Every so often I take a long break from researching the fallen spirits of the threshold and I focus on Jesus and how He healed history. All too often, however, this brings me right around and face-to-face with these former throne guardians once more. That’s because, when we carefully examine the miracles Jesus performed, it quickly becomes evident He was in an unrelenting war against these angelic powers. It might look like He’s healing people, but He’s also at work disengaging their lives from entanglements with these powerful enemies.
Now many theologians and commentators give us the unfortunate impression that, because Jesus comprehensively defeated and utterly despoiled these spirits at the Cross, then we can safely ignore them. Any battle we are in is a mere mop-up operation. The message we’re given, perhaps unintentionally, is: defeated equals dead.
This is far from the case. These spirits are immortal—they will one day become mortal, as Psalm 82 attests, but they are certainly not taking defeat lying down. Paul, as we’re told in the Book of Acts, encountered Python at Philippi, Artemis at Ephesus and warned us against the flaming arrows that principalities, powers and world-rulers launch at us as we reach the threshold.
We don’t want to know about warfare. We want a life of ease and comfort. We want to hide in our false refuges, and let other people fight for us. And although God is willing to fight with us and for us and drive out our enemies before us, He wants us as a partner in that endeavour. He wants us to be alert and vigilant, so that we don’t fall for any of the enemy’s schemes. He’d rather that the battle be easy for us, rather than intolerably traumatic because of the mess we’ve bound around ourselves.
The spirit of wasting specialises in ease and self-satisfaction, spreading out and stretching wide. Jesus told a parable of a man preparing to tear down his barns and build bigger ones and who thought:
‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ (Luke 12:19 NIV)
Alternatively the spirit can induce stress instead of ease. We can spread ourselves thin, burn the candle at both ends, expand beyond our ability to cope, take territory that our supply lines can’t reach, over-extend ourselves.
God speaks of a strategy for dealing with wasting when He’s telling the Israelites He will send His angel before them to drive out the Canaanites in the land. In Exodus 23 He reveals it will be a slow process, so they don’t neglect to occupy what is taken or leave a vacuum to become desolate.
This is one reason patience is the specific Fruit of the Spirit effective against the spirit of wasting. Because when the Lord wins deep territory in our souls for us, He wants us to persevere in keeping the ground He has taken.
This is Grace Drops and I’m Anne Hamilton. May God mature perfect patience and perseverance in you.
Thank you to Lorna Skinner of www.riversofmusic.co.uk for the background music.
To deal with the spirit of wasting, you first need to be able to overcome the spirit of rejection. To learn how to master it, see Dealing with Azazel: Spirit of Rejection is available as a paperback.In addition, understanding false refuges is the single most important step towards dealing with the obstacles barring you from coming into your calling. Hidden in the Cleft explains false refuges in more detail and is available as a paperback or an ebook.
But how do you make sure you are practicing patience to overcome the sprit of wasting and not simply “doing nothing”? Any more recourses on Rachab? I believe I am at this point (and it’s complicated!) Also, having just dealt with both Pithon and Leviathan I don’t feel like they have been DEALT with – just sort of moved on.
Hi Jenna, good question. I think the acid test for “doing nothing” is that you continually see the outcome of wasting and you realise, in retrospect, that you waited too long. However, you don’t change your behaviour in the future. Instead of asking God what is a reasonable length of time to be patient, you simply spin out more and more time waiting. This is going to be different for each person, because some people are far too impatient and some are far “too patient” – that is why it’s necessary to ask the Holy Spirit on a case by case basis.
It’s normal for Python and Leviathan to move on. They will attempt to come back, as the devil did for Jesus when an opportune time presented itself. The important thing is to recognise them as they make the attempt to come back and not give them any foothold.
Thank you! I’ve got another question: what would your answer be to people that say you pay too much attention to the evil forces thus in a way giving them glory instead of putting ALL of your focus on God, His presence and His Glory?
Hi again Jenna,
I wouldn’t say anything to them! It’s too difficult in most circumstances to overcome this mindset. But I would be aware of what’s behind it.
I’ve had good friends cut the friendship entirely and forever over what they perceive as my ability to spot a demon “under every bush”, so I know what you’re saying here. There’s a widespread belief that, if you leave the devil alone, then he’ll leave you alone. Or to put it in a more positive fashion, if you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, then all will be well.
There’s a distinct difference between giving God glory and being informed about the tactics and operational procedures of the enemy. To discuss how we’ve come into complicity with a spirit through false refuges or ungodly covenants isn’t giving glory to the enemy, it’s recognising what the problem in our relationship with Jesus is. To suggest we should never focus on the enemy because that gives him glory is like saying that, in a marriage, we should never try to sort out any issues, just keep our eyes on each other. But the issues are the filters through which we perceive each other. One reason we actually can’t keep our eyes on Jesus is because the enemy has ways of blinding us. But if we can’t look at the problem, then how will we understand enough about it to resolve it?
One thing I’ve found is that, in learning about the activities of these spirits, it’s possible to get a much much much greater appreciation for what Jesus did in the atonement, as well as who God is and what Fruit of the Spirit He’s given us for specific situations.
Now I know this won’t convince those who think you should put ALL of your focus on God, His presence and His glory. That’s a disguise for fear of conflict. Because if God says to you, “I want this particular spirit’s agenda for this community to be undone and here’s what I want you to do about it,” then are you going to dismiss God’s will because you don’t want to lose focus on His presence and His glory? Short of heaven, who has this kind of focus anyway? I’ve met people who have – for short periods. But they haven’t been able to sustain it for a lifetime.
So, for me, that comment is a very neat theological sidestep. It’s a clever repackaging of the if-I-ignore-it-and-hope-it-will-go-away-then-I-don’t-have-to-deal-with-it strategy. For some people (not all), it’s a false refuge! For others, it’s a way of avoiding repentance – because their strongest life vow is “I’m right” which blocks their ability to recognise their own complicity and renounce it. Those who genuinely believe it and do indeed keep their eyes fixed on Jesus will soon find out their need to tackle these spirits.
So the genuine, God sorts out easily. Those who are using it as a false refuge may be in for a long, hard time. Because God knocks continually at the door of the false refuge but He doesn’t tear it down until we give Him permission to do so.
Wow! Thank you so much! As always spot on! I am so thankful to have found your ministry!
“ Because when the Lord wins deep territory in our souls for us, He wants us to persevere in keeping the ground He has taken.” This statement is profound!