You Will Prevail With Christ At The Helm of Your Vessel

 

 

When Your Understanding Fails, You Put Your Faith In The God of Heaven and Earth

 

By Dr. Lindy Diffenbaugh

 

When brick walls and overwhelming avalanches of trials, troubles, and tribulations are usually thrust upon us,  by none other than Satan himself. When we consider the origin of these obstructive walls, they are always distressing and more often than not, extremely painful; in fact, they labor tirelessly in, around, and through the earth from every conceivable angle. They fully believe that their labor will, one day release magnificent returns for their “purpose.” But, in fact, the returns are usually few and far between.

 

The question that must be asked here is, “What is Hell’s Purpose; What is Satan’s “End Game” concerning  the planet earth? As you consider this question, you will soon recognize that Satan has one singular Goal for the Planet Earth!  In fact, Satan and his demonic imps, maintain one singular goal against, not only the earth, but also against all of humanity.

 

What, you may ask, is that Goal? I am so glad that you asked! Satan and his minions fully intend to take control of every God created earthly vessel. Ultimately, they intend to lead God’s People into certain defeat, in fact, if they have their way, they will create absolute and irrevocable personal and professional destruction to the Saints and Warriors of the Most High God.  

 

In such situations we, God’s people are “Satan’s Public #1 Enemy.” In fact, Hell has been at this game for many, many millenniums, although most Americans are not aware that the “game is on.” If you do not know why God’s people are so unaware that Hell has an active and deadly assignment against them?

 

In fact, it is mostly because they may or may not go to Church every Sunday, and sometimes on Wednesday. They may or may not hear and heed the word of God from the pastor’s sermon, but once they leave the Church on Sunday morning, they become consumed with the tyranny of the urgent in their lives.  It is certainly true that if they do not take notes on the sermon, then before they leave the Church parking lot on Sunday morning, they will likely forget the point and the meat of the pastor’s message.  

 

So, if the above is the perceived reality in the Church World (At Least in America!), then Why Does the Church Even Exist? In fact, churches have been on the Earth since Christ walked the earth. They have existed since the days before, during, and after the states and the nations. Their existence is pure, right, and good, however it is up to the people to show up, worship, and honor the God of their Creation.

   

 

What exactly was/is accomplished by these Ecclesia weekly sojourns to the house of God? Somehow, sometime after Christ ascended into heaven, the Ecclesia was the center of the culture of the city.

 

In those days people flocked to the Church every Sunday morning, and/or every other day that the church doors were opened. Many came with absolute sincerity for the meetings in the House of God; others, however came so that they could check off their weekly visits to the House of God, and thus they could go about their business and be at peace as they check it off in their day-timer, that this week, they attended church.  Then they leave church satisfied, because they can give themselves a strong pat on the back because, at least for that week, they “kept the faith!”

 

              Is It Church or Kindergarten

To me, that sounds like the behavior of Elementary School. If High School kids go to school and work hard to not miss a class all week, then they can “chalk up” a strong check mark, then they are ahead of their peers that decided to stay home with a “fake illness”.

 

In fact, when the kids tell their parents that they are sick, then they give them aspirins and write them a note as to how sick they really are, and they go to work, while their child stays home and and pretends to be sick.

 

After these children grow up and move into the work place, my guess is that they determine how many sick days that they are allowed in their current job. Like magic, they wake up in the morning with the intent to use up one of those sick days. Are they truly sick?

 

My guess is that the answer to that question would most likely be “no,” at least 70% of the time. The best answer would be that something inside of them is sick of being locked up all day in the Workplace or at School.  If they do not have to show a doctor’s note for their absence, then they can probably get away with jumping into that “get out of school/work sick day” free, at least “that one time.”  

 

What Would Jesus Do?

 

Such things happen over and over and over around the Globe that we inhabit! There are people that do not go to school or work, because of a fake sickness. They can do that because they will probably not get caught and they will most likely do well at school and at work, despite their delinquent attendance for a few days during the year.   

 

The only question left to answer is, “How Will God Respond to Your Delinquent Behavior???” In His Eyes, I speculate that it would be best if you told the truth about your absence at school or at work. He may or may not make note of your “sick leave,” but somewhere in His heart he is believing that you will get on and stay on, a straight and narrow course where attendance is concerned. In other words, it is best to be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there!

 

Whether we know it or not, Christ is at the Helm of our magnificent earthly journey. My guess is that He Himself, does not document your every move, but they are documented by one heavenly being or another. I do believe that that He is, however, mindful of you and the way you are living your life. Why? Simply because He loves you and He wants you to prevail and fulfill the purpose that He has for you.   

 

If Christ, Himself, has to bring your infractions to your attention, then I believe that He would absolutely do so. If you wonder why Christ would call you down, the first reason that comes to mind, is that He is a good parent, and He deeply loves you.  He wants you to succeed and overcome every stumbling block that stands in your way. He wants you to prevail against the tactics of Hell, so that you do not find yourself drowning in personal or professional quicksand.

 

Why does God care what problems and struggles that we face? He cares because He is a Good and Loving Father and He wants you to prevail and excel in the Plans That He Has For YOU! It is that Simple! The only question left to answer is, Do You Care Enough About Yourself, to Go the Extra Mile and Live Life By the Book—What Book Would I Be Referencing?  It would be, Of Course, the Holy Bible!

I do understand that there are many, many, many mandates in the Bible. I understand that when you read a book or more in the Old or New Testament, that there is enough information for you to chew on for the rest of your natural life. So what do your do? You “chew on” or study the Holy Bible, for the rest of your life. Why can’t you just get it all in one reading? Unless you are a Quantum Computer, it will, no doubt, take a lifetime to read, study, and glean the depth of the Riches of God that are hidden in the Word of God!  

 

In This Day and Time It May Seem that We are Frozen

in Time

During such an uncertain and potentially disastrous situation, life as we know it will seem to be frozen in time. While we may attempt to solidify our footing in this absolutely ruthless and unexpected disaster, much sooner than later, it becomes very evident that, like a tsunami, the overwhelming catastrophic events that have come crashing down before us, over us, and through us, did not come into our life to simply pass away; no, they came to set up camp in the entirety of our lives and to eventually consume every little, as well as every big thing,  that we hold dear. In fact, these messengers of darkness now intend to wreak utter disruption, defeat, and disaster upon us, for as long as we allow them to hang out and destroy every precious and beautiful aspects of our lives, that we have always cherished and held dear on this earth.

 

Such dilemmas and/or atrocities, can and often do come suddenly and out of nowhere. Once they recognize that they have taken us off guard, they deliberately smash, smack, dab right in the middle of even the smallest semblance of stability that you have labored so hard to lay hold of in your life.

 

Throw in the Towel or Pick up the Sword?

 

These trials are not only stubbornly resistant to every solution that you can lay hold of, but ultimately, they will deliberately suck you into a deep despair, into the seeming real-time experience of absolute professional and personal defeat.

 

Despite the loss that is behind you, and the pain that is pent up like a prisoner in your broken heart, it is imperative that you forget yesterday’s victories and successes, as well as the failures that loom before you. When these are laid aside, you must then set you face like a flint, as you move through the “rubble” of yesterday’s failures and destruction and, in some cases, absolute disasters of today. Once you have reckoned with the fact that you must rebuild every good thing that has been lost along the way.

 

In the process of rebuilding your world as best you can, you must manage to make a bold and determined effort, to work your way through the maze that now holds you captive. Your ultimate goal is to find a way of escape from what appears to be an inescapable force of darkness.

 

Such situations cannot be ignored, because they are staring you directly in the face, and it is in fact very clear that they do not intend easily leave you alone, until they have inflicted every bit of damage that they can to your life, your home, your family, and everything that you hold dear.

    

After significant efforts to back this intrusive force down, you will soon recognize that there is nothing that you can do to take this thing down. It is clearly bigger and more powerful than you.

 

It is also very clear that if you do not take a stand and fight the good fight of faith against the force of the threat, that you will ultimately have to capitulate to the foe that stands in your face and mocks your every move.

 

  If You Resist The Fight, Your Loss Will Be Certain and Painful

 

Amid despair, confusion, and what appears to be a foe that appears to be utterly impossible to take down, you must recognize that if you do not fight, then you will certainly face deep loss somehow and somewhere in your life. In fact, it is painfully clear that the foe that is upon you, has but one goal.

What could that goal be? It is clearly a devilish effort from the darkest depths of hell, that is sent to bring distraction, destruction, defeat, and despair upon God’s chosen Vessels of Honor, and in every aspect of the warrior’s life. In fact, in the heat of the battle we may ask ourselves, “How can it end any other way?”

 

Make no mistake, if you live on the planet Earth and you are a born-again Christian, you will certainly face demonic entities in your life. As you stand in the face of a demonic force that seeks your destruction, you must recognize that that demon has one, and only one intention.

 

What is that intention? Simply put, the demonic goal over your life, is to obliterate the hope and the future that you are promised in the Word of God.  Demonic warriors are messenger from hell, that are sent to destroy your life by spewing confusion, distraction, hopelessness, helpless, and finally, utter destruction to some part or phase of your life that you have invested your blood, sweat, and tears into building a hope and a future for yourself, and perhaps your family as well.

 

This Battle is Fought and Won in the Heavenly Realm

 

We may try every relevant internet solution, as well as the newest and greatest technological advancements known to man; yet the answers that we seek remain elusive. When our best shot at busting the dilemma to pieces utterly fails, more often than not we will find that we have produced no tangible change in the situation.

 

Worse than that, we will soon recognize that we are alone in the battle, and we will have to face the same “giant” tomorrow and the next day, if something does not change. And if something does not change on our side of the battle, then we can bet that that wicked serpent, the one that we call the devil, will up his game and push us neck deep into the quicksand of our lives.

 

At this point let’s douse a little encouragement into an otherwise, very depressing scenario. The first word of hope is that we have all no doubt found ourselves in the same pile of quicksand that we are no doubt drowning in at that moment!

 

In fact, the reality is that at this point in the  battle, we  find ourselves helplessly overwhelmed by the giant before us, and absolutely clueless that help could be a short breath away. I can hear you asking even now: “Where is it and when will it get here?” That is up to you. But keep reading, we will get to the answers that you are looking for very soon.   

 

I can surely identify with such dilemmas. They visit you and the people that you love, with unrelenting pain and other forces of destruction and despair.  And, by the way, if you have not noticed they do not even pretend to play fair.  That is why we must stop searching for solutions in all the wrong places and press into a power that smarter and stronger than we are.

 

While you may believe that you need a superpower that can outsmart your foes and set you on a deliberate course to overcome the trials in which we find ourselves, that is simply a lie from the devil. I have often searched for solutions in all the wrong places for most of my life. I still tend to frantically scramble for solutions that seem to be nonexistent. But I am getting better at it because I have found a better way to step into a sure victory to every struggle and trial that I face. 

 

When there does not seem to be an expert, or an average and ordinary person that we can turn to for answers, I have learned to turn to a power that is greater than human knowledge and the interventions found in the human mind. Certainly, we could go to a library and search out every bit of knowledge that seems to be applicable to our struggle.

But there again, we are seeking what man has to say about our dilemmas. Not that, that is not necessary and helpful; in fact, it is a good start. But there is a deeper well available to all humanity, that has all the answers to every struggle that we will face in life. Of course, that is a very bold claim, however you must know this: I would have never made such a claim if I could not have backed it up!

 

Solutions Are Always Birthed In the Heavenly Realm

 

When you are helplessly and hopelessly stuck in the depth of the problem, then it is past time to turn to the promises made in Biblical Scripture. Here you will find power packed promises, as well as truths that will lead you safely through the trials and into the ultimate victory that Christ’s resurrection secured for every born-again believer in the Most High God!

 

Know this, and do not forget it, there is one source that will never fail to lift us above the stubborn struggles that are working toward our demise; and by the way, the problems that we face seem to quickly turn into quicksand. If you are to connect with that source, then you must keep your eyes on things above, and not on the tangible things that so easily lead us to our own destruction.

If we are to realize resurrection power, we must never ever dwell on the problem. No! Your first effort to overcome must be to ask yourself, “What does the Scripture Say About My Problem?”  If you search for the truth of the Word regarding your circumstances, you will find a truth somewhere in the Bible, that will surely be a catalyst to release the healing balm of Heaven, that will bring you out of darkness into the light of His glory.

Once you have found it, you must be diligent to walk in the Truth of that Scripture and not in the debilitating force of the lies that Satan, (that old serpent that we call the defeated devil, is whispering in your ear. 

In other words, we must look-up towards the Heavenly promises of God and ignore the lies coming out of the pit of Hell. These are the plans that Satan has intended for our destruction.

 

You Must Resist Satan with every bit of Spiritual and Physical Strength That You Possess! Do Not Ever Forget that God Knows the Plans that He has for You! In fact He will not abandon you. He will not take eyes or His hand off of you until you become every good thing that He has planned for You….In Him Your Future is Written and Fulfilled While You Walk this Earth!

 

      Set Your Mind on Things Above! With Him at the Helm of Your Vessel, You Will Prevail!

 

The effort begins with the scripture: Set your mind on things above and not on the earthly struggle that you have encountered.

If you intend to find a permanent solution to the roadblock that you have stumbled upon, start with how you see it.  Is it an impassable roadblock…or is it time for you to proclaim, “Satan get thee behind me?”

Always be aware that your thoughts are not always your own. Influences come at you from many different sources…from negative people who do not carry the mind of Christ, as well as the devil himself.  In fact, he will certainly work very hard to make certain that the problems before you will grow exponentially, to the point that they defy solutions. 

When the problem becomes your absolute and total focus, and when the problem and your focus have been negatively influenced by those that do not have your best interests at heart, then the mountain of your troubles tends to become bigger and bigger; thus, it will eventually becomes your ultimate reality.

In fact, if you focus on the pain, then of course the pain becomes your ultimate reality. You focus on poverty and poverty becomes your reality. You focus on the addiction and the addiction becomes your life, etc. etc. etc. If you are buried so deeply in the problem, that you cannot impact the problem because you are in it and you have become part of the problem; when you find yourself holding that problem and focusing on your inward problems,  then it is likely that you have gone way past the point of no return in this scenario.

 

You Will Prevail While Heaven Stands With You In The Battle

 

If you are to overcome the problem that looms before you, it is imperative that you assume your position in Christ, that the Word of God tells you is yours in (Colossians 3:1-4). When you recognize who you are in Christ, you will soon find yourself walking in and with Christ, through the good, the bad, and the perils of darkness on this earth.  When that happens, you will once again begin to walk in the light of the glory of Christ. 

 

How do you position yourself above the problems that are before you? The answer to that question is simple: To successfully position yourself above the problems that are staring in your face, you must hold the truth of God’s word before and above the problems that are blatantly staring you face. You do this no matter how real/and or threatening that the problems seem to be. 

 

As soon as you recognize that you have safely elevated yourself above the problems at hand, you must begin to lavishly apply the Balm of Gilead so that it will effect  the problems that you face. How can that be done?

 

You simply begin to continuously proclaim the truth that the Word of God has set you free from that problem. Additionally, you must begin to meditate on the Word of Truth, that you used to position yourself not only above the problem, but that you now hold the place of an over-comer in Christ, in that matter.

 

What has happened? You have lifted yourself up beyond the demons, as well as the lies that they have belched out on your life. When you have displaced hell, and released heaven into your situation, then you have stepped into a new role. In fact, you have stepped into a place where hell cannot defeat you, if you determine to continue to see yourself as a Warrior in Christ. In that position, you have become a Bold and Fearless Warrior. With you in that position, demons that tremble and flee, when they see you step into the battle.

 

As Christ’s Mighty Warrior You Must See The World With More Clarity

When you become Christ’s Mighty Warrior, then you will see things differently. You will acknowledge that the threat of the circumstances that are before you, are not the reality that you are facing; in fact, through the word of God and the power of your own testimony, you intend to obliterate all opposition and to claim liberty over death, hell, and darkness.  Not only do you intend to step over the giant before you, but even this day you will have his head on a platter. 

 

If, Satan continues to roam the earth seeking someone to bring down, you will have a battle on your hands. You will never be totally free of demonic lies and influence while you are on this earth. Why? Because Satan roams to and fro about the earth Seeking Someone to Devour!

 

In the face of Hell’s onslaught, it is not the time to capitulate. No! It is the time to remind yourself that you are a skilled warrior; you must to admonish yourself that warriors do not quit, and they never give up. What does that mean? 

 

You must learn the truth Word of God and Hide it in your heart. You can call it up when you need it to take down the enemy before you.

 

As you stand in the full armor of God, and in the face of the devil’s lies, you begin to define for him, how the battle will be fought. Just as David of old, told the devil that on “this day, I will have your head on a platter,” in this day, you must stand in the face of the devil and announce to that serpent exactly how the battle will be fought and, more importantly, how it will end. 

 

As if you are throwing gasoline in that demon’s face, you take a spiritual fire hose and spray Hell and all its minions with the truth of God’s most holy and powerful Word. And by the way, who is the WORD? The Word is the overcoming and victorious Christ! In fact, the overpowering of the undefeated Christ!

 

And by the way, sometimes the devil will try to get you to stop the torture by encouraging you to roll over and play dead. Be prepared to hear the demons grumble, “you are going down,” “you have blown it this time,” “this time there is no solution”, “medical science has told you that you are a walking dead man, there is no cure for your illness,” “you just are not smart enough, strong enough, young enough, old enough,” etc. etc. etc.  Your family always fails…do not think that you are any different,” 

 

In the face of his baseless mockery,  you must be an unrelenting force, that stands in the face of Satan with overpowering authority and strength. You must continue to spray the word into his face, his eyes, his entire being, until he knows that you mean business.

 

In your mind, you will always recognize that you are less than perfect in so many ways. These are ways that you believe are vital to overcome the foe that you are facing. You certainly do not feel that you are quite ready to overcome the demons that are lurking in the atmosphere that surrounds you.

 

You must grasp the truth that the weakness is in your own flesh. While you are counting on, and focusing on your own flesh, you will never realize there is a mighty warrior that lurks in the depths of your inmost being. You will not find that strength of that warrior in your soul. You will not find it in your mind, your will, or your emotions.  It is not in your fleshly being. It is not lurking in your hopes and your dreams. No! It is will not emanate from of these. “Then,” you may ask, “Where is IT and how can I lay hold of IT?”

 

It is, in fact, the Spirit Man that resides deep inside of you. It is the Spirit Man that is percolating in the depth of who you truly are; it is the Spirit Man that will demonstrate the strength, power, and authority that HE, and You, together possess. It is the Spirit man that will ultimately fight the battle with you and for you. It is, in fact, the Spirit Man that is waiting to rise-up and overcome the devil that stands before you.

 

 This, the SPIRIT MAN, THE CHRIST THAT LIVES IN YOU, is the strength that will never ever, no never, fail you when you stand before Hell and wield the sword of the Spirit in the devil’s face. It is the force of that Spirit man that will rage through you, and together with you, will bring the Devil back down to Hell where He belongs.

 

You must continually remind yourself as well as every demon that lurks around you, that Christ is in you, and He Works Mightily Through You. His Power is Pulsating Through Your Being and He Will Not Stop Until the Victory Is In Your Hand!

 

When the battle is over, both you and the devil will realize that, it was not your power, nor your might that once again brought Satan to the place of utter defeat. NO! It was, in fact, the Spirit of the Resurrected Christ in YOU that enabled you to have His Head on a Platter, on This Day and IN THIS VERY

BATTLE!  

 

You must Enlighten the devil and all his minions that that they are the perfect picture of utter defeat because SATAN HIMSELF, was defeated on Calvary’s Cross, by YOUR Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! In other words, “Game Over Satan”. Devil you Lost and the Christ in Me, together with me, has defeated YOU, yet again!”

 

ALWAYS BE AWARE THAT IT WAS CHRIST AND NOT YOUR SILLS THAT DEFEATED HELL

You might ask…What if my declarations don’t work for me? If you ask that question, then you are already defeated. Always know that the Word of God in the mouth of Christ’s Child, will always defeat hell. 

Do you remember when you were a kid playing in the neighborhood, did you ever come up against another kid that wanted to punch your lights out? How did you get out of the conflict? Most kids will go inside and tell their dad what is happening outside. Then they come out and they stand in the face of the bully and proclaim, “My daddy said for you to leave me alone!”

 

So, it is the same way when you face hell’s minions. You simply pull out the word of God and proclaim, “My Father in Heaven has a restraining order on you that is called the ‘Resurrection Force of Christ’ and He says that you must back down or face His wrath yet one more time.”

 

In John chapter 11, Martha was reckoning with the certain reality that her brother was dead. He was in the grave. In fact, he had been there for three days. Fortunately, during his illness, someone had sent for Jesus…He showed up, but not until Lazarus was dead and in the tomb. What do you think Martha and Mary were thinking about Jesus when they buried their brother? If only His power had been there when we needed it!

 

When Jesus showed up, He spoke Truth into the death that had become the reality of these two grieving sisters. He proclaimed, “Your brother will rise again.” She responded, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” And Jesus said, “Martha, I am the resurrection and the life.” He then declared, “If you believe in Me, He Will live.” And, in fact, that is exactly how the story ended.

 

So, He, who is the Word, says that if you believe in “My Resurrection Power,” then you do not have to accept death or defeat as your reality. He who is THE RESURRECTION will raise you up to walk atop the mountains that have defeated you. He will raise you up to walk on stormy seas that have threatened to engulf and drown you. He who is The Resurrection and the Life will raise you up to be more than you ever thought that you could be.

 

Child of God Do Not See Yourself As Average and Ordinary

So, how can we expect an average and ordinary Christian to back down the forces that emanate from the darkness of hell?  For the do called “every-day, average and ordinary Christians” to overcome the power of darkness, first they must lay hold of the heavenly keys that will break open the power and glory of God on their behalf. What are those keys?

 

 Jesus Said to Peter, “I Give You The Keys”

In Matthew 16:19, after Jesus rose from the grave, He had a set of Keys. He said to Peter, “Behold I give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on Earth, will be bound in Heaven. Whatever you lose on Earth will be loosed in heaven.” What exactly are the Keys that Jesus gave to Peter?

 

As I understand it, the Keys of the Kingdom that Christ gave Peter, as well as every one of His followers from that day until this one, are seen as Kingdom Authority to invade and overcome the darkness and to release the light and glory of Heaven on Earth.

 

Why is that so? Consider this analogy: You are being harassed by some extremely wicked people that want to bring utter destruction to your own life and family. You know that there are documents that have been kept safely in behind an impenetrable iron door. You know that if you could lay hold of them, they would disprove and defeat every lie that has been hurled against you.

 

So, what do you need to gain access to these documents? Remember that the door is made of iron; you cannot break it down with a hatchet. So how do you solve this dilemma? You secure the keys that will open the door to take down the lies of the enemy that stands against you.

 

Thus ability to live the overcoming life in Christ, is released in the authority of the keys that Jesus left in the hands of the Apostle Peter. Christ has made them available to everyone of us who have committed our lives to Him!

 

Peter has gone on to his heavenly reward. Likewise, every believer in Christ that has walked this Earth and taken hold of those keys, have also gone on to their heavenly reward. They are no longer here to fight the earthly battles that face the Body of Christ in this day.

 

So, what do we do? We pick up the Keys of the Kingdom, the authority that Christ gave to Peter, and we fight the good fight. In the face of Hell, we do not relent. When we feel defeated, we do not give in.

 

When we fall, we get up. Once we are up, we grab hold of the Keys of the Kingdom and fight the Good Fight of Faith that Peter and all the saints that followed him had access to, and with the keys in hand engaged and begin to  established great Victory in the Face of Hell. Because Christ paid a very precious price to secure those keys for His Body, they are yours and they are mine!

 

As you fight the good fight of faith, do not forget to Praise your “Commander and Chief,” Jesus Christ the King!  Praise Christ earnestly and deliberately! Praise Him continuously and on purpose. And as you fight the fight  and you engage the enemy, be sure to release the High Praises of God in your Mouth, and a two-edged sword in your hand.

 

As you battle, as you release the authority of His Words, do not doubt that the Lord, who is Mighty in Battle, is at your side. On the midst of your  fight, the Risen Christ and a legion of His Angel stand with you in the battle. With the high praises of God in your mouth and a two-edged sword in your hand, the mountain will be cast into the sea and the giant will fall to the ground. They will fall, not by power, not by might, But by the spirit and the victory of the Mighty Risen Lord! He is with you always, even to the ends of the Earth.

 

Make the Precious Word of God Your Focus, and Victory Will Become Your Reality!

 

Selah!!!