於2019-10-12發佈


如何抵擋利維坦的詭計
How to Resist the Wiles of Leviathan
作者:Jeneen Kohler
日期:2019年9月25日
中譯/來源:24W 地極禱告站。蒙允刊載

在2019年7月22日的清晨時分,我經歷了一個先知性的夢。在這個夢裡,我走進我的“主臥室”,看到一個老人正把許多鱷魚的頭懸掛在牆壁上。這些鱷魚被動物標本製作師剝了皮,而老人正在把牠們固定在我房間的牆上,就像你對最有價值的獎盃或是珍藏的照片所做的。

我立刻告訴他,我不要這些鱷魚頭在我的房間裡,但是他告訴我,牠們都得留下。我再一次重申, “我不要這些鱷魚在我的房間裡。”然後,我就爬進了我的“國王”(King)尺寸的床上毯子(遮蓋物)裡面。接下來,這位老人也跟著我在毯子底下爬,仍然在試圖說服我要留下這些鱷魚頭。夢就這樣結束了。

利維坦

利維坦是一種邪惡執政者,牠堅持不懈地工作,為要敵擋基督的身體。牠透過毀謗、拒絕、背叛和虛假的控告來行動,且時常被描繪為蛇、龍或是鱷魚的樣子。

牠的日常工作,想當然爾,就是要偷竊、殺害、毀壞。牠試圖透過被牠壓制的受害者來完成任務。牠毀滅性的重擊以及如同尾巴般強大的後座力,甚至能迫使站立得最穩的信徒屈服,使他們在某一個時間點懷疑自己在基督耶穌裡的真實身份。

如同你們正在讀的,我自己也經歷過利維坦的憤怒。在過去十年,我遭受過許多背叛和拒絕,因著神的恩典和憐憫,我仍舊活著。然而,若我們僅是活著而已,則對利維坦是無關緊要的。


(照片來自Wikimedia Commons)

這個時候,牠還有“第二樣”的大規模毀壞武器,用來對付基督的身體。利維坦渴望藉著在我們的心黏在過去發生的每一個痛苦事件的紀念碑,像是對待最珍視的獎盃和照片那樣,在我們與主的屬靈親密上做“主人”。

當我們將更多的焦點、重要性和精力放在那些背叛、拒絕或是反對我們的人身上時,這些懸掛的獎盃和照片就變得像是偶像,高過我們屬天的身份和命定。

因著不饒恕,以及遭遇的委屈記憶的持續加增,我們便授予了利維坦有自由可以攔阻我們,使我們遠離心思的純潔和與神的親密團契。 我們必須謹記!我們並不是與屬血氣的爭戰,乃是與那些執政的、掌權的、管轄這幽暗世界的,以及天空屬靈氣的惡魔爭戰。只要利維坦能使我們定睛在人身上,我們就會忙亂疲於奔命在不屬於我們的戰役。

抵擋的訓練

要注意聽!我們已經有勝過這些黑暗邪惡權勢的確據!藉著耶穌的受死、埋葬和復活,祂為我們成就了永恆的得勝。因此,我們並不是呼召要去跟邪惡黑暗的一方作戰,而是去抵擋牠們!

“故此你們要順服神。務要抵擋魔鬼,魔鬼就必離開你們逃跑了。”(雅各書4:7,作者註記)

順服-抵擋利維坦的第一步,是把我們的生命降服於神。注意在我的夢裡,我防衛邪靈和我慘痛的過去的方式,是爬進我的國王尺寸的床上的毯子(遮蔽物)底下!我實在太愛那個了!

當我們願意將生命降服給耶穌,視祂為主,這位國王就會做我們的保護遮蓋。這就是所謂的隱密處,或是與神親密之地。在這裡我們是安全的!然而我們必須抵擋利維坦強勁的意圖,不要讓牠藉由被汙染的記憶或是過去傷痛的回憶侵入這個親密之地。

下一步,經文吩咐我們要做的就是抵擋!

抵擋- “拒絕接受或依從某事;不被某事影響的能力。”

不過,我們要如何抵擋這麼大的權勢呢?

首先,我們必須拒絕接受或依從利維坦的工作。我們必須做出有意識的決定,不再與回憶和謊言為伍。我們要做出有意識的決定,決意要放下想像以及試圖高過對神的認識的任何想法(哥林多後書10:5)。我們選擇將每一個想法都順服於基督,是非常必要的。

第二,神創造我們每一個人的身體都有著被稱為“免疫系統”的身體防衛系統。

身體透過免疫系統來防禦那些會影響身體康安的傳染性有機體和外來入侵者。當我們選擇供應免疫系統所需要且合宜的營養、維他命、蛋白質和水,讓它在最佳狀態運作時,我們的免疫系統就會為我們爭戰-抵擋並防止讓我們的身體衰弱和耗損的疾病發生。


(照片來自Max Pixel)

以大致相同的方式,神也給了我們被稱為“神的全副軍裝”(the armor of God)的屬靈免疫系統,供給我們不被侵襲的能力!

“要穿戴神所賜的全副軍裝,就能抵擋魔鬼的詭計!”(以弗所書6:11)

如同我們必須選擇吃喝所需的蛋白質、維他命、礦物質和水,好使我們身體的免疫系統有能力抵擋外來的入侵者,我們也必須選擇:

‧吃喝真理
‧把我們在基督裡的義當作食物
‧操練平安
‧高舉我們的信仰
‧宣告神的話
‧不住禱告 ‧持續保持儆醒 (以弗所書6:14-18)

要記住,我們並沒有被呼召參與一場敵人已經被擊潰的戰爭。我們是被呼召來抵擋牠。我們的責任是要“穿戴”(put on)神的全副軍裝。而且,當我們如此行的時候,它就成為我們對外面任何/所有想要在心智、身體和靈裡削弱和損耗我們的邪惡權勢的防衛。有意地來運用神的全副軍裝,將會使我們處於不被利維坦影響的位置上。

最好的防衛,就是做好充足準備的進攻。發球權在你這一方!


How to Resist the Wiles of Leviathan
Jeneen Kohler
Sep 25, 2019

In the early morning hours of July 22, 2019, I experienced a prophetic dream. In this dream, I walked into my "master bedroom" and saw an old man hanging the heads of many alligators upon the walls. These alligators had been stuffed by a taxidermist and the old man was mounting them upon the walls of my bedroom as you would for prized trophies and treasured photographs.

I immediately told him that I did not want these alligator heads in my bedroom, but he informed me that they were going to stay. Once again, I reiterated, "I do not want these alligators in my bedroom." Then I crawled under the blankets (covers) of my "King" bed. Next thing I knew, this old man had crawled under the blankets with me, still trying to convince me to allow these alligator heads to remain. The dream ended.

Leviathan

Leviathan is a demonic principality with a persistent agenda against the Body of Christ. He operates through slander, rejection, betrayal, and false accusation and is often depicted as a snake, dragon, or alligator.

His agenda, of course, is to steal, kill and destroy, and he seeks to accomplish this agenda through the oppression of his victims. His crushing blows and powerful tail-like backlash can bring even the strongest of Believers to their knees causing them to, at some point, question their true identity in Christ Jesus.

Like many of you reading this, I have experienced my share of Leviathan's wrath. I have navigated through much betrayal and rejection over the past ten years, and by the grace and mercy of God I am still alive. However, Leviathan is not concerned with our mere survival. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

There is a "second" weapon of mass destruction that he is using against the Body of Christ in this hour. Leviathan desires to "master" our spiritual intimacy by "affixing" monuments of every painful event from our past upon the walls of our hearts, like most-treasured trophies and photos.

These erected trophies and photographs become like idols when we place more focus, importance, and energy upon the people who betrayed, rejected, or spoke against us than we do our own heavenly identity and purpose.

Through unforgiveness and the ongoing recollection of wrongs committed against us, we grant Leviathan the freedom to hinder us from purity of heart and intimate fellowship with God.

We must not forget! We war not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places. As long as Leviathan can keep us focused on people, we will engage in a war we were never intended to battle.

Resistance Training

Listen! Our victory against these evil forces of darkness has already been sealed! Jesus accomplished that eternal victory for us through His death, burial, and resurrection. So, we are not called to battle the evil dark side – but to resist it!

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. RESIST the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 emphasis mine)

Submit – the first step toward resisting Leviathan is submitting our lives to God. Notice how, in the dream, my defense against this demonic spirit and my painful past was to climb under the blankets (covers) of my "King" bed! I just love that!

As we willingly submit our lives to Jesus as Lord, the King overshadows us with His protective covering. This is what's known as the secret place or the place of intimacy with God. Here we are safe! But we must resist Leviathan's strong will to enter this place of intimacy through polluting reminders and recollections of past pain.

The next thing Scripture commands us to do is resist!

Resist – "The refusal to accept or comply with something; the ability not to be affected by something."

But, how do we resist such powerful forces?

First, we must refuse to accept or comply with Leviathan's agenda. We must make a conscious decision to stop partnering with the memories and the lies. We make a conscious decision when we choose to cast down imaginations and any thought that seeks to exalt itself higher than the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). It is necessary that we choose to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Secondly, God created each of our bodies with a physical resistance system known as the "immune system."

The immune system is the body's defense against infectious organisms and outside invaders that attack the health and wellness of the body. When we choose to supply our immune systems with the proper nutrition, vitamins, protein, and water they require to operate at optimum levels, our immune systems will go to battle for us – resisting and warding off sickness and disease designed to weaken and wear us down physically. (Photo via Max Pixel)

In much the same way, God has provided us with a spiritual immune system known as "the Armor of God," which provides us with an ability to not be affected!

"Put on God's complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser!" (Ephesians 6:11)

Just as we must choose to consume the necessary protein, vitamins, minerals, and water to equip our physical immune systems in the resistance of foreign invaders, we must also choose to:

• Consume truth
• Feed upon our righteousness in Christ
• Exercise peace
• Exalt our faith
• Declare God's Word
• Pray always
• Persistently stand guard (Ephesians 6:14-18)

Remember, we are not called to engage in a war against an enemy who has already been defeated. We are called to RESIST him. It is our responsibility to "put on" the armor of God. And, when we do, it becomes our resistance to any/all outside demonic forces desiring to weaken and wear us down mentally, physically, and spiritually. The intentional application of the armor of God will position us to be unaffected by Leviathan.

The best defense is a well-prepared offense. The ball is in your court!