While I was in the army, I was stationed in Korea during the 1970s. I remember vividly visiting what was then a church of a few thousand people pastored by Dr. Paul Cho. I was so impressed by seeing the sight of thousands gathered in fervent prayer. More than two decades later, I was privileged to again visit that great church, now with hundreds of thousands of members.

I sat across the table from Dr. Cho at a restaurant in downtown Seoul, South Korea. “Tell me, Pastor Cho,” I asked, “What is the number one key to having an effective ministry around the globe?” “Brother,” he replied in his beautifully accented English, “you must understand that you cannot help Jesus Christ, but you can hinder Him. Jesus sees your ministry; He wants to show you His.”

Honestly, he stripped the gears of my mind. I remember going back to my hotel room lost in thought. “I can’t help Jesus? But I thought I was one of the good guys who helped Him! Isn’t it Satan who hinders Jesus?” As I meditated on what that dear brother had said, I came to realize a powerful and life-changing truth. We often ask God to remove the outside barriers that we think are keeping us from seeing His power when in truth the biggest barrier is self.

When we pray to God for more faith and more power, are we doing His work, or are we asking Him to empower our flesh to do what we think should be done? Paul taught that the kingdom of God is not found in things of the flesh, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). My life and ministry changed forever when I stopped asking God to bless what my flesh was doing and started asking Him to bless what He was doing. It’s not what we’re doing that brings the blessing but rather finding out what Jesus is doing and being part of that work that brings the blessing.

We rebuke the devil when often what we perceive as his attacks are instead self-inflicted wounds from our disobedience and self-focus. When we try to use religious pride to enter what we perceive as the presence of God, we become judgmental and arrogant because of what we think we know. The devil cannot stop the work and ministry of Jesus Christ, but if he can manipulate us into self-centered satisfaction, he can keep us from joining effective ministry. I pray that you will allow Jesus to freely and fully work through your life today.

During one of my many trips to Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, I spoke with several individuals who told amazing stories of divine intervention. I heard a story of a woman whose kibbutz was attacked by Hamas terrorists. She lifted her hands and started declaring in the mighty name of the Lord that God would blind their eyes. They were entering her room, another room where her mother was, and a third room where the grandchild was. The terrorists went up to all three doors with their weapons but didn’t open any of the doors, nor did they fire through any of them. When the Israeli military came, they saw the deaths of many near her home, and she told the story of lifting her hands and crying out to God.

Another woman in Jerusalem was in a terror attack. As the terrorists were firing in her direction, she shouted out loud in Hebrew Psalm 121. It says, “The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life” (v. 7). Not a bullet touched her.

A young soldier told the story that his battalion was in a line late at night, going into a highly explosive area, when suddenly he saw a dove flying towards his face. He thought he was seeing things because he had hardly slept for 36 hours. Suddenly, the dove stopped within a foot of his face in midair. He felt he was imagining the dove, so he stuck his rifle out to poke in the direction of the dove. At that moment, he realized the dove was perched on a tripwire. Had it not been for the dove, he would have hit the tripwire, detonating enough C4 explosives to kill his entire battalion.

Another soldier was eating a can of tuna fish. He struck a match to some oil to warm the tuna fish, and it caught on fire. He threw it down into a nearby tunnel shaft, not realizing it contained explosives. It blew up the explosives, and all the terrorists came out of the tunnel, surrendering over his can of tuna fish! Another soldier had the book of Psalms in his front pocket by his heart. When terrorists shot at him during the battle, a bullet lodged into the book of Psalms and saved his life.

Israel is under attack by Iran and its demon-possessed proxies, but this is nothing new. This battle has continued for thousands of years since the day Abraham pitched his tent on Mount Sinai and made a covenant with God, but I’ve never seen the battle as fierce as it is at this present moment. God is calling us to stand in the gap for Israel in this prophetic crisis hour.

If you intend to fight the good fight of faith, you must trust the Word of God. The words of men may stir you to action. They may encourage you. But they should never be the final word for your life. The Word of God is light for your path. It is health for your flesh. It is the revealed will of God for your life.

If you value the words of men over the Word of God, you violate His work in your life. You leave yourself open to temptation and deception. As a Christian, your discernment is grounded in the Word of God. Without it to guide your steps, you are vulnerable to demonic attack. The Bible is eternal, and it carries authority and power. It is supernatural and accessible. When you believe the Word—when you are in a position of faith—you are able to act in a wise and courageous manner and respond to the challenges you face in obedience to God’s Word.

You and I are living in a world where spiritual winds are blowing all around us, and we must know which spirits are speaking to us. Is it the Spirit of God, or is it a spirit of deception trying to trap us? We must be alert and wise. God’s Word is a powerful, living tool that helps us try the spirits and brings us to maturity.

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:13-14).

Anytime someone tries to persuade you to go against the Word of God, ask yourself, “If I listen to this voice and receive it as truth, will it make me a better person? Will it make me more like Jesus?” Instead of listening to those voices, choose to stand on the Word of God, no matter what anyone else says. Act in faith, and your life will be changed for the better. I encourage you to stand firm in your faith in what God has said.