WEAPONS THAT MAKE THE GREAT COMMISSION POSSIBLE
I believe firmly that the Great Commission is the way God makes individuals, churches, and ministries great. The Great Commission is the divine pathway to Greatness. But this greatness is only possible when we are acquainted with our spiritual weapons. Here are a few weapons that has helped Edith and I as well as other SOL missionaries over the years.
A. The multifaceted weapon of the name of Jesus
The name of Jesus is a multifaceted weapon and the secret of exercising the power of the name is faith. “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes . Acts 3:16(NLT). Through faith the name of Jesus is ever effective and efficacious.
The name of Jesus is however not only powerful against demons and sicknesses, it is also unfailingly powerful as a means of protection and preservation. The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10. In ancient times a strong tower was a central place in cities and towns where people could run to when facing danger and they will find safety and protection. That’s the same role the name of Jesus is meant to play in a believer’s life. Unfortunately, as a result of grave biblical illiteracy, many use the blood as covering, whereas that is what the Word often ascribed to the name of the Lord.
The name of Jesus is the name of the Lord today, and God’s name expresses His whole character. So the name of Jesus refers to both God’s person and character. Jesus is not just our King and our Shepherd, He is also our rock, our refuge, our fortress, our strong tower.
In the cause of the Great Commission you will be required to enter all manner of territories, all kinds of dark places, and all sort of strange habitations, both human and demonic. God meant the name of Jesus to be your place of safety and the source of the armour you wear. When He sends us out in His name, we should know that we are supernaturally strengthened, supernaturally provided for, and supernaturally preserved, all through the name of Jesus Christ.
B. The Unfailing Weapon of God’s Word
There is something internally sharp about the Word that cuts through the conscience (Hebrews 4:12-13) and it always accomplishes its goal, whether it be conviction or conversion. As we share the Gospel with others, we have found out that our preaching is always more powerful when we quote and use verses from the Bible, with little or no allusion to philosophy or the Koran. Please if you want to witness, take time to memorize a few verses of Scripture.
C. The tremendous weapon called Prayer
I heard this quote years ago: ” Satan laughs at our labour. He mocks at our plans. But he trembles when we pray.” We have found this to be true. Every progress we have ever made in the field had come through seasons of prayer. Plan, labour but by all means PRAY and do it fervently. Whenever we have left out prayers, we have fallen on our faces. There has also been a marked increase on results and fruitfulness when we have implored others to pray for us (See Colossians 4:3).
D. A life given to good works is a most potent weapon
There is something powerful about a life of doing good deeds for other people. It is not just the respect and authentication it gives to your message or mission, but the fact that God actually anoints it. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38.
God anoints our good works and not just our message. This truth was life changing for us. It was not just the churches that hell’s gates couldn’t prevail against, we found out that the gates of hell couldn’t prevail against our school and other aspects of good works we were doing in the mission field as well. Part of our good works is our tuition free schools ( a sacrifice made possible by our partners), and God has honoured these efforts and used them to draw many to Himself. For example, a moslem family decided to become Christians when they heard their eight year old son( one of our pupils) pray fluently and effortlessly in English.
God wants to anoint your good deeds and wants conversions to happen through them as well. How? Doing good opens doors for you to share the Gospel. God uses good deeds to draw people to Christ and then quite amazingly, ensures that the good we do in His name don’t stay hidden ( Matthew 5:15-16). We have had people come to our mission field with all manner of materials for the children and we had absolutely no idea how they got to know of our work. The people who told them, we don’t know. You do well by doing good, because good works is a most potent spiritual weapon.
E. Our love for other Christians is a tremendous weapon.
The Lord Jesus told His followers that they had something to prove to the watching world. ” By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another ” ( John 13:35). Back on Campus, I knew people who joined the fellowship and became born again Christians just by observing our sacrificial service and true affection for one another. But our love for other Christians( before a watching world) extends beyond believers of the same sect or group as we are.
A senior pastor friend of mine rebuilt the fallen church building of another pastor from a different denomination, in Yenogoa, Bayelsa state of Nigeria. The Carpenters and bricklayers who worked on the church building were so visibly moved by the gesture. They couldn’t believe that in our culture of deep seated sectarian divisions that such a gesture was still possible. They didn’t stop there, these artisans began to noise this kind gesture throughout the community, so much so that many people in that community heard, and began to attend the rebuilt Church, the chief mason himself converted to Christ because of this. Supernatural things happen when we love each other.
As we share our faith, let’s remember that it is we who actually have the unfair advantage. Our weapons have power to convince, convict , and transform ( 2 Corinthians 10:3 -5).
Cheers.
