Romans 16:20 – And the God of Peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
The God of Peace is at war against all evil and every Satanic power. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Today, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). Through Christ Jesus, Who overcame all the powers of darkness and rendered them powerless, we are able to execute dominion over all of their devices and schemes that would destroy men and oppose God. Jesus crushed the head of the serpent and has given us the same authority to overcome, even as He overcame (Genesis 3:15; Luke 10:19; Revelation 3:21). Jesus fought the battle and won; and therefore, ensures absolute victory to us if we will put our trust in Him and walk in the Spirit. We are given the divine ability and help to crush temptation and the devices of Satan wherever we encounter them. However, we must walk on the Spirit and the new creation, and put our trust in Christ Jesus – for this is the conquering power that conquers the world (1 John 4:4, 5:4; Galatians 5:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
One of the primary devices Satan uses to stop the manifestation of the power of God and the flow of the Holy Spirit is divisiveness. The powers of darkness use teachings contrary to the doctrine of God, rebellion against authority, strife, and envy to wage war against the operation of the Spirit and power of God in our midst. Peace is the power to overcome these things opposing the will of God and the manifest presence of Jesus. Therefore, our responsibility is to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace in order to stand up against the devices of Satan coming out to stop the flow of the Spirit and authority of the Church. The power of peace against the opposing forces of darkness was demonstrated when Jesus pronounced peace to the stormy seas threatening the life of the disciples (Mark 4:39). It is imperative that we lay hold of the necessity to live in His peace, so we may also speak peace to the raging storms Satan would create to destroy us.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace; and if we allow Him to reign over our lives, then the ministry of His peace will rule our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:4-7; Isaiah 26:3-4; Colossians 3:15-17). The Holy Spirit produces rivers of peace – abundance of peace, great peace – so if we walk in the Spirit, His peace will be evident! The Gospel is the proclamation of peace; and where peace is supplied, room is made for the Holy Spirit to flow (John 20:21-22; Matthew 10:13). If we will simply obey God and not allow those things contrary to the doctrine and nature of Christ in our lives, then the glory of God’s Kingdom will be manifested in a greater dimension in and through our assemblies!
Blessings,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
