Skill 3: Spiritual Smarts

“Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.” (Colossians 2:14-15 MSG)

Unknowingly, most of us have made agreements with our Spiritual Enemy. I (Joel) did when I was a child—believing I was abandoned, on my own and alone. Like me, you may have unknowingly entered into an agreement at some point during your life. The good news is that what Jesus did through the cross, resurrection and ascension accomplished what he had declared to do at the start of his ministry—“to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Luke 4:18-19, Isaiah 61:1-2). This was Jesus’ spiritual emancipation proclamation. We are no longer slaves. And even if we have made agreements with our former oppressors to continue living under the same constraints Christ’s proclamation set us free from, we can demand release. In terms of the highest law, at any moment we desire to break those agreements with the Enemy, we can go before the highest authority, Jesus, and demand liberation—no matter how clearly written and binding our intellectual contract was—because the highest law in the land has abolished it. It is now “illegal” for Satan to oppress humanity. The ancient pact Adam and Eve made with that Serpent is null and void, because Jesus  courageously fulfilled the terms of the agreement for us—paying our debt with his life—his “righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people” (Romans 5:18). Thus, every imprisoning agreement made with our Enemy is now illegitimate, invalid and unenforceable. The children of God are irrefutably free. It is time to break every agreement with our Enemy! The exercise in the "Your Wholehearted Journey" section (below) will be a tremendous help in doing so.

1.) Have you ever purchased something and then regretted it afterward?  If so, why?

(If you’re answering this in a group setting, partner off. Then take turns asking your partner the question above. Both individuals should be prepared to introduce your partner and share their brave deed to the others in your group.) 

2.) Did you recognize any agreements you may have made in your past? 

3.) If so, how has that agreement(s) impacted your present life?

Skill 3: Spiritual Smarts

Agreements often come to us when we least expect it—when we’re young, vulnerable or weak.

A few agreements that we can make with our Enemy (Lies) 

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy….” (John 10:10a NLT)

1. I can’t forgive myself for ___________.
2. I can never get it right.
3. I’m a loser or failure.
4. It’s impossible to ever get ahead.
5. Love always leaves.
6. I am not worthy of love.
7. No one can be trusted.
8. I’m on my own.
9. Life is up to me to make happen.
10. I will never be poor like my parents.
11. I’m average.
12. I am ugly (or this part of my body is ugly).
13. I can’t forgive them for __________.

Agreements that we can make with God and Scripture (Truth) 

“…My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10b NLT)

(The following scriptures numerically correlate with the agreements that our enemy tempts us to make (above) and will serve as truth-filled rebuttals to those lies. We wield Scripture as a weapon against our Enemy and his agreements, just like Jesus did in his wilderness testing.)

1. “…He has removed [my] sins as far from [me] as the east is from the west” (Psalms 103:12 NLT)
2. “…[I am] more than [a] conqueror through him who loves [me]” (Romans 8:37 NIV)
3. “The Lord will make [me] the head, not the tail…the top, never at the bottom” (Deuteronomy 28:13 NIV).
4. [I] will be blessed when [I] come in and blessed when [I] go out (Deuteronomy 28:6 NIV).
5. “nothing can ever separate [me] from God’s love (Romans 8:38 NLT).
6. I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; [I am one of] your works [so] I am wonderful, [worthy of love], I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14) NIV).
7. “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close” (Psalm 27:10 NIV).
8. “God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).
9. “The Lord himself goes before [me] and will be with [me]; he will never leave [me] nor forsake [me]. [I will] not be afraid; [I will] not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV).
10. I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread (Psalm 37:25 NIV).
11. “[I am] altogether beautiful…there is no flaw in [me].” (Sol. 4:7 NLT).
12. “For [I am] God’s masterpiece. He has created [me] anew in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:10).
13. “[I will] love [my] enemies and pray for those who persecute [me], [because I am a child] of [my] Father in heaven…[I will] be perfect, [in this way] even as [my] Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-38).

One more question...

Did you identify any “agreements” you may have made? If so, please write them down in a convenient space below your story and label them "Agreements." (We will be using this list in an exercise we'll go through in Session 6). 

If you did identify any agreements, let’s take a moment to specifically renounce them now. It would be beneficial to return to the prayer at the end of Skill 3: Spiritual Smarts (chapter 6) and pray it now. (I’ve included the prayer below.)

Thank you, Father for sending Jesus to die on the cross, resurrecting him and seating him on a throne in deep heaven. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus, thank you for liberating humanity with your own life. Please enter the captive and imprisoned places in my heart and free them now. Make my heart whole. Thank you for releasing me from the Enemy’s enslaving captivity. You have delivered me from the kingdom of darkness and transferred me into your kingdom of light. The Enemy has no more “legal claim” to me—my heart and my life. I renounce every, known and unknown, agreement I have ever made with the Enemy. [If you know of any agreements you have made, renounce them specifically now]. Today, I choose to make a new agreement with your Scripture, the highest level of law, and what you say about me. I give myself wholly over to you—my spirit, soul and body; my heart, mind and will—to live for you always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(There are also “”Spiritual Smarts” scriptures and prayers in the Appendix that will be very helpful in forming new agreements with what God says is true about you in Scripture.)

Podcast on Session 4