Spiritual Warfare – The Battle Against Affliction

                                                     By Rabbi Rob Miller

                                                                     RMi1794853@aol.com

                                                                     
 
  Our Messiah shows that "life" and "spirit" are interconnected.
                This was dramatically shown when Rebbe YahShua healed the woman that had been afflicted with scoliosis for eighteen years.  Rebbe YahShua was able to look beyond the malady into the spirit realm and saw that her being bound by haSatan caused her disease.
“…a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all…should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom haSatan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” (Luke 13:11,16)”
                Discernment was very important for Rebbe YahShua to see that this woman did not have a biological reason for her sickness – it was spiritual – she was “crippled by a spirit.”  We need to understand in a balanced, Scriptural way, the relationship between demon activity and sickness in the bodies of the children of Yahweh.
                If that woman had lived today and had gone to the best clinic in the country to get a diagnosis from a competent doctor or chiropractor, they would have diagnosed her with some physical disease and would have treated her with narcotics, spinal manipulation or worse surgery but nobody would have diagnosed that woman with having an evil spirit unless they were intoned to the spirit realm.
                Rabbi Silas (Lucius in Latin or Luke in English) practiced Torah medicine.  He witnessed and wrote the above testimony, as a Rabbi but more importantly as a physician. He knew as much about medicine and physical maladies as anyone in his day, but what he brings to the equation is that he approaches sickness from the Torah. He recognized that an evil spirit of infirmity had produced her sickness.
                This is a bit frightening to some Believers because it is contrary to everything they believe.  Their confidence, when it comes to disease, is in medical practioners or medicine.  They are comfortable thinking their malady is a virus, germ or bacteria.  They do not want to even entertain the idea that a demon could be behind their disease.  But where demons are behind the illness, the minute the demon is vanquished the illness just passes out through the body and the person afflicted will recover as Yahweh sees fit.
                It was the same in Job’s case, “And Yahweh said unto haSatan, ‘Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth Elohim, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause… So went haSatan forth from the presence of Yahweh, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. (Job 2:3,7)” Did you notice that even though it was haSatan that was doing the affliction, it was Yahweh that was in control of the situation.
“After Job had prayed for his friends, Yahweh made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble Yahweh had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. Yahweh blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first… After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years. (Job 42:10-12,16)”
                How could Job receive the victory in the midst of affliction, he practiced the presence: “Then Job answered Yahweh, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 41:1-6)”
However, not all infirmity is caused by demon affliction.  In fact, some originates with our Heavenly Father: “…[Messiah] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His talmidim (disciples) asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Rebbe YahShua, “but this happened so that the work of Yahweh might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:1-5)”
                In the extreme, some sickness is caused by demon possession:
“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick (Matthew 8:16).”
“As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. (Matthew 9:32-33).”
“Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw. (Matthew 12:22)”
“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou YahShua of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of Yahweh. And Rebbe YahShua rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. (Mark 1:23-25)”
“When Rebbe YahShua saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. (Mark 9:25)”
“And Rebbe YahShua rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. (Luke 4:35)”
                Our Messiah said that “this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (Matthew 17:21)”
                Does that mean that every affliction is caused by demon possession?  No! "Can a Believer be demon possessed?" No! "Possessed" implies "ownership." Neither demons nor haSatan can own or possess a child of Yahweh. But they can harass and afflict, in a word, oppress us.
“Do you not know that your body is a Temple of the Ruach HaKodesh, who is in you, whom you have received from Yahweh? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor Yahweh with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19,20)”
                A case in point is the demonic fallen angel sent by Yahweh to afflict Rabbi Sha’ul:
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of haSatan, to torment me. (2 Corinthians 12:7)”
We must dispel a popular myth. Many believe that when a person is prayed over once and they do not get their healing then and there, they either have sin in their life or they have no faith. That’s not necessarily true. We must inquire of Yahweh and find out what is He doing in this situation.
Three times I pleaded with Yahweh to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:8,9)”
                The word translated “messenger” is the Greek word “aggelos” an angel. In other words, a “fallen angel” assigned to him sent by Yahweh to keep him humble hounded Rabbi Sha’ul.
                Now, the fallen angel’s agenda was to silence a very effective proclaimer of the Kingdom of Yahweh.  Rabbi Sha’ul details how this fallen angel has tried to kill him: “…Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the King would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!  What anyone else dares to boast about–I am speaking as a fool–I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Messiah? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the YaHudim the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the “Called Out Ones”. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?  If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The Elohim and Father of the King YahShua, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascus guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands. (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)”  Yahweh knew that this agent of the Sitre Ahurah would be all to eager to afflict Rabbi Sha’ul but Yahweh kept His hand of protection over Rabbi Sha’ul always giving him the victory over this devil.
                Our Messiah battled against affliction: “…Yahweh anointed Rebbe YahShua of Nazareth with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for Yahweh was with him. (Acts 10:38)”
                Our Messiah, with orders from our Heavenly Father, imparted authority to his followers to battle against affliction at any level: chemical, biological, environmental, diabolical or demonic.
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. (Luke 9:1)”
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)”
The Power of Prayer  
                “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous [person] availeth much. (James 5:16 )” This is very true when it comes to battling affliction.  Consider the desperate woman in Luke 18:1-8: “[Messiah] spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not Yahweh, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not Yahweh, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the King said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not Yahweh avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.”
                If earthly authority can bring relief how much more will our Heavenly Father do for us that that.  “So I say to you: ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Ruach HaKodesh to those who ask him!’ (Luke 11:9-13)”
                In this passage, ask, seek and knock are in the Greek present tense which denotes continuous action in present time.  In other words, keep on asking and it shall be given unto you; keep on seeking and ye shall find; keep on knocking and it shall opened unto you.  Don’t give up!  However, do not be motivated by need but by love.
"Because he loves me," says Yahweh , "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." (Psalms 91:14-16)”
When we pray and nothing happens, we simply are not through yet. The problem is neither lack of faith nor sin, those will be present from time to time. You must remember that healing and deliverance requires time. We must stand in faith until we have the victory. The first one to quit, loses.
On October 29, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth, as well as to speak to the students. This became one of his most quoted speeches of World War II.  Before speaking, Churchill discovered that the students had added a verse to one of the school songs:
"Not less we praise in darker days
The leader of our nation,
And Churchill's name shall win acclaim
From each new generation.
For you have power in danger's hour
Our freedom to defend, Sir!
Though long the fight we know that right
Will triumph in the end, Sir!
                Moved by what he had heard, he closed his prepared speech with a spontaneous statement: “…surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson: Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” We know from history that the war raged on until 1945, with Britain baring the brunt of those years, yet they stayed the course to victory.
                Therefore take up the whole armor of Yahweh, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…(Ephesians 6:13,14)” Never give up. When the answer delays, you just aren't through yet.
                “…this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (I John 5:14-15)” Whatever is prayed in accordance with His will, He hears it. I must know that what I am asking is His will.
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:3)”
“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the more fragile vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)” Or more literally, that your prayers are not blocked.
                I have to find a ground upon which I can stand when I pray. I must be in a state of “teshuvah” (repentance) when I come into his chambers.  I must draw upon something in Yahweh's person, His character or His Word upon which to base my prayer, to insure that it is in His will. I must approach Him based on something outside of myself. I must approach Him based upon something inside Him. There must be a correspondence between my act of praying and something in Yahweh's person, heart, Spirit, character, attributes or His Word that corresponds to my request. When I have appealed to that something in Him, Yahweh turns His ear to me and there is a channel open between Him and me. When that channel is opened, I know it.
                Appeal to His love; appeal to His kindness; appeal to His sense of justice, His sense of right or His sense of wrong but get a grip on something in Yahweh before you approach Him with your need. You must reach out, tap into Him and bring Him into your own situation.  Yahweh may even seem indifferent to your situation until you bring one of His attributes to bear on it then He will send the answer from His throne.  Most of all, in every situation, Yahweh wants you to know more and more about him. This involves Him personally.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:2-4)”
“Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O Elohim our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their Elohim?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that You avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. (Psalm 79:8-10)”
“When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to Your miracles; they did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet He saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert. (Psalm 106:7-9)”
“But you, O Sovereign Yahweh, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. (Psalm 109:21)”
“Teach me to do your will, for You are my Elohim; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For Your name's sake, O Yahweh, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. (Psalm 143:10-12)”
“For My own name's sake I delay My wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. (Isaiah 48:9)”
“You will know that I am Yahweh , when I deal with you for My name's sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, O House of Israel, declares the Sovereign Yahweh. (Ezekiel 20:44)”
“Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. (Romans 1:5)”
                This involves His integrity, and Yahweh is very cautious about His integrity. Yahweh Himself is involved personally in your need.
The Power of Patience
                The word patience is a combination of two Greek words, the word “upo”, meaning under, and the word “meno”, meaning to remain. In other words, the ability to remain under a situation.
How does patience operate concerning prayer?  When we have a need, the first thing we do is inquire of Yahweh as to His will in the situation so that we do not “ask amiss.”  Inventory our lives and repent of anything that might “block our prayers.”  Then, there is a time span. After a designated time, that only Yahweh knows, Yahweh fulfills His promise.
“But when the fullness of the time had come, Yahweh sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)”
                During that time span, that is called “the fullness of the time” we must wait or have patience.
“…this is the confidence that we have toward [Messiah], that if anything we may ask according to His will, He doth hear us, and if we have known that He doth hear us, whatever we may ask, we have known that we have the requests that we have requested from Him. (1 John 5:14-15)” Pray it and then wait. Stay in it. Remain under it. Hold on to Him. He likes for us to trust Him, it brings glory to Him.
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of Yahweh, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36)” You need to stay under the promise of First John 5:14-15. Stay under this Scripture. Through the process of time, the answer will come, the promise will be fulfilled. Yahweh will vindicate His own character. Stay the course.
Victory Where We Live
                Rabbi Sha’ul said that even though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh. We live in bodies of flesh, most of the things we do will affect our bodies. But when it comes to spiritual warfare our fleshly body does not do it. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in Yahweh for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Yahweh, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah (2 Corinthians 10:4,5).”
                Though the Sitre Ahurah comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10)” the Sitre Ahurah is a spirit. Their power is spiritual, but they can do physical damage to you.  If you try to deal with a spiritual force with a physical weapon, you lose going in. Remember, the Child of Yahweh, is a spirit being living in the physical realm.  We have the authority and ability to deal with things of a spiritual nature when it comes against us.
                Rabbi Sha’ul said, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.”  He did not say they were not real.  If a man walks in the Spirit, he is absolutely invincible. The weapon he has will pull down any stronghold. He cannot be stopped. He has weapons that are mighty through Yahweh that can pull it down.
                Rabbi Sha’ul then addresses our biggest enemy – the enemy within.  The same weapon that pulls down a stronghold, also has the power to cast down imaginations.
                The Greek word “logismos” is translated imaginations means “ability to reason.”  It correlates to the Hebrew word “yetser” meaning “intellectual framework.” In the spirit realm, our mind can be our greatest enemy because we want to figure things out and totally rely on our wits. Many times I have in a spiritual battle, I have figured things out – or I thought I did – developed a battle plan, then fell on my face in defeat because I was trusting my wits and not Yahweh's Spirit.
                Couple this tendency with a more sinister development.  The Sitre Ahurah will send you a thought that makes sense. We must learn to get our minds under control. Thoughts will come that you think are your thoughts, but they came straight from hell.
                You are the “Temple of the Ruach HaKodesh.”  Your mind is a facility in that Temple.  You must speak to your mind from the spirit and say, “. . . choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh" (Josh. 24:2, 15). Yahweh has given us weapons that enable us to do that.
                It is during this phase of the battle that you need to get alone with Yahweh and let Him speak to you.  Remember, you cannot do all the talking or you will miss what He is saying.
“Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." And behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before Yahweh, but Yahweh was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11,12)”
                I know that when we try and shut down and hear from Yahweh, our motors keep right on running.  This is not healthy.  This is called obsession. This prevents your from hearing from Yahweh. Consequently, Yahweh has given us a weapon to combat this. 
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Yahweh's will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)” Pay attention to what you're filling your mind and time with. Remember, "garbage in--garbage out." The process of “renewing of your mind” is one of transformation, a dynamic, "a force producing motion" of changing from worldly thinking to spiritual thinking in line with Yahweh's Word. It is a putting off of the evil inclination, and a putting on of the new nature in Messiah.  “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of Yahweh, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)” As soon as you surrender your mind over to Yahweh, He will subdue everything that prevents your gaining this intimate, personal communication of Yahweh.
Confidence In Our Victory Over Affliction
                Honestly, affliction has a way to bring someone to their wits end.  The person who comes to their wits end is like the prodigal son.  “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (Luke 15:17)”
                Now, I am not saying just because you are being afflicted you a prodigal. But I am saying, affliction causes us sometimes not to be in the right mind.  "When he came to himself" implies that he hadn't been in his right mind to start with.  Yahweh allowed circumstances to bring him to a point that he could see his need of righteousness.  When he ran out of resources a famine hit.  He had only two choices; turn to the hog trough and eat slop or go home.
“He who dwells in the intimate place of El Elyon shall abide under the shadow of El Shaddai. I will say of Yahweh, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my Elohim, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the trap of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers (presence), and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth (Torah) shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made Yahweh, who is my refuge, even El Elyon, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he loves me," says Yahweh , "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." (Psalms 91)”     
                The key to the victory over affliction is the necessity of dwelling “in the intimate place of El Elyon.” Dwelling in a time and place in your life when you move away from the affliction, into the quietness of the presence of Yahweh. We must experience Yahweh on our own.  This is part of the New Covenant that we are moving toward.  "Behold, the days are coming, says Yahweh, when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah… No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, "Know Yahweh,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahweh. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31,34)"
                The word translated as “know” is the Hebrew word “yada,” the same word used when “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived…(Genesis 4:1)” It speaks of intimacy.  When you get to the point of dwelling in the intimacy, you move into the position of  receiving the blessings of Yahweh, no matter affliction.  In the intimate place of El Elyon there is a protection and a covering, no matter what the affliction.
                When anxiety ceases your emotions you must step inside and enter the chambers of the throne room and dwell in the intimate place of El Elyon. You vacillate, you must learn to dwell in that place. Then, and only then, will He become your refuge and buckler or fortress. At that point, you abide “under the shadow of El Shaddai.”  These are all figures of speech, what we mean is we are dwelling in the concentrated presence of our Heavenly Father.  The point is that if I press in close enough to Yahweh to be in His shadow, that’s intimacy. If I am this close to Yahweh, nothing can get to me spiritually.  There is a refuge from affliction when we dwell in intimate place of El Elyon.
                I know we as physical being tend to put more stock in the physical but we are also spiritual beings and that is where eternity is.  Rebbe YahShua said, “…be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the spirit:  but rather fear him who is able to destroy both spirit and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
                Psalms 55-58 pictures King David completely surrounded by adversaries.  All he could do in this situation was cry unto Yahweh. “Be merciful to me, O Elohim, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to El Elyon, to Elohim who performs all things for me. He shall send from Heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah Elohim shall send forth His mercy and His truth.  My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O Elohim, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah My heart is steadfast, O Elohim, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will wake the dawn. I will praise You, O Yahweh, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O Yahweh, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth. (Psalm 57:1-11)”
                By Psalms 91 King David has found his victory in that intimate place, a place where he has no shadow, where he is shadowed by El Shaddai, the Almighty Yahweh. There is a joy unspeakable and full of glory; there is Shalom (complete peace) and there is refuge behind a mighty fortress that comes only from being in that intimate place of El Elyon.
“Because he loves me," says Yahweh , "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."               
                “Surely He shall deliver you from the trap of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.”  If the fowler, the Devil, and the noisome pestilence, whatever affliction he could come up with, should come close enough to the shadow of El Shaddai, the Almighty Yahweh, to get to me, the Scriptures say, "Surely, [Yahweh] will deliver me."  “Surely,” as a truth, Yahweh will deliver everyone who is under His shadow. Blessings and benefits accrue to you simply because you have chosen to dwell in that intimate place of El Elyon. Yahweh will set your emotions back into order. When you are in that shadow, He will deliver you from affliction.
                “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made Yahweh, who is my refuge, even El Elyon, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”
                What is casting out that fear?  It’s not the legalism of trying in your own might and mind to do what is right.  “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)”  Trying to do what is right for fear of the punishing fires of hell enables fear.  But a motivation of love for the Father brings liberty and freedom to do what is right as His Spirit gives you the grace.
                Every fear you will ever have is covered in these four things: “the terror by night, the arrow by day, the pestilence in darkness and the destruction that wasteth at noonday”, whether it is terminal disease, financial disaster or family break-up it’s all covered in this verse. But as long as I am in the intimate place of El Elyon, spending time with Yahweh, letting Yahweh talk to me and giving myself time to bathe in His presence, I am not afraid. The presence recharges our soul.  Recharging only occurs in the intimate place of El Elyon.
Come Apart or Set Apart
                Rebbe YahShua said to His talmidim, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. (Mark 6:31)”  YahShua meant that if you do not come apart by yourselves in a place, you are just going to come apart. I am going to tell you the truth, if you do not start setting yourself apart from the World now, as judgment comes on this place you’re going to come apart at the seams. 
                One of the tactics of the enemy on the Child of Yahweh that isn’t practicing the presence, is getting you on a guilt trip.  He will take you down unworthiness detour.  This burns mis-spent time and takes its toll on the body.  He will make you feel too unworthy to receive your healing because of some silly sin you did thirty years or thirty minutes ago.  Tell him to go to hell.
“Submit yourselves, then, to Yahweh. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)”
                If we set ourselves apart in thinking, living and loving; if we spend the time in the intimate place of El Elyon, these things will not frighten us because we have been given a power and an authority to tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Or as our Messiah said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)” You can combat demons, beat them and overcome them. That is why we are not afraid. We know who we are and what we have.
I Will Show You YahShua
                “Because you have made Yahweh, who is my refuge, even El Elyon, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you…” There is only one criteria for victory, get into that intimate place of El Elyon.  Yahweh goes on to say that “Because he loves me…I will rescue him; I will protect him…”  What is the mark of that love, the taking on His name like a bride does her husband.  “…for he acknowledges my name.”
                The saddest thing in the world is not sickness.  The saddest thing is hearing our Sovereign say – “DEPART, I NEVER KNEW YOU!”  “Many will say to Me in that day, "Adon, Adon, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice [Torah]lessness!' (Matthew 7:22,23)”
                Healing isn’t even the main issue.  Do we have a personal and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.  When we move into that intimate place of El Elyon, make that our dwelling, live there more than we live out in the world, He said, "I will deliver him in trouble, I will honor him, I will satisfy him with a long life."
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)”
                When the Scriptures say a long life or life… more abundantly what is it talking about?  It talking about a life of “…exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:4)”  A life of being “…more than conquerors through [Yahweh] who loved us. (Romans 8:37)”  A life of being the object of Yahweh’s love and receiving “…his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)”  And at the end of this chapter of my life I have “…an entrance…supplied…abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our King and Savior Messiah YahShua. (2 Peter 1:11)” As our Messiah promised, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:26)”
                As Rabbi Sha’ul said in Romans 8:31, "If Yahweh be for us, who can be against us?"  This is a rhetorical question that demands a specific answer: “nobody can be against us and prevail!” “…the gates of hell shall not prevail against ‘the called out ones’. (Matthew 16:18)”
                “When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of Yahweh, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the House of Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Yahweh, and to enquire in his Temple. (Psalm 27:2-4)” We are more than winners.
                “Yahweh will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of Yahweh your Elohim that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13)” We are over the top. We are above not beneath.
                And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh. (Psalm 27:6)” We are more than conquerors!
                Get into the intimate place of El Elyon. There, you develop the confidence and courage to meet head on any demon or sickness that can come against you.
                “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
“I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my YahShua. ”
“…he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13)”

 

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