Gossip is hurtful and destroys friendships. Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to entertain and release offenses. Confusing imaginations can lead to shadowed thinking and unsure living.
Scripture says, “I pray that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).
The eyes referred to in this Scripture are your spiritual eyes. With spiritual eyes, you receive understanding because God enlightens you by His Spirit. God desires that you might know the truth and not wonder what the truth is. Vain imaginations, however, can dapple the truth of Christ, but the Holy Spirit wants you to know “the hope of His calling” and “the riches of His glory in the inheritance of the saints.” Vain imaginations try to jail you through insecurity, fear, and wondering. Learn how to battle against them by asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into truth.
FEARFUL IMAGINATIONS
I went to a doctor with a friend once, and the physician told him in no uncertain terms, “You’re going to die.” A report like that can release many fearful thoughts at you. I encouraged, “No, you’re not going to die” because God’s Word says, “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:16). See, you have to hit fearful imaginations with overwhelming scriptural force. This doctor was well trained in his profession but terrible in bed-side manners.
We must attack facts with truth. Sometimes facts and truth conflict with each other. The fact might be that you are sick, but the truth is that “by His stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The fact might be that you can’t pay your rent, but the truth is, “My God shall provide all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Learn to use the spiritual weapons of the Word of God in your life and fight imaginations with the Word of God that works mightily within you. If the devil says that, “You’ll never make it,” use the Word against him and declare, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
THE GOSSIPING SPIRIT
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense. Gossip and demeaning imaginations journey together. Where you find one, you often find the other. Vexing imaginations can cause you to attack others by influencing you to gossip or speak evil to his neighbor. I have experienced people entertaining imaginations that use the telephone to pass them on. Let's face it; gossip is a sin. It is destructive and should not be engaged. Like witchcraft, it is a work of the flesh that releases attacks in the spirit. If you don’t like something, someone has said or done then pray for them, but don’t talk spitefully about them. We can’t afford to harm God’s children with our tongues.
Again, imagination is a gift. You should spend it wisely. So if you find yourself gossiping stop. Scripture declares, "Troublemakers start fights; gossips break up friendships" (Proverbs 16:28). When others are giving you, an ear full remember that most gossip is not true anyway, and there is always two sides to every story. If they are chattering about someone today, you are on the list tomorrow. Don’t let your tongue contribute to the devil’s attack against others.
CORRUPTED THOUGHTS
Gossip transfers thoughts and imaginations to others. Be careful what words you take into your heart. Solomon’s wisdom is beneficial. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee” (Proverbs 4:23-24). I mention gossiping because the enemy uses it to train you to contemplate corrupted thoughts and pass them on to others. American humorist Josh Billings gives some sage advice, “The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time your feel you must say something or bust.”
Even white painted churches with tall steeples experience the spiritual warfare of vain imaginations. Scripture says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them” (Romans 16:17).
Imaginations spoken against a church can keep leadership dealing with squabbles, divisions, and contentions all the time. They keep them occupied with things that are not true. When imaginations attack, it makes people want to give up and quit. Those that advance vain imaginations serve their own desires, agendas, and, “by good words and fair speeches deceive the heart of simple people” (Romans 16:18). Avoid the gossip mongers within your church that attack the leadership and dismantle the unity of the congregation and vision of the house. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
BATTLING GOSSIP, CONFUSION, AND DESPAIR
Confusion, despair, and gossiping are common weapons of the enemy. They can come when others talk spitefully against you or during times of discouragement and rejection. How they come is not as important as knowing how to battle against them. Christ is not the author of confusion but the finisher of your faith. He never taught his disciples to battle with fleshly weapons but spiritual ones. Jesus said, “I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). Use that authority today and attack every power of darkness, confusion, despair, and offense that battles your soul. Avoid gossips, busybodies, spreading rumors, and words of gossip.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
If the enemy can destroy your hope, he can disarm your faith.
Witchcraft is a spiritual force that battles against the spirit of your mind.
Witchcraft works best inside one’s imagination.
Witchcraft is a work of the flesh because people have the power to cast down orphic imaginations or to entertain them and walk them out.
Your enemy is a crafty foe. He uses gossip to train you in releasing and entertaining offense.
This short essay is out of my book “Imaginations: Dare to win the battle against your mind.” In the book we discuss:
- Why God gave you a prophetic imagination.
- How to defeat the fearful whispers in your mind.
- How to unravel Satan’s best spiritual warfare strategies.
- How to stop invisible opponents.
- How to see all things as possible.
- How to win imaginary conversations.
- How to walk where dreams live.
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(c) Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com -STAY INFORMED
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