Fly
What if our captivity was self inflicted this entire time? Just go with me here for a moment. What if the reason we are bound is because we have chosen not to seek the knowledge available for us in times of battle? And what if this lack of knowledge is preventing us from using weapons readily available to us to change our current circumstances?
"My people suffer for the lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)."
Could it really be as straightforward as this?
“5 “Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 “Do not [a]turn away from her (Wisdom) and she will guard and protect you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]!
And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].”
Can you imagine a bird being bound to the ground because it doesn't realise it has wings? A preposterous thought huh? I know that I have been asking a ton of questions, and up until this point I have not been forth coming with any answers. This is mainly because if you have never asked these questions prior to reading this post, I want to ensure that you have now.
Over the past few months, it has become strikingly evident that many of the battles I have been fighting have been unnecessary 'ground warfare'. Similar to the bird I mentioned earlier, I too had certain weaponry in my arsenal that I had no idea I possessed, and as a result erroneously denying their power.
“18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the [a]hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the [b]saints (God’s people),
19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength”
The eyes of my understanding needed to be enlightened. I have grown to love this verse because of the picture it paints: the long underestimated and ridiculed Cinderella has just found out that she isn't an orphan left with nothing after all. She is actually loved and has more power than she can even begin to imagine. With this knowledge, no longer could the evil queen and her step-sisters keep her in captivity, the throne was always meant for her and now she will ascend to her rightful position.
Could it be that the reason we are losing the war is because we are fighting the wrong battle? Or that not only are we contending in the wrong battle but we are fighting with the wrong armor?
Now this is important because regardless of whatever battle we contend in, we are doomed if we are fighting with the wrong armor. I believe that as Christians our armor is one of the most important weapons we possess.
“11 Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.”
When we find ourselves in the middle of the battlefield of Life, we need to stop and determine who it is we are fighting against. As Ephesians 6:12 clearly states, our struggle (battle) is not against flesh and blood (human beings). This is a game changer if we can fully grasp it. In situations where a family member is acting up or a colleague at work seems to be plotting against us, who or what we determine to be our enemy will determine the outcome of the situation. The sad reality is that we live in a time and space where people would rather continue living a lie than face the truth. I ask again, could the reason why we are losing 'the war' be because not only are we fighting the wrong battle, we are also ill-equipped to win?
"You can't bring a knife to a gun fight."
I am not sure where this phrase originated from but I think it fits this discourse. The armor, the artillery is crucial to one's ability to be victorious. In Ephesian 6, Paul talks about putting on the whole armor of God, with each piece having a characteristic of some sort. I believe that all pieces are vitally important, with that said, for this post, I want to focus on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness (v.14).
Righteousness for me denotes identity. Who we believe ourselves to be is fundamental to the outcome of the war. Our identity for the most part is shaped by our circumstances. I believe that we all are given a God-given identity even before we were a thought to our parents. The fallen state of the world due to effect of sin however, corrupts this identity. I like to think of it sort of like someone with amnesia regaining their memory after years of living in the dark. When we re-establish connection with the Father's Love, knowledge of this identity start to come back to us. The Word of God says that you and I are:
- Fearfully and wonderfully made.
- Chosen and redeemed.
- Loved unconditionally.
- Co-heirs with Christ.
- Children of God covered with the righteousness of Christ Jesus.
Now, this is where the belt of truth comes in, knowing and accepting the truth holds our identity in place. The truth that God gives us does not vary, it is constant. I think of it like a water hose with a constant pressure, powerful enough to wash away the lies of the enemy in any and every situation.
“And you will know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.”
The truth of God acts like a mighty forcefield impenetrable to the arrows or ammunition of the enemy and all is required of us is to acknowledge it through declaration and action.
“3–4 For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide.[a] 5 We can demolish every deceptive fantasy[b] that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought[c] and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 6 Since we are armed with such dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish[d] any trace of rebellion, as soon as you choose complete obedience.[e]”
As we see in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, we are to take captive every thought that tries to contend against the truth of God. And if we are honest with ourselves, the opposite of this happens most times, these thoughts take us captive. You see, it isn't enough to gain knowledge of the existence or power of the weapon, for it to be any use to the user, they must put it in action. Daily we must be prepared to use this weaponry as many times as needed. This is due to the fact that victory doesn't always come in one fell swoop, it comes through consistency - consistently declaring God's truth about who we are and walking in this light. I am reminded of a statement that one of my aunt says all the time:
"In consistency lies power."
I have spoken a lot about captivity and warfare in this post. The reason for this is because I believe many of us live as prisoners of war in battles we were created to win.
For the believer reading this, I pray that it is an inspiration for you to seek knowledge and understanding on your personal battles. I pray that you are inspired to ask for heavenly strategies to the things you face on a daily basis believing that you have access to all you require.
For those who haven't put their hope and trust in Christ as yet, I pray that you are inspired to explore why you haven't done so as yet. I pray that you are now able to see that you don't have to stay bound but that freedom is available for you.
Please do leave your comments and thoughts below, as I would love to hear what revelations you have on this topic. Also don't forget to like and share :)
This is a powerful song around the same content of this post. Take a listen.
Fly - Jason Upton