It's the moment when our healing manifests and the symptoms of sickness finally disappear. It's the moment when Satan's attack against our finances or our family is defeated and the breakthrough comes at last.
What do you do when that moment comes?
I'll tell you what many Christians do. They kick up their heels in celebration. Then, breathing a sigh of relief, they put away their Bible, turn on the television and say, "Thank heavens, that battle's over! Now I can relax for awhile."
That's a big mistake.
You see, while they're taking a spiritual vacation, Satan is planning his counter-attack, plotting to snatch another victory from under their very nose. All too often, he is successful.
I first began to notice the effectiveness of such counter-attacks years ago. An acquaintance of mine who had been studying a well-known healing evangelist came to me and said, "I believe the Lord has taken His hand off of Brother So-and-So."
"Really?" I asked in surprise, "What on earth would make you think such a thing ? After all, you've been to his meetings. You've verified the healings and miracles yourself. They're valid aren't they ?"
"Oh, yes," the fellow answered. "People are truly healed in his meetings. The problem is, when I follow up with them later, I find that many of them aren't healed anymore."
Although I couldn't agree with the man's conclusion (it was quite obvious God had not taken His hand off this evangelist), I knew something was going wrong. So, I began to pray about it and the Lord showed me what was happening.
The people would come to this minister's meetings. They would hear the Word of God and experience His manifested presence. In that atmosphere of faith, it was easy for them to receive their healing.
But when they left the meeting, they didn't take that atmosphere of faith with them. Instead, they stepped back into the same old unbelieving life-style that had made them vulnerable to sickness in the first place. So, when the devil launched his counter-attack and visited them with a few symptoms, these people just yielded to him. They said, "Oh my, I thought I was healed of that, but I guess I wasn't."
No More Surprises!
"What's wrong with that?" you ask. "The pain had returned! The symptoms were back! What else could they say?"
I'll tell you what they could have said: -----"Look here, devil. According to the Word of God, I am healed by the stripes of Jesus. I received that healing on November 12, 1994, at Brother So-and-So's meeting and I don't intend to let you steal that healing from me. So pack up your symptoms and get out of here!"
If those people had spoken words like that in faith and refused to give in to the devil, they could have kept their healing and defeated the counter-attack. They could have experienced first-hand the truth of James 4:7, "Resist the devil, and he WILL flee from you."
The very idea of having to resist the devil takes some believers by surprise. They seem to think that if a healing or deliverance is really from God, they should be able to waltz along through life without lifting so much as a spiritual finger to keep it.
But think for a moment. Why would God command us to resist the devil if he wasn't planning to bother us? Why would God tell us to ....."leave no foot-hold for the devil." (Ephesians 4:27---The Amplified Bible) unless He knew the devil would try to force his way back into our lives ?
He wouldn't! So heed God's warning. Stop being surprised by these counter-attacks and start being prepared for them. Lay foundations of faith in your life so when the devil comes like an old wind-bag and blows some lies, pains, and adverse circumstances your way, your victory will not come tumbling down.
When I say foundations of faith, what I'm actually refering to are three basic decisions that must be made by any believer who wants not only to win, but to maintain the victories in their life. They must be quality decisions, settled before God, about which there is no debate and from which there is no turning back.
Decision Number One
Make the decision to put the Word first place in your life. Treat it as the final authority. Determine in advance to believe that you are who the Word says you are, and you can do what the Word says you can do.
If you see in the Word of God that you have overcome the devil....."because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world," (1John 4:4), then believe it. You may not feel like an overcomer, and circumstantially, you may not look like an overcomer, your doctor and your lawyer may not tell you you're an overcomer, but none of those are the final authority. The Word of God is the only final authority !
Decision Number Two
Decide to live your life by faith. Notice I didn't say, decide to give it a try. Hebrews 10:38 doesn't mention anything about the just trying to live by faith. It says, "The just shall live by faith."
Some people are reluctant to make that decision because they're afraid they won't have enough faith to get them through every situation. But there's really no need for fear. After all, getting faith isn't the problem. You already have it inside your spirit now if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Releasing it isn't difficult either. It simply comes by "hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17).
So make a commitment to spend time in the Word every day. Read it. Study it. Meditate it. Listen to it being preached in meetings and on tape. Then make up your mind to practice that Word, not just occasionally, but day-in and day-out. Resolve to act like it is true all the time.
Decision Number Three
Decide to live by the love of God. Permanently lay down your right to be offended, unforgiving, or unloving in any way. That doesn't mean, of course, you'll never make a mistake and walk out of love. It simply means you've decided in advance that when you do, you'll repent immediately and make the situation right.
Remember, Galatians 5:6 tells us that "FAITH......worketh by love." So don't try to make the other two decisions without making this one, they all work together. After all, "Love one another as He gave us commandment" is not a suggestion-----It is God's command !
Find The Promise
With these decisions in place, you've established a foundation of faith in your life. But the questions still remain: What do you do when trouble strikes? Exactly what steps do you take to gain (or retain) your victory?
The first thing you do when you're facing a faith challenge is to go to the Word and find the promise of God that covers your particular situation. You can be sure there is such a promise because 2Peter1:3-4 assures us that: "According to His divine power, God has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might (would) be partakers (partners) of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
Finding the promise of God makes faith easy. It's easy to believe someone will do something for you if they've already said they would-----especially if you have confidence in the integrity of that person.
Think about it this way. If you were going to city hall to talk to the head of the water department about a problem in the water line in front of your house, you wouldn't just go kick his door down and fall on the floor crying and begging him to fix your problem. No, if you were smart, before you ever walked into his office you'd do some research and find out what has already been said about your situation. You'd read the promises and covenants of the city so you'd know what you could rightfully expect them to do for you.
Do the same thing in the realm of the spirit. Don't just throw yourself in front of God's throne of grace and start crying and begging Him to help you. Dig into your Bible. Search out what God has promised you concerning this matter. Then you can go boldly before the throne of grace and receive help in your time of need.
Focus On The Answer
Once you've found the promise that covers your situation and settled it in your heart, focus your attention on it. Keep it in the front of your thinking. Don't spend your time looking at the problem and listening to the negative words of those around you. Instead, fix your mind on God's Word. Proverbs 4:20-22 says it this way:
"My son, attend to My Words; incline thine ear unto My sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh."
My children proved the power of this principle years ago when they were very young. They came to me and told me they wanted a boat so we could go out on the lake as a family and have some time to ourselves. "That sounds great to me," I said. "But your mother and I will not use our faith for it. You kids will have to get it by using your own faith."
So, off they went. They opened the Bible and found promises that applied to them. (John was too young to read. He just listened and agreed). Then they wrote out an agreement, signed it and taped it to the refrigerator door. From that day forward, every time they walked past the refrigerator they would slap that agreement and say, "Thank God it is done !" In other words, they kept it constantly before their eyes and in their heart.
Every once and a while, John would get mad at Kelly and I'd say, "Son, you'd better watch out. You can't operate in faith without operating in love. And it will take faith to get that boat."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" He'd say. "I repent! I repent!"
To make a long story short, 10 days later, a fellow called me and gave me a fishing boat. Then, the next day another fellow called and gave me a light cabin cruiser.
Why two boats? That's the question I asked the Lord. He said, "Go read their agreement." Those kids had agreed on "The perfect boat." To them that meant a boat we could use to fish, water ski and carry the entire family. It took two boats to fill the bill !
From Your Need To His Provision
The third operating principle of faith is to go to God on the basis of His provision-----not on the basis of your need. I learned to do this years ago in the area of healing. I don't ever go to God, tell Him how sick I am and ask for healing.
Isaiah 53:5 assures me that Jesus already provided healing for me on the cross. So I say, "I am thanking You, Lord for providing healing for me. By faith I receive that provison now, in Jesus' Name. I set myself in agreement with Your Word which says, "By His stripes I was healed."(See 1 Peter 2:24).
Remember this: If you continue to rehearse your need, you will be so need-minded that it will stunt your faith and you won't be able to receive God's supply. But if you continue to rehearse God's promise, you'll become so answer-minded that it will be the most natural thing in the world to simply reach out by faith and receive His provision.
Talk To The Mountain
Your fourth step of faith is: Speak TO the problem. Notice, I didn't say talk to God ABOUT the problem, I said speak TO the problem itself.
Why should we do such a strange thing? Jesus told us to do it, that's why. In Mark 11:22-23 He said: "Have faith in God (literally: have the faith of God). For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say to this mountan, 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."
Romans 4:17 refers to such faith talking as calling "Things which be not as though they were," and both God Himself and Abraham (the father of our faith) did it.
It's important to note that calling things that be not as thou they were is quite different from calling things that are as though they are not. When I declare that my needs are met according to God's riches in glory, I am not denying the existance of any financial problems I might be experiencing. I'm not pretending they aren't there. I am calling forth the provision and declaring by faith that those needs are met. I am speaking to that financial mountain and commanding it to be removed and cast into the sea.
I remember one Sunday morning in particular many years ago when I had to speak to a mountain of sickness that was trying to prevent me from preaching. I was so sick that as I stood behind the pulpit and started to read the Word, I began to pass out.
Now, I had already gone to God earlier that morning on the basis of His provision and by faith believed I received my healing. The problem was, the manifestation had not yet come. So, I told the congregation I would be right back, went to another room and started speaking to that mountain.
I ranted and raved and jumped all over the devil. I told him that I was healed by the stripes of Jesus. I told him his power over me had been destroyed and I commanded him in Jesus' name to get his filthy hand of sickness off me. When I walked out of that room, I didn't feel any better physically, but I knew I'd done what the Word instructed me to do so I went right back and started preaching and healing.
At first my voice sounded bad. My body ached from my toenails to my hair. But as I was preaching, suddenly the power of God hit me, healed me and gave me so much strength I was able to preach all morning long ! We are not the sick trying to get healed. We are the healed and the devil is trying to take our health away from us.
Praise! Praise! Praise!
Your fifth and final step of faith is to praise God. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night. Don't wait until your circumstances change, start praising Him in the midst of them.
There's power in praise. If you doubt it, just read Psalms 8:1-2; "Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth ! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." (New International Version).
Praise shuts the devil's mouth. So put it to work. Praise God that the mountain is gone even while it's still standing there. Praise Him for setting you free. Praise Him for the blood of Jesus that paid the price for your sin and delivered you from every curse. Shout your way to work every morning and shout your way home every night.
30 Years Of Victory!
There you have it, three decisions and five steps of faith. If you'll use them, the devil won't have a chance against you. You'll be able to triumph over every attack and counter-attack.
I know you will because it's these fundamentals of faith that Gloria and I first learned many years ago. Since then we've faced many a crisis and countless opportunities for failure, but every time we've been diligent to apply these truths, God has brought us out on top.
Over the years He has deepened our understanding, of course, and helped us develop in our relationship with Him. But even so, in the toughest battles, the Holy Spirit always brings us back to the basics He taught us when we first began. He always reminds us of those simple steps that for 30 years have helped us gain victory in our lives.
