Embracing the Power of |
|
Ed Corley Dúnamis
Even now that same dynamic power works to release us from our own death, both spiritual and physical. We have dedicated much writing and study to these power words, the first of which comes from the Greek word dúnamis. It is the enabling power of miracles. The touch of this power may come upon a destitute soul or situation and bring the instant relief of a miracle. Thus, one becomes the recipient of this power with no more exertion of human effort than it takes to believe. We saw the example of this in the woman with an issue of blood who was touched by the virtue (dúnamis) that went out from Jesus. But to become a bearer of this power, and thus an instrument through whom the operation of miracles may extend to others, is another matter. Jesus gave clear indication of this when He said, Tarry ye... until ye be endued with power (dúnamis) from on high—Luke 24:49. He gave yet further insight to Paul when He said … My strength (dúnamis) is made perfect in weakness—II Corinthians 12:9. Indeed, it seems that to be an instrument through whom this power will move and touch others requires the laying down of one's own life and human ability. This enduing requires the desperation of spirit that will not stop waiting before Him until the enduing comes. This brings hope as we move on to the time of the end. Then, every human resource shall have failed anyway. There will remain no recourse for living except to draw from the provision of His Kingdom. But oh! What a provision! Nothing from the realm of man or Satan can exhaust the energetic power and resource that was manifested in Christ's Resurrection and made available to us who seek His face. Enérgeia Because of the forces of darkness that reach for us, we need to learn all we can about praying like this. The Holy Spirit is ready to help us. If we give into the darkness, we become less and less aware of the light and life of God's Kingdom. Those of us who have even a little light can learn what these dark forces are and how they work. Then we can become more precise in our praying. Our own deliverance will increase and we can help others find their release. Regarding the energy that reaches for us from the kingdom of darkness, there are two additional passages that need our attention: Ephesians 2:1-3 and II Thessalonians 2:5-9. When we understand these Scriptures, we learn where the combat zones are for the spiritual warfare to which we are called. Praying for ourselves as well as our intercession for others is ready to become accurate and powerful.
Seven Points of Bondage Ephesians 2:1-3 draws our attention to seven points of bondage that hold everyone outside of Christ. To name these very briefly, they are sin, the world, demonic influence, unbelief, carnal desire, the desires of a darkened mind, and the wrath of human nature. All the sin, pain and affliction of the human race can be traced to these seven points. When we see this, we find precisely where the energy of the Resurrection is ready to take its dead aim, and release in their place the life and power of God's Kingdom. Unless these strongholds are broken by the power of the Resurrection, they will remain as invitations for that man of sin to do his last-days work. Ephesians 2:1-3 is actually a continuation of the prayer and revelation that came to Paul in Ephesians 1:15-23. The Ephesians 2 verses reveal those strongholds of spiritual death. They present us with negative truth. But unless we see their points and address them in the positive light of what we are learning, they will remain to do a deadly work. While they reveal what draws a person to destruction, they also reveal exactly where the energy of the Resurrection will work.
Much could be written on each point, but our purpose in this booklet is to see them all together. 1 SIN... We learn to reckon the same for ourselves. We can put it down to our account that when Christ Jesus died, we died. When He was raised from the dead, we were raised also. We learn to bathe in all of Romans Truth, especially as it is laid out in chapters 3 through 8, but it is in these two verses that we find our release from sin and, thus, find its power broken. But there is something else significant about the word reckon we need to know. It is from the Present Imperative form of the Greek Verb logízomai. This makes it mean "Reckon and reckon and reckon; never cease your reckoning that you are dead to sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thus, sin's power is broken, not by a revival movement, or by self-discipline, but by the power of Christ's Death and Resurrection. 2 THE WORLD... With a force of energy many feel powerless to resist, the world always seeks to draw us away from the Lord. But when we learn to renounce its strong pull we can find the life and provision of God's Kingdom. To live in this world and communicate with its people, but with a decreasing reliance upon it, is a secret learned by those who live in union with the Lord Jesus and draw from the energy released in His Resurrection. Paul found a wonderful secret regarding the world and the means of its overthrow in his life. Note this verse carefully. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world—Galatians 6:14. When we know our identification with Christ Jesus in His Death and Resurrection, we find our freedom from the strong pull of the world. 3 DEMONIC POWER... As a spiritual force, the prince of the power of the air energizes every soul toward disobedience. It is no wonder those who walk in disobedience seem empowered to do so. Jesus called this empowering one the prince of this world (John 12:31 and 14:30). In I John 5:19 John said, The whole world lieth in wickedness, or more clearly, "under the sway of the wicked one." Many mistake the energy from the wicked one as "the good life." This is how his deception works. We are learning that If we are to come through as victors, we must break the energetic force that comes from Satan's realm. Ephesians 6:10-18 speaks most clearly with regard to this. Just take your Bible and soak in this passage. The key word in this passage is wrestle, in verse 12. ...For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against 1)principalities, against 2)powers, against the 3)rulers of the darkness of this world, against 4)spiritual wickedness in high places. Wrestle is from the Greek palé, a contest in which one contestant must overthrow and then place a hold on the other. Paul has named here four levels of demonic opposition against which we are to come in a spiritual wrestling. This is part of the great final battle that has already begun and will only intensify as the age wears on. It is given to us to overthrow demonic energy by the power given us in Christ Jesus and then place a hold on the demons in His Name. We call in the energy of Christ's Resurrection to bring this about. But, don’t think that spirits are to be played around with. In Matthew 12:43-45 Jesus tells of the folly of this game.
4 UNBELIEF... It is given to us to break away from unbelief and disobedience and place our belief in the Lord Jesus. Here we find the response of a divine energy that sets us free. Nothing breaks the power of disobedience and unbelief like the determination of a soul to believe. The heart is the inner part of us that can believe. Also, it is a part in us that can understand, even when our reasoning mind refuses, or is unable, to do so. Sometimes it is necessary to set our mind to rest and let our heart respond to the understanding it receives. Out of this, belief is born, and our miracle of deliverance from the darkness of unbelief can happen. 5 CARNAL DESIRE... While the body does indeed have its needs, it is not necessary for them to be in control. The same seducing spirit that drives a person to unbelief and disobedience will drive the same one to consider that his carnal needs are so important nothing should hinder their demands. This is a pitiful state in which to approach the final day. As the demands of the flesh increase their rage, the opportunity to find carnal satisfaction will only decrease. Paul found the only One who can tame the flesh is God's Spirit. There is something for us to note about this in Romans 8:1-13. Here we find a marvelous display of words as Paul describes the contest between the flesh and the Spirit. In my own Bible I placed something to illustrate this war. Every time the flesh occurs I highlighted it with one color. Every time the Spirit occurs I highlighted it with another color. I look at this often, for I find after verse 13 the flesh occurs no more, only the Spirit. This keeps me reminded it is possible for the flesh to be overcome and for the Spirit to win. Then, the flesh can have its just needs met, but it is the Spirit of God Who has the control. 6 THE DESIRES OF THE DARKENED MIND... Paul knew how fierce could be the hold of a darkened understanding. Only the light released when Christ Jesus arose from the dead can break that hold. Paul did not pray God would turn on something like the light of a lamp, nor even like the light of the sun. He asked for something to come in the understanding more like the light that came when God first said, Let there be light—Genesis 1:3. At creation's dawn He called for this light before He called for the light of the sun. What He called forth was something more like the energy with which protons and neutrons react in atoms to make creation possible. This same kind of light, or energy, can come into the darkness of our souls. It is the same energy of the resurrection. Thus, the work of a new creation comes into effect in the mind and wonderful things take place. 7 THE WRATH OF HUMAN NATURE... There is much to write with regard to all this, but let me quote, instead, from a letter that just came. "Please help me. I'm not a bad person. I was sick and I didn't have God in my life. When I first came to jail, I wanted to kill myself. I lost my girlfriend and my father. He died in December. And I lost my freedom. I've been dealing with losses since the age of 16. Well, not dealing with them; I don't know how! That's why I'm writing to you. I'm insecure. I've been abandoned by people I love off and on all my life and I drink and do drugs to deal with the feelings. I just wanted to be loved. I grew up around domestic violence. My father beat my mother. My big brother beat his wife and my sisters' husbands beat them. Out of six girlfriends, I've done it to three. I'm doing time for the last one. I almost killed her. Please help me." Please keep this man, "Willie" in your prayers that he WILL have a testimony of God's faithfulness in his life and in his family. This is just one example of the wrath of human nature. It holds person after person—some not as bad as Willie, some worse. We will not write any more about it here, except to say there is hope for everyone because of the powerful energy released in the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
© Berean Gospel Fellowship Visit Us at http://www.maschil.com © Berean Gospel Fellowship. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Permission to reprint in part or in whole is usually granted. |
|
