Francis Frangipane - This Day We Fight!: Breaking the Bondage of a Passive Spirit

THIS DAY WE
FIGHT!

THIS DAY WE
FIGHT!

Breaking the Bondage of a Passive Spirit

REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION

FRANCIS
FRANGIPANE

2005, 2010 by Francis Frangipane

Published by Chosen Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.chosenbooks.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Frangipane, Francis.

This day we fight! : breaking the bondage of a passive spirit / Francis Frangipane. Rev. and expanded ed.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-8007-9491-0 (pbk.)

1. Spiritual warfare. I. Title.

BV4509.5.F745 2010

235'4dc22 2010000046

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture marked message is taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NIV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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Contents

It is right that we should be aware of end-time events. Indeed, in the last hundred years, a great many prophecies have come to pass. Just as Jesus foretold, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and weve watched, horrified at the fulfillment of other prophetic events: In various places there will be famines and earthquakes (Matthew 24:7). Weve been amazed at Daniels predictions for the last days that knowledge will increase and many will go back and forth (Daniel 12:4). To our dismay, lawlessness has also increased (see Matthew 24:12). To this list, let us not forget the restoration of Israel, a most significant sign of end times (see Ezekiel 36; Isaiah 49).

Yet, while it is clear we live in an era of extraordinary prophetic fulfillment, let us not get ahead of the Lord. Not every prophecy has been fulfilled. Weve yet to see the emergence of a central antichrist figure (see 2 Thessalonians 2). There is no worldwide mark of the beast or single international currency (see Revelation 13:17). These things may be close, as it seems the stage is being set, but to be true to the pulse of God, they are yet unfulfilled. In fact, concerning the Antichrists appearance, Scripture says he will takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Let us keep in mind that the Temple has not yet been rebuilt. In fact, the Islamic Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque sit on top of the Temple site.

I mention these unfulfilled prophecies so we can rightly calibrate our location on the timeline of end-time events. You see, there is still time to believe God for revival. It is not time to retreat and wait, but time to advance in faith. In fact, Acts 2 tells us that one of the main signs of the last days will be a great, final outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh. This last great movement will not be a little thing; rather, it will be accompanied by confirming wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below (Acts 2:19). During this last season the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven will be proclaimed in all the world for a witness, just as Jesus said, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

There are difficult times awaiting planet earth, but also spectacular times of revival and harvest as well (see Isaiah 60:13). We will have to fight. Perhaps the most frequently mentioned end-time sign is the spiritual passivity that will lull many to drowsiness and indifference concerning the things of God (see Matthew 25). It is this paralysis of passivity that I hope to expose in this book.

Overcomer.

Ultimately, if we intend to follow Christ, we must think of ourselves not just as Christians, but more specifically as overcomers. The Church is overstocked with people who identify themselves as Christians but have no determined will to fight the fight of faith. They simply have adjusted to the level of their oppression and now tolerate a religious, but mostly empty, spiritual life.

Beloved, it is not enough to sit regularly in church or even be familiar with the promises of God. We are called to possess them! The Bible says it is through faith and patience that we overcome and gain heavens treasures (Hebrews 6:12; see also Revelation 2:3). Although some breakthroughs might take years in coming, we must not quit. Christ assures us that our lives can change, and that when they do, we, like salt and light, will transform the world around us.

There may be numerous reasons why so many Christians have attained so few of Gods promises. One core reason, however, is they are in bondage to a passive spirit, which is the theme of this book.

Passivity arrests our will in many ways. We may have become lukewarm because we have been disappointed; or perhaps we are harboring offenses and hardening our hearts; or maybe we have been living an undisciplined or sinful life. The source of our spiritual passivity may also be demonic warfare, or it may be fear or just poor health or diet. Yet whatever makes us spiritually passive also leaves us spiritually vulnerable.

Let me explain. The virtue of Christianity does not flow from dogma or church services, although these are vital elements of our faith. Our source of spiritual life flows from our daily union with God in Christ. We do not bear fruit on our own. Jesus said if we abide in Him, then we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). He tells us to come to Him when we are weary and heavy-laden (Matthew 11:28). Even the Scriptures themselves, though they bear witness to the life of Jesus, cannot produce His life. We must come to Him to have life (see John 5:3940). Nothing in the doctrine of what we call Christianity can, in and of itself, substitute for the life we draw uniquely from Jesus. We are as strong and invulnerable to spiritual attack as we are close to Him.

Because the enemy knows it is our nearness to God that produces our strength, the first stage of his attack involves a preliminary deception that makes us feel as if we are cut off from Christ. The moment we accept this illusion of detachment, the devil is disarming us.

Yet it takes little more than our passive acceptance to keep us trapped. Passivity does not feel like sin; it does not specifically violate any of the Ten Commandments. Its deception is more like a drug that clouds our discernment. Thus, breaking passivity is often the first stage in breaking deception and seeing our hearts released.