Warring Wisely

Warring Wisely

by Kathy Gabler

SEEC Ministries International PO Box 2655 Spring,TX 77383-2655

The last weekend in January we were out of town in services. On Saturday night I was stirred to pray for our home church outreach. They were scheduled on Sunday night to take a platform trailer and minister in the open at a furniture store in town. I suddenly knew a spirit of malice had been loosed against them for that night, so I began to pray for their safety. In prayer, I saw an aerial view of the community and one small house was highlighted where someone was irritated and disturbed by the noise of the open air music and preaching. I prayed the peace of God would prevail over the anger that became the door for this spirit of malice.

1 Cor 5:8 mentions the “leaven of malice.” Those words reveal the nature of malice to be like leaven. Though small in quantity, the influence of yeast will thoroughly pervade a loaf. In this case it might have been one individual upset and disturbed, but that bit of leaven had spread to others in the community as the spirit of malice sought a means of expression:

On Sunday evening, the first encounter with the spirit was a flare-up in Pastor’s face. There was a sudden change of plans and he was told they could not use the scheduled parking lot due to an offense. Another flare up came when one of the church family on their way to help set up the meeting was falsely accused of hitting a boy on a bicycle. The boy had not been hit at all. He simply ran out in front of the vehicle and fell, causing the driver to screech to a halt. One of our youth on his way to the meeting met with a human road block on one of the streets near the church. He spun his car around and escaped the obvious threat. When the platform trailer was being returned to the church, the trailer slid in the mud and fell sideways. The driver’s son, sitting near the jolting, twisting hitch could have been crushed but instead he ended up on the top of the tilted platform. The spirit of malice struck its blows but was not ultimately successful because of God’s intervention.

As I prayed for wisdom and insight on this matter of malice, the Holy Spirit reminded that it was a spirit of malice that put Daniel in the lion’s den: The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel. A spirit of malice can enter through several doors. Of course, the primary entrance is through anger. In James 1:20-21, the overflow of wickedness or malice (same Greek word), is linked to the wrath of man. In Eph 4:31, again malice is mentioned with wrath, anger and bitterness. Another springboard for malice is envy, (Titus 3:3). We are urged to clean house, getting rid of malice and the rest of its gang: deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind in 1 Pet 2:1.

There are even more unrighteous acts and attitudes that open the door to malice revealed in Romans chapter one. We see wickedness, hatred and malice manifesting because of dishonor, perversity, rebellion, reprobate mind, covetousness and lust. The leaven of malice is expressed in many attitudes and behaviors in chapter one: uncleanness, dishonor, sexual perversion (beastiality, homosexuality), fornication, murder, debate, whispering, backbiting and slander, accusation, hatred for God, spitefulness, pride, boasting, disobedience, breaking covenant, inventing evil things, loss of natural affection, unmercifulness, lack of understanding, hypocrisy and deceitfulness.

ENVY stirred up the spirit of malice against Daniel. Dan 6:3-9 - Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or {evidence of} corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was {to be} found in him. Then these men said, "We shall not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find {it} against him with regard to the law of his God."

Daniel’s Response: Daniel was not oblivious to the threats. However, he did not let the malice stirred up against him decide his behavior or attitude. Dan 3:10 - Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. (NAS) Daniel waged a wise warfare. 1) Daniel did not get distracted by the revealed plot. He did not focus on the threat or the injustice of the situation. 2) Daniel did not panic because of the plot, getting caught up in emotion and pleading with the king to protect him or avenge him. 3) Daniel kept his priorities straight by simply doing what he knew to do. 4) Daniel knew the enemy’s plan and trusted God.

Even when the enemy’s plot is discerned or blatantly exposed, we must not assume or presume a course of action. A spirit of malice put Daniel in the lion’s den, but God shut the mouths of the lions! Seeing what God sees is not enough, we need to view it the way He views it and agree with His plans for handling the situation. Interestingly, God did not remove the threat, He simply removed its sting. God did not stop the plan of malice by having the king show special favor to Daniel and make him an exception to a political ruling, instead He awesomely prevailed over the plot. (As intercessors, spying out the enemy’s camp and perceiving his plans is not enough. We must respond to the situation as God directs. We will grow discouraged praying for God to remove the threat if He simply wants us to trust Him to remove the stinger instead!)

OUTCOME: Then Daniel was exonerated . . . inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime. And the sowing and reaping cycle came to full completion in Dan 6:23-26 - Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children, and their wives into the lions' den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and {men of every} language who were living in all the land: "May your peace abound! "I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion {will be} forever. "He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, who has {also} delivered Daniel from the power of the lions." (NAS)

The end result was that God was glorified in the whole community (nation) that had been infected by the leaven of malice. We usually plan “successful endeavors” rather than spiritual wars, but the spoils of war are often much more impacting and more far reaching than our original plans would have been.

(This article was taken from SEEC Magazine. Email us for a free copy.)