Overcoming Defeatism
Priscilla Van Sutphin
May 5, 2009
You know God hasn’t called us to the ministry of telling people what all their faults are, despite what some people think. Yes, it’s important for us all to SEE what our faults are, but that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. More of us would be healed if we judged less, and loved more.
LOVE is the KEY to healing. Compassion the balm, not telling someone you have a spirit of gluttony. What got them there in the first place was a lack of love. So helping them and loving them and being their friend is more important than pointing out their faults.
If you are going to tell someone what’s wrong with them, you better be under the unction of the Holy Spirit, and they had better be asking. God is so gentle in revealing things bit by bit as too much would make us overwhelmed. Nothing causes more defeatism in the body or in anyone for that matter, than faultfinders.
Anyone can discern faults in another, but not everyone has the love of the Lord to bring healing to a person. It’s easy to say you need help. Harder to be the one helping.
I remember this story of a famous revivalist who was told by the Lord to befriend the town drunk. He wasn’t preaching to him, though I’m sure the subject of the Lord came up. He was just told to BE HIS FRIEND. So he did this and for three years & never asked him to church or to bible study, till finally after 3 years the Lord told him to invite him, and he came and got saved.
There are a lot more of the gifts of the spirit in the body functioning than there are the FRUIT in the body of Christ, at least from my observations since coming to the Lord, 25 yrs ago. It is much harder to love the hurting and broken than those who are like you. It is harder to love the unloveable looking, annoying, and picky people into life, than those who already are “together”. Jesus said it is those who are in need of a physician that He came for. Not those who are already well.
Defeatism is a stronghold of hopelessness binding one from being who God made them to be. Defeatism says, “you’ll never make it”. “ God won’t help you – you’ve been to bad” “ You can’t do that. You’re not good enough or talented enough, or anointed enough yet”. And worthlessness will pipe in on chorus saying “ That’s right, you just don’t have it !” The person caught in this pit of destruction always feels they will never be worth anything, or never be recognized, as worthwhile by anyone. They often say “I CAN’T”. I can’t do this or I can’t do that.
The Word of God says, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me”. That is the antidote for all the “I can’t’s” in the world, and LOVE from others instead of judgment will help the person feel that God is truly loving them. If you feel unloveable, the rejection of others, just drives you further and further into depression and more heavy rejection. We all want to be treated as individuals and with respect. There is no partiality with God. He doesn’t love the pretty people more than those who are not as pretty and sophisticated looking. He gives His gifts to men NOT based on performance or looks, but on LOVE and Wisdom. In fact somehow He allows their weakness to TEST YOU !
It is LOVE that leads to repentance, not judgment and rejection. Rejection over and over again leads to the defeatism. So you see someone who is manifesting it, then you see someone who never felt loved. Being kind rather than pointing out their obvious faults would be the best. Jesus said, LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. He did not say crush the spirit of the broken. He said rather …
Matthew 12:19-20 NKJV
19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
Now I know there are some people who are so bruised they would suck the life out of any one person, which is why this is BODY ministry. Everyone in the body is supposed to participate in loving one another. So when one person is weak in an area, another can take up the cause. We just do what we can being all broken vessels. Those who are most broken are most difficult and will sometimes bite the hand of the one feeding them. Don’t take it personally, because we do not fight against people. Our war is with demons, principalities and powers of darkness, not our brother, though it sometimes seems that way.
I remember one of the Argentinian revivalists told a story of how a bunch of pastors got together to pray against the spirit of witchcraft over their city, and in the morning they found out the head witch in the city dropped dead. They weren’t praying against her, they were praying against the spirit behind her and she was taken out.
And I know there are times to withdraw from those who are so hostile they can’t be civil to others, or take out their anger on you. You are not supposed to be a punching bag, or a doormat, but you are to turn the other cheek.
People who still have a lot of rejection in them that is unhealed will not be able to throw off feelings so easily. I also know that it is easy to say, and harder to love unconditionally. We are all in process of learning how.
Part of any healing of defeatism or any emotional wounds is to take in the LOVE of God, so that the stronghold of UNBELIEF connected to all this is destroyed, and you can really come to believe how much God is for you instead of against you. You need to read scriptures on the love of God or listen to such on CD’s. Listening to Mike Bickle talk on the Songs of Solomon helps me because it’s all about the love of God for His bride. If you feed yourself enough of the true word, then you will receive revelation too, that will help you overcome feeling dejected and defeated. Worshipping brings the presence of God that then also brings the experience of His supernatural love…
[ You can listen to Mikes mp3’s at www.upstreamca.org/fotbh_podcasts.html
Ephesians says…in Ephesians 3:17-19 AMP
17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
We all need the love of someone else, but ultimately we need Holy Spirit to quench all the stuff that is oppressing us by getting into His presence and receiving the touch of the Lord. One touch from Him, can deliver a person completely. It is the place of healing.
Prayer
Father, I need to know how much You love me. Help me to overcome my UNBELIEF in how much You love me. Destroy the roots of defeatism in My life and show me any curses/words spoken over me that I agreed with that I must renounce believing. Show me any vows I made that keep me in this pattern of behavior. Help my unbelief in Your goodness towards me Abba.
Lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake Lord. Help me to EXPECT Your goodness and I renounce all defeatism and self condemnation in the name and blood of Jesus. I ask Your forgiveness for giving into it Lord, and I rebuke all spirits of defeatism, self pity, condemnation and guilt in the name and blood of Jesus. AMEN !
