Submit to God and Exert Your Authority in Christ

11.10.2021

3 reasons for problems:

1. Physical Issue

2. Sin issue/personal responsibility issue

3. Demonic Influence

Intense spiritual resistance

Just before Jesus’ returns, there will be increased spiritual resistance!

It’s happening right now!

Revelation 12:10-12 (NLT)

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

1 Timothy 4:1-3 (NLT)

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. 3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (MSG)

Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. 2 As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, 3 dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, 4 treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. 5 They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 (BBE)

For the secret of evil is even now at work: but there is one who is keeping back the evil till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of his mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of his coming; 9 Even the one whose coming is marked by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation. 11 And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false: 12 So that they all may be judged, who had no faith in what is true, but took pleasure in evil.

Signs of spiritual attack:

Doubt – yourself, your friends, God.

Rejection thinking.

Condemnation – thinking about what you did wrong in the past/ or what you should have done in the past.

Obsession with failure, defeat, or the negatives of the past.

Fear – chronic, not rooted in reality.

Rebellion to established authority.

Lying – telling only part, but not the whole truth.

Thoughts of strife, discord, or offence.

Erratic thoughts out of nowhere cresting self-doubt or doubts about others.

Compulsives desires to binge eat, to lust, to overwork, to overdo whatever. Overcompensating

Constant worry thoughts.

Lust. Thoughts about illicit sex/ homosexuality/ compulsion to view pornography.

Gossip.

Sudden distrust in people that have given you no reason to distrust them.

Accusing thoughts about yourself.

Accusing thoughts about others.

Anger.

Disunity. Seeking to pit one person against another. Seeking to create doubt about a person or group.

Thoughts of compromise with the flesh and known sinful things.

Overwhelming panicky emotions.

Self-doubt.

Nobody loves me, nobody cares about me thoughts.

Excessive pride in looks, work, church activity.

Rigidity – a compulsion to be overly strict when grace should be given.

Feelings of loneliness and detachment.

Thoughts that you do not fit in anywhere.

Judgmental, angry thoughts about others.

Thoughts that question God’s love, faithfulness, and Word.

Selfish thoughts – Why didn’t they include me/ Why was I left out.

Thoughts like – You/they don’t care about me.

Hopelessness. Nothing will get better/improve.

Lack of ability to focus.

Lack of desire to read the Word/pray/ attend church.

Thoughts of isolation.

Thoughts and feelings of panic.

Over-religiousness – spiritual involvement to the neglect of personal needs, family, friends, work, etc.

Duplicity – Acting one way in public, another way in private.

Suicidal thoughts.

How to Stand and Resist:

1 Peter 5:8-9 (BBE)

Be serious and keep watch; the Evil One, who is against you, goes about like a lion with open mouth in search of food; 9 Do not give way to him but be strong in your faith, in the knowledge that your brothers who are in the world undergo the same troubles.

1 Peter 5:9 (NLT)

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

You stand against spiritual attacks with your faith:

2 Corinthians 5:7 (CEV)

But we live by faith, not by what we see.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (TPT)

Because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (CEV)

Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.

By commanding it to go in the name of Jesus and by His blood!

By speaking God’s Word OUT LOUD.

By worshipping and praising God, by singing out loud.

By meditating on scripture.

By resisting and refusing wayward feelings and thoughts.

Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Stay away from items that are occultic in nature.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NLT)

For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you.

 

Rid your home of any association with the demonic:

 

Books, toys, magazines, horoscope info, religious artifacts (Buddhism, Hinduism, etc), movies

 

Pray over your home.

 

Don’t read junk!

Your Spiritual Authority:

James 4:7

James 4:7

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

 

New English Bible:

Stand up to the devil and he will turn and run

 

Resist:

 

Strongs: to oppose or withstand

 

Bullinger: set one’s self against, either in word or deed or both.

 

Elliot: The devil can fight, but cannot conquer you if you resist.

 

Wheaton: Temptation when repelled disappears, and when habitually kept at a distance, ceases to exist.

 

Flee:

 

Thayer: flee because of inspired fear and threatened danger.

 

Arndt: seek safety in flight

 

Liddle and Scott: run off as quickly as possible

 

Expositor’s Greek New Testament: If you resist him, he will be vanquished and will flee from you disgraced.

 

Ephesians 4:27

 

NKJV:

Nor give place to the devil.

 

God’s Word:

Don’t give the devil any opportunity to work.

 

NCV:

Do not give the devil a way to defeat you.

 

Weymouth:

And do not leave room for the Devil.

 

Kenneth Wuest:

And stop giving an occasion for acting [opportunity] to the devil.

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

1 Corinthians 2:6

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

 

Who are coming to nothing:

Amplified:

who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away.

 

Wuest:

Who are in the process of being liquidated.

 

Young’s Literal Translation:

Of those becoming useless.

 

Moffat:

the dethroned powers that rule this world.

 

Colossians 1:13 (AMPC)

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

 

Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Colossians 2:15 (AMPC)

[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].

Colossians 2:15 (MSG)

He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

 

Colossians 2:15 (GW)

He stripped the rulers and authorities of their power and made a public spectacle of them as he celebrated his victory in Christ.

 

Colossians 2:15 (J.B. Phillips)

And then, having drawn the sting of all the powers and authorities ranged against us, He exposed them, shattered, empty and defeated, in His own triumphant victory.

 

Ephesians 1:19-23 (NLT)

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

 

Ephesians 2:6 (NLT)

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.