A Master Key to walking in the Overflow

By THOMAS MATHEW

As believers, we are in a constant war, a war in which our enemy does not fight by the rules or come announced in an identifiable uniform. Our adversary the devil has declared war against each one of us and it’s not a conventional war waged with armies we can see and easily identify. It’s a war similar to terrorism we see around the world these days.

In this type of a war, a small, relatively weak enemy attacks a much larger and stronger foe by strategically inflaming and irritating it. The primary purpose of the attacks isn’t to overwhelm and defeat the foe (Terrorists know that they can’t defeat the military forces of an entire nation, for example, by killing small groups of civilians) but to get them so smitten with fear that they begin to self-destruct.

Fleas can’t kill a dog. But if they keep biting, they might eventually convince him to scratch himself to death.

How can we keep this from happening to us? How can we, as believers, win this war of fear and torment which the devil keeps constantly waging against us with?

Beloved, it is by dousing ourselves inside and out with the one substance the devil can’t stand—the Love of God. If we will keep ourselves in the love of God, the Bible says the wicked one won’t be able to touch us (I John 5:18). Love will cause the fleas to flee!

This is not surprising at all because love is the most powerful potent weapon and the greatest priority of a believer’s life. It’s only by walking in love that we truly come to know Him and have an intimate relationship with Him. (I John 4:7-8).

The master key to walking in the “Blessing” and to have our prayers answered is to operate in love at all times... “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another...” “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1 John 3: 23, 22)

It’s a 24x7 command to operate in love and we need to be on track to ensure that we experience the abundant life which Jesus promises us in John 10:10.

There are many occasions where we can feel offended and even feel enraged, it may be when you are watching the news on TV or with someone in the family or at work place or even at church. The minute we start resenting or hating someone, we give the devil access to our hearts—our innermost sanctuary. Once he’s in there, he messes up everything. He disrupts our communication and fellowship with the Lord. He brings in all kinds of turmoil and fear, and worst still it makes us enter into an atmosphere where we dwell on the offence more and scratch here a little and there a little, eventually making us more miserable and mad, thereby anything and anybody potentially becomes a target for the release of our anger and frustration, which eventually adds to the vicious cycle of further mess and problem to contend with later.

As James 3:16 says, where strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

The question then is of justice, how can I operate in love towards the one who has wronged me, or for example murdered hundreds of people and hurt a whole nation (like Ajmal Kasab), while he shows no remorse for his actions. The Lord reminds us in Rom 12:19 “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

It is precisely the enemy’s plan to get us to discuss about somebody else’s life with someone close to us and get all worked up on it, while actually the Lord would want us to focus on our own lives and walk in love and extend grace to our fellow brethren. “And why behold you the mote that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?” Matt 7:3

“But concerning brotherly love, you have no need to have anyone write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another... we beseech and earnestly exhort you, brethren, that you excel [in this matter] more and more, to make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you, so that you may... be correct and honorable and command the respect of the outside world, being dependent on nobody and having need of nothing.” refer 1 Thess 4:9-12 Amp

“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Pt 3:8-9
Beloved, it is vital to protect the anointing over our lives. Let us not scratch ourselves to misery and defeat by dwelling on the offence, but overcome every offence by operating in Love and walk in Abundance, Blessing and Victory all the days of our lives!