Lesson 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

WELL WARRIORS

OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this lesson you will be able to:

C Write the Healing Promise from memory.

C Summarize Biblical guidelines for walking in divine health.

C Walk in divine health as a well warrior.

HEALING PROMISE TO CLAIM:

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. (Psalms 37:4-5)

INTRODUCTION

It is difficult to wage spiritual battle against Satan and his evil forces when you are weak, sickly , and in physical pain. This is why Satan launches attacks against your physical body. He knows you cannot be effective as a spiritual warrior when you are ill.

You have learned strategies for ministering and receiving healing, but the Bible also has much to say concerning how to protect your body from Satanic attacks. The Bible
teaches principles for living in the Kingdom of God physically as well as spiritually.

Just as there is preventative and curative medicine in the natural world, there are

preventative and curative measures given in God’s Word. "Preventative" measures help prevent sickness. "Curative" measures bring healing when sickness does occur.

The following Biblical directives are principles for receiving healing and living in good health. They are both preventative and curative measures. It is important that you know these principles so you can share them with others and intelligently cooperate with God in matters of bodily health and healing. God wants well warriors!

ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR:

When you do this, you become a born-again Christian, a child of God. The Bible teaches through the story of the Syrophenician woman that healing is the “children’s bread,” that

is, it belongs to the children of God (Mark 7:24-3 0).

God graciously heals unbelievers and uses it to draw them to salvation, but healing is really the "children’s bread ." By accepting Jesus as Savior, you put yourself in the spiritual position

to receive physical healing.

If you are already a believer and have sinned, exercise the privilege that is yours to ask for and receive forgiveness (I John 1:8-9). By keeping yourself continually cleansed, you prevent sickness resulting from your own sin.

GIVE GOD’S TEMPLE BACK TO HIM:

Your body is the temple of God. Present your physical body to God for His purposes: I Corinthians 6:13 ,19-2 0; Romans 12:1

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

When you seek first the Kingdom of God, all other things are added unto you (including health) : Matthew 6:33

BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Jesus never performed a healing until He was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Bible

teaches that the early church had power after the Holy Spirit came upon them . If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, it will quicken your mortal body both now and in the resurrection. Part of the power of the Holy Spirit is the power to heal. Being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit will help you walk in health and secure your healing. It is the Spirit and the Word of the Spirit that quicken and give life : Psalms 119 :25,50 . Study Psalms ll
where the quickening of the Spirit is mentioned ll times.

FEAR GOD:

The Bible promises health to those who fear God: Malachi 4:2; Romans 8:15

DEVELOP AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

Since healing is "in His wings," then you should abide under them whether you are

seeking or ministering healing (Malachi 4 :2). "Abiding" in the Lord, as a branch does in a vine, is an intimate relationship. It attaches you to the vine from whom the "sap" of life and healing flows.

GIVE THE WORD PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE:

Study Proverbs 4:20 -23. Note that you are to give God’s Word priority as you attend to it with the mind, ear, eye, and heart. The entire body is affected.

"Attend to the Word": Means give the Word undivided attention.

"Incline thine ear unto my sayings": Do not hear through traditional ears or through

interpretation of what other men say about the Word of God. Hear it with your own ear.

"Let them not depart from thine eyes": Keep your eyes trained on the Word of God. Do not look at contrary circumstances. Do not look with fleshly senses. When flesh conflicts with spirit, rely on spiritual senses.

"Keep them in the midst of thine heart": Keep the Word of God alive in your heart. Just as you feed your physical man, feed your spiritual man.

"For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh": God’s Word is like medicine. It brings healing (Psalms 107:17-20)and strength (Psalms 119:25-28). See also Proverbs 3 for the effect of God’s Word on health.

When a medical doctor prescribes medication, he tells you to take it so many times a day to recover. If he tells you to take the medicine internally and you decide to rub it on your chest, it is of no value. You must follow his instructions in order to get well. This is God’s prescription: His Word is His medicine for life and health both preventative and curative, for life and health . You must use it and apply it correctly.

If the doctor says you have a serious condition and need surgery, you do not say "I do not have time for this operation." You make time even if you lose your job. You rearrange your schedule. When you are that diligent about the medicine of the Word of God , it will bring health to your body. If you are feeling bad, double up on Bible reading. His Words are spirit and life . They bring healing.

WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD:

If you walk in obedience to the Word, you will not live in sin and this will eliminate

sickness resulting from personal sin. Psalms 38 records the mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional conditions resulting from David’s personal sin.

God responds to you on the basis of obedience (I John 3:24). Righteous living helps you avoid sickness brought on by your own personal sin. Living according to God’s Word also provides protection from some diseases, such as sexually transmitted diseases.

Walking in obedience to the Word includes prayer , study, and application of the Word . See Psalms 128, Deuteronomy 28, and Exodus 15:26 as examples of promises of
physical health to those who walk in obedience to the Word .

GUARD YOUR HEART AND SPIRIT:

There is a relation between the soul and health (III John 2) The forces of life flowing from the heart bring healing power. The forces of life come out of your spirit. If you have a bitter, angry spirit, it will affect you physically . Most nervousness, frustration, etc., comes from living in the future . Guilt and resentments result from living in the past. God says to forget what is behind and do not worry about the future.

This is why Jesus taught us to pray, “give us this day” our needs. God structured the universe to run on the pattern of a single day . When we break that pattern in our heart and spirit by living in the past or future, emotions result that lead to illness.

The indwelling human spirit gives life and energy to the human body. Once the spirit

leaves the body, the strongest body will stop living and begin to decay. Life is quickened when the spirit reenters the body. Because of this, a breach (opening) in the spirit can provide entrance for Satanic powers, including sickness. Bitterness, anger, worry, strife, etc. are all works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19 -21).

Proverbs 18:14 indicates a wounded spirit affects the physical body. Proverbs 17:22

indicates a broken spirit affects the physical body . Psalms 38 shows how sin is related to
physical and emotional conditions. Proverbs 16:24 and 12:18 indicate your conversation
can affect your physical body . Bring your emotions under the control of the Holy Spirit.
This is done by allowing God to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit in you. Since healing
begins in spirit , the fruit of the Holy Spirit can bring healing (Galatians 5:22-25; Romans
8:26).

FOLLOW NATURAL LAWS OF HEALTH:

It has been estimated by doctors that 60 % of illness results from an unhealthy lifestyle. The Bible is filled with examples of following the natural laws of health. The same God that said , "I am the God that healeth thee" also gave practical health regulations as part of the Old Testament law . Paul told the men on ship to eat for their health (Acts 2 7 :3 4 ). He told Timothy to drink wine instead of the bad water (I Timothy 5 :23).

The body, as well as the spirit, is sacred because it is the temple of God. Proper rest,

exercise, and diet will help you walk in divine health because you are cooperating with the natural laws of God. Because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, do not take any toxic substances into it such as alcohol, cigarettes, or addictive drugs.

PROPERLY DISCERN THE BODY OF CHRIST:

You already learned the importance of properly discerning the body of Christ in Communion. The Bible says many are sick and weak because they do not do this.

WHEN YOU ARE SICK, BELIEVE GOD WANTS TO HEAL YOU:

Believe God wants to heal you, even if you have not yet experienced it. Provision and manifestation are different. Provision for salvation was made hundreds of years before you accepted it and it was manifested in you. Believing is confidence in provision even when manifestation (of healing) is not yet experienced. Believing is different than
claiming. When people claimed they were well while still exhibiting terrible symptoms, this caused many to turn away from divine healing.

"Believing" believes God’s Word, but does not deny the natural, visible symptoms. Do not go around talking about your symptoms voluntarily and glorifying the attack of Satan in your body but if you are asked , always speak the truth. "I have the symptoms of heart trouble" or "the doctor has diagnosed heart trouble." Then answer the inquirer with God’s Word–"But by His stripes I am healed."

This follows the example of Jesus, who did not deny or ignore reality. Jesus said clearly,
"Lazarus is dead . . . But I go to raise him ." It is a delicate matter of fact balanced with
faith .

ACCEPT GOD, THROUGH JESUS AS YOUR HEALER:

See Exodus 15:26, Psalms 147:3; Matthew 8:17.

Sin and sickness are Satan’s twin evils. Salvation and healing are God’s provision. Before Calvary, people were saved and healed by looking forward to it in faith. Afterwards, by looking back to it in faith. Did you accept Jesus only as Savior, or did you accept Him as healer also? How can He keep you from sin if you have never accepted Him as Savior? How can He keep you from sickness if you have never accepted Him as healer?

Jesus bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases at the same time and in the same

manner that He bore your sins (Matthew 8:17). We should not forget His benefits, which include healing (Psalms 1 0 3: 1- 3) . God laid both sin and sickness on Jesus in the same atonement. How can we say part of it belongs to us and the other does not?

In Romans 10:9, the word "saved" is the same word used by Mark when he said "as

many as touched him were made whole." Salvation is deliverance from sin and its

penalty. Sickness is part of the penalty. The Greek word "sozo" carries the meaning of physical and spiritual healing. The only "surely" (word of emphasis) in the redemption

chapter of Isaiah (chapter 53) precedes His provision for our healing.

You can be free both from the bondage of sin and sickness. He forgives your iniquities and heals all your diseases (Psalms 1 0 3: 3 ). This is why Jesus said , "Which is easier : To forgive sins or be healed?" (Mark 2:9).

INCREASE YOUR FAITH FOR HEALING:

Lack of faith hinders healing, so you need to increase your faith for healing. It is not necessary to be a person with great faith, just a person with a little faith in a great God. Faith is believing God will heal you, not can heal you. Satan believes God can heal, but wants to keep from you the truth that He will.

Your own faith is not an absolute necessity for healing . It is desirable, but not a

prerequisite to healing in every case. When Jesus ministered healing, there were many

who were healed who could not have faith. Some of them were dead. Some were healed because of the faith of a friend or relative who brought them to Jesus.

Your faith is just one channel of healing, but because it is a channel God uses, it is important to develop it.

A. Healing faith is not:

1. The faith by which you are saved.

2. The "faith of our Fathers."

3. Faith in your own faith, the response of your faithfulness, ie., "I’m

doing my part, now you do yours."

B. Healing faith is:

1. The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not

seen.

2. Expecting God to do what He has promised.

C. Healing faith can be:

1. Faith of one who prays.

2. Faith of one who seeks healing.

3. Faith of friends.

4. Faith of relatives.

Faith for healing comes from hearing the Word of God about healing. Relating

experiences will encourage your faith, but only hearing the Word of God increases your faith . Isaiah begins the redemption chapter with "Who has believed our report ?" To
believe the report, they must hear it. Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing the Word of God. "Word" in this verse means "the specific sayings of God" which–in the case of

health- -would be the passages that concern healing.

Jesus did not condemn people about their level of faith. He encouraged them and

increased it with the Word. Believe when you pray (Luke 11 :24). Many do not get their prayers answered because they have hope (future) instead of faith. Faith "IS" means it is present. During the period between your prayer and the manifestation in your physical body, look to God, not symptoms.

ACT IN FAITH:

Act upon the Word of God to demonstrate your faith in it. Hope is passive. Faith is

active . Faith without works is dead. Faith is a noun , belief is a verb . Combine faith with belief and begin to act in faith. God has always worked when men acted in faith:

-Noah built an ark: God sent a flood.

-Moses stretched out the rod: God parted the waters.

-Joshua marched around Jericho: The walls fell down.

-Elijah smote the waters: God parted them .

-Elisha threw a stick in the river: God made the iron swim .

-Naaman dipped seven times: God healed the leprosy.

God’s Word becomes simple when you accept it as true and act accordingly. The first act is to appeal for healing on the basis of faith. Many believers spend their lives depending on the prayers and faith of others, as though they were more favored by God. To be
saved, you do your own repenting, believing, confessing, accepting, and receiving. You have the right to do your own asking, believing, and receiving for healing. Others may pray for you, but never substitute the prayers of others for your own asking because Jesus said, everyone that asks receives. Appeal yourself in faith (Psalms 6:2-3).

After appealing in faith, accept healing by faith: "Be it done to me according to your

Word," Mary said. Believe you receive your healing when you pray, not when you feel better . Receive it just as you did salvation : By faith. Sometimes you have feelings
when you get saved, sometimes you do not, but you still receive salvation by faith. The same is true of healing.

You cannot lead someone to salvation unless they believe. The same is true of healing .

God does not have to heal someone to prove healing anymore than He must save someone to prove salvation.

Healing can be instantaneous or gradual. The blind man and the leper healed by Jesus were apparently gradual healings. Jesus cursed a fig tree one day and its roots died, but its death was not apparent until the next day. It died from the roots, not from the visible branches down. The same principle can be true in healing.

It is a mistake to start looking at your body to see if you are healed. Healing starts in your spirit. God heals through your spirit. Even His Words "are spirit and life.” We must
worship Him in spirit. This is why Satan wars against your spirit (spiritual warfare ).

After you have appealed to God and accepted your healing by faith, act in faith upon God’s promises. Faith moves and acts on the basis of God’s Word. Reason is troubled, excited, and nervous. When reason argues, faith stands steadfast.

Faith does not have to argue, but believes when a request is made according to the Word of God, the work is finished even before it is visibly manifested. Faith lives in the light of anticipated results . It does not cower in bondage to present circumstances. Just as when the Israelites took the promised land, the size of your inheritance depends on how much "land" you stand upon , walk on, and claim .

Begin to speak words of faith. The words of our profession (or confession) is saying what God says (Hebrews 3:1). Confession is saying what God says and affirming something
you believe, repeating with your lips from your heart the things God has said in His
Word. Confess what Jesus did for you and what the Bible promises as a result of His
finished work.

Confession states facts written in the Bible . Jesus is the High Priest of our confession. He acts on behalf of our confession . It is not "mind over matter" or the perverted "name it and claim it" idea. Faith does not wait to see to believe because faith comes by hearing, not seeing. When Jesus stood outside the tomb of Lazarus, He prayed,"I thank Thee that thou HAST heard me ." He said this even though Lazarus was still dead .

Confession is not denying reality , but meeting it head on with the profession of God’s

Word. Faith is not an irrational act. It is the most rational act in the world. It is based on the Word of God, the highest possible evidence of things not seen–things "forever settled in Heaven" on the basis of God’s Word.

Confess God’s Word even if you have contrary feelings. Confession is made to salvation, with or without feeling. The same is true of healing. Confess first, then Jesus acts on your confession. You overcome through the blood of Jesus and the word of your testimony
(Revelation 12:11).

You do not need sympathy for healing, (suffering along side of), but substitution

(suffering in place of) and this was already done by Jesus. Negative confession glorifies Satan. When you tell your troubles, you are giving testimony to Satan’s ability to get you into trouble . You are snared with the words of your mouth (Proverbs 6:2). Is your
confession God’s Word or symptoms? The Word declares healing. Symptoms declare illness . Which will you declare?

As part of your confession of faith, begin to praise God for healing. Jonah praised God for
deliverance while still in the belly of the whale. Hebrews 13:15 speaks of a "sacrifice of
praise ." We are to praise as we enter His gates, not when we leave with our petitions
granted.

Psalms 50:14-15 indicates that praise is the gate in the wall of salvation. Through praise you can hang your own gate and walk through it to claim the benefits of salvation. You would not confess Jesus as your Lord and act like an unbeliever. Do not confess Him as your healer and act as an unbeliever.

There is no Word of God void of power. When Peter was told to let down the nets, he did not argue. He did not deny the fact that they had fished all night and caught nothing, but he went ahead and acted on God’s Word. When you act in faith, you do not depend on your feelings. You may not feel like asking for prayer. You may have not felt anything when you were prayed for. You may not feel any better at first.

Do you want healing or feeling? Healing is better than feeling. You can be healed and
never feel anything. Base your faith on the Word of God and not feelings. Faith is the
evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). You do not need faith if you already feel
healed.

The Word of God and faith are the senses by which a spiritual person is directed. The
natural person walks by the natural senses. A spiritual person walks by spiritual senses.
When natural evidence conflicts with the Word of God, walk by spiritual senses. Your
natural senses may be convincing, but when God’s Word differs from them, act on the
Word.

Abraham’s physical senses said it was impossible for him to have a son. But Abraham
believed God. He acted like what God said would come to pass. Abraham "considered
not his own body" (Romans 4:19). Do not consider the condition of your body. Instead, "Consider Him who is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus"
(Hebrews 3:1).

It is not enough just to not consider your body. When God tells you to take off, He also
tells you to put on . When He tells you to cast out demons , the empty void must be filled . When you bind, you are also to loose. The same pattern applies here: When you
"consider not" the symptoms in your body, you must focus your attention on Him and
"consider Him."

People believe in the power of disease with confidence. They believe in the effects the doctor tells them they will experience before they experience it. But when it comes to healing, we say, "I will never believe until I see it.” Faith replies, "You will never see it until you believe it ." Faith is the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). David said,

"I had believed to see" (Psalm 2 7:13 ). He did not say, "I had to see before I would

believe." He acted in faith before he saw the evidence. The Word demands that you walk by faith. Senses demand that you walk by sight. It is not that you deny the reality of the
things seen (symptoms), but you focus instead upon the things unseen (II Chronicles
4:16-18; 5:1 ).

Meet the temptations of unbelief with faith. Satan tempts every born-again believer with sin . He will tempt every person who is healed by symptoms. He will tempt you to fear that the sickness will return. He will discourage you when you see others who lose their healing. He will fill you with doubt that you were healed.

Remember, man’s first sin resulted from believing God did not mean what He said!

Meet such temptations the same way you meet temptations to sin: Answer them with the Word of God, as Jesus did.

USE THE WEAPONS OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE:

Remember that sickness is Satan’s attack on the body , just as sin is his attack on the soul .
War against this with your spiritual weapons (Ephesians 6:10-18). Your weapons include
fasting and praying (Isaiah 58:6-8). For further study of spiritual weapons, see the
Harvestime International Institute course, "Spiritual Strategies: A Manual Of Spiritual
Warfare."

ACCEPT MEDICAL AND NATURAL METHODS:

When a fire starts, you not only call on the fire department, you use every available means to put out the fire (buckets, water hoses, wetting down the roof, etc.).

When you are ill, you can not only call on God but you can also use every available

legitimate means to war against sickness: Doctors, medicine, rest, diet and exercise. All are good things from God. Appreciate the channel through which healing comes, but give the glory to God!

Avoid these two extremes:

1. Practicing Healing Prayer Only:

Some Christians practice healing prayer only, refusing any help from modern medicine

which is an extension of God’s goodness. Isaiah used a natural poultice of figs for healing (Isaiah 38: 10-21). Jesus said "the sick need a physician" (Luke 5:31) and Luke, who was a physician , was a part of Paul’s team (Colossians 4:14).

Some Christians quote II Chronicles 16:12-13 as proof they should not go to physicians

because Asa consulted doctors and died. But the key word in this passage is "only." Asa’s sin was not seeking the Lord. In a time of great personal need, he looked to man only. His primary confidence was in man, and this was his error.

The medical doctor is only an extension of God’s goodness. The doctor can set a bone, but he must wait for divine power to heal it. A surgeon can skillfully perform a difficult
operation, yet God does the actual healing of the cuts he makes. He works in cooperation with, not opposition to, God even though he may not realize it. Doctors remove
obstructions to healing and provide medication to aid it. Christian doctors, especially, can work effectively in cooperation with God.

Many medicines are made from natural herbs and elements created by God in the first

place. The medicine is a more concentrated form. Pray over medicines before taking

them increases their effectiveness. Why set aside what God has so graciously provided in legitimate medical service? It is no more sensible than refusing to stop the flow of blood in an artery and resorting to prayer alone or refusing to remove a splinter from your finger and calling for the elders to come and pray. It would be as foolish to neglect the use of natural or legitimate medical means as to neglect daily food to maintain life and health.

Note: Caution might be used in selecting a doctor, especially in cases of terminal illness. It is important to have one who recognizes the reality of divine intervention and does not surround the ill with a negative environment.

2. Limiting The Way God Heals To Only Modern Medicine:

Doctors and medicine can effect cures for specific illnesses and assist in emotional and mental conditions, but they cannot deal with related spiritual and demonic conditions. Drugs sometimes only conceal the real problem and do not deal with it. Divine healing deals with wholeness.