STRONGMAN’S HIS NAME

What’s his “Game”?


            Many, many of us have been “bullied” at one time or another in our lives. Especially as children. I remember a very specific time in my childhood when I was approached by a group of kids who taunted me for walking through the park with my older brother.

            Well, - They made a mistake! I jumped on them like a bass on a June-bug; and I was never mistreated by them again!

2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that “GOD HATH NOT GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR; BUT OF POWER, AND OF LOVE, AND OF A SOUND MIND.”


            Let me tell you something: THE DEVIL IS A BULLY, a LIAR, a THIEF, and he’s TOTALLY ANTI-CHRIST! He’s the exact opposite of everything our God embraces! WE are supposed to be “MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US” (Romans 8:37)

And we have the availability to walk completely free - even though the enemy never gives up - because Mark 16:17-18 tells us: AND THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE; IN MY NAME SHALL THEY CAST OUT DEVILS; THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES; THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS; AND IF THEY DRINK ANY DEADLY THING, IT SHALL NOT HURT THEM; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER.


            Now, we’re not telling you to look FOR demons to attack. We’re simply saying that you don’t have to put up with being knocked around or confused by their disruptive activities.

AND you will have the knowledge and ‘spiritual-right’ to be the Warrior God intends you to be, in Jesus’ Name!

            So, we’re going to delve into the Scriptures and become aware - once again - of the names, activities, and intentions of the demonic in order to know how to live since Jesus has totally defeated the Enemy!


YES - he is defeated.


NO - Satan will not stop trying to cause you to bow to him through lies, and various other activities. And - most of the time - these “activities” will be part of your every-day life!

(Remember: Mark chapter 16 does NOT tell us that as soon as you become a Believer the enemy will leave you alone. Rather, it tells us that WHEN we are attacked, we have the weapons IN PLACE to demolish Satan’s plan for your destruction, in Jesus’ Name!)

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Tonight, we will begin this journey by learning the attributes (characteristics) of God AND the attributes of the Devil.


First of all:

            GOD’S ATTRIBUTES NEVER GET OUT OF BALANCE WITH EACH OTHER.

AND HE NEVER ACTS OUT OF CHARACTER.



ATTRIBUTES OF GOD:


God is:


1. Spirit – imperishable, timeless, ageless, boundless, immortal and on and on and on!!   In Truth: all of the following attributes we will speak about are the culmination - or completion of the Spirit of the All-Knowing, Eternal, Living Great God, Jehovah!


2. Holy – He has never been touched by sin.


3. Eternal – He has ALWAYS existed.


4. Infinite – without limits except when He has limited Himself by His Word.


5. Omnipresent – everywhere at once.


6. Omniscient – all knowing.


7. Omnipotent – all mighty.


8. Truth – He never, ever lies.


9. Just – 100 percent fair in His actions with us.


10. Righteous – totally good.

 

11. Life – He isn’t “just” alive....HE IS LIFE!

 

12. Unchangeable – (James 1:17) “EVERY GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT

       IS FROM ABOVE, AND COMES DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH

      WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR SHADOW OF TURNING.

  

13. Sovereign - absolute Supreme Ruler. But His Sovereignty is in complete harmony with His other attributes. God never, ever steps out of character in any one of His attributes.


14. Love – He is LOVE! He is the most loving personality in the entire universe.


15 Faithful – absolutely trustworthy.


16. Merciful – beyond human comprehension!

 

17. Provident – makes timely preparation for the future; watches over and cares for His

       Creation. 



Now - What conclusion does this information bring us to?


THIS:

We can trust and have confidence in God’s judgment concerning our lives! He will ALWAYS do what is best for us. He is totally Wise, Good and Just. His love for us is so great that it is beyond understanding, and He is absolutely trustworthy! So....WHY would anyone ever want to disregard His leading and advice in their lives?

Well...............THIS is why. The Bible reveals dimensions of the enemy that are totally the reverse of our Holy God’s Character.

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ATTRIBUTES OF THE DEVIL


The Devil is:


1. A Liar - he repeatedly prevaricates. He NEVER tells the “Truth” because God IS the TRUTH!


2. A Murderer - he seeks to liquidate - or ‘waste’ your self-importance - AND your very existence on this earth so that you will NOT complete your mission on this earth!


3. A Sower of Discord - cause strife, dissension


4. An Adversary - antagonist, opponent


5. Cunning - crafty, sly, unscrupulous, appealing (don’t think for one second that he is ALWAYS obvious! IF you aren’t extremely “aware” of what’s going on in the spirit, you will be TRICKED into believing whatever it is the enemy is trying to talk you into!), foxy, slick, etc.


6. Wicked - sinful, unjust, bad


7. Malignant - totally EVIL. If you have a “malignancy” in your body, you must DEAL with it in order to maintain a “normal” lifestyle. Satan’s “malignancy” is designed to take your life NOW and for ETERNITY! THAT’S his goal!


8. Cowardly - fearful, dishonest, afraid, contemptible..........If you don’t believe this - apply the Blood of Jesus to your conversations and watch who embraces you OR who runs!


9. A Tempter - he tries to allure, entice, seduce , invite and/or charm you into ungodliness. AND he’s extremely good at this! That’s EXACTLY why WE need our Savior!


10. A Thief - a thief is someone who tries to take property from someone else. That’s why the Bible say the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy!


11. Without principles - no rules, no rationale. It’s all about “him”!


12. Proud - immodest, arrogant, self-important. AND the Bible tells us “pride” goes before a FALL!


13. Deceitful - double-faced, double-tongued, fraudulent, deceptive, hypocritical, etc. The list goes on and on!


14. Fierce and cruel - violent, cut-throat, intense, brutal, savage, vicious and vile.


15. Aggressive - pushy, fast-growing and an opponent to everything Godly.


16. A destroyer - his ultimate goal is to utterly annihilate your position with Jesus Christ AND remove you from your eternal promise to live forever with our Savior AND your loved-ones!


So............

As we bring the two lists of attributes side-by-side, who do you believe causes sickness, and suffering in the human race?!


What we must realize is this: THE DEVIL IS NOT A NEGATIVE ‘GOD’ - BUT A FALLEN ANGEL.

Just because he was Lucifer does not nullify the fact that he is nothing now compared to what he was when he was created perfect! And as a result of the fall, he didn’t become more powerful.


Listen: sin always weakens whatever it touches.

However, if we get into the works of the flesh, he is powerful because that is his playground!!

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NOW, LISTEN TO THIS:

            God will never stoop so low as to use one the works of the devil to deal with His children! God wouldn’t have sent His precious Son to destroy the works of the devil only to pick them back up to use on those He loves!

Believe me: We can have confidence that God has enough Wisdom to deal with us on a higher level than the devil would use!


So - CLOSE THE DOORS, in Jesus’ Name.

Sin is progressive. One thing leads to another until we’re in over our heads. For this reason, we must keep the doors to sin closed, before they develop into something harmful.


What ARE “open doors”?


1. Lineage. Our ancestors may have done things we’re completely unaware of that can still affect us today.

Exodus 20:5 says: THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN THYSELF TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM: FOR I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD, VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME.


2. Crisis. Emotional or physical situations that cause damages can leave doors open for the enemy to continue to hassle us in that area of our lives IF we leave that door OPEN!


3. Ignorance. A lack of knowledge of the Word can leave openings in our defenses that cause devastation. Paul warned Believers six times “not to be ignorant” concerning the Word of God. If you don’t know your ‘rights’ as a child of God, HOW CAN YOU DEFEND YOURSELF??


Listen: Ignorance of God’s Word is no excuse that is acceptable to God!

So............Ephesians is the first stop:

Ephesians 6:10-13. BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. THEREFORE TAKE UP THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND!


Recognize your enemy. Put on the Armor of God. Don’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. Begin to do what YOU have to do as YOUR part in order to REMOVE the enemy from your ground!!!


4. Faith is the key.

Hosea the prophet warned the Hebrews of this: MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. (Hosea 4:6)

............When you find a church that preaches the Word of God and feeds your spirit, - STAY CONNECTED! And the reason we ‘need’ such a place is because FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. (Romans 10:17)

Do NOT for one moment think that you can get away from the Word because it’s the CORNERSTONE of our Faith! Our Power Source is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. When you fully understand this principle, you are ready to begin putting His instructions into practice!


Listen to the “power” God gives us when we’re obedient to the Word:

Matthew 18:18-20 - Jesus said... ...ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, WHATEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH WILL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, AND WHATEVER YOU LOOSE ON EARTH WILL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN.

AGAIN I SAY TO YOU THAT IF TWO OF YOU AGREE ON EARTH CONCERNING ANYTHING THAT THEY ASK, IT WILL BE DONE FOR THEM BY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER IN MY NAME, I AM THERE IN THE MIDST OF THEM.


You see: we must KICK the enemy out of his stronghold and repair the breech in order to keep him from ever gaining an advantage over us in that area again, in Jesus’ Name.


5. WE have a “part” to do.

(Romans 13:12-14) THE NIGHT IS FAR SPENT, THE DAY IS AT HAND. THEREFORE LET US CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS, AND LET US PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT. LET US WALK PROPERLY, AS IN THE DAY, NOT IN REVELRY AND DRUNKENNESS, NOT IN LICENTIOUSNESS AND LEWDNESS, NOT IN STRIFE AND ENVY. BUT PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND MAKE NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, TO FULFILL ITS LUSTS.


You see: Positive action is required! Wake up, walk honestly, and put off the works of darkness.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where your weak areas are and start changing them with the help of the Lord!


And, finally tonight, #6 is the main reason we’re going through this particular training material again:

6. THE STRONGMAN - Now, this is of greater importance than what you would consider your “daily walk” (so-to-speak) as you deal with the enemy of your mind. You see: the enemy generally deals with you through your ‘mind’ - - or your “thought process” NOT your spirit (your heart). That’s why we ask the Lord to renew the “spirit of our mind”, and give us the Mind of Christ! I personally do this on a daily basis.


In Matthew 12:29 Jesus says: ...HOW CAN ONE ENTER A STRONG MAN’S HOUSE AND PLUNDER HIS GOODS, UNLESS HE FIRST BINDS THE STRONG MAN? AND THEN HE WILL PLUNDER HIS HOUSE.


And Luke 11:21-22 Jesus tells us: WHEN A STRONG MAN, FULLY ARMED, GUARDS HIS OWN PALACE, HIS GOODS ARE IN PEACE. BUT WHEN A STRONGER THAN HE COMES UPON HIM AND OVERCOMES HIM, HE TAKES FROM HIM ALL HIS ARMOR IN WHICH HE TRUSTED, AND DIVIDES HIS SPOILS.


Now, listen to the rest of this story: HE WHO IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME, AND HE WHO DOES NOT GATHER WITH ME SCATTERS. WHEN AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT GOES OUT OF A MAN, HE GOES THROUGH DRY PLACES, SEEKING REST; AND FINDING NONE, HE SAYS, ‘I WILL RETURN TO MY HOUSE FROM WHICH I CAME.’

AND WHEN HE COMES, HE FINDS IT SWEPT AND PUT IN ORDER. THEN HE GOES AND TAKES WITH HIM SEVEN OTHER SPIRITS MORE WICKED THAN HIMSELF, AND THEY ENTER AND DWELL THERE; AND THE LAST STATE OF THAT MAN IS WORSE THAN THE FIRST.”

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What we see here is that it’s necessary to state some clear principles of what God’s Word actually says about evil spirits. And it clearly tells us that being washed in and by the Blood of Jesus is the ONLY protective shield that the devil cannot penetrate.


Asking for forgiveness is absolutely the first step, in Jesus’ Name. HOWEVER - once you’re clean - if you don’t do the follow-up by not just “talking-the-talk” but also “walking-the-walk”, you’ll get your CLOCK CLEANED by the enemy! He always takes advantage where he has even a slight ‘opening’ that is available for him to enter and use against you!

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Next week, Lord willing, we will begin to name the spirits that easily operate through people. And why do they do that? Because we become ‘slack’ concerning the rights and expectations that we have as Born-again, Blood-washed Christians!


Remember: 2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5 says:

THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH, WE DO NOT WAR AFTER THE FLESH: (FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WAR-FARE ARE NOT CARNAL, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS;) CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.”

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            There is a ‘new’ war that awaits you, child-of-God! YOUR due-diligence is to LEARN the Word of God; PRACTICE the Word; be aware of your surroundings (including those you constantly hang-out with); determine in your Heart that NO MATTER ‘WHAT’, YOU WILL SERVE our Great God Jehovah, in Jesus’ Name!