Slaying Dragons by Daniel Kolenda

Author:Daniel Kolenda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charisma Media
Published: 2019-11-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

DISCIPLINE, CONSECRATION, AND SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and respect of self, in turn, is the chief element in courage.

—THUCYDIDES, HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR

Why is discipline important? Discipline teaches us to operate by principle rather than desire. Saying no to our impulses (even the ones that are not inherently sinful) puts us in control of our appetites rather than vice versa. It deposes our lust and permits truth, virtue, and integrity to rule our minds instead.

—JOHN F. MACARTHUR, MOMENTS OF TRUTH

GOD SENT PAUL and Silas to Macedonia through a dream. On their way to prayer one day, they met “a certain female slave who had a spirit of divination” (Acts 16:16, LEB). She began to stalk them, following them everywhere and shouting over and over, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (v. 17). After several days of this, Paul had enough. “He turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her” (v. 18).

This passage contains many interesting takeaways, but here is the one I want to emphasize: any demon you tolerate will stay with you. Too many people are tormented by spirits that would in fact leave if they were no longer welcome. Jesus rebuked the church in Thyatira for tolerating a Jezebel spirit (Rev. 2:20–21). As a result they had been deceived into sexual immorality and other sins. This spirit was misleading and deceiving them, not because it was too powerful for them, but because they were allowing it to reign unchallenged in their midst.

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

We have already established that Satan’s only power is the power we give him. But how can we exercise authority over spirits that we tolerate or, even worse, that we submit to? If a person is bound by lust, he will have no authority over that spirit. If a person is bound by addictions, he will not have authority to break them off of others. If a person is full of jealousy or pride, these spirits will reign unchallenged in his presence.

Jesus said, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (John 14:30, KJV). Nothing of demonic origin dwelled in Jesus. He had not yielded to that demonic pattern of thinking. He had not yielded to temptation. Satan had nothing in Him. This is why the devil had no power over Him. Even death itself could not hold Him. It is no wonder, then, that Jesus had such complete authority over demons. Those dramatic instances of exorcism were just a visible demonstration of the way Jesus walked in complete authority over the dragon every moment of every day.

We may not always walk in perfect victory over sin, self, and the devil, as Jesus did. But as God’s children we are called to grow consistently under Christ’s authority.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.