PITCHING OUR TENT Clearing the Ground Part 5: Dealing with Demonic Oppression Sunday 16 th October 2016
ISAIAH 54:2 (NIVUK) Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes
PASTOR JOEL: I believe we * are in an Isaiah 54 season where we are pitching our tent to be bigger, better and bolder as a church * Elim Aberystwyth
CLEARING THE GROUND 1. Create In Me a Clean Heart 2. Embracing and Living in Forgiveness 3. Letting Go of Unforgiveness 4. Letting Go of Lies and Ungodly Beliefs 5. Dealing With Demonic Oppression
WHAT IS THE ENEMY S GREATEST LIE? That he is more powerful than us? That he can hurt us? That he should be feared? That he can read our mind? That he is the antithesis (direct opposite) to God? THAT HE DOES NOT EXIST
THE BATTLE IS REAL The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil s work. 1 John 3:8 (NIVUK)
Eph 6:12 THE WORLD 1 Peter 2:11 THE FLESH 1 Peter 5:8 THE DEVIL
DON T PUT YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND..YOU ARE A TARGET
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13 (NIV)
SOME TRUTHS SATAN DOESN T WANT YOU TO KNOW The accuser (JP last week) He works through temptation, accusation and deception... by putting thoughts in our mind.you have a choice to: Realise the lie you have come to believe Renounce the lie and identify it as untrue Release the lie and however you received it Replace the lie with the truth of God s word
SOME TRUTHS SATAN DOESN T WANT YOU TO KNOW Adam & Eve handed over the right, to rule the world, to him the prince of this world John 12:31 the world is under the control of the evil one 1 John 5:19 But if you are a child of God, remember 1 John 4:4: the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world
SOME TRUTHS SATAN DOESN T WANT YOU TO KNOW Satan is not like God We think Supernatural / Natural i.e. God & Satan / Us & the world God sees Creator / Created i.e. God / Everything else lie truth
SOME TRUTHS SATAN DOESN T WANT YOU TO KNOW Satan s power God s power And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col 2:15) he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion (Eph 1:20-21)
SOME TRUTHS SATAN DOESN T WANT YOU TO KNOW Satan does not know everything He cannot read your mind or tell the future perfectly He is a created being He does not possess the attributes of God King Nebuchadnezzar demands the sorcerers reveal the content of his dreams before interpreting them in order to validate they could not read His mind (Daniel 2)
SOME TRUTHS SATAN DOESN T WANT YOU TO KNOW Satan can only be in one place at any time He is a created being He does not possess the attributes of God He works through rulers, authorities, powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12)
SO WHAT S THE BIG DEAL? There isn t one really But We don t want to give the enemy a foothold When we sin, Satan can gain a point of influence in our lives We tend to look for Demonic activity in dramatic style but it is really in the mind
DEMONIC ACTIVITY IMPORTANT CONCEPT: you were redeemed (purchased) with the precious blood of Christ 1 Peter 1:18-19 It is not about ownership / possession Demonised not demon possessed
DEMONIC ACTIVITY Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour *. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIVUK) * neutralise / influence
DEMONIC INFLUENCE It s an influence, not possession: Even those closest to Jesus.Mt 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan!
OUR DEFENCE JESUS triumphed over them by the cross
OUR DEFENCE THE ULTIMATE SEAT OF POWER! he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion (Eph 1:20-21) What is our position in Christ? Eph 2:6 - God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in Seated with Him in the heavenly realms!!! the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
OUR RESOURCES IN CHRIST but Satan is still roaring (for now!) therefore live a healthy lifestyle Put on the armour of God and stand firm (Eph 6:11-20) Submit to God, resist the Devil and he will flee (Js 4:7) You have the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19) All believers have the same authority!
DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED lie truth
DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED THE ENEMY HAS BEEN DISARMED
DEALING WITH DEMONIC OPPRESSION A battle for the mind Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5)
DEALING WITH DEMONIC OPPRESSION As Christians, we are not called to dispel the darkness.
DEALING WITH DEMONIC OPPRESSION As Christians, we are not called to dispel the darkness. We are instructed to turn on the light (S. Goss, FIC)