Sunday, April 17, 2016

The Complete Man

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV)

The topic of spirit, soul and body is a teaching I have often called the inner man. However, when properly understood, a more accurate way to label it would be the complete man.  2 Timothy 3:16 (ISV) reads like this, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good action.” Simply put, when you spend time in the Word of God you are stepping into training for righteousness. The Word of God is a washing agent (Ephesians 5:26), not to make you more righteous moment by moment because we are already made clean by Jesus (John 15:3 NKJV “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”), but rather, it is a mind-washer that ultimately causes the renewing of the mind as seen in Romans 12:3. Training your heart and mind in the ways of the Lord by reading His Word with faith will unlock understanding within your inner man that will manifest to your outer man. Who you are in the natural is not the whole picture. We must also understand what is going on inside and how we actually function. Having this understanding will cause you to recognize that you are a complete man based on what Jesus did.

Let’s look at the inner man and the outer man. Each and every one of us is made up of three different components: spirit, soul and body. We are a spirit, we have a soul (this makes up the inner man) and we live in a physical body (the outer man). As three-part beings we have different functions to our individual existence.

Starting with our spirit, our spirit is what connects us to God. As we know, in the beginning God’s holiness was violated by what took place through Adam. In Genesis 3:3 we see that God told Adam that if he was to eat from the Tree of Life he would die. Shortly after this statement from the Lord we see that Adam and Eve made the decision to eat from the Tree of Life, yet Adam did not drop over dead; why not? Because the death the Lord was referring to could not have been a sudden, physical death, but instead it was in reference to a spiritual one. This spiritual death did not mean that Adam suddenly ceased to live in the spiritual part of himself, but rather, it means that he was separated from God and could no longer walk with God in the cool of the day.

On a side note: it is my opinion that this potentially may be the point where human language began because in the garden the language wasn’t hebrew, greek, or english. I believe there was no language at that time; the conversation was a heart to heart conversation. Adam thought it and God knew it. God thought it and Adam knew it. It could be that when Adam ‘died’ he lost that form of spiritual communication with God, thus resorting to the crude natural form of interaction used for the created things of this natural world… speech. Man for the first time may have had to communicate to God from his natural tongue instead of spiritually. It may not be the case, but it is very interesting to think about.

When Adam died, or was separated from God, it was a direct result of taking the devil’s word over God’s. This caused Adam to give over his dominion, all of his rights and to rule the natural world, to the devil. It was this action that caused spiritual death/separation to take place for all of mankind. It was through this action by the first Adam, that sin entered the world and mankind was separated from our spirit-to-spirit connection with God. In order for God to reconnect mankind to Himself, there needed to be payment for the sin that had taken place. We see in 1 Corinthians 15:45 that the Word says, “And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Jesus was the second and the last Adam. What He did through His death on the cross was the highest achievement in all history. God made the impossible possible through Jesus’ perfect payment. Now, all that needs to take place is for you and I to simply believe in the One that God sent - Jesus! We are living in an age of grace where redemption from this fallen world is made possible through the sacrifice that Jesus made. When we believe and receive this, we are going back to the original state again. This is why His sheep hear His voice because we are reconnected in the Spirit. This is a picture of the meaning to be born again, or back to our original connection with God, and it is even better today because it is all based on Jesus!

Now the second part to this is our soul. Our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions. It is our driving force, it’s where we feel emotions, where we process thoughts and make decisions. We cannot rely only on our soul because it is carnal and it heavily relies on the things of this world. It is where we feel things; it wants to be comforted, to feel good and have what it wants. It is important that we understand that our soul is not automatically regenerated when we receive Jesus. When we receive Jesus, we are given all things that accompany salvation, but now it is our responsibility to uncover and understand what we have been given! This makes it necessary for us to train our soul to line up with the Word of God as Romans 12:2 teaches.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
Renewing our mind to God’s Word is how we line up our soul and better understand what was done for us in the spirit through the death on the cross. That is why it is so important to express to believers the understanding of our life after the cross. Yes, you have been saved from your sin - but now, there is a maturing and growth that needs to take place. When we align our soul with the spirit, the spirit begins pouring into our natural life. John 4:24 says that God is a spirit; He is not man. He doesn’t talk like we talk to one another. As you read earlier, God talks in the spirit and has desired that from the beginning. Talking in the spirit means that He talks heart-to-heart with us. When God’s Spirit speaks, our spirit knows it. It is important for us to keep our soul renewed so that we can clearly hear what His Spirit is saying. Then, our flesh must also follow suit! The third aspect to our make-up is our flesh, and in this context it is speaking of our natural body. When we discipline our flesh according to the Word of God and consistently keep our mind, will and emotions renewed, our lives become an open channel for the Holy Spirit to flow through! You will see lives changed around you because of these simple truths. The love and power of God actively inside of you will radiate out of your life and will demand an explanation! This is God’s best for you and I - that we learn to fire on all three cylinders, being a complete man and walking in the fullness of what He has done.

By knowing what your inner man is made up of, it begins to give you the ability to have the spiritual life of God manifest in your natural world. Another way of saying it would be that the super gets on your natural. I hope this blessed you today! Continue to transform your mind to the Word of God and keep on walking in God’s promises for you! Be the complete man!

For the Glory of Jesus,
Joseph Zupetz

Spiritual Gifts and Prophetic Maturity

The Body of Christ needs to be activated and begin desiring the spiritual gifts just as the Bible talks about. We should desire spiritual gifts. When we desire spiritual gifts, that’s when they will begin to manifest. Desiring them is an act of faith, and it is vital for us as believers to present God with our faith and not our needs. Religion teaches us that God is motivated by our need, but need does not motivate God. If it did, all of the nations with the greatest need due to starvation, disease and poverty, would flourish based on the need those tragic circumstances would place on God. What God recognizes is faith – faith in His Word is what allows Him to act on our behalf in this natural world. It is faith in what He says that engages His supernatural abilities and Holy Spirit empowerment in our lives. This is also true of spiritual gifts and prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:1 says, "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” This passage says to desire spiritual gifts, but especially that we might prophesy. Most often, religion teaches us that prophecy is giving a teaching from the pulpit. Although that is true, it is an incomplete understanding. Prophesying is a divine unction of the Holy Spirit that declares the Word of God in the form of preaching and teaching. However, it has a more complete definition when the ability to speak of future events is also recognized. One example of this type of prophesying is found in Acts 11:28 and Acts 21:10 where the New Testament prophet Agabus predicted a famine and later told Paul he would be bound if he carried on with his journey. God wants us to prophesy! Prophesying doesn’t make someone a prophet, but the Word is clear that we should desire to prophesy. Many people don’t believe that they can prophesy, but if God can use a donkey and a rooster as He did in the Bible, then He can use anyone of us. God wants us to hear His voice!

Once we begin to see the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy, manifesting in our life it’s important that we always stay securely on the foundation of the Bible in order to properly function in any of the gifts. 1 Corinthians 4:6 says, “Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.” We need to train ourselves not to think beyond what is written in the Word of God. If we have a vision, dream or prophecy and it doesn’t line up with God’s Word, it must be disregarded. If we don’t disregard it, we can step into an area of self-exhortation rather than glorifying Jesus or the Word of God. We need to keep the Word of God primary, and then combine that with love and character.

God wants to have fellowship with us through love. When we are angry or have unforgiveness in our lives, it can stop the Word of God from flowing clear because our soul is cluttered with distractions. It’s important to be motivated by love because it is through that love that the voice of God flows freely. In order for love and the Word of God to function properly, it must also be combined with character. Character is who we are when no one is looking. God cares about our character far above our gifts and our abilities. Many times in the Body of Christ people hide their character behind their gifting. We cannot be people that hide our character behind our gift. We need to develop our character to properly carry the gifts that God is manifesting in our lives. If we do not have character mixed with love and the Word, flowing in any spiritual gifting will become dysfunctional. The combination of all three of these parts is vital to maintaining a functional and fruitful gifting. Training ourselves to combine the Word of God with love and character is God’s desire for all of us in the Body of Christ.

When we come to a place where we have trained ourselves to combine these three, we can begin to discipline ourselves to hear God’s voice with more accuracy. When doing this, it is vital to understand that it all works by grace and is available all the time regardless of performance; however, when you stand on grace but apply the elements of love and character, you will offer the world something truly precious… maturity.

John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

Through Jesus dying on the cross and then receiving Him, we become God’s sheep and we do hear His voice. Some people feel as if God isn’t speaking to them or that they find it difficult to hear His voice. God works from different vantage points to speak, but if we are His sheep we can be confident that we can hear His voice for ourselves.

Have you ever felt as if you heard the voice of God, but then later nothing ever becomes of it? Many times we receive a revelation and forget that there is more to it than just hearing something. If we hear something, it isn’t going to just magically unfold for us. Magic doesn’t work in the Kingdom of God.

There is a very important three-step process to hearing the voice of God. These three steps are: revelation, interpretation and application. A revelation is revealed knowledge to your spirit, which ultimately comes through your spirit man into the realm of your soul. It goes from a supernatural unction and into the realm of your natural understanding. Revelations can happen anywhere, but more often in times of worship, prayer, or reading the Word. What tends to happen after hearing God’s voice and receiving that revelation is that we move on with our lives and nothing becomes of it. Some get a revelation and act suddenly and the end of their process is not fruitful and it can be discouraging. Again, this is why it is important to go through these three steps. When we get a revelation, the next step is to interpret what we heard. We need to interpret the revelation properly and then apply the revelation correctly to our lives. This is done by waiting on it for a moment and letting peace come up around it. Spend faith-filled time in the Word and then just rest internally about it. Peace over time and often other confirmation can come as you are resting through people the Lord may speak to and can begin to verify if we have the correct interpretation. When you understand the right interpretation, the final point that must be put forward is proper application of the revelation and solid interpretation. Without proper application it may seem as if we missed God. Typically, application has to do with the how, the when, and the where. Timing can be the most challenging part for anyone walking out these three steps, but if you stay at peace, keeping your mind focused on the Word and remain teachable, you will come to the right application. Application, or the action point, of your revelation is imperative and doing this properly can save a lot of pain and unnecessary challenges.

By doing all of these things – desiring spiritual gifts, mixing the Word of God with character and love, and following the three-step process, we can stand confident that we are operating in maturity as it relates to spiritual gifts and especially prophecy. These simple points, when utilized, can greatly benefit the outcome the next time the Holy Spirit prompts you. God Bless you as you flow in the gifts of the Spirit and continually follow Jesus!

For the Glory of Jesus,
Joseph Zupetz

This War Called Life

Life is an absolute war filled with battles every day. This can range from emotional battles to difficulties we encounter, decisions that we make, trials we go through, and even expectations that we either hold or have placed on ourselves. 

In war, there are a number of battles, strategic maneuvers and scenarios that finally bring an end to the conflict. The simple illustration of war is a good parallel for life. In war, you may find yourself betrayed during battle or you may also discover you are not fighting on the right side, much like Paul discovered on the road to Damascus in Acts 9.  Regardless of the situation you are in, you must always realize this life is a war and that every day is a battle. The primary place the battle takes place is in your heart or your soul, which is made up of your mind, will and emotions. Consider a time when you encountered a situation that affected you. This situation affected your mind, will and emotions on some level. You experience emotions in response to the situations you encounter, and you, by your will, decide what action you will initiate. 

It is ultimately important for each person to realize there are many battles that make up the war, and in order to take ground, you must indeed train yourself to win battles daily. If the primary place of battle is first in your soul, then that should be the place that receives the most training! I can just hear someone say, “What do you mean by ‘training my soul?'”,  and though I admit that that sounds unique – the answer is that this is absolutely the key to winning the war!

We all know God wants to save the world, and He desires that all mankind would know Him. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” I believe God calls to the world like a father saying, “REPENT! BELIEVE IN JESUS AND BE SAVED!” And then in turn, His cry to the believer is, “RENEW YOUR MIND!!”  

Renewing your mind according to Romans 12 is the structural basis for training your heart which ultimately makes up the components of your soul. When you begin to train your heart through washing it with the Word as if it was water, you will be armed in your mind, will and emotions to line up with the Spirit of God over every circumstance that will engage you. When you truly have the Word of God consistently flowing into your heart, empowered by the Spirit, you will have a mentality that says directly to every conflict in front of you, “This battle is over - I’ve already won it!” Jesus had that mentality in each instance while confronting religion, healing, teaching the people and ultimately overcoming death, hell and the grave. He had the same issues we have to overcome, and He did so so perfectly because He emptied Himself and was in all ways acquainted with our temptations. Because of this, we can arm ourselves with the same mind that was in Him for each circumstance, and each time, come out a winner.

You may have lost many battles up to this point in your life, but the good news is that you can be armed with victory from the inside out and truly overcome through what Christ has already accomplished! You may still lose a few battles, but if you lay hold of the understanding to train your heart for victory, and you do not allow discouragement and guilt to weigh on your heart, you will ultimately win the war!

For the Glory of Jesus,
Joseph Zupetz

Crossing the Red Line

I once heard someone say, “When God calls someone, He calls them to come and die.” Although I understand the poetic thrust behind these type of statements, dying is not the end of God’s call – it is the introduction to life! Most often, it is the life you never knew you wanted!

You see, when God calls you, it's true He is beckoning you to come, die to the world and separate yourself unto Him. This process is what I have termed, ‘Crossing the Red Line’. The red line represents your maximum threshold – the point in which you don’t think you have what it takes to go there, or if you do, it will cost you everything, and this very well could be the truth! The red line is a representation of hitting your limit, and it also doubles as a line in the sand that you can see, but you cannot see beyond it. It is the leap of faith that God calls you to take. It's the step that brings you into the true person He has called you to become. After this crossing, all daydreaming is over, and all the ‘what if’s’ come to a head. This is a place of action, it is a place where all calculations must come to an end and the risk must be taken. You can now, at this point, step into what the Holy Spirit has lead you toward all your life. Or choose to leave it.


It is at this point that most people stop directly on the line and looking upon it, they become conflicted within themselves, unwilling to part suddenly with their own motives. They formulate their action of non-action by mental gymnastics and create grand explanations such as, “The Lord is just dealing with me over an area,” to keep others from recognizing their stagnant state. The longer you stand at the line without stepping over, the longer you are acting on concern for intentions of self-gain and self-preservation. Someone may say, “I’m not going to act,” but in choosing non-action, they are indeed acting. Choosing this action based in self-preservation, is a deception that can only show you a shadow of what you should become, but the actual results of what you will get are typically far from your highest potential.


Most individuals that remain in this position of self-preservation talk a great game and are experts on all kinds of the hypotheticals involved in life, yet they themselves have never taken that step to pass into the raw uncertainty that lies within the path to destiny. Cloaking their timidity with the label of humility, the individuals that choose not to cross over become stunted in their growth trying to live their life to the best of their own ability and not the hundred-fold purpose God created them for.


When God calls a person to, “Come and die,” it is really a call to live and to live fulfilled. “….He who would lose his life will gain it.“ (Matthew 16:25). Those that cross the red line are those who heard the voice of God, stepped out in faith and thereby attained the life they were purposed for. Another way of saying it would be they attained everything they never knew they wanted! Those at the red line that are waiting, by living in self-preservation and excusing themselves from the greater picture that lies ahead of them, are trying to protect a number of things that they assume are ‘best’ for them. In doing this, they keep from allowing God to show them what the greater things for their life actually are.


He made you. It is He that knows your purpose and passions in life! You, in all your wisdom, can never attain what it is that He can give you by you simply following His leading. If you have been waiting, come now! Receive the life you never knew you wanted. Cross the red line, and let the world benefit from everything God wants to deliver through your purpose! 


For the Glory of Jesus,

Joseph Zupetz

God's Plot of Vengance

Isaiah 35:4 says, “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you. '"

God is furious, not against us, but against the things that entangle us. God is all about rescuing and saving; He is passionate and even vengeful about it! Think on that just for a moment. He comes with much vengeance and He wants to save us; that is why Jesus was manifested, to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Our Father wants us to succeed and enter eternity like Paul the Apostle in 2 Timothy 4:7 who fought the good fight and finished the race. You can see Godly ferocity manifested in Paul by the way he preached the Gospel, casted out demons and moved in the gifts of the Spirit. Also, in Peter, who opposed sorcerers, preached boldly everywhere he went and as tradition holds, was crucified upside down on a cross because he thought himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner of Jesus. Just like these men of faith and tenacity that gained fortitude through the trials they faced, we too need to finish strong bringing God the glory as we enter into eternity.


However, the age old challenge still remains – and that is that often times believers don’t want to be saved from their issues. Instead, they want their earthly entanglement and even enjoy it calling for God only when the pleasure of their entanglement bears the fruit of torment. It needs to be said that we cannot perform to earn God’s favor or love and that His grace is beyond comprehension. However, this does not mean that we should be wicked, lazy servants who do nothing with what we have been given as seen in the parable of the servants in Matthew 25. It is so important to grasp the understanding of God’s grace! Once we understand the role God’s grace plays in our lives, it ought to give us all the more vigor to stir ourselves up in our inner man, cast aside every weight that the world may offer us and run the race that has been set before us! The path is set; it is the Word of God we run on.


“I will run the course of your commandment,for you shall enlarge my heart.” Psalms 119:32 (NKJV)

Running in the path of His commands by the Spirit sets you free from all entanglement, which opens the door for the Spirit to destroy future works of the enemy that may try to entangle your life.

Consider this: Our mighty Father had the choice to leave us after the garden, but instead, He initiated the plan of salvation by making a way for Jesus to enter the scene. There was no obligation that God had, no covenant at that time, only His love towards us. It was His desire for His family that caused Him to act. God hated what happened with the devil in the garden. That is why immediately the Lord said to the serpent in Genesis 3:15, “You will bruise his heel,"however, “He will crush your head.”


I can almost hear the Father say to the Son right before He emptied Himself and came to earth, “Go get My kids back and while You’re at it … burn down the devil’s playground.” I can just hear the Son respond, “Father, it will be My privilege.”


Think of how wonderful God’s vengeance is against the enemy of your soul! He began plotting all the way from Genesis to Matthew a plot of revenge on the devil! From before your first breath, He has purposed to save you, and any enemy you face today is no match for Jesus! John 10 says Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly! The devil comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. Our part is to choose the life that He came to give! To live free of entanglement, free of our hearts condemning us (1 John 3:20). Those of you that believe in Jesus, that are washed in the Blood of the Lamb – enjoy your salvation! Walk in liberty! And, “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee,” as it says in James 4:7! There is no longer a single reason for you to wait in fear or lie in torment. Romans 16:19 states that God will crush the enemy under our feet! Let God’s vengeance crush the works of the devil in your life continually. Continue pressing toward the mark, and let nothing persuade you away from God’s call! I say we punish spiritual darkness by walking in the light today!


For the Glory of Jesus,

Joseph Zupetz

Spiritual Warfare that Works

There are many teachings that circulate within the body of Christ today around the topic of spiritual warfare and how to fight the powers of darkness. Many of these teachings over complicate a simple truth. This truth is found in Luke 10:19 which says, “Behold, 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.” If we lay hold of this basic understanding, that Jesus has authorized us as believers to be the dominating force in the tension of spiritual powers, I believe it would set people free.

Rather than making an issue out of the powers of darkness, we should always continue to focus on the truth of God’s Word and exercise our authority by it. What you focus on is where you are going. I don’t know about you, but I want my focus to be on Jesus and His Word!


Many individuals are very busy giving the kingdom of darkness attention because that is where their focus is. Did you know that demons love attention? They love it when they manifest through the different vices an individual may have. They love it when individuals have an outward manifestation and believers start hollering, screaming and sometimes even crying at the startling experience of someone manifesting a demon. I have discovered that powers of darkness can actually feed on people sensationalizing just how 'dark’ something is. Consider the account of the slave girl following Paul and Silas found in Acts 16:16-18:



 "Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, 'These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.' And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And he came out that very hour."

This spirit was not only trying to distract and annoy Paul and Silas, but in addition to that, the reason it was being so vocal is that it wanted attention. Due to all the works of the Lord that were being done, this spirit was no longer receiving the attention it previously had for its fortune-telling and divination. If there is one thing a demon can’t stand – it’s to be ignored!


I find it interesting that Paul and Silas paid no real attention to this spirit for a few days even though it was vocal and following them! It wanted attention. Can you just imagine Paul’s composure every time it got loud? He probably looked at Silas with a look of I’m gonna give that thing a whoopin’ if it keeps carrying on like this, and Silas would probably say, “Just ignore it, and let’s get the Gospel preached here…” Yet after many days, Paul had enough and being greatly annoyed, commanded it to come out!


It is so vital to have the revelation that the powers of darkness have no power unless given to them by someone. We have more authority and power to function in this natural world than they do because we have physical bodies and they do not. That is why demons need to attach themselves to bodies. In John chapter 3, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. In verse 5 He says, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” After this, verse 6 states, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”


Looking at verses 5 and 6 together, we realize they are explaining that to be born of water means to be born of the flesh, or born of a woman through water into this physical world. To be born of spirit, is to be born again or regenerated having your spirit reconnected to God the Father through Jesus.


We understand that we are born again, that God is a spirit and we have to be reconnected with Him in the spirit. However, the part I want to focus on is where Jesus spoke about being born of water, or another way of saying it would be that you must be born into this world and have a physical body. Why? It is because the world was designed to be managed by human beings with physical bodies, not spirits! Remember, God gave dominion of the world to Adam and upon his listening to the serpent in the garden, he gave his dominion or authority to the devil. This made the devil the prince of this world or the ‘god of this age’.


The devil even told Jesus in Matthew 4 that he could give the kingdoms of this world to anyone he wished because they had been given to him! We see here that Jesus did not accuse him of being a liar, but instead said, “It is written…” Proving the point that the devil actually did have dominion over the kingdoms of the world. However, Jesus, upon His death and resurrection, provided the necessary way for mankind to take back the authority they had given up in Genesis. This is enforced each time the Gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit. Consider this: Because you have a physical body you already have something the enemy does not! The proper suit or attire for dwelling and having dominion on this earth is a physical body. Now when you become born again you have more than just the proper terrestrial body – you also house the Spirit of the living God inside of you! Jesus not only connected you to the Father, but gave you all authority over whatever power the devil had. This power is housed in your earth suit. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 teaches us that we are made of three parts: spirit, soul and body. It is the body that carries the other two around and gives the advantage in this world. The fact that you are in a body already means you are above any spiritual activity in this natural realm! This even means people have the power to resist the works of God! They can quench the Spirit, resist the Gospel, harbor unbelief toward the Word of God and this can close the door to the good works of God in the natural. If people can, through the standing that they have in the natural, shut down the works of God in their life – how much more can believers, having their natural self filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, overcome the powers of darkness?


When we realize what we are capable of in the natural, it will quickly make our work of standing against spiritual evil easier and shorter! The enemy of your soul cannot combat directly with a believer who has this understanding. Other people must be used against you. The only direct weapon the devil has to fight people with is persuasion, which comes through thoughts. If he can persuade you through thoughts, he can dictate the direction of your life and thereby still maintain dominion in this world through whatever arena of influence a person may have. That is why I so often say the best form of lasting deliverance is good, ongoing teaching! The mind is the control center… that is why it is imperative to train it with the Word!


Here is something to think about – Jesus got results! He got results because He carried the presence of God around in His natural body. He was able to stand in authority in this world because of His natural body. We need to realize He is the prototype for us!


 1 John 4:17 says, ”Because as He is, so are we in this world.” This understanding has the potential to change the whole world if we lay hold of it! At the very least it gives us the realization that we are to go out and do what Jesus did, to get the results Jesus got.


We need a lot less weird and a lot more victory God’s way! Jesus’ prayer life was simple. He didn’t beg God to move, but He spoke to things saying, "Be healed," “Stand up and walk," “Your faith has made you whole," and “Come out of him.” Yes, we need to pray, we need to speak in tongues and we need to worship, but ultimately we need to do something! That something is exercising the Complete Gospel understanding that the enemy has defeated already and we are just enforcing that fact through our standing in physical bodies. Jesus came and gave us authority over the dominion of the devil in this earth. There are activities of darkness and demonic things influencing people every day all around us. It's how you handle it, and what you do with your approach to those things that will determine a quick victory or a drawn out battle.


Most believers that are tormented by spirits of fear suffer more from a lack of good understanding. It is the lack of knowing who you are and what you are capable in Jesus that allows that type of activity to continue. It is never God’s will for any of His people to be bound or living in terror and anguish. He absolutely wants us blessed, healed and experiencing life abundantly! When we get this understanding and we put it in line with the topic of spiritual warfare, we see that it is our authority and God-given right to put to flight the attacks and disillusionments of the devil.


The number one way of walking in spiritual warfare that really works is preaching the Word, speaking the Word, knowing who you are in Christ and knowing that it is all done in Him!


When you rest on the right side of the cross in the finished works of Jesus, it's easy to show others to the saving knowledge of Christ. The enemy will flee every time you bring the light of Jesus into the darkness of any situation!


For the Glory of Jesus,

Joseph Zupetz

Living an Emotionally Liberated Life

Has there ever been a time in your life when your mind was full of negative thoughts and emotional feelings that were so intense, it developed into something more than you could physically bear? You became encompassed by severe emotional heaviness and it was almost as if in that moment, there was no escape from the current reality of your circumstances. You potentially felt the sensation of drowning internally without knowing how to explain or change the situation. Often, it is in this place where you logically know many of the right answers, yet the pain and emotional turmoil continues to press against you at every moment.

It could be one specific issue, or a combination of challenges that twist your emotions to a place of confusion, leaving you disheartened and unable to navigate your way free.


Could it be you’re depressed? Or just focusing on the wrong thing? Perhaps the thought of what people think of you creates a weight on the inside of you and causes your emotions to carry you into a place of mental anguish and turmoil in your heart. It may be a fear of rejection, of experiencing a loss in some way, an injustice against you, or of someone else that you have no control over and leaves you angry.


If any of this sounds familiar to you, or perfectly describes a struggle you are facing - I have great news for you! Before brushing off this statement and moving on to something else, I ask you to please consider what I am about to say… The inner things and emotional turmoil that you struggle with is not reality. That's right! It is not reality!


I know I may have lost someone with that statement, but please consider this! Emotions themselves are absolutely real; however, what must be understood about them is that they are a reaction to something and are meant to be managed by us. It is not the other way around. Emotions are a perception driven by thoughts, which cause a physical and chemical reaction inside your mind and body. Every positive or negative emotion is the result of what we have intentionally or unintentionally trained our mind and heart to believe about how we perceive events around us. 


What you feel is based on your perception of an event or ongoing situation. Another way of putting it is your perception is your reality!


The way you perceive different things can entirely change your outlook on certain people, situations or circumstances. That is why It is our job to train our heart to perceive the truth of God in every emotional situation. This of course, is much easier said than done; but did you know, that it is absolutely possible for you to live an emotionally liberated life? You can! God has provided us with a way to get out from under our damaging emotions and mindsets that hold us down or that tie us to things of the world. It is called the renewing of our mind! The Word of God says in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” We do this by cleansing our minds with the washing of the Word! We get our mind and heart in line with the Word of God until our emotions surrender and line-up with what the Word says, instead of what we feel. I like to say it this way – you need to train your heart!


In Romans 10:10 the Word says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…” Notice here that it says with the heart a man believeth; the heart is the means by which we believe. In the Greek, the understanding for this word ‘heart’ is the word kardía, which in this context means the seat and center of human life. Kardía is also understood as the seat of the desires, feelings, affections, passions, impulses and thoughts. An example of this is seen in Matthew 5:8 where we read, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” The “pure in heart,” we see here means those whose center of life has been made pure by Jesus.


You may be asking, how is your heart made pure by Jesus? Well, I’m glad you asked! It comes by  training it! You train your heart by faith, single-mindedness, obeying the truth through the spirit and the hope that we will one day be completely like Him when we see Him.


The following are several other examples found in scripture:


“And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:8-9 (KJV) 

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 (NKJV) 
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” 1 Peter 1:22 (KJV) 
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3 (KJV)


Taking this understanding and applying it while looking at II Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” we see that it is a very vital task for the Christian to govern the thoughts and intentions of their heart by the Word of God and not allow the natural, fallen nature of the world to overpower their thoughts. Taking every thought into captivity is training your heart in its most simple definition.


Hebrews 5:14 states, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (KJV)


In the original language, to have "their senses exercised" means to have your perception under control by the faculty of the mind for perceiving, understanding, and judging. This is accomplished by the reason of use, or, in other words, the continual exercising of your perception to be able to discern both good and evil. The only way you have a standard in place with your perception is to conform your mind to the word of God!


To say it plainly would be to say, "Those who train their perception to be in-line with God’s Word, discern both good and evil."


When you train your mind it forces your perception to be in-line with God’s Word. Through submitting yourself to the renewing of your mind through the washing of His Word, you can alter your perception of the natural view of events and situations to see things God’s way!


We train our heart so that when certain circumstances arise that would otherwise drown out the Word of God in our life, we instead have the strength and fortitude to stand up and not be overtaken by our emotions. Our culture teaches us that certain things are too difficult to overcome and it's only natural when things are too much to allow our emotions to run wild. This results in complaining, depression, anger, pride, low self-esteem and numerous other emotional struggles. The truth is we have been given the ability to overcome these! It's true, things in life are tough, but praise God, He’s given you the ability to overcome!


Remember, we always have a choice to be conformed to God’s Word or not, and that choice begins right now. If you begin investing in your future by renewing your mind to the Word when trials and difficulties arise, you will not only be ready for them… you will defeat them!


For the Glory of Jesus,

Joseph Zupetz

Blog - Z Ministries