Matthew 11:12 reads, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent TAKE IT by force (by the force of faith).” The Amplified translation reads, “And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ARDENT ZEAL AND INTENSE EXERTION].”
This depicts the earnestness of faith we must exercise to get past the flesh, the world, and the devil – they oppose our faith. Being passive and casual toward what God has made ours won’t be enough to reach past opposition.
This verse defines “spiritual violence” – TAKE IT, seize it by force, use intense exertion. “Violence” involves the word VIOLATE. Spiritual violence calls for us to violate the flesh, the world, and the devil. God has made His blessings ours – but they are ours for the TAKING, for 95% of what we receive from God will be initiated by us, not by God. It’s faith that activates our inheritance in our lives.
Luke 18:1-8 in the Amplified translation reads, “ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Protect and defend and give me justice against my adversary. And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverence or fear for God nor respect or consideration for man, Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming or at the last she come and rail on me or assault me or strangle me. Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says! And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf? I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?”
Jesus is giving us an example of the kind of faith that pleases God and gets results. If we aren’t getting results, we are using the wrong version of faith. The kind of faith that Jesus condones is an aggressive, bold faith that gets past opposition – a faith that TAKES IT – a faith that violates hindrances. To lay hold of what God offers, you have to have a bold, aggressive faith. Not because God is withholding, but because of hindrances in your way.
We have to be done with things that have troubled us – FROM THE INSIDE OF YOU, you have to say, “I’m done with that! I’m done living that way! No more!” As long as you play with things that trouble you – talking softly to them – they will stay around. Symptoms, bad habits, addictions, and fear will all stay around as long as we deal with them softly.
How do we TAKE IT? In Romans 4:17, Paul writes about Abraham’s faith. He “... CALLED those things which be not as though they were.” The more you call it, the more you have it. The less you call it, the less you have it.
When Abram was 75 years old, God first spoke to him, saying, “...Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3).
It’s recorded three chapters later that the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “...Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless...” (Gen. 15:1-2).
Abram isn’t saying what God said to him in chapter 12 – he’s calling himself childless – so he’s childless. God may say great things about you – but it won’t come to pass until YOU say it!
Then Genesis 17:1 records, “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram....” This is 24 years after the first time God talked to him. For 24 years after God spoke to Abram, the word had not come to pass because Abram hadn’t put the Word God gave him in his mouth – he wasn’t “calling” it. So God appeared to Abram and forced him to put it in his mouth by changing his name.
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee” (Gen.17:1-6).
Then Genesis 21:5 tells us that Abraham was an hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. Within ONE YEAR of CALLING himself like God called him, Isaac was born. For 24 years of NOT CALLING – nothing happened.
If we don’t TAKE IT by “calling” it, it won’t come to pass. What God had for Abraham didn’t come to pass until he started “taking it” by “calling” it.
God told us that 2020 will be our best year yet. We must continue to “call” it.