Topic: Spiritual Warfare II [Wednesday 28, December 2016]
Memorise: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. – James 5:15
Read: Ephesians 6:16-18 (KJV)
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Bible in One Year: Numbers 3:5-4:49, Psalms 138
MESSAGE:
Spiritual warfare is an invisible battle that is waged in the spirit realm. The enemies cannot be seen with the physical eyes and the weapons of warfare are not physical as well. What is even more significant is that it is what happens spiritually that determines the physical manifestation that will be experienced by humans. A person overpowered in a spiritual war may become sick, paralyzed, or mad in the real world. Many that are attacked at night may develop an incurable sickness that will lead to their death within days. Some may be physically alright health-wise, but may begin to operate under a terrible demonic bondage that hampers growth of any kind, and this may go on for years unnoticed. These are prisoners living within invisible prison walls while appearing to be normal and free. Isaiah 49:25 says:
“But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”
The worst type of imprisonment is being within invisible prison walls while appearing to be free. Nobody will offer to help you out because there will be nothing physical to suggest that you are imprisoned. The lame man in Acts 3:1-18, was physically born into a prison of sickness and was there for over 40 years, he was in a physical prison, obvious to everyone, but most people are in spiritual prisons, invisible prisons. One of my uncles, who studied in Britain returned, and in an attempt to protect himself from forces of darkness, went to meet an herbalist and obeyed the man’s instructions to the letter. He got seven leaves of a particular plant, spread them on the floor and defecated on them. Thereafter, the herbalist gave him a particular power to spray on his faeces and instructed him to eat it. After this, he returned home boasting that since nobody touches faeces, nobody could touch him. He almost died of cholera! Some professors, despite all their Western education, still bow to trees and worship various objects because they are in a spiritual prison. A medical doctor who knows and teaches people about the danger of smoking but still smokes himself is imprisoned spiritually.
It is not enough to point accusing fingers at somebody somewhere, consider your life and find out if there is any trace of imprisonment. Prayerfully take steps to break loose from it. When you are free from physical and invisible prisons, then you are truly free.
Prayer Point: Father, please break every prison wall around me in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
