(For a Microsoft Word or PDF file of this poem, see the very end)
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
On the plains of Analogy
Out by the City of Gold,[i]
The people live in ‘pickups,’[ii]
Both the young and the old.
And never should they exit,
Oh, it’s strange, but it’s true,
Never should they step outside[iii]
‘Till they get one that’s new.[iv]
For sadly here, we also find
Highjackers all around,
Who truly want to seize a truck,[v]
And to this goal, they’re bound.
And though, they have no weapons, [vi] they’re
A sly and evil lot,[vii]
Who seek the unsuspecting, who
Are ignorant of their plot.[viii]
At first, they simply stand around
As people travel by,
Seeking the attention of
All who, the law, defy. [ix]
They’ll display a photograph [x]or
Call out as they come near,
To try to get them to slow down
Or alter where they steer.[xi]
And once they catch a driver’s eye,
Or hook him by the ear,
They will do all that they can,
To get him to pause here.
And if he stops, temptations flow,[xii]
But each one is a ploy,[xiii]
Designed to hold the driver for
A certain promised joy.[xiv]
And while he sits immersed in sin,
The crooks climb in the bed;[xv]
No longer will temptation wait,
They’ll ride with him instead.
From here, they can communicate [xvi]
Through glass that is quite thin,
Or flash their pictures in his sight to[xvii]
Encourage greater sin.
And if the driver drops his guard,
Inspired by deeper sin,
He’ll roll down a window to
Hear the voices, ‘now within.’[xviii]
And when he does, a hand comes in
To grip the steering wheel,
And so the plan continues for
The truck they want to steal.
Now as they struggle back and forth,[xix]
They’ll tempt him once again,
Distracted by some sinful joy,
He’ll stop and let them in.
The brakes are pushed, the truck it stops,
The hand unlocks the door,
And finally as they enter,[xx] the
Driver knows he’s in a war. [xxi]
Then looking up, he makes the choice,
He’ll do what he was told,
By an old friend; He’ll take off for
The city made of gold.
So fighting hard to steer his truck, [xxii]
Outnumbered by his foes, [xxiii]
He says a prayer, and asks for help,
Then, strength, it somehow flows.
Arriving at the city gate,
He asks to be let in,
But, he’s told, “You’re not allowed, ‘till
You’re washed of all your sin.”[xxiv]
So he repents, bows to the King,
And asks Him to forgive,[xxv]
Then blood spills from His master’s hands, [xxvi]
Now, he knows that he will live.[xxvii]
And now a Sovereign Officer [xxviii]
Walks right up to his truck,
Then getting in,[xxix] the criminals,
With fear, are greatly struck.
And trembling,[xxx] they try to hide
Way down behind the seat,
For fear that His Omniscient Eyes[xxxi]
And theirs would surely meet.
And now, the Officer, He asks,
“You had enough of them?”
If so, then tell them to get out;[xxxii]
Your truck, some weight, we’ll trim![xxxiii]
Command them in the King’s great name,[xxxiv]
Proclaim; ‘Your sin’s removed [xxxv]
By the precious blood He spilled
And you are now approved.’[xxxvi]
Tell them that your sins are gone,
The ones that let them in,
And they have no more rights to you,
This battle, now, you win![xxxvii]
So, now the driver does all this,
Emboldened by the gun,
Which the Officer now wields,
The thieves, they jump and run. [xxxviii]
And now he asks the Officer
To close and lock the doors,
Where he allowed the thieves to come
With the sin that he abhors.
And too, he asks the Officer
To own the voided place, [xxxix]
To flex His Mighty Muscles
And to fill the empty space.[xl]
And though, thieves will try to tempt him
As he drives on down the road,
They’re not allowed to ride with him,
He won’t take on their load.
For life he has, the King he serves,
He’s loved and loves Him back,
And the King has promised that
No goodness will he lack.[xli]
* * * *
Do this yourself!
If Satan and his demonic cohorts have a stronghold in your life (if they’re messing around with your truck) and you have already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then do the following. Audibly—you are talking both to God and to the enemy, and demons cannot hear your thoughts—confess any sin (or sins) which you committed which gave the enemy the stronghold. Repent of it: Tell both God and Satan that you are no longer going to do it – “In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit!” Then tell them: “This sin has been confessed, repented of, and forgiven by the blood which Jesus shed at the cross, and now any rights, any control, any power which Satan has had over my life because of this sin is broken!” Then tell the enemy: “Get out of my life — in Jesus name!” Then, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, close and seal the entrances which let them in. Say, “In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I close and seal all entrances into my life which the enemy used for entry!” Finally, ask the Holy Spirit to fill all the voids in your life which the enemy has vacated. (While this will break an enemy stronghold regarding a particular area of sin in your life, it will not stop all temptation. They will still stand next to the road shouting and flashing pictures as you go by. If you ever need to just ‘shut them up’ for a while – as you are ‘going by’ – command them to leave you alone “in Jesus’ name” and start praising the Lord audibly.) If you have any generational sins, curses, or strongholds in your life which have been passed down to you from your relatives, or from anyone else (if somebody else allowed the highjackers into your truck), then command (audibly) that they be broken — by the authority of the blood of Jesus Christ, your Heavenly Father. Our relationship with God has authority over all earthly bonds and bondage.
The preceding is from ‘The Second Most Incredible Book . . . (available to download free on this website).
– – – – – – –
[i] The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. Revelation 21:18 (FYI – The city of Heaven ‘being made of gold’ is not an analogy.)
[ii] Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Corinthians 5:1
[iii] “Astral Projection”—an ‘out of body’ experience—if pursued, would leave a person’s body unoccupied and unprotected. (F.Y.I. If you think this has happened to you beyond your control, it didn’t. A demon gave you a dream to make you think that it happened.)
[iv] Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, . . 2 Corinthians 5:1,2
[v] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy . . . John 10:10
[vi] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2:15
[vii] Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11
[viii] . . . my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6
[ix] But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7
[x] When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, . . .Job 7:13,14
[xi] So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. Deuteronomy 5:32-33
[xii] I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. 1 Thessalonians 3:5
[xiii] . . . but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14-15
[xiv] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. Hebrews 11:25
[xv] Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. Luke 22:3
[xvi] Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1
[xvii] When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, . . .Job 7:13,14
[xviii] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! Matthew 16:22-23. (F.Y.I Satan put a thought into Peter’s mind, which Peter acted upon. Jesus looked at Peter, but was addressing Satan.)
[xix] A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. . . .When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. . . . It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. Mark 9:17,18,20,22
[xx] When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!” Mark 5:6-8
[xxi] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
[xxii] A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. . . .When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. . . . It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. Mark 9:17,18,20,22
[xxiii] When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. Mark 16:9
[xxiv] Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:27
[xxv] Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord Acts 3:19
[xxvi] In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22
[xxvii] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. . . John 10:28
[xxviii] You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
[xxix] Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19
[xxx] You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. James 2:19
[xxxi] You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD Psalm 139:2-4
[xxxii] However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20
[xxxiii] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
[xxxiv] The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Luke 10:17
[xxxv] For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12
[xxxvi] For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:18
[xxxvii] For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
[xxxviii] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
[xxxix] When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. Matthew 12:43-45 (F.Y.I. Demons should not be ‘kicked out’ of a person’s life – who is not willing to invite God in.)
[xl] Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
[xli] I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
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