God ministered a word of wisdom to me several years ago (which came up again in a recent cycle of growth) that I would like to share with you for the strength of your faith. The word of wisdom was “take the bull by the horns”, which means “to deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.” (wordnik).

Usually when confronting something difficult man’s instinct is to rather avoid it because this is what past experience tells us, that nothing good is going to come from these types of situations. Of course, there are also those that like a challenge, and maybe you’re one of those people that confront difficult situations head on, but without access to God’s perspective through the sanctified contact points of the covenant, the reality is that each approach comes from the same place by man’s first education in the kingdom of darkness. You’re trying to avoid or fight against a power you haven’t been equipped to overcome, which is the reason you feel fear and anxiety, or a false sense of confidence and uncertainty in the first place.

It always ends badly when reason, by default, is tethered to the kingdom of darkness, and this is the expectation that people have become accustomed to; which is actually sin and death manifesting itself (fear, anxiety, uncertainty, boast, self confidence etc). But the good news is that this is also what God wants to free you from.

So when we look at this word of wisdom we are actually talking about two kingdoms and two powers. The kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and what fruit each produces, which God makes a distinction between so you can join your faith to Him and take confidence in what He has supplied for this to take place.

When a person is converted to the covenant of Jesus Christ (see 5 Steps to Covenant Faith) they are adopted by God and brought into His house to live and build for Him. Being adopted means that we are coming from another house. We are brought out of the house of bondage (kingdom of darkness) and brought into the house of God.

Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Colossians 1:13
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

It’s important to understand this because we know to expect change. This is true with natural adoption in the world and also true for Christians concerning their faith. A new house means new rules, new expectations, and an entirely new life that requires a transition that may be feared as difficult, however, God is supplying the power and assisting you every step of the way which is why He said that His yoke was easy and His burden was light (Matthew 11:30).

1 Peter 4:12-13
¹² Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

¹³ But rejoice, in asmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Christians suffer the loss of their own aspirations, principles and imaginations, because they are making this transition daily in order for the fruit of the kingdom of darkness to be replaced with the fruit of God’s kingdom. This fruit reflects your experience in each kingdom. Having been brought into covenant with God marks the end of building in the kingdom of darkness and the bearing of that fruit, but the damage has already been done so to speak, healing must now take place to repair that damage like a house after a fire. This is what salvation is all about, the remission of sins and the restoration of your soul. The apostles wrote about rejoicing in suffering because this is the healing process by which God replaces Satan’s fruit with His fruit by faith.

Romans 3:25
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

These two kingdoms oppose each other and we see suffering manifested in the conflict that is produced from that transition we go through, which is what we call the resistance that you face in your cycles of growth. Resistance means you are opposing or resisting the nurturing of Satan’s seed in the soul with your new found faith in God by the assisted ability of the Spirit; Jesus Christ having overcome by the same power, setting this pattern for us.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Matthew 11:30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Hebrews 5:8
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Notice the accountability that Apostle James is assigning to the believer here as something that we do, something that we are responsible for (resist the devil). This speaks of the action that you take with your faith to reflect on the new experience that God has granted to you, called the grace of God, to resource His strength. When God says “My grace is sufficient” He refers to the environment wherein we are granted direct access to this divine power – His covenant.

Each kingdom produces its own fruit that reflects an experience and perspective that people filter their lives through, so when you come into covenant with God, it’s important that you learn about, and reflect on the grace of God, because through this application of faith, the way we view everything changes. The way we view faith. The way we view life. The way we view confidence. The way we perceive people, places and things. The way we view conflict and the way we view fear changes. God is setting us free from these things through Jesus Christ.

So when the Lord says “Take the bull by the horns”, He is not referring to man’s own bravado, but He is referring to the empowerment He provides in the knowledge and spiritual tools of the covenant (our access point to His grace), by which our faith is carried in His strength.

This is a critical point to understand here as nothing of the kingdom of darkness can be used in the kingdom of God. It’s the habit and the inclination of the mind that was formed when we were in the kingdom of darkness that became the immediate response that we lived by that slew us. Lacking the power for completion, being tethered to the power of the kingdom of darkness, the natural man misdirected hope to many avenues in search of remedy to the contradictions, fears and challenges that everyone face. However, seeing God has equipped us with His power, He is saying this is something we no longer have to avoid or fear, but rather embrace or confront for the increase of our faith (Take the bull by the horns).

Reflecting on this word of wisdom made me think about the choices you have to survive a lion attack. One of the methods is to stand your ground, which seems completely counterintuitive in that moment when you are paralyzed by fear. Your instinct is to run away, but if you think about it, you have a better chance standing your ground in order to try to intimidate the lion or fight it, because running away will only trigger the animals instinct to chase, which leaves you defenseless as your back now is turned to the predator.

We can see the same parallel when Satan comes to challenge our faith to view everything by past experience in the kingdom of darkness; but the difference is now we are not defenseless, but empowered. Neither avoidance nor the bravado of the flesh are of the power to equip faith to overcome Satan’s slight, but Christ made perfect provision for us in the pattern and plan of His holy covenant.

Ephesians 6:10-11
¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil.

Fear, boasting, hopelessness, avoidance, depression, anxiety, sadness etc. only have power in the absence of faith (not being equipped with grace for reflection), for by it we see the provision of the Lord to change our focus and to provide strength, peace and confidence.

We read of the power of God in the Bible so why is this not the testimony of believers in the current Christian culture? The answer is simple. It’s because they are not in covenant with God. The damaging effects of this are clearly seen in the church today if you’re honest with yourself.

There is tremendous liberty that comes from the grace of God that brings salvation, but a believer must be trained to use the grace of God in the environment which God created for it, and that means coming into covenant with Him and being discipled in the faith through the steward of His house and those that build His kingdom with Him. The instruction has to accompany the power of grace, otherwise believers don’t know what to do with it and that is not what God intended, nor the way He designed salvation.

John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Free your faith and start overcoming your cycles of growth to live the liberty that God promised.