PRESSURE

You are engaged in an awesome conflict. Up until now you have believed that the conflict was between you and your spouse. It is not. It is a conflict between two kingdoms. The kingdom of Satan is warring against the kingdom of God for your spouse and your marriage. God has plans for your spouse. He has plans for your marriage. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

Your enemy, the devil, also has plans for your spouse. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8 NIV).

IT IS GOD’S DESIRE THAT YOUR SPOUSE TURN TOTALLY TO HIM AND THAT YOUR MARRIAGE BE RESTORED AND HEALED. IT IS THE DEVIL’S DESIRE THAT YOUR SPOUSE BE LOST ETERNALLY AND THAT YOUR MARRIAGE BE DESTROYED.

The conflict is that simple. The circumstances particular to your spouse and marital situation are only the particular means of warfare that your enemy has chosen to employ in your case. He knows the weaknesses of each of you. He knows what will wound you the most. The devil doesn’t play fair. He kicks you when you are down. He strikes the hardest when you are your weakest. But he is limited in his means of warfare. "There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make a way of escape" (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV). The devil is limited in his weapons. He can only come after you with carnal weapons—things that are common to man. He cannot use supernatural means to war against you. God has promised you a way out with each attack of the enemy.

Scripture, however, has great promises for you regarding your weapons. "It is true that I am an ordinary, weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God, and change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 TLB). God has provided you with weapons that are supernatural and mighty to fight against the devil.

The key is to stay in the spirit and fight the battle totally in the spirit. The devil is a master of the flesh. He knows your flesh better than you know it yourself. If you get in the flesh, he will win every time. If you stay in the spirit, you will win every time.

What does it mean to stay in the spirit? Well, your spouse is saying and doing many ungodly things right now. You need to constantly remember that your battle is not with your spouse. Read Ephesians 6:12. You are not warring against flesh and blood. Your spouse is not your enemy, Satan is. So staying in the spirit means that when you see or hear your spouse doing or saying ungodly things you don’t react with your flesh. Yelling, screaming, arguing, and threatening are all fleshly means of dealing with the problem.

Recognize right now that you are fighting the kingdom of hell for your spouse and your marriage. Staying in the spirit means that you do spiritual warfare against your true enemy, the devil, and you do not war in the flesh against your spouse. Think of your spouse as a hostage or a prisoner of war in the enemy’s camp. Your spiritual warfare is going to be the means of your spouse’s freedom.

Circumstances are the chief weapons of your enemy. One of his greatest tricks is to get your eyes on circumstances and off Jesus. What are you facing today? Is your spouse filing for divorce? Is your spouse in jail? Are you being threatened with a custody battle? Whatever you are facing, it is a circumstance. Do not let it control you. Instead, you begin to turn the tide against it by fighting the true enemy with prayer.

Now this type of warfare is going to take spiritual insight and discernment. It does not mean saying, "Dear God, please bless our marriage. Thank you. Amen." It does mean identifying demonic spirits in operation and taking up your spiritual weapons against them in the name of Jesus. It is an active warfare, not a passive sitting back and waiting.

It is not the purpose of this book to teach you the depths of spiritual warfare that you are going to need. There are many excellent books in Christian book stores that will teach you what you need to know. You may also wish to ask your pastor to recommend some.

It is the purpose of this book, though, to help equip you for the battle ahead. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem to be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,5). He promised them that power would come upon them when this happened (Acts 1:8). Those to whom He spoke had already been born again when He came to them after His death and resurrection (John 20:22). It was obvious from what is recorded in the first chapter of Acts, though, that Jesus was telling them that there was another, separate experience available to them. Read Acts, chapters 1 and 2. Do you see the amazing transformation of the people? Those who had been so fearful and had even denied knowing Jesus suddenly became bold and proclaimed the Gospel fearlessly. As the Holy Spirit came upon them in might and power, He confirmed His presence by giving new languages to each who received Him.

Romans 8:26,27 (NIV) says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will." When we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit knows how to pray the perfect will of God through us. "For when I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful" (1 Corinthians 14:14 NIV). During this time of turmoil in your life, you need to be able to pray with your mind being unfruitful. There are going to be so many circumstances that are going to confuse you. There are going to be so many people giving you advice. You must know what God is saying in each situation. The only way you can do that is for the Holy Spirit to pray God’s perfect will for you and your family in each situation.

As you read through the Book of Acts, you will see that the Baptism or Infilling of the Holy Spirit happened over and over again. It was not a one-time experience in the history of the church nor is it reserved by God for just a chosen few. The same power that was available to them then is available to you now. All you need do is ask (Luke 11:11-13).

If it is your desire for the Holy Spirit to come upon you in might and power right now, pray this prayer:

"Jesus, I have received You as my Lord and Savior. I renounce all works of the enemy that may have been a part of my life. I ask You to baptize me in the Holy Spirit."

Wait upon the Lord as you pray this prayer. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing. Very soon new words will begin to form within you. Remember, they will come from your spirit, not your brain. Do not try to understand or analyze them. Just open your mouth and begin to praise the Lord. Allow the new language that He has given you to begin to flow forth in praise.

You are totally in control of this new language. You can begin praying in it when you desire and stop when you desire. It is not some uncontrollable thing that comes over you. You have the same control over it that you have over speaking in your native language. The difference is this new tongue is a private language between you and God.

You can sing in your new language also. Pick a song that you really love and begin to sing it in your new language. You will not understand what you are saying, but God will. Sing to Him, praise Him, pray to Him. The more you use the language He has given you, the more fluent you will become. Do not be concerned if at first you only have a word or two. The more you use them, the more words will be added.

You will find several things have happened since you have been filled with the Spirit. Scripture will take on a whole new depth for you. You will find you have a greater desire to praise and worship the Lord. You will begin to develop a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is your teacher (John 14:26) and your comforter (John 16:7). He always lifts up Jesus and He will teach you how to exalt Him in your life. Learn to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Through praying in your prayer language (in tongues), He will direct you into God’s will for every aspect of your life. "Lord Jesus, thank You for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for this new depth in my walk with You. Help me to remember daily that my battle is not with flesh and blood. Help me not to react to circumstances, good ones or bad ones, but to just keep my eyes on You.

Holy Spirit, teach me, counsel me, comfort me. I know You are praying the perfect will of God through me as I pray in the new tongue I have received. Help me to discern His will in every area of my life. Teach me to do spiritual warfare against my real enemy, the devil. Amen."

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