Spiritual Warfare – Part 14

If you haven’t yet read Part one of this study, please click here.

THE WEAPON OF PROCLAMATION

• Read Proverbs 18:21

Ask yourself whose tongue is it speaking about.

Whose life?

Whose death?

Do you know anyone whose life has been destroyed by words, their own or somebody else’s?

We need to speak out words of encouragement and affirmation as well as what we believe. By doing so, we encourage ourselves and others, and we give satan a “body blow”.

• Ephesians 5:19

St. Paul urges us to speak to each other in “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”! When did you last speak to someone quoting the Bible?

Can you make a decision to do that today?

In the book of Proverbs there are at least 60 verses written about the use of our words. On every page you will find the words, “mouth, speak, tongue, speech, lips” etcetera.

Find some that apply to yourself and make a note of them.

• Read again Matthew 28:19-20

How can we make disciples of all nations if we don’t speak out what we believe?

• Read Luke 9:1-2 and Luke 10:17
• Matthew 17:29

Jesus tells us to SPEAK to the mountain.

The early church were proclaimers too.

• Acts 5:40-42

It is not just in sharing the gospel directly that we need to tame our tongues, but in positive speaking in every area of our lives as well as those around us.

If we speak more about the Lord’s goodness and His healing power, than we do about our personal problems and those of others, what do you think the results will be?

It is God’s plan that EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, whether willingly or not.

• Read Isaiah 45:23-24, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10-11

Satan’s knee too will be one who must bow to The Lord God Almighty. That is why speaking out Jesus’ name with authority is a powerful weapon. The devil knows in his heart of hearts that he is beaten.

Pray Colossians 4:2-4 for yourself, your family, friends, and if you are doing this study in a group, pray it for each other.

Take note over the next few days how many of your words are positive proclamations and how many are not. If there are too many negative ones, repent quickly and don’t forget that Jesus is quick to forgive. He is slow to anger and rich in love.

• Exodus 34:6 & Numbers 14:18

BLESSINGS & CURSES

Blessings and curses can be written or spoken out, or merely uttered inwardly. They are vessels of supernatural power which are greatly misunderstood (or ignored) in our day.

Many people believe in blessings, but no in curses. That’s like believing in hot and not cold, or light and not dark. The Bible has a great deal to say about blessings and curses.

If you did not read Deuteronomy 28 when we looked at Obedience, then now is the time to read the whole chapter.

What sober reading it makes!

It sends us back to the fact that God has done all in His power to persuade us to be an obedient people. If we are obedient we can receive the blessings, if not, then we must face the consequences.

Many believing doctors today will agree that some of our sicknesses are a consequence of life choices that we have made in the past.

Often repentance or a cutting off of a bad inheritance can set us free.

Let’s look at some very specific curses and blessings:

• Genesis 12:1-3 We do not have to look far into Jewish history to see the fulfilment of this promise of God. Many Jews today believe they are a blessed people.
• Genesis 31:32 Jacob did not know that his wife had stolen things from her father, and he unknowingly curses her. That curse was fulfilled in Genesis 35:17-19 when Rachel died in childbirth.
• 2 Samuel 1:21 David cursed the ground where Saul and Jonathan were killed. Much of the mountain of Gilboa is still barren today in spite of several attempts to reforest.
• Joshua 6:26 Joshua and the Israelites had an amazing victory in Jericho after walking round the walls in silence as directed by the Lord. After that victory Joshua cursed anyone who tried to rebuild the city. The curse was fulfilled in 1Kings16:34.
• Mark 11:12-20 Jesus spoke to the fig tree and it died! Why would He do that?

I believe the fig tree story is there to remind us of the power of the spoken word. Read on in Mark 11 to see what Jesus says about the power of our words.

• Read and learn Proverbs 18:21
• What happened when God spoke in Genesis 1:3?
• What happened when Jesus spoke in Matthew 8:3, v16, v26?
• What happened when Peter spoke in Acts 3:6?
• What happens when you speak?

Are we speaking blessings or curses, you and I?

The effects of curses can go on for many years and generations if not broken. Remember the second commandment in Exodus 20:4-6.

BUT Praise the Lord that when Jesus was crucified He became the curse for us. Galatians 3:13-14

Christ’s death on the cross frees us from the curses which may have been put on us, inherited by us, or which are a consequence of our own sin.

Do we REALLY understand all that Jesus achieved for us on the cross? I have heard it described as THE GREAT EXCHANGE. You might like to give some time to thanking the Lord for what he did for you when he made the exchanges listed here.

• Sin was exchanged for Righteousness
• Condemnation for Forgiveness
• Sickness for Healing
• Death for Life
• Poverty for Wealth
• Rejection for Acceptance
• Curse for Blessing

Don’t we owe it to Jesus to use our tongues to glorify Him, to bless others in His name, and not to curse, grumble, and complain?

St. Paul tells us to speak to each other in spiritual songs. (Ephesians 5:19)

James too has much to say about the use of our words. (James 3:1-12)

What can you and I do to tame our tongues?

We can pray the words of Psalm 19:14 and Psalm 141:3 and we can take captive every thought for Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Make a note of some verses you can learn to help you take more control over what you speak.

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