Flowing in God's Purpose: Discerning God's Big Picture in Spiritual Warfare

By Irwin Brown

Flowing in God's Purpose offers different perspectives concerning spiritual warfare. It was written with theology as its theme. It is intended to show areas of our lives where the enemy may not be discernible. In our humanity, it is normal to observe trials, tests, and annoyances from a physical or psychological realm; however, we miss the b

• Language: English
• Publisher: TOPLINK PUBLISHING, LLC
• Release date: Mar 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948779364

Irwin Brown

Emotions can distort trials. God wants us to see Him in our trials as well as our victories. The Lord may not reveal all the answers in our time table, but instead at a time that is relevant; sometimes in the present, or perhaps years later, we will understand. God shows us how the trials, tests, and annoyances brought us to where we are in the present and the benefits of walking through the fires that the enemy intended to destroy us. Your victories bring God glory. Irwin Brown was born in Waco, Texas. He grew up in a military background. Mr. Brown has taken his life experiences and used them for his spiritual growth and wants to share what he has learned. He resides in Dallas, Texas.

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Flowing in God’s Purpose

Discerning God’s Big Picture in Spiritual Warfare

Irwin Brown

Copyright © 2018 by Irwin Brown.

Paperback: 978-1-948779-35-7

eBook: 978-1-948779-36-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Contents

Preface

Are You Job on Your Job?

Faith +Perseverance=Victory

Carnal Thinking and the Wisdom of God

Discernment between God and Satan

You Talk Too Much! (The Know-It-All)

God, Rumors, Gossip, and You

Hatred and Spiritual Thieves

Human Nature and Vulnerabilities to Sin

Your Reflection in God’s Mirror

The Concrete Syndrome

Cliques That Click and Persecution

God’s Virtues and the Devil’s Lies

The Spiritual Mirror (Revisited)

Domestic Violence is Spiritual Warfare

The Audience

Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare and the Strong-Willed Child

The Enabling Parent

Rebel with a Cause

The Strong-Willed Child

Battlefield in the Home

The Devil’s Lies and God’s Truth

Sibling Rivalry and the Strong-Willed Child

Jesus’ Birth: A Parallel to Our Own

The Spiritual Genetic Code

The Predestined You

Mary Interrupted

Joseph Interrupted

Listening to God

Poise

Spiritual Growth

Living Your Purpose: Truth and Perspectives

Things Aren’t Always What They Seem

When God Says No

Don’t Run from the Devil

Poise or Poison

Small Things

The Trials and Triumphs of Family Leaders

Who Can Know the Heart?

Thus and So

Warrior or Worrier? (Taking Spiritual Authority)

Spiritual Warfare and the Road Rage Myth

Spiritual Warfare and Discernment

An Exchange of Information

Self-Conduct

The Beginning

Preface

There is always a bigger picture, a broader stroke of the brush. The idea is to look beyond that which appears to be the truth to the physical eyes and to see into that which is discernible with the spiritual eyes. In other words, what appears to one thing from the world’s point of view is something entirely different in the realm of God’s point of view. God gave us logic, but logic and His perspectives do not intersect. Physically and mentally we call trials as they seem from those realms that are obvious to everyone else. Spiritual discernment allows us to see and sense what is not obvious to most people. While God does give different gifts according to His will, the gift of discernment or the ability to see and sense what is not natural is a gift that all of us can benefit from.

Our lives as we know them are not governed by what we think has happened in the physical realm. They are governed in the realm of the spiritual. Each event in our lives is spiritually based, regardless of how physical it seems. There are no accidents, only fulfilled prophesies that occurred in heaven before they occurred on earth. They occurred in heaven first because God knew about their occurrences prior to them happening in your life. God has used these events to perfect you, not defeat you, and to position you for your destiny. Your destiny was decided before you were formed in your mother’s womb. Trials are also used to strengthen our hearts, break bondages, and teach forgiveness. Compassion, giving, and graciousness are all traits that can be the direct results of trials.

For many people, God allows trials that lead directly into the professions that He knew would flow in. God has brought you to the point in your life you are today. Every trial is designed with the express purpose of God using you for His kingdom. It was and is the great deceiver, Satan, the Devil that has attempted and will continue to attempt to get you out of the will of God. The liar has attempted, through your trials, to get you to doubt God, steal your faith, and accuse you in God’s presence. Your trials are real, but they are also used to distract you, to take your eyes off God and onto your circumstances. All trials are allowed, not caused, by God. The Devil can only harass us as far as the Lord will allow him to, so he is limited.

Look back on your trials (or perhaps one you are currently experiencing) not in bitterness but to see how they have shaped your spirit today. God may not reveal all the reasons you were tested, but He will give insight into how they were used by Him to purify and strengthen you. When God does give you a revelation, it will be in accordance to His timing. When you were in school, the subjects that were taught correlated with the development of your mind and what you had already learned by that time. Kindergarten-age children learn their ABCs, not algebra. After years of developing their minds, students are able to take on such courses and to learn algebra. God is the spiritual teacher and works the same way. Only when you are ready will you be able to digest the reasons for your trials, after you have developed your heart to hear Him speak on your life. You will then understand the authority, wisdom, and strength in God that you have derived as a result of your trials.

The Devil attacks from an array of traps in all walks of life. Since Satan cannot be everywhere at once, he assigns demons to assist in harassment and insidious deeds. He is an enemy who manages to get behind the lines and infiltrate in the most obvious places, yet he is unseen. His aim, of course, is to separate us from the will of God, accuse us in God’s presence, and steal our faith. He knows his time is coming to an end (rapidly) and is manifesting his frustration more than any time in history. The Enemy began his assault early in our lives and continues throughout, never giving up.

Discernment gives us the ability to see the wiles of the Devil. The Enemy counts on us to believe he does not exist. This is perhaps his biggest weapon. Again, his influence is everywhere yet unseen. Our greatest weapon against his evil is faith in God. The Lord says, My grace is sufficient. Hopefully, this book will outline the positives that have emerged from your spiritual battles and give you different perspectives. The Devil means your trials for evil, but God allows them to occur to better serve His kingdom.

The Devil is mentioned many times in this book because he is literally everywhere. He is often in the center of chaos in families, church, work environments, and the general public. He is behind the scenes yet on the forefront of everyday trouble and tragedy. He hates peace in all forms and is a user. He also hates exposure and being ignored. You are required by the Lord to infiltrate the Devil’s strongholds and to bring His light and understanding into those strongholds.

Are You Job on Your Job?

One of the most fertile areas of satanically-induced attacks is at your workplace. It is because your job or career is so important. Any place in your life that is vital requires that you have some measure of peace (home, job, church). Of course, the Enemy knows this and uses these areas to set up his territories. In many cases, especially your place of work, he has already established his evil influence. Wherever the Devil has established a territory or stronghold, he will use his evil influence to protect it and to promote his seeds of discord. Any light in the presence of the Devil’s stronghold will come under attack because it undermines his influence. His aim is to have influence and power in every aspect of life, especially anywhere you spend up to eight hours a day or more.

Upon starting a new job it may appear that all of your new coworkers, supervisors, and managers do what they can do to make you feel welcome. There is a feeling-out process that you undertake with your new coworkers. The people on your new job want to know something about you, whether you are married, have children, or are single. Conversations reveal a few basics about you, and you settle into your new position. What you may not realize is that some of your new coworkers are observing you from another level; the spiritual level. Some of your new coworkers are indifferent about you because of their basic nature. There are some of your new coworkers that really want to know where you stand on spiritual issues, what church you attend, and your beliefs.

Satan is ever watchful of whoever enters his territory. He has had such an influence on wherever he has resided, and he will never go down without a fight. What he loves is confusion, strife, deceitfulness, envy, and power struggles. He knows right away when the light (you) arrives due to his power of discernment, and he goes on the offensive to protect what he deems his territory. He feels threatened. Your new coworkers may not know what your Christian beliefs are, but the Enemy knows because he has scouted you throughout your life.

When you have strong spiritual convictions, it will likely translate into whatever endeavors you undertake, including your career. Upon initial observance, the people you work with will note that you are a hard worker. Some will be truly impressed with your work ethic and knowledge. Lying in the weeds, however, are a few coworkers who actually resent the comments uttered by people who may admire the way you perform your duties. The resentment comes from the people who understand that they underachieve. They have become threatened by you because of the accolades you are receiving.

Because of you spiritual convictions and your walk with God, you are able to achieve at a high level. The fact that you may perform your duties so well is not based on showing up your coworkers. It is based on the fact that whatever work you do is done unto God. It is simply who you are. You allow God to flow through you as you work, which enables you to perform your duties at the highest level.

Since some of your coworkers have the gift of discernment, they know where you draw your power from. They discern your walk with the Lord. These are the people that walk with Him also. They work to please God. Though not perfect due to their humanity, they aim to be the very best they can be. When mistakes are made, they own up to them without blaming others. In general, the workplace is not full of such people. There is much backbiting along with selfish ambition and the crab mentality exists (pulling each other down) to make sure no one else gets ahead. Spiritual warfare is imminent.

Underachievers