FIREBREAK - "A STRIP/BARRIER OF PLOWED OR CLEARED LAND MADE TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP THE PROGRESS OF A BRUSH OR FOREST FIRE - OR IN OTHER WORDS, FOR PURPOSES OF CONTAINING THE FIRE."
"WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH SPIRITUAL WARFARE?", YOU MIGHT WELL ASK...
RECENTLY, I WAS LISTENING TO A PASTOR DISCUSS THE STRATEGIES SATAN USES TO CONTAIN/INTERFERE IN THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS WHO ARE PASSIONATE IN THEIR SPIRITUAL GIFTS MINISTERY TO THE LOST AND AS WELL, THE BODY OF CHRIST...ONE SUCH STRATEGY BEING THE "FIREBREAK" AS YOU WILL OBSERVE IN THE ABOVE PHOTO.
THE MORE I CONSIDERED SUCH A STRATEGY OF THE EVIL ONE - SATAN, THE MORE I WAS INTRIGUED CONCERNING ITS "ALL OUT" DESTRUCTION REGARDING THE BODY OF CHRIST.
REGARDING THE DEFINITION GIVEN ABOVE, CONSIDER IT MOVING FROM THE NATURAL WORLD TO THE SUPERNATURAL WORLD AS AN ANALOGY REGARDING SATAN BUILDING A "FIREBREAK" IN THE LIVES OF "ONFIRE" CHRISTIANS. WHY DO I FOCUS SOLELY ON "ONFIRE" CHRISTIANS, BECAUSE SUCH COMMITTED SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIANS ARE PASSIONATE, AND SERIOUS IN THEIR COMMITMENT FOR SERVING THE TRIUNE GOD (THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT), OR AS DECLARED IN THE WELL KNOWN POWERFUL DEVOTIONAL AUTHORED BY OSWALD CHAMBERS IN THE EARLY 1900'S, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST. THUS SUCH CHRISTIANS ARE SATAN'S ENEMIES WHO ARE IMPEDING HIS DESTRUCTIVE MISSION
FOR DESTROYING THE LORD'S "ON FIRE" DISCIPLES ON THIS EARTH, AND THEREFORE, MUST BE "CONTAINED" BEFORE THEY CAN GET IN THE WAY OF HIS WILES, OR BETTER STILL, LET'S PLACE A "FIREBREAK" ON HIS DESTRUCTIVE WORKS AGAINST CHRISTIANS!
AND JUST HOW WOULD WE CONTAIN SATAN...IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE? CONSIDER THIS GODLY ASSURANCE "YOU ARE OF GOD, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE HE (ALMIGHTY GOD) WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE (SATAN) WHO IS IN THE WORLD." (1 JOHN 4:4) AND PLEASE REFER TO ALL THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT BLOGS POSTED EARLIER!
WITH THIS BEING SAID, THE QUESTION BECOMES "DO YOU HAVE A HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCED 'FIRE' WITHIN YOUR VERY BEING THAT IS A THREAT TO THE FOUL SPIRIT WORLD? THINK ABOUT....IF NOT, WHY NOT? MAY I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU CRY OUT TO THE LORD AND ASK HIM TO BUILD/STOKE SUCH A "FIRE" WITHIN YOU. IT IS DECLARED IN JAMES 4:2 "YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT"!
THUS, MAY I ENCOURAGE YOU, DEAR SAINT, TO SEEK THE WISDOM OF LORD (JAMES 1:5) AS YOU EXAMINE YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD SO AS TO DETERMINE IF, IN FACT, SATAN HAS OR IS PLACING A "FIREBREAK" IN YOUR LIFE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF SLOWING YOU DOWN OR CONTAINING YOU IN ANYWAY BECAUSE YOU ARE "ONFIRE" FOR YOUR LORD, AND SO DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT YOUR LORD HAS DESTINED FOR YOU WHILE ON THIS EARTH.
WHAT MIGHT SATAN'S "FIREBREAK" LOOK LIKE IN YOUR LIFE? IN OTHER WORDS, AND AGAIN, WHAT MIGHT HE HAVE IN HIS TORRID TOOLBOX FOR SLOWING YOU DOWN OR CONTAINING YOU IN YOUR SERVICE OF THE LORD? COULD HE BE:
- MINIMIZING THE "WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD" IN YOUR LIFE AS DESCRIBED IN EPHESIANS 6:10-18?
- STEALING YOUR PEACE/JOY BY CREATING DISTRACTIONS IN YOUR LIFE OR THE LIVES OF YOUR LOVED ONES?
- HEAPING MORE TASKS UPON YOU THAT INCREASE YOUR BUSYNESS?
- PLACING MORE TEMPTATIONS IN YOUR LIFE?
- BRINGING PEOPLE/SPIRITS INTO YOUR LIFE FOR PURPOSES OF CONSTANTLY HARASSING YOU?
- STEALING YOUR QUIET TIME FOR DEVOTIONS/PRAYER AND SEEKING THE LORD?
- CREATING CONFUSION IN YOUR LIFE?
- INTERFERING IN YOUR "MINISTRY" ACTIVITIES/OPPORTUNITIES CAUSING THEM TO DIMINISH?
- DRAINING YOUR "GET UP AND GO" ENERGY AND PASSION?
- PELTING YOU WITH WORRIES/ANXIETIES THUS DISCOURAGING YOU IN YOUR CHRISTIAN ENDEAVORS?
- PLAGUING YOU WITH INFIRMITIES?
I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY OTHER "FIREBREAKS" THE ENEMY CAN/DOES USE TO SLOW, STOP OR DISCOURAGE YOU FROM ACCOMPLISHING ALL THAT THE LORD HAS FOR YOU IN THE DAYS TO COME! THUS, MAY I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE SO DISCERNING CONCERNING ANY/ALL FIREBREAKS THE ENEMY IS TRYING TO USE FOR PUTTING OUT YOUR "FIRE"?
I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE WITH A PRAYER FOR YOU TO PRAY OUT LOUD: "LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, MY SHEPHERD, AND LOVER OF MY SOUL, YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF ALL THE STRATEGIES SATAN HAS IN HIS TREACHEROUS TOOL BOX FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLACING A 'FIREBREAK' IN MY LIFE. IF I AM NOT FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, I ASK YOU TO BAPTIZE ME IN THE HOLY SPIRIT SO THAT I AM FULLY 'EMPOWERED' FOR BECOMING AN OVERCOMER IN ANY AND ALL SPIRITUAL BATTLES, AS WAS MY SAVIOR AND LORD JESUS SO EMPOWERED. HELP ME BE SO DISCERNING AND BOLD CONCERNING SUCH STRATEGIES THE ENEMY USES AGAINST ME FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONTAINING ME IN MY SERVICE TO YOU, FOR I WANT THIS TO BE FOR YOUR GLORY, HONOR, AND PRAISE. IT IS IN THAT POWERFUL NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, JESUS THE CHRIST, THAT I BRING THIS PRAYER BEFORE YOU...AMEN AND AMEN."
