A Place of Peace

"When we refuse to fight, we remove Satan's greatest fiery dart."

THERE ARE few prophets in the New Testament and many prophecies. There is a ministry office of the Spirit for those called as prophets, but all of us can prophesy. Men cannot label men prophets, ordain them as prophets, or simply decide that someone is one. A true New Testament prophet is placed in the body of Christ, the church, in that ministry office only by the Spirit. It is a particular place of standing, seeing God’s point-of-view. It is NOT a continual call to war nor threatening words to affect men’s behavior nor a sea of warning. It is not there in the body to draw boundary lines nor blazon a picture of the future so we might fear it. A prophet holds an intimate relation with Jesus Christ. He is raised higher to speak in the Spirit with the authority of Him.

We do not seek prophecies. We seek God. We fall in love with Jesus. We learn to walk in the Spirit, WITH the Spirit, knowing His voice, and so when He knows our trust in Him and finds us trustworthy, then He begins sharing prophecy points with us. I call them this, prophecy points, from the Spirit. Too much is said in vocabulary that has become misunderstood. What is a “shaking?” I hear this term used often, and yes, it is referred to in some verses; but any judgment of God has been laid into the hands of Christ – Father, Son, and Spirit – whose blood stained Calvary. All of Jesus’ blood lives in the altar of heaven, a reminder of the cost paid and the VICTORY.

Too much is said of war and battles, of fighting an enemy who has been defeated. We’re told to “don our armor” and prepare, when the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. We speak peace. We seek peace. We walk in peace and choose peacemaking. We rest, confident in God, who we know intimately BECAUSE WE’VE SPENT TIME WITH HIM, and He takes care of all we are up against. When we refuse to fight, we remove Satan’s greatest fiery dart. He wants us at war with him, with each other, between churches, and even in a constant state of prophetic fervor. He uses our gospel against us all the time.

As an example, Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Men use this verse to hold onto their anger for a day, saying, “Well, I did nothing with it.” But continue reading because in the same chapter, in verse 31, it says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” So there’s the truth. We are not to be angry at all, and that includes with/at the devil. Jesus is not mad at the devil. Or anyone. The atmosphere of heaven is joy. He, who is truth, views everything from compassion, springing out of the Father’s SO LOVE for us, and through eyes of joy, carried on the wind of the Spirit.

The devil is so far beneath Him. So far beneath us. We must know his tactics, and one of them is to keep us constantly fighting, even if that is a need to shout the Word at him. He should not take our attention away from God at all. Most praying people in the church know to pray from a position of victory. We are speaking to God what His salvation has bought. But we must step in further and pray from a place of peace, not war. A good man of God said it this way, “Sometimes we’re praying because we don’t believe, and our prayer isn’t even faith. It’s concern.” Instead, we must trust God extensively, so much that our hair isn’t even ruffled.

The only war we fight is within our own mind, fighting against untruth we’ve stored in there. I have good news! The Spirit of God loves to cleanse and heal the mind. He healed mine from what a medical allergy did to it. He erased the struggles of my past, troubles I’d had for years with depression. Just like that and it was all gone. We do have to put in the effort to deliberately alter our habits. I have to say “no” to thoughts I don’t need to think about. I will sometimes do literally what Philippians 4:8 tells us to do, and I’ll think on something lovely like a field of bunny rabbits or dachshund puppies at play. In so doing, I push negative thoughts aside. But we have heard preached of a need to war with the mind, as if God is not in it. The “pulling down of strongholds” mentioned in 2 Corinthians 10:4 has been misrepresented as well. We approach it as if God is not involved until truth drops in our heart. But though God IS in the heart, or spirit, of man, that is His temple, see Jesus. He enabled Jesus to hang on the cross in complete unity with Him, and THAT is a place of mental peace. It is where we can live. I can speak to Him and hear an immediate response. I can know the future in certain things and be reassured in it. I can speak revelation of mysteries because God is here, in me.

This is the place He desires us to be. At rest, close to Him, hearing and talking with Him, so that what a called Prophet hears matches my own knowledge and revelation of God’s character and nature which He has revealed in me, and there’s no fear involved in the process to completion. But we have endless peace without a battle to be fought, except for our obedience.

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9)

“And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.” (Philippians 4:8 TLB)

Rabbit Image by hir from Pixabay
Polka Dots Image by fevzizirhlioglu from Pixabay


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