AND THE DIRT CAME OUT

By Steve Van Nattan

 

In spiritual warfare with Satan's servants
it is often hard to finish the work of
pulling down strong holds.

 


 

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

We are to take revenge, in spite of the gain saying of alleged experts who tell us otherwise.

2 Corinthians 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

The work of pulling down strong holds, of destroying the enemy, is not accomplished by showing mercy to the wicked. They are in the battle to rend sheep and destroy the Lord's Church. We are to go into the battle with the absolute objective of destroying them spiritually and in their schemes against Christ and the Church.

Here is an Old Testament account of a man who did great violence, and you need to notice that he in no way hesitated to deceive the enemy, both Eglon and his warriors. This man is a model for us, though he was operating in the physical while we operate in the spiritual. We are to do as much harm to wolves and Satanic workers as possible. "Pull down" is not merciful language. We are destroyers of all that is Satanic, and our Bible believing friends should SEE the deliverance that God brings them as the biblical young warrior does the job until "the dirt came out."

The dirt coming out is the picture of the public exposure of the filthy nature of wicked men. This is so that the saints will SEE what dirt is and avoid it later. We are not talking about exposing a fellow saint who is in need of rebuke. That is done according to rules and principles of restoration. We are talking here about exposing evil wolves, principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Examples would be the Pope of the Catholic Church and his leading men who attach the Church. We are talking about the leaders of the Charismatic Movement world wide. We are talking about Billy Graham and Jack Van Impe. We mean to expose these men for what they are, ravening wolves.

Thus, our example, Ehud:

Judges 3:12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly;
and the dirt came out
.
23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.
28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

And, the dirt came out.

This is your strategy in the battle to defend the Lord's sheep.

 

 

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