November 2020 – Calming the contrary wind: Contending with unseen negative forces

“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” “Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.” (Mark 4:35-41, 5:1)

I welcome you to the second to the last of the “ember” months. Ember means “a small piece of burning or glowing coal or wood in a dying fire.” (Oxford Languages) I perceive that a wind is blowing in the spirit realm, a storm, over the United States of America. There is a storm like we have never seen before –a nightmare storm, a fierce storm, a furious storm of hurricane proportions- coming in November. The wind can move us forward to cement the rule of democracy over the whole world, stating that America indeed is a Christian nation and a defender of Israel, God’s own country. Or this could be a contrary wind bringing chaos, mayhem, destruction, bloodshed and an end to democracy. The choice is ours. We can pray to avert it, or we can ignore it and be swept away by its gusts.  

THE WIND:

The wind is one of the agents or forces of the supernatural. Winds assume spiritual and supernatural dimensions when a spirit being operates by taking on the image or nature of the wind. So, in the featured text, we find Jesus coming hard against a supposed natural wind and storm as He would against Satan himself.  

There is a great variety in the magnitude and intensity the wind is able to demonstrate. It can be as minuscule as a soft whisper gently rustling the leaves on the trees; it can be a destructive tornado uprooting homes and trees; or it may be a strong directional wind assisting marine vessels to sail to their destinations.

JESUS’ ENCOUNTER WITH THE CONTRARY WIND:

A storm, like that encountered by the disciples, can be a deadly weapon of Satan to stop and wreck destinies. The assignment of such a storm is to stop the movement of destines from arriving at the shore of final accomplishment.

• A storm can trouble a man by making weather conditions hostile, unconducive, and contrary to him. In Acts 27, we see an arduous journey being made further strenuous to the point of impossibility. These kinds of winds and storms are able to shake the very foundation of a man when they threaten to sink the ship of his destiny.

RELEVANCE OF THE CONTRARY WIND IN OUR SEASON:

Satan and his cohorts can stop, manipulate, or control the wind turning it into a contrary wind of a spiritual or supernatural nature; the devil is “the ruler of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). The multipoint purpose or mission of nightmare storms and contrary winds is clear:

• To impede or reduce one’s speed in life, to ensure a late arrival at one’s destiny, and to stop one from crossing over to the other side for greatness and fulfillment.
• The contrary wind is a time waster, effort waster, energy waster, and a waster of resources. If unstopped, it can even become a destiny waster.
• The wind in our focus text was sent by Satan himself against Jesus and his disciples to hinder their missionary journey.
  • This month, you will be empowered to contend with, stop and silence any organized contrary wind blowing against America and her journey of destiny, in Jesus’ Name.
  • Jesus rebuked the storm, calming it down in much the same way that a teacher might tell a classroom full of unruly students to calm down.
  • The disciples were awestruck as the wind and waves obeyed! The authority Jesus showed gave them a clue as to Who He really was (Mark 4:41).

DEALING WITH THE UNSEEN FORCES OF DARKNESS:

There are unseen forces organized by Satan; he is the commander of the negative forces in the unseen world (Ephesians 2:2, NLT). Jesus explained the unseen realm in John 3:8, which says, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” A Holy Spirit-filled Christian walking in the authority of the risen King can also operate the wind of God. He has the nature and power of God’s wind. In the spirit of prayer, based on a life of righteousness, the Spirit-filled believer can act as the wind or the wind stopper, as is necessary, and become an agent of change whenever and wherever the occasion arises.

The unseen world is here, cohabiting with us. Jesus rebuked the wind; what Jesus did, we can do. John 14:12 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” Jesus rebuked the power of the unseen simply by saying, “ Peace be still.” The wind ceased and there was a great calm. I decree peace be still to every power from the unseen world that is challenging peace, orderliness and the spirit of togetherness and tranquility in your life, home, and ministry, in Jesus’ Name.

In Mark 3:27, the Bible asserts that no one can go to the house of a strongman to take his goods without first binding the strongman. The strongman is not human and cannot be seen, but he is here with us. He is the commander of negative unseen forces such as, the spirits of strife, confusion, mayhem, rioting, and looting unleashed in the territory where one has been planted by God. How can the strongman be stopped? 

Examples of how to stop the strongman:

1. In Ezekiel 29:3, the Pharaoh is identified as a strongman and the dragon in the Nile is the unseen force behind the Pharaoh on the throne. No wonder God told Moses, in Exodus 7:15, to go meet Pharaoh early in the morning before he got to the river. Why? To cut him off from his power supply.

• In the ministry of deliverance, every demonic link must be cut off so it cannot reinforce and fire or fight back.

1. In Daniel 10:13-14, the unseen prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood the prayer of Daniel from being answered for 21 days. Thank God that even though this happened in the unseen realm, we have unseen allies like angel Michael. He came to fight the dragon so Daniel could receive the answer to his prayer. There are angels that can manifest from the unseen realm to the seen realm.
2. In Job 1:8-12, God boasted to the devil about Job that he was a perfect and upright man that feared God and shunned evil.

• Satan, the accuser of the brethren, retorted that Job only feared God because God had placed a hedge around him and blessed the work of his hands. The reason we do not see these forces is because God has put a world of defense around us so the unseen forces of evil cannot reach around His protection to touch us (Psalm 91).
• When God agreed to remove His hedge of protection around Job for a season (Job 1:11-12), the wind from the forces of darkness blew and destroyed everything Job owned and held dear. Job suffered immensely until the LORD put the hedge of protection back in place and returned to him double of what he had before the contrary wind blew against him (Job 42:10-11).

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE COMMANDER OF THE UNSEEN WORLD:

The good news is that God is the Creator of the unseen forces. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.”

1. The good news is that Christ is the head of all these powers, He controls them, created them and they all bow to Him.  
2. The second good news is that God Himself is invisible. 1 Timothy 1:17 says, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” We need not worry when we have invisible forces fighting us because we serve an invisible God Who can deal with the unseen forces (Ephesians 6:12-13).   
3. The third good news is that we are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10), in Whom the Godhead dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9). Since our lives are hidden in Christ, we are also head over every principality and power.  

After rebuking the storm, Jesus issues a rebuke to the disciples as well: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). In essence, He was also saying “Peace, be still” to the disciples. “Calm down. I was always in complete control.”

• When we read the account of Jesus saying “Peace, be still” today, we need to remember that Jesus is always in control of our circumstances, and, when we trust Him, He will calm all that is raging inside our souls.

VICTORY OVER STORMS – CALMING THE STORM (Mark 4:39; Luke 8:25)

1. Know who you are and what you are made of. Ever since Christ redeemed you, you became a creature of power and authority. You have the same materiality that God is made of (Genesis 2:7). You are unstoppable and irresistible in the journey of life. You are a king reigning with Jesus in this earth (Romans 5:17). Your word is therefore  loaded with power (Ecclesiastes 8:4). You are to give commands and instructions to God’s creation as they are destined to obey you. You are not a creature of fear and doubt (2 Timothy 1:7). You are a creature of faith, boldness and courage.
2. Know what you carry and what you can do so that you respond, instead of reacting, to the storm or any contending issue in your life. The disciples reacted while Jesus responded. He rebuked the storm and its source, and they ceased.
3. Respond in aggressive warfare to the confronting storms of life and there will be a great calm. You will become a creature of amazing wonders as from today, in Jesus’ Name!

PRAYERS:

• Plead the Blood of Jesus over your body, soul, and spirit for total cleansing from all filthiness and satanic pollution, in Jesus’ Name.
• God’s wind of change blow over my life. I now put on the whole armor of God, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, contend with every contrary wind blowing against America and against my life, in Jesus’ Name.
• In the strength of the Holy Spirit and God’s word, we resist every power in charge of the contrary winds blowing against America’s forward movement, in Jesus’ Name.
• LORD Jesus, I command your peace upon the sea of America’s life.
• The journey of my life shall not be wind resisted but wind assisted, in Jesus’ Name.
• Every evil confederacy planned in the land of America and manipulated to hinder our progress, I blow you off by the strong east wind, in Jesus’ Name.
• I address you foul spirits manipulating the wind against America and against my life); I bind and incapacitate you now, in Jesus’ Name.
• You contrary, adversarial wind resisting against peaceful election in the United States, turn around and become a favorable and assisting wind, in Jesus’ Name.
  • LORD, take out and silence all trouble fermenters and perpetuators of discord and trouble, in the Name of Jesus.
  • Whosoever wherever trying to ferment trouble for America, if he/she does not repent, we take you out. Every organization or event planner trying to cause chaos, we silence you permanently by the authority in the Blood of Jesus.

• As I start sailing in life again, I receive the assistance of the west wind of refreshing, safety and provision, in Jesus’ Name.
• LORD Jesus, we command Your peace upon America, in Jesus’ Name.

I decree into your life:

• No contrary wind shall force you to go back to where you started from. You will not go back to square one in your life, in Jesus’ mighty Name.
• You will never be slowed down by any satanic contrary wind, in Jesus’ mighty Name.
• I release the wind of honor, prosperity, and gain to locate you and change your story, in Jesus’ Name!
• I decree that the east wind of Jehovah, that brought the locusts of God’s judgement on Egypt (Exodus 10:13), searches out the camp of the wicked in this nation and waste them if they refuse to repent, in Jesus’ Name.
• Thank You for answered prayers, in Jesus’ mighty Name!