Old Dog V
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Spiritual Warfare 204
Bob Neumann, 11/2004
At this point, if you have been following David’s Song, the concept that people have of “SPIRITUAL WARFARE” should be altered. David’s whole position is based on his relationship with his GOD. It is based on revelation knowledge, there were no do it yourself books or charismatic conferences for David to “pick up” on. David learned it in the fields with THE SHEEP. He lived it with lions, bears, and giants. Then he wound up in the CAVES. There he began to grow into what he would become. A Captain of MEN OF VALOR….and KING of JUDAH and all ISRAEL. Personal valor and ability in Military Skills does not teach a shepherd boy to be a KING. But revelation knowledge can. So back to Psalm 18…..
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
For years we have been taught that Christianity is based upon a “personal relationship” with JESUS…GOD…sometimes throw in THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT. Seldom does man expound upon where you go from there. The overall assumption is that if you hang around with GOD everything is “O-K”. But Paul teaches about changing from our corruptible reference into DIVINE PERFECTION. JESUS made it simple. PICK up your cross and to follow HIM. Paul says we are crucified…reread Galatians and actually study what Paul tries to teach. Few teach it today.
David declares that GOD shows mercy to those who give it. David was a WARRIOR KING…killed Philistines…and that is as far as it goes for most church goers. To bad they forget where David started…in the fields. Taking care of helpless LAMBS teaches a young man responsibility…and compassion. The aspects of MERCY can be manifest to one’s understanding. Now David knew what upright meant, two verses earlier we saw it. Did he “get” it from reading Deuteronomy or Leviticus? Or did he pick it up from the family examples he had…great-Grandpa Boaz…and the pagan wife he redeemed. Or maybe Grandpa Obed who understood the “public shame” his Dad accepted at doing his duty.
Never heard about any of this? Shame on your pastors, preachers, and teachers.
David knew what being upright required.
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
So David understood HOLINESS to a degree….PURE… and he addresses the “froward”. In the KJV it is the same term. In Hebrew it is actually two. The FIRST is 6141(ik-kashe’) which means to be “distorted”, “false”, “crooked”, “forward”, and “perverse”. Basically the opposite of being upright. So it makes sense not to ascribe unto a HOLY GOD such “attributes”.
So when David speaks of GOD he uses a completely different term, 6617(paw-thal’).
Dr Strong say it means “to stuggle”, “to twine”, “to be (morally) tortuous, “to be unsavory” …”to wrestle”. GOD will STRUGGLE against perverse men.
Imagine a “perverse and distorted” man trying to sing Psalm 34….and the taste of PRAISE and WORSHIP in TRUTH has in his mouth.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
Again revelation knowledge. The afflicted will cry out….what if it is THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT afflicting sinners with CONVICTION? Publicans walk away with forgiveness. The Arrogant…the Proud…the Pharisee…walks away unchanged. His reward is in this world and he is happy with that. But he has no revelation so desires no relationship with GOD. He is a Pharisee…RELIGIOUSLY ASTUTE. In utter darkness, but will never know because of his spiritual blindness.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
David knows where THE LIGHT COMES FROM….and because of that he changes from kid with the sheep and outlaw hiding in the caves to….
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR. In GOD’S STRENGTH David can go beyond the limits of flesh and blood. All the GABOREM had it to some degree…Caleb and the GIANTS,
Shamgar and 600 Philistines… Sampson… before he wallowed into sin… so much for the LIE about ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
Gee David, you were just getting good at how GOD used you. Why stop telling about your great victories…because David “KNEW” that it had nothing to do with David… anointed and beloved….IT WAS GOD…IS GOD…AND ALWAYS WILL BE GOD.
David knew it, so few church goers have ever “got” it. So look at verse 30 again.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
One verse, but three separate phrases and each one is revelatory. HIS WAY IS PERFECT….John 14
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Here we are at the LAST SUPPER. Except for ol’ Pete none of the boys had any revelation knowledge of who they had spent 3 years with. Now Pete was with
James and John at THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. Yet nothing sank in.
James and John still were jockeying for places in HIS KINGDOM…and Pete was about to cut off an ear and then betray his Rebbe…his TEACHER… the MIRACLE WORKING MESSIAH….even with RHEMA…Pete was still struggling till the THIRD DAY….
THE WORD OF THE LORD IS TRIED….Psalm 12
5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 5
23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
There is absolutely nothing i can add to what JESUS HIMSELF SAID…. HE IS A BUCKLER/SHIELD for all who put their TRUST/FAITH in HIM…
Ephesians 6
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And once again we find ourselves in Ephesians 6. Simple…GOD’S ways are all
Straight and FIT TOGETHER….because in HIS KINGDOM everything has PURPOSE.
So David is walking in REVELATION KNOWLEDGE. IS a man after GOD’S OWN HEART.
All that means is that he is a sinner saved by grace…and knows it…lives it.
So David can sing…
31 For who is God save the LORD? Or who is a rock save our God?
Honest question. Solid declaration.
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
David knew that it is nothing to do with the kid watching the SHEEP or the kid killing GOLIATH the SON of ANAK. Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr—-grandpappy/granduncle Caleb chased them out of HEBRON so David could impress fallen KING SAUL and THE ARMY OF ISRAEL….
In his own strength and skill, David was no match for a full grown lion, or bear, or GIANT. David knew it and acted BECAUSE of his relationship with SOMEONE WHO COULD DO IT…and infinitely more.
So here we see the GIANT KILLER….who knows the only way to struggle with GIANTS is to HAVE OUTSIDE HELP.
For years the cult of spiritual warfare has been out there. People writing books about someone else in some other part of the world. How that person HEARD GOD… GOT DIVINE DIRECTIONS…and WON GREAT BATTLES. How many times have we heard about APPROPRIATING and UTILIZING “stuff” under the guise of “SPIRITUAL WARFARE”, but never hear about foundational relationship with ABBA, or THE LAMB. Granted, it is all assumed….anyone who goes to see some “big gun” in the “spiritual warfare” camp has been called by GOD to do so. Or did they just go with friends because they were bored. Or maybe they liked the companionship of the men/women in their congregation that were the top of the pecking order. Or where they “pecked” into it?
Now there has been a battle “in the heavenlies” for centuries. It started in Genesis 3.
It ends in Rev 19. Now Paul tells us what we are up against…
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
But Paul had to deal with some issues before he could get to the nitty gritty.
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
These first 4 verses deal with our relationships in our own households.
Our parents and our children….to live as GOD desires for us there are promises… blessings…. coming our way. Study Deuteronomy 28 very seriously.
But after verse 5 it changes to a spiritual realm. Most never see it because they think Paul was teaching the EPHESIANS of the FIRST CENTURY…. people who lived when and where slavery was an acceptable practice and being a “servant” was as butler, cook, gardener, upstairs maid…. It is easy to ignore the RED LETTERS of Matthew 18 if you enjoy being served.
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Simple…be obedient to “natural” authority. Be single-minded to your boss or supervisor as you would unto CHRIST HIMSELF….
Now comes the shift….
6 Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; Paul is saying not to just go through the motions in order to “please” humans…he wants us to be “real”…in all aspects of our existence.
Somehow Paul sees that how our hearts are towards our GOD is how we will be seen….both by GOD and by THE WORLD. That is our daily WITNESS of THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM.
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Whatsoever you do to the least of these….really means something to JESUS.
So what can be seen as all natural works/service/action has a definitively SPIRITUAL BEARING.
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Storing up your TREASURES in HEAVEN ignores one’s background, one’s diplomas or references. All is EQUAL OPPORTUNITY in HIS KINGDOM.
9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
Here we have “the rub” as Shakespeare called it. How can anyone “dead” in CHRIST desire to be served? How can anyone with any level of relationship with GOD/ DIETY/ HIS PRESENCE dare to LORD OVER anyone else…manipulate, coerce, control, exploit any one else. Especially SHEEP, CHILDREN, and SERVANTS?
That is a conundrum…
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Paul says…my brethren…my brothers and sisters…those united with him in SERVICE to CHRIST JESUS. But to whom are we to be strong in THE LORD and in THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT?
Verse 12 of course.
But there is someone/something else out there. First shows up in Genesis 3:14… the SEED OF THE SERPENT….
Galatians 2
3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
Matthew 23
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
The Matthew 23 i took from the NIV…in KJV it is basically the same…look at v33:
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Brood…Generation…Seed…of THE SERPENT. They are the ones going to make war on THE TRUE SAINTS…THE TRUE BRETHREN.
And THE CHURCH will be targeted….and a lot of “so called saints” have not taken any of the warnings seriously. In fact, they have been taught false gospels and lies that tickle their ears and make them feel “””SO GOOD”””…. call it collateral damage…
selah
old dog
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