Dealing With The Demonic - Lesson 8 Series

A. Holiness

The first and most important step in breaking demonic strongholds is to walk in holiness.

Spiritual authority is given to those who commit to living “holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat (2 Peter 3:11-12 NIV)

"To everyone who overcomes-who to the very end keeps on doing things that please me-I will give power over the nations.” (Rev 2:26-27 TLB)

B. Praise and Worship

Reapply an Even Greater Intensity of Delight

The Bible also says, "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies..." Deut. 28:47,48). Nurturing joy and gladness toward God will help keep you from bondage to the enemies that have been your downfall.

Nothing does more to block the enemy's advancement than living each day with a thankful heart in praise and worship of our glorious Lord. The enemy is always trying to distract and ensnare. He wants to lure us away from worshipping God. His primary method is through unforgiveness.

C. Watch

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV)

Watchfulness is the first line of defense against the enemy. In daily life, situations arise that may be a direct attack of the enemy, such as a driver of a car that cuts you off and causes anger to well up in you, or your spouse says or does something to hurt or irritate you. Being self-controlled and alert in prayer will help keep you from falling into temptation. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance . . . ." (Eph 6)

D. Resist

When you feel the pressure of temptation,

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NIV)

Resisting the devil so that he will flee from you is, however, more than just saying "no." There is a condition that must first be met for the devil to flee from you. You must first "submit" yourself to God.

E. Repent

Confess your sins. - Why is the confession of sin so important to your healing? Because sin kills!

"For the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23)

Thank God for forgiving all your sins and iniquities by believing what 1 John 1:9 says –

HE cleanses you from all your sins and iniquities.

Don't BEG for forgiveness; it was already given at the cross. Simply confess and receive forgiveness.

Our job is to confess, and God's job is to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

"If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." (Jer 13:27)

Our sins destroy "things" around us, our land, homes, etc. There is a connection between sins and circumstances, sins, and health (2 Chron 7:14; Deut 28; Jer 5:25).

F. Renounce

Turn from them and renounce the kingdom of darkness.

"When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick." (Matt 8:16)

When you read the Gospels, you discover that about one-fourth of Jesus' ministry was dedicated to casting out evil spirits. He was dealing with normal Jewish people who lived according to the law, paid their tithes, and lived clean lives, yet they had demon spirits that needed to be dealt with.

A Born-Again Christian must not dabble in the occult, or any form of mind control, ESP, Ouija boards, Tarot cards, horoscopes, witchcraft, satanism, etc. If you have participated in any of these things at any time in your life, you must confess this sin and receive God's forgiveness, then RENOUNCE it as you would any other sin.

Develop a perfect hatred toward the sin in you, NOT toward yourself.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Rom 7:18-20 NIV)