CORE VALUES, continued...
1. Hosting His Presence continued....
As we individually host “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col.1:27), we likewise, host His presence corporately when we come together . . . Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” This coming together, of the corporate Body, releases His presence in a magnified way into our homes, churches, cities and the nations.
It is our joy to know Him, to know His ways and His thoughts, and to partner with Him . . . Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
We can have confidence knowing that His presence will lead and guide us . . . Exodus 33.15—“Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here...”
Because we honor Him and value His presence, we give high priority in our gatherings to worship and praise, waiting in His presence, listening as He speaks in various ways and celebrating Him.
Psa 22:3: "But you are holy, inhabiting the praises of Israel."
In Hebrew, the word for “inhabiting” infers that when we praise, right in the middle of it, God sets up a throne and sits on it…wanting to dwell or live in our praise. Another way to look at it is that praise is His natural habitat, which fuels why we love to worship and praise, because it draws us to Him and His presence to us.
When we praise Him and thank Him, despite difficulties or hardships, it opens the way for His salvation to come to every situation . . . Psalm 50:23 – “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way, so that I may show him the salvation of God.”
2. Blessing family and generations continued...
The words bless, blessing and generations are used numerous times in scripture (i.e., bless, 127 times in 117 verses; blessing, 67 times in 64 verses, and the word generations is stated 114 times), showing that God is a God of blessing and cares deeply about this understanding.
Our commitment to family and the generations has us partner with different opportunities, seminars, and services that lay the foundation for strong families and blessing generations; these opportunities are also beautiful tools for ministering to past hurts and wounds, identifying generational strongholds, and walking forward in manhood and womanhood, as God designed. These are offered regularly throughout the year.
Psalm 78:4-7 – “ . . . we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”
Leviticus 19:32 - “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God…”
Genesis 1:27-28—“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”
Genesis 2: 24 – “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
We also regularly pray for and bless our children publicly, including infant dedications. Our children participate in our services on a regular basis, as they are being trained in our Joshua Generation Ministry on how to minister to the Lord, both personally, and as a corporate body.
Matthew 19:14,15 – Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Psalm 127:3-5 – “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”
3. A Culture of Honor continued...
The practice of honor is often a lost art in our modern culture. The Lord is restoring the value and practice of honor in His house. Our churches and homes will only be as strong as they are free to walk in this concept. Restoring a culture of honor to our communities and nation will come as we all embrace this call.
Romans 12:10, 12, 14,16-18
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Honor is a ‘two-way’ experience. To receive honor, we must give honor, and to experience honor, we must embrace humility. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Rather than expecting others to show us honor, our focus is on serving others.
“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 15:33, ESV)
We honor every believer as a minister and we value every person and their call within both the church and marketplace – we value the spiritual and the secular arenas equally.
Because we believe that every individual has an incredible call on their life, we want to see them trained and equipped to reach that destiny. For this reason we offer a wide range of seminars and opportunities based upon the wisdom and principles of the Bible. These include, but are not limited to, family and relational healing, light and sound in worship, healthy living, ministering healing to the sick, walking in the prophetic, growing in financial freedom and helping the poor. Throughout the year we host conferences and invite world-renowned teachers to help equip our body so that we can all be who we were created to be.
Scriptures About Honor
Honor to God
I Samuel 2:30 . . . “Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.”
Honor for Marriage
Hebrews 13:4 . . . “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
Honor to Parents
Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Honor to those in Authority - Honor to Spiritual Leaders
One of the ways we show honor to our leaders is by submitting to their authority. At the same time, though, leaders are instructed to show honor by serving those they lead:
Hebrews 13:17—“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Matthew 20:25-26: "But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant, and whoever would be first among you would be must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
Honoring our leaders through prayer
I Timothy 2:1-3 – I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior . . .
The words bless, blessing and generations are used numerous times in scripture (i.e., bless, 127 times in 117 verses; blessing, 67 times in 64 verses, and the word generations is stated 114 times), showing that God is a God of blessing and cares deeply about this understanding.
4. Authenticity continued...
In our authenticity, we don’t claim to be perfect, but we do strive to always be Christ-like . . . and if we mess up, then we ask for forgiveness. We value all believers in Jesus Christ as members of the Body of Christ and fellow co-laborers, whether they attend Life Gate, another local group, fellowship, Bible study or home church. We welcome those who are with us for a season of rest, healing or growth, as well as, those God sends as covenant partners for the journey. In the structure of our gatherings, we are comfortable being genuinely organic, in that we are not trying to copy or be like other churches or models of other ministries. We celebrate and support other ministries, churches, and Kingdom-minded businesses, and we pray for them and their leaders regularly; we are not in competition and rejoice at what God is doing in every gathering in His name. We strive to remain humble and always open to what the Spirit is saying and doing currently, so that we may move and adjust accordingly with Him.
Acts 17:28 – “For in Him we live and move and have our being . . . we are his offspring.”
Isaiah 56:7 – “ . . . these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer . . . for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Hebrews 13:20-21 “May the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ...”
5. Authority as believers continued...
When we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our life, Colossians 1:13 says we were delivered from the power of darkness. The word power comes from the Greek word exousia and is literally translated “...delegated influence, jurisdiction, magistrate, authority.” We have been delivered from the power, influence, or authority, of darkness and placed into God’s kingdom. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore...” (Matthew 28:18-19). That power was given to us as part of our inheritance in Christ Jesus. We have entered into this position of authority because we are in Him. The Word says that righteousness has come upon all men (Romans 5:18). We may ask, “Then why don’t all become righteous?” Because in order to receive it, you have to act on righteousness from the point of authority. When we use our authority as a human being and make the choice, deciding to receive Jesus as Lord of our life, at that moment, the righteousness that had been upon us comes inside us. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ. II Corinthians 5:21 says, “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Jesus succeeded in securing all power by going to the cross, dying a horrible death, suffering the penalty for sin and defeating Satan in the pit of hell. He came to earth as a man for one reason: to recapture the authority Satan had stolen through Adam’s disobedience in the Garden. Jesus was called the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45). After securing that power and authority, He freely gave it over into the hands of those who would believe on Him—you and me. And it is not enough for us to simply accept Jesus’ work at Calvary. We are held responsible for much more. Jesus’ words in Mark 16 were not intended for the early Church alone. His words are just as vital and real today as when they were first spoken. Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. His words to them form the basic foundation for the work of the New Testament Church. It was at that time He delegated the authority to carry out that work. Beginning in verse 15, Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18).
On a number of occasions the authority that Jesus had was recognized. Obviously, he was walking in power and doing many miraculous, supernatural things, however, it wasn't just about what he was accomplishing, but it was also about how he spoke and carried himself. In Luke 7, the Roman centurion saw it and said, "...Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers...and if I say to my slaves, 'Do this,' they do it." The Lord transfers this positioning and strength of understanding to 72 of his close followers in Luke 10:19 where he says, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." And there's more!
Colossians 2:15 KJV says, "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." The Greek word translated "shew" in this verse is "deigmatizo" which means "to exhibit" (Strong). This comes from the root word "deigma" which means "a specimen (as shown)" (ibid.). Andrew Wommack says it well, "Satan is like one of those bugs we had to capture for biology class. We caught it and then impaled it on a board with a little pin to exhibit it. You need to picture the devil nailed to the cross of Jesus like a bug on display. Hallelujah! Take that, Mr. Devil!"
The Greek word translated "triumphing over" in Colossians 2:15 is especially significant. It means "to make an acclamatory procession" (ibid.). This is specifically referring to the way the Romans had a "triumphant procession" after they had defeated their enemies.
After conquering an enemy, the Romans would hold a big parade. They would take the defeated, conquered king, strip him naked, and drag him through the crowd behind the victorious king or commander for all their subjects to see. He would be humiliated and insulted, but that's not all. They would also cut off the thumbs of his hands and the big toes of both feet. This was to affirm and assure the people of the victorious kingdom that this enemy would never be a threat to any of them again. He could not hold a sword and he would never be able to run again. There was no need to fear him any more. Any rumor about him ever challenging Rome again would be laughed at because the citizens had seen him in the parade.
The same thing happened to the devil. That's what this verse is referring to. Jesus not only beat the devil, but He had a triumphant procession to display the devil to the universe as a totally conquered foe. Satan should never terrify us again. Unfortunately, many Christians have missed the parade. They haven't seen God's triumphant procession that was pictured in God's Word where Satan was displayed as a totally defeated foe. They are circulating rumors that Satan is a powerful foe to be reckoned with. That's not so.
Satan is still alive, and we do have to reckon with him but only because he has so many lies circulating about his power against us. These are all lies, and therein lies Satan's power. If we believe his lies, he then uses our own authority, which our fear grants him, to work his destruction in our lives. He has no power of his own. He's using the power and authority that our misdirected faith gives him.
The story is told of a young man that was in love with the Lord, young in his faith, and wanting to minister to people. He decided to open up a home where people who were being controlled by things like alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. could come and stay while the young man and his ministry team helped break the power of the devil over them and assisted them in being set free. The young man rented a two-story house, right on the edge of the state university campus, and started fixing it up.
The house had been a fraternity house, and there had been a lot of demonic activity in the house prior to their occupancy. The people were gone, but not all the demons were. There were some strange things about the place. One night the young man was working late there about 1 a.m., and some demons attacked him. There was no one in that house except him, but he was being hit and choked, and in his words "I was fighting for my life."
He ran out of the house and got in his car and backed out of the driveway. He was ready to "burn rubber" and get as far away from there as possible. Just before he got the car into drive, he heard the Lord say, "What are you doing?" He told the Lord that heI was getting away from that place as fast as he could. God then reminded him of the Christian's armor that was described in Ephesians 6:10-18, and He said, "There isn't any armor to cover your back."
The young man knew what God meant. He was saying that the armor He had given him only worked when he faced the devil, not if he turned and ran. The young man thought, Lord, You couldn't want me to go back into that place and face those devils. God didn't say anything else to him. So he pulled back into the driveway and thought about that for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, he got out of the car and walked back into the house. He spent the rest of the night fighting off fear and the demonic physical attacks. However, when he left in the morning, the demons were gone, and there was a supernatural peace in the house.
We all have things that come against us...difficult things, demonic pressure and encounters, obviously evil situations, overwhelming circumstances. These things aren't just in our minds and they most certainly aren't fun. But the key to overcoming these things is to not spend more time in our prayers talking to the enemy and rebuking him than we are talking to the Lord. If we focus all our attention on the devil, we are actually giving him in-roads into our life, which empowers him and opens us to these kind of attacks. If we repent and change our thinking and focus, we will see a change. These dark things manifest because of the fear that is released toward them. Their power source is fear...so if we stop being afraid and empowering them through our fear, and dismiss them, they have to leave.
Thank you to Kenneth Copeland and Andrew Wommack for their excellent teaching and writing on the Authority of the Believer.
As we individually host “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col.1:27), we likewise, host His presence corporately when we come together . . . Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” This coming together, of the corporate Body, releases His presence in a magnified way into our homes, churches, cities and the nations.
It is our joy to know Him, to know His ways and His thoughts, and to partner with Him . . . Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
We can have confidence knowing that His presence will lead and guide us . . . Exodus 33.15—“Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here...”
Because we honor Him and value His presence, we give high priority in our gatherings to worship and praise, waiting in His presence, listening as He speaks in various ways and celebrating Him.
Psa 22:3: "But you are holy, inhabiting the praises of Israel."
In Hebrew, the word for “inhabiting” infers that when we praise, right in the middle of it, God sets up a throne and sits on it…wanting to dwell or live in our praise. Another way to look at it is that praise is His natural habitat, which fuels why we love to worship and praise, because it draws us to Him and His presence to us.
When we praise Him and thank Him, despite difficulties or hardships, it opens the way for His salvation to come to every situation . . . Psalm 50:23 – “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way, so that I may show him the salvation of God.”
2. Blessing family and generations continued...
The words bless, blessing and generations are used numerous times in scripture (i.e., bless, 127 times in 117 verses; blessing, 67 times in 64 verses, and the word generations is stated 114 times), showing that God is a God of blessing and cares deeply about this understanding.
Our commitment to family and the generations has us partner with different opportunities, seminars, and services that lay the foundation for strong families and blessing generations; these opportunities are also beautiful tools for ministering to past hurts and wounds, identifying generational strongholds, and walking forward in manhood and womanhood, as God designed. These are offered regularly throughout the year.
Psalm 78:4-7 – “ . . . we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”
Leviticus 19:32 - “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God…”
Genesis 1:27-28—“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”
Genesis 2: 24 – “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
We also regularly pray for and bless our children publicly, including infant dedications. Our children participate in our services on a regular basis, as they are being trained in our Joshua Generation Ministry on how to minister to the Lord, both personally, and as a corporate body.
Matthew 19:14,15 – Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Psalm 127:3-5 – “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”
3. A Culture of Honor continued...
The practice of honor is often a lost art in our modern culture. The Lord is restoring the value and practice of honor in His house. Our churches and homes will only be as strong as they are free to walk in this concept. Restoring a culture of honor to our communities and nation will come as we all embrace this call.
Romans 12:10, 12, 14,16-18
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Honor is a ‘two-way’ experience. To receive honor, we must give honor, and to experience honor, we must embrace humility. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Rather than expecting others to show us honor, our focus is on serving others.
“The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 15:33, ESV)
We honor every believer as a minister and we value every person and their call within both the church and marketplace – we value the spiritual and the secular arenas equally.
Because we believe that every individual has an incredible call on their life, we want to see them trained and equipped to reach that destiny. For this reason we offer a wide range of seminars and opportunities based upon the wisdom and principles of the Bible. These include, but are not limited to, family and relational healing, light and sound in worship, healthy living, ministering healing to the sick, walking in the prophetic, growing in financial freedom and helping the poor. Throughout the year we host conferences and invite world-renowned teachers to help equip our body so that we can all be who we were created to be.
Scriptures About Honor
Honor to God
I Samuel 2:30 . . . “Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.”
Honor for Marriage
Hebrews 13:4 . . . “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
Honor to Parents
Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Honor to those in Authority - Honor to Spiritual Leaders
One of the ways we show honor to our leaders is by submitting to their authority. At the same time, though, leaders are instructed to show honor by serving those they lead:
Hebrews 13:17—“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Matthew 20:25-26: "But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant, and whoever would be first among you would be must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
Honoring our leaders through prayer
I Timothy 2:1-3 – I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior . . .
The words bless, blessing and generations are used numerous times in scripture (i.e., bless, 127 times in 117 verses; blessing, 67 times in 64 verses, and the word generations is stated 114 times), showing that God is a God of blessing and cares deeply about this understanding.
4. Authenticity continued...
In our authenticity, we don’t claim to be perfect, but we do strive to always be Christ-like . . . and if we mess up, then we ask for forgiveness. We value all believers in Jesus Christ as members of the Body of Christ and fellow co-laborers, whether they attend Life Gate, another local group, fellowship, Bible study or home church. We welcome those who are with us for a season of rest, healing or growth, as well as, those God sends as covenant partners for the journey. In the structure of our gatherings, we are comfortable being genuinely organic, in that we are not trying to copy or be like other churches or models of other ministries. We celebrate and support other ministries, churches, and Kingdom-minded businesses, and we pray for them and their leaders regularly; we are not in competition and rejoice at what God is doing in every gathering in His name. We strive to remain humble and always open to what the Spirit is saying and doing currently, so that we may move and adjust accordingly with Him.
Acts 17:28 – “For in Him we live and move and have our being . . . we are his offspring.”
Isaiah 56:7 – “ . . . these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer . . . for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Hebrews 13:20-21 “May the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ...”
5. Authority as believers continued...
When we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our life, Colossians 1:13 says we were delivered from the power of darkness. The word power comes from the Greek word exousia and is literally translated “...delegated influence, jurisdiction, magistrate, authority.” We have been delivered from the power, influence, or authority, of darkness and placed into God’s kingdom. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore...” (Matthew 28:18-19). That power was given to us as part of our inheritance in Christ Jesus. We have entered into this position of authority because we are in Him. The Word says that righteousness has come upon all men (Romans 5:18). We may ask, “Then why don’t all become righteous?” Because in order to receive it, you have to act on righteousness from the point of authority. When we use our authority as a human being and make the choice, deciding to receive Jesus as Lord of our life, at that moment, the righteousness that had been upon us comes inside us. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ. II Corinthians 5:21 says, “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Jesus succeeded in securing all power by going to the cross, dying a horrible death, suffering the penalty for sin and defeating Satan in the pit of hell. He came to earth as a man for one reason: to recapture the authority Satan had stolen through Adam’s disobedience in the Garden. Jesus was called the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45). After securing that power and authority, He freely gave it over into the hands of those who would believe on Him—you and me. And it is not enough for us to simply accept Jesus’ work at Calvary. We are held responsible for much more. Jesus’ words in Mark 16 were not intended for the early Church alone. His words are just as vital and real today as when they were first spoken. Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. His words to them form the basic foundation for the work of the New Testament Church. It was at that time He delegated the authority to carry out that work. Beginning in verse 15, Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18).
On a number of occasions the authority that Jesus had was recognized. Obviously, he was walking in power and doing many miraculous, supernatural things, however, it wasn't just about what he was accomplishing, but it was also about how he spoke and carried himself. In Luke 7, the Roman centurion saw it and said, "...Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers...and if I say to my slaves, 'Do this,' they do it." The Lord transfers this positioning and strength of understanding to 72 of his close followers in Luke 10:19 where he says, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." And there's more!
Colossians 2:15 KJV says, "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." The Greek word translated "shew" in this verse is "deigmatizo" which means "to exhibit" (Strong). This comes from the root word "deigma" which means "a specimen (as shown)" (ibid.). Andrew Wommack says it well, "Satan is like one of those bugs we had to capture for biology class. We caught it and then impaled it on a board with a little pin to exhibit it. You need to picture the devil nailed to the cross of Jesus like a bug on display. Hallelujah! Take that, Mr. Devil!"
The Greek word translated "triumphing over" in Colossians 2:15 is especially significant. It means "to make an acclamatory procession" (ibid.). This is specifically referring to the way the Romans had a "triumphant procession" after they had defeated their enemies.
After conquering an enemy, the Romans would hold a big parade. They would take the defeated, conquered king, strip him naked, and drag him through the crowd behind the victorious king or commander for all their subjects to see. He would be humiliated and insulted, but that's not all. They would also cut off the thumbs of his hands and the big toes of both feet. This was to affirm and assure the people of the victorious kingdom that this enemy would never be a threat to any of them again. He could not hold a sword and he would never be able to run again. There was no need to fear him any more. Any rumor about him ever challenging Rome again would be laughed at because the citizens had seen him in the parade.
The same thing happened to the devil. That's what this verse is referring to. Jesus not only beat the devil, but He had a triumphant procession to display the devil to the universe as a totally conquered foe. Satan should never terrify us again. Unfortunately, many Christians have missed the parade. They haven't seen God's triumphant procession that was pictured in God's Word where Satan was displayed as a totally defeated foe. They are circulating rumors that Satan is a powerful foe to be reckoned with. That's not so.
Satan is still alive, and we do have to reckon with him but only because he has so many lies circulating about his power against us. These are all lies, and therein lies Satan's power. If we believe his lies, he then uses our own authority, which our fear grants him, to work his destruction in our lives. He has no power of his own. He's using the power and authority that our misdirected faith gives him.
The story is told of a young man that was in love with the Lord, young in his faith, and wanting to minister to people. He decided to open up a home where people who were being controlled by things like alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. could come and stay while the young man and his ministry team helped break the power of the devil over them and assisted them in being set free. The young man rented a two-story house, right on the edge of the state university campus, and started fixing it up.
The house had been a fraternity house, and there had been a lot of demonic activity in the house prior to their occupancy. The people were gone, but not all the demons were. There were some strange things about the place. One night the young man was working late there about 1 a.m., and some demons attacked him. There was no one in that house except him, but he was being hit and choked, and in his words "I was fighting for my life."
He ran out of the house and got in his car and backed out of the driveway. He was ready to "burn rubber" and get as far away from there as possible. Just before he got the car into drive, he heard the Lord say, "What are you doing?" He told the Lord that heI was getting away from that place as fast as he could. God then reminded him of the Christian's armor that was described in Ephesians 6:10-18, and He said, "There isn't any armor to cover your back."
The young man knew what God meant. He was saying that the armor He had given him only worked when he faced the devil, not if he turned and ran. The young man thought, Lord, You couldn't want me to go back into that place and face those devils. God didn't say anything else to him. So he pulled back into the driveway and thought about that for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, he got out of the car and walked back into the house. He spent the rest of the night fighting off fear and the demonic physical attacks. However, when he left in the morning, the demons were gone, and there was a supernatural peace in the house.
We all have things that come against us...difficult things, demonic pressure and encounters, obviously evil situations, overwhelming circumstances. These things aren't just in our minds and they most certainly aren't fun. But the key to overcoming these things is to not spend more time in our prayers talking to the enemy and rebuking him than we are talking to the Lord. If we focus all our attention on the devil, we are actually giving him in-roads into our life, which empowers him and opens us to these kind of attacks. If we repent and change our thinking and focus, we will see a change. These dark things manifest because of the fear that is released toward them. Their power source is fear...so if we stop being afraid and empowering them through our fear, and dismiss them, they have to leave.
Thank you to Kenneth Copeland and Andrew Wommack for their excellent teaching and writing on the Authority of the Believer.
