The weapons of our warfare - The Lord our Righteousness!

Believers, do you remember 2 Corinthians10: 4 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,"?

The devil wants you to bring your thoughts to your own obedience (your ability to keep and fulfill the law) and not to the obedience of Christ by which all who believe are made righteous, as it is written in Romans 5:19 -

"For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous."

In essence, the above verse explains that sinners are sinners because of Adam's disobedience, not because of what they do or do not do. This inherited sin nature is why sinners commit acts of sin and continue in sin.

By the same token, in Christ, we are made righteous and remain righteous because of Christ's obedience, not because of what we do or do not do. This righteousness is freely given as a gift. It can't be earned and with it comes no condemnation for the believer. And as it was with the woman caught in adultery, it is this gift of no condemnation that makes us go and sin no more.

You can't have a mixture of your good works and Christ's gift of righteousness. You can't mix law and grace. You can't put new wine in old wineskins. This is being lukewarm-neither hot nor cold ...another lesson for another day:)

When the devil whispers your failings and shortcomings to you and you bring your thoughts to your own obedience (i.e. accept guilt and condemnation for the wrong you have done, reject our Lord's obedience to save you and His gift of everlasting righteousness and start to try to make up for your sins in order to get right with God or receive from Him by doing things), judgment follows, because no one can be justified by the law in God's sight.

The accusations/thoughts is spiritual warfare (the accusations are the fiery darts of the enemy) and the battleground/court of law is the mind. I bet you thought the battleground was some coven! Did you also know that in Israel today, prosecutors at law are called Ha Satan? The devil is a prosecutor whose arguments can only be cast down by you presenting our Lord Jesus as your Righteousness and Advocate. Paul rightly describes this gift of righteousness as a weapon in 2 Cor. 6 -

7 "We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense."

Our own righteousnesses are like filthy rags anyway and will send those counting on the good things they do or sacrifices they have made to get a favourable opinion from the Judge straight to bondage, jail and ultimately death! Thank God for He is merciful and still blesses us in our ignorance. He is Abba, Father, not a demanding Master that is just waiting to let the devil have a go at us when we mess things up as some leaders make Him out to be.

Once you accept your guilt and start explaining to the Judge why you sinned and how you can make amends and how you will do your best to be good next time and keep the Ten Commamdments, you reject the price that our Lord Jesus paid to set you free. You become your own advocate and reject Christ as your Advocate! This is why many believers still suffer symptoms of the curse that Christ has delivered us from. Christ has become of no effect in their lives as it is written in Galatians 5:4 -

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

Believers, we have been blessed to be able to stand boldly in the day of judgment (this is not the Judgment Day when books will be opened but any day that the devil levels accusations against us/reminds us of our guilt and demands that we be punished according to the law) because God's love has been perfected among us in making us as Christ is in this world, as it is written in 1 John 4:17-

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world."

When the accusations and thoughts (fiery darts) come, say out loud "I am the righteousness of God in Christ." Confess 2 Corinthians 5:21 out loud - "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Meditate on these verses and others that the Holy Spirit leads you to- mutter them under your breath and say them out loud. Remember Romans 10:10 - "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Believers, no one can bring a charge against you, God's elect, because you are like Christ here on earth!

Remember that you are not under law but under grace. Remember that in Christ, God has made you righteous apart from your works. When those thoughts about what a sorry excuse for a christian you are come knocking, bring them ALL into captivity to the obedience of Christ by confessing scripture that says you are righteous, from thinking bad thoughts about your pastor to thinking about the times that you lied about your location and thinking that your 'comeuppance cometh' for that bad thing you've done....and worse. This is the devil subtly trying to remove you from your position of no condemnation in Christ to a position of condemnation so the curse of the law can be activated in your life, just the way he did with Eve, making her feel she needed to do more to be like God when she was made in his likeness. Remember, as Christ is, so are we in this world.

Christ's obedience made us righteous, not our works. His righteousness is a gift (Romans 5:7)

But God's grace is not a license to sin. It teaches us to forsake sin. It transforms us to live right. Grace is the Teacher, not man, according to Titus 2. 

Pastors and leaders, unveil our Heavenly Father’s Grace and Truth (embodied in our Lord Jesus Christ) and not the Ten Commandments again, which kill.

Believers, as we continue to behold as in a mirror the Lord's glory (see His wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and His redemption of us in ourselves), His Spirit is transforming us to the image of His glory, from glory to glory. We cannot continue in sin! With Christ, we don't give to get; we get to give! The thoughts of the Holy Spirit become our action.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.