I
was recently watching a program on the History Channel that was part of a series
on military strategy. Much of this particular episode focused on the strategies
used by the United States during the Gulf War, with a special emphasis on the
use of diversion as a primary strategy. Using diversion in battle is one of the
oldest and potentially most successful strategies ever used in warfare. Make a
lot of noise here…sneak in over there. The concept intrigued me. I’ve seen
the enemy use this sort of strategy time and again to sidetrack or completely
remove faithful believers, but I couldn’t recall ever really being aware of
God using such a tactic. Knowing that the enemy only copies and perverts the
true, I set out to discover God’s diversionary tactics.
The
purpose of diversion is to create confusion, to distract, or project a false
sense of purpose through diverted focus or attention. You could even say that it
is a seductive ploy over what’s real and what isn’t. Understanding this key
tactic is important to living a victorious Christian life because diversion is
satan’s most used and most successful weapon against you. I don’t want to
take a lot of time here to discuss the enemy’s use of this tactic, but for a
quick reality check, I’ll ask you this question: “How long do you pray
daily?” The answer to that question should show most of you the effectiveness
of diversion. The point I want to get to in this teaching is, “Does God use
diversionary tactics and, if so, how do they apply to and affect us?”
As
I began to search the Scriptures for this answer, the Holy Spirit reminded me of
the greatest diversion of all time…the crucifixion if Jesus. Here’s what
Paul had to say about it:
“However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the
wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God
ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age
knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But
as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the
heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But
God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all
things, yes, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
It
appeared as though satan had won when he killed Jesus on the cross. Jesus’
disciples had rejected Him and went into hiding, and the King of glory, sold out
by one of His own, was dead. It was the ultimate victory until Jesus rose from
the dead. Suddenly, the diversion was revealed and the seeming greatest
spiritual victory of all time became the greatest defeat of all time. Jesus
completely “disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of
them, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15). This victory set a precedent
that provided for us the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. I also
began to realize that my ideas about spiritual warfare and life in the Spirit
were most likely in need of new revelation.
My idea of spiritual warfare seemed pretty straightforward—see
enemy…identify enemy…fight enemy…win. I knew the enemy always came from a
position of things not being as they seemed. He’s the father of lies so why
would his fighting be straightforward? Of course, I always found myself fighting
battles that seemed to have no solution. Knowing the enemy is using diversion,
and knowing how to counter it are two totally different things. But even more
than that, I had never considered the possibility that God would use diversion
as well in my own spiritual walk and in my own church. My realizations put
spiritual warfare in a whole new light and brought understanding, wisdom, and
hope—hope for sustained victory.
The first thing I realized was that in the use of diversion, God
uses veiled truth where satan will always use a veiled lie. Scripture refers to
this veiled truth as “hidden wisdom” or “the mystery.” Jesus referred to
this while talking to His disciples:
“And
He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom
of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that
‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not
understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’”
Mark 4:11-12
John 8:43-44 “Why do you not understand My speech?
Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil,
and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the
father of it.”
Now,
satan will often use facts to veil his lie. He’ll take a flat-out lie, wrap it
in a fact or circumstance, and lob his spiritual grenade right in our path to
take us out. If we believe it, it produces the desired result. If we choose
truth, the grenade is diffused and the lie is exposed. Truth will always diffuse
the weapons of the enemy. What is truth? Jesus—the Word of God (John 14:6;
17:17).
So,
by now you’re probably wondering, “Why would God veil His truth as a
diversion—especially concerning us?” Good question! God will often veil the
truth in a situation because if we knew what He was doing, either we’d blow
it, or we wouldn’t believe it anyway—and God can’t be in agreement with
unbelief. So many times, for our own protection, for our maturing, and
ultimately, for our own victory, He will veil the truth of a situation. And so
often, rather than trust Him, we will still shoot of our mouths (death and life
are in the power of the tongue—Proverbs 18:21) and unknowingly attempt to
abort the very diversion God is setting in place to bring us victory. That’s
why it’s so important to discern by the spirit the situations that face us.
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of
God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned.”
1 Corinthians 2:14
“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is,
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14
I’ve seen many situations where Christians will actually fight against what the Lord is doing because they read the situation in the flesh (pride), rather than by the spirit. What appears to be going on is actually a diversion set by the Lord to trap the enemy and bring freedom and victory to a person or church. God will often have to allow them to remain in their folly until the pride that has blinded them has been repented for. The Lord illustrated this to me in a vision. In the vision, I saw a candle that represented a church. Suddenly, the hand of the Lord came down over the candle obscuring most of its light. Many onlookers began to declare that the church was dead, or that its light had been removed—all the while being hidden of the Lord. I watched as the enemy came out of hiding and began to draw in closer and closer, finding “safety” in the darkness. At the same time, I heard the Lord saying, “Wait...wait….” Then, just as the enemy was right out in the open, hidden only by the darkness, I heard the Lord say, “Now!” and His hand lifted quickly off the candle. The sudden illumination immediately and fully exposed the enemy and he was easily and completely defeated. Without the safety of that apparent darkness, the enemy never would have come out of hiding. But now, through a diversion of the Lord, he was exposed and completely defeated.
My
prayer is that victory will be yours today over the diversions in your life
through the power of the Holy Spirit.