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Security in Christ
by Nellie Shani Hassan (not his real name) became a Christian through a missionary who also spent a lot of time with him to disciple him. His father was a spirit guide and had hoped that Hassan would carry on this spiritual family career. His father had given him a shirt that symbolized the passing down of a mantle. Although he lived in the capital city, whenever there was a spiritual ceremony in the village Hassans father would insist that he go down and participate with them. Hassans Christian mentor did not know to what extent he was still involved with his father. Hassans fear of reprisal and even possible death if he did not comply with his fathers wishes kept him going back to the village and not telling them that he was a believer. No one had taught him about spiritual warfare. The fact that Jesus had given him authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and to overcome all the power of the enemy, and that nothing would harm him, was a teaching that he had not yet encountered! I saw the scared look on Hassans face the first time I started to share with him about spiritual warfare. To even imagine going against his fathers wishes was tantamount to entertaining suicidal thoughts! The fear of death had become a stronghold in his life that only the word of God could break down. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish stronghold (2 Corinthians 10:4). All his life he had grown up believing that the world was full of people who wanted to kill him. He needed to know that Jesus Christ had died on the cross so that we would not have to fear death. Physical death has become for the Christian, a highway into eternity. Hassan is just one of the many local Christians in this Muslim country, who have one foot in Christianity and the other one in Islam from fear of death. Only the truth of the word of God can set them free. When we do not fear death, it becomes a weapon with which to fight spiritual warfare. Satan can only threaten us with death when he knows that we fear death. You cannot threaten a child with a punishment that they do not fear. In Hebrews 11:35-35 we are told about Christians in the Early Church who did not fear death. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might get a better resurrection. In Revelations we are told that not fearing death was one of the three methods that these Christians used to overcome Satan. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did no love their lives so much as to shrink from death (Revelations 12:11). While the apostle Paul did not shrink from death, he did not want to die until he had finished his race. Where as we should not fear death as Christians, it is God who decides when our work on earth is done. Nellie Odhuno Shani is a Counselor, Conference speaker and writer. Her first books are available on amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and on her author's websites. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |