Satan's Three Main Weapons Against the Church

When we say something, we need to mind what we say cuz somebody might pick it up in the wrong way. There's a mother invited some people to dinner. Then, at the table, asked her six-year-old daughter to say the blessing. Said I wouldn't know what to say, she replied, "well just what you hear Mommy say." Well the little girl bowed her head and after a long pause said, "dear Lord why on Earth did invite all these people to dinner.

You gotta be careful what you say?

Spiritual warfare cannot be fought by just repeating someone else's actions or phrases. because we've got to get an experience for ourselves. We cannot live on someone else's experiences with God. We must have our own experience. I've heard people say will you Pentecostals do it like this or that and you don't need to do that. And, they're going on somebody else's experiences. But I want you to know that I want to get what the Lord has in mind for me individually, cause what somebody else has to go through may be different from what you have to go through. And so God knows how to deal with us individually, as if we were the only person on Earth. And, it cannot be repeated ...cannot be fought by repeating someone else's actions. Satan has three main weapons against the church. And the first one the most obvious weapon is an active one called sin. Anybody ever heard of it. Satan is known as the tempter talks about in Matthew 4 and 3 and he is an expert with this weapon. And sin seeks you out like a guided missile and knows where to find you. You know immediately when you're hit because the wages of sin in Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death.

And what does that mean? It means that you may not die physically right now, but you're going you could die spiritually. And that's worse than dying with God and being right with him dying physically. Dying spiritually would even be worse because you, if you haven't gotten back to God, God help us in eternity. The second weapon is a passive one called accusations. The devil likes to use accusations. And he goes around with all kinds of things in his trap to get people to submit to what he has to offer. And it's set like a secret trap for you to fall into. And he is called "the accuser of the brethren" and he surely is and the sisters, too. And, we can read that in Job 1: 6-12. It talks about that. And I think I I will turn to that one Job's 1:6-12. Talks about the accuser of the brethren. Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them and the Lord said unto Satan, "whence cometh thou?" Then, Satan answered the Lord and said, "from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it." And, the Lord said unto Satan, "has thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth. A perfect man.

A perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and endureth evil. Now, does the Lord think that of us. Think about Job. The Lord says he is an upright man, one that feareth God. And, Satan answered the Lord and said, doth Job fear God for not?

Has not thou made a hedge about him and about his house and all about that he hath on every side. Thou has blessed the work of his hands and his substance has increased in the land, but put forth thine hand now and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." And, the Lord said unto Satan, "behold, all that he hath is in thy power only upon himself, but not for thine hand." So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Now think about that in relation to fellowship with God and a real experience from God. That's why we need the Holy Ghost friend. You can't live a Christian Life without it, really. Because you need it. And, here Satan says, says "well you can just do this to him and he'll give up." But, he was so solid that he did not give up, and if the devil should come along and and tell the Lord about you and me, what would we do? How solid would we be? Or, would we let those who we contacted day in and day out or where have gone fellowship with. Would we let them persuade us into something else or would we just say, "devil get lost in the name of Jesus?" And, I remember a time some it's been since I've been here, but I was in bed laying there and talking to the Lord and all of a sudden beside my bed stood a figure, a young man nice looking young man. Didn't look like he'd be hurt anybody. But, then a sense came to me; it was. someone that was taking Satan's place; or, it may have been Satan putting putting himself in there. And I said, "in the name of Jesus" and I reached out like this in the name of Jesus and vanished in the air. But, we've got to have a contact with God. That when Satan approaches us, maybe Satan is having a conversation with the Lord about you or me tonight. What are you going to do? Are you so strong in God that it's not going to affect you? You're going to put it off in the name of Jesus. We ought to be stay prayed up in the Holy Ghost. Begin to pray in the spirit, and let the spirit move through you. He is accused. He's an accuser even though we're forgiven, he reminds us of every sin we have ever committed. Yeah, he'll bring it up won't he. Look what you just did.Look at that, and he'll try it...to put you down. Just say, "devil you're a liar. Get out of here in Jesus name." Don't don't listen to it. Any doubt is probably the devil. And, so even though Jesus said he would never forsake us. And in Hebrews 13 Satan screams that we have been forsaken because we're too bad for God to love or use. That's a lie. But he'll try to tell you that, so don't let Satan tell you a lie. In Hebrews 13, It also talks about he has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So, if you're filled with the Holy Ghost don't listen to what the devil has to say. He's going to be right there beside you. Your family may say, "ah, you're just an old lady. You're an old man. You're this you're that you're something else." Don't listen to him. You get a hold of God and stay there, and so God himself has said, "I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support." He said, "I will not leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let you down," God has promised to keep us. Satan uses accusations to generate anxiety among us, strong enough so that we will come out from under the mighty hand of God. 1st Peter talks about that. That's why Peter admonishes us to cast all your cares upon the Lord for he careth for you. Don't let the devil cheat you. He cares for you the Lord cares for you. He loves you. Yeah, Satan doesn't love you. And he'll like to say, "well the Lord has let you down. This is not happening and that's not happening" and but don't listen to it. Because the devil is a liar. "So casting all your care upon him, it says in the 7th verse, for he careth for you." The 8th verse, "be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour." Satan's objective is to paralyze us like an animal has fallen into a trap. We know when this weapon has been successful because Despair and fear take over. If you if you get really fearful rebuke it in the name of Jesus because the only kind of fear you want is the fear of God (reverence to him). And, so the third weapon is the most dangerous because it it lies dormant until activated, and the church in general is aware of the first two weapons because of Bible teaching and because of their effects that happens. The spiritual death or paralyzed are visible motivators to get help. And, the third weapon is strongholds. And the first one is sin, the second one is accusations, the third one is strongholds. It's like an unseen landmine waiting to detonate strongholds are. And, we don't find out about it until we survey the destruction and is wreaked upon us. Spiritual strongholds allow Satan to manipulate Christians bringing great damage to themselves and others. And impeaching their Christian witness. Violating it in other words.This is inconsistent with Satan's treacherous character as a deceiver; it talks about in John 8:44. He is a deceiver.

He can't tell the truth. He doesn't know how. He doesn't want to. He wants to destroy you and me any way he can and he'll try it. And, so with strongholds, spiritual strongholds. kinda like the Laodiseans did.

And the mind is the access gate Satan uses to get at our spirit, you know, if you have one. I used to have one. Sometimes, I wonder when I wake up and I think "oh, I need the Lord's help right now." We don't find out about it until we survey the destruction that has been wreaked upon us. and he manipulates us in any way he can. So, this is consistent. The only hope in be it battling strongholds is to discover and disarm them like a landline. I guess in in the military the enemy may put landlines in and they have a group a crew that goes out and discover those landline before they get into them. And I had to pick them up and do whatever they need to do to them. And that's what Jesus is for us who will be on him. He is there to get rid of the landlines for us. And the debt debts of holes and all kinds of things that the devil might put there for you. We want to destroy them a spiritual stronghold is the minds that's impregnated with hopelessness. The devil will try to get you think it's hopeless. You don't need you can't do anything. Hopelessness, that causes us to accept unchangeable situations that we know are contrary to the will of God. We say oh they are

contrary. Just remind Satan that it's not God's word when he says something. And so then the Bible teaches us to forgive... our enemies. In Matthew 5:43 it talks about that. It's a must, if you're incapable of forgiving a particular person. You should suspect that there's a stronghold that's taking over your mind. Because the devil does not want you to forgive but for the grace of God, where would any of us be? We have to remember that?

Show the Bible tells us also. That he who finds a spouse finds a good thing. So,

I turned over one morning and I said to Marla, "good morning thing." She said, "what?" The Bible says he who findeth a wife findeth a good thing.

But, the devil will try to destroy you with that. So, if you're powerless to change your feelings towards your spouse and feel hopeless, then you should suspect that another spiritual stronghold in your mind. You're bringing up strongholds that you think are impossible to build or to do away with, and then the Bible tells us that we must live holy lives, 1st Peter 1 15 and 16. But, as he would have called you is Holy. So be yee holy in all manner. of conversation. Now, the old English rendition of conversation with conduct or lifestyle, but it doesn't hurt for our conversation to be changed either. I think we need to some time from the world. I have a Bible study on those things and it kind of amazed me of what they really mean. Because it is written, "be holy for I am Holy," the Lord says. So, it's very important for us. to live a holy life the process of living cuz we don't know how long we've got in this life. And, a anything can happen. We've got to be ready at any moment. Because if we slept so well today is it, you know, I got tomorrow to pray through. I'll just do my thing today. You don't know, and it could happen so quickly. Anytime that will of God is clearly spelled out but reality tells a different story in your life. Anytime you're powerless to change the reality perceived by your mind. Anytime you have accepted defeat because the situation looks hopeless suspect stronghold has taken over. How do human beings act when there's a stronghold in their mind? Well strongholds expose a severe inconsistency between what we say and what we believe.

So, it has to be God who changes us not we ourselves.

And, then he said we cope with them by erecting a partition which separates our mind into two compartments. And 1st Corinthians 10:5 said, "every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God. On one side, is the knowledge of God and the other side the human speculation. A speculation is a conclusion based on an assumption that cannot be proven. People assume some things that are not true.

One side is the knowledge. The other side is human knowledge of God, and the other side is human. So, forget the human side.

So, it is called a fragmentation tries to split us up makes us develop James described as a "double-minded man is unstable part of his ways? All his ways." Amen.

instability so I think it was and when such believers Are convicted they bail out by using rationalizations Independence elves? Oh, well, it was this way or I was in there and they try to excuse themselves.

And so, how can we believe one thing in church and another in the parking lot? Got To Be True in church and out of church what I am in church, I should be out of church. How can we believe one thing in church be double-minded people trying to get through to God and are critical of everyone and everything in the church. Science add. Can you imagine the devastating effects that a stronghold has Saints trying to believe God for a breakthrough in the church who cannot forgive a past hurt? Or sink strainer believe God for a miracle in their City who can't even enjoy their marriage or since trying to believe God for power to witness who do not even have the power to live. Holy. double-minded and I'm Sinking Springs. Don't you dare? Believe it? Look at your situation why if you were by the way you're living? And a God wants you to be holy and to come up and and praise him and worship him with everything. That's within you. So how do you pull down the stronghold? Strongholds her to be destroyed and just not just repainted or covered up with wallpaper. You know, you can have I heard somebody say that they bought this house and this was wallpapered there wasn't too bad, but they decided they wanted to take off the wallpaper and and dependent so they took off the wallpaper in this one place. And there is a secret room back in there. And back in that room, they found all kinds of surprising things. and sometimes I think that maybe we want to live for God and people are saying that I can I can hide it with wallpaper. I can hide it with this or I can hide it with that, but we can it's going to be found out. and not just by anybody but by the lower himself He knows all about it anyway. There are four steps to be taken to accomplish this and James 47210 submit yourselves. There were to God resist the devil and he will flee from you. I always kind of liked that seems a little bit and resist the devil and he'll get fleas draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. Pleasant your hands you Sinners purify your hearts you double-minded be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter return the morning in your joy to having a humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He Shall lift you up. He will lift you up. Praise God and then number one submit to God determine the will of God by God's word. And then choose to believe it and go there. Don't just talk about it, but do it. Tear down the partition that has allowed you to store two opposing truths in your mind. Call truth truth in spite of your feelings re-enter the battlefield. Not the stronghold. You can have a stronghold in the Lord to. That's a different one than the devil tries to put on resist the devil. And one of the first things we need to do is to repent. I don't know about you, but I like to repent everyday. I just keep a contact with God and I can drive down the road and pray and seek God. I just don't close my eyes.

I want meet up with something. I don't want but get ahold of God Anytime Anyplace. I call on the Lord you're giving a bible study this neighbor lady. And when trying to talk to her about the Holy Ghost and everything and I find myself praising God and praying in tongues. I don't know what she thinks doesn't matter, but I'm hoping she'll the same thing Monday. So is this the devil and we get it under the blood by returning? The most effective way to resist him is to die to your old self putting yourself out of reach of Satan and Jesus Christ.

So everything is certain and proven Court the scripture to Satan. It is written Satan. It is written. You're a loser. You can't win in the name of Jesus.

And she'll draw nigh to God and he'll drop we need to draw and I draw close to him because there are speculations have allowed us to drift away. If that happens cross the threshold of fear and rejection and cross it out of your mind Jesus promises that He will draw near to us. And so cleanse your hands and purify your hearts are hands refer to the our Dimension while our hearts refer to the end Dimension is within us so visible symptom is easier to deal with in the inner root cause your moral relationships that sort of thing and stronghold has been destroyed only when a double-minded person become single-minded. How in Jesus Christ. The only way we can do it when we sin we usually plead guilty but reserve the right to say something on our behalf. That perpetuates a double 9 instead. We should turn our laughter into morning and call on the name of the Lord. Only as you see the ugliness of your sin. And where will I be drawn to God's holiness and Foley Roofing? People hang on to their sin for a long time. Sometimes even in church the church because they haven't really seen what it's done to them. They be loud be our Dimension control the inward Dimension and it's destroyed their happiness. And so Christians persistence is the opposite of instability I persist in the name of the Lord I persist in the word of God. I will not give up I won't go back. I praise him. I keep praising him until I die. Praise God. I'm so pleased God. Damn years gods were like a sledgehammer on your circumstances and situations Hammer the devil in his shins are wherever you need to and then it's just a matter of time. And if we don't know how to have discipline in our life. We can't be a true disciple. Disarmament discipline is very important and in raising children. I found discipline. I didn't always liked it. But without discipline they become brats. And then then you got to pay for it. Later. and I Bible says train up a child in the way. He should go and when you're a child of God, we're all children of God, and I only way I can train myself is to get into the word of God. Show knowing right from wrong some say I can't see any wrong in it. Look in the word of God. The Bible says you prove all things hold fast that which is good abstain from all appearance of evil 1st. Thessalonians 5 talks about that tonight, but that's why I wanted to I command you Satan in the name of the Lord to take up your weapons and flee. Cuz he's a liar and you're going to win friend. You're going to win. We're going to see the power of God take place. Where to see people feel a little hole again. That's what I want. Hallelujah hallelujah. I remembering many years ago. I think I was in the city of Great Falls, Montana. We had Bible studies with a family man came to church first. And on Sunday morning and the Lord got a hold of him and he came running up to the altar tears streaming down in space. Atmosphere that are just came over the whole congregation. And they begin to wait before guy. Lord worked on it And so we went to visit him at his home. while we were visiting him Well when he was still talking to the Lord and his wife was just listening thinking we're a bunch of Kooks.

Monday why I got a call this young man was in the hospital. He had brought his motorcycle run into the living room in. the gas between the stove that got scovie had in the gasoline in his motorcycle kind of croston and exploded And I found him under the table when I went there. They called me. And it's a little girl was under the table. And getting Stewart died the next morning. He got right with God. Is whole family. Where was there that morning? I don't know how many of them got right with God, but I think we don't know when we're our time will be up. We've got to be ready at any time.