Session three of the Single Life Workshop was incredible! It was completely eye opening.
Most of the time, I am fairly decent at recognizing the sin being committed against me, the sin I’ve committed, and the work of the enemy. But there are times when I’m more easily duped. I know you can relate; it’s these times when we can’t (or won’t) recognize sin as sin. Honestly, I think that’s the win for the enemy. He convinces us that our sin is not that bad. Comparatively, it’s not the worst thing we could do. Comparatively, it’s not as bad as someone else’s sin.
The teaching in this session was so rich with wisdom and encouragement and conviction. I needed this. You may be in a season where you need it too. Some thoughts I gleaned:
Sin is spiritual.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Eph. 6:12-13
I’m not sure how often or how easily or intentionally we think with a spiritual perspective. We live in flesh and blood. We live in a world full of the tangible. And yet, if we are in Christ, we are spiritual beings.
Likewise, there are spirits that we can’t see driving emotions and behaviors, but we need to acknowledge that those forces are at work. Sin is a spiritual force that leads to a behavior. When we look at our sin and the sin of others, there is always more than meets the eye. There is always more that lies under the surface.
Sin has a purpose.
Sin’s desire is to steal away the fruit of the Spirit, disqualify us and separate us from God’s presence and His children. But we have a choice. We can choose to let sin have its way or we can choose to let Christ have His way. When temptations come, it is the enemy trying to stop us from walking out God’s purposes in our lives. Killing and destroying are what the enemy is all about.
Sin has no power unless we partner with it.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been learning more about our words and how we can agree with spirits even if we don’t know we’re doing it. I grew up in a home where no one affirmed or encouraged me. I was insulted and demeaned constantly. I heard it enough that I began to believe it. My self-talk turned negative. Even since becoming a Christian, the struggle with negative self-talk is still real. I had unknowingly been agreeing with all of the horrible words spoken over me, and breaking the stronghold of that belief has proven more difficult than I thought.
This is where the enemy and sin gain their strength — in our agreement. When we agree with the truth and promises of God, the tide turns. The Spirit of God begins to rise up inside of us, changing the way we think and live.
The enemy attacks the opposite of who you are.
This point completely rocked my world. The premise here is that the enemy will often show us our gifting and then oppose it. For instance, if we are a person of high faith, he will throw doubt our way. If we are pure in heart, he will throw perversion or lust toward us. Many times he’ll attack us in our weak and vulnerable areas, but sometimes he chooses to operate against our areas of confidence and strength to discredit and discourage us.
This is some of the most useful revelation I have ever received. It clues us into the varied schemes of the enemy. Even when he uses the same old tired tricks, we’re in danger of falling for them repeatedly. No more! I refuse to fall prey to his plans anymore, and my prayer is that you won’t fall prey to them either.
Not falling prey will take some work on our part along with the work of the Holy Spirit. If the enemy persists in his attacks, don’t back down. Keep warring. Keep standing. Stay rooted in God and His Word. We are conquerors. We are more than overcomers. When we are tempted and overcome, we are walking in victory. Walking in victory over our sin opens us up for healthy, life-giving relationships.
The last piece of this session was a prayer tool that has been a game changer for me. It’s not rocket science. It’s a simple prayer for breaking the strongholds of the enemy and inviting God to fill in those empty spaces. It’s called 1-2-3 Skidoo. Funny name, but it works! Try saying and/or writing down the following:
1. I nail (_________) to the cross. Name a besetting sin or stronghold, e.g. anger, depression, anxiety, rejection, lust, self-protection. Or maybe a destructive, defeating thought like “Nothing is going to change” or “This is impossible,” etc.
2. I break all agreements I’ve made with (____________), known or unknown, and I repent of joining with (_____________).
3. I ask You, Father, to send (_____________) away from me! Father, what do you want to give me in place of (______________)?
How has sin affected your life, and how is God working to set you free? I’d love to pray for you!
