One of my favorite successful commercials was one concerning a TV. An Actor steps out into a room with a TV in it. He turns on the screen. The TV (Brand Y) screen is vibrant with sharp images and the colors are magnificent! What is not noticed is the camera dulls the rest of the room. You are watching this on your “Brand X” TV. You run to your wife and declare that we must get this new “Brand Y” TV! Neither of you stop to think that everything you just saw was on your “Brand X” TV screen! This company made a killing!
Sometimes things are not really apparent until we stop and think about it for a while. In Spiritual warfare the enemy desires us to keep a fast pace, the last thing he wants is for us to move meditatively.
As we begin this series, we must be careful of the pendulum that we humans naturally move to: There is a demon under every rock – to, no demon activity at all!
Also be careful of the difference between theological teachings and biblical teachings. The terms “Possessed” and “Oppressed” are man-made theological terms, In the Scriptures, the word used is “demonized.” Only context can explain the intensity of the moment.
First, we need to look at the “Big” picture, and then get into the details.
It is about controlling Power.
a. Control of power
Genesis 1:26–28 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Man was given dominion over the earth and had the opportunity to exercise his stewardship abilities. The fall changed that. Satan is now in control, under the umbrella of God’s sovereignty, of this world.
Luke 4:5–6 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
The good news is that this enemy…in the end is a defeated one.
Colossians 2:13–15 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Be Careful! Most believers know and even say we have the victory, and due to that we often become complacent to his strategies! I have learned that the hard way! Satan is the ultimate control freak, which is what caused his fall; he could not stand having someone in authority over him.
Discover questions: Who controls you, the Holy Spirit, or your sin nature? If you are a believer you have a personal Savior, do you understand you also have a personal enemy? God tells us not to fear, so how should we deal with our enemy.
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