Agree with Your Enemy . . . on the Way to Court!
Jesus said, “It is always better to come to terms with the one who wants to sue you before you go to trial, or you may be found guilty by the judge, and he will hand you over to the officer, who will throw you into prison. Believe me, you won’t get out of prison until you have paid the full amount!” (Matthew 5:27-28 TPT).
I have a confession to make.
Though I’m rather even tempered (so I’m told), hurtful, disparaging remarks, accusations or actions directed at me (or someone I love) oftentimes trigger a surge of offense and disappointment, even anger.
In such a case I might find myself in a state of wanting to “fight” back. Defend myself. Defend my loved one. Get the last word in. But I’ve learned to fight these type battles another way. Instead, I retreat to my secret place, where God can “have His way” with me first. In other words, I “agree” with the apparent enemy (by not fighting back). At the same time, I quickly make my way to court, heavenly court, that is!
Here are some of the reasons we should take our “enemies” to heavenly court:
One, flesh-and-blood people are not the real enemy anyway. Satan is. The Bible is clear that he is the one controlling and manipulating people to cause us or someone else harm. Since he is a spiritual being, the most effective way to deal with him is in the spiritual place from where God rules.
Two, when we try to fight battles here in the earthly realm (as opposed to “going into the heavenly realm” to do our business), we find ourselves pitted against a LEGAL ACCUSER who WILL WIN the fight against us. Because he (Satan) is THE RULER OF THIS WORLD.
Three, when we fight our battles in the earthly realm, Satan is not only a condemning accuser; he is also our “judge.” And he is a BAD JUDGE because he is not fair or just.
In heavenly court, we can sit before our GOOD JUDGE, the ONE who is RIGHT and JUST—the one who made us, loves us, and always tell us the TRUTH. He is also the One who wants us to WIN the fight against our enemy. He is on our side!
Seek the Truth
There is a hitch to entering the heavenly court: If we want to win our case, we have to go in on God’s terms.
For instance, we must be willing to receive THE TRUTH about ourselves (we could be WRONG), the other people involved (they could be RIGHT), and the Judge Himself (He is always RIGHT and GOOD, and full of GRACE and MERCY, for all parties involved).
So we prostrate ourselves before our GOOD JUDGE in His heavenly courtroom. And WE ASK HIM TO JUDGE US according to our ways. We need to know what’s WRONG, so these things can be made RIGHT. (Again, we trust His love for us and that He always has our best interests at heart.)
Note: the only way to win in court is to be made RIGHT, through the process that God shows us there. (I highly recommend referring to my Rightness/Wrongness Chart when doing this).
Thankfully, God has provided the assistance of courtroom participants who can help us get the RIGHTNESS/ WRONGNESS “exchanges” done QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY.
These include (1) God Himself, our GOOD JUDGE, (2) Jesus, our MEDIATOR and REDEEMER, the One who exchanges WRONG attitudes and behaviors for RIGHT ones (by way of His perfect blood—the ransom that bought us back from the power of SATAN), and (3) the Holy Spirit, our LEGAL AID (the One who provides all the information and power we need to make the correct choices).
The Truth Sets Us Free
Now, when we ask the GOOD JUDGE to make our WRONG things RIGHT, HUMILITY is required. If we are WRONG, even in a slight way, we must accept responsibility, through repentance, turning to embrace God’s thoughts, plans, purposes, and will.
Embracing God’s directions, (that is, accepting God’s judgments and making the necessary corrections by exchanging WRONG for RIGHT) produces a great sense of freedom that we might not otherwise experience. It also produces the most desirable outcome as regards the situation at hand.
Here are the GOOD JUDGE’s usual prescriptions:
About us, He says, “I love you! I want you to be free of judgment, jealousy, contempt, offense, and unforgiveness! Holding these things will make you ineffective and unproductive. Be sorry that you are holding on to these things. Be SO SORRY about them that you are now willing to turn from your own ways and embrace My ways and solutions! This involves asking My Son, Jesus, to make the necessary exchanges. He died so you would have the power to walk in RIGHTNESS. Give Him your life and He will give you back His!”
About the one who has “accused” us, God says, “I love him, too! I want him to be free, same as you! Do your part (through repentance and exchange) and he, too, will get closer to understanding the freedom I am offering. He, too, will want to embrace My ways.”
About the dilemma we are facing, He says: “The perfect solution to your problem will come as you walk in RIGHTNESS. As you go, I will tell you what to do and what to say. Listen. Don’t blurt something out! Also, your problem will be solved sooner than later when you allow My love to pour through you. My love never fails!”
Do Your Part, Then Wait
From a personal perspective, when I am in alignment with what the Judge has rendered in heavenly court, I find it much easier to face the party who has accused me. Walking in RIGHTNESS makes me more effective when speaking to him about the situation facing us. I don’t come across as defensive. I am stable and confident. I speak in love.
But as far as resolution to the conflict is concerned, what is a person to do if the accusing party is not willing to go to heavenly court, too? He is not willing to stand before the GOOD JUDGE. He is not willing to embrace the truth by repenting for WRONGNESS. He is prideful and insistent on his own way.
This is what I have discovered: We must do our part, exchanging WRONGNESS for RIGHTNESS, then patiently waiting for God’s outcome. We must do it over and over if need be. We must allow God to direct each step. We must STAY CLEAN by exchanging as often as needed!
We are the change agents. We are humble. We are consistent. Breakthroughs are coming! The outcome God has for us will ultimately benefit everyone involved. His perfect plans are becoming reality!
Get Satan Thrown out of Court
Every dispute on earth (such as between church leaders or spouses or business partners) is the result of a “legal” issue in the unseen realm. In other words, the accuser is free to divide and conquer, destroy relationships, and imprison people—WHERE he has established a LEGAL RIGHT (usually due to a person’s PRIDE and/or other INIQUITY). Even Christians who most often have good intentions about doing God’s will can become persuaded to follow Satan’s train of thought when he has a LEGAL RIGHT to manipulate and control them.
Summary: God’s plans and purposes are always RIGHT and GOOD. His goal is always UNITY and PEACE, RIGHTNESS and JUSTICE. Satan, on the other hand, attempts to UNDO the GOOD and RIGHT plans of God by causing division and strife.
When we go to heavenly court, the GOOD JUDGE rules. When we follow the courtroom protocol, Satan gets thrown out of court. He no longer has a leg to stand on!
When all the parties humbly submit to God’s perfect solution, everyone wins. This should be the norm among Christian brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, parents, and children. God wants all His people to win in their fight against the ACCUSER!
“Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.“ (Ephesians 6:12–13 TPT).
“All rise! For God now comes to judge as he convenes heaven’s courtroom. He judges every judge and rules over every ruler, saying ‘How long will you judges refuse to listen to the voice of true justice and continue to corrupt what is right by judging in favor of the wrong?’” (Psalm 82:1–2 TPT)
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion) through His [resurrection] life” (Romans 5:10 AMP).
[“Reconciled” in the Greek can mean “exchange,” “restoration,” or “atonement.”]
“And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope. And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” (Romans 5:5 TPT).