Sometimes, before you can deal with a spiritual enemy, you need to remove the legal groundwork beneath his feet. This is where repentance comes in. An act that involves accurately judging yourself and owning where you are wrong.
Here’s a trap: ”all or nothing” thinking. Suppose you are mostly right and the other person is mostly wrong? What if you are 25% at fault but they are 75% at fault? Can you do a 25% repentance and reconciliation? No.
But you can take 100% responsibility for your 25%….and this often releases the GRACE on the other person to own their 75%.
There will be other times when you need to ignore the enemy. This isn’t easy. Ever get into a fight where you want to keep at it? The hardest thing to do is to stop and disengage! If you are accustomed to verbally persuading and influencing others, something inside you wants to talk, text or type your way into triumph! But it never works. You can’t ever kill off a spirit by conversation.
And if the spirit has an offended person attached, you are in for a season of never ending verbal volleyball.
That’s where you need to ignore the situation. Bide your time. David ignored the deeds of those who conspired against him…..but told his son Solomon that he needed to deal with those specific troublemakers if his administration was going to succeed. Think of yourself as a combined David/Solomon. David is the guy that screwed up and gave the enemy an opportunity to injure the dynasty. Solomon is the “wisdom” that came out of that screw up (talking about Bathsheba.) Once you get wisdom (often from the consequences of your bad decisions), God gives you a season to deal with your enemies and uproot them.
Revenge is not an option. “…Avenge not yourselves but give place to wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ ” (Ro 12:19) If we do our best to overcome evil with good, and it does not work, there is always the prospect that God will take matters into His own hands and overcome evil by visiting it with an ax. Isn't that the point Jesus made about the unfruitful tree?
Jesus taught that an unfruitful tree may have a delayed execution, but, if it persists in its unfruitful state, it will be uprooted. What if God does that with areas of our life? He “dungs around the tree” so to speak, but after a while, if thing's don't yield to the master, He uproots it.
This cycle is manifest in David’s unfinished business being taken care of by Solomon.
Be wise. Remove the legal groundwork. Repent of 100% of your 25%, if need be. Bless… do good… Ignore judging – till the time comes, if necessary, to judge… when that time comes.
Lance Wallnau
Before I read your mail, I received a mail from a friend where he told me, that he is mad at me, because I accused him unjustly. From my side it looked the opposite. Asking myself what I shall do I received your mail with the answer I needed. It came right in time. Thank God!
Good word! Thank you! Perfect timing!
I completely agreed. Great word! Perfect timing !
Thanks papa Lance,
This is absolutely word of the day and its well received!
Hi Lance.
Just reading your post on my commute to work – great word in season for me. Thank God for your obedience!
What if its a spirit over your workplace? Say that there’s a strong witchcraft/ manipulating style operating – people are being bullied (including me) and broken and its only seeming to increase in power? How do you remove the legal groundwork under its feet? It is not ok for that to be in the place God has put me. Really keen to know your thoughts.
Overcome evil with good. If you can not honor the persons action honor their position. If you look at evil as darkness and good as light. When you continue to do good(light) the evil(darkness) will have to leave.
I’ve been going through the same thing at work – being bullied by male co-workers. Would like to know the same – how to remove the legal groundwork under its feet? thanks
Thank you so much for this post! Truly a blessing! I needed to see this at this time. I have been going through a similar situation. I reported the bullying/intimidation, only to have things intensify (this was being coupled with attempts to fire me and denial of potential promotional opportunity). I noticed that when I ignored people and continually laid my case before the Lord (whatever they said or did that hurt me…just put b4 him and allow him to impart strength on me [to ignore it/stand in my identity in Christ].); I noticed that things began to dissipate…people who attempted to stare at me/follow me would stop. Now, I believe that now I am out of the way…the Lord can do what he needs to do to allow for justice, righteousness, peace and joy to come over this situation and the workplace environment.
This is helpful to me today there things the enemy is trying to do in my life, work and community so I will just ignore him because the word declared him as a liar and the father of all lies.. Thanks Lance
Thank you. This message today will do a great deal for me.
God bless you.
This is a really really helpful and instructive word for my recent and present season. Thanks for your sensitivity Lance. Owning our sins is a big deal in God’s Word.
Wow, thank you so much for that amazing statement. That is EXACTLY one of the areas in my business life I have to focus on right now and keep in mind. To make sure on a very regular basis (mostly in prayer and in my readings-I suggest Myles Munroe’s leadership books) to bring myself in the spiritual state of examination so if needed my heart can knows exactly where I have to repent, in what areas and so that can regain and also expand in the confidence I have in God which I HAVE TO HAVE to be victorious in business. And then if this is kept in perspective I always can be at “rest” or “chill” so to speak because I know without a shadow of a doubt that God in all of my business endeavors and in the business itself with all the other folk will bring about his will and purpose. Great, great work Lance. i would be so happy to get more fresh revelation on strategic points which can and have to be used in business as a believer. God bless!
Thank you Lance Walnau.
This post is so spot on. This is exactly what i need today. The warfare is just increasing all the time, but so is the GRACE of God. Sufficient for the enemies schemes and traps.
Please keep posting.
God bless you and the work you do.