Week 3 – Spiritual Warfare Devotional by Pastor Mark Cowart
How are you looking at the times we are in? You don’t actually see with your eyes, but rather with your mind. Your eye is the lens that focuses on the image and lets in the right amount of light, like a camera, to develop it on the “screen” in your mind. A lot of how we see things depends upon perspective as well. Remember the half-full glass – or is it half empty?
As I said in the last segment, we have unprecedented opportunity in these difficult days. When we look at what we can see in this world, it can be discouraging. This can cause our expectation of good things to go down, when really it should be going up. We need to remember that light is more conspicuous in a dark time than in a bright shining era.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14 NKJV
A jeweler will often display gems in a showcase with a backdrop of black velvet. The reflections of light on the stones is dazzling by contrast. There is unprecedented opportunity right now for us as believers to similarly shine as lights in the midst of the darkness that is around us.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:15-16 NKJV
Jesus is talking about your good deeds, your good works done from a right heart, not for the applause of men, but to please God, from a heart of love and compassion. When you allow your good works to come forth – and you’re not doing it for yourself but for the Kingdom – that’s a form of light when all of a sudden people see it.
By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another. John 13:35 NKJV
The key to the verses above in Matthew chapter 5 is we must LET our light shine. We had a part-time staffer at CFAN who worked as a Hospice nurse. She let her light shine in her patients’ darkest hours. She even had opportunity to share eternal life with at least one. When she told the story of that encounter to one of her co-workers, she was surprised to hear her say that she also was a Christian. In five years of working with this person, she saw no indication that she was a believer. Where was her light?
That reminds me of a bumper sticker I’ve seen: “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” The real proof is serving God from the heart, the fruit of the Spirit coming out.
Let’s look now at the gifts of the Spirit in the context of ministry gifts and offices. Think of the numbers, five, seven and nine. We have five ministry offices listed in Ephesians.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:
‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.’…. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 5:7-13 NKJV
This establishes what we often refer to as the five-fold ministry which is still functioning today in the earth. There has been misunderstanding, misuse and even abuse in the operations of the five-fold ministries. For one thing, we cannot appoint ourselves to any of these offices.
And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. Hebrews 5:4 NIV
We have seen some fraudulent claims of these titles over the years. But, like Lester Sumrall said to me, “A banana tree doesn’t need a sign.” We can know the true Apostles, for example, by their fruit.
You look at the fruit of it, and it becomes very obvious. This gift of apostle is like a naval term. He travels with a team. He goes in and establishes new culture, plants churches. There is a unique and powerful authority that goes with the gift of apostle. Like the thumb on your hand, the apostle can touch all the other four ministry gifts. I would call the pointer finger in this hand illustration the office of prophet. The prophet will speak what the Lord is saying, what the Lord is quickening, what the Lord is pointing out. We are to be led by the Word and the Spirit, which will always agree and never contradict each other. We are not led by prophets, per se. Typically, a strong prophetic gift will bring confirmation and an inner witness.
Do not despise prophecies. I Thessalonians 5:20 NKJV
The simple gift of prophecy contains these things – edification or building up, exhortation – which can be correction – and comfort. Read more about this in scripture in I Corinthians chapters 12 and 14. You will notice on your hand again, the middle finger reaches out further than the others. This represents the evangelist in our set of ministry gifts. The evangelist has an anointing for the lost. It is a supernatural function of the Holy Spirit that brings so many to the altar call when they speak.
Moving on to the ring finger, that represents the office of pastor. The pastor is married to the flock, and that is a sign of covenant. The pastor is there with the sheep. He identifies with them. It is not the pastor’s job to do everything, but it is his job to make sure everything gets done. The pastor has to develop his staff, because there is only so much of his human physical capacity to go around. Then lastly, there is the little finger, and that’s the teacher. We joke that this one gets in your ear. Your grip would not be strong without the little finger.
As we are in the last of the last days, we are going to see these five ministry gifts really come to full fruition. We have many churches that are missing fingers, not recognizing some of the gifts and offices. Scripture tells us these gifts will be here until when?
…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Ephesians 4:13 NKJV
With all the shaking and purging in the Body of Christ going on in recent years, we are seeing the five-fold ministry gifts starting to be restored. We are not there yet.
Next is the seven foundational gifts that we all possess.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry (serving), let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:6-8 NKJV
All of these are supernatural in origin. Even though they may not seem as spectacular as the five-fold ministry gifts or the nine gifts of the Spirit that we’ll get to next, they are still powered by the Holy Spirit when motivated by love. Then there are the nine gifts of the Spirit, supernatural manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
I Corinthians 12:1-11 NKJV
Where the translation says “gifts” in verse 1, that word is not in the original language text at all. Rather the term translated “spiritual” is the Greek pneumatikos meaning breath, and referring to the Spirit of God. We are being admonished not to be ignorant or uninformed, and we are herewith given information regarding the supernatural intended to operate through us! The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians (and us) that we have served idols which cannot speak, but now we serve a God who speaks through His servants by His Spirit. He will thus lead, guide and direct us. And, this is very important when it comes to spiritual warfare.
The Apostle Paul tells the Corinthians (and us) that we have served idols which cannot speak, but now we serve a God who speaks through His servants by His Spirit. He will thus lead, guide and direct us. And, this is very important when it comes to spiritual warfare.
We need everything that God has provided for us and that His word reveals. We need every gift, every piece of armor and every weapon He has for us in this battle not against flesh and blood, but against dark forces, principalities, powers, ruler of the darkness of this world, wicked spirits. I see a couple of analogies to the operation of the Spirit, the pneuma. In the field of pneumatic tools, those powering work with compressed air, it is much faster and easier to take off lug nuts on a car tire or drive a nail in building construction with such a tool.
We definitely need power in this battle, and it will not come from our own strength or designs.
So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD…: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NKJV
When we have the gifts of the Spirit, we can definitely demonstrate the defeat of Satan.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV
Notice the word “whole” in that passage. This is a powerful scripture, because it reveals the trinity of mankind. The first thing you have to realize is you are a spirit. You don’t have a spirit, you are a spirit. You are a spirit created in the image of God. That is what allows you to have fellowship with God and puts you in His class.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have set in place; What is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! Psalm 8:3-5 NASB
We are created in His image, we read in Genesis. It doesn’t mean we are God, It means we are created in His image and likeness and, therefore, have capabilities that only God has. Mankind is God’s crowning creation. That is why the devil hates us so much. We are a spirit with a soul, living in a body. That soul is comprised of our mind, will and emotions, and is the real internal battleground. Your physical body allows you access in the earth right here. When your body expires, your spirit with your soul has to vacate.
All these things, and more, we need to understand as we engage in spiritual warfare.
Father, I pray your word brings forth fruit in my life today. I’m asking in Jesus’ name that the word of God that was planted by the spirit of wisdom and revelation be loosed in me. I pray that you will pour out your Spirit and your understanding in my life, and I thank you for it. In Jesus name, Amen.
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS, SIGN UP FOR MY
