Four Fasting Weapons

by

Ron Lagerquist

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

Joshua 1: 6

There are pitfalls carefully set by the Enemy to sabotage any who have the audacity to attempt a fast. On top of his attacks, your mind can be your worst enemy. A battleground where thoughts are being waged against one another.

Before you can begin to experience the new life you need to grow a renewed mind. Thinking that is controlled by faith, a memory that is filled with the Word, being able to quote scripture at need, and an imagination inspired by the sure promises of God. A mind that is fit to house the Holy Spirit, freed from stinking thinking from your stinking past. Christ crucified that destructive rubbish on the cross.

Yes, but you don’t know my past! No, but you know the Word, and have made a quality decision to believe in His Word with every breath you take. The Word has power to change the mind, besides, who wants all that fear, doubt and guilt anyway? It’s useless trash, useless to you and useless to God. I hate to say it, but I know godless men who are getting more accomplished than many hide in their church Christians. We have been empowered by the Most High God! It’s time we get aggressive with our thinking. The cross was an aggressive act.

There are two types of people in this world, those who see giants and those who see the land flowing with milk and honey. Yes, there are giants inside which will rise up against a fast. Be strong! God is on your side. Fast with His promises, and inherit the land. We are going to give you some nuggets of truth while you’re fasting. Put them in your sling of faith, and take your stand against your enemy. The battle is yours for the taking!

Stone 1

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5: 21

You are the righteousness of God.

When the giant of guilt starts spewing out all your failures, past, and judgmental words of your friends, place this little stone in your sling of faith, take aim, and fire! I’m the righteousness of God.

It will create chaos in the spiritual realms and an ugly old giant will be laying dead at your feet. You are the righteousness of God, is a proclamation from heaven, it’s how God sees you. Every thought about yourself that contradicts that truth is a lie.

When you start to believe that you are His righteousness, you will begin to see evidence of it in your living. Don’t try to act as if you are righteous. The only act of obedience that you are called to perform, under the new covenant, is to believe. The righteous live by faith. Besides, getting this truth down into your soul, will keep you busy enough.

The amazing thing is that when you begin to believe that you are God’s righteousness, you won’t want to sin. You won’t need to sin because you will find His righteousness fully satisfying.

Stone 2

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8: 1-2

This is more like a rock than a stone so let’s break it up into bite-sized pieces so that we can force-feed our next giant.

First, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, sent in the flesh, died on the cross, bearing your sin, rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for His church? Have you prayed and asked for forgiveness of your sins and invited Jesus to come into your life? If you answered yes to these questions then you are in Christ, and you are free from fear forever.

The God of the Universe thinks you’re perfect, and is pleased with you. In fact, He is so deeply in love with you that He is now in the process of building a home in heaven so that you can always be close to Him. You have become an object of His grace, never being able to out-sin the Father’s love. You might as well just believe it, you’ll be far happier.

But the giant of fear will say, be careful not to get too cozy with God’s grace, you might use it as a license to sin.

Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Put this little stone in your sling of faith, aim and fire!

Those who are born of the Spirit are earnestly trying to get the sin out of their life, not looking for a license to sin. Confidence in who you are in Christ will always result in holy living. Fear and guilt always lead to rebellion--the church needs to learn this and stop using these two demons to control their people!

Jesus set the captives free, we preach a gospel of freedom not condemnation. You are free from the law of sin. Law + sin + guilt + sacrifice = forgiveness; this Old Covenant system has been nailed to the cross because you are no longer a sinner. When you sin you are acting out of character. And all sin comes from unbelief. Fix your faith on the wonder of the cross. Take Communion while fasting, to remind you of the New Covenant God has made with you. Once and for all put religion to death and learn to do everything by faith and you will begin to experience a Promised Land of freedom, joy and peace all the day long.

Stone 3

. . .do not worry about tomorrow.

Matthew 6: 34

I remember visiting friends who were living right beside railway tracks. When a train came in the midst of eating supper, I thought the world was coming to an end. The entire house shook. As I looked up from the meal to see if my friends were sharing my discomfort, I was greeted with the strangest sight. While the house threatened to shake to the ground, they ate peacefully, oblivious to the chaos around. Even their child, eating in the high chair showed no signs of fear. They seemed amused at my great concern and said something that I would never forget. You get used to it.

Most of us are plagued with worry. It easily becomes the background of our thinking. Worry is an incredibly, powerful giant, but like my friends, you get used to it, desensitized to its wicked pressure.

Worry is a twisted form of hope. Hope projects the sovereign faithfulness of God into the tomorrows of concern. Worry projects a godless future where we become helpless victims of a foreboding tomorrow.

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). Take the stone of stillness, place it in your sling of faith, aim and fire!

Worry and stillness do not live well together. One will destroy the other. But I have so much on my mind. You don’t understand the responsibilities I have before me. I need to clear my schedule. Then I can begin to practice fasting and stillness. That kind of thinking is an illusion. You will always be busy and stillness was made by God to be exercised in the midst of incredible responsibility. The command to be still and know that I am God, is meant to be obeyed immediately, this moment, today.

I want you to put this book down and try something. Close your eyes and focus your mind on this single truth, He is God. Every time a thought comes to try to distract you don’t push it away, embrace it in the truth, He is God.

I’ve got to do six loads of laundry by tomorrow night. He is the God of my laundry.

I’ve got an exam, I need to study. He is the God of my exam.

I’m angry at my husband for being so insensitive last night. He is the God of my marriage.

Every worry or care that crosses your mind you place within the absolute Sovereignty of God. He is in complete control of every nuance, breath and situation in your life. Your life is His life, because to live is Christ (Php 1:21).

Stop trying to be God. Be still and let God be God. He is better at it than you are. It comes naturally to Him because it’s His nature. He can handle the stress of holding the universe together, you can’t. Your body wasn’t built for the stress of sovereignty. People are dying of stress.

Kill the giant of worry with stillness. A stillness that shouts, He is God! Watch him writhe in the death throws of utter silence. Starve worry with a soul that has been quieted before the awesome Sovereign control of a loving God.

Stone 4

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with

Romans 6: 6,7

Self is the biggest giant of all, and he doesn’t like to go hungry. During a fast, Self will raise his ugly head, and he won’t be happy. He is going to try to demand all your attention, bawling and whining about how much he’s suffering. The world is against me. I’m always being hurt, they’re so insensitive to my needs. People just don’t understand me. They don’t know what I’ve been through. In this death-trap of self-focused thoughts, the presence of God will dim.

Take the stone of servant hood; place it in your sling of faith, aim and fire! Deny your-self. Lay all your needs and pain at the feet of Jesus, then turn your back and walk away, not giving them a second thought. But how can I do that! My mind is always filled with my problems. This world is lost and needy. We invest so much of our time in useless selfish pleasure. Imagine if you were to spend as much time reaching out to others as you do watching the garbage on TV. Some of the most emotionally healthy people I have ever met are those who are vigorously involved with people.

Most of our problems stem from living such incredibly self-centered lives. The giant of Self has done very well on a diet of North American Materialism.

Self loves to be god with everything under control. The latest toys at the fingertips. Meanwhile, grubby hands search for a piece of crust. A lonely abused boy needs a friend. Strange, dangerous people that you can see when you drive in your warm car. If you look closely you might catch a glimpse of Jesus. But when self is center, there is nothing that will pull the heart to action. All you see are your own interests. The lost sheep become meaningless faces in a dreary landscape.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Phi 2:4). During your fast, see those around you through the eyes of Christ. Feel His compassion for them. Seek His heart, His interests, His goals. Deny your needs and you will experience the child-like freedom of God.