3rd of September, 2023
| THEME: | UNDERSTANDING FAITH: Harnessing the power of Faith in the name of Jesus Christ for Our victory over demons and devils! |
| LESSON: | Two |
| TEXT: | Luke 10:19; Ephesians 6:10-12; James 5:12 |
INTRODUCTION
By God’s grace in our last lesson, we were helped by The Lord Jesus Christ to see the different levels and grades of
Faith teachings/strength/Life in the New Testament, namely, the milk faith, the meat faith and the faith of Everlasting Life. We also saw how a proper understanding of those faiths would help us harness the different allocations of God’s power at each level, particularly the milk faith which is the main focus of our lessons in this series.
The truth be told, milk faith is predicated on assurance and confidence in the word of God. Boldness and confidence in the unfailing power of God through His word is a MUST for milk faith/initial faith of God’s word to work in the heart and through the mouth of a believer.
In today’s lesson, we are attempting to sincerely look at some reasons why some of us God’s people may have lost faith, confidence and boldness in the ability of God to heal, deliver and answer when we use His word.
When understanding is not full and well-rounded about the realm of the Spirit, particularly around the devil and evil spirits that fell with him. We may get things muddled up, and misconstrue the provisions of mercies available to us in getting results from our faith adventure in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord, for healing and deliverance from serpents and scorpions.
Some things to note concerning the realm of the Spirit:
Not all devils/demons answer to the use of the name of Jesus Christ around the milk Faith! Matthew 17:21
The truth is, it is not all evil spirits that can be dealt with or cast out in the name of Jesus Christ (Matthew 17:21). Milk faith/simple faith in the name of Jesus Christ does not answer to all the evil spirits. There are cadres of evil spirits, ranging from serpents and scorpions (demons/devils; Luke 10:19); to principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of the world, wicked spirits in high places and the devil (Ephesians 6:10-12). When this is not understood, our faith in the name of Jesus Christ may be frustrated, particularly when we use it and don’t see answer or get results.
The essence of this lesson is not only to give knowledge, but to also answer some questions of the heart around the subject. Some of us may have seen prayers said over one or more of us in the name of Jesus Christ. Yet still see such conditions or situations remain, which eventually forms a mold of unbelief and doubt subconsciously in our heart. Sometimes to the point of not engaging or further believing God’s word around the milk faith for healing or deliverance.
Jesus our Lord said “some devils don’t go except through fasting and prayers!” The truth is that this is one major reason, why an evil spirit may not go or refuse to go.
Below are some factors why our faith adventure in the use of simple faith in the name of Jesus Christ/milk faith may not yield the desired results:
- Not All devils/evil spirits are serpents and scorpions (earthly-earthly in their sphere of operations, Luke 10:19; Matthew 28:18)
To fully understand this, it is good to emphasize and say that evil spirits are in strata/places (Ephesians 6:1112). From earth to heaven, on the negative, Satan arranged evil spirits against everything God and every heaven. There are evil spirits that are earthly-earthly, the lowest in the hierarchy of darkness, these are the ones that cause sickness and diseases. That chiefly oppress minds, and even possess people. It is this kind that milk faith is designed to deal with and handle. The reference to “all the power of the devil” in Luke 10:1920 is in context, over earthly-earthly evil spirits.
- Principalities, powers and the rulers of the darkness of the world, wicked spirits and Satan “may not” respond to the simple use of the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord, owing to the fact that they are not in the realm where milk faith can effectively deal with them (1Corinthians 12:7-9). 1
These spirits are spirits that believers are demanded/commanded/expected TO WAR with through our growth and changed nature in our souls (Ephesians 6:11-12). The truth is that these spirits also cause sickness and diseases, oppress minds, and may possess if laws (their laws) are obeyed and yielded to.
In Luke 13:16, Jesus Our Lord said Satan bounded a woman for eighteen years. Even though Satan is a higher evil spirit (the highest of evil spirits) Yet he came down to oppress the woman in question. The truth in such cases can only be dealt with by “the likes” of Jesus (not only the Person of Jesus, but those who have the stature of salvation in their souls like Jesus Our Lord did in the days of His flesh), because of His growth in His soul (Hebrews 2:4).
- It is not every evil spirit that can be cast out/tread upon. The authority to deal with and overcome evil spirits enumerated in Ephesians 6:11-12, can only come through growth, change in our soul nature and increased authority of life and in life. In James 5:13-14, the Apostle James in writing to a Christ and Everlasting Life church gave the counsel and wisdom on how to deal with sickness and get healing. If it were to be a milk faith church, there would be no need to call for the elders. The said believer is expected to take authority in the name of Jesus Christ, and the demons involved MUST obey.
All the above are being explained in details not to glorify Satan, his cohorts and their wicked works, but to remove any shroud around our understanding that may want to weaken our use and exercise of the name of Jesus Christ where and when necessary. Jesus Christ’s name doth work yesterday, today and forever if only we know it’s operations per time.
Understanding The Name of Jesus Christ
The name of Jesus Christ is still a mystery to us God’s people. To a great degree, the majority of the body Of Christ knows about the name of Jesus Christ and the earthly-earthly powers the name commandeers (Luke 1019; Matthew 28:18). The Church (this is being said, not accusatorily or judgmentally, but in reverence and for the purpose of our teaching) is only familiar with the milk authority that Jesus’ name wields and how to take advantage of that authority. But the other powers (Powers of Christ; Romans 1:16-17; Powers of Everlasting Life: Romans 1:20) the church is not so aware of.
The truth is when our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, God the Father stacked “All powers in heaven, earth, and under the earth” into Jesus’ name (Philippians 2:9-11). We will need to grow in our souls to know how to take advantage of the different power levels for our advantage and victory.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, while all of these explanations are to majorly clear the path for our understanding, to easily take advantage of the provisions in the milk faith through the name of Jesus Christ for Our victory over devils (serpents and scorpions) It is good to add that, as we grow in the salvation of our souls, greater authorities are continually being added by the Lord Jesus Christ to us collectively and individually. These additions are given both to overcome higher evil spirits through wisdom and obedience. And anointings are also being added for to deal with external oppressions of these higher evil spirits that they have put on our bodies (Hebrew 2:4; 3rd John 2).
So, while we are not going to allow the demons to put their filths on us. Let’s also be quick to grow into more realms in Jesus Christ, so that we can fully deal with all the works of the devil and his cohorts in our bodies in Jesus’ name. Amen.