No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.
The Bible has a lot to say about curses and blessings. It's always interesting to me that Christians are anxious to discuss and learn about the blessings that can be bestowed upon us as Believers, but don't seem to be too knowledgeable on the subject of curses. Granted, it is a complex issue, but I want to try to make it relevant to the world in which we live today.
First of all, I guess we need to agree that there are actually two kinds of curses: the one we would call "swearing"; or the use of curse words; and the second being an authoritative declaration, considered to possess an inherent power of carrying itself into effect. We all know the Third Commandment, right? "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain" is pretty self-explanatory. We recognize the power of God in that statement. The fact that He will not hold us guiltless, demonstrates that judgment will be pronounced.
But what about the other kind of curse? Does it have any power over us? Our Scripture today certainly says, "No!" Our "vindication" will be that God will clear us of any blame or suspicion, and prove that we were in the right --- but notice that this pronouncement is for the servants of the Lord.
I see it this way... in this day and age, witchcraft and demonic activity is more out in the open than it has been at any other time in my lifetime. But we need to rely on Scripture ... God does not allow His children to be cursed. God is sovereign. No one has the power to curse one whom God has decided to bless. God is the only One able to pronounce judgment. Yet I believe that there are plenty of people who believe in casting spells and hexes and incantations against others. And there are those who will testify that they work!
But the Bible is very clear that if you belong to God, those spells will have no effect upon you. But, here is the thing: the number of people who are being deceived by Satan and his followers; those people who reject God and refuse to believe in His Saving Grace, is growing. They have listened to the lies and believe in their own dark powers, as granted by the Evil One, himself. So, they see some success in their casting of spells and dark magic against those who are not Believers, and they think that the one they serve is greater than the Christian God.
Here is my warning to them: Micah 5:12 very clearly says that God will destroy witchcraft and those who cast spells. But I also have a warning for those "lukewarm" Christians and unbelievers. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:24 that "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." So, we must be on guard to give no credence to those who claim that they have been given supernatural powers by any other than Yeshua. Even then, if you are a Believer, you better be praying and using your Holy Spirit-led discernment to reveal God's Truth.
As we consider today's Scripture, I want to assure you that we need not be afraid of coming in contact with such people. As Christians, we have been born again as a new person in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we are in the constant presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and under whose protection we exist. I will, however, concede that a curse upon an ancestor can affect you as a descendent in the generational line. But it is important we realize that, if you are a Believer, that curse was covered by the blood of Jesus the moment you accepted Him as your Savior.
Remember that Romans 8:2 tells us, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." Any generational curse is certainly part of sin and death, and Christ has set you free. When we apply God's Word and the Authority of Jesus combined with the Power of the Holy Spirit to our lives, nothing of Satan is allowed to transform us. Just as our verse today says, "No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed...".
Doesn't that give you such peace of mind? It should! So Christians who live in fear should see that there is no need to be afraid! We know that “the one who is in you [Christ] is greater than the one [Satan] who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). So are you living that Truth out in your daily life? Are you living in God's Peace and in the knowledge that we have been set free? The best way to avoid cursing, or those who curse us is to be obedient to God and walk in the ways of His Son. That is the heritage of the servants of the Lord!
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