THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE

[DK Grooms]

Mark 13:34
for the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Today, I’d like to deal for a moment about a subject matter that for the most part is completely foreign to the Children of God. That subject is the authority we’ve been given as heirs of Christ.

There should be no question or doubt in the minds of Christians that we’re the servants referred to in this scripture portion. So we’re the ones given the authority mentioned here. As stated, authority belongs to the heirs of salvation - you and I. This authority resides within us because of the finished work of Christ through salvation. It is part and parcel of the new man, which was created in righteousness and true holiness, granted to us by God.

By stating these truths, I’m trying to impress upon you the importance of this great gift of privilege we now possess and should be enjoying victoriously as servants of Almighty God.

Therefore, as Children of God, we should be acutely aware that we are specifically targeted by the devil, who has come to steal, kill and destroy the promises given you. It is little wonder that this life we now lead in Christ can be a hostile environment indeed. Not because of the work of Christ, but because of the forces of hell that want to reduce your effectiveness as Children of God. It’s warfare, plain and simple. The devil hates you and wants to strip you of your rights as Christ’s servants. How does the devil do that; through ignorance of God’s word on our part.

Make no mistake; the devil is savvy. He’s dealt with the likes of most Christians for centuries. If he can take any of the promises of God from you, he’ll happily strip you clean and leave you an ineffective and weakened force.

Do we need to be afraid of the devil? NO! But we’d better know that we’re in a great spiritual fight and our enemy is serious about what he wants to do to us. So, we had better be just as serious and violent concerning him. We’re to understand who we truly and rightfully are in Christ, as proclaimed and believe according to God’s word.

Satan doesn’t intimidate a victorious Christian, though he continues to do battle against them. He’s after the easy prey or target, attacking them relentlessly. That’s the kind of violent warfare he likes to conduct.

If you want Satan to be ineffective in your life you’ll first need to discover who and what you are in Christ. You’ll need to see yourself as Christ sees you; which is nothing short of being completely victorious and overcoming in all things. We’re to be violent in our faith, destroying the forces and works of darkness in our world today.

Does that sound like you child of God? Well it should!

Warfare is violent, and the violent take it by force.

Those who know who they are in Christ are the true warriors of the kingdom. They are violent in what they believe and will do what’s necessary to come out on top; being victorious against the devil in all areas of their lives.

Friends, we have been handed a world that is corrupted; full of sin and deceit. In case you haven’t noticed, this system is extremely hostile and violent to everything which is pure and undefiled. If you want to keep your salvation and the promises God has given you, even in a world like this, you’ll have to fight violently to keep it. The devil wants to destroy it. The whole world continues to pollute it with their sin and rebellion. Even your friends and family are fearful, not understanding the seriousness of it all. What a mess!

You may wonder if or even how you can possibly stand out in a place like this as a Christian, but you certainly can and should. God has given you the necessary resources to do so – His word. It’s more powerful than you can ever imagine.

Example…
If you want to hold onto and claim the healing that was purchased for you some 2 thousand years ago, through the stripes that he took upon his body, then you’ll have to fight for it. You’ll need to see yourselves in the light of that promise in spite of what others may think and doctors proclaim – especially those closest to you; your family.

There is a mentality out in the world that suggests that God gave us doctors and prescription drugs to help us in maintaining our health. I see nothing in scripture to support that notion.

Everyone knows about Luke, the physician in the New Testament. Yet, there is no record of him ever being called upon to administer healing to any individual because the gift of healing through Christ failed.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. Doctors and medication do have their part, but they have never healed anyone. Christ never told anyone to take two aspirin, or see him again in a couple of days if that didn’t work out. In every case, regardless of the severity of their condition, Jesus simply spoke to their condition and they were healed completely and permanently. With the lepers, their leprosy was replaced with healthy flesh. No trace remained of the leprosy, nothing which required further treatment.

This type of healing simply doesn’t wash with most Christians today. In fact the churches are filled with sick people, who prefer their sickness over truth. Their purses are filled with prescription bottles for ever know ailment. What a tragedy!


The battle that goes on in your own heart and mind testifies to what I’m saying.

As children of God, we need to understand the authority that has been given us because we’re now the servants and heirs of Christ. What Christ’s position was, should also be our position - the violent take it by force.

There are untold millions of Christians who believe that God is able and even wants to heal. Ask any of them.
The problem is that they sit back waiting for God to do something special on their behalf. It’ll never happen.
They pray and pray, asking the Lord to move mightily and gloriously in their condition; today. They wait and wait and wait some more for the great gift to arrive, like the folks waiting at the Pool of Bethesda for the angel to trouble the waters so they can be the first ones in (ref John 5:4 KJV).

The truth is plain child of God. The miracle has already occurred; the healing has already been given – 2000 years ago – at Calvary – by his stripes. “It is finished,” Christ said.

Perhaps it could even be stated like this. “It was and is still finished, even for you today. Let faith dip into the finished work and drink its truth and be healed.”

This is important to consider…
Do you honestly think that God ever leaves anything unfinished, so that you would need to continue pleading for a fresh work from him or because you feel he might have overlooked something? Why don’t we understand what the Lord did when he went to the old rugged cross? Scripture makes it clear that his sacrifice was all encompassing and fully complete. He took upon himself all our transgressions, iniquities and diseases. By the bruising of his body and the inflicted stripes we were healed. Every disease and malady throughout all history to come was obliterated because of his stripes on that day. It’s no different than the forgiveness of sin. It was done once, and all of humanity from that point on benefits from his one time suffering.

So why aren’t you healed? Simple – you don’t believe it! You had no problem believing for salvation through the forgiveness of sin, but you won’t believe for healing, prosperity, or deliverance. And that’s a real tragedy.

As rightful heirs, having been adopted into the household of faith by his blood, we now have power as his servants. The power Christ has given us is to tread on serpents, to heal the sick, cast out demons and to raise the dead.

It is now up to us to exercise that power. We have to use force in a world that is hostile towards those gifts given us because of Calvary. The position we should enjoy as servants of the Most High God is undermined by unbelief – your unbelief.

When I speak of force, I am not talking about the kind of force normally associated with human warfare, when waging a campaign against flesh and blood. I’m talking about a greater force than the world knows about; a mighty force against demonic powers. This warfare is a spiritual fight against the principalities and powers of darkness, and we’re to be violent about it.

Take your own body as an example. Often we can believe for the healing of others but feel helpless when it comes to our own body. We’re to rise up in spiritual strength and defeat the lies of Satan. I’m talking about your own body lining up to the very Word of God.

Example…
Police have complete jurisdiction over any law breaker. The police control all situations, using force as required, remedying any potential or real problems as they are encountered.

The authority that I’m referring to is the same authority that any policeman has over criminals, only spiritually. Satan is a criminal. He has transgressed and rebelled against the ultimate and supreme law of God – his word.

Satan speaks to me of death when as a child of God I have been given life and that more abundantly (John 10:10 KJV). He talks to me of sickness when I’ve been clearly told by God’s word I’m now healed because of the stripes of Christ (Is 53:5 KJV). Then he’ll tell me I’m defeated when scripture tells me I am victorious by my faith (I John 5:4 KJV).

Satan is a criminal, a transgressor of the law. He is in rebellion to the word of the highest authority, God himself.

As long as you remain passive and don’t exercise your God given authority, when confronted by this violator, allowing him to exercise his deceit and profess lies against you, he has every right to take what belongs to you.

But if you do understand who you are and that you are a joint heir with Christ; resisting and being violent in faith against the devil, he will flee from you. In all matters.

This verses of scripture tells you the authority of the believer…
Mark 11:22-24
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
KJV

So, as you can see, this scripture specifically tells us that the “whosoever” mentioned here is the believing Christian. If that believing Christian shall say unto this mountain, or his/ her problem(s), “be removed and be cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe those things which he says, he shall have whatsoever he says.

Are you paying close attention to the emphasis that the Lord is placing on what you say?

How important are our words…?
James 3:1-2
my brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
for in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

James tells us just how important our words really are.
This scripture admonishes us not to try and master everything, or to be experts in everything. We’re to be consistent with the words we speak. In other words, making sure whatever you say lines up correctly with the Word of God in all things.

Here’s how it works…
If you speak your words long enough (life or death) and these words are consistent, then there’s a time coming when your actions will follow the very words that you speak.

Words of life… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I’m an over-comer by the words of my testimony. I shall live and not die, that I might proclaim the goodness of God. I am healed because of the stripes of Christ. I am victorious in all things. I am a joint heir with Christ, seated with him I heavenly places, with everything under my feet. I am above only. I am the head and not the tail.

Words of death…
I’ll never amount to anything. I’m a loser. Nobody loves me. I don’t have any skills or talents that God can use. God doesn’t really love me. God will never forgive me because of the terrible sins I’ve committed. I’m satisfied being poor and underprivileged. God wants me to suffer. God gave me this disease to keep me humble. God punishes me and hates me whenever I step out of line. God never hears my prayers. God loves others more than me.

Sound familiar? Where do you fit in?

Though I certainly don’t believe in earthly evolution, as some would profess, I do believe in spiritual evolution. We may start out at the bottom, but we certainly don’t have to remain there. We can grow and mature in the light of his word. We can go from stinking thinking to right thinking. We can become a mighty force for God against all evil here in the earth. We can destroy the works of the devil at every turn. We can bring glory to God by fulfilling our rightful place as joint heirs with Christ.

1) Start thinking and believing the right things.
2) Get to where you say the right things; professing the truths according to scripture.
In a short time your mind, body and attitude will get you to the place where you’ll do and believe the right things.

Your emphasis ought to be on the words that you speak. This scripture helps you to understand how dangerous the tongue can be if not properly used. It can bring death or it can bring life. Your words are the key to who you are and what you will become. Words are vital. Be careful how you use them.

James 3:3-4
behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

James tells us a great truth. A bit in the mouth of a 1000# horse controls his entire body. That horse goes to right or to the left according to the one who controls the reins.

A rudder, though small and seemingly insignificant and undetected, controls the direction of that ship no matter how great it might be.

Your tongue…
1) Your tongue controls the direction that your body goes. It’s the bit in your mouth.
2) Your tongue speaks either life to your body or it speaks death to your body.
3) Your tongue speaks either life to those around you or it speaks death to those around you.
4) Your tongue is the vessel by which all authority is spoken.

Christians are constantly calling out to God about their multitudes of problems, but it’s of no use.

Please listen as I tell you something vitally important…
You don’t need to talk to God about your problems. You need to start talking to your problems about God and what he has already done concerning the problems

What do I do personally?
1) I speak directly to my problems.
2) I speak to the condition of my body.
3) I speak to those things that come against me, whenever they come against me.
4) I speak directly to the devil.
5) I speak to the winds and waves that desire to overflow me.
6) I speak because I have the authority and platform to speak.

The outcome is predictable. Whatsoever I speak; when I pray; in faith; believing that which I’m speaking, I shall have it.

If I have pain, then I speak to that specific pain and I command the pain to leave my body. Whenever there are other problems in my body I speak to my body, taking rightful authority over it. I command it to respond to the truths of scripture and the promises of God… “To all who would believe”, and my body responds. Period! It’s the authority I know I have as a legitimate child of God and heir of the kingdom.

This authority didn’t just drop on me one day, out of the clear blue sky, as some might think, nor am I better than any of you. I had to learn and apply these truths as they became clear to me through the study of scripture, as revealed by the Holy Spirit. You can learn and apply these same truths as I have and then enjoy the fruit of your faith.

If the Word of God says you’re healed and your body rises up to defy the Living God with a lie, saying you are not healed, then you are obligated to cut the head off of this uncircumcised Philistine so he can no longer speak.

Your profession of faith should be as follows…
Because of his stripes I know I am healed and have the authority to speak to my condition which is trying to exalt itself above the knowledge of God - then cast it down.

God has given you and I authority to release his power, so that we can be healed in the name of the Jesus. The way that his power is released is through the words that you speak.

In Closing…

Remember, Memorize and Repeat…
You can either speak forth life, according to his words or you can speak forth death, according to how you feel.

You cannot believe for healing while talking sickness. You cannot believe in victory while speaking things of defeat.

There is great power in the words that you speak - life and death. Your words affect you. Therefore, speak life.

The Authority of The Servant and the violent take it by force.