"Passive Defeat"

It's rarely a scene from "The Exorcist" that believers will face in others or battle themselves. It's hardly ever a demonic onslaught with demons and fallen angels showing up at the foot of your bed. While it's certainly possible, and I've been a part of some wild and crazy deliverance sessions myself, the devil is generally a little more subtle.

Satan is very satisfied with the "passive defeat" of believers. It's where he does his finest work. They don't even realize that their struggle is straight from the war room of hell.

This is why Paul said to be on our toes.

Ephesians 4:27 (AMP) - "Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]."

No opportunity means we cover all the doors and windows. No foothold means we don't give him any permission to act by giving him opportunity to capitalize on our weaknesses.

In passive defeat you probably never saw it coming. You never saw it coming because you weren't watching for it or protecting against it.

"Pastor, all I need is Jesus. I don't need to do anything else. Jesus and the Holy Spirit got my back!"

Uh, yeah. Let me know how that's working out for you down the road. The devil loves folks like that. The next headache you get just might be the headlock he has you in.

Don't be foolish. No one knew His enemy more than Jesus, and He expects us to as well. 

Understand your power as a believer and the authority you have in Jesus.

It really is a battle over authority. The devil wants to rule you. You don't have to let him. Period.

Passive defeat is when you can't discern God from the devil. You start becoming confused about which voice you should be listening to. Alternative choices start to look good to you. You begin to make poor choices and those choices are not good ones. Remember, it's "passive", so you never really see it coming. 

Signs of passive defeat is that you start to form unreliable opinions about the Word. Your pastor all of a sudden becomes a source of contention. You find fault with your church. You stop associating with friends you have trusted and loved for years. Incrementally your entire social and spiritual structure completely changes almost overnight.

EVERYBODY sees it happening. Everybody but you. 

You end up on the floor wondering what happened. Passive defeat.

You let it happen. You can't even blame the devil. He is doing what he does. He just did it to you.

You were passive. He defeated you. Passive defeat. It wasn't even painful. At least not during the process.

Oh...he's good at what he does.

Be better at what a believer does.

Leave NO room.  Allow NO foothold. Attack the gates of hell with more Jesus everyday.

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><