Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out,
Luke 8:2 (emphasis added)

Mary from Magdalene is often portrayed as a prostitute. There is no evidence for this. She is often portrayed as one of the women who anointed Jesus’ feet. There is no evidence for that. She has been identified by some scholars and traditions as actually being the Mary of the Mary, Martha, and Lazarus family. There is no evidence for that. She was healed of demon possession. She followed Jesus, listened to His teaching, and supported His ministry. She was there at the cross. She was one of the first to the tomb and THE first to see the risen Jesus. The early church tradition is that the Twelve considered her an apostle to the apostles because she brought them the news of Jesus alive. She has gotten a bad wrap, but the biggest single thing we know of her and her life is that she was healed of seven demons. ANYONE can be healed of ANYTHING and ANYONE can be a BLESSING in the Kingdom. We can ALL be clean.

Demons are NOT powerful creatures scheming to storm heaven and de-throne Yahweh. Demons are NOT beings of might and mystery ruling over kingdoms and collecting souls. Demons are NOT the rulers of hell with court machinations like a Byzantine empire. They are fallen angels and they are unclean/evil spirits – two categories, not both at the same time. They ONLY have reflected power through the authority WE give them to treat with us. Yes, they can do things we can’t but that is because WE fell NOT because THEY are powerful. They are a spiritual sickness. They were never supposed to be here on this earth. They had no right to it. They had no way in. Until WE opened the door. They are the cold we caught by running around naked in a winter rain. They’re spiritual boogers.

When a demon shows up, we feel FEAR. Would you like to know something? We are not feeling OUR human fear. Not beyond the usual adrenaline rush of ‘is this a problem’ that the flesh kicks up to evaluate whether we need to do something about this before getting hurt. We are feeling THEIR fear. They are DRIPPING in it (James 2:19). They are terrified. If we didn’t give them the authority and right to affect us, they would be wolves howling in the dark. They are completely, utterly, and totally inferior to the Kingdom of God.

Jesus operated right smack in the centre of the Father’s will. Jesus was filled with Holy Spirit. Jesus had a righteous spirit. Jesus had never fallen. From this position of spiritual authority granted from Yahweh Himself (Matthew 8:5-9), Jesus treated demons and unclean/evil spirits consistently. And THEY reacted to Him consistently. They begged Him to leave them until their final judgment and not cut their rebellion short (Matthew 8:29). Their power to affect humans was broken off (Matthew 12:22). They were totally under the authority of ANYONE Jesus gave authority to (Matthew 10:1). They have no choice but to admit who Jesus is and His position over them (Mark 3:11). They couldn’t stand against Jesus or speak against Him (Mark 1:34). They were TOTALLY subservient to Him (Mark 5:12).

What was the attitude of the first believers about these demons and evil/unclean spirits? “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you” (1 John 4:4). “Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:11-12). “No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20).

They did not FEAR them. They were TOTALLY reliant on JESUS when dealing with them. And they had a sober attitude about it. They did not get full of themselves. They did not get arrogant. They knew that it was Jesus and Jesus’ authority that dealt with them, not the men themselves. They knew the demons and unclean/evil spirits could cause trouble and attempt to destroy them, but that Jesus held ULTIMATE victory and authority. “Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

What does all this tell us? Jesus’ sanctification, redemption, renewal, restoration, deliverance, and healing does NOT occur purely in the physical. NOTHING – natural, unnatural, or supernatural – can stand against the authority of Jesus. “As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). Yes, we can feel overwhelmed when we encounter these demons and evil/unclean spirits. No, they have no authority over us unless we’ve given it. Double yes, we need to be in Jesus and know our place IN HIM. Triple yes, we need to be led by Holy Spirit and operate ONLY as directed by Him. Quadruple yes, the Father has us in His hand and NOTHING is going to snatch us out (John 10:28-30).

Evil spirits can get the right to camp out in us. But Jesus can wash us clean. Jesus can heal us. Jesus can remove them and any disability that they are causing (Mark 9:25). Jesus can remove any infirmity (sickness or disease) that they are causing (Luke 13:10-13). But if we go back to what it was that invited the demons or evil/unclean spirits in in the first place (Genesis 4:7), they’ll be back too (Matthew 12:43–45). The only permanent cure is for the person released from demonic possession is to accept the Holy Spirit’s call to repentance and guidance to walk in Adonai’s ways (Joshua 22:5; Psalm 128:1).
It is Jesus in US that does the work. That makes us clean. That does it all. It is His BLOOD poured out for us that brings us MERCY. “And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28). We were created to be pure. If we don’t let sin in, the things attached to sin won’t come in either. Sin is rebellion against the way things should be. Demons and unclean/evil spirits are rebellious beings. They go where rebellion is. Jesus can free us of that when and if we obediently submit to Him.

What IS submission? I talk about it a lot because it is THE requirement to follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24-25; 11:28-30). Submitting isn’t a STRUGGLE. I’m not struggling to submit to Adonai. I’m (1) recognising the order of things, (2) seeing my place, (3) and accepting that Adonai is at the top of ALL and that it IS His RIGHTFUL place. Submission is the action of me PASSIONATELY entering MY place. Submission is the action of me taking with JOY what He has given by Grace. Submission is the action of me FIGHTING not to move out of where my Blessing lives. Submitting is seeking to be near Adonai. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded” (James 4:8). When we are NOT moving to keep near Adonai, we are in sin because we are not TRUSTING Jesus.

Submission is the action of TRUSTING Jesus. Everything that isn’t us trusting Jesus is sin (Romans 14:23). If that seems harsh, remember that we can trust Jesus with EVERYTHING because we are to trust Him with our lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). Our lives include everything that we do while breathing and alive. Period. No grey area. Jesus is Lord of our LIVES, not of select times and seasons. Jesus is involved in EVERY are of our lives from the maintenance and functions of our bodies to the words we say to the actions we take to the chores we go to the work we engage in to the entertainment we enjoy to the thoughts we think to the emotions and feelings we emote and experience. He is over EVERYTHING from our smallest cells to our biggest life events. Trust Him in EVERYTHING.

When we submit to Jesus, we accept how Adonai wanted things to be. Right back to creation and humans walking in the Garden. We are submitting to how Adonai set things up. We submit obediently and humbly. We don’t kick and scream and throw a tantrum. We let the Word renew our minds until we agree with Yahweh about what Yahweh says (2 Timothy 3:16). We let the Word renew our minds until we agree that it is right and good to submit without fuss, muss, or delay. And then we do. Acknowledging the rightness of the action and the rightness of Adonai’s place over us.

Guess what? When we do that? We get to dwell in Jesus! We get to be in the place He wants! And when we do? There is NOTHING the devil or ANY other spirit can do to us. “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). If we are experiencing demonic or spirit issues there is something that isn’t submitted. Which is why we operate at the instruction, correction, guidance, and leadership of Holy Spirit (John 16:7-15).

NOTHING and NO sickness – regardless of nature, cause, origin, or methodology – can stand against the healing blood of Messiah Jesus which was shed for us throughout His ordeal of the cross (Matthew 8:16-17, 1 Peter 2:24). Let Him lead you. Let Him guide you. Submit to what He tells and shows you. HE is doing the work when WE stay in Him (John 15). Sickness will NOT stand. Nothing stands against Jesus.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Psalm 22:17-18

“I can count all my bones; my enemies are gloating over me in triumph. They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments.” Nudity only became shameful when humanity fell. Until then it was sanctified and holy (Genesis 2:25). When Adam chose a lesser being to be his god – submitting to their ideas, desires, and following their leading – humans lost their holiness and sanctification and nudity became shameful (Genesis 3:7). They KNEW they had lost it all and that was shameful to them. They tried to cover it, but it didn’t work. Only blood-drenched garments could help. Only shed blood could cover their sin. We have always seen nakedness as shameful. Exposing all our faults. Messiah was prophesied to be lifted up naked, exposed, and bloody. “[But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”] Then they threw dice to divide his clothes. The people also stood there watching, but the leaders ridiculed him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”” (Luke 23:34-35). Jesus was stripped totally naked, nailed to a piece of wood, and lifted up for all to gawk and mock Him. His enemies gloated. His tormentors divided up His clothes. Jesus WAS our sacrifice. Jesus IS the Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b