When something is violently taken or simply abruptly removed from your possession it leaves you in a whirlwind of emotions; fighting for answers to how you will take back what rightly belongs to you. It is when something is removed slowly or gradually that you tend to adjust to the erosion without notice. It’s the frog in the pot of water illustration. If you take a frog and drop it into a pot of boiling water, it has an immediate response by jumping out. But when you place the frog into room temperature water and gradually turn up the heat, the frog will literally allow you to cook it to death.
The Bible says in Isaiah 60:2, “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people…” The devil has been slowly turning up the darkness, if I can say it that way, a little here and a little there for a long time. This process is to slowly bring all mankind, including the body of Christ, into a place of complete compliance and submission to Satan’s desire. This darkness breeds confusion and chaos placing people in a place of panic, longing for help. It’s time we fight back!
Darkness expresses itself in three main areas. The first is deception. This one is hard to see sometimes as deception is deceiving. Deception’s desire is to deplete you of all truth holding you in captivity and bondage. Truth, on the other hand, does the opposite, bringing absolute liberty and freedom from all harassment. Truth is under attack and facing its greatest resistance.
The second is distraction. This is a big one, as it pulls your eyes off the author and finisher of your faith, Jesus, and fills you with care. Constantly asking you, “How are you going to handle this situation and produce change?” When this type of darkness creeps in and is allowed to linger it places a demand on your mind that it was not created to handle. This is why frustration and aggravation set in, leaving you with no transformation other than a lack of rest, peace, and joy.
The third is division. This one is a little easier to notice as it is simply double vision. It is the simultaneous perception of two images. So much to be said here, but in short, you cannot give your attention to the problem and the storm and come out on the winning side. The book of James calls it being double-mind and goes on to say that a man that is such, is unstable in all his ways. Jesus said that if a house is divided it cannot stand. Where there is no solid foundation, the enemy can easily prevail with confusion and devastation.
Darkness has been turned up and the ploys of the enemy heightened with each turn of events in our culture. This should not trouble us but rather cause us to go back to what we have learned and the truth that we have come to know. This evaluation will expose the darkness that has tried to creep in to eliminate the light that we have in us and upon us.
I believe this is why the church must rise and rally. The world is desiring, inherently I believe, the real, the power and the super-natural that can bring change to situations, circumstances and restore that which is broken and completely chaotic. The reason there is such an infatuation with superheroes today is because people are looking for assistance and someone to bring about order in the world where darkness has cast its shadow of death. This expectation breeds hope and a renewed sense of purpose and ability.
I want to show you how Jesus takes on this shadow of death where people have become subject to the oppression of the enemy by deputizing his disciples and giving them power. Jesus’ purpose was to restore life to mankind and bring us back to a place of abundant light that shines into the darkness, destroying the works of the enemy.
In Luke 9:1-2 we read, “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure disease. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
The only way that we can combat darkness is first by knowing our authority. Authority establishes order; it maintains growth and increase. Authority has the ability to take that which is chaotic and bring order and make it right. Authority is given through the command or commission. John 12:49 reads, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command what I should say and what I should speak.” Authority deals with words. Jesus marveled at a Roman centurion officer who desired Jesus to come and bring order to his house by healing his daughter. Jesus said, “I will come and heal her.” The centurion simply said, “Say the word only!” Or give the command, commission her healing and it will be done! (Matthew 8:8)
Jesus has given the church this exact mandate in this time and season. We are called to bring order and peace to a world that is deep in darkness and taken by the oppression of the enemy. I’m excited as we will continue along these lines next month as I know God wants to charge us to action!