We Wrestle Not Against Flesh And Blood, Page 3

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WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH & BLOOD

By Hal Dekker

2008.05.26

Last page update: 2023.05.30

Our belief in the God and his Word is built by our knowledge of God's Word, and energized by our love (agape) for God, his son Christ Jesus (Gal. 5:6), and others. Moreover, our belief is energized by God's Spirit in us when we choose to love! Believers are in Christ Jesus, his one body, through having believed upon his precious name. And we become energized by God's gift of holy Spirit in us when we decide to love others like the Father and his son has loved us. Therefore, it's critical and required for our mind's focus to be upon God's Word and his firstborn mortal son, Christ Jesus, as our example to follow, of how he acted and reacted in any given situation.

How much of God's Word can you bring up in you mind concerning any given situation? It depends on how much you have programmed into your mind. You do it, no one can do it for you. Start by studying Jesus Christ in the gospels, and how he defeated Satan on a daily basis using God's Word, the knife/sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). Build your believing with the knowledge of God's Word (Rom. 10:17), and study how Jesus loved people. This is how to walk spiritually. The short explanation of discipleship is that simple. Just do it.

Eph. 4:22 (LIT/UBS4) You (humas) [are] to cause yourselves to put away (apothesthai), down according to (kata) the (tēn) previous (proteran) behavior (anastrophēn), the (ton) old (palaion) mortal (anthrōpon), the one (ton) being corrupted (phtheiromenon) down on account (kata) of the (tēs) deceitfulness (apatēs) of the (tas) lusts (epithumias).

Eph. 4:23 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (tō) spirit (pneumati) of the (tou) mind (noos) of you (humōn) [is] to be renewed up (ananeousthai).

Eph. 4:24 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) [you are, v22, RE] to enrobe yourselves in (endusasthai) [[the] behavior, v22, RE] of the (ton) new (kainon) mortal (anthrōpon), the one (ton) having been created (ktisthenta) down according to (kata) God (theon), in (en) to righteousness (dikaiosunē), and (kai) to holiness (hosiotēti) of the (tēs) Truth (alētheias).

Eph. 4:25 (LIT/UBS4) Through which (dio), you having caused yourselves to put away (apothemenoi) the (to) falsehood (pseudos), each one (hekastos) speak (laleite) Truth (alētheian) with (meta) the (tou) neighborly one (plēsion) of him (autou), because (hoti) we are (semen) members (melē) of one another (allēlōn).

Col. 3:8 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) now at this moment (nuni), you (humeis) also (kai) cause yourselves to put away (apothesthe) all (panta) of these things (ta):

anger (orgēn), passion (thumon), malice (kakian), blasphemy (blasphēmian), shameful wordage (aischrologian) out (ek) of the (tou) mouth (stomatos) of you (humōn)!

Col. 3:9 (LIT/UBS4) Do not cause yourselves to be false ones (mē pseudesthe) into (eis) one another (allēlous), you having disrobed yourselves (apekdusamenoi) of the (ton) old (palaion) mortal (anthropon), together with (sun) the (tais) practices (praxesin) of him (autou);

Col. 3:10 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) you having enrobed yourselves in (endusamenoi) the (ton) new (neon) [mortal, v9, RE], the one (ton) being freshened up (anakainoumenon) into (eis) experiential knowledge (epignōsin), down according to (kat’) [the] icon (eikona) of the one (tou) having created (ktisantos) him (auton),

Col. 3:11 (LIT/UBS4) (of which (hopou) there is absolutely not (ouk eni) [a] Hellene (Hellēn) and (kai) [a] Judean (Ioudaios), [a] circumcised one (peritomē) and (kai) [a] prepuced one (akrobustia), [a] barbarian (barbaros), [a] Scythian (Skuthēs), [a] bond-slave (doulos), [a] free one (eleutheros).

BUT (alla), the ones (ta) [are] all (panta) [new mortals, v9-10, RE], and (kai) Christ (Christos) [is] in (en) all (pasin)),

Through our own desired personal discipleship to our lord and savior Christ Jesus, we are to renew our minds to know, do and speak the things of the "new mortal", into which condition we have been created, to know, do and speak of those things of God which are righteous and holy, knowing, doing and speakingTruth.

We "put on" the new man, and we "put on" God's armor by putting on his Word in our mind (Rom. 10:17; Rom. 12:2). Putting it on doesn't mean simply being casually acquainted with it, but that we think it; we run it through our minds on a thought by thought, situation by situation basis, daily, so that doing and speaking God's Word becomes knee-jerk reaction when we think we may have detected the adversary. Each and every day, on a moment by moment basis, we are to be running specific and appropriate Truths of God's Word through our heads, as we come across situations in life as we live. This is how disciples practice to defeat the devil and his demon spirits.

We practice daily, moment by moment, running God's Word through our minds appropriate to the circumstances in life in which we find ourselves. Then one day when the devil or demon spirits decide to throw a whole false shebang at us we are already in shape mentally to successfully process it, according to exactly what God's Word has already said about how to handle it, following Jesus' examples. Once we have developed a discipleship to Jesus Christ life style, the collateral damage of that life style just so happens to be the defeat of the devil and his demon spirits.

Discipleship to Christ Jesus is the daily practice of thinking and doing God's Word. Discipling one's self to Christ Jesus is the daily practice and preparation necessary to be mentally ready to stand against and defeat the devil and any of his demon spirits. In essence, discipleship to Christ Jesus is what causes a believer to become able to defeat anything which the devil may have to throw. Without actual self-imposed discipleship to Christ Jesus, a believer is only a false "wanna be" victor over the adversary, and a false wanna be son of the God.

Yes, we read and study God's Word to become victorious over any and all challenges to us in life. Else we wouldn't know what to do but stand there, frozen, as the car headlights keep getting closer and brighter. We may say, "God's Word is a thick book, how am I supposed to learn all that?" My answer is, "how long will you live?" Or, "how did we get our vast knowledge and expertise about the secular job we go to every day?" We, by our own free will, decide what we value as being most important to us in our lives.

In Eph. 6:10-18, by revelation of Jesus Christ to apostle Paul, Jesus tells us to "put on (enduo)" (v11) and to "take up (analabete)" (v13) the "whole armor" of God. With the new birth of "Christ in you" (Col. 1:27) from above, God has given us spiritual ability. You are to "put on" in v11 and "take up (analabete) in v13.

Nine pieces of armor are given in Eph. 6:14-18:

1. Eph. 6:14 (LIT/UBS4) therefore (oun), stand (stēte);

you having girdled around (perizōsamenoi) the (tēn) loin (osphun) of you (humōn) in (en) Truth (alētheia);

2. and (kai) you having enrobed yourselves in (endusamenoi) the (ton) chest plate (thōraka) of the (tēs) righteousness (dikaiosunēs);

3. Eph. 6:15 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) you having under-bound (hupodēsamenoi) the (tous) feet (podas) in (en) preparation (hetoimasia) of the (tou) Evangelism (euangeliou) of the (tēs) peace (eirēnēs);

4. Eph. 6:16 (LIT/UBS4) in (en) all things (pasin) having taken up (analabontes) the (ton) shield (thureon) of belief (pisteōs),

in (en) which (hō) you shall cause yourselves to be inherently powered (dunēsesthe) to quench (sbesai) all (panta) of the (ta) missiles (belē) of the (tou) evil one (ponērou), the (ta) [missiles, RE] having been inflamed (pepurōmena)!

5. Eph. 6:17 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) cause yourselves to receive (dexasthe) the (tēn) helmet (perikephalaian) of the (tou) wholeness (sōtēriou);

6. and (kai) [cause yourselves to receive, RE] the (tēn) knife (machairan) of the (tou) Spirit (pneumatos), which (ho) is (estin) [a] statement (rhēma) of God (theou).

7. Eph. 6:18 (LIT/UBS4) Through (dia) every (pasēs) prayer of well-thankfulness to⁴³³⁵ (proseuchēs) [God, AE] and (kai) prayer of need (deēseōs), be ones causing yourselves to be well-thankful to⁴³³⁶ (proseuchomenoi) [God, AE] in (en) Spirit (pneumati), in (en) every (panti) time (kairō) [of prayer, AE];

8. and (kai) being sleepless (agrupnountes) into (eis) him (auto) in (en) all (pasē) perseverance (proskarterēsei)

9. and (kai) prayer of need (deēsei) about (peri) all (pantōn) of the (tōn) holy ones (hagiōn),

"be ones causing yourselves to be well-thankful to [God, AE] in Spirit" - The "in Spirit" phrase in v7 I believe indicates a believer speaking in tongues. See 1 Cor. 14. In 1 Cor. 14:2 apostle Paul indicates that when believers speak in tongues it is normal for others not to be able to hear those tongues, because those believers are praying to God within themselves, silently. According to what the apostles wrote, and not according to mortal-made theological theories, the apostles taught that speaking in tongues was perfect prayer (), and thereby must be included in the kinds of prayer apostle Paul instructs us to do in this passage of the nine pieces of Spiritual armor.

(For the normal and common practice of the church to speak in tongues to pray to God, see Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4-11, 10:46, 19:6; Rom. 8:26-27; 1 Cor. 12:3, 30, 13:1, 14:2-28, 39; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:3; Jude 1:20)

For each one of these pieces of the panoply, to "put it on" means to work each piece throughout the scriptures, beginning in the gospels with Jesus Christ, to start to practice these thing habitually in your life style. Start with word studies. Reprogram your mind so that your response to any practical issue in your life becomes a knee-jerk reaction back to what God's Word says. This is how anyone can begin to learn how to manifest any of the nine manifestations of God's Spirit within you (1 Cor. 12).

Throughout this passage in 1 Sam. 17, God puts Goliath as a type to an anti-Christ, the "wild animal" mentioned in the scroll of Revelation given to apostle John. Notice here how God uses numbers in scripture. Numbers have scripture-defined meanings associated with them, based upon the context of the discrete subject matter where the numbers are used. God associates the number "6" and it's contextual meanings throughout the Word, with Goliath. In verse 4, Goliath's height was six cubits and a span.

In the context of the whole passage, God describes to us six pieces of Goliath's armor and weaponry,

helmet,
armor of scales,
greaves,
staff between his shoulders,
spear,
and shield.

In the holy scriptures, "6" is the number associated with, and the number for man. Man was created on day six (Gen. 1:26-31). It is the number of days appointed to man to work, and on the seventh day to rest. So it is the number which represents the labor of man, man's works on the flesh and blood five-senses level. Goliath was the quintessential flesh and blood type with which Satan desperately wanted Israel to wrestle and compete, using flesh and blood.

The Hebrew and Greek languages have no numerical characters. The letters of their alphabets are used for numbers. Each letter of their alphabets has a corresponding numerical value, which they've had since the dawn of the history of mortalkind. Deriving a corresponding number from an alphabetic letter, or series of letters, is called Gematria.

Consider a record in Revelation:

In the book of Revelation, God, through apostle John, gives us the Gematria (sum of the numbers associated with the alphabetic letters in a word) for the name of an antichrist, a "wild animal", who will be a mortal of flesh and blood, but with super-human stature.

Rev. 13:18 (LIT/UBS4) Here (hodē) is (estin) the (hē) wisdom (sophia):

the one (ho) holdng (echōn) a mind (noun), count in pebbles (psēphisatō) the (ton) number (arithmon) of the (tou) wild animal (thēriou), because (gar) it is (estin) a number (arithmos) of a mortal (anthrōpou);

and (kai) the (ho) number (arithmos) of it (autou) [is] six hundreds (hexakosioi) sixty (hexēkonta) six (hex).

For example, here's how the Gematria of the Greek letters "ch", "x", and "s" add up: ch = chi = 600, + x = xi = 60, + s = stigma = 6, = 666 in total, which is the Gematria of the name of the coming "wild animal" mentioned in this verse in Revelation. The Gematria of the name (which we don't know yet) of this wild animal is 666. The Gematria of the name "Jesus" is 888. "8" is a number used in scripture that is always associated with wholeness, new life, new beginning, etc.

In scripture, the phrase wild animal (therion), is sometimes used metaphorically of a mortal demonstrating stalking, killing, and devouring of prey, like an animal. In God's Word, he defines the meaning of a word usually right in the context where it is used, such as in Titus 1:10-16, and more broadly by how he uses it throughout several passages of scripture. In Titus 1:10-16, Paul defines the characteristics of mortals to which he refers to as beasts, as having the predominate characteristics of using stealth (i.e., deceit, lying) to carry out their treachery. As to God, "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny [him] being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work, reprobate (Titus 1:16)."

This sounds like the Pharisees and Sadducees (John 8)who rather than glorify and thank God for the good works, healings and miracles, Jesus did, condemned him to death for exposing them as false teachers, false leaders, and false priests!

God, by giving us the information about Goliath, his height being "6" cubits and a span, and having "6" pieces of equipment, he gives us the clues based upon the number "6" that tie this 1 Sam. 17 record into the Rev. 13 record concerning the "wild animal".

Corresponding the two records to each other will greater illuminate both. In Rev. 13:4, those that worshipped the dragon said, "Who is like unto the wild animal? Who is able to make war with him?" This is exactly what Satan was trying to get Israel to confess with their mouths, by using Goliath as a big five senses show. Satan wanted the armies of Israel to see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and then doubt and question in their minds, "who is able to make war with him, to defeat Goliath, and the Philistines?"

In this record, as David is a type to Jesus Christ, the armies of Israel is a type to those who "hear his voice," those who "believe" and follow. When David speaks, some of the soldiers around him start to listen, and to believe that what he says is true. To anyone who hears his voice and believes, Jesus Christ gives the power to become sons of God (John 1:12, Rom. 8:14, 8:19, Phil. 2:15, 1 John 3:-21).

Why did Satan want to steal, kill, and destroy Israel? Because God's son, Jesus Christ, the promised redeemer of mortalkind, was coming to the world through the bloodline of the tribe of Judah, of the nation of Israel. Satan did not want Jesus Christ to come, to give mortalkind the power to become sons of God! Now we'll see how Satan uses deceit and lies to deceive and intimidate the armies of Israel.

The first section of 1 Sam. 17 focused upon Goliath's appearance as a "wild animal," and what the armies of Israel saw with their eyes, which appearance was a lie, in that the appearance of the massive power of Goliath as a warrior was in reality no match for the power of God in "little" David.

The next section in this record focuses on what Goliath says as a "wild animal" demonstrating the characteristic of deception, which the armies of Israel heard with their ears.

The deception is in the "logical" choices Goliath offers in how both sides should fight and decide the battle. Goliath draws Israel's attention away from their first choice which would be to call upon their God, to a second and "sure looser" choice, to do battle and "wrestle" on the level of flesh and blood. Satan, working in and through Goliath in his attempt to steal, kill, and destroy Israel, will start to "logically suggest" an alternative, to get the armies of Israel to conclude in their own minds that what he says is best.

But, Israel at this time can't remember what God has said, and so by default of their own making, they can see no other way than to wrestle against flesh and blood on Goliath's terms. Satan is counting upon mortal's ignorance concerning God's Word. That's the very thing that gives Satan and his devil spirits the advantage.

1 Samuel 17:8 And he stood and cried (qara) unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, "Why are you come out to set [your] battle in array? [am] not I the Philistine (Pelishtiy), and you servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me."

"he stood" - Heb. amad, to stand, to stand up. Satan is taking a stand, to intimidate. He is on his feet ready to move, he's agile and ready to implement tactics to make his attack more effective.

"and cried (qara)" - to call out loudly. If Goliath looked huge, but sounded like a mouse, that wouldn't have too much impact would it? In fact, it would be comical. Goliath's voice, it's tone and volume had to have the ability to accost those who heard it, to continue to build fear. It had to be as impressive as the visual sight. Goliath had to come up the mountain and come close to the armies of Israel for his voice to have the desired effect.

"Why are you come out to set [your] battle in array?" In other words, "Why have you come out to make such a futile attempt to stop me?"

"I the Phillistine (pelishtiy)" - Both the Darby and Young's Literal Translation translate this as "I The Phillistine." Goliath, "The Phillistine" and the rest of the Philistines had an elitist, arrogant attitude. They considered themselves to be the most fearsome and highly trained warriors, and thereby the master race, while the Israelite soldiers were only "servants" of Saul. Notice how Satan chose his words closely. He didn't say "servants of the most high God", but "servants of Saul", Saul being only a mortal, and they ultimately only "servants" of a mortal, rather than the "adopted" sons of God. What Goliath said was a belittling insult, which is another popular opening tactic of Satan against his prey. Accomplished people use this too.

"Choose you a man" - Goliath didn't say "call on your God" did he? Satan wanted Goliath to say, "Choose you a man." The devil desperately wanted the armies of Israel to fight on the five-senses level. He and his demon spirits will always try to get the believer to rely on his five senses over his spiritual ability, because demon spirits know they can't compete on the spiritual level against the power of God.

1 Sam. 17:9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then we will be your servants. But, if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you shall be our servants, and serve us.

Satan and his devil spirits were attacking Israel to steal, kill, and destroy the Christ-line which would ultimately and totally defeat Satan and his demon spirits in the future. Satan knew this because he knows scripture very well. Here is the big picture of what happens in this passage:

While Satan is attacking the Christ-line, God energizes one from among the Christ-line, David, who then steps forward into position and delivers one precise spiritual blow to Satan, which stops him immediately. At this time, Satan's attack on Israel was a big mistake, and indicates a giant miss-calculation on Satan's part. God didn't need to energize the whole armies of Israel, but only one man, a man in the Christ-line! God can deliver by many or by few (1 Sam. 14:6), and in this situation, by only one, David, who here is a type to Jesus Christ.

Today, born from above believers are not just types of Jesus Christ, but actually parts of his one body, a new creation on earth (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). It is this new creature, a born above son of God, which is powerful (Rom. 15:13, lit., in power of holy Spirit). Christ is both the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:244), and he is in us (Col. 1:27)! We are to believe in the power of God, in us (1 Cor. 2:5)! This is the Truth, the wisdom of God which was hidden in past ages; because if the religious leaders would have known that in born above believers, God's gift of holy Spirit would dwell in them, they would never have staked and killed Jesus Christ. The devil, their father (John 8:44), absolutely would not have allowed them to do it (1 Cor. 2:4-12)! Should any part of Christ's resurrected body, the one body of Christ, be subject now to Satan and demon spirits, since its resurrection? Should Christ's resurrected body be raised out from among the dead to be crucified all over again? Wasn't Christ's death once, for all, enough (Rom. 6:10; Heb. 7:27; Heb. 9:26-28)? Absolutely yes!

We should rise up now, mentally, in our minds, to renew our minds to the Truth in God's Word and put on the new man. We are to be the new creature of the new creation, not the old man of ignorance and death!

In God's Word apostle Paul speaks of believers being "raised up" under two distinct "raisings" in God's Word: The first and most commonly known "raising up" is a literal raising, i.e., resurrection out of the dead, at the Lord's return for his one body (1 Cor. 15:52; 2 Cor. 4:14). The second "raising up" to which apostle Paul refers is the new birth above in God's Spirit (Rom. 8), which mortal's can receive now while still alive, before Christ's return. Through our belief upon the name of Jesus (Rom. 10:9-10), and our subsequent new birth above in God's Spirit (John 3; Rom. 8), we are considered to be a new creature, part of a new creation, which is the one body of Christ (2 Cor. 5;17; Gal. 6:15).

Receiving this new birth above in God's Spirit now, before Christ's return, Paul terms figuratively as a "raising up", because prior to this new birth we were considered "dead" in our trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). But since receiving the new birth above, God's Spirit in us, we are no longer to consider ourselves as simply a being of flesh, but a being of Spirit, God's Spirit, in us (Rom. 8:9).

The discrete subject matter of this figurative 'raising up" as Paul refers to it, he refers to as the knowledge of the Great Mystery (Mark 4:11; Rom. 11:25; Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:51; Eph. 1:9; Eph. 3:3-11; Eph. 5:32; Eph. 6:19), which subject details are also beyond the scope of this present study, but which must be mentioned briefly now for the sake of the larger context, especially because of how David conducted himself in his mind, thinking God's Word, and about the promised messiah, Jesus Christ at his right hand.

This Spirit of God in us, which we receive now in this present life, because it gives us new life now, even before we die physically, apostle Paul refers to figuratively as a "raising up" (Rom. 8:9-11), because it is a power source of life, the same source of power which shall raise us up at Christ's return. If, referring to Paul's figurative usage of us being "raised up", we've been "raised up" with Christ, through receiving the new birth above, God's Spirit in us, then we have been "raised", past tense, meaning we are to think and consider ourselves as already having been literally raised up out of the dead.

We are to think this way. This figurative "raising up" to which Paul refers, is about HOW WE ARE TO THINK OF OURSELVES, NOW, since we have received God's Spirit in us, the new birth above, God's gift of holy Spirit. In our minds we are to think of ourselves as having already been raised up! This is how David was thinking (Acts 2:25)! David in his mind, in his very much renewed mind, imagined that the promised coming redeemer, Jesus Christ, had already came, and was standing at his right hand all the time! This is the subject of the Renewed Mind, which details are beyond the scope of this present study, but which need to be mentioned briefly now for the sake of the larger context, because it ties in intimately with this study of how David defeated the devil and the Philistines, with his renewed mind (Rom. 12:2).

Apostle Paul heavily encourages us, now, even before Christ's return and our literal, physical resurrection, to think of ourselves (the renewed mind, Rom. 12:2) as having already been raised up out of the dead! Paul's figurative "raising up" is all about the way we think, about our own "rising up" in our own minds. If apostle Paul heavily exhorts us to think of ourselves as though we have already been raised with Christ (Eph. 2:6), then that is the way we should think NOW. We have to train ourselves. Discipleship is all about training, mostly our minds, of what to think, and how to think.

So then we've been raised up with him, Christ! It's done and over with! We should get used to it, get comfortable with it! We've been raised up! And you've been raised with Christ in you, the wisdom and power of God! If we've been raised up then we shouldn't go and open the song book and start singing a song and praying to God for him to raise us up with Christ, if we're to think like we've already been raised up! Why pray over and over for something he has already promised to do, and has done (Rom. 6:4, 8:9-11; 2 Cor. 10:3; Eph. 2:6; Phil. 3:3)?

Isn't it now simply a matter of thanking God for it? Don't keep praying for it, but start thanking him for it. Once we've received the gift of his holy Spirit in us there is no longer any need to keep praying for it, because we've already got it! He's already done it! If we've been "raised" with Christ, as we should think of ourselves, then we've been raised. It's as good as done! Praying for salvation and resurrection in the future, through a hymn, may be a good song for unbelievers to sing, but NOT for "raised up" believers with Christ already in them (Col. 1:27).

The problem with many hymns is that their wording is often times about we as sinners, having no hope for ourselves without God who forgives our sins. Sure, that's true for anyone before they are saved, but absolutely no longer true for those who have received a new birth above in God's Spirit, and have been "raised up" together with Jesus Christ! Why sing about ourselves as ignorant, unbelieving, powerless worms, instead of singing about ourselves as new creations, having received a new birth above with God's Spirit now dwelling within us, as having been "raised up" together with Christ Jesus, having renewed our minds from mortal-made religious BS to an abundance of the knowledge of the Truth of God's Word, which when we believe it God's Spirit then works in and through us?

David, in this record, is not only a type to Jesus Christ, but a type to every single believer in the one body of Christ; a type to every believer who has been "raised up" with Christ, and who has God's Spirit in them. By studying men like David in God's Word we're not only studying Jesus Christ, but we're studying ourselves, our new spiritual abilities in us, with Christ in us. All of the great men and women of God in his word, I believe they are all types to not only Jesus Christ, but to the individual believers, the individual parts of Christ's one body! Therefore, we are to study Jesus Christ throughout God's Word.

All the God-like attributes of all the mortals in God's Word, are rolled up into Jesus Christ. It's just this simple: You get out of the world and out of defeat, by getting into God's son Jesus Christ, and God's Word. Jesus Christ was raised up, that now nothing shall prevail against him, and that he should be the slave of no mortals. When Goliath said this to David (1 Sam. 17:9) I believe David thought of the promised redeemer standing at his right hand.

Back to 1 Sam. 17:9:

Philosophically, what Goliath said sounds logical and prudent. Goliath suggests, "Why waste all these men's lives in battle. Let our armies fight just one mortal against another, then only one mortal would need to die, and for the side who wins there will be more slaves." This would have worked fine for Satan if Israel would have fought on the five-senses level. But, Satan wasn't paying attention, and overlooked God's man David, who could compete on the spiritual level through a good knowledge of God's Word, and believing, and trust in him.

For Israel to select only a low percentage chance for victory by competing on the five-senses level, would mean they would automatically de-select the certainty of victory by competing on the spiritual level.

This clever little choice that Satan suggested is the MAIN ISSUE daily for mortalkind and especially believers, concerning spiritual competition, throughout all of history. The decision Israel is asked to make about Goliath's suggestion, will be made in their minds, based upon what they know and believe. Mortalkind has no choice as to "where" it makes decisions, each person has to make decisions in his or her own mind. Therefore an individual's defeat or victory depends on the quality training and discipline of their own mind to the knowledge of God's Word, and belief in it. This is why Satan is trying to instill fear IN THEIR MINDS through their five senses.

What's in your wallet? Or how about, what's in your mind? Controlling our own minds means everything! Is it mortal-made garbage from newspapers, radio, and TV (Simpsons)? Or is it the Word of God? How healthy is your body? It depends on what you feed it and if you exercise it. How about your mind? Same thing, it depends upon what you feed it, and if you exercise it. In this record, the whole nation of Israel is delivered from slavery to the Philistines because of what David knows and believes IN HIS MIND about God and his Word!

Spiritual contests for believers today are where they have always been, in our minds. By trying to manipulate what's in your mind through your five senses, is how Satan and his devil spirits attack, to steal, kill, and destroy you. But, Satan has no power over you beyond the success of his five-senses level tactics because "greater is he that is in you than he that is in the cosmos" (1 John 4:4).

If he can deceive you through your five senses to think and believe anything else except what God says in his Word, then he will defeat you. Each believer decides in his or her own mind whether to tap into the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ within them, by deciding whether or not they want to do the joyful work of tapping into God's Word. Renewing the mind to God's Word and then loving God and others is the key to unleashing that "raised up" spiritual power!

There's no secret or question about where the boundary line between defeat and victory lies. If you have a weak mind spiritually, then you are spiritually weak. If you have a strong mind spiritually, a mind filled with the knowledge of God's Word and belief in his Word, then you are strong spiritually. A believer has the spiritual potential of Christ in them (Col. 1:27), but, until a believer "renews" their mind (Rom. 12:2) and puts on the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) he or she will not be able to spiritually compete successfully.

That's another great truth taught in this record, God showing us where the boundary line is between defeat and victory in this life. Lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6) of God's Word which results in unbelief in God's Word, disqualifies a spiritual contestant from manifesting the power of Christ within. Because of lack of knowledge, Satan can destroy you (Hosea 4:6).

To want to continue in sin is to want to continue to walk by the flesh. Once you are born from above, the only way Satan and his devil spirits can touch you is if you by your own free will deliberately walk by the flesh instead of by the Spirit.

If you decide not to use the gift of holy Spirit in you (Luke 24:49) to guide you into all truth (John 16:13), to renew your mind (Rom. 12:2) to all things that pertain unto life and Godliness (2 Pet. 1:3), then you decide by your own free will to let Satan defeat you in areas where you have lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).

If you decide that your job, movie videos, hobbies, whatever (James 1:14-15), are more valuable to you than putting on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11, 13), which is the whole Word of God, then you decide to walk by your five-senses and open up your mind to fear through Satan's deceitful influences.

You decide how weak or how strong you want to be spiritually.

You decide whether you want to put on the mind of Christ!

I'm often attacked by the devil and or his little demon spirits multiple times a week, because of what I do, because they don't like it. They force me into skirmishes in the devil's ongoing spiritual battle against all mortalkind. Once a person becomes knowledgeable that there is a spiritual battles going in in all of life, and begins to learn how to fight it, according to God's Word, a believer begins to develope spiritual situational awareness.

For me after a number of skirmishes over a number of years, some more or less intense and serious than others, I learned how to allow God's Spirit within me to speak to me, more like alert me somehow when the devil or demon spirits were out and about; in the air, or in people around me. At first it was easier for me to detect them in people around me, because they use people around you to more or less subtly or blatantly attack some how, especially for reasons which make no sense at all.

Detecting them in the air I learned next. God's Spirit within me would cause a physical reaction of a part of my body to alert me of their presence. The part of my body affected, and how it is affected, tells me something about what kind of demon spirit9s) are present, and what level of strength it/they have. Many demon spirits are sent to harass. Some are foul spirits I just happen to come across while out in public, in shopping centers, restaurants, etc. When I come into their presence, or they mine, I often gut a gut-wrenching alert from God's Spirit within me. The intensity of the pain tells me the relative level of strength of the foul spirit, or of another kind of spirit.

This discrete topic is called discerning of spirits by apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12. However, the method I use most in discerning of spirits is to simply talk with someone, and if there is a spirit present within them it usually causes the person to say something, which according to God's Word is a telling sign which is indicative of its presence. When talking with people about certain truths of God's Word, demon spirits usually get stirred up more or less, and get somewhat angry.

Depending upon how intensely I speak about certain truths of God's Word, especially about believers born above with God's Spirit in them making them more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37), and a person's/demons given responses to that, helps me gauge if a demon spirit is present, and if so what possible kind it may be. Depending upon controlling the the back and forth and intensity of the conversation I can sometimes determine the level of power a demon spirit has, by gauging how more or less passionately, and sometimes almost violently, the person responds to certain specific subject matters. They don't like to hear about their own defeat, and then end of their own existence.

1 Samuel 17:10 And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."

"this day" - in other words, "mark my words this day!" and God did, by giving his prophet Samuel revelation and permission to record these details of this spiritual event, in writing, for generations to come, and our benefit now. This was a highly egotistical thing for Goliath to say. Jesus Christ said that it is not what goes in one's mouth that defiles him, but that which comes out of the mouth (Mat. 15:11). Goliath would have gotten away with saying it if God didn't have at least one faithful man whom he was quietly raising up in the sheep fields, David, the son of Jesse.

1 Samuel 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed (chathath), and greatly (moed) afraid.

"heard those words" - Saul and ALL Israel heard those words, and Saul and ALL Israel were dismayed and greatly afraid. They heard with their five-senses ears, words, words which they esteemed more highly than God's Words, otherwise fear would not have set in. God's usage of the word "all" here must mean that not only did the armies of Israel who were present at the battle scene hear Goliath's words, but that Goliath's words must have become headlines and traveled throughout all of Israel as the hottest item of gossip and discussion, for the record says that Goliath did this morning and evening for forty days (verse 16).

"dismayed (chathath)" - Meaning to prostrate, to break down. What Goliath said broke them down in their minds, then greater fear began to set in.

"greatly (moed)" - Vehemently, i.e. swiftly and strongly. As a result of first "seeing" Goliath's hugeness, then "hearing" with their ears the words he said, greater fear began to swiftly and strongly come into the minds of the armies of Israel, replacing any remaining confidence, and weakening them more.

This concludes the first section of this record which exposes the deceitful and lying nature of Satan and his devil spirits. The tactics used to accost humans on their five-senses level were through both their senses of physical sight and hearing. The goal of these tactics was to instill fear in their prey, Israel, to the extent of persuading them to walk by the flesh rather than by the Spirit. This is the methodology the devil always uses, to turn a spiritual battle into a physical battle, the kind of battle in which he may have a chance to win.

For you the believer, the MAIN ISSUE is to keep walking by the Spirit of God in you, by making decisions in your mind according to what God says in his Word. For Satan and his devil spirits, the MAIN ISSUE is to trick the believer through his or her own five senses into not walking by the Spirit of God in them, but to deceive them into walking by the flesh, according to the information they receive through their five senses.

An individual cannot know if what they see or hear through their senses is contrary to God's Word, unless they first know God's Word!

God will show us in the verses coming up how one man, David, walked by the Spirit, and by his walk all Israel was delivered from Satan's hand, and the Christ-line preserved unto the coming of Jesus Christ. God will teach us HOW we can walk with this same inherent power, and even more inherent power than what David had available to him.