Power over the Enemy: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds (3 page)

Who but the enemy would say that your age gets in the way of your service? God can use you. Your body ages, but your spirit never grows old. You have eternal youth in your spirit man.

Ponce de León looked for the fountain of youth. I would like to wake him up out of his grave and tell him, “I have found it! I have found eternal youth in the Lord Jesus Christ!”

I have found that people who come down hard against divorce and broken homes sometimes end up divorced or have a broken home, or their children end up in trouble. We need to be careful and compassionate in what we say about divorced people. Those who have been divorced and gone through all kinds of heartache have had enough hurt without anyone’s additional comments.

“Well,” some say, “do you recall what Jesus said about divorce?”

Yes, I know what Jesus said. I think it is ironic the same people do not take the Scriptures as literally where Jesus said, “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire” (Revelation 21:8). We don’t go around saying, “Well, you lied, so you’re going to hell.” When Christians lie, they say, “Thank God that He forgives.”

Doesn’t God also forgive divorce?

Don’t get me wrong. I would never advocate breaking up homes. But when we find people who have been battered and bruised by divorce, they have had enough. Jesus commanded us to love them and help them, not to condemn them. Jesus said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17).

Jesus once talked to a Samaritan woman who had been married five times. He did not talk to her about giving up. He gave her life and hope, and she went away from her conversation with Him to win the whole town (John 4:1–26).

Many divorced people are tempted by the devil to just give up. They feel disqualified, dirty, worthless, and undesirable.

Friend, I am not for all the things you have gone through, but I am for loving you. I am for helping you. I am for encouraging you.

There once was a pastor who had been faithful in his ministry for twenty-five years, but he fell into sin and broke up his home for another woman. He was indeed wrong, without any excuse for his failure, but the devil had deceived him. The devil got hold of him, and he made a terrible mistake.

Instead of loving him and reaching out to help him save his marriage and possibly be restored to his ministry, people condemned him. A famous evangelist became so angry with him that he said, “I have over a million readers of my magazine, and I am going to expose him. I am going to tell the world what he has done.”

The printing press was all set up to run the story, when Jesus appeared to the evangelist in a vision and said, “You are going to expose him, aren’t you?”

“Oh yes, Jesus!” the evangelist exclaimed. “He is guilty.”

Jesus responded, “Well, let me ask you a question. What if it were your son who was married, and this happened to him? Would you expose him?”

“Oh no!” he answered. “I wouldn’t do that. He is my son.”

Jesus said, “Well, he is My son. Leave him alone!”

Oh, the immeasurable grace and love of God!

If you are a divorced person, do not give in to the temptation that you are useless just because your home has been broken.

People have come to me who have been living unmarried with another person for years. Then they come to church and hear the truth. They come to me and say, “We have been living in sin and need to get married. Will you marry us?”

I say, “I sure will!”

Our business is not to condemn. We are to tell them the Good News!

Yet I find that the most condemnation comes from religious people. They want to make rules and laws for others to conform to, especially as regards appearances. Others have to live up to their dress code and their standards as regards hair styles and makeup, even though God says, “… man looks at the outward appearance, but the L
ORD
looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Which is worse: Someone’s outward appearance or their ugly, condemning spirit? If Jesus were to give you the answer, He would say that the ugly spirit is worse. The Bible also states, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6).

I have found that if people are doing wrong, you can love them into doing what is right. They will run away if you condemn them, but they will listen to you if you love them.

I am for the bruised.

I am for the broken.

I am for those who have been overtaken in sexual sins, alcoholism, drug addiction, and bondages to pornography and other sins.

If you have been tempted to give up because you have a broken home, don’t give up.

If you have been overcome by some terrible habit, and the devil tempts you to give up, don’t give up.

If you are in financial trouble, and you are tempted to live below God’s plan for prosperity in your life, don’t give up!

Young people are tempted to give in to peer pressure and to do things that will hurt and destroy them. They give in to this one, to that one, and to the other. The devil’s business is to put pressure on them to do what will hurt, harm, and destroy them.

Many young people are called of God. They see other people fail because of the vicissitudes of life. They are tempted to give up God’s call on their lives. God’s call is still there, but it grows dim to them. It is because the tempter has come to tempt them to give up the call of God.

Young person, the end of what the devil will tell you to do will bring nothing but sorrow. If you are tempted by the devil to give in, don’t do it. Do not yield to temptation. Follow the example of your Savior!

J
esus was tempted in all points of His life. We read in Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but
was in all points tempted as we are
, yet without sin.” And Hebrews 2:18 says, “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

The fact that Jesus was tempted in all areas of His life should encourage you when you are tempted. Consider some of the areas where the tempter struck at Jesus, and what He did about it.

The Word says, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). Jesus was thrust out into the world. It is God’s plan that we know that we are walking on enemy territory. Satan is the god of this world. We must come face to face with the devil and the demon powers of this world. We can conquer!

Jesus was greatly tempted when He was full of the Holy Spirit.

This should come as a warning to you. If you fall in love with Jesus and follow Him, become filled with the Holy Spirit, are a student of the Word, begin to declare your faith, and become involved with a Spirit-filled church, the enemy is going to try to discourage you. He tempted Jesus, and he will come after you.

David said, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5). The Lord will prepare you a table of victory right in the presence of the devil.

I like what Smith Wigglesworth said when he woke up one night and felt a strange presence in his room. He looked over in the corner, and there stood Satan—in person. When Wigglesworth saw him, he said, “Oh, it’s just
you,” and he went back to sleep. That kind of an attitude will put the devil on tranquilizers. Many times we take the devil too seriously.

When the Lord Jesus was just getting ready to step into His earthly ministry of signs, wonders, and miracles and the marvelous plan that God had for Him, the devil met Him.

You are going to have the hardest battle just about the time you enter into the greatest time of victory that God has planned for you. If you are being greatly tempted today, it is because you are about to take that one step that will put you into the area that you have longed to be in.

This is so important for you to understand. Jesus was tempted in the specific area of His need. He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, and He was hungry.

If you have ever fasted, even for a brief period, perhaps you can understand. I believe that the best way to fast is to fast a little bit every week, maybe until three o’clock in the afternoon or perhaps for one day. It is important to continually keep your body under control and in subjection to your spirit man.

I have fasted for several days, and I have noticed that I got to a place where hunger for food did not bother me. But when the fast was over, there came an overwhelming hunger, and I could have eaten the plate, knife, fork, and everything on the plate.

Jesus was a human being. When He finished that forty-day fast, every part of his being cried out for food. And the devil was right there to tempt Him in the area of His need. “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread’ ” (Matthew 4:3).

Has the devil tempted you in your area of need? Are you out of work? Are you without a partner in life? Are you in financial need? Are you sick? The devil will tempt you in the area of your needs—where you are hurting the most. He will say, “You see! God didn’t tell you the truth. He doesn’t want you to have the very thing you’re missing.”

Watch out! Right there is where the devil will hit you. He will come in and give you reasons in your mind that say it is God’s will to deprive you of your specific need.

Jesus was and is the Son of God, and Satan knew it. Yet he said, “
If You are
the Son of God, throw Yourself down…” (Matthew 4:6).

This is the way that the devil will put it to you: “Are you really a new creature in Christ? Really? Remember the words you used the other day when you got angry. What were those photos you were looking at on that website? You failed on all counts. Are you really born of God? Are you really an overcomer? Can you really do all things through Christ? What a joke! You’re just another lousy hypocrite.”

When this happens, just hit the enemy over the head with the Word. Confess the Word of God:

Satan tempted Jesus to do foolish things in the name of religion or spirituality. He tempted Jesus to put someone before God and to do foolish things in the name of serving God. He said, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’ ” (Matthew 4:6).

Responding to the temptation, Jesus quoted Scripture to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the L
ORD
your God’ ” (v. 7).

But the devil didn’t stop there. “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me’ ” (vv. 8–9).

Again, Jesus quoted the Word to Satan, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the L
ORD
your God, and Him only you shall serve’ ” (v. 10).

Anything that exalts us and our abilities out of proportion is not good. It is dangerous the way some people make themselves so great and high and mighty. They need to turn
their abilities over to Christ. Turn away when the tempter says, “If you are a child of God, cast yourself down. Show others your stuff!” I have seen many people with that type of attitude. But God does not honor a prideful attitude.

Jesus overcame Satan by the Word of God and only by the Word of God. Here are four important things that you can do to send the tempter away.

You will notice that Jesus did not get into an argument with the devil. He didn’t say, “Well, sit down here and let’s talk about it.” He simply quoted what the Word said and never went beyond the Word.

After you quote the Word to the devil, keep your mouth closed. Do not say anything except the Word of God.

In my life, there have been several times when I felt so sick that I thought I was going to die. I might have been in some foreign place, and it felt as though everything was over. In those situations, I would quote what the Bible says, “With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation” (Psalm 91:16) and “by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5).

I never go by what or how I feel. I do not get into a discussion with the devil. I find out what the Word of God says about the situation. I read God’s Word and meditate on it, and I begin to speak God’s Word to the devil.

In Matthew 4:11, you will find that when Jesus did all of these things, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

After you follow Jesus’ example, you will be doing what you are supposed to do when the tempter comes to you, and He will have to go.

Then, just as the angels ministered to Jesus, they will come and minister to you.

As I was teaching the content of this chapter, a prophecy was given that encouraged me in my faith, and I believe will be a blessing to you as well.

“I am a Healer,” says the Lord, “and My compassion reaches out to all mankind, to young and old alike. There is no one who escapes My eye, for I am your Creator, I am your God, and I am your Physician. Nothing is too hard for Me. O My child, lift up your eyes to the heavens; yes, behold the heavens, and the heaven of heavens. Did not My hand create all these? Look about you in the world. Did not My hand create this? I am the God of all flesh. Do not despair or lose hope. Read My Word. Rise up in faith. I am a God of miracles, and I will do that which you desire.”