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Seated With Christ The Lord says, it is important for his people to fight from the right position. The strategy of the enemy is to make the people of God look at the attacks rather than to keep their eyes on their God. This was the problem of the servant of Elisha in 2 Kings 6:15-17 when all he could see were the forces that were coming against them and the battle that they were facing, until Elisha prayed and asked the Lord to open his eyes so that he could see the heavenly forces that were backing them up. The Lord wants to open our eyes in this hour to see things from His perspective so that we can fight from the right position. We should not be fighting from the position of someone who is fighting for the victory, but from the position of someone who knows that they already have the victory. We always have to remember that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places above all principality, power, might, and dominion as the Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:6 and Ephesians 1:20-23. Luke 10:19 also tells us that God has given us power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy. The means the enemy has NO POWER over us. If all power belongs to God (see Psalm 62:11) and God lives in us, then we have all power as well. This is why the Bible says in 1 John 4:4 that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, because there is no greater force or power than the one that we carry in our earthen vessels (see 2 Corinthians 4:7). Here are a few steps that can be taken to awaken to your right position so that you can fight from the right position: 1) Meditate on the word. When we meditate on the word of God, it creates faith, confidence, and boldness so that we can always maintain the right perspective regardless of the voices of defeat that may try to sway our thoughts, or the “giants” that may try to over-magnify themselves, which begin to look more and more like grasshoppers as we meditate on the word and keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (see Hebrews 12:2). 2) Making time for the presence of God and for hearing the voice of God. God’s presence and His voice alone gives strength. There have been so many times where God has spoken to me in the midst of a situation just to encourage me and to confirm that although I was in a test or trial, He was going to bring me through it. Those specific, rhema words are priceless when you’re in a battle because when you hear a word from God, it makes you unshakeable and immovable, and helps you to maintain the right perspective in the battle. 3) Praying in the Holy Spirit. Praying in our heavenly language enables us to be built up on our most holy faith while also allowing the Spirit himself to make intercession for us (see Jude 1:20 and Romans 8:26-27). 4) Spending time in praise and worship. The Bible tells us in Psalm 22:3 that God inhabits the praises of His people. Whenever we magnify the Lord, we minimize the enemy. Maintaining an atmosphere and mindset of worship helps us to maintain the right position and perspective of victory. We must always remember who we are, and remember our royal lineage. We are able to have the position that we have because of the blood of Jesus. He has made us kings and priests, and has given us all dominion (see Revelation 1:5-6, Revelation 5:9-10, and Genesis 1:26). Therefore, when we are praying or are in spiritual warfare, we do it from a perspective of authority and dominion, from the stance of a ruler, not from a place of defeat, because the only defeated foe is Satan. The Bible tells us in Psalm 82:6 that we are gods, because we are children of the most High God, and have His DNA. This is why Job 22:28 says we can decree a thing, and it SHALL be established, because where the word of a king is, there is power (see Ecclesiastes 8:4). Use your words to declare and decree what you want to see, and use your words to move those mountains, because the power is within you to do so (see Mark 11:23). So let’s maintain our rightful position, and always remember that the battle has already been won. Please take some time to listen to the songs below, and be encouraged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJghcUSZyK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofR4Pcql8oo

2018 Scriptures for Battling the devil, Spiritual Warfare. The enemy hates to hear about the Blood of Christ, Praise, and that hell is "prepared for the devil and his angels." Ephesians 6:11-17 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. Deuteronomy 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 23:10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Deuteronomy 3:22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you. Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The depiction of the enemy of our souls: Isaiah 14:12-19 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 1 John 5:4-5 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? I John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 18:18-19 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Psalms 84:11 For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good [thing] will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. II Thess 3:3 3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. Zech 4:6 6b Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Isa 40:28-31 28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Psalm 18:39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Matthew 25:41 Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

"And Goliath cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field." - 1 Samuel 18:43,44 Goliath first used fiery darts against David (his words of negativity), believing that the negativity alone would cause David to cower down! Yes, Goliath's negative words were meant to be a "first-blow" against David to weaken him so that Goliath could move in quickly for the kill! For us today, a Philistine spirit might sound like this: • You're too young (old) to be used of God. • You haven't attended Bible college, so you're unqualified to lay hands on the sick and see them healed. • You're not a good speaker. • Your family was poor. How can you ever consider yourself blessed of God? • You are not attractive, you're fat (skinny), or too short (tall). • You are weak. Just take a good look at yourself. Is there anything about you of which you can really be proud? • You failed. You sinned. God will never use you. God has abandoned you. • Shame on you! KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST Did you notice that this spirit targets our significance? In other words, it targets our identity as a Christian: a blood-bought Believer, a child of the King, a son and daughter of God. Satan desires for each of us to get stuck in cycles of feeling "insignificant." The dictionary describes insignificance as being unimportant and having no purpose in life However, when we don't know our full identity in Christ, we remain in a continual search for significance. This is exactly what Goliath attempted to do with David...infiltrate his belief system concerning his identity and his relationship with God! This search will remain on our wilderness wandering map unless we begin to rebuke the words (fiery darts and arrows) and begin to agree with what God says about us. WE MUST POSSESS OUR PROMISED LAND You are already victorious because of the Cross. Still we must possess our Promised Land through AFFIRMING and MEDITATING the scriptures that have to do with our identity as born-again believers. Jesus paid the price for it – let's believe it and enter into it! IT'S TIME FOR BREAKTHROUGH Our true identity has been on the line – what do you believe about yourself? What do you believe about God? The truth must become established for breakthrough to occur. The fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16) are targeting our identity. The identity thief has a plan – to steal, kill, and destroy your future. Let's exalt the Lord and declare His identity as "The Breaker"! Yes, He is the Breaker – the one who breaks forth on our behalf (see Micah 2:13). God is breaking forth for us. Jesus broke forth and gave us life by the shedding of His precious Blood. It's time for faith to arise once more. Raise up your shield of faith today! Lift up the name of Jesus – your shield! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

The Church will begin to take on more of a "military mentality" in the coming times. We are called to be an army, and in many ways we will start to reflect this in a much more serious and focused demeanor in the leadership and the people. There is something about conflict that does focus our senses. We have been in a war against darkness of the most desperate kind for the whole history of the Church, but not all seem to understand this or live as they would if they did understand it. This, too, will be changing as more of God's people come to this understanding. It is important that we keep in mind that the greatest warriors are also the greatest worshippers, just as we see with King David. These two go together, and if they did not, the hardship of battle could produce some very unchristian behavior in Christians. We will not be able to take the intensity of conflict and battle without being hardened--if we are not continually softened by worship. A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAR Ephesians 6:12 - "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkenss of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." We are also in the most different kind of war. We are fighting to save people, not kill or wound them. We are actually fighting to help free and save many of the very ones who will be used to attack us. We are not warring against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces that are using them. We must keep, not only a softer attitude toward people, but we must love our enemies. We love our enemies because we are fighting for them, not against them. This truth requires a higher vision, a higher reality, than just looking at things in the natural. We must have our spiritual eyes open to see and live another reality. Therefore, the great call of these times is to fulfill II Timothy 2:3-4: "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the One who enlisted him as a soldier." A soldier does not enlist for a vacation. Though many may have become Christians because of a promise of health, wealth, or the solutions to their problems, true soldiers have enlisted with the very real commitment to be willing to go into harm's way, and if necessary, pay the ultimate price for their cause. True soldiers of Christ go even further, resolving to die every day to this world so that they live for the sake of the Gospel. True Christianity is a life of sacrifice. As we are told in Matthew 16:25: "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it." THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM It is true that when we lay down our lives daily for the sake of the Gospel we find a fulfillment in life, peace, and joy in a way that is incomprehensible to those who do not know Him. There is no greater liberty that we could ever know than to be Christ's slave. To walk in the courage that it takes to be a soldier of the Cross is the path to the ultimate freedom--the freedom from fear. If we have died to this world, then there is nothing this world can do to us. One who is dead does not fear rejection, failure, or anything else. The paradox is that being a soldier of the Cross is at once the hardest thing we could ever do and the easiest life we could ever live. Even so, true soldiers do not serve for the rewards or benefits, but because it is the right thing to do. The Lord is worthy of this devotion. We were bought with the ultimate price, His own life, and we now belong to Him. As Paul wrote in I Corinthians 7:35, "And this I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly, and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord." BE PREPARED FOR PERSECUTION A factor we must prepare for is that the brighter the light of the Church becomes, the more threatened those living and loving the darkness will become, and the more they will attack her. Christians who are not prepared for persecution are not prepared. Like it or not, the brighter our light becomes, the stronger we become, and the more we will have to fight. Even so, there can be no victory without a battle, and the bigger the battle, the bigger the victory will be. We also have the great encouragement that we are on the side that cannot lose if we remain faithful. Affirmations: LIKE KING DAVID I MAKE WORSHIP MY DAILY TOP PRIORITY. I DIE TO THE WORD EVERY DAY FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL. EVERY DAY AND IN EVERY WAY GOD IS OPENING THE EYES OF MY UNDERSTANDING TO SEE INTO THE HEAVENLY SPIRITUAL REALITY. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY