Your Journey Out of Darkness

View fullsize

It is important to understand that there is a real, live battle between God and the forces of darkness for your life. Peter communicates this in I Peter 5:8: …Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (NIV.) In your sit place with Abba God, give Him permission to teach you and give you understanding of the way Satan influences you in your past and present hurts, disappointments, desires, attitudes, thoughts, emotions, choices, and relationships.

I define "darkness" as everything associated with Satan, such as hate, fear, lies, destruction, and judgment; everything that destroys the life of God in His loved people. It is so important for you to be aware of the enemy's strategies to kill, steal, and destroy the life of God in you as John states, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy... (John 10:10 NIV). To be blind to this truth is to leave yourself open and vulnerable to the enemy's tactics.

>> Satan’s Attack on Your Thoughts

Before you get started I want you to give attention to thoughts and their role as the primary tactic of the enemy. One very important piece of information that I believe Satan wants to downplay is your thought life. This creates the most critical problem for humanity. The first place you see where thoughts play a role in Scriptures is in the very first book of the Bible. It is in the Garden of Eden with Satan having a conversation with Eve.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” — Genesis 3:1-6 NKJV

You can see very quickly Eve's thoughts and how they are being influenced by Satan. She begins to question and doubt what has been her truth from God. This is why Paul encourages believers to take captive every thought, …bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:5 NKJV) and to renew your mind, ....be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2 NKJV). Satan's first strategy is your thought life.

Your thought life matters, and it is important that as you learned in Chapter Three, your thoughts need t match the thoughts of God. Too often we neglect to address our thoughts, leaving them open to the influence of Satan and the forces of darkness. Remember Satan is known as the father of lies: When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44 NIV). The opposite is said of God: It is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18 NIV).

Take note of the wisdom from the book of Proverbs, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). Out of your thoughts and beliefs, thought patterns are developed leading to your behavioral choices, which then impact your relationships. There is no action taken, negative or positive, without being first connected to a thought. Here is your problem, as well as the problem of all mankind.

With this understanding, I want to bring you to another important truth.  Paul states, Who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16 NKJV). 

>> Strategy to Resist Satan

Having introduced you to the power of your thoughts and Satan’s plan to kill, steal, and destroy the life of God in you, I want to give you a strategy that works and is simple in form, but not necessarily easy to walk out in your humanness. Therefore, you will need to utilize the truth of Chapter Four, "to make good on the grace of God to walk out from your spiritual nature."

Let us look at your role and response and God's role and response in this spiritual battle as beautifully portrayed in Psalm 18:

1.    Our worship to God
2.    Our call for help
3.    God declares war on Mighty Warrior
4.    God’s warring response to rescue you

>> Your Worship to God

First, your worship, praise, and delight in the Lord is strategic. No matter your situation, always first enter into your "sit place with Abba God" to worship Him for His nature and character, and in humble adoration of Him, praise Him who created you and loves you with His life and heart. In all your circumstances, worship and praise Him with everything within you as expressed by David,

“I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” — Psalm 18:2, NKJV

God delights in your worship as you honor Him. You can see the value of your thoughts in worship, praise, adoration, and exhortation of God. These will bring light, life, and peace when struggling in your difficult, dark times. David shares an example of how true thoughts, God thoughts, are like light. Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path (Psalms 119:11, 105 NKJV). Paul agrees with David and encourages you as well to use your words to Rejoice always, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18, NIV).

>> Your 911 Call 

Second, God desires to hear your 911 calls, as I refer to them. He is waiting for them to act on your behalf. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ear (Psalm 18:3-6 NIV).

Don't delay; express your thoughts and feelings to him; all your fears, insecurities, and struggles. He desires to fight for you. Remember: it is one thing to share your thoughts and feelings with God; it is another thing to come into agreement with them. God desires to hear your thoughts and heart and what you would like Him to do on your behalf.

>> God Declares War

Third, God desires to respond to your 911 call. He declares He is Mighty Warrior and greater is He than the enemy advancing towards you. Watch what He does when your call is patched through to Him.

God as Mighty Warrior declares war on the enemy on your behalf. As He hears your cries, Mighty Warrior parts the heavens and comes down, declaring war. The visual image of His warring presence on your behalf is nothing short of amazing! It is like an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, and a hail storm merging as one in His thundering declaration I AM GOD: there will be no other gods before me, and these children are MINE!

This is revealed to you by David in Psalm 18:7-15 (NIV).

“The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.” — Psalm 18:7-15, NIV

It is important for you to remind yourself that God fights for you, wars for you. In His eternal love for you He desires to help you live your life in permanent liberation. He is not interested in partially "set free," as John says. The picture David shares is also confirmed by Isaiah as he states, I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name (Isaiah 45:2-3, NIV).

God is committed to your freedom from everything that challenges you. Hear His words, "I am Mighty Warrior. I am here to deliver and to fully rescue you because I delight in you." I will leave you with one thought: see the beauty and power of God's words and the freedom He wants to bring to your life. Only God's truthful words and thoughts have the power to do this. Lying thoughts bring death and destruction.

>> God’s Rescue Plan

Fourth, your Mighty Warrior fulfills His rescue plan for you without a hitch. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me (Psalm 18:7-19, NIV). This is a picture of God's heart toward you, as He wars on your behalf.

Psalm 18 reflects the God of Light/Mighty Warrior as He descends from heaven in response to your call for help and mercy from the one who comes to kill, steal, and destroy you. He expresses Himself out of the brightness of his presence (v.12) declaring His awesome power over the forces of evil and darkness for the purposes of rescuing me from my powerful enemy who was too strong for me (v. 17). He delights in rescuing you (v. 18). Psalm 18 is also confirmed in Colossians 2:15, And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (NIV). The cross, the shed blood of Jesus is where your deliverance is rooted. This is where every spirit of darkness is destroyed, demolished, and extinguished for you and me. 

Light of His Presence overcomes ALL darkness
His power triumphs over ALL evil
He delights in rescuing ALL His children
ALL influences of darkness disarmed by the cross

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, this is (ALL) freedom.
- 2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV

Dr. Roselene Coblentz