"Answer It! Part 1" by Nancy Dufresne
I’m going to teach you the three vital steps to victory. Since I’ve learned and taken these three steps, they have been my exit out of EVERY test I have faced.
STEP #1 – Answer It!
One of the most important things the believer must learn is how to answer opposition. Many are hoping the devil will just leave them alone, but faith answers what opposes it.
“One of the most important things the believer must learn is how to answer opposition.”
Mark 11:12 & 13 reads, “And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found NOTHING but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.” Jesus shows us what to do when we come up to “nothing.” Jesus answered the tree – Jesus talked to things! By having no fruit, the tree was saying something to Him – “No supply from me!” – so He answered it.
Verses 14 & 15 say, “And Jesus ANSWERED and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And they come to Jerusalem....” Jesus answered the tree, then continued on His journey. He didn’t hold His attention on the tree “to see if it worked.” He didn’t slow His pace – He answered it and then continued on with His life. That’s what faith does – it answers the problem and then keeps going.
Verses 19-23 read, “And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Verse 23 is simply saying that things will obey you – talk to them! Talk to those symptoms, talk to pain, talk to lack – ANSWER THEM – tell them to leave in Jesus’ Name, then continue on your way. Don’t make the mistake of just talking ABOUT the mountain – talk TO it! Jesus didn’t wait for God to do something with that tree – He was authorized! He spoke to it! You’re authorized – speak to things! Don’t wait for God to do it. Jesus authorized us to speak to things. Since we are authorized to speak to the mountain in our lives, it’s wrong to wait for God to do it. He won’t do what He has authorized us to do.
Answer Specifically
When that tree told Jesus that He wasn’t going to get any fruit from it, Jesus answered specifically – He said, “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.” Jesus answered SPECIFICALLY!
In Luke 4, Jesus was in the wilderness of temptation, and He showed us how to answer a test or temptation specifically. Verses 3 & 4 read, “And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Jesus didn’t answer with, “I’m the Son of God,” or, “I’m anointed.” That wasn’t the specific answer for that temptation. Jesus answered in line with what He was tempted with. Each time Jesus was tested, He answered with what the Word said and gave a specific answer in line with the temptation.
If the devil were to threaten you with, “You’re not going to have enough money to make your house payment,” don’t answer with, “I love the Lord.” It’s true that you love the Lord, but that’s not the specific answer to that threat. You would answer with, “That’s a lie! I will have more than enough money for my house payment because I’m a tither and a giver, and my God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory!”
No one else can answer for you. You must learn to answer for yourself. We not only have to be good at talking to God, but we must be good at talking to the devil. We talk to God in fellowship, but we talk to the devil in authority – we don’t converse with him!
Answering opposition and tests right affects our homes, marriages, children, health, finances, future, etc....
As our kids grow older, they must be taught how to answer the devil for themselves. Older kids can’t live off their parents’ faith. When they reach the age of accountability (around 12-14 for most kids), they must learn to answer. If they aren’t taught, the devil will trouble their minds and their lives.
How does the devil get into and trouble someone’s mind? By them listening to him and turning those thoughts over and over in the mind. You can’t stop the devil from talking to you, but you are to have something to say when he speaks – answer him! Anything that troubles you, makes you fearful, depresses you, puts you down, brings doubt, etc., is the devil – ANSWER THOSE THOUGHTS SPECIFICALLY!
When the devil speaks and attacks, he produces a feeling to try to deceive you into believing what he says is true. The devil imitates how God moves. When God speaks, there’s an anointing that comes – which helps us recognize and receive what He’s saying, but we still must respond to God to receive what He says. When the devil speaks or attacks, he produces feelings of fear, doubt, panic, etc., that seem so real. This is to try to deceive you into accepting what he threatens as being true. Answer the attack and answer the feelings.
Answering the words the devil speaks stops their movement from circling around your mind. You can’t stop thoughts with thoughts – you stop them by answering with words.
STEP #2 – Tell the Devil To Leave
Tell the spirit that spoke those words to leave you – tell fear to leave or tell doubt to leave.
STEP #3 – Worship God
Worshipping God holds your attention off the opposition and on God. It holds your attention off the mountain and on the Mountain Mover. What our attention is on is what gets the movement in our lives. It holds you out of the mental arena and in the faith arena.
It only takes a moment to do Step 1 – answer the test specifically. It only takes a moment to do Step 2 – tell the devil to leave. But the bulk of our time should be spent doing Step 3 – worshipping God. Praise and worship brings the anointing, and it’s the anointing that destroys the yoke. Worship till the anointing comes – then the yoke will be destroyed!