Hi Friends,

Before I write to you about today’s post.  I want to tell you how the Lord confirmed an earlier post.  It is something that truly shows how God is so intimately concerned for each and every thought we have.  After posting “Do Not Be Deceived,” I started to have reservations about how others might receive the message in the post.  So, I opened up the post to re-read what I had written. Then suddenly, I saw something within the photo that I had selected.  The photo was of a pen and a handwritten letter, which I believed represented the vision. It was a picture that I selected from hundreds that were available.  But what I had not seen before, that I found now, was the word “Silvia.” The words in the letter were not discernible before, but now I see the word very clearly.   Wow!  This was very significant, because In my vision, I had seen a letter and I somehow knew that it was either written to “Silvia,” or it was penned by  “Silvia.”   

I looked up the name “Silvia,” and found it to mean “from the forest.”  This was important because I had written in an earlier post, The Forest of Deception — so if Silvia means “from the forest,” and the forest represents deception, then  “Silvia,” means “from deception.”  

God was  showing me by this very photo that he was confirming the message.  Here I was having doubts as to whether I should keep this post, knowing that someone might take offense by it.  But God was giving me his signature! He was confirming the message, and he showed me that the name “Silvia,” was in the body of the letter.  The deception was in the writing! Hallelujah!

Long  before I created this blog, the Lord spoke to me concerning my visions.  He said, “Look for my signature!”  The Lord considers this post important, and to not pull it.  So please, if you have not yet had a chance to read it, please do so:  “Do Not Be Deceived.”  Thanks!

Now to speak of today’s topic, it is about spiritual warfare.  Just this past Sunday, as I was waiting for the alarm to go off, I heard the name “Aloysius.”  I thought, another name! I wondered what it meant, so I jumped out of bed, and got on my computer to look up its meaning.  I found that it had its origins with the germanic people who settled in Europe. According to Wikipedia: Aloysius (/ˌæloʊˈɪʃəs/ AL-oh-ISH-əs) is a given name. It is a Latinisation of the names Louis, Lewis, Luis, Luigi, Ludwig, and other cognate names (traditionally in Medieval Latin as Ludovicus or Chlodovechus), ultimately from Frankish *Hlūdawīg, from Proto-Germanic *Hlūdawīgą ("famous battle").

Most other websites who specialize in names, origins, and meanings, the name Aloysius means:  “famous warrior.”

We in the church, refer to intercessors, people who pray on behalf of others, as “prayer warriors.”   We are taught in the church that we are not to actually fight in the physical sense, but our warfare is not carnal. It is spiritual, for our enemy is not a physical enemy, but a spiritual entity.  Our enemy is the devil and his demons. 

On Sunday after I received this word “Aloycius,” I got ready to take my morning prayer walk.  Within a few minutes of beginning, a prayer partner called, so we began to pray together. It was during this time of prayer that I realized that the person for whom we were praying need to be a warrior.  This person, was experiencing what I might refer to as “yoyo” healing. She would experience relief after we prayed, but sometime later, the sensation, or in this case tinnitus would return. Sometimes she would call in tears because the pain in her neck and the tinnitus would overwhelm her. The same thing would happen, she would feel relief, and then about 24 hours later, it would return.  

I believe that when God allows pain or symptoms to keep coming back, that He wants us to learn to resist the devil ourselves, so that we can get complete victory.  He wants us to learn to take our stand against the enemy, and refuse to buy into his lies. Of course, not every situation has a spiritual cause. There are many ailments and situations that have real physical causes that need to be addressed by a doctor.  

I believed in this case that it was both.  Her neck was obviously jutting forward as it does with age, and gravity, or the result of spending too many hours working with the head dropped, or leaning forward into the computer screen.  But there seemed to be a spiritual component, because we got relief with prayer and it returned over and over again.

So she is seeing an orthopedic doctor, a chiropractor, and having all the proper tests performed.  Yet I believe that the Lord wants her to learn to take authority over demonic manifestations in her body and over her situations.  

It says in the Old Testament, “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”  Psalm 144:1-2  

I find that many people do not know how, or have never been taught to resist the enemy.  “Resist the enemy and he will flee.”  James 4:7

Rather, I find more often that people are ensnared by their own words.  They defeat themselves from the very onset of trouble. I hear them say, “Oh no, I feel a cold coming on.”  “My sciatica is acting up again.” “I’m going to have to stay in bed. It usually takes a week before I feel better.”  “This job is killing me.”  

I am sure you hear people say things like this all the time.  Yet we must know that the very words that come from our mouths will either help us or harm us.  The words we speak have actual power:  “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who live by it will eat its fruit.”  Proverbs 18:21 

Not only do our words have power, but our actions do as well: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7   We can sow words of hope, health, love and contentment, or we can sow words that bring trouble, strife, sickness, and discontent. We can say and declare words of faith, but they need to be in harmony with our actions. Very often our actions expose what is really going in our hearts. What we often find in believers is a tendency to be double minded. We can speak words of faith and then show by our actions, that the opposite is true. We say one thing but do another. “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. He should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man and unstable in all he does.” James 1:6-8

When we face difficult situations or receive bad news, we must be set to automatic — we immediately refuse to accept the negative in the name of Jesus. It has to be clear and decisive. “I rebuke that in the name of Jesus, and I declare that he will not die, but live and declare the wonders of the Lord!” With all authority, we must declare what should be and not accept what was said to be true.

My sister taught me this almost 25 years ago, and it truly made a lasting impression upon me.  I was visiting her in Florida, and we were just in casual conversation in the car. I do not recall what I said, but she immediately responded with:  “I REBUKE THAT IN THE NAME OF JESUS!” I knew that whatever I had said, was a statement that was in agreement with the devil, rather than a statement of faith, believing in God.  

From that moment on, I  made up my mind to never agree with doubt and fear, or buy into the enemy’s lies.  Now, I am well practiced, but not perfect. We need to take captive any thoughts coming from doubt or fear especially if the situation seems hopeless. That is the perfect time to practice our faith.

When Jesus sent out his disciples, he gave them instructions with no expectation of failure: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:8

His disciples didn’t question him, “Gee, he looks dead. Maybe this is too hard. Maybe I should try something easier.” No they came back full of excitement: “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.' Luke 10:17

We are no different than Jesus’ disciples, except that at the time they were sent, they did not yet have the indwelling Holy Spirit. That is why we should be able to do even greater things, as the Lord has said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:12-13

Why should anyone accept what the enemy sells?  High blood pressure, depression, anxiety, fear, nausea, headaches, hopelessness or feelings of worthlessness.  The devil is more than happy to sell you lies and tormenting aliments like these that undermine your faith, cause fear and anxiety, and cast doubt upon the Lord’s power and his provision.  

The  Lord wants a bride that is without spot or wrinkle.  He wants the church to be strong, and healthy. Does a farmer take pride in sickly cows?  Does a father take pleasure in depressed and defeated children who have no trust in him? “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6  

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus speaks of the importance of not succumbing to the ways of the world and the plans of the devil, but instead to look to God for strength and overcome.  

“To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”  Revelation 2:7

“He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”  Revelations 2:11

”To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”  Revelation 2:17

“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations…..I will also give him the morning star.”  Revelation 2: 26; 28

“He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.”  Revelation 3:5

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.”  Revelation 3:21

Do you see how important it is to follow the Lord, and learn to overcome?  It is your very life--now and throughout eternity.

How do we overcome?  “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”  Revelations 12:11

If the devil accuses us with lies, torments us with thoughts, and sometimes inflicts us with physical pain, then we must overcome those lies and manifestations with the words we speak. So speak to your situation, to your body, and to your circumstances, with the authority that comes from the Lord:

For Example:

 I rebuke that in the name of Jesus.  I do not accept that lie, but I send it back to hell from which it came.  I bind up all lying and deceiving spirits in the name of Jesus. I uproot all lies that have been spoken over me or my loved ones.  I come out of agreement with the diagnosis that the doctor spoke over me. I choose to believe this day, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  That by His stripes I have been healed. I am the Lord’s healed. I am a child of God. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. What is impossible for man is possible with God.  I speak to my body, ‘Peace, Shalom!’ There is nothing missing or broken. I have the mind of Christ. I speak to my body: I say that I am sound whole and well. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I thank my Lord for giving me peace and keeping me in perfect peace because I choose to believe him, and my heart will be stayed on  him. I will not choose to follow deceiving spirits, or believe the bad reports. I will believe the good report of the Lord. “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”   Jeremiah 29:11

Life is short and God is good.  Do not waste your precious time wallowing in depression, poor health, complacency, doubt and fear.  Put your boots on, (shod your feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace), and get going.  “Resist the devil and he will flee.”  

If you know that you need deliverance and inner healing, then seek Godly counsel, and deliverance.  Do not stay ensnared by lies and tormenting thoughts. Seek the Lord, he is your deliverer. He said that he will send the Holy Spirit that will lead you into all truth.  “To the Jews who believed in him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’” John  8:32 

To be effective in the kingdom of God, we need to keep our armor on, know who we are in Christ and the position of authority we carry as children of God. And we need to, use our authority to speak to our mountain, and declare what is not as though it were. We speak into being what we are looking to accomplish in the mighty name of Jesus.  

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

To be an exceptional warrior, I hope you will encouraged yourself to seek the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, because this is the very empowerment that you need to overcome. Remember that the disciples in the upper room were hiding out, afraid of being discovered, since they were closely associated with Jesus. But once the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, they became BOLD for the Lord. They stepped out — there was no fear. They spoke in the various languages of the Jews who had previously been scattered among the nations, and had journeyed to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts. “Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Acts 2:7-11

So with the fire of the Holy Spirit, Peter spoke boldly about Jesus. “With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:40:41

By seeking the Lord for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you can also experience the Lord’s empowerment. He wants you to be an overcomer. Do not let anyone or anything hold you back from going on with the Lord and in the power of his Holy Spirit!

Before I finished this post, I wanted to seek God for his approval. So I sat down, and prayed. The Lord gave me yet another vision:

I saw a man swing a cylinder on the end of a thin rope or filament, very much like a sling shot. When he released the cylinder, out came a long beautiful multi-colored ribbon. He was attempting to make the ribbon a rainbow in the sky. God was showing me the futility of trying to do what only God can do. The Lord set his rainbow in the sky to remind himself and make a promise with all mankind, that he would never destroy the earth again with a mighty flood.

What can man do? Nothing — “Apart from me you can do nothing!” John 15:5

Everything I have shared already about declaring those things that are not as though they were, renouncing lies of the enemy, taking every though captive, and using the authority of the Name of Jesus, are all important. However, without an intimate relationship with God, we are nothing and can do nothing. True authority comes from spending time with the Lord.

You may be familiar with the story of the sons of Sceva who went about casting out demons in the name of Jesus. But one day, their authority was questioned by a demon, who possessed a strong man. The voice of an evil spirit said, “‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” Acts 19:15-16

This story reminds us that having authority is very important. And genuine authority comes with having a real relationship with God. Jesus makes this very clear: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’

Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22-23

In the vision the man was attempting to set a rainbow in the sky. But it was not real, it was only a ribbon. What we do for God must be with his approval, and with his authority, otherwise it will be worthless.

High Praise

I understand this is a long post, but I must share one more thing about warfare, that being, High Praise. Later that Sunday morning I went to a church for the first time. The Spirit of God was there in worship. We were singing in the Spirit and it evolved into High praise. This is when we get LOUD, in the Spirit. Declarations are made in the Spirit. We are declaring to the world and shaking the heavenlies with our songs of praise and our shouts unto the Lord.

This is warfare. But Please understand— Please get this— it is not planned. It is not manufactured. Those who are true worshipers understand, but not everyone gets this right. Please know that it is when we are so moved by the Spirit of God, so completely enthralled with his magnificence, that we cannot do anything but exalt his name, and declare to the whole world how Great is Our God!

I am a worshiper of God Most High, and I do not want to feel manipulated by the suggestions of the pastors or by the praise team. It is God who elicits the response, not people. When the Spirit is directing, he will take us where he leads us. We cannot just say, “That was great let’s do it again!” The Spirit of God may have already completed what he wanted to do. He is moving on. Follow him, don’t get stuck in sensationalism.

Just because it was high praise five minutes ago, or last week, doesn’t mean that he wants that now. We need to simply follow him.

I know that I have shared this before, but when we are praising God, the battles in the heavenlies are being fought. When Moses raised his arms up to God during the battle, the Israelites would have the upper hand. But as he got tired, and his arms would drop, the battle would reverse in the enemy’s favor. “When Moses’ hand grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” Exodus 17:12-13

Years ago, after worshiping for three hours with the Spanish ministry on a Friday night, God gave me an open vision . I saw many angels on horseback taking demons away on foot. They formed a long line heading away from me going into the far distance, then turning left, fading out of sight. That was a true victory! We were just a small group of people who were seeking God, but he used our worship to accomplish much. The battle is truly the Lord’s!

God bless you and keep you!

Please share this message with those you know will benefit. If you would like to receive announcements of future posts. Please send me your email address, I will hold it in confidence.

Be blessed!