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
Thank you Lance for this timely word.
The Lord told me years ago, never let the enemy take your peace and joy, when you lose them, he wins!
Also, just re-listened to your “Level 10 Living” from back in 2010, WOW, stuff jumped out at me that I had never seen before! Lots of other stuff breaking free, my passion is back!!
Appreciate your teachings very much!
I found this incredibly valuable. I have a had a personal situation now carrying on for years. There is certainly a 25% that I can take 100% and repent. Also, I have been in that back and forth texting war with my enemy and didn’t realize what was happening. The hardest thing definitely was to stop and disengage. Just yesterday I got the impression that I must look for a better solution than the “back and forth”. This revelation of stopping and biding my time is wonderful. To make room for God’s vengeance is miraculous for me. I certainly am reaping issues from a bad decision that is now giving me wisdom for my coming season. It is so encouraging that the Lord can give me a season to deal with my enemies and uproot them. It is more encouraging that God Himself can take the matter into his own hands and overcome evil with an axe. I believe in scripture it says: that the righteous will not be visited with actual evil. It is also encouraging that Jesus taught about delayed execution. It gives me greater belief and faith in Romans 8:28 that all things are made for the good……
He then can uproot what doesn’t yield to the master.
So I will strive to be wise (James 1:5) Repent of 100% of my 25%. To pray for those who persecute me and despitefully use me will yield to a manifestation of His Grace (unmerited favor) in my life.
This gives me much hope in the future. Hope deferred makes the heart sick but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Praise God for His faithfulness and His Rhema Word of revelation for His chosen people.
Thanks so much for your post and your continual dedication to the Body of Christ.
Lance, This was very good. I often share the message of taking care of my 5,10, or 20%. There is great freedom and liberty when we do that. Good reminder.
Was just talking with a friend about this, thanks. When we get God’s perspective, we see a path forward.
Thanks for putting into words and clarifying a particular situation in my life. I have repeatedly had opportunity to exact revenge on someone that has not been dealing justly with me. But each time I have set my mind to settle this once and for all, it doesn’t happen. I end up losing my anger or become a source of rescue for this person. It always leaves me baffled because this was not the intent that I started with. I know now that God’s hand was at work. It is his place to deal with this person not mine. It is good to know that this person does not have a free pass to continue their behavior. It is also good to know that God is protecting me from actions so that He will not have to deal with me also.
Thanks, about the spirits there in operation a friend who is a teacher in our org sings a little chant “bind what you dont want, Loose what you do want. ” from Dean Sherman who teaches on spiritual warfare. I believe that bringing the kingdom of God into every area of thought and life will involve more and more of this, thanks for opening up the conversation, we need more on this subject in the marketplace teaching for Believers. Thanks Doug Groves
Awesome!!!!!!!!! This speaks directly to my current situation. I am struggling with what I perceive to be tremendous wrongdoing against me—-AND I am a trained advocate and persuader who habitually wants to verbalize how unethical, unjust, and immoral my enemy is. This message brought peace and was a direct response from God, concerning my prayers to Him.
I love the wisdom that God pours forth from you!
So on target!