Proverbs 4:23-27 ’Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’
DAILY READING • Revelation 21-22; Isaiah 9-10; Psalm 111
John Alexander Dowie was a renowned pioneer of Divine Healing in the 19th century.
In his early years of outstanding success in Chicago, the power of God was constantly demonstrated, and hundreds were healed of every affliction. At this time, the devil fought hard against his ministry as Dowie was arrested over 100 times on trumped-up charges and ceaselessly attacked by the media.
But Dowie was a fighter, who boldly battled the oppositions against his ministry, and continued to gain recognition and popularity.
It seemed the enemy applied a more subtle form of attack by causing some people to approach Dowie with what they claimed to be a “direct revelation from God”. They told Dowie that he was ‘Elijah the Restorer’, the great end-times prophet. But Dowie immediately recognized the trap and rebuked them soundly and dismissed them from his presence, warning them never to mention such things to him again.
However, when the early years of constant battle were done and a time of relative peace and prosperity settled in upon him, it appeared Alexander Dowie began to relax his guards.
At this time the suggestion that he was Elijah kept ringing in his ears. According to his own testimony, he tried to rid himself of it, but could not. A voice seemed to say, ‘Elijah must come, and who but you is doing the work of Elijah? Though he had earlier refused, rejected, rebuked and dismissed the suggestion, one day his mind seemed to become overwhelmed by the strange and intense conviction that he was truly Elijah.
In June 1901, Dowie took the fateful step of publicly announcing that he was indeed Elijah the Restorer. This claim was immediately challenged and denounced by religious leaders all over the world.
However, Dowie would not be convinced otherwise. The once daring fighter ended up being deluded by the devil into dressing in High-Priestly robes and thinking that he was Elijah.
John Alexander Dowie died in comparative ignominy several years later, an ill and broken man – a shadow of his former self -having lost his ministry and literally everything he owned.
His story is detailed in Gordon Lindsay’s book, ‘John Alexander Dowie – A life story of Trials, Tragedies and Triumphs’
How this great preacher could come to such a tragic end, is something that should be an object lesson to us all.
No matter our level of spirituality, we cannot afford to take a break from being on guard.
A believer’s life is a life of constant vigilance because there’s an enemy that goes about seeking whom to devour..
One of the key strategies he employs, is to find a way to place wrong thoughts into a believer’s mind. Times of spiritual weakness, when the person is not fully on guard or alert are critical times when such evil thoughts can be subtly planted..The Bible says that it was while men slept, that the enemy sowed tares. Once a thought takes root in the mind, it is only a matter of time, before it turns into actions.
The fruits of these wrong thoughts become the sins that can crash and crush a strong Christian testimony..
Therefore, we must keep our minds always guarded by God’s Word, and give no room to the devil.
If you give him an inch, he becomes the ruler. If you allow him a foothold in your mind, he builds a strong hold. So don’t even allow wrong thoughts in the first place. Don’t expose yourself to wrong suggestions, information or media that can negatively affect your mind. Thoughts are easy to get in, but often more difficult to get rid of.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;.’
We have to bring into captivity every wrong thought. We must take authority over it and command it to be flushed out of our minds in the Name of Jesus.
Also to have victory in the battle of the mind, we must commit to constant study of God’s Word. When the Word dominates our mind we will be full of faith and easily overcome the infiltration of any wrong thought. Through the shield of faith we will quench the fiery darts of temptations and live the life of victory that glorifies God.
PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to keep my mind constantly filled with Your Word. Through the light from Your Word certainly, there will be no hiding place for sin or darkness in my life in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
Letting down your guards exposes you to the attack of the enemy. WORDBITE 222