to the woman (Eve), “What is this you have done? The woman said, the serpent (devil) DECEIVED me, and I ate.” 

You see deception at hand in the first encounter mankind had with the devil. And, don’t forget John 8:44 Jesus said to the religious rulers about the devil, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father (devil) you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. The devil is a convincing liar and a master of misdirection. 

Misdirection

In theatrical magic, a misdirection is a form of deception in which the performer draws the audience attention to one thing to distract it from another. A common trick is called the “coin drop”. The performer drops a coin on the table. He then he appears to sweep the coin into his hand, what he is actually doing is sweeping the coin onto his lap. He then holds up the hand, blows on it, and presto… it’s gone! I’m sure you have seen examples of that. Well, the devil is a master of misdirection and he wants to draw your attention away from himself and on to people. I like what Pastor Jack Hayford said, “One of the church’s greatest demands is to discern between the spiritual struggle and other social, personal, and political difficulties. Otherwise, individual believers and groups become too easily detoured (or misdirected), “wrestling” with human adversaries instead of prayerfully warring against the invisible works of hell behind the scenes”. 

Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor 10:3-8 about spiritual warfare, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled”. 

Let me paraphrase what Paul is saying. He is acknowledging that we are flesh and blood human beings, but because the battle is spiritual our human concepts of a battle strategy and weaponry will not work. What is available to us are the weapons that God provides, our faith in Jesus Christ, and the working of the Holy Spirit, and our prayers. 

Strongholds

The strongholds, mentioned, are the fortifications of lies and deceptions that we have accepted as true. Which the enemy of our soul, the devil, has built into our lives as a result of living in the world. The battlefield of the mind involves destroying every thought and idea that is contrary to God’s way of thinking. As we cast down the lies, we replace it with God’s truths revealed in the Bible and by His Holy Spirit. Finally, once the Body of Christ, the Believers, have come into the unity of truth we will then be able to deal with the evil in the world today.  

The two points I’ve been trying to make today is that:

1. There is a battle for your soul, it is a spiritual battle with a spiritual enemy and it is for control over who you will believe. The deceptions of the devil or the truths of God! You must decide.
2. Because it is a spiritual battle only spiritual weapons will work and the weapons you have are your free-will to make decisions, prayer, and faith in Jesus Christ alone. 

In closing, I want to leave you with this thought, which spirit are you listening to? The spirit of other people, the spirit of the devil. or the spirit of God! More about that in our next post.

Earlier in the same chapter of Matthew 6:9-13, is a familiar prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer. It goes like this: 

• “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
• Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• Give us this day our daily bread.
• And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
• And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
• For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen”. 

Pay special emphasis on, “Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Can you see, we can have all of the benefits of Heaven, right now! Heaven is a blessed place, and we don’t have to wait until we pass away to enjoy some of those benefits on earth. This is what abundant life is about, experiencing God’s blessings in our lives now.

Having said all of that, there is a principle that is important to remember, God can’t bless what He does not approve of! So, it is important to know what He does approve of. This brings to mind three verses:

1. Matthew 7:12, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
2. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails…”.
3. Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control…”

FRUITFULNESS

So, how do I experience the abundant life; how do I enter into it? How will I know that I am on the right path? The key question you have to answer for yourself is “are you a fruitful member of God’s Kingdom”? Fruitfulness is the key to the abundant life or having more than enough. 

Jesus told many parables, stories, and illustrations using agricultural terms like seeds, wheat, tares, vines, grapes sowing, and reaping or harvesting. In essence, Jesus was talking about growing and maturing. In a nutshell, living Mathew 6:33 (“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”) means that you are being fruitful, and being fruitful is the surest way into the blessings of God.

WE MUST BE FRUITFUL! 

God is looking for people who are holy and sanctified.

Col 1:9-12, “9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light”.

OBSTACLES TO FRUITFULNESS

Jesus promises us an abundant life if we are fruitful. So, what are those things that interfere with our being fruitful? The parable of the sower found in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15. This parable makes it clear the obstacles to maturity.

Matthew 13 1-17, Parable of the Sower

Four categories of people exposed to the Kingdom Good News…

1. Seed by the wayside- 
2. Seed on the hard ground- 
3. Seed among the thorns- 
4. Seed in fertile ground- 100, 60, 30 fold increase… fruitfulness

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. (the lie)

20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. (loses focus)

22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (attractions and pleasures of the world)

23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (hears the word and becomes a doer of the word)

Entering into the abundant life means being fruitful, which means to hear and do the word of God.

Meaning and purpose go beyond the accumulation of material things. The pursuit of money alone is actually a slippery-slide to a destitute soul. I know that this statement is contrary to the world-view today, but it is true. There are three things that will cause a person to lose sight of God; pleasure, money, and celebrity. 1John 2:16-17 says, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh (pleasure/sex), the lust of the eyes (desire for material things), and the pride of life (pride)—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever”. 

If we are honest aren’t, we all tempted by these three pitfalls of life? God’s will for you is to be an “overcomer”, that is overcoming the “natural” ways of doing things and moving in the supernatural to do His will.

How does one do the will of God?

The path to living the abundant life, as I have said in the last post, is found in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”. The focus must be on seeking the kingdom and seeking His righteousness, but what exactly are the kingdom and His righteousness?

Seeking the kingdom

Seeking the kingdom means to recognize that our citizenship is Heaven and that we are representatives or ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Two scriptures point to this fact:

• Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”.
• 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God”.

By faith, believing that our citizenship is from heaven means that we live our lives in such a way that reflects the values and truths of God in Heaven. We believe that what is true in heaven is also available to us on earth. In other words, we have spiritual rights to the promises of God. 

By faith, believing that we are ambassadors of Christ the King, means that we are His representatives. We speak and act, by the authority given to us by Jesus. We also are aware, at all times, that we are representing Him. Sometimes the hardest place to do this is in our own families. 

Seeking His righteousness

Seeking His righteousness means to live as a disciple of Christ and follow His teachings which are given in the Bible. On the one hand, His righteousness has been transferred to us, meaning that we are immediately in right-standing with God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.  This verse shows that there was an exchange, Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness.

Seeking His righteousness also means that we are trying to do those things that are right in His eyes. I am sure you would agree that as human beings we have an amazing ability to justify or rationalize our decisions to fit what we feel. The problem is the word “feel”! Our emotions are capable of blinding us to what we should do and say, as representatives of Christ. Our emotions, when unchecked, can lead us to do and say those things that are the opposite of what Jesus would do or say. 

You might be thinking then, that it’s impossible to seek His righteousness. The good news is that Jesus has already accounted for that. When He ascended to heaven after His resurrection, Jesus sent us a helper… the Holy Spirit of God who is able to communicate with your spirit. You have spiritual ability to hear, understand and do what God requires of you. What was impossible before, because you were trying to do it in your own physical strength is now possible because you are following after the spirit of God.  

Paul’s battle and victory

At the end of Romans, chapter seven and the beginning of Romans eight is a very relevant testimony of the Apostle Paul’s struggle with doing right or pursuing righteousness. 

Paul talks about the seeming duality existing in him, the duality of wanting to do right with his mind and instead of doing the wrong. He likens it to a battle that he constantly loses. He explains that when he tried to live according to the Law of Moses, which according to God was the right thing to do… He wound up doing the opposite. He says, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do”. 

Paul’s conclusion was that he was powerless to do what was right by sheer determination and self-control. At the end of chapter seven, he says, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death”? Paul then exclaims, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord”! Jesus is the one who makes the impossible- possible!  

In Romans 8:1 Paul makes the liberating proclamation, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”.

You see the difference is between living by the flesh (human effort) and being led by the Spirit (the Holy Spirit of God). 

Join me next time as we examine what it means to be led by the spirit into a victorious life.