Why We Need To Pray More Than Ever Before-Part 2

2 Timothy 3:1-8 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Since the attack against the home, at its root, is a spiritual attack, the key question we each must ask ourselves as parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles is this: "How can I develop a strong spiritual foundation for a godly family?" In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gave a teaching about the "strong man" who comes to attack a house. In this parable we find two important principles for establishing a godly home—indisputable principles upon which you can stake your family life. Just prior to this teaching, Jesus had healed a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and mute. The man not only was delivered from Satan's power, but immediately he could both speak and see. The amazed multitudes began to ask, "Could this be the Son of David?"
To squelch any though that Jesus might be the Messiah, a group of Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. Here is what Jesus said in reply to their accusation:

Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” (Matthew 12:25-29)

 Jesus made these two points very clear in His response to the Pharisees: 1. Division brings about destruction.
2. God is greater than any satanic power.

(1) Division Brings Desolation!

Jesus said, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand" (Matthew 12:25).
We see that principle at work all around us. If a church becomes divided—some of the people holding one opinion, some another—the church will become splintered or "split," and if that breach continues, grows, and is not healed, the church may eventually disintegrate and disband. The division initially may not be over anything that is all that earthshaking. It's not the reason for the division that brings about the desolation; rather, it is the fact that the people have allowed themselves to become divided.

The same thing happens in the home. If a husband and wife or a parent and child become divided, the home as a whole will feel that division, and it will be fractured, weakened, and ultimately may experience a "split," even to the point of separation, estrangement and alienation, and perhaps divorce or the "disowning" of a child by a parent or a parent by a child. ''

The most potent means of destroying any organization, institution, or entity is internal strife or internal conflict. An undivided, unified family, church, or other institution of society can withstand virtually any external onslaught. But an internal conflict brings about distrust, division, and disintegration.

Jesus said, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" (Matthew 12:26). In other words, Jesus argued, "If you are accusing me of doing miracles by Satan, then Satan is actually working against himself—he is put into a position of both healing and destroying. That simply isn't possible."

The division we experience usually begins as an "inner conflict" or a "divided mind." A person begins to hold a thought, feeling, or opinion that is contrary to God's absolute commandments or desires. The exact opposite of this state is to be "one in the Spirit," to hold fast to the central truth of God's Word and the what God desires for us to do, say, and be. The godhead-—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is our great example of unity. Jesus never did anything that was not something He first "saw" His heavenly Father do. The Spirit flows from the Father and the Son in complete harmony. In like manner, we are called to discern the will of God and then do it. As we each come to a full understanding of God's will, we can experience unity in the Spirit. We may still have differences of personality and style, but our choices regarding behavior and the commitment of our will are to be rooted in God's absolutes.

Hosea 10:2-4 “Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars. For now they say, "We have no king, Because we did not fear the LORD. And as for a king, what would he do for us?" They have spoken words, Swearing falsely in making a covenant. Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.”

Galatians 3:28 :There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female; for you all are one in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

Throughout the Scriptures, "division" among God's people—including a division in the home, as well as a division in belief against the law of God—is associated with negative situations and outcomes. It was when Israel became divided, northern tribes against southern tribes, that the empire built by David and Solomon collapsed. It was when the Israelites rebelled against God and became divided in their attempt to serve both God and false gods that great calamity befell them. Much of Paul's and Peter's teachings about submission is rooted in the understanding that unity and harmony are to prevail over division and disharmony.

In confronting the Pharisees, Jesus was not only saying that division brings desolation, but that Satan simply isn't capable of bringing about anything that is good. Satan's purposes against the family are always its destruction. Nothing that he does with regard to the family is for the good of the family, although many of the things that he uses as temptations may seem to be for the family's good.

For example, Satan seems to be tempting many families these days by saying, "It's important that parents spend time with their children. Since time is of such great value, it's more important that parents spend time with their children on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings than for those parents to bring their children to church." Satan's temptation is that parents spend time with their children at home rather than at church and that the net result will be of a greater good to the family.

Not so! It is the family that prays together and worships together that stays united in faith—not the family that watches cartoons together or plays tennis together on Sunday mornings. Giving into a temptation to stay away from church brings about a "division" between a family and the church as a whole.

Satan may tempt a father or mother by saying, "You could do so much more for your children and for your family as a whole if you just used the money that you now give to the church for your children instead."
Not so! Giving to God what rightfully belongs to God sends a message to children of obedience, discipline, and God-centered priorities. Those values are weakened greatly when a parent says to a child, in effect, "Your pair of designer jeans is more important than giving to the church" or "Buying you a new car is more valuable than giving to missions, which can result in the salvation of souls." The end result of such thinking is a divided mind about material and financial priorities.

The temptations of Satan always appear good in principle, but underneath, they are deadly and divisive to one's faith.

(2) God's Power Is Greater!

Jesus said to the Pharisees, "If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges" (Matthew 12:27).

A number of Jews attempted to cast out demons using of exorcism methods that had been "sanctioned" by the Pharisees. Jesus argued, "If it is casting out demons that is under here, then what about those who are casting out demons under your authority?" Jesus put them into a position of defend selves. Jesus went on, "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit surely the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matthew 12:28).

The principle is this: God has the power to cast out demons. Satan may have authority over his own demons, but he does not have absolute authority over them. In other words, Satan cannot rescue his demons from the greater power of God. Believers in Christ Jesus can cast out demons in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate authority over evil is God.

Many Christians seem confused on that point today. They seem to think that Satan's power is just as potent as God's power—only toward the negative. That is not what the Bible teaches. God's power is absolute. He is omnipotent—all-powerful. God has authority over Satan. His power cannot even be compared to Satan's power. God has allowed Satan to have a limited degree of influence on as a part of giving mankind free will. Satan has the power to tempt and to oppress. But all of Satan's power must be confined to the limits that God puts upon him.

What does this mean to us today with regard to our families? It means that when we rely upon God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, we are tapping into a power source that is greater than evil power. The Word of God against Satan in our families is stronger than the word of the devil whispered in the ears of the unsuspecting and weak. For Jesus to have healed a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and mute, Jesus had to be stronger than the powers that were holding this man in his bondage.

1 John 4:1-4 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the Spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

(3) The Greater Power of Love!

One of the greatest powers that God has given us for good is the power to love. Those who truly love--and who choose to love regardless of circumstance or situation--are powerful forces for God and for good. What we say in love brings about good things. What we do out of unconditional love brings about good situations and relationships. God honors all that we say and do when we are motivated by love for Him and love for others even if we make mistakes and err at times in how we show our love. Never be afraid to love others. Your expression of love will ultimately result in both harmony and a defeat of Satan.

It is out of genuine love for our families that we each are called to come to the position of saying: "I choose to love my family, and I will not allow us to be divided. We will come to know God and to base our lives upon His Word. We will become one in the Spirit." It is out of love that we are to combat the forces of evil that come our way, in effect declaring to the spirit realm, "I love my family to the point that I will lay down my very life if necessary to see Satan defeated in their lives."

Love must become the number-one motivating force behind our desire to have a strong family. Without love, we simply will not pay the price of denying self, which is required if we are to live in unity and harmony with one another. Without love, we will not pay the price of time, energy, and spiritual purity required to engage in spiritual warfare on one another's behalf. Every family I know can use more love-both love of God and love for one another. It is when we fail to love that we fail to desire agreement and we fail to experience victory over the enemy of our souls and our families. Our love is always to be a reflection of God's love and of God's goodness. It is out of God's goodness that He loves. It is out of God's presence within us that we have the capacity and the courage to love.  Any time we are confronted with a situation that seems to have the potential to "tear us apart," we must turn to God and say, "Let me experience more of Your love." It is love that ultimately heals division and brings about harmony in Christ.

John 15:12-13 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.”