Dink, a boxer stepping into a boxing ring blindfolded. The fight starts and the blindfolded boxer starts fighting and punching like crazy because he is fighting against an invisible enemy. His coach gives the blindfolded boxer valuable instructions. But because of the fact, that he can’t see what his coach is seeing, these valuable instructions are worthless to him. The blindfolded boxer fights defensively instead of offensively in order to protect himself. He thinks his opponent attacks him, terwyl dit in werklikheid is, his opponent doesn’t do anything. He just waits and watches him punching like crazy. The opponent waits until he becomes tired and weaker so that he will be able to attack and knock him out. And just like this blindfolded boxer, there are many Christians who are fighting against an invisible enemy.
The blindfolded Christian
Wees nugter, Wees waaksaam; want julle teëstander die duiwel, soos 'n brullende leeu, loop rond, soek wie hy kan verslind (1 Petrus 5:8)
This blindfolded boxer represents many carnal Christians, who are spiritually blind and live in darkness and heard and know about an enemy but they don’t see the enemy and don’t discern the works of the enemy and because of that many Christians are fighting against an invisible enemy.
Although many Christians know about an enemy and heard about the adversary, die duiwel, they don’t see the devil and don’t discern the works of the devil and his host.
They are fighting according to spiritual warfare techniques, metodes, and strategies, which they learned during sermons, seminare, and conferences. They apply these spiritual warfare technics and methods into their lives and fight spiritually like crazy.
In die begin, they are all fired up. But after a few days, they become a bit tired. Especially, when they don’t see anything happen.
They endure for a few days, but then they quit fighting. Because what they expected to happen didn’t happen. They didn’t experience any change. Therefore they give up and quit. Because according to them, it’s not working.
But it shouldn’t be surprising that they give up fighting and quit. Because how can they apply spiritual warfare technics and methods when they don’t discern the spirits and the spiritual realm? How can they fight against an enemy, who they can’t see? How can they be victorious is they are fighting against an invisible enemy?
Many Christians are fighting against an invisible enemy
There are many carnal Christians, wat na die vlees wandel. They are ruled by their senses, gevoelens, emosies, gedagtes, sal, begeertes, begeertes, ens. They walk in the natural realm instead of the spiritual realm and therefore they walk by sight and not by faith. They know about the spiritual realm, because others have told them about the spiritual realm. But they don’t actually see and walk in this spiritual realm themselves (Lees ook: Is die geestelike ryk fiksie of werklik?).
They don’t discern the powers, Owerhede, rulers of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual wickedness in high places. In plaas daarvan, they often embrace them and their works without knowing and are destroying the works of God instead of destroying the works of the devil.
Through ignorance and a lack of knowledge, they open the door and invite evil spirits into their lives. Op hierdie manier, the devil destroys many lives, all because of a lack of knowledge of God’s people.
Many Christians think they are born again, maar in werklikheid, they are not. They are not wedergebore and don’t live after the Spirit and don’t walk according to what the Word says. Therefore the geestelike ryk remains invisible to them.
They don’t walk in the light but in darkness and are fighting against an invisible enemy, who wants to destroy and kill them. Many times this invisible enemy succeeds in accomplishing his mission and destroys many lives.
Die seuns van God are not fighting against an invisible enemy
When you become 'n nuwe skepping; born of Water and Spirit, you have not only become a new creation, but you should alsolive as a new creation. Jy is nie meer 'n seun van die duiwel nie, but through regeneration, jy het 'n seun van God geword. As a son of God, it’s your job to represent, preek, and bring the Kingdom of God to the people on this earth.
But as long as you remain carnal and keep walking after the flesh, you will not be able to do this.
You will remain a resident of the kingdom of darkness and will be oppressed by the darkness.
Your eyes will be blinded by the darkness and therefore you will not be able to see the Kingdom of God.
If you don’t see the Kingdom of God, how can you represent, preek, and establish the Kingdom of God on this earth?
Behalwe dat 'n mens weergebore word, hy kan nie die koninkryk van God sien nie (John 3:3)
Jesus het geantwoord, Voorwaar, voorwaar, Ek sê vir jou:, Behalwe dat 'n mens uit water en Gees gebore word, hy kan nie in die koninkryk van God ingaan nie. Dit wat uit die vlees gebore is, is vlees; en wat uit die Gees gebore is, is gees (John 3:5-6).
When you become born again and you become a new creation, jou flesh dies and your spirit raises from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth
The Holy Spirit dwells in you and He shall be your Teacher in the Word. He shall make the written Word alive inside of you. Jy salvernuwe jou gedagtes with the Word and shall walk according to what the Word says and become a doer of the Word. You shall spiritually mature and grow up in the sonship of God.
When you read and study the Word, you shall get to know Jesus and through Jesus, you shall get to know the Father. Through His Word, you shall get to know His will.
You shall walk in Syne commandments, which represent His will. You shall not listen and walk after the lusts and desires of your flesh, Nie. But you shall live after the Word and the Spirit, and do what They tell you to do.
The Holy Spirit shall reveal to you the spiritual realm behind the natural realm. He shall expose the enemy, who has always been an invisible enemy to you. He shall expose the darkness and its works and bring it into the light.
Maybe there will be moments, when you will be startled by what you see and maybe don’t like what you see. Many things that you always considered normal, onskuldig, and harmless, suddenly aren’t that normal, innocent and harmless anymore. You will become aware of demonic manifestations.
When you grow up spiritually,
the more the spiritual realm will open up to you
The more time you spend in the Word and do what the Word tells you to do, the more you grow up into the sonship of God. You will be corrected, cleansed of death works, purified and sanctified by the Word and the Holy Spirit unto God. Through the process of sanctification, you will spiritually mature and the spiritual realm becomes more real to you than the natural realm.
The world and the devil; the enemy of God, shall also become your enemy.
This is not because you are so important or special, but because of the fact that Jesus Christ lives inside of you and Jesus Christ is important (Lees ook: Waarom die wêreld Christene haat).
Remember, that you have laid down your own life as the old creation and have become a new creation, Wie issit in Jesus Christus at the right hand of God, in die hemelse plekke.
As long as you stay in Christ; in the Word and the Word abides in you and you become a doer of the Word, you shall walk by faith as the new creation. You shall reveal and destroy the works of darkness and the enemy will not be able to touch you.
But as soon as you leave the Word, even if it is for a short period of time, he will hit you.
Jesus het alle gesag in die hemel en op aarde
Every enemy of God is under Jesus’s feet. Jesus has the highest authority in heaven and on earth and every name must bow for the Name of Jesus.
When you are seated in Him, you also rule over them and it’s your job to exercise the authority in the Name of Jesus over them (Lees ook: Geloof in die Naam van Jesus).
Egter, the enemy must become visible to you, and the only way is through the Word. You have to become aware of his works and tactics because otherwise, you are fighting against an invisible enemy and we both know how this fight; this spiritual warfare will end.
‘Wees die sout van die aarde’
