Persecution Live

Let’s stop for a moment and picture yourself in a war against another country. You realize that your country is fighting Country X, but should your attention be focused on the king of Country X? Or the troop that’s standing 50 yards from you with a gun in his hand ready to kill you? Far too often, we as Christians point our fingers at Satan, but completely ignore the troops the enemy has sent out against us. It’s about time we guard ourselves against the messengers that Satan has set against us, lest we become vulnerable of the plans Satan has against us.

It’s time that we recognize the messengers that were sent to directly oppose us. Satan indirectly oppresses God’s children, but it’s the various ranks of troops under Satan that carry out the actual battle plan and directly oppose the children of God. Ephesians 6 isn’t saying that we struggle against Satan himself, but against the various ranks of demons that are under the lordship of Satan:

Ephesians 6:12, “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.”

Let’s not wash Satan clean here by putting everything on the demons, but let’s also not forget who’s standing 50 yards from us who would love to put a bullet through our skulls!

Your enemy would love for you to approach the war with your eyes on the evil leader and ignore the troops / messengers coming towards you. If you did such a thing in a physical war, wouldn’t that put you at a very vulnerable position? You wouldn’t last 10 minutes on the battle field before getting struck down! The same is true in the spiritual realm. It’s only wise to keep your eyes on the direct enemies in any war.

Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t to see demons so much that it’s all that we’re looking at. I am a strong advocator of keeping our minds and hearts on the Lord Jesus Christ, and on positive things that uplift us and keep our eyes on the Lord. But on the same token, it’s never wise to ignore a messenger that Satan has sent to destroy us. Paul himself made it clear that it’s never wise to be ignorant of Satan’s devices:

2 Corinthians 2:11, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

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So many in the church today believe that it’s Satan who tempts God’s children and lures them into sin. They believe that Satan is behind their spiritual problems and that they are directly struggling with the devil himself. The truth is, they are not wrestling against Satan, but rather his network of demons. Even when a child is tempted to sin, that temptation doesn’t come from Satan directly, but through Satan’s army of fallen angels (demons). It’s as if we believe there’s an imaginary evil being out there that comes to our door each day to tempt us, when in reality, we are being approached by evil spirits! It seems that everybody wants to think it’s Satan tempting or oppressing them, but nobody wants to think it’s an evil spirit or demon.

Angels are NOT omnipresent, and cannot be everywhere at once. There is ample proof of this fact in scripture, but one clear example is found in Daniel chapter 10, where an angel was dispatched to answer the prayer of Daniel, but was withheld by a demonic spirit (the prince of Persia):

Daniel 10:13, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

This angel was held back and could not immediately attend to those prayers because an evil spirit held him up from reaching Daniel! Angels, including demons, cannot be more than one place at once. Satan, being a demon himself and the leader in his kingdom, is unable to be more than one place at the same time.

The odds of a person actually getting attacked or oppressed by Satan is extremely remote. There are very strong and evil demons which can make it seem like Satan himself is involved, but it is rarely the case. Satan is merely the leader of his kingdom, and uses the evil spirits under him to carry out his plans in this fallen world.

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Guilt and shame have their strongest grip when kept in the darkness of a person’s soul, and when a person brings something out into the light, it brings light into the situation and things such as guilt and shame tend to lose their grip on that person. That is why the enemy works so diligently to keep a person from opening up about their sexual failures and struggles.

Embarrassment is simply a tool used by the enemy (who works through his army of unclean spirits – See “Our Direct Enemy“) to keep a person from opening up and seeking freedom from their struggle or past failure.

Don’t fool yourself, just as the enemy can work to tempt us, he can also work to keep us from admitting our faults by making us feel embarrassed over what we’ve done. It’s merely Satan’s weapon of choice to keep our souls in darkness!

Let me ask you this, if you saw the same struggle that you’re facing, in another brother or sister in Christ, would you make a big deal about it? Providing of course, that they have either turned from it, or are trying very hard to turn from it? Would you beat them up as much as you beat up on yourself? My guess is that you would probably think nothing of it!

Behind many sexual related struggles and failures, lies unclean spirits. They often enter through sexual defilement, and it is not uncommon to find them behind many sexual struggles. However, before these unclean spirits can be cast out, the minister must first know about them. Many deliverances are either not complete, or have failed simply because the person hasn’t opened up with the minister about everything that needed to come fourth. This is why it is important to bring up such failures and struggles when going through a deliverance. Even if you have repented of those sins, there may be spirits lingering that must still be driven out.

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The Lord gave me a powerful revelation today on the hold that sexual sins have on people. Why are they so powerful to grip and hold a person in guilt and shame? It seems they are among the all-time, best-selling weapons that Satan uses against countless individuals around the world today!

Guilt and shame are known to tear a person to pieces spiritually. They make you feel guilty, separated from God, they rob you of your faith and rips you to pieces. They break God’s children down piece by piece, robbing them of their joy, peace, confidence and pure conscience. They are also valuable tools that demonic spirits use against a person in the forms of mental torment and harassment.

Furthermore, it seems that those caught in this trap find it hard to open up and talk about their struggle or failure with others. Almost everybody finds it hard to even admit that they are struggling in the area of sexuality, even when it seems almost everybody else struggles with it!!

I guess the key question is, why are sex-related sins so embarrassing? This intense embarrassment is not a fleshly nature, but rather the workings of unclean spirits. “Who told you that you were naked?” God asked Adam and Eve, thus giving us a clear indication that Satan or one of his unclean spirits were telling Adam and Eve that they were naked, and thus should be ashamed of themselves! Shame did not enter the world until this moment, and it came about when someone (a spirit) told Adam and Eve (through their thought-lives) that they were naked, and therefore made them ashamed of themselves.

Genesis 3:11, “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked?“

They were so ashamed, that they not only covered themselves, but also hid in the garden from God!

Genesis 3:10, “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Notice how shame brought a dreaded fear of God! Before that moment, there was no fear of God, at least not the type of fear where a person is scared and wants to distance themselves from God! This is exactly what happens when people are fearful of having committed the unpardonable sin… they become afraid of God and feel that He is out to punish them!

Also notice how even Adam was ashamed of his body, and didn’t want God (his own creator) to see him naked! It shouldn’t surprise us when we see how the enemy tries today to make our sexuality shameful in the same way. Obviously, God has made sex beautiful, but Satan wants us to be ashamed of it, and when we partake in sexual sin, it becomes an open door for a heavy burden caused by guilt and shame to move in on us. Unclean spirits then use this to their advantage and bring much bondage and torment.

So why do unclean spirits work so hard to keep a person ‘locked/shut up’ concerning their failure or struggle? He does not want them to open up and uncover the darkness in their soul in which guilt and shame have their strongest grip. God’s Word is clear that confessing our faults to one another can bring about and promote healing in one’s life:

James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed…”

From experience, many (including myself) will testify to a powerful healing concept of simply admitting to another believer what your faults have been. It seems to lift a heavy load when a person brings something that’s kept them bound for years, out into the open. There’s a tremendous release that many feel when they simply confess their struggle or failure to another!

So why are sexual sins so embarrassing? The unclean spirits who are taking advantage of the person through guilt and shame do NOT want you to open up about your failure, and expose the darkness by which their weapons (guilt and shame) are able to do their work.

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I encourage you to repeat these scriptures out loud, for there is indeed power in the spoken confession of God’s truth. Do this on a regular (daily) bases and it will begin to renew your mind according to the truth found in God’s Word.

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Say to yourself, “I am a new creation in Christ, old things have passed away and all things become new.”

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Say to yourself, “When I confess my sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive me it, regardless what kind of unrighteousness I may have committed.”

Colossians 3:13, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Say to yourself, “I will love and forgive myself, as Christ has forgiven me.”

Psalms 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Say to yourself, “My sins are not simply covered, but they are removed from me… taken so far from me, that there is no way that they can be considered a part of me anymore!”

Revelations 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who… washed us from our sins in his own blood.”

Say to yourself, “I am washed from my sins by the Blood of Christ Jesus Himself.”

Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (The NT Greek tells us that the word ‘remission’ here means, “Forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty.”)

Say to yourself, “Because the Blood of Christ was shed for me, I am let go as if I have never sinned.”

Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Say to yourself, “I have been justified (made right, as if I have never sinned) by faith and have peace with God through my Lord Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Say to yourself, “I cannot be justified by works of the law or acts of righteousness, but by my faith in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.”

Say to yourself, “Because I believe, the righteousness of God is upon me.”

Romans 4:3-8, “For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

Say to yourself, “The righteousness of God is upon me, not as a result of works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, and the grace of God. I did not earn it, yet He gave it to me, and I receive it by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Say to yourself, “The old me has been crucified and my old man has been buried with Christ. Now my life is in Christ as I have been raised to life with Him and I am free to walk in the newness of life.”

Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

Say to yourself, “My Heavenly Father chose to forget my past sins for HIS sake. When He looks at me, He doesn’t want to see my sin… He wants to see His precious creation which was purchased and justified with the Blood of His Son Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Say to yourself, “Because of the Blood of Christ, my conscience can be purged of dead works (your past failures) so that I can serve the Living God.”

Hebrews 10:22, “…draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Say to yourself, “Not only did God chose to forget my sins, but He also wants me to forget them as well. He wants me to draw near to Him with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, being sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.”

Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Say to yourself, “I am in Christ Jesus, and therefore free from condemnation.”

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You are not seeing yourself as you really are. If you’ve repented of your past, and sought God’s forgiveness, then you are forgiven or justified (which means “just as if I’ve never sinned”). It’s not that you should try to forget what happened (don’t remind yourself of it either though), but the important key is to see your past through the Blood of Jesus. You need to see your past as “paid in full” by the work that Christ did for you on the cross! Seeing things with this perspective changes everything! You need to begin seeing yourself through the blood of Jesus.

One day, when the enemy was trying to beat me up over my past, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me and said, “You need to KNOW that you’re clean… your faith depends upon it!”

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You need to let God heal you… as long as you keep holding something against yourself, you are blocking the Holy Spirit’s power from entering and healing that area of your mind and life! You need to open up your heart, and allow the light of Christ to shine into the darkness of your soul.

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The only way that you can beat yourself up, after Jesus has paid your debt, is if you aren’t accepting the gift that He has given you. If He’s paid the debt, and you keep denying that fact, then you are rejecting the very gift that God has given you! You need to accept what Jesus has done for you by faith.

Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

The blood of Jesus was shed for the payment of your sins:

Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Because of the powerful work that Christ did for us on the cross, God’s Word tells us to come boldly unto the throne of grace, so that we can obtain mercy:

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

The price for your redemption has been paid in full. It’s up to you receive it and realize that the blood of Jesus actually removes the sin from your record. Now you need to see yourself as being forgiven and justified (which means, “just as if you’ve never sinned”).

In Luke 7, Jesus took a very sinful woman (likely a prostitute) and freely washed her clean without hesitation…

Luke 7:47, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

The above verse is just one example of how freely Jesus would forgive a person of their sins. It is true that if we take our sin to Jesus, He will freely forgive us without hesitation:

Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

There is also no sin that you can take to Jesus, which He will not forgive… for the Bible tells us that He is prepared to cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness if we will turn to Him with our failures!

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

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Realize that down deep inside, you’re not happy with the person of your past. If you are in denial, then forget trying to treat the root of your problem. You need to see the problem before you can apply the solution. It might even be helpful to list all of the things that you hate about your past, and one-by-one, give them to the Lord and release yourself from each failure.

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Matthew 18:23-35 tells us how the unforgiving person is turned over into the hands of tormenters (that is, tormenting spirits). If we are unforgiving towards ourself, we open that door for tormenting spirits to come against us because we are not really accepting the work that Christ did for us on the cross. Another key to the demonic is bitterness, and when we become bitter with ourselves, we become defiled spiritually:

Hebrews 12:15, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”

God’s Word tells us that Jesus purged (that is, removed) our sin (Hebrews 1:3, “…when he had by himself purged our sins…”), but if we fail to forgive ourselves, we are in essence, calling God’s Word a liar! We are saying, “I hate myself because I did that sin… I won’t forgive myself of it!” when God’s Word tells us that the sin has been PURGED or REMOVED from us… who are we to say that it is still part of our past? We are in essence, calling God’s Word a LIE!

I can’t tell you how important it is to realize that when the recipient of a gift (you and I) receives a gift (of Jesus’ shed blood for the forgiveness of our sins) with joy and enjoys it to the fullness, the giver of that gift (that is Jesus) is glorified! Failing to forgive ourselves is denying or rejecting the gift of God and brings no glory (actually dishonor and humiliation) to what Jesus did for us.

What Hebrews chapter 10 has to say…

Hebrews 10:1-22, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

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