“⁷ Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

¹⁰ I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:7-10

We have all heard well-meaning Christians say “The Lord knows my heart…”.  Please understand, the Scripture says our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked and indeed, the Lord does know this sad fact.  It is us, professing Christians, who do not realize how evil and deceitful our heart is truly.

Satan’s weapon is deceit and his playground the church.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:”  1 Peter 5:8

The Holy Spirit through Peter warned us of the wiles of the devil.  He does not come dressed in a red cape with horns but as an angel of light.

“¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Beware of rebellion that manifests in the prideful heart and don’t ever believe sincere ignorance is accepted by the Lord as repentance.

“²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for sins,

²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27

The willful sin of the Believer is when our hearts turn away from God and HIS plan for victory, namely Jesus Christ and HIS redeeming work on Calvary’s Cross that broke the power of sin for the Saint.   This is the “why” of the “what” that we do.  For example, religion will begin lifting up humanistic psychology to the congregation.  Just for the record, this is rampant in the modern church but it is wrapped in another gospel and another Jesus and sadly most Christians don’t recognize the difference.  We, as sincere Christians who love the Lord, incline our ear to these “ministers of righteousness” and our faith is deceitfully transferred from Jesus and His finished work for victory in our daily living to another means or another method…man’s method.  Our hope is no longer in the Lord but in our part of victory.

Again, this is the “what” of the “why” we do what we do; the willful sin of the Believer after we received the knowledge of the Truth.  This is the deceitfulness of the heart; the wickedness of the heart.  The “what” we do, that we so often repent of, or at least we should be repenting of, is the result of the “why”.  Our sin nature begins to have dominion over us once again and those curse words start slipping out again, that anger starts rising up, covetous begins to abound, so on and so forth…you get the picture.  These are the things we see and know as sin and hopefully repent.  However, until we understand why sin has reappeared in our life, because of the deceitfulness of our heart, we will continually repent but will never be delivered.  Our struggle will continue and our victory declined.  Mind you, the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death when our faith is in these other methods (Romans 8:2).

“¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and deliveres them out of all their troubles.

¹⁸ The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:16-18

We must beware of our own heart, it is deceitful and consider the fruit of our doings.

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹⁵ Having abolished in His Flesh the enmity, even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain (Jews and Gentiles) one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶ And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” Ephesians 2:15-16

God cannot give victories to fallen man.  The modern church is constantly speaking of victory and giving worldly methods to achieve such victory making them, the church, more acceptable to the world.  Let me be clear, when the church is accepted by the world, there is something gravely wrong with the church.

In His Flesh, Jesus abolished the opposition between our sinful flesh and the Mosaic Law so that we may be reconciled unto God.  It is by His Cross and His Cross alone that we are made one body and God is our God and we are His Children.  The Holy Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are a Child of God (Romans 8:16).

When we begin picking up worldly methods for our victory, we are rejecting God’s prescribed order and picking up another gospel.  God’s plan for our Salvation and Sanctification is by the Cross of Christ.  Jesus is the Source and His Cross the means by which our victory is given.  When we turn to 40 days of purpose or 21 days of fasting to obtain this victory, no matter how Scriptural it may sound, we are not following God’s prescribed order which is faith in HIS Sacrificial Lamb Who atoned for and broke the power of EVERY sin…not some but every.  Sin shall no longer have dominion over us.  We are free from the law of sin and death when our faith is properly anchored in Jesus Christ for not only our Salvation but our day to day living.

Allow me to say it again, God cannot give victories to fallen man.  Somebody said “I’m not fallen, I’m saved.”  Yes, if you are a born again Child of God, amen – you are in fact justified.  Praise the Lord!  However, when we step out of God’s plan for our victory, which is faith in the Cross of Christ for dominion over sin, we are seeking another method to be a “new creation in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) which God will not honor.

Sadly, when we speak of repentance so many repent of their acts of sin… and rightfuly so. However, they don’t realize or understand that it is their rebellion against God and His prescribed order for our victory (faith in the Cross of Christ) that continues to allow these acts of sin to occur.  In other words, all too often we repent of what we did but are blind to why we did what we did.

If we are oppressed, depressed, obsessed or what ever our particular bondage might be, we must seek to understand WHY this victory is not ours.   We often repent of what we do but don’t understand why we do.  At some point rebellion against God’s prescribed order for the victory you seek has occured.  Faith was transferred from the proper object, the finished work of Jesus Christ, to another method to overcome.  This method is and was readily accepted by the world but rejected by God.

God will only give the victory to His Son, Jesus Christ.  Our victory was purchased with His Blood. We must decide daily in Whom we will believe.  As for me, I know in Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him (2 Timothy 1:12).

Are you persuaded?

-Donna Clark Warren

“For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, ‘even’ our faith.” 1 John 5:4

In the KJV you will find some words italicized.  These words were added by the editors to help clarify the meaning.  Just to be clear, the KJV is a word for word translation of the Word of God, while others are a thought for thought. Furthermore, it was not translated by theologians.  In other words, they did not put their theological slant on the Scripture, like many other translations we will find.  For me, KJV is my go to Bible.  It has not been filtered through various theologians and is a word for word, not a thought for thought translation.

I said all of that to say this, in 1 John 5:4, you will notice the word “even” is italicized.  That word was in fact added by the editors in an attempt to clarify. Please look at your own KJV to confirm.  So the original text read as follows:

“For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.” 1 John 5:4.

This I want you to know, our faith does not bring the victory….it IS the victory.

“⁶ For I (Apostle Paul) am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

⁷ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Simple faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty of sin for the sinner and break the power of sin for the Saint is NOT easy “believism”. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to isolate the Believer’s sin nature and free us from the law of sin and death when our faith is placed solely and exclusively in the finished work of Jesus (Romans 8:2).  Our carnal mind is at enmity with this Truth (Romans 8:7) and man made rules (laws) constantly appeal to our flesh to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.

The good fight of faith is the only fight the Believer is called to fight…faith in Jesus Christ, Who HE is and what He has done for whosoever will believe.  For the overcomer, faith IS the victory.  Faith does not bring the victory for the overcomer but, again, it IS the victory.

To be the overcomer so many taunt behind the pulpit, we must not deny ourselves, our self effort and self will, and FIGHT the good fight of faith. Be determined to know NOTHING else among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  The daily battle is appropriating our faith in Jesus and His work, not faith in our abilities.

“¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸ For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-18.

The Cross of Christ is the power of God unto us who are saved.

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter.

¹⁷ If it be so, our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

¹⁸ But if not, be it known unto you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.” Exodus 21:16-18

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not worried about answering King Nebuchadnezzar.  They knew if it be God’s Will to deliver them from the fiery furnace, they would be delivered out of King Nebuchadnezzar’s hand.  Their treasures were indeed laid up in Heaven (Matthew 6:20).

For the Child of God who is in the Will of God, we need not be careful to answer for anything.  No matter the trials and tribulations, our God will deliver us until our work on earth is done and He calls us home.  We, as Believers, can hinder this work when we step outside of God’s Will and seek other methods for victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.  Be not deceived by religious ceremonies, traditions and distractions aimed to get you out of the perfect Will of God.  Such methods will appeal to our intellect and exalt our self righteousness but they have nothing to do with God’s Plan for our victory.  Simply stated, God’s Plan for the Believer to have victory in all that they do (mind you , they are IN the Will of God), no matter the trials and tribulations, is FAITH in the atoning work of Jesus Christ which give us dominion over sin (Romans 6:14).

Somebody said, “Well, I don’t have a problem with sin”.  I’m here to tell you yes…yes you do; as do I and everyone else this side of Glory.  Sin is in this world because of Adam’s original fall.  Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for the sinner and break the power of sin for the Believer.  He was Resurrected 3 days later which proves that every sin was paid in full. Knowing Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe, there is no doubt as to His Resurrection.  Unless our faith is placed solely and exclusively in the atoning work of Jesus Christ for our dominion over sin, the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to isolate our sin nature and it will reign and rule in the heart of a Believer.  This IS the deceit of the devil to get us busy doing religious works and direct our faith in our doings for holiness and righteousness, thus getting us out of the perfect Will of God.

“⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

⁵ Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

Seek the perfect Will of God and be careful for nothing!  Do not hinder the provision God has set forth for each and every person by chasing religion or religious man…chase the One Who called you out by name, the One in Whom cleansed us because He loves us – Jesus Christ. Be determine to know nothing else among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹⁹ For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.

²¹ I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Galatians 2:19-21

Through the Law we are dead to the Law.  Jesus perfectly kept the Law and in Him, having died with Christ to the Law, we are able to live unto God.  Before Salvation, the sinner cannot willingly submit to God.  Sinners may in fact do good things, remember it was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that Eve did eat, but this does not mean they are born again.  I am convinced that the majority of Christians would have the modern church do nothing but labor and toil in the world to make the world a better place with no regards to doctrine.  In other words, many judge the church by their good works and not their sound doctrine.

Sound doctrine, the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will cause a change in our lives.  This circumcision made without hands by the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who HE is and what HE has done to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life, effectively causes old things to pass away and all things to become new.  This is not just an old adage…this is Truth according to the Word of God of which myself and scores of other can testify.

Our sin nature, which we are all born with due to Adam’s fall, is isolated as we look unto Jesus for our Salvation and our victory over sin (Romans 6:14). Through our faith in Jesus and His redeeming work the Holy Spirit is able to do what He is commissioned to do in the hearts of every Believer, free us from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).  When other methods are given to overcome sin, the Saints remain bound and their faith destroyed, which is satan’s sole purpose. These various methods are laws rewrapped and presented by satan’s synagogues to deceive the Believer.  That is satan’s job.  He has come to kill, steal and destroy. To deny this truth is to deny Scripture.

“I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou are rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” Revelation 2:9

Sadly there are many in the modern churches which say they are Christians but are the synagogue of satan.  You will know them by their fruit, not their good works. They are covered by religious fig leaves but their fruit is rotten.  They may do many good works but Jesus will profess to them He never knew them (Matthew 7:23).

“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men:” Isaiah 29:13

The backsliding begins when we frustrate the Grace of God and learn to fear the Lord through precepts of men. Our sin nature awakens to these laws and precepts and WE unknowingly dethrone the Holy Spirit from doing His mighty work in our hearts and lives when we turn back to law.

Beware of the tares that are sowed among the wheat.  Don’t let the thorns choke the seed that was planted among you.

“⁷ And some (seeds) fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

⁸ But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

⁹ Who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  Matthew 13:7-9

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report?

¹⁷So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  Romans 10:17

It is the ear, not the mind, that is the organ of response.  Not all have ears to hear. When we seek the Lord to hear our prayers, we are not telling him something He already knows about our situation but we are beseeching Him to respond and to answer our prayers.

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7

The modern church which has embraced modern psychology appeals to the mind’s intellectual response.  The hearing of the Word of God is merely to take in information but the response is to another gospel.  A gospel that requires an intellectual response from the carnal mind.

“¹¹ He (Jesus) answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given.

¹² For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.

¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive:

¹⁵ For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” Matthew 11-16.

Blessed are the ears that hear…the ears that respond to the Word of God without dissecting through their carnal mind.  Many vain philosophies have been birthed from the vanities of man’s mind resulting in deafness and blindness among us. Hearing the Word of God requires an appropriate response which is faith and obedience.  Otherwise, we are hearing but hear not when we receive the information from the Word of God but do not respond.  Sadly though, when we hear other information other than the Word of God, is when we actually respond. Responding to harbingers, shemitahs, purpose driven life, feasts, ceremonies, etc., is NOT hearing the Word of God…hearing we hear not.  We are taking in information from the Word of God but responding to the other methods for holiness and righteousness and are deceived.  The result is self righteousness and deaf ears.

“To whom shall I (God) speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.” Jeremiah 6:10

Recognize your delight and what it is that causes you to respond. Do you respond by hearing the Word of God to the Word of God?  The Word of God is alive and can therefore never be exhausted.  Jesus Christ is Alive.  He sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God looking to and fro to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward HIM…those who respond to HIS Word, not methods of man.

Jesus Christ has made a way for whosoever will believe to have life and life more abundantly.  He did not leave us here on this earth to wonder blind and deaf.  We must seek Him for Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for the sinner and break the power of sin for the Saint, and we seek Him through HIS Word…not methods from the vanities of man’s carnal mind.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the Church.  Be determined to know nothing else among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren

“²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till He come.

²⁷ Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

²⁹ For he that eat and drink unworthily, eat and drink damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

³⁰ For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” 1 Corinthians 11:26-30

Most Believers are familiar with the church ordinance of communion. Communion is taken as a memorial of the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Just to be sure, communion is NOT the same as what the Roman Catholics refer to as transubstantiation.  Transubstantiation is the false belief that once the bread and wine (alcohol) is blessed by the priest it is literally turned in to the Body and Blood of Jesus and is then offered to the congregation as a “re-sacrifice” for sin. The Blood and Body of Jesus Christ does not need to be offered up ever again for the redemption of sin.  Jesus Christ is now sitting at the Right Hand of the Throne of God and His Sacrifice was and is complete.  When Jesus Christ said “It is finished”, He did not lie…it is indeed finished, there is no “re-offering” necessary to atone for sin.

For the Believer, communion is in remembrance of the atoning work of Jesus Christ for whosoever will believe.  It is a time when we reflect on our contribution to the death of Jesus and recognize the penalty paid on our behalf by Christ, rather than the benefits afforded. Partaking in communion does not itself atone for sin but puts us in remembrance of the Atonement already made on our behalf.

Regrettably many are weak and sickly among us because they have not discerned the Lord’s Body.  As we often stand with the congregation to partake in communion and examine ourselves, we do not recognize the two fold purpose of the Sacrifice of Jesus for us, the Believer.  Jesus came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe.  However, Jesus also came to die on Calvary’s Cross to give us dominion over sin.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under Grace.” Romans 6:14.

Unknowingly many are looking to other methods for dominion over sin and they are not discerning the Lord’s Body correctly.  The idea here is NOT to exclude any Believer from partaking in communion.  God forbid no!  However, it is to encourage the Believer to examine themselves and discern from where their dominion over sin has come.  What part was played for that victory and by whom?  Was it our faith in Jesus’ atoning work which allows the Holy Spirit to isolate our sin nature and in turn gives us dominion over sin?  Or was it our part in saying “no” to sin?  Just to be clear, we cannot “just say no” to sin unless we are submitted to God.  This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Believer that will free us from the law of sin and death when our faith is properly placed in the finished work of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:2).

Spiritual adultery, the marriage of the Believer to Christ for Salvation but attending to another way for Sanctification (dominion over sin), will be accounted for regardless of whether we partake in communion or not.  However, prayerfully consider and ask the Lord next time you stand at the communion table with the Brethren are you discerning His Body correctly.  The Word of God says many are sick and weakly among us because we are not (1 Corinthians 11:29-30).  Satan’s most powerful weapon is deceit and he has deceived many by seducing them into another method for dominion over sin.

-Donna Clark Warren

“21 Not every one that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that does the Will of My Father which is in Heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name? and in Your Name have cast out devils? and in Your Name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23

Prophesying in the Name of Jesus is not a requirement to enter into Heaven.

Casting out devils in the Name of Jesus is not a requirement to enter into Heaven.

Doing many wonderful works in the Name of Jesus is not a requirement to enter into Heaven.

Workers of iniquity will prophesy, cast out devils and do many wonderful works in the name of Jesus but they will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Discern the Gospel being declared. If it is not Jesus Christ as the Source and His Cross as the means by which all of our blessings flow and victory over sin is freely given, it is iniquity and is accursed.

“11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” Matthew 13:11-13.

The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven are revealed by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. It is a revelation knowledge of Truth that can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit to give the Believer further understanding of the precepts of God. There is not graduating class; at least this side of Glory. The Word of God is alive and therefore cannot be exhausted.
Beware of the distractions by the workers of iniquity. Their works are not required to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God speaks of Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross for Salvation of the sinner and Sanctification of the Saint. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redeeming work is the ONLY requirement to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Be built up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of the Lord gives the utterance and KNOW in Whom you have believed.

“6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:

7 Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”  Colossians 2:6-8

-Donna Clark Warren

^“17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸ For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-18

The preacher who is called of God, not of Mama and not of man, will have an anointing on Him from the Lord to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  The Lord will not anoint the preaching of any other means of Salvation OR Sanctification. Justification by anything other than faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ is another gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4) and is not anointed by the Holy Spirit.  Sanctification, dominion over sin, by any other means other than faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ is another gospel and is accursed (Galatians 1:8-9).

The religious organizations who fellowship on Sunday mornings under the heading of Christ yet offer another gospel and another Jesus are of no use in the Body of Christ. The message they are preaching cannot change lives.  They are preaching death to the Body of Christ.  Humanistic psychology, traditions of man and religious ceremonies cannot break the power of sin in the Believer’s life.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  Romans 8:1

Walking after the Spirit is not merely doing spiritual things.  One cannot walk after the Spirit, while at the same time exhibiting faith in man’s methods for victory over death, hell and the grave.  We cannot divide our faith between Jesus Christ and Him crucified for Salvation and other means for dominion over sin.  No matter how Scriptural these methods may indeed be, they were not given to us for dominion over sin.  Please understand, sin is the problem in the world.  Sin is the means by which satan snares God’s Children, isolates them and then begins to whisper in their ear his lies.

“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:8

Trying to overcome sin in the world through self effort will result in spiritual death.  Our weapons are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). The self righteous do not see their attempt to gain righteousness through their works as an attempt to overcome sin, they will claim it is to honor God.  The reality is the fact that they are attempting to “gain” righteousness reveals the condition of their heart.  We cannot do anything in the flesh to gain righteousness.  Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Galatians 3:6).

“²³ But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth.” John 4:23-24

I thank God for the churches who are preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified for Salvation AND Sanctification.  I pray the Lord raises up, strengthens and blesses those who are bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ BACK to the church. I pray the Lord places a hedge of protection around HIS Ministers and that they do not turn to the ways of the world for their increase. If God has called you to preach His Gospel, He will anoint you to preach His Gospel and His Word will bring life to the Body of Christ.  The anointing of the Holy Spirit will convict, deliver and heal the broken hearted when faith is directed to Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe.

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹¹ Put on the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:11-13

“Put on” in the Greek is the word “enduo” which means to envelope or hide within the whole Armour of God.  This does not mean standing in front of the mirror and pretending to put on all of the weapons of warfare.  This Armour is “of God” and is provided by Him. Consequently, it is the WHOLE Armour of God that is needed for the Believer to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Satan has infiltrated the Church in two ways.  One being humanistic psychology which is nothing more than vain ramblings from unredeemed man to overcome man’s problem. Just to be sure, man’s problem is sin. The world’s problem is sin and the ONLY answer to sin is Jesus Christ and Him crucified…not man’s vain ramblings.

Another way satan has deceived the church is with the so called word of faith movement. This faith is not Word anchored but Word perverted and is in fact a faith that God will not recognize.  It looks like God and acts like God but is in fact of satan functioning as an angel of light.

“¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Here is the point of my post this morning.  There are people who are sitting under this teaching, who truly love the Lord.  They are zealous for the things of God, yet they are being fed death.

Please bear with me for a moment while I take this a little further for those who have seen the error in their ways (myself included) and consider the following parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).  As a Child of God, we are each given Light…Truth according to the Word of God.  It is our faithfulness to this Truth, not our success in this Truth that is rewarded.

“²⁸ Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which has ten talents.

²⁹ For unto every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has.” Matthew 25:28-29

It is our lack of faithfulness to that which we have been given, namely the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, that gives the principalities, powers of darkness and wicked spirits the authority to engage the Child of God in spiritual warfare.  The modern church has embraced other methods to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.  The shield of faith that is being yielded by the Believer is not faith that God recognizes because it is not faith in HIS method for man’s redemption, Jesus Christ and His finished work.

“²⁶ For if we sin willfuly after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more Sacrifice for sins,

²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26-27

To “sin willfully” is to turn from the Truth and embrace a lie.  Humanistic psychology and the so called word of faith movement is a lie.

Many have been given a measure of Light according to their faithfulness to the Truth of the Word of God. Some have gone out to share their Light in hopes of multiplying, while others try to preserve.  Such is the case in many ministries today.  They are trying to preserve the Light they have been given while rejecting what the Lord is trying to show them…what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the churches. The Light of such ministries who have rejected more Light and are stagnant in the work of God, will be taken away and given to them who have an abundance of Light.  Truth rejected is Truth denied and that Truth which we have will be taken away if not embraced.

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

The failure of the faithfulness of the modern church to declare and proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and embrace vain babblings of man have resulted in God’s Children believing the preaching of the Cross of Christ is foolishness.  They are rejecting the Light and will indeed perish if they do not repent.  Do not ignore, reject or simply give a nod to this Truth of the preaching of the Cross…it is the power of God for us who are saved.  It is the Armour of God in which we abide.  This Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, is the Truth on which we stand against the wiles of the devil.

-Donna Clark Warren