I don't think I fully comprehend or realize this connection. If I did, I would think about what I am thinking about in a more serious way! I have known that the battlefield is in the mind for many years. Taking every thought captive is a concept I am well familiar with and try to practice daily. But I need a reminder from time to time.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah."What I didn't realize until recently is that evidently I have way more to learn in being victorious in this area. I unknowingly have given over ground to the enemy. And it's gonna stop.
One thing that has struck me is how we as believers in general have no problem believing Yahweh can forgive our sin, but we seem to have a hard time believing He can or wants to heal us or has given us what we need already for that healing to take place! There seems to be this mentality that we accept sickness and disease in our lives like it is just part of the program and it is somehow for our benefit, almost attributing sickness, disease and death to Adonai instead of to the enemy. Have you ever had the erroneous thought that it is God's will for you to be in pain or sick? That isn't true. That is a lie from the pit of hell. Sadly, countless believers live captive to this lie every day.
I am struck with how much I have forgotten the extent my enemy wants to harm me, indeed kill me, if I will allow him! Many believers blame much on hasatan, forgetting how much we cooperate with him by agreeing with him, believing his lies, thus opening the door for him to wreak his havoc in our lives. I am convinced he will take us to the point of death, if we give him that permission. And every time we agree with a lie (any thought or word that is not in agreement with His Word) we are indeed giving our enemy permission to do what he wants. We have chosen sides in effect and chosen wrongly!
The Word clearly states who comes to steal, kill and destroy and it is NOT Adonai!
John 10:10 clearly says who comes to destroy us: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
This is Yeshua talking! So, I have to ask myself when I have these thoughts of disease being part of the "will of God"....just who am I going to believe? It isn't Yeshua's will or Abba's will that people are suffering! It doesn't take long to read the gospels to realize that it isn't His will for people to suffer. Yeshua healed ALL that were brought to Him for healing. When the disciples went out in Yeshua's name to do ministry they found that they could not heal one in which could only be healed through prayer and fasting. How often do I give up praying or fasting just at the time when a victory is so close at hand (if I would just believe it)?! Yeshua had such an intimate relationship with Abba that there was nothing in the way for that healing to take place. Wow, do I want to be like Him!
The Word also clearly tells us that "by His wounds we are healed". His death on the cross bought that healing for me. It is done, finished! That is past tense as in already accomplished by Yeshua on the cross! It is a declaration beforehand (as in decreed or declared before it even happened) of what has already been done. WOW.
Are there any diseases in heaven? No. There is no sickness, no pain, no disease. If we are seated with Messiah in heaven (see Ephesians 2:6) as the Scriptures say, then NO diseases are allowed in our bodies! This is a particularly mind blowing thought for me. I'm taking authority and claiming all that is mine in Him because He says it, I believe it!
I have heard it repeatedly stated that 80% of disease is psychosomatic, which means basically rooted in toxic emotions which start in the mind that then effect your body. When your mind is in agreement with His Word, you are not giving your enemy ANY room to steal your health because you are NOT standing in agreement with your enemy but with the one who set you FREE from sin and death! HalleluYAH!
This topic of sickness and healing has become one that I have been drawn to and caused me to search the Word in effort to more fully understand healing, prayer, power, authority, miracles and the Ruach's role in the believer's life. It has caused me to ask hard questions like: Why do some ask for prayer and not get healed? If we are not careful, we will live by these experiences of watching others not get healed which will then actually change what we believe to be true (change our agreeing with God's Word to believing the enemy again). What is the root cause of all disease? What role does faith have in healing? Does Adonai ever want anyone to be sick? And probably the most important question of all has been this: How can I more effectively minister and pray for those who are hurting? Starting with myself, family, friends, congregation and whoever else I meet along the way.
I am not saying I have all the answers. I understand disease and illness can have many causes such as genetics, afflicting spirits, accidents, generational curses, traumatic events/emotions, lifestyle, etc. A book I read recently was so helpful in helping me work through these questions. Randy Clark and Bill Johnson's Equipping All Christians to Pray for the Sick goes into much detail on this subject. I highly recommend this book to anyone asking the same questions I am!
I have heard stories of those who were miraculously healed from very serious diseases only years later to find themselves back in that wheelchair. Could it be that they didn't identify the toxic emotions or thoughts that made them sick in the first place all because they didn't agree with the Word of Adonai?
The Word is healing! It is a tree of life for the healing of the nations! When we believe, not just in our minds but in our hearts and obey the Word, we are blessed not just in our spirits, but in our minds and bodies as well. When Yeshua said He came to give us life abundantly, He really meant that. Do we REALLY believe that is what He came to do? Wholeness, true shalom with nothing missing and nothing broken. What a Saviour! He is the same today, yesterday and forever and He is no respecter of persons, so what He has done in the past or for someone else, He can do for YOU!
There is power in the Word and there is power in the words we speak. That old school-age rhyme of "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!" is a lie. Negative confessions like "I am never going to get better" or even jokingly saying "You're driving me crazy!" is a faithless statement in agreement with the enemy. Positive confession always agrees with His Word and goes something more like this: "I am healed in Yeshua's name! I speak health and blessing to my body (and in renouncing the insanity confession...blessing to my MIND as well!) I am who Adonai says I am. I am a new creation, the old has gone. By His wounds I have been healed. I have the Ruach living in me and His resurrection power available to me!"
Before Yeshua ascended to heaven He gave the famous "Great Commission" to His disciples and said "ALL authority have been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Because we are IN Messiah, we also have that same authority over our enemy and we are commanded to take that authority and use it in our lives, for the sake of our families, our cities, our country and the nations. I shudder to think of how many wimpy, really stupid prayers I have prayed in Yeshua's name that totally lacked faith, Truth or authority.
I was reading another of Bill Johnson's books and he said something that really struck me. He has come to believe that the secret to victorious living is living in denial! (Okay, you counselors out there....just hold on a minute!) What he means is that when the enemy comes at him with a past sin or some lie about who he is in Messiah, Bill just says, "That wasn't me. That man is dead". If a past sin is covered in the blood, it is gone. When your enemy tries to get you to go back in your past and drag something into the present so that you camp there for a while and live there, you can totally and legally deny it! If you are a born again believer in Messiah Yeshua and you are washed in His blood and asked for forgiveness for that sin and repented of it, it is dead, gone and buried. You are a new creation!!
Bill also mentioned that about 90% of all counseling sessions pastors have with their members revolve around their identity in Messiah and grasping hold of the Truths evident in the Bible. In other words, these believers, are struggling with believing what God says about WHO they are! Does that astound you?
Our Creator spoke the world into existence. THAT is power! He defeated hasatan when He died on the cross and rose again! He will finally destroy His enemy by the breath of His mouth when He comes again! Yeshua defeated hasatan when He was tempted by using the Word, which is a powerful weapon! It's time for us to take this battle more seriously and sharpen our weapons! I don't want to have a victim mentality but live with a VICTORIOUS mindset, using the weapon of my thoughts and especially words to be based in His Word, thus doing mighty damage in pulling down strongholds and defeating the enemy of my soul! My words agreeing with HIS Word, by faith!
What about you right now, in this moment? Are you a victim or a victor? Don't settle for a victim mentality and allow the enemy to trample you or your family. The choice is yours today! Choose life and blessing by agreeing with His Word right now and defeat your enemy in His name.
