I Can

Pastor J. R. Wilhite, author   Close Window

What are we are to overcome in our lives? Sin is what most will say, and to some degree they are right; but to overcome sin, without overcoming the cause of sin, is like cutting the tops of weeds instead of pulling them out by their roots. They will just grow back and it will be a non-ending cycle. If we seek (dig out) the root of sin and overcome that then we can overcome sin.

In the gospels we read where Jesus would say, "Go and sin no more." Now Jesus would never tell anyone to do something they were not able to do. That was still even under the law, not grace. So if Jesus knew we could overcome sin in the law, then how much more so are we able to overcome now, being of Grace.

The expression "I can" seems to be something that many have trouble actually believing. They may be able to say it, but deep down inside they do not believe it.

I can what?

Philippians 4

13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We can do anything, but for some reason we do not. The reason is we have people as well as a voice inside telling us that we can not. So we must overcome the voice and those who say that we can not. A good example of this is in the account of Job where his wife and friends all told him to just curse God and die. However, he did not and when he overcame the lies and all those telling him what to do he got back all that he had lost two times over.

So how do we get to where we can say, "I can" and not just wish for it, but actually believe it and expect it? We have to start with what comes right before I can and that is I believe, or I have faith. These have to be buried deep in us. We can not just wish for them, but must really expect what we believe or have faith in to manifest.

I imagine you have all seen the cartoon where there is a little devil on one and an angel on the other each whispering into the person’s ear. Unfortunately the cartoon usually makes the devil out to be fun and the angel out to be a stick in the mud, no fun, about as much fun as getting a tooth pulled. Whoever did the cartoon thought they were making it funny, but actually they were listening more to their devil than their angel.

We all have two voices whispering to us. Actually one is shouting to be heard and the other is knocking until we let Him in and then He does not shout. So we have to overcome the one that is shouting in order to hear the other’s still small voice, or to even hear Him knocking.

Revelation 3

20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

The problem for most is the one shouting is telling them that there is no God or devil, that only morons and weak people who need a crutch believe in God. They hear that to be of God means losing all that is fun and enjoyable in life. They hear that in comparison it will be like working non-stop for the rest of their life.

They are hearing all kinds of input that go against the knowledge of God. When I say the knowledge of God, that does not mean just evolution or something of this nature. It could range from thoughts that there is no God or devil to just thinking that God is a jealous and wrathful God (which He could be, but not as they are thinking). Anything we hear, see or read, that in any form, teaches, tells, or shows us something that is contrary to God goes against the knowledge of God. This is why I harp so much on two verses–2 Corinthians 10:5 (casting down imaginations) and John 14:26 (being taught all things via the Holy Spirit).

2 Corinthians 10

5. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We must realize that we have no original thoughts. Everything we think, have ever thought, or will ever think has been thought before by someone else and will be thought again after we are gone. If you can not get this in you, allow it to take root, and reveal all that it means, you will continue to battle to overcome without victory (other than some very minor battles perhaps). If you get this in you and realize that the thoughts we have are all from the world (Satan) until we seek God's thoughts, then you are on the path to overcome the thoughts of the world.

Matthew 4

35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

All that you say must first come from inside of you. If your spirit is alive, well, and in touch with the Holy Spirit, then your heart will be of God. But before we can get there we must overcome the walls the world has placed in us to keep us separated from God. Those walls are lies or the twisted truth. Each time we heard and allowed a lie in it added another brick to an existing obstacle or built another whole wall.

Romans 8

33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36. As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

The only way we overcome or become more than conquerors is by controlling our thoughts. We must seek thoughts of God and disallow those of the world. The only way to seek those of God is to hear them from God, not from man, nor from reading.

Matthew 4

4. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The difficulty with overcoming is in understanding the enemy and the enemy’s tactics when dealing with us. The enemy only has one true weapon. That is the planting of his thoughts into individuals. The enemy chooses to do it to anyone he thinks will get his ideas out to as many as possible as well as to us.

Satan understands the principles of sowing and reaping. Those of you who do not think we can sow in other areas of life than the earth to reap a crop, watch out because you are getting ready to either shut down or have a revelation.

Satan has been planting thoughts since the beginning. He uses thoughts that separate us from mankind, introduce violence, and keep us on the wrong path. You can actually see the harvest he is reaping today from what he has sown in the past. Just look at the news, the city you live in, and the world itself.

Here is the problem for us - if we do not realize he can and does plant thoughts and that we do not have original thought, when we do have a thought we then accept it as our own. Most of us will not dwell on some of the more violent thoughts, but there are people who do dwell on them and eventually act them out. If they knew ahead of time that the thought was not theirs, then maybe they would not have dwelt on them in the first place, avoiding a subsequent evil action.

I think most, if not all, of you are, right now, beginning to believe this is true. Why has God not done anything about this if it is true? God has done something about it; He gave us His Word and from the Word we can learn that this is happening and how to overcome it. If nothing else we should know by the time we are a teenager that we are to be taught all things by Him and be actually hearing from Him.

John 14:26. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

It is not God's fault if you have not read the Bible or sought His help.

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.

There are more verses in the New Testament that are about being of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and more than any other subject I can find there.

1 John 2:27. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Christ in English means anointed one and His anointing. Jesus said in Luke 4:18 that He was anointed with the Spirit of God. So as we read I John 2:27 we read that we are to be taught by the Holy Spirit and not by man.

Some people say, "I tried and all I heard was my own voice or nothing at all."

1 John 4

1. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Why then did John tell us to test the spirit that we are hearing from if we could not even hear? He would not have. The problem in why you hear not is that you try not or believe not. First you must believe that it is possible to hear. Read all the verses above and all that lead up to them and that follow them in the Bible.

Here is how we hear from God:

1. We have a desire to hear from Him
2. We ask for His help
3. We find a place that is free of distractions and that is quiet.
4. We go to this place daily and spend at least 30 minutes there.
5. We sit quietly not thinking or doing anything.
6. Most will fall asleep at first because the body is trained to go to sleep if we are still and quiet for a few minutes. So what you have to do is retrain the body not to fall asleep in the first 10 minutes or so.
7. We do this daily for as long as it takes until we hear. For most it is 6 months but there have been a few that took only a few weeks and a few that took longer. It depends on how many walls there are in you.
8. When you hear you ask one question, "Did Jesus Christ come in the flesh?" If you hear, "No" tell Satan to go to Hell. If you hear, "Yes" you listen and, in time, ask questions and listen for the answers.
9. You allow this to grow in you from 30 minutes a day, to hours a day until you hear all the time.

You do not have to stop working, living, or being in the world to hear all the time. The only reason we do not hear all the time now is the walls we have in us. While we are working on hearing daily we spend the rest of the time learning to cast down imaginations that go against the knowledge of God and how to take the rest into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Within a year or so after hearing constantly, we will learn to judge not and to forgive in ways we never imagined. We eventually will feel what seems like weight being lifted off of our shoulders.

I have discovered some things through my own 53 years so far and from others:

1. We limit ourselves in what we can do. We hear how someone else has done things, but we think, "Yes they did that, but I am not them." It is true that we are not, but we have in us all that they have in them and we can do anything if we set our mind on it.
2. We do not know what to do, or what to set our mind on; so we seek God and ask Him to help us.
3. When we do know what, then we do not know how to set our mind to it. So we seek God on it and we do not allow "No" for an answer.
4. The words and phrases like failure, no, can not, it is impossible, and any other of this nature must be cast down when they try to enter. We only allow phrases and words such as We can do it, we will do it, it is done, all I have to do is finish it.

Hebrews 10:35. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

Confidence is also faith, which has a reward. So many stand for a while on their faith and then give up. If they had just stood for a few more seconds, they would have gotten what they were standing there for.

Satan will plant thoughts either directly or indirectly (by others) to convince you, that what you are standing for will never happen. After a while so many start dwelling on it and then give up. Those who cast down any and all that might come up against their success always succeed in life.

Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It is impossible to please God without faith.

Hebrews 10

36. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

It is more than just saying I can do it, it has to be confidence in you that you can do it.

Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Now faith (your confidence) is the substance (what makes it real) of things expected [hope (hope in the Bible is to expect)], the evidence (proof) of things not seen.

Most who have succeeded in whatever it was they were trying for said they could actually see themselves doing whatever they were standing or believing for.

Hebrews 11:6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Why is it impossible to please God without faith? First of all, we can not even be saved without faith.

Ephesians 2

8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We can not achieve anything in this life or receive His promises without faith. He is pleased when He sees us getting all that is promised to us because that can only happen by faith. We must get the following words out of our vocabulary: can't, doubt, lack, dept, limited, impossible, etc. Once we get these out and replace them with I can, I will, it is done, and we also have faith (belief without doubt), then we will please God.

If you get a handle on your thoughts, listen constantly to God and not the world, in time all of the signs will follow you. Here are a few of the things you will be blessed with or by in your life:

Strength

Philippians 4

13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Needs Supplied

Philippians 4

19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Healing

1 Peter 2

24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Cares Removed

1 Peter 5

7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

No Limit to What You Can Do

Mark 11

22. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23. 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.

24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Review

1. Faith has no limits and it is ours. If it does not work it is not due to faith or God but our lack of faith due to doubt or unbelief.
2. Get out any and all thoughts, imaginations, etc that are not of God, that in any way limit us and keep us from God and His promises to us.
3. Faith, words of our mouth (by which we will be judged), and overcoming all come only when we get our thoughts in line with what God says, not what the world says.

Everything boils down to thoughts. Our words of our mouth come from some form of thought. Thoughts are the seed, words of our mouth are what come and grow from that seed.

If you have been told, "You are a loser" your whole life or, "You can not do that" and you believed it, or at the very least allowed it into you, then it will become true.

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