If you have read my previous articles, you will know that I always urge you to give the enemy kicking. James 4:17 says resist the devil and he will flee. And when it comes to matters of health, there is no change.
I say that every illness is a result of mankind living in a fallen world because of the influence of Satan. So it stands to reason to attack Satan if he's attacking us.
God made earth for us to live in and on and Satan came along and screwed things up. Therefore good comes from God and bad comes from Satan and there is no in between or third choice (i.e. your existence or your free will). You, we, are either leaning towards what God wants for our lives or we're leaning towards Satan's lies.
So when it comes to illnesses what are we supposed to do? The Bible says that Jesus came so we may have life and have it more abundantly. He didn't mean that we would be plagued with illnesses that we couldn't overcome.
James set out the instructions
Let's take a look at James 5:14. Now, James was Jesus's brother, so we are in good company. James said if any of you are sick, you should call the elders of your church to come and pray for you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.
- It is expected that the person who is actually sick is doing the asking and if they are unable to, they will be expected to 100% believe and submit to the authority of the elders.
- The sick person should be expectant that the power of healing will be manifest through the elders who in turn also believe that by grace, i.e. God's power, that they individually have been given the power to heal.
I do not subscribe to the doctrines of the "now and not yet", it is not scriptural and does not appear in the Bible. Nor do I just subscribe to the gospel of suffering, it is not scriptural and it is not written in the the Bible. I believe that these doctrines have been created to help make congregations feel better when they don't have faith.
We are to believe!
As believers we are to BELIEVE! Jesus said I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name and I will do it. (John 14:12–13)
There is a caveat to this; In Matthew 13:58 and Mark 6:5–6 when Jesus lived in Capernaum (yes, he left home in Nazareth and got his own place - click here to see the links on Bible Gateway) Jesus is recorded as only being able to lay hands on a few sick people and heal them because of their unbelief. In fact Jesus was amazed at their unbelief. Jesus lived in Capernaum and those who lived there knew that he was the son of a carpenter back in Nazareth and so refused to believe what he was capable of. They also didn;t believ that he was the Son of God!
So it stands to reason; if you have a church congregation who are wallowing in unbelief, don't speak to God, submit to their elders and don't believe in the power of healing then of course nothing is ever going to change.
Cause and effect
As mentioned earlier, I 100% lay the blame for every single sickness and bad thing that happens on this earth at Satans feet.
We are supposed to be overcomers. We have become browbeaten and tainted by faulty teaching and new-age leadership that perpetuates more concern about tea and biscuits than it does about fulfilling and living by the word of God.
In this post MTV era, the church has now caught up and now wants to put on a show and applaud minor Christian celebrities rather than applaud Jesus's power in us that heals the sick and instigates change in the lives of others.
Jesus wants us to get this!
We have been given instructions as to the best way to live this life and Jesus wants us to live it to the full. We are in training for eternity and so there's no point treading water for 70 years until we die. We owe it to him to start living now and trusting in what he has said through his apostles irrespective of whether we think it sounds right or not.
Up until recently, the Bible was used in every Court as "The Truth". I say recently as now it is viewed by most as a book that reflects an individuals opinion of the truth. As my truth may differ to someone else's. What utter nonsense. The Bible is the Truth. Now, let me think for a nano second, who in heaven or on earth would want us to believe something different - yes - Satan!
God created earth and for man to have dominion over it. We were not a mistake and we are supposed to be here. When Jesus returns he is doing just that returning to earth, "Heaven No.1 (two Corinthians 12:2)".
Do as you're told...
Therefore God has an expectation of all believers to do as we are told. Read and follow the instructions in the Bible. If he says ask elders to lay hands on you, and anoint you with oil and pray over you, then go right ahead and do just that. Make this request of them as it is as much about your faith as it is theirs.
Patience & Faith go hand in hand. We, as the body of the Church cannot expect miracles, from accepting someone as an elder in local churches or from faith-filled individuals, if we do not have faith in God and of them in the first place.
