Most of us have never realized the vital place that our testimony or confession holds in our daily life.
Colossians 2:5 (WEYMOUTH): “For although, as you say, I am absent from you in body, yet in spirit I am present with you and am delighted to witness your good discipline and the solid front presented by your faith in Christ.”
Their solid front was a persistent, intelligent confession of what they were in Christ.
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God
The twenty-eighth verse illustrates beautifully our solid front. “Your fearlessness will be to them a sure token of impending destruction, but to you it will be a sure token of your salvation—a token coming from God” (WEYMOUTH).
The Philippian believers had had a hard battle. The church was located in the prison keeper’s home. It had come into being when Paul and Silas were imprisoned and God had set them free in such a miraculous way that the keeper had turned to God and a church had been formed in his own home.
Acts 16:11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Paul and Silas Imprisoned
16 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. 17 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.” 18 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. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; 21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” 22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
The Philippian Jailer Saved
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
They had to put up a solid front or Satan would have absolutely overwhelmed them. The same thing is true today. Many are sick and weak and total failures because of their public confession. The Spirit speaks of that type of Christian.
BABES IN CHRIST
Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
For although, considering the long time you have been believers, you ought now to be teachers of others, you really need someone to teach you over again the very rudiments of the truths of God, and you have come to require milk instead of solid food. By people who live on milk I mean those who are imperfectly acquainted with the teaching concerning righteousness. Such persons are mere babes. But solid food is for adults—that is, for those who through constant practice have their spiritual faculties carefully trained to distinguish good from evil.
•This is a remarkable statement. When by reason of time we ought to be teachers, leaders, helpers of men, praying with the sick, we are still where others have to do the prayer for us. We are like the body of believers of whom James writes in
James 5:14–16: Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.
These babes in Christ were sick. They needed to see the elder, feel the anointing oil upon their heads, hear the prayer, and feel the hands that were laid upon them. They lived in the realm of the senses. They had never developed to the point where they believed the Word that declared that “with his stripes we [were] healed” (12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Heb 5:12–14.).
THEY HAD SENSE KNOWLEDGE FAITH
Isaiah 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed
Isaiah 53:4–5 had never become a part of their lives. They mentally assented to it. They agreed that it was true; they acknowledged that it was true, but it wasn’t theirs.
You see, that is a settled thing. When Jesus arose from the dead and carried His blood into the heavenly Holy of holies, and that blood became the red seal upon the document of our redemption, He sat down, because His earthly work was finished. Our sin problem was settled; the righteousness problem was settled; the disease problem was settled; and Satan was defeated.
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption
Heb 9:11–12 states that He had obtained an eternal redemption. That redemption reached down to this day and is ours. Satan knows that he is eternally defeated. Now every believer has a legal right to perfect healing and deliverance on the grounds of the finished work that Christ wrought.
It is not necessary to call for the elders or anyone else. All he needs to do is to turn to John 14:13–14: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, that will I do.”
The word “ask” is better translated “demand.” All you need to do is to demand that Satan leave you, that he take with him the disease that he brought to you.
Mark 16:17 tells us that “In My name shall they cast out demons.” You are a master of demons because you and Jesus conquered Satan when you were raised together with Him and His resurrection.
Ephesians 2:4–6 makes the case clear: But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.
YOU STAND BY YOUR CONFESSION
You can see now that you have a confession of a perfect deliverance, of a perfect healing from disease, of your dominion over the adversary; and in your confession now you can make a solid front before the world and the powers of darkness. They have no dominion over you.
You remember that Jesus said, “The prince of the world cometh; and he hath nothing in me” (John 14:30).
The same thing is true in your case. 2 Corinthians 5:17–19: Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
If you are a new creation, Satan has nothing in you. That new creation is all of God. The old thing that Satan owned and controlled is all passed away, and the things that are in you now are all of God.
When you know this as you know the multiplication table, you will have something that will absolutely put to flight the forces of Satan. There isn’t any reason why we should live in constant fear of sin and doubt when we are the very sons and daughters of God.
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God
Then the old bondage of fear and want and disease is gone. You have another spirit now, a recreated spirit. God is no longer God to you: He is your Father, and as a Father, He is your lover and caretaker. You aren’t afraid of anything now. You are absolutely fearless, and now you “put up a solid front” before all your enemies. You lift your banner; you shout His praises; you stand complete in Him over every circumstance and every attack of the enemy.
SOME FACTS OVERLOOKED
When you came into the family of God, you made a confession of Romans 10:9: “For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God.”
•When you confess His Lordship, it is not only His dominion over you, but “lord” means “the bread-provider,” the caretaker, the protector from all your enemies. He becomes at once the Lord of your life. His ability is back of you to protect. You actually become a partaker of the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And as you become a partaker of His nature, you become a partaker of His ability. God’s ability becomes your ability. God’s strength becomes your strength, and Jesus is the Surety of that new covenant for you.
Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant
When you acknowledge Him as your Lord, then God becomes automatically your very Father. All the resources of heaven are at your disposal.
2 Corinthians 3:4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God; who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant.
We have tried to conquer the adversary with our own strength. We have tried to overcome temptation with our own wills. That is unnecessary, for His will has become ours; His sufficiency is ours; His ability is ours. Now we become efficient as a member of the body of Christ with His efficiency.
You have learned to yield to the God inside of you. As you walk on with Him, you become “God-inside minded” so that again and again during the day as you face life’s problems, you remember that the Greater One is in you.
GOD-INSIDE MINDED
Philippians 2:13 illustrates this for us: “for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.”
He is as work within you, solving your problems, building His strength into you, making His wisdom your wisdom, His ability your ability, His strength your strength.
You can understand now that you are not common anymore. You belong to an unusual order of beings. You are a new creation created in Christ Jesus
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
And you are created to an end to enter into a certain realm, to do His will, carry out His purposes here on the earth. You have a testimony now that is thrilling. You remember that your faith will keep pace with your testimony, that you will never have faith beyond what you confess; for there is a relation between your faith and your confession.
If you are afraid to confess your oneness with Him, that His very life is your life, that His ability is your ability, that His strength is your strength, that His wisdom is your wisdom—if you are afraid to confess it, it is not yours. It is what you boldly say before the enemy that fills him with fear and you with courage and victory, that is yours in reality. If you are halting and have a negative confession, your faith will never rise above it.
A negative confession shows a lack of appreciation on your part of Christ’s victory over Satan. You are identified with Christ. When He conquered Satan, before He arose from the dead, you were with Him in that combat, and the victory that He achieved is laid to your account. All you have to do is to assume your place and say, “Satan, in His name leave me now;” or, “You leave that loved one.”
And when you quote Jesus’s word, it is exactly as if He were speaking it Himself. You remember when Jesus said, in essence, “The words that I speak are not Mine, but the Father’s”
John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works
So, when Jesus commanded diseases to leave those bodies, it was the Father speaking. So, when you order disease to leave bodies in Jesus’s name, it is as though the Father were speaking. But when you have a negative testimony and you talk about your lack and your weakness, the adversary takes advantage of your confession and brings you down to the level of it.
A VICTORIOUS CONFESSION
In the school of Christ, you learn to say, “Thanks be unto God who always leadeth me in triumph in Christ!” In the school of Satan, you have learned a neutral or negative confession. And that neutral confession will bring you down to Satan’s dominion and keep you there. Your life will be a failure. You will become a preacher of unbelief and of doubt and of fear.
Learn to say with fearlessness, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
You have learned to shout with Isaiah 41:10: “Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
That is victory. That is the conqueror. That is a positive testimony that shakes the very foundations of Hell. That brings glory to the Father; that brings joy to Jesus; that brings victory to our own spirit.
As you maintain your “solid front,” your testimony becomes richer and more helpful. The living Word becomes a part of your very being. Now you are acting and speaking the Word that lives in you, that is becoming a part of you. You are not bearing the fruits of righteousness.
2 Corinthians 9:10: “And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”
HOW MUCH DO YOU REMEMBER?
- What is meant by the term “solid front”?
- How does Paul describe a babe in Christ?
- Explain why we have a right to perfect healing and victory.
- What part does our testimony or confession have in deliverance?
- Explain Philippians 2:13.
- What is the relation between your faith and your confession?
- What is a negative confession?
- What is a victorious confession?
- What are the rewards of a victorious testimony?