Astonishment Is Our Weapon

So the f-first battle, and it's gotta be a joyful battle that we're engaged in, is reclaiming our inner territory for Jesus.

That's what we're doing this weekend, making sure that the door is closed on the enemy and it's open to the fullness of who we really are, and how to turn the tables on the enemy who may have turned the tables on us.

Warfare is about taking ground in people's lives.

It's about changing the climate, shifting the atmosphere away from negativity towards kindness and laughter and peace and so on.

And it's about occupying that space in a way that glorifies the Lord.

We are engaged as a community in Santa Barbara in pressing into people exactly what we believe about the Lord Jesus and how wonderful He is.

So in our normal conversations and mode of living, we're actually empowering people round and about us to see God, taste God, and hear God, and to know that they themselves have a radical place in His affection, regardless of who they are and what they're doing.

But you can't give that gift to somebody else until you've received it fully for yourself.

And the great thing about God is He works both things together.

You learn something, your testimony helps someone.

You learn something more, your testimony helps someone.

He works the two things together, and we have to work those two things together.

Us in Christ, Christ in us.

The battle we're facing right now is to reclaim every inch of our life in the name of Jesus so that we're unafraid.

We're not afraid by things being messy, or we're not afraid by the presence of the enemy.

We're not afraid of the stuff that he uses.

So I like walking through this hotel.

It's like, 'cause there are so many of that little weird icons.

It's like you can stand next to it and just look at it and say, "You totally have no power over me." That's pretty cool.

It's a good exercise.

Just gotta remind the enemy who is the real boss.

Yeah? And we're not upset by what the enemy's doing.

We're excited about what God is about to do.

But to be excited about what God is about to do, you have to be excited a-about what He's already done in you.

First act of warfare, astonishment at Jesus.