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Anita Alexander: "Don't Take the Bait! Choose the Better Way"


Anita Alexander
May 26, 2022

From the Desks of Steve Shultz and Julie A. Smith:

Steve Shultz When we saw the title of Anita Alexander's recent word: "Don't Take the Bait!" it caught our attention...as there are many things happening today that are trying to bait the saints.

After all, Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." That verse speaks volumes to us about not taking the enemy's bait.

Anita shares this powerful statement:

The bait that the enemy would want to throw at us is to tempt us to fight in the natural—with natural emotions and solutions and carnal wisdom and ways. It all begins with our focus. The Lord encourages us to not give our focus or our "worry" to these problems that the enemy is stirring up against us, which act as distractions.

Steve ShultzNow read the rest of this word, which includes the other ways the enemy tries to bait God's people AND the godly solutions we can walk into instead. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)

In Christ,

Steve Shultz and Julie A. Smith, Co-Editors
Elijah List Publications

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Weapons of Our Warfare and Arguments of the Mind

In this season of "threshold contending," which requires positioned and immovable focus, the enemy is seeking to bait us into listening to voices that carry what 2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of as "arguments" of the mind, which are rooted in elevated and lofty high-mindedness.

For those who are standing in front of their Goliath, or those who know they have been positioned before their Jordan—or possibly Jericho or Hebron—it is key to remember that we don't fight against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), and that the weapons with which we fight aren't CARNAL, but are MIGHTY THROUGH GOD (2 Corinthians 10:4).

The bait that the enemy would want to throw at us is to tempt us to fight in the natural—with natural emotions and solutions and carnal wisdom and ways. It all begins with our focus. The Lord encourages us to not give our focus or our "worry" to these problems that the enemy is stirring up against us, which act as distractions.

Worry Is NOT a Weapon

Worry is NOT a weapon that is mighty through God. Worry is not found in God! The Bible says that it will not solve a thing. I tell you, in the past I've been the "worry" expert. Worry has probably stolen years of sleep from my life. Sometimes I even believed that all of the hours I spent worrying were actually hours I spent praying, until I heard a still small voice one day that said, "Ah, I haven't heard much praying, Anita. I've just heard a truckload of worry."

Worry will choke off your "faith seed" and seek to abort your harvest. Worry will cause you to use CARNAL weapons to deal with spiritual problems. (Photo via Piqsels)

Luke 10:38-42 depicts the famous story of Mary and Martha. Martha was "accusing" Mary and holding judgment toward her sister's position at Jesus' feet. Jesus nailed the root of the bad fruit she was bearing in her life in verse 41: "But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.'" Anxiety and worry were the roots to her judgment and accusation. Jesus defended Mary and said that she had chosen the "better" portion and invited Martha, through His loving correction, to choose the "better" thing as well.

Anxiety and fear, walking in the flesh, and looking at life through a carnal lens will cause us to bear fruit in our lives that will, if not checked, invoke the rebuke of Jesus. Why? Because these things will become a stumbling block to those who seek to do things "God's way," or a stumbling block to us!

Don't Take the Bait

Martha had high and lofty imaginations that exalted themselves above the "will" of God and "argued" against Mary's choice. She thought she knew better!

Now we can apply this story, in many ways, to our own lives. We could have "Marthas" in our world who have an opinion on every move we make, and bring accusation and judgment against our position at His feet. We need to be reminded not to respond with carnal weapons. We mustn't take the bait.

The enemy seeks to steal our focus with the concerns and "troubled hearts" of others, and the accusations they bring against us. However, it is imperative that we stay in position with our ears completely attentive to Jesus' conversation; what is He saying? because you need His instruction to take your Hebron; you need it to take your Jericho; you need it to defeat your Goliath!

On the other hand, this situation could be playing out inside of us: We may have a "Mary" heart, but because of unresolved trauma, offenses, bitter roots, and areas that need deliverance (yes, that's right, I said "deliverance"), we have arguments of the mind that speak from those unnerved areas and war against the "better" position we need to take—which is one of surrender at Jesus' feet. This position at Jesus' feet shows a deference—a posture of humility toward what He says about a situation. He is the Solution Giver, and if we are filled with worry, anxiety, and a heart that is troubled, we will miss His solution.

Find Your Solutions at the Feet of Jesus

Because of a "troubled heart," we use weapons of the flesh to find peace, and this can manifest in finding fault with everything and everyone. Someone who is "troubled of heart" is critical, judgmental, and fault-finding. Beloved, you will discover the solution to your troubled heart at Jesus' feet. At His feet you will find the healing you need to deliver your heart and mind from the torment and war that wage within you.

His solutions and His ways are ALWAYS found in the place of surrender and humility, not in the place of accusation and judgment.

Those roots of anxiety, worry and a troubled heart only promote the "works of the flesh." When you are operating in your own strength (like Martha), and seek to be everyone's problem solver and corrector, you come across as being controlling and walking in the flesh. Accusation and judgment seem to be the weapons that are chosen in this heart space rather than the ones found in God.

Martha thought she could solve the situation by giving Mary an earful, and also by bringing that charge against Mary in the presence of Jesus. What she did not expect was Jesus' rebuke. Jesus will defend those who choose to surrender to His ways and do it by His Spirit. How? The Bible says that the Lord "...resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5). (Photo via Flickr)

Choosing the Better Way

So, beloved, in this hour, as you choose the better portion and sit at His feet, surrendered to HIS VOICE, do not be distracted by the voice of "Martha." Whether it be an internal voice or external voice coming from those in your world, DON'T TAKE THE BAIT.

Your victory not only requires your complete focus but also your complete surrender. In these moments of warfare that engage us, as Ephesians 6 says will happen, choose weapons that are MIGHTY THROUGH GOD, not through the flesh. Let Jesus vindicate you; let Him resist the proud that are bringing accusations against you; let Him heal your troubled soul as you surrender all of your cares to Him, because He cares for you. These are the weapons of our warfare that are mighty through God—they are called HUMILITY and SURRENDER. It takes humility to walk by faith, because faith requires complete surrender and trust to believe God.

A hard "heart of unbelief" (as the Bible calls it in Hebrews 3:12) does not require surrender, but is fueled by pride and arrogance.

I believe that HUMILITY has been the understated and, for the most part, unmentioned "power word" amongst Believers. Faith has seemed to be the focal point behind many a pulpit and Christian conversation, but I can tell you that faith operates by grace, and grace operates by humility.

So, beloved brethren, without all the ingredients to a victorious outcome, we end up frustrated and disappointed. Let us choose the "better" way—choose humility and surrender. Then we will be able to remain focused and positioned in the sound of His voice, and all other voices will be silenced by Jesus' rebuke.

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Anita Alexander
Revival Flame Ministries

Email: anita@revival-flame.org
Website: www.revival-flame.org

Motivated by an intense love for the Body of Christ, Anita Alexander's passion and compassion is to see the Church forsake religion and tradition, awaken to the Father's love, and arise and walk in the overcoming identity as sons and daughters of the Kingdom. Anita and her husband Dr. Sasha Alexander travel nationally and internationally ministering in revival fire that brings resurrection life, healing and awakening to the Body of Christ. Together, their passion is to impart, raise up and release a generation of sons and daughters who manifest the glorious victory of the finished work of the Cross. They are co-founders and senior ministers of Revival Flame Ministries, Golden City Church, and Kingdom Academy School of the Spirit Ministry Training School in Gold Coast, Australia.

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