As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7 ( KJV)

Most of us are familiar with the proverb quoted above. In contemporary language, it means that a man typically lives up to his self-image – the view he holds of himself. If he sees himself as small and insignificant, incompetent and failure prone, he will accomplish little in life because he will attempt little. He will never see himself as a leader and, therefore, will not step into that role even if it is offered to him. He will settle for lesser jobs than he is capable of because he doesn’t believe that he is capable and will settle for lesser relationships because he will feel he doesn’t deserve more. It’s not just men who are crippled by a small and insignificant self-image, women fall into that trap as well.

I am the convinced that the church has fallen into that trap as well. The church, typically, has a much smaller view of herself than God does. The enemy has done an outstanding job convincing us that the words of Christ are not really true when he said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church.

Somewhere, Satan planted a distorted interpretation of certain passages in the Bible that has become a prevalent theological view, especially in the past 50 years. The view is that in the last days, evil will abound more and more and that the church as well as goodness will dwindle and become week. The idea is that things will get so bad and the church will be so down trodden that Jesus will simply pull his people out in moment called the rapture. Basically, this view declares that Jesus will have to evacuate his people from a lost cause. Of course, then after the tribulation, he will return with his saints and establish his millennial reign. Scriptures do say that the world will get darker in the last days but light always shines brighter in the darkness. The question is how do we respond to this growing kingdom of darkness. Does the church find herself helpless to push back or do we walk in the authority of the King and take planet earth back in his name?

Many prophecies declare just the opposite of this view that in the last days the church will seemingly have no power against the darkness. Isaiah declares, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isa.2:2-4).

This is a picture of the church that has been exalted above earthly governments and the nations are drawn to the wisdom and glory of the church. Isaiah says that this will occur in the last days. In Acts 2, Peter declared that the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marked the “last days.” Many theologians refer to this period as the church age. We are still in those days and believe it or not, many leaders of nations around the globe are meeting with God’s prophets in private meetings in search of wisdom and problem solving for their nations. They are already coming to the church for answers and finding those answers just as Isaiah prophesied.   Entire nations such, as Honduras, are inviting the church in to preach and share the gospel in schools, universities, and even police stations because they sense we have the answer to something they desperately need.

Habakkuk also prophesied, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab.2:14). Later, Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations because he had been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt.28:18-20). In recent years, the church has decided that Jesus meant for us to make a few disciples in every nation rather than to make disciples of entire nations. We have settled for less.

In the Book of Acts, Peter preached, “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:19-21)

What restoration is Jesus waiting for? Could it be the restoration of the church to its intended glory – the bride of Christ, strong and radiant, and reigning on the earth so that she is a glorious bride waiting for her glorious groom? For centuries, Christians believed that they had a hand in the return of Jesus and that when they had preached the gospel to every creature under heaven he would return. Now, many Christians believe that the trigger point for his return is when the world inevitably gets bad enough and the church inevitably gets weak enough that we must be rescued. With that view, who would even try to redeem culture or nations? Who would even try to cover the earth with the knowledge of God, disciple nations, and draw world leaders to herself? Even if a believer has a desire to do those things, he or she is told that it would be futile because it is not God’s plan. But what if Jesus is waiting until the church restores the glory and leadership of God’s people that he always intended? What if he is waiting for the church to restore glory to the Kingdom so that nations come to us as in the days of Solomon when kings and queens travelled to Jerusalem to seek his wisdom and see his glory?

Much of the church today does not see herself as the glorious bride of Christ triumphing in victory over the enemy and bringing in a harvest of nations for her king so that God’s intent – that his children will rule this planet as his representatives – will be restored and then Jesus will return. We are like the Israelites who saw giants in the land and saw themselves as grasshoppers in comparison. Even though God had promised them that he would give them the land and every place they set their foot, as grasshoppers, they saw no point in even making the effort.

At this point, most of the church is suffering from a poor self-image – the bride of Christ, weak and worn, tarnished and looking desperately to escape this planet rather than winning the war. It is true that Jesus came the first time as the meek and submissive Lamb of God who would not lift a hand to defend himself against the enemy. But he rose as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Rider on the White Horse and the Commander of the Armies of Heaven with all authority in heaven and on earth. It is not his nature to role over and give the earth to Satan after he died to take it back. It is not his nature to retreat when he declared that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church and it must not be the nature of his church or our nature, as followers of the King, to retreat or see ourselves as weak and helpless either.

As the church thinketh in her heart so is she. We need to redefine our view of the church and with that to redefine our view of ourselves as those who make up the church. There are sports teams who have a tradition of winning and confidence that they will continue to win. When they walk on the field or the court they see themselves as the victors before the game even begins and they walk with a certain swagger that intimidates their opponents. Even when things get hard in the game they still believe they will win in the end because, in their hearts, they are champions. We need to believe that we are champions because the leader of our team cannot be defeated and that leader lives within each of us.

The Lord tells us that we are more than conquerors, that we can do all things through Christ, that we have been given power and authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy, that we can make disciples of all nations, and that Satan himself will flee when we resist. How does that add up to a desperate church waiting to be evacuated from the planet their King died to redeem?

If I know I am part of a winning team, then I can see myself as a winner. If I know I am on a championship team then I can see myself as a champion. As we define the church, we define her members. We define ourselves. We need to begin to speak and prophesy victory rather than defeat, glory rather than insignificance, and exaltation rather than humiliation. We are the body of Christ in this world and Jesus doesn’t lose. As you go out today, walk and think like a champion because that is who you are in Christ.

For many years I have felt that a popular “end-times theology” undermines the mission of the church and contradicts a great deal of scripture. I also believe that it can seep into our own personal view of life and undermine our own victorious mindset as well. This particular theology was popularized in the 70’s and really launched into the psyche of the church by Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth. This view depicts the last days as a dismal day for the church and believers everywhere. It promotes a view of a one world order, the anti-Christ, and the downward spiral of all nations and cultures into an abyss that can only be redeemed by the coming of the Lord and the rapture of the saints who have become powerless in the face of all that evil.

The damaging part of this theology in my mind is the inevitability of the outcomes and the powerlessness of the church to stand against it. The power of evil is so overwhelming that the only thing to do is to bunker in and pray for the Lord’s quick return. Too often that is also translated into the lives of individual believers so that they “check out” and give in to the world system rather than working to redeem it and establish a glowing and victorious bride for the Lord to retrieve. That theology can and has instilled a sense of futility and hopelessness in the hearts of many believers.

There is also a dynamic that sociologists and psychologists call a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Simply stated, it means that we often act in ways that confirm the beliefs we already hold about ourselves or others. For instance, if a child experiences the loss of a parent, he or she may come to believe that they will eventually lose anyone that they come to love or depend on. In response to that belief, this child may grow into an adult who never fully commits to a relationship or who never fully engages emotionally with anyone because they believe that person will eventually leave them or that they will lose them to some tragedy. Because they never commit to a relationship or connect emotionally, their relationships keep ending and those who attempted to connect with them move on. When those relationships end, the individual is all the more convinced that their beliefs are true and inevitable.

When Christians believe that poverty, evil, tyranny, persecution, unbelief, and the demise of Christianity on the earth are inevitable they withdraw from the battle. When they withdraw, evil wins and they believe all the more that the end is near and there is no use trying to save America much less the world. With this mindset, believers who are supposed to be more than conquerors withdraw from the cultural battles, stay out of politics, retreat from championing social justice, and even fail to vote because they think it won’t matter. Believers with this view cease to be salt and light in the world and simply forfeit the battle to the enemy.

Kris Vallotton adds an interesting insight into this same dynamic in his book, How Heaven Invades Earth, (p.204). “But what happened to destiny when our prophetic people were taught that there wasn’t supposed to be a future because the end of the world was near? They stopped prophesying into the future. And what took place in the absence of the Holy Spirit’s prophetic intonation is absolutely frightening; a visionary vortex, or vacuum was suddenly created that sucked every kind of dark, foretelling spirit into it. This has resulted in the worst psychic resurgence since the days of Daniel. We have Wiccans, New Age people, fortune tellers, astrologers, and psychics all sharing their insights in the highest offices of the land.” That used to be the role of God’s prophets but we left the playing field.

When God’s people leave the playing field the enemy regains his swagger. We are promised that if we resist the devil he will flee from us but this particular theology teaches that there is no point in our resistance. There is another centuries-old theology that declares a triumphant church on the earth that welcomes back the groom rather than a church that has scurried off the field because she was helpless against the one Christ has already defeated. Those who know that they are more than conquerors do not surrender to a bully or a tyrant but stand and fight knowing that they will win because their champion is Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth. They don’t give in to injustice, false religion, abortion, violence, deceit, divorce, or any other works of the devil. They don’t give in on a personal level nor do they abandon the culture in which God has commanded them to be salt and light. All the gifts, the power, and the authority Christ has delegated to his church are not just for the church to be exercised behind high walls. They have also been given to redeem the culture and finally the world. We have been letting the devil push us around too long. It’s time to push back.

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Rev. 2:12-16).

We are continuing to look at the letters to the seven churches of Asia in the beginning chapters of the book of Revelation as an opportunity to check our alignment with the Father so that nothing hinders the flow of the Spirit in our lives. Frequent course corrections are usually needed for all of us if we are to stay aligned with our “true north.” These letters remind us that we can be on track spiritually in parts of our lives while being seriously out-of-step in other parts.

In his admonition to the church in Pergamum, Jesus acknowledged the things they had done that prompted praise from heaven. They had not renounced the name of Jesus or rejected the faith even in the face of brutal persecution. Within the city was a huge altar that was built for sacrifices to Zeus or Athena or both. Some believe this is the throne of Satan referenced in the letter. The city was a center for pagan worship. The bible is clear that demons rather than gods are the power behind any idol so that Satan had a stronghold within this city that warred against the church. The church had held its own when hell had broken out against them and even when Antipas was martyred for the faith. Jesus affirmed them for their faith that had been sustained in a demonic stronghold.

However, their faith wasn’t all that it could be. The real issue among the “faithful” of Pergamum was tolerance. Apparently they tolerated men and women in the church who still participated in idolatry and immorality and who were enticing other believers to join them. In a city with so much demonic influence and immorality it may have seemed that what these individuals promoted was “not so bad” compared to the culture around them and yet Jesus taught that a little leaven will eventually affect the entire loaf. In essence, the culture was impacting the church rather than the church impacting the culture. A little tolerance and a little political correctness may seem to buy the church a little acceptance by the culture but it is offensive to the Spirit. True alignment always seeks the praise of the Father over the praise of men.

Compromise with the culture misaligns us with the Father and his heart. That is true for churches but just as true in our personal lives as well. When we are surrounded by a demonic and debase culture it is easy to compromise with the flesh and the culture by engaging in things that seem “more moral” than what the culture at large is practicing.  After a while, the “more moral than the culture” may become a standard in our lives rather than biblical standards of righteousness. My guess is that this compromise shows up most in movies, television, books, magazines, and web sites that believers frequent.

For instance, many believers feel no hesitation to go to a PG-13 movie because our culture considers the content to be fairly tame. However, what is seen in PG-13 movies now would have been R-rated or even X-rated 50 years ago. The standard for each of us should not be not what the culture considers harmless but what the Spirit finds unoffensive.

Many of us watch television shows that promote homosexuality, adultery, premarital sex, or greed as an acceptable lifestyle with no thought of those things being sin and being highly offensive to the Spirit of God. Compromise with the culture, even in what we watch or read, dulls our spiritual sensitivity to the things that are unholy. They also dull our sensitivity to the things that are holy.

Undoubtedly, when we are committed to live by biblical standards of righteousness we will seem fanatical or prudish to most of the people around us – even to other believers. And yet tolerance and compromise are the very things about which Jesus warned the church at Pergamum. The more aligned we are with the Father’s heart, the more of his Spirit we will experience. Alignment is about saying yes to the things of God and no to the things of the world. May we choose well today so that the power of heaven can flow easily in our lives and may we ask for a spiritual sensitivity to the things that please the Spirit or that grieve him.

In his life on earth, Jesus healed only a relatively small number of people on one small patch of the globe.

• He left the rest of them to us.

In his life on earth, Jesus preached the gospel to a few thousand on the hillsides of Israel.

• He left the other seven billion to us.

In his life on earth, Jesus cast demons out hundreds of spiritually oppressed Jews.

• He left the defeat of the tens of thousands remaining servants of darkness to us.

In his life on earth, Jesus went about doing good and condemning  injustice in the world.

• There is plenty more of that work to be done by us.

In his life on earth, Jesus reached out to the poor and destitute of a very small nation.

• He left the rest of the starving and naked in the world to us.

In his life on earth, jesus forgave those who nailed him to a cross.

• He left the rest of those who need to be forgiven to us.

Jesus intends to finish his work.

• He just intends to do it through us.

How much of what he left for us did we do today?

One other thing…In his life on earth, Jesus died for every lost person who ever lived to will live.

• He left none of that for us.   That’s the good news.

The New Testament writers are very clear that Satan lays traps and designs schemes against God’s people. We are not to be ignorant of his schemes (see 2 Cor.2:11) so it seems that we should give some thought to the processes by which Satan attempts to pick us off one by one.

I appreciate the way in which Graham Cooke describes one of Satan’s patterns so often used to take God’s people out of the game.  “ The Enemy’s strategy works on that same principle.  He is geared to make us feel dissatisfied with who we are.  He wants us to separate from God, the church, our friends, and any useful function we may adopt in furthering the kingdom. If he can get us to hate ourselves and tell our hearts that we are of no account and, as such, it doesn’t matter if we don’t go the meeting or pray or worship, then apathy will follow.  If we allow apathy into our lives then it will hold the door open to unbelief, condemnation, self-loathing, bitterness, anxiety, fear, misery and selfishness.  All these things spell passivity, a passive acceptance of life, and a demoralized outlook on the things of God.  The prophetic is geared to challenge this whole issue since it is based on the truth of God’s love, grace, kindness, and mercy.” (Graham Cooke, Approaching the Heart of Prophecy, p.50).

Notice the progressive nature of this scheme.  We become dissatisfied with ourselves and, after a while, come into agreement with Satan’s accusations that we are unlovable, unworthy, and incompetent.  As we begin to agree with him on those issues our self-image plummets and we begin to suspect that other people feel the same way about us.  Because of that, we begin to withdraw and isolate ourselves from the very people who love us and give our lives meaning. As we isolate ourselves our fruitfulness begins to wane. Since we are already feeling bad about ourselves we push back against any encouragement to re-engage and against any conviction from the Holy Spirit because we take it all as criticism and rejection.  As we numb our senses to avoid any more feelings of rejection, we slide into apathy and passivity which continues to alienate us from ourselves and isolate us from God and his people. Of course, throughout the entire process Satan is whispering how much God, the church, and our friends have let us down so that our misery is really all their fault.

Satan excels in placing us in mindsets and situations that create a downward spiral.  For instance, Christians who feel a great deal of rejection and who question their own worth and significance often seek to medicate the pain of their self-loathing through pornography.  The temporary rush of sexual fantasies or the endorphins released during the fantasy soon give way to a sense of shame and failure.  The sense of shame and failure depletes their self-image all the more, which increases their need for escape and the medicating effects of more porn, which then creates more shame.  The shame creates secrets. The addiction becomes a secret part of his/her life that is hidden by lies and deception which, in turn, undermine trust in a marriage relationship or family.  The broken trust then tends to alienate one spouse from another which usually leads to arguments, frustrations, withdrawal from church and isolations from friends. The cycle is self-perpetuating and can devastate not only the man or women caught in the cycle but those who love them as well.

Huge numbers of believers have been marginalized by these schemes and traps of the enemy.  The key is to understand the outcomes and the strategies and to take steps to short-circuit the strategy as early as possible in the process.  Not only should we short-circuit the process but also we should create safeguards in our lives to keep the enemy from even getting a foothold.  Let me recommend a few things.

1.An honest evaluation of our spiritual and emotional health.  This is the hardest step as those of us who struggle with self-worth try to avoid acknowledging any weaknesses or sins in our lives because we fear rejection if others were to find out.

2.Choose to have accountability partners in life with whom you will be ruthlessly honest about your struggles.  Give them permission to ask the hard questions and call you back to spiritually healthy dynamics in your life or when you start to withdraw or isolate yourself or begin to make excuses about diminishing spiritual practices and ministry involvement in your life.

3.Recognize areas of weakness and sin in your life and get to work on those areas while they are occasional struggles rather than something that is dominating your life.  Low self–esteem, anger, addictions, fear, compulsions, etc. are all life issues related to our brokenness and sin nature.  They will not get better without taking action both in the natural and spiritual realms.  Unhealed and unrepented, these issues will be open doors for the enemy to gain access to your life and your soul – first a foothold and then a stronghold.

4.When you recognize you are caught in a scheme of the enemy short-circuit his strategy by refusing to go the to the next level in the process.  Refuse to live a lie.  Refuse to withdraw and isolate yourself from church, friends, and family.  Face the shame by telling someone immediately so that the shame does not grow and give the enemy a more powerful stronghold.

If you know you struggle with your self-mage get help immediately by finding healing in the Lord, establishing your identity in Christ, gaining freedom from spirits of rejection, bondage, fear, and condemnation through deliverance, and by getting intercessors to pray with you until that issue is overcome.

5.Know that the longer you put off surrendering your struggle to the Lord and humbling yourself by getting help from the body of Christ, the harder it will be to find freedom and the more it will have cost you before you do.

Ask yourself:

•  Where will I be in five years if I do not get victory over the sin and brokenness in my life?
• What will it cost me to continue to hide and deny my struggles?
• What will it cost my family and my relationship with the Lord if I don’t deal with this now?
• What could my life look like if I found true freedom from my sin and brokenness?

We are not to be ignorant of the devil’s schemes and we must take action as soon as we sense we have stepped into his trap or have vulnerabilities that invite his presence.  Jesus has come to heal and set free and he is willing to do that for you. If we excuse or deny these struggles, we are making ourselves easy targets for enemy.  Jesus has purchased so much for you by his blood and the Father is so willing to gives those gifts to you, don’t let the enemy steal your life and your blessings.  Be wise.  Avoid the traps or at least call for help as soon as you feel the noose tightening around your ankle.  Be blessed and be wise today.  Tell someone the truth about whatever you have been hiding or denying.

I am very concerned about our nation. I’m sure you are as well.  I’m not just concerned about the teetering economy, the decline in morality, or the continuing holocaust of abortions in America. I’m not just concerned about God being pushed out of our schools or a culture that is calling evil good and good evil. I’m not just concerned about the blatant corruption in government and lack of truth telling at all levels. If we had to live in the midst of that it would be difficult enough.  What I am most concerned about are the curses that these behaviors and attitudes are about to unleash on America.

A strong thread runs through scripture that is summarized in Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia.  “Do not be deceived.  God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal.6:7-8).  In the Old Testament there are huge sections on “blessing and cursing.”  In Deuteronomy 28, God gives an extensive list of blessings that will come upon Israel if they faithfully serve God and an extensive list of curses that will be released if they reject God.  Nations reap what they sow as well as individuals.

Those curses listed in Deuteronomy include economic disaster, sickly children and blighted crops. They include failure in everything they attempt, diseases that ravage the nation, drought or destructive weather patterns, defeat from enemies, confusion, a man’s hard work being harvested by strangers, oppression of all kinds, and aliens in the land rising up and ruling over native born citizens. These curses sound like the six o’clock news.

In the book of Job, Satan complained to God that he had put a hedge around Job so that Satan could not get at him (Job 1:9). What we see in that chapter is Satan wanting to destroy Job and his family.  God, however, in his goodness and mercy had been restraining the devil because Job was faithful.  When men or nations sow to the flesh long enough, God is compelled by his holiness and our free will (which also chooses our consequences) to turn these men or nations over to their own choices.  When that point is reached, God lifts the restraints and Satan has access to individuals or nations because they have aligned themselves with the enemy.

When curses flood into a person’s life or over a nation, these curses are not something God has conjured up but they are simply what Satan has been wanting to release on that nation, family, or person all along.  Because of God’s love for all men, he restrains the enemy and these disasters until man has sown so much destruction that it must be harvested.  The law of sowing and reaping then kicks in. Here is the sobering part.  The harvest is always greater than the planting.  An acorn produces much more than itself.  A kernel of corn produces dozens of ears of corn.  A man gets back even more than he put in.

That’s good news if you are sowing to the Spirit for God will give you more good things than you sowed.  But if you have been sowing to the flesh, the destruction will far outweigh the evil you have planted.  Many times the destructive results will affect generations.  Children will reap what their fathers sowed. The biblical principle is that the consequences of the sins of the fathers will be passed down to the third and fourth generations of children (Ex. 20:5).

Our nation is mocking God and sowing to the flesh in abundance.  Jesus said, “To whom much is given much is required” (Luke 12:48).  God has given much to America over the last 300 years.  America has not been ignorant of God, his Word, and his ways.  He has blessed us abundantly in our faithfulness but will discipline us abundantly in our rejection of him, his Word, and his ways.

Our hope is in the grace of God and his willingness to forgive and restore when godly sorrow and sincere repentance come from the heart of a man or a nation. But rather than righteousness and repentance flowing out of the church in America I am seeing compromise, going along to get along, a desire to be more acceptable to man in a perverse culture than to God in his holiness.  A few are declaring God’s truth and absorbing the ridicule and accusations of culture but more are being silent.

God’s judgment, which is the release of the enemy to have his way with men who have partnered with Satan, usually comes first in a slow stream giving men the opportunity to recognize what is happening and turn again to God.  Then the stream widens – disasters are greater and more frequent, and then if no repentance comes, God is forced by our own decisions to open the floodgate and let the enemy come in without restraint.  History is full of such lessons.  Curses are not vicious acts by a vengeful God, but rather the harvest of what we have insisted on planting year after year. God takes no pleasure in judging nations or men. His heart for us is to repent so that he can bless us again.  But it is still our choice.

Our sincere and constant intercession for our nation, its leaders, its people, and the church is still our hope and can be a powerful weapon to push back the enemy.  The authority of believers needs to be exercised on behalf of a nation and our nation evangelized by the love and power of God once again.   Even this struggle is not against flesh and blood but spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We are in a state of war and we have been promised the victory – but only if we stand, only if we fight. My prayer is that more than ever before believers in America will rise and fight against the enemy and drive him out of this nation so that the goodness and blessing of God can flourish here again. I hope you will make a decision to go to war today against the dominion of darkness and not stop until the victory is secure. Be blessed today knowing that God goes before those who go in his name.

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. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor.10:3-6)

As we continue to look at Paul’s concept of “divine weapons” in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, I want to remind us that Paul begins this text with the assumption that followers of Jesus live in a state of war with the enemy – like it or not.  Since we live in a state of war we must cover ourselves with armor and wield weapons or be defeated and, perhaps, destroyed.  However, Paul is clear that we should put on the armor of God (divine armor) and carry weapons that are unlike the weapons of the world and that actually go beyond the reach of worldly weapons.

Paul states that in contrast to weapons of the world, we fight with weapons that are fueled by divine power so that they have the capacity to demolish strongholds.  So … what are these strongholds that can only be decimated by the power of God? I’m going to quote Dutch Sheets regarding the meaning of the word.

The word is “ochuroma,” coming from the root word “echo,” which means to “have” or “hold.” This word for “stronghold” (KJV) or “fortress” (NASB) is literally a place from which to hold something strongly. It is also the word for fort, a castle, or a prison… In essence, Satan has a place of strength within unbelievers from which he can hold onto them strongly.  (Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer, p.183)

Sheets says that a stronghold is a place within unbelievers but strongholds can also exist within believers. Notice the nature of strongholds from the rest of this text.  Paul speaks about arguments, pretensions, knowledge, and thoughts. All of these are related to belief systems within us that argue or “push back” against God’s truth.  They are belief systems that bring us (or part of us) into agreement with Satan and out of alignment with God. When we agree with Satan we give him legal access to at least part of our life.

I like to compare Satan’s presence in the life of a believer to a house in which the manager of the house has rented out a room to the enemy.  Jesus is the owner of the home but he has made us stewards or managers over the house. We have the right to decide who visits the house and even who lives in the house.  As we come into agreement with Satan about certain areas of our life, in effect, we have rented out a room to him.  He doesn’t own the house but with a presence within the house, he can harass us and affect the entire environment or health within the home.

Satan’s great weapon has always been “the lie.”  His lies, if uncorrected, can create a belief system, a perspective, or a view of ourselves, God and others that lead us astray and that can keep us from experiencing freedom, healing, and effectiveness in the kingdom of God.  Most strongholds are beliefs that are rooted in experiences from our past rather than something that was taught to us … especially traumatic experiences.

Most of these beliefs are also rooted in our childhood.  Without being formally taught, we simply drew conclusions about ourselves, God, and life in general as a result of experiences.  For instance, an abused child will often come to the conclusion that there must be something terribly wrong or unacceptable about him/her for parents to treat them in such a way. Molested children carry a deep sense of shame or defectiveness about themselves because of the experiences they have had that were hidden in darkness. A child who experiences a traumatic loss or losses may come to believe that he/she will eventually lose everyone he/she loves.  Some abused children also come to the conclusion that even God doesn’t love them since he “allowed those things to happen” or that he may love them but he is powerless to protect them.  Children who grow up in homes where love is conditional may come to believe that all love is conditional and must be earned – even God’s love.

You can see how each of these belief systems oppose God’s truth and can get in the way of trusting God, believing his promises, loving others, or getting hold of grace.  Satan then reinforces these beliefs at every opportunity and may assign demonic spirits to continually reinforce and magnify those lies.  Beliefs established by experiences in our childhood, have typically been with us so long that we are unaware of the power they exert over us.  These beliefs or strongholds reside deep within us and “push back” against God’s truth.

When we believe one thing in our head and another in our hearts, we experience the presence of strongholds.  When out intellect argues against the truth of God’s word because it is not “rational” or “logical” we are experiencing strongholds. When demons are active in maintaining these false beliefs then we are dealing with spiritual strongholds.

Since there is a spiritual dimension that works to maintain the lies that Satan has crafted or reinforced, then only “weapons” that can touch the spiritual realm can be effective.  Weapons of the world don’t touch the spiritual realm and so must eventually fail.  Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  If truth sets us free, lies keep us in bondage. Strongholds (false belief systems) keep us in bondage in some part of our life and in some way affect every other part of our life. To demolish these belief systems that argue against God’s truth and that even pretend to be the truth requires the exercise of divine power.  We’ll talk about that tomorrow.  Be blessed.

Once demonic oppression is indicated in the life of a believer, dealing with the demonic is fairly straightforward.

Deliverance is based on a few essential beliefs and principles.

1.  The kingdom of heaven has power and authority much greater than anything in the kingdom of darkness.  Satan was cast down.
2. Jesus demonstrated that authority over demons again and again while on the earth as the Son of Man.
3. Satan, death, and the grave could not hold the resurrected Savior who died for our sins to take away Satan’s legal claims against us.
4. Positionally, we are sons and daughters in the house of God, kings and priests on the earth, and the representatives of Jesus Christ who carry his delegated power and authority over the enemy.
5.  The only power Satan has over believers is the power we give him when we choose to live unaligned with God in all or part of our life. Others to whom we are connected may also have given him that right (sins of the fathers, curses, etc.).
6.  Our misalignment gives Satan a legal right to “rent a room,” i.e. afflict or oppress us.
7. Re-aligning ourselves with the Father removes the enemy’s legal right to afflict us.
9.  Having removed that right, we can command demons to leave us by the authority of Jesus Christ who has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Basic Process for Finding Freedom from the Demonic

Make all declarations or statements verbally because you are declaring these things to the spiritual realm.

1.  Begin your re-alignment by declaring your faith in and allegiance to Jesus Christ.
2.  Renounce sin and all the works of Satan.
3.  Acknowledge the areas in your life that are unaligned with the Father. These may be areas of persistent unrepented sin, unbelief, or unforgiveness. As King David prayed, “Search my heart O God and show me if there is any offensive way in me,” you should also pray and ask God to show you any hidden sins or rebellion in your life. Do not rationalize, minimize or blame others for your sin and do not accuse God of having unjust standards.
4.  Confess and repent of your sins by declaring God’s standards to be righteous and agreeing with him about his standards and your failure to keep them. Ask for forgiveness in the name of Jesus based on his sacrifice for you and nothing else.  Be as specific as possible. Thank God for forgiving you. (See 1 Jn. 1:9).
5.  Confess the sins of your Fathers if you know them specifically.  If not, confess the wickedness, known and unknown, of your ancestors and renounce their sins and wickedness. Ask God to break the affects of their sins in your life and thank him for doing so.
6.  Forgive all those whom you have not forgiven.  This is an act of the will not your emotions. Biblical forgiveness is choosing to no longer require payment for a wrong done to you.  It is turning judgment of the matter over to God.  It is a decision to no longer act in any way designed to make someone pay for the wrong he/she did to you.  Jesus then instructs us to bless them and pray for them.  We must forgive those who sin against us because Jesus forgives our sins. It is not because they deserve it, but because Jesus deserves it.

Having re-aligned yourself with the Father, you may….

• Declare that Jesus became a curse for you so that you might blessed (Gal. 3:13-14).  Because of that you may ask Jesus to sever, make null and void, and cancel any curses that have ever been established against you by words or sins. Thank him for doing so.
• Declare that you are a son/daughter of the king. God’s representative on the earth, and that you serve in the power and authority of Jesus Christ.
• Renounce any sin, emotions or thoughts contrary to God’s truth that you believe demonic spirits have prompted or produced in you.  It may be something like … In the Name of Jesus I renounce fear, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bitterness, pornography, unbelief, gossip, apathy, etc.
• Then in the name and the authority of Jesus Christ and by his blood that was shed for you, you can command those spirits to leave you immediately and never return.

That is the basic process and scriptural principles for breaking the power of the enemy in your life or someone else’s life based on whom Jesus is, what he has done and who you are in him.

For more details about this process and for suggested commands and declarations over the enemy I would recommend reading my book Born to Be Free. It is also important that you learn how to walk out your freedom so that the enemy cannot return. The book will give you a more thorough theological base, a more thorough understanding of who you are in Christ, and lead you through a thorough assessment of your life to discover entry points for the enemy.  It will also walk you through a systematic process for deliverance and maintaining your freedom.

All I have trued to do in this blog is to give you a sense of how the demonic operates and a basic framework for understanding deliverance.  Faith in Jesus is still the key in all of this.  I hope this eight part series has been helpful.

As Christians, we are unique in the universe.  We live under grace while everyone and everything else exists under law.  Law operates on the basis of authority and legalities. When Jesus died on the cross he redeemed us from the dominion of darkness (Col.1:13-14) and in doing so revoked Satan’s legal right to lay claim to us or treat us as slaves. For those who enter the kingdom of God by faith in Jesus Christ, Satan’s access is limited.  Temptation and persecution from the outside seem to be permitted in the spiritual realm.  Otherwise, we would not need divine weapons (2 Cor. 10:3), the armor of God (Eph.6:10-11), or an awareness of Satan’s schemes contrived against us.  We are told, however, that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear (1 Cor.10:13). Therefore, God has set limits on the extent to which Satan can attack or harass those who belong to Jesus.   The book of Job reflects those kind of spiritual boundaries.  As Satan came before God wanting to target Job, God set definite limits on Satan’s access to Job with each round of temptations.

For unbelievers, Satan seems to have very few limitations. The evil, brokenness, and perversion that is so prevalent in our world attests to that. That condition is not necessarily confined to the 21^st Century. The man who lived among the tombs in Mark 5 who had a “legion” of demons resident within him attests to that.  The question is, “Can Christians be afflicted with demonic spirits so that deliverance is needed to set them free?” and, if so, “How does Satan gain access to them since they have been delivered from his dominion?”  Great questions!  I’m glad you asked.

Many will argue that demons cannot possess believers because we belong to Christ and his Spirit lives within us.  I fully agree because possession implies ownership and we have certainly been purchased by the blood of Christ.  I do not believe Christians can be possessed by Satan (owned), but I believe they can be harassed and afflicted by spirits who are attached or residing within the person.

Jesus speaks about an unclean spirit being cast out of a man and then returning to that “house” to find it “unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order.” The spirit returns and brings other demonic spirits with him. (Mt.12:43-45).  Think of your body as a house. Suppose you decide to rent out a room in your house to generate some extra income. A young man knocks on your door and tells you that a friend told him about your room for rent.  He tells you that he goes to school all day and studies at night, is quiet, has few friends and you will hardly know he is there. You shake hands, write out a brief lease with the monthly amount you agree on and rent out the room.

In a week or two, however, you begin to notice loud music, friends coming to his room at all hours, and horrid smells drifting through the house.  You confront your renter and tell him that he is making your life miserable and he will need to move. He laughs, says he will stay as long as he likes and shows you the lease that you signed without written stipulations regarding noise, friends, or smells.  He has not taken possession of your house.  Except for the one room, the rest of your house still belongs to you, functions well, and is neat and clean.  However, because he was given a legal right to establish a dwelling in one room of your house, he can harass you from that position and eventually make your life miserable.  You will need to find a way to void his lease and then you can have him and his friends removed.

Although Jesus has removed Satan’s legal right to access believers, in general, an individual believer can give the enemy the right to rent a room “in their house” which can lead to a great deal of torment and chaos in that believer’s life.  So, how can Satan gain legal access to set up a stronghold in a believer’s life?  It happens through the process of coming into agreement with Satan in part of your life.  As you agree with him you walk with him (Amos 3:3).  If you walk with someone long enough, it is only a matter of time until they come home with you.

1. When Christians refuse to submit an area of their life to the lordship of Jesus and persist in unrepented sin, the enemy has open access to any area that is not under the Lordship of Jesus.
2. A refusal to forgive those who have wronged us gives Satan a legal right to invade a believer’s life because our refusal to forgive keeps God’s forgiveness from covering our sins.
3. “Sins of the Father’s” can give the enemy access. Scripture declares that certain sins will be passed down to the children to the 3^rd and 4^th generations. That means that the consequences of that sin will be inherited by the children which may include demonic assignments.
4. Curses that are attached to sins or that have been spoken over an individual may have demons assigned to enforce the curse and that curse will give the enemy a legal right to invade a believer’s life.
5. Many people come to Christ demonized and, like the promised land, the enemy still must be driven out even after entering into their salvation.
6. Unbelief can also be an open door to the enemy. Unbelief in God or the Word of God is actually coming into agreement with Satan.  Paul tells us that strongholds are belief systems within us that oppose God’s truth. When we fail to believe God about who we are in Christ, who Christ is, God’s standards for living, etc. we open a door to the demonic.
7. Experience also tells us that the demonic can gain entrance to our hearts through trauma  – especially violent or sexual trauma.  The wounds seem to create an opening for the enemy’s lies and the lies create an agreement with Satan.  Sometime the bitterness and unforgiveness attached to wounds opens the door as well.

Although saved and in Christ, we know that many Christians live in bondage to addictions; are tormented by fears and deep depression; live for decades with “secret sins;” and carry deep emotional wounds for years that destroy one relationship after another.  If believers can carry that kind of bondage and darkness within of them – even though they are saved – why would we doubt that they can be afflicted by demons as well?

Tomorrow, how to rid “your house” of the demonic in Part 7.

When dealing with the demonic, attitude and perspective is important. Regardless of their origins, demons (unclean spirits) are woven into the fabric of scripture throughout both the Old and New Testaments. We should never obsess about the demonic, however, but instead learn to fix our eyes on Jesus who has all authority in heaven and on earth. If you decide to walk through the woods on a cool fall afternoon, you want to be aware of poison ivy but not focus on it to the extend that you never notice the brilliant fall colors all around you or deer drinking out of a nearby stream. We need to simply keep an eye out for it as we walk through wooded areas, recognize it, stay clear of it when possible, eradicate it if it shows up on our property, and treat it if we feel its sting.  The demonic is the same.

Peter compares Satan to a roaring lion going about looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9).  However, he tells us to be self-controlled and alert, not to be afraid.  He tells is to resist him and stand firm in the faith, not to run away. James tells us that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Our response to the demonic is faith rather than fear, wisdom rather than carelessness, and boldness rather than retreat when encounters occur.

We need to carry with us a strong sense of authority when we encounter the enemy because the one we represent is far greater that any demonic spirit. Roman consuls understood their authority.  In 168 BC, Antiochus IV, a Seleucid king, was laying siege to Egypt that, at the time, was an ally of Rome.  A Roman Consul named Gaius Popillius Laenas was sent to persuade Antiochus to withdraw from Egypt and return home.  The arrogant Antiochus responded that he would “think about it.” The Roman consul took his sword, drew a circle in the sand around the king and said, “Fine.  But before you step out of that circle, I want you to give me an answer for the Roman Senate.”   The implication was that Antiochus would face the legions of Rome if he stepped out of the circle without a decision to leave Egypt immediately. Weighing his options, Antiochus decided to withdraw. The consul understood the power that backed his authority and so he displayed boldness in the face of the enemy.

You represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose everlasting kingdom took down Rome and overcame the kingdom of darkness. Our attitude against the enemy is not arrogance but confidence – confidence not in ourselves but in the one who gave us our commission to set captives free. Remember that a commission is a co-mission.  Jesus is there working with us when we face the enemy.

Having said that, demons are spiritual entities that roam the earth with a mission to harass, torment, derail people and oppose the will of God on the earth.  Jesus compared Satan to a thief who only comes to kill, steal and destroy (Jn.10:10).  Just as our mission is to impart life and peace because that is what our Lord does, demons come to kill, steal and destroy because that is what their lord does.

In scripture, we see a number of manifestations of these demonic missions. In the Old Testament we clearly see them promoting false worship in the form of idolatry.  That worship included sacrificing children on altars and in fire and all kinds of sexual perversions meant to arouse “the gods” in fertility rites. We also see warfare in spiritual realms as demonic princes fought to prevent angels from completing their tasks on behalf of God’s people. Demons are also evident in the dark arts of Pharaoh’s magicians, in Pharaoh’s edict to kill all Hebrew boys to prevent a “deliverer” from being provided by God to free his people, and in the unrelenting hatred held by surrounding tribes toward the Hebrews.

In the New Testament, demons tormented individuals such as the Garazene demoniac who lived among the tombs (Mk.5) and the boy who often fell into water and fire in seizure-like episodes (Mk.9).  They afflicted many individuals with physical conditions such as back pain, deaf and dumbness, blindness, etc.  They also continued the demonic tradition of “temptation” as they would draw people into sin and the consequences of that sin. We are told that Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out of her. There is a strong tradition that she was a prostitute before coming to Jesus and being set free. The demonic clearly had a hand in her brokenness.

I believe that every sin or tormenting condition listed in the bible has a corresponding spirit whose assignment is to produce that condition or sin in the individual, family, organization, or nation to whom it is assigned. I also believe there are spirits not named in scripture that also harass the human race. Demonic spirits rarely produce an “exorcist moment” though I have seen some extreme manifestations.  Typically, they torment and harass by mimicking physical and psychological conditions that are experienced in the natural realm.  By doing so they remain undetected for years and, perhaps, generations. Their first goal is to keep people from accepting Jesus as Lord so that these individuals continue to be trapped in the kingdom of darkness. Failing that, the next goal is to cause fresh faith to wither and fail by orchestrating trials in a believer’s life.  Later these spirits will attempt to choke out the seed of God planted in believers by creating cares and worries in their lives or even by directing riches and pleasure their way (see Lk.8).

My experience and the experience of those who minister with me is that demonic oppression is far more prevalent than we think – even among believers. In a rational/technical culture demonic activity isn’t even on the radar screen and within the church generations have passed with no teaching or training in spiritual warfare.  We believe we are seeing the accumulation of demonic activity that has gone unchallenged for decades or centuries. In Part 6 of this series we will discuss how demons gain access to individuals, including believers, and how authority plays a significant role in that process.