Overcomers

"Frankly, the devil has underestimated the strength of the human character reliant on Christ."

JESUS LAID HANDS on lepers and leprosy left them. That's healing of the skin. He healed a man's withered arm. That's the arm and hand made whole, muscles restored. Jesus laid hands on the blind, and they recovered sight. He healed the deaf and the mute. That's the ears and the tongue. He caused the lame to walk. That's knees, calves, ankles, leg bones, and feet. Jesus healed a woman of an issue of blood. That's the heart and the veins, capillaries and blood. He healed a man of the palsy. That’s the nervous system. He raised a girl from the dead. That's the lungs, the heart, and the brain. He cast out demons and one man, known to be demon possessed, known to cut himself, was sitting there in his right mind. That's the brain, the mind, and the soul.

In fact, if you go through the gospels, Jesus healed the entire body. Nothing was left out. He healed the mind and the thinking. The physical body. Relationships. Jesus came to "do good, and heal all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38)." In any way.

“For he had made such a great number well that all those who were diseased were falling down before him for the purpose of touching him.” (Mark 3:10 BBE)

Oppression of any type - physical, mental, spiritual - is of the devil. Settle this in your heart. God is not going to use any form of pain or affliction to teach you something. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher (John 14:26). He is the Source of all wisdom. God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt man with evil (James 1:13) Whenever it looks that way to you and you find yourself thinking that way, know you lack understanding and ask the Spirit to reveal His truth. I like to pray the prayer of Ephesians 1:17-19. And there are some excellent translations of these verses that broaden it in our thinking. God promises us understanding of who He is and of what He’s done.

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

“I keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ—the glorious Father —to pour out his Spirit of wisdom and revelation upon you so that you may know him and all he is trying to accomplish. I also pray that your reasoning abilities and conscience may be healed so that you can discern and understand God’s purpose for all humanity—the incredible, rich inheritance in store for his children— and God’s incomparable power to heal and restore all who trust him. That life-giving power was seen as the outworking of his true strength,” (Ephesians 1:17-19, Remedy)

Putting myself in the Spirit’s hands, submitting myself to God, when I start blaming Him has saved me much confusion and from speaking error. I watch my words because we have what we say. This is not an arrogant, egotistical bearing meant to uplift us above others. God does not bless pride. It is confidence in a faithful, loving Savior who has promised to hear our every word and answer it. The Spirit guides us into correct confessions. He is the Guide of our flesh.

Romans 8 says the flesh fights the Spirit continually and that they cannot agree. But I have news for you: God made us in how we work. He knows every infinitesimal part of us and can and will fix it. In the Bible, we see barrenness healed many times. Age was not a factor. We see the dead raised back to life on repeat, including one man raised to life when his body was tossed atop Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:21). Old Covenant Law outlined the sacrifice needed after the healing of the leper. And Deuteronomy's blessings include the health of cattle, flocks, jobs, homes, and children.

God is FOR us. Not against us.

If we would place this nail firmly in, we would save ourselves unrest and disappointment. We are to be angry at the devil, not each other, and definitely not God. He became human, (He is forever human), and died the cruelest death on purpose in order to condemn sin and make us well. He triumphed over the devil (Colossians 2:15). There is now nothing He won't do for us. He is abundant mercy. Where we lack strong trust in Him, He fills in the cracks and makes us strong. We can rely on Him for our endurance and perseverance. For glorious victory.

I have friends healed of cancer. I've heard stories of the unborn healed and restored before birth. I've seen people walk who couldn't. Frankly, the devil has underestimated the strength of the human character reliant on Christ. Jesus makes us able to withstand great pressure and tremendous threatenings. He makes us overcomers. He is the Greater One living in us. And our love for Him, for the Father and the Spirit, comes from all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. See this. The word "strength" is our force and ability, but it comes from a word meaning our emotions.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)

We are meant to give all we can give, and that is the strength of the love of God in us. We are meant to believe so strongly in our loving God, to trust Him so sincerely, knowing His goodness and faithfulness will do anything for us. Did do anything for us. Even greater, we are told to lay hands on the sick AND SEE THEM RECOVER (Mark 16:18). These are not wishy-washy prayers, but ones made reliant on the power of God given to us. Ephesians 1:20-23 in the Message Bible speaks of this so strongly. Christ rules everything from “galaxies to governments” and is Ruler of the church, the church being the center of things. The Passion Translation says, “And now we, his church, are his body on the earth and that which fills him who is being filled by it! (Verse 23)” He fills us, and we fill the earth.

“All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” (Ephesians 1:20-23 MSG)

To spread the love of God among those who don’t understand Him. To spread the healing power of God which took a body destroyed by man and made it alive again and perfect, glorious (Philippians 3:21). We should be this confident, this intimate with our Savior, and not on the outskirts, unnoticed, but at the center. Not to create friction but to bring peace. We’ve got this image God wants to prove Himself. No, Jesus is the proof. We are the proof. And the Holy Spirit is the promise (Ephesians 1:14), His work through us, in us, the testimony that what God has done, He will do again and again.

Image by Mac Kenzie from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com