The Making of a Disciple - 7 Days of MentorshipSample

Hills of Battles—Spiritual Position (Deeds)

The battle for spiritual positions begins in the disciple's mind; this is critical in renewing the mind daily. The mind is where the disciple serves God and positions themselves in the spiritual will of God. Spiritual position sets the disciple up for spiritual disposition. Deeds performed are to locate the disciple either with God or against God; their deeds will make them known. Deeds are "an action that is performed intentionally or consciously," and deeds determine the spiritual position of the disciple's soul and places the soul in a position to either receive from the Lord or be cut off. Deeds are intentional actions that point the disciple in a particular direction. Depending on the deed determines the direction. 

Spiritual attributes are distributed by the deeds performed, therefore, qualifying the disciple or disqualifying the disciple, which will be according to their deeds. For example, unforgiveness is attached to a spirit of anger, and forgiveness is attached to love. Because a person will love someone who has done something against them, forgiveness will be attributed to the wrongdoer. When anger is used, unforgiveness can be attached if the person stays in the anger against someone.  

Anger places the soul in a bitter, unforgiving state of mind and teaches others to roam in the same muck and mire of that anger, affecting the direction of walking with God in wholeness and true love. "Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul."  The mind of a disciple must operate like the mind of Christ to win the battle of spiritual position for the soul. The mind must stay on God for peace. Through that peace, a greater spiritual understanding is obtained for the disciple. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind stays on You because he trusts in You." "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 

Learning to Obey Under Persecution

Once the battle of the mind is won and the spiritual position has been established in the things of God, the disciple must learn to obey in times of persecution. Persecution is a tool Satan uses to discourage the disciple in progress. God uses persecution for a time to testify of the kingdom of God, the power of God, and the knowledge of Christ. King David went through intense persecution, and it revealed the intent of the persecution. "For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, like those who have long been dead. Therefore, my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed." King David tells us what happened to him when he was persecuted. The same feelings and distress can occur to the disciple. Jesus explains when believers are persecuted, love and forgiveness should be displayed. In displaying the love of God, love will provide an occasion to testify of God's goodness. Through love covering sins of others and possible sins of the believer, love testifies of the kingdom of God and the coming judgment. "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony." Testimony will help in overcoming the persecution. Within the testimony is the love of God, encouragement, and reward of the Lord. A testimony is just that—A TEST of position—where you are located spiritually and carnally.

Knowing How to Fight Spiritually

The weapons to use in every fight are as follows: forgiveness, unity, and love. Knowing how to fight spiritually begins with the disciple's choices—the freedom of choice to do God's will or not. Choices are the biggest reason why some disciples are not serving God as a disciple; some chose not to walk in forgiveness, unity, and love. They counted the cost and decided not to become a disciple. 

Many believers today will choose to be a disciple and go on to fulfill the call of God for their lives, or they will choose against it. The battle is in the choice to walk in the forgiveness of God, the unity of the body, and the love of God. The disciple becomes aware of knowing how to fight spiritually by reading God's word and relationship with the Lord; the battle intensifies when the believer becomes a disciple. As a believer, the Spirit of God leads them to a place of learning how to fight with forgiveness, unity, and love. 

God may instantly deliver the believer from drugs, drinking, and various other learned behaviors, but may not deliver the believer from everything to teach the art of spiritually fighting. For example, a believer will pray and ask God to deliver them from three types of drugs that they are addicted to—crack, barbiturates, and marijuana. God will deliver two out of the three, leaving one addiction in teaching the believer how to fight spiritually and discipline themselves in preparation for becoming a disciple. 

Before deliverance, the soul was captive of a seducing spirit of Satan's domain through apparent sin(s) and possible fleshly addictions. God gives the believer power to overcome the seducing spirit at the time of confession and conversion, then teaches the believer to fight while maintaining a relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and the rest of humanity through self-discipline and use of the word of God. Putting the word of God to action is key to spiritual success in becoming a disciple.

Sample Prayer:

Lord, thank you for teaching me how to do battle in the spiritual realm. I may not understand everything that I am up against, but I pray that You would continue to teach me through Your word, everything I need to know. Teach me how to use spiritual weapons instead of those things that I may have used in the past. In Jesus' name, Amen.