My prayer is always and has been for a long time, “Father, teach me to use the weapons (spiritual gifts) You’ve placed in my hand.” I pray this prayer because I want to be prepared for the things that come unannounced and unwanted in my life. When I read in The Bible that the “weapons” of my warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through GOD for the demolishing of strongholds, my first thought was “What weapons and how do I find out more about these ‘weapons’?” As I prayed, meditated, and just lived with this question for a while, I learned through the Holy Spirit that my spiritual gifts ARE my spiritual weapons! Your spiritual gift are YOUR spiritual weapons! How encouraging is it to know that you have a set of spiritual weapons that are uniquely yours, assigned to you by GOD - for the demolishing of what holds you captive?
Take a moment to think about the gifts you may (or may not) be using in service to the Lord on Sunday or at home - wherever you worship, wherever and however you may serve. What type of service providing gives you the most joy? What type of service providing gives you that sense of satisfaction and fulfillment like nothing else can? The things that come to mind for you just may be where your spiritual gifts reside. Sit and ponder those thoughts and your natural, internal reactions to when you provide a service for the Lord, the Body of Christ, for those in need, etc. for just a bit.
The gifts that GOD has given you is not only for operation in the midst of The Body of Christ or for service, but are also for your personal protection in spiritual warfare. If it’s singing, yes, sing to the glory of GOD amidst The Body of Christ, but also while being attacked. If it’s intercession, yes, intercede on behalf of The Body, but you have an anointing for fighting your own personal wars through prayer. Stop talking to everyone else about what you’re facing and talk to GOD about it. If it’s exhortation, yes, declare the Word amongst The Body, but also in the midst of your own life and personal battles. Speak scriptures of deliverance and freedom in the midst of your own battle.
Don’t mistake my meaning, yes, everyone can sing, everyone can pray and everyone can declare the Word of GOD over their lives… but, there is an anointing that comes along with you gifting that is able to break yokes (chains, holds the enemy may have on you, your family, etc.). See Isaiah 10:27 NKJV
You may be thinking, “but I don’t have any gifts.” If you’re saved, yes - sure you do! You just may not know off-hand what they are. If you don’t know, pray and ask GOD to reveal your gifts (weapons) to you. The Lord GOD has NOT left you defenseless. Pray and ask GOD.
GOD will not keep these secret from you. HE knows that you need them. HE wants you know them and to learn how to execute them in excellence.
Your spiritual gifts in demonstration are your spiritual weapons. You may not know off-hand what they are because you’ve only operated in them sporadically. Here’s the thing though, GOD always allows us to “test” the weapons in the field before you use them in battle. Before we are thrown in the midst of battle, we use them because we get a sense that we should or want to.
Think about young David... as David prepared to face Goliath, the King of Israel and the soldiers put body armor on him - armor that they understood to be “appropriate” for the battle David was about to enter. But as David tried to operate in it, he said “I can’t use these, I haven’t tested them.” (See 1 Sam 17:39 NKJV). Even though David rejected the armor he hadn’t tested, he didn’t go defenseless. He relied on the weapons he’d used before, weapons he’d “tested” in previous situations. David knew how to use stones and a sling. It didn’t matter that he’d never faced a Goliath, he’d used his weapons before.
The same should be true for you. You may not have faced this particular battle before but you have survived some spiritual battles/tests before. How did you survive them? What spiritual practices did you employ to overcome the mental pressure, the spiritual attack you were facing? Maybe you sang when you felt under a lot pressure. Maybe you prayed, maybe you found someone to encourage because that where you find encouragement. Whatever you did to survive your battle, these are the weapons that you can say you’ve “tested.” Use them, learn more about than, practice wielding them.
The key to activating your spiritual gifts is that you must have first accepted Christ into your heart and life. Anointing (GOD-given authority) doesn’t follow the enemies of GOD. (That’s what the Bible calls those who are at odds the will of GOD.). Whatever appearance of power this person may have is false, puffed up, and empty. Remember that.
So what are you gifts? Do you know? Do you know how to use them? Are you praying about them?
If not, you should be. I’m here to help.
Diane