Do you ever wish you could see in the spiritual realm as clearly as you can in the physical? I do. I feel like a cat that was just born and is trying to open his eyes, but is hampered by all kinds of gunk and hindered by developing eye-balls.
I imagine there are all kinds of demons swarming like a bunch of hornets, trying to penetrate the protective veil I’ve got around me by the grace and love (read blood) of Christ. I imagine there are all sorts of methods they have realized they can use to come against me after my whole life of studying me.
I imagine there are infinitely more incredible heavenly angelic beings sent to fight for me, warding them off. They are battling for my soul, and I imagine I’ve given them a pretty rough time of it. It’s by my choices that they fail or are victorious.
I’ve opened some doors into my life that were rusted up at the hinges. They hadn’t been closed in a while and now that I’ve been taking back Kingdom in my own life and greasing up the hinges of these doors, they swing easy. They are shut, but if I ever let up, they’ll fling wide open again. The devil and his army crouches at the doors just waiting for me to not push back (read grant them permission) when they try again to see if they aren’t locked.
I cannot afford to relax my spiritual man. Not right now. And so I admit myself regularly to getting checkups. I have guys praying for me. I have peers fighting with me. I have
spiritual fathers investing into me. I let them know where I’m at. I go
in repeatedly for checkups.
Two days ago the devil barraged me and I went straight to Neil Bruinsma to fight with me. We spent five minutes in prayer and it was done.
Yesterday I emailed Clint Bokelman just to check in, letting him know how I struggle to know God as my father and asking him for insight. I just started a weekly check-in with him.
Every month I email Michael Hindes to check in and tell him where I’m at.
Several times a week I connect with Aaron Bruner and try to open up my mind and heart for him.
I periodically check in with other spiritual fathers like Gary Black, Andrew Shearman, Mike Paschal and my dad. And I’m always on the search for more! I know that all of these men would go to battle for me because they have. I have to surround myself with these guys. When I let up, handles on doors start turning and it’s all the push they need for the doors on their well greased hinges to swing wide.
But I also know that failure is a big part of success. I will fall, but guys like this will be quick to help me up again.
When was the last time you went in for a checkup? Would you be filled with shame to open up your heart and mind to others? If so, know that grace died on a tree to kill that shame… all dead things only now reign with our permission.
Get someone who is filled with His Spirit of grace to fight with you. If you’ve got nobody, I invite you to let me find you someone or be that person for you. Where is the body of Christ if we’re not living and fighting in unity and grace for each other?
