We see angels of light presenting themselves as the servants of the Lord when they are, in fact, messengers of satan. We see many false visions, many false words, many false teachers and teachings. Alas! What can we do about it all?
From our point of view, these things seem like huge issues. It takes a considerable amount of effort to stand against these things. At times it seems we are sinking under the weight of so many burdens and things coming against us. We wonder if perhaps we will be completely swallowed up and overwhelmed by it all. When we look at the facts of the situation it does appear that we are hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded.
How Shall We Overcome?
There is a secret to overcoming, and the secret is seeing. If we can only see, then we will overcome. Living follows seeing. We cannot live as overcomers until we see it. But once we see it, living it becomes natural. Doing follows being.
The problem is not “out there”. The issue is not the great host which has surrounded us. We would like to make that the issue, but the size of the army is irrelevant. I do not have to know what the enemy is doing in your life, because it does not matter. I only have to know what you see. When you look out from where you are, what do you see? If you see correctly, then nothing can defeat you. If you do not see correctly, the tiniest thing will quickly subdue you. The difference between victory and defeat is not in what the devil is doing or the direction this world is going, but in what we see when we look.
Most people look out and see themselves surrounded by an enemy. That is why they live their lives in desperation and fear of what may happen next. They see the devil everywhere they look. They are full of stories about what the devil is doing to them (or what he might be doing). But the overcomers look around them and see something different. They do not see as other people see. That is why they overcome.
To be an overcomer does not mean that we deny the existence of the enemy. We are not going to overcome by pretending we are not really surrounded. Denying the existence of the adversary will not make him disappear. We acknowledge and admit that there is a real enemy, a real spirit of Antichrist, that is out to destroy the Remnant and hinder the Testimony of Jesus. We also acknowledge and admit that more often than not, this spirit of Antichrist seems to get the advantage over us.
Even so, the issue is not the enemy. We may look at the enemy, study him, and build an entire movement around different ways to fight him. We can write books and hold seminars on “spiritual warfare”. But when we look out from the mountain, what do we really see? Here is the difference between those who overcome and those who are defeated: it is not in their ability to fight, but in their ability to SEE, and this seeing is not of themselves, but is of God.
Overcomers Have Had Their Eyes Opened
Now Elisha’s servant looks out, sees a great host about to attack them, and cries out, “Alas! How shall we do?” Elisha looks out, sees a great host about to attack them, and says, “Fear not.” What a study of contrasts. Everywhere it seems people are crying, “Alas, alas, what shall we do, where shall we go, what’s to become of us”, etc. etc. Where are the ones who can say, “Fear not”?
I hope you will understand that the problem OUT THERE did not change. Both men faced the same army, both men faced the same circumstance, but one man said, “Alas!” and one man said, “Fear not.”
How is it that two people, looking at the exact same situation, can reach two completely different conclusions? The difference is in what they saw when they looked.
Some people become upset with me because they think I make it sound so “easy”. “But you don’t understand what I’m going through…” Brothers and sisters, maybe no one can understand what you are going through, and you may never understand what I am going through, but that does not matter. What matters is whether or not our eyes are opened. We should not spend time studying the problem when the Solution is right in front of us.
I can offer you nothing more than what Elisha offered, and that is, clarity of vision. “Lord, open his eyes that he may see.” Now the difference is just here: some people have had their eyes opened to see, and some people have not. It is quite easy to tell the difference. The first group is saying, “Alas!” while the second group is saying, “Fear not.” Now that is not a condemnation or a criticism, just a statement of fact. All of us are blind until someone prays, “Lord, open their eyes”. One day we will ALL see, and we look forward to that day when everything is made clear.
What must we do? How long does it take? It is not a question of spiritual growth, maturity, wisdom, or gifting. Elisha’s servant did not gradually begin to see more clearly. He did not study the situation for many months and finally hit upon the truth. No, one moment his eyes were closed, and the next moment they were opened. Either your eyes have been opened or they have not. If they are open then you can pray for the Lord to open the eyes of others. If they are closed, you can pray to have your own eyes opened.
People sometimes ask me what they have to do to obtain this great revelation of Christ. They think it is God’s way of rewarding us for a lot of hard work. Nothing could be further from the truth. To have one’s eyes opened is simply an act of grace, and God alone can do it, and will do it, if we will only ask Him. At the risk of making it sound “too easy”, I dare not make it any more difficult than that!
When the servant’s eyes were opened, he saw what Elisha saw. When Elisha said, “The ones with us are greater than the ones with them” it must have sounded like lunacy. It cannot be understood with words alone: the eyes must be opened. If words were enough then Elisha would not have prayed for the eyes to be opened. We should spend less time trying to understand “words” and more time praying for God to open our eyes. When our eyes are opened, then the words will make sense. Until then, words are like hieroglyphics – we know there is something significant there, but we cannot understand what it means.
Thirty seconds of seeing is worth thirty years of studying and listening to teachers. Five words of revelation are worth more than ten thousand words gathered from flesh-and-blood.
Someone asked me if I know “everything”. The answer is no, but I have seen enough to know what I am talking about. Testimony follows revelation, and the testimony consists of what we have seen and heard, not what we “think” we know, but what we KNOW we know.
It is the illumination of the heart that brings forth the knowing. It’s when we finally “get it” and we can say, “Oh, NOW I see it!” We do not mean, of course, that we actually had a vision, but we mean that what was previously hidden from us has now been made known to us. This is not reserved for apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The Holy Spirit leads every disciple into “all truth” (John 16:13,14).
Elisha did not argue with his servant, or try to convince him at all. He just prayed for God to open his eyes. What a relief it is to know that it is not my duty to “defend the faith” or convince everyone of what I know to be true. I can just pray for their eyes to be opened, and God will reveal. It is so much better that way!
The Weapons of Our Warfare
I want us to see that in this particular instance Elisha did not pray for protection. He did not pray for victory. He did not ask God to supply him with an arsenal of weapons. Why not? Because he saw that he was already surrounded by the chariots of fire and the hosts of heaven. When the victory is ours already we do not have to pray for victory. That would be like trying to enter into a room in which we are already sitting. No, if victory is mine then all I need is to have my eyes opened to it. If I have already OBTAINED it, I do not have to ATTAIN it.
How would our lives and our individual testimonies be different if we really saw into the heavenlies? Do you think it would change our words? Do you think it would change our actions? Do you think it would change our thoughts? Do you think it would have an effect on our surroundings?
Do you see yourself seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6)? Paul saw it, and prayed the Ephesians would see it. When the Lord showed me that I was raised together with Christ and was made to sit (past tense) in the heavenly places with Christ, do you think it changed the way I saw the world? Absolutely! No more was I looking at things from “ground level”, but from the heavenly realm. Things look decidedly different when viewed from above.
Elijah saw differently, and so he thought, spoke, and behaved differently. So often we try to adopt a certain way of thinking, speaking, and acting in hopes of becoming victorious. If this is your intention then you are already defeated. If victory lies in something you must do then you will never be able to do enough. “Acting spiritual” does not produce victory, for victory is not what I do or do not do: Victory is Christ.
“Greater Is He That is Within You”
We who are the Lord’s Body are told, “Greater is He that is within you, than he that is in the world.” This is practically the same thing Elisha said to his servant: “The ones that be with us are greater than the ones that be with them.”
The situation is the same. The apostle John says a great deal about Antichrist, false doctrines, and false teachers. He sees the Church is surrounded by a great host of wolves who want to gain access to the flock and tear them to pieces. But he also sees what Elisha sees, that is, the One within us is greater than the one in the world.
John declares that no matter what comes against us, the One within us is Greater. It does not matter what you feel like, what you see, what you hear, what people say, or what the devil does. It does not matter if Lazarus is dead for four days and is beginning to stink. It does not matter if the girl dies before Jesus can get there. It does not matter if the waves are about to capsize the boat. It does not matter if Paul is stoned and left for dead. Lazarus will be raised, the girl will be brought back to life, and the storm will be silenced, and Paul will preach again.
The Greater is always Greater, and the Lesser is always Lesser. We only have a problem when see everything else as “greater” and see Christ as “lesser”. Remember, the difference between “Alas!” and “Fear not!” is in having our eyes opened. When you look, what do you see? May the Lord open our eyes to see Him as He is!
Yes agreed. Unless we know deep in our Spirit that the one in us is Greater than the one out there, the victory is already there.
Yes, we need to “See”. We truly need else we will always be fighting a losing battle.
I believe the first step is crucial or should I say the first thought is crucial.
Thanks Brother Chip for this article. This article must be read.
Blessings
Judy
A WONDERFUL ARTICLE OF GREAT TRUTH! I NOW KNOW HOW TO PRAY FOR OTHERS IN A MUCH BETTER WAY! THANK YOU FOR SHARING MUCH WISDOM! JEAN
Chip, What a powerful revelation. Not one that we are “seeing” for the first time but “seeing again.” Recently I was having a conversation with a brother and smack dab in the middle of our, mostly his, going on about the things he had been going through. THE LORD spoke this into my spirit: “IF IT AIN’T ALL ABOUT HIM, (JESUS), IT AIN’T ABOUT HIM AT ALL.” I immediately shared this with my friend and it jarred him so hard he said, “what did you say?” I repeated it to him and he continued on talking, and talking and I don’t think he ever, “got it.” I believe this lines up perfectly with “seeing” and “not seeing.” If HE is our, “ALL IN ALL,” then we must see HIM in ALL things, situations, attacks against us, etc. If our eyes are open to see HIM then we will also see what he reveals to us, which is what HE sees from HIS vantage point of, “being seated at the right hand of the FATHER.”
Yes indeed, if we would by faith, as we have believed on Him, would also walk in Him then the results would be seeing as a result of believing instead of believing as a result of seeing.
Our biggest and really only sin is unbelief- His word says He overcame the world, and He lives in us, therefore we are overcomers. Our eyes being opened as we see with His eyes, and celebrate the Glory of His love and what He has accomplished for us as He dwells within.
Blessings
Tina
Have been asking for quite some time now to “see” yet I’m still saying “Alas”. Will someone please pray for seeing and discernment.
Thank you.
Randall
Yes Randall, I will pray that our Lord “touches” your eyes so that you can see what He wants you to see. Thank you for asking me for prayer for you and may God continue to bless you and your family.
Yes, this makes so much sense! Thank you!
I’ve always wanted to see as Eijah saw. Yet now I know, I do, not “visibly”, but in the spirit. Blessed are those who do not see (visibly), but believe (because they see in the spirit realm).
I’m likening it in my life, to Abram going down to Egypt during the famine. God sends famines into our lives to “test” us (show us ourselves). Trials, tribulations, rejections, health issues, etc. Famines can come in many forms. But the question is, shall I go down to Egypt (enter into fear and discouragement), or will I stay in Canaan (trusting in God through the famine, knowing that He will direct my steps through it)? Will I go to Egypt (keep my eyes on the enemy, the problem, the sickness), or will I remain in Canaan (keep my eyes on and my trust in the Lord)?
yea i think all of us christians struggle to see things from a spiritual perspective–thats why i cling to the perspective of only seeing things when the lord shows them to me and i dont limit this to the bible–he has shown me things from all kinds of ways but the main thing is to allways to be looking to him for the revelations however they may come.
Brother thanks for this STRONG and HIGH word. I think that i´m going to dig in to this excellent teaching. And im going to translate it to share it with my relatives. Blessings
What a wonderfully refreshing and revitalizing word which has given me the courage to go on .
WOW! This is a post that should be printed out and carried around for frequent reference and/or sharing. This will be an excellent resource for study and discussion with many who I am discipling. Thank you so much!
this is such a word in season Chip. – I have been sharing with two very precious ladies about asking God to open our eyes to “see”, and as I read your article Spirit has reminded me of a time a few years ago when praying on a farm in Zimbabwe. I was with a group of believers on an outreach in the rural area. there was so much going on with all the violent farm invasions and people were very afraid……. farm owners as well as farm workers….. In fact it was not much later that this particular farm was invaded and burnt to the ground. We had been told to go and find a quite place and come before God and ask for the way forward for our country. I went off and during my prayer time I felt such an urge to praise and sing to our Lord God – so I started to sing “Onward Christian Soldiers”… I sang at the top of my voice – and as I sang so the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see the size of the army available to us. A huge, huge army came through the clouds, riding on chariots being pulled by horses,…. thusands and thousands. I was beside myself as I tried to tell others what God had shown me. ….. sadly to this day the church I belonged to are still doing their “spiritual warefare” to no avail….. “oh, Lord open their eyes that they might see”.
So true!
Absolutely powerful. A Word in due seaon. Thank you and God bless.
WOW!! Powerful Truth i love this God bless you Chip….Open the eyes of my heart LORD,open the eyes of my heart i want to see YOU i want to see YOU.Too see YOU HIGH AND LIFTED UP SHINING in the LIGHT OF YOUR GLORY.Pour out YOUR POWER and LOVE,as we sing HOLY HOLY HOLY 🙂 This is how i feel after reading such beautiful illustrated truth 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jackie,
This very song was traveling through my heart while reading Chips post today and then I scrolled down to see your comment. Thank you Jackie, my sister! I go around singing this song to the Lord quite often, one cannot hardly utter these word without weeping. Praise the Lord for His word in this season of life.
Oh, my goodness, this is fantastic! This is just what I know in my heart, and I so wish people could “see” it! I’ve prayed and continue to pray for people’s eyes to be opened to the truth — that their circumstances will not overwhelm them with fear. I’ll share this message with many, many people.
Powerful Powerful Powerful – it reminds me of a favorite verse of mine – Oh COME and Taste and See that God is good… or (My interpretation) Oh COME and Taste and See that God is all Powerful , a loving and kind Father who is good to His children….. (my Daddy). Or as we would say today – “God got this” Fear NOT
Thank you Chip!!! For this beautiful word today!! I want to ditto Jackie, to say, ” Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart. I want to see You, I want to see you !!!!!!! Yes Lord, I want to see You!!!
Is not a heart of surrender to God’s sovereign purpose in our lives a requirement for receiving sight? Consider Stephen as he was being stoned and saw the heavens open and Jesus at the right hand of the Father… or Corrie and Betsy ten Boom — a more modern example. In the concentration camp, they thanked God for the insects (either gnats or mosquitoes) because they kept the guards out of the tents which enabled them to share Christ with their barracks mates. First off, they were thanking God in the concentration camp! They saw that God positioned them in the midst of suffering under evil men in order to share the gospel with these women. Then they saw that the insects which could make them miserable were actually heaven sent. There is MUCH for us to learn from their lives and example. We hold on to our lives in the west, and therefore fail to see Christ’s purpose in the midst of our suffering. We just want the suffering to stop, and we fight and flail against it; we look to garner our rights and gather our resources, therefore, we fail to press into our faith to inquire of the Lord that we might see His purpose. Give us eyes to see, Lord, indeed. Why did He leave enemies in the land of Canaan rather than vanquish them all at once? Why did he allow the enemy to afflict His servant, Job? What can we learn from these examples?
We are not in perfected bodies…we have flesh to contend with…we are not in a perfected environment… therefore, in this world, we will have trouble. I leave you my peace, not like the world gives, Jesus said. This will continue until such time the Father is ready to end the age. Do we trust Him with our lives? Have we counted all but loss except for our relationship with Him? He, Himself, is our supply of peace. Have we bent our knee before Him, or are we still trying to preserve our lives? Indeed, He is for us…but in His being for us, He is first and foremost for His will to be accomplished. He cannot be for us, otherwise. So, when we ask Him to open our eyes, we must do so with a heart prepared to surrender to His purpose in our lives and trust Him, come what may. Therein lies the true battle… and oh, how our enemy wants to destroy us at that very point.
Nanette,
You said it right, our eye’s need to be opened in the midst of our pain and troubles, not after. This is my prayer for myself and the Lord’s people. I have had to endure much suffering because I didn’t see until it was late or too late. So many things I cannot turn back time, I was leaning on self and ignorance. My only hope is that the Lord will bring beauty from ashes, if not, then I have suffered great loss, at my own hands. If our eye’s are opened to Truth then we will see in the midst of darkness as we follow the Light.
Me, too, Sherry…those words of conviction come from experience with my own failure in this area. I suffered much loss because I failed to see this truth in the midst of suffering a hard marriage…the outcome might have been the same even if I had borne up under the suffering more consistently…but, I can’t totally know that as I never got to see the fullness of the Lord in the midst of it, and I regret that. Still, I realize that’s just not where I was in my walk at the time…I lacked the understanding, faith, and maturity. I had not yet learned the beauty of the way of the cross.
But, you know, the Lord is loving and merciful…that truly is His nature. There is no condemnation for those who are in Him…His mercies are new every morning…and He is faithful to His word. He does bring beauty from ashes and works all things together for the good of us who love Him. I’ve experienced that, first-hand, too! Overwhelmingly!
As a result of my loss, I came into a much more intimate and healing relationship with Him. While I would not have chosen the path of suffering that led me there, I am forever grateful for the beauty He has given me in place of the ashes!
Let this time of suffering loss turn to healing by drawing very near to His heart and discovering the depths of His love for you, His sister and bride. My prayer for you!
amen! thank you for this word! it was greatly encouraging! a must read and need!
Thank you for being so truthful. May The Lord Jesus open all of our eyes to Himself. This is all that is needed.
i don’t think it is about seeing… it is about trusting in Yeshua and recalling his life both in the old test and the new test… to recall that all happened was within his capacity to deal with it all… he is strong enough in other words…
so to see is to trust in Him who can see and surrender to Him in all instances
ej uk x
Great lesson. Thank you.
Amen, Amen, Amen thank you lord. God you are greater then my circumstance, the Victory is already won in Jesus name. Amen
God bless you Sherry my Sister my heart is truly touched.Thank you for your obedience to HOLY SPIRIT for the encouragement to my heart,you are a blessing,
Yes chip you are so right on–many people today claim to be Christians but it’s because they have all this theological knowledge piled up in their brain but they never have really seen anything so I wonder if they really have been converted at all.
Kenneth,
Jesus tells us that there will be tares mixed in with the wheat, and wolves mixed with sheep. There will be blind guides leading the blind. There will be many that come around unnoticed in order to cause conflict and confusion. So yes, there will be many to say, “Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and have done many wonders in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me you workers of lawlessness. The law of Christ is Love. This is why Jesus was against the Scribes and Pharisees. They had head knowledge but they lacked justice, mercy and faith. Mathew 23 is not an encouraging chapter for any who seem to be wise in scripture but lack Love. This is the fruit we look for when discerning those around us that claim to be of Christ, but are counterfeits. Some are blind to this truth and they follow blind leaders and they all will fall like domino’s. May we not be so blind that we follow blind leaders and suffer great loss. When I first believed and was born again, I followed after lawlessness, blind guides, and have had to pay a hefty price. After much prayer the Lord has opened my eyes to His Truth and I had to flee from darkness into the Light of the One who saved me. He is still opening my eyes to more of Himself every day. Thank Goodness.
Thanks Sherry that gives me some attributes to look for.
I cannot tell you how often I have heard preaching, teaching, seminars, ect on spiritual warfare, catching the vision, defeating the enemy, and so on. It all seemed necessary at the time, but something always nagged at me that I was missing the point! The war has already been won! And I am in Christ so I am already a victor! I feel saddened that so much time has been wasted puffing up the devil and not enough time presenting Christ as the Victor and Overcomer of everything! Lord continue to open my eyes!
thanks for eye opening message more grace
I am so very thankful that the Lord sent me to this website on this 30th day of July
in the year of our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen. Along with being blessed to
have found you, I am filled with gratitude. Not in my best dreams did I expect
the Lord to direct me here in this very crucial time in my life. I bless your lives, you and
your wife. One thing this sharing has taught me today, is if a man, called of God to preach
and teach this pure, unadulterated WORD of GOD, is still standing from the evil
onslaught of the RELIGIOUS, so can I. Because I love JESUS.
There will be more later, coming from me. Now I must start studying. I have
already discovered through your lessons and blogs that my concentrated studies
since June 13, 2013 through this present time.
I truly thank you for being here for me this day. The Lord bless and keep you and your family, and
may He continue to shine a light on you. I pray that He cover all that concerns you and your family
with the Blood of Jesus, financially, physically, health wise,and continue to grow stronger in Him, all
in the precious, mighty, powerful Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Thank the Lord Jesus. This word is true. I ask the Lord Jesus to continue to open your eyes and reveal more of Himself to you, Sir. And stay in the faith. 🙂
Amen
It’s seeing the defeat that’s anguished my heart to speak what I see, thus bringin down every high argument leaving people naked seeking to be clothed by Christ.
As I was reading this article the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance this scripture.
1Co 12:31 But zealously strive after the better gifts. And yet I SHOW to you a more excellent way.
I bolded the “show” to emphasize our eyes need to be opened in order to see something more excellent. The more we see the love of God, our Father, the more we become it here on earth. Glory to God! And Happy Father’s Day everyone : )!