{"id":4059,"date":"2017-03-06T08:00:26","date_gmt":"2017-03-06T13:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trainchurchleaders.com\/practicum\/?p=4059"},"modified":"2025-12-02T15:56:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T20:56:25","slug":"god-defender-not-policies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainchurchleaders.com\/practicum\/god-defender-not-policies.htm","title":{"rendered":"God’s Your Defender, Not Your Church Policies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Early on in ministry I remember talking with someone about a doctrinal divide. No matter how many times I kept asking for where the Bible supported that view, I kept getting pointed to the church manual of the denomination to which this person belonged. Conversation became strained as church policy was the person’s only defense, with no openness to anything to the contrary from God’s Word. The church manual took supremacy, being the first and primary source to which the person turned. As a result, to my knowledge, there was never a spiritual breakthrough.<\/p>\n

God’s Power Needed for Defense in the Midst of Spiritual Battles, Not Mere Church Policies<\/h2>\n

\"GodIn the Church, we can make policy after policy to protect our doctrinal positions and to provide for the functioning of the Body. Even if biblically sound, sometimes problems and issues arise that go beyond the scope of any written policy. Things can get “weird” and we just don’t get what’s happening. Very possibly these are times your church is experiencing spiritual warfare.<\/p>\n

You will not find a policy to defend against this. You need spiritual weaponry for them not to become strongholds.<\/p>\n

Reflect on the following points to determine if God is your Defender:<\/h2>\n

1) To grab hold of the power we need to fight spiritual battles, we must recognize and function like God is supreme<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.” (2 Kings 17:35-37)<\/em><\/p>\n

To turn to anyone or anything else, like our policies, over God who delivers us by His mighty power, we put ourselves in a bad place.<\/p>\n

2) To have victory we must look to God as the source<\/strong> of all we need.<\/p>\n

Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. (1 Chron. 29:11-12)<\/em><\/p>\n

LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. (2 Chron. 20:6)<\/em><\/p>\n

We serve the same God. He might use our policies but they are only tools that should be pointing us to God not taking on a life of their own. As the owner of all, God retains the rights to determine the way we should go and He has the power to help us gain victory\u00a0over whatever we might face so we can do His will.<\/p>\n

3) To fight spiritual battles we need spiritual weaponry wherein God provides the strength<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil\u2019s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Eph. 6:10-13)<\/em><\/p>\n

Once we acknowledge the Supremacy<\/em> of God in all and over all and turn to Him as the Source<\/em> of all we need, we’re ready to use the\u00a0armory He provides. Therein we find the Strength<\/em> to stand against the enemy. If we only turn to church policies for solutions\u00a0in times of trouble, we will ultimately find it too difficult to keep standing because\u00a0we need God’s power not mere directives.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong> God’s Power – Spiritual Weaponry<\/a><\/p>\n

For More on These Topics:<\/strong><\/p>\n