Taking Power From Hell

TAKING POWER FROM HELL

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. There was a poor woman who lived next door to an atheist. He often mocked her faith and derided her as misguided and having an “imaginary friend.”

2. One day he overheard her praying for some groceries. He went out and bought a couple of sacks of groceries and put them on her porch first thing in the morning, and stood nearby.

3. She opened the door, saw the groceries, and exclaimed, “Praise God, He’s answered my prayers!”

4. He stepped out and said smugly, “It wasn’t God that overheard you and bought those groceries, it was me that did that! Ha!” She said, “Then I praise God even more!” “What for,” he said?

5. “Because not only did He provide me groceries but that He made the devil pay for them!”

B. THE DEVIL’S GARAGE SALE

1. The Devil decided to have a garage sale. On the day of sale, his tools were placed on public inspection, each being marked with its sale price.

2. There were a treacherous lot of implements: hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit, lust lying, pride, and so on.

3. Set apart from the rest was a harmless looking tool. It was quite worn and had a very high price on it. The price had been marked through and replaced with the words, “NOT FOR SALE.”

4. One of the customers asked, “What’s the name of this tool?” “That is discouragement.” The customer asked, “Why is it not for sale?”

5. Satan replied, “I can spare my other tools, but I can’t spare this one. With it I can work my way into hearts otherwise inaccessible. When I get this tool into a man’s heart, the way is open there to plant anything I may desire.”

C. KEY TEXT: Eph. 5:20 “In everything give thanks.”

I. WHEN YOU FEEL DISCOURAGED

A. MANY BIBLE CHARACTERS BECAME DISCOURAGED

B. WHAT IS DISCOURAGEMENT?

1. Robs you of faith

2. Beats you down

3. Destroys your effectiveness for God; Makes you give up

4. Blinds our eyes to the grace of God and makes perceive only the unfavorable circumstances.

C. SOME OF YOU FEEL LIKE:

1. I just don’t see any hope for my situation.

2. God has forsaken me; doesn’t care about me.

3. I can’t face these circumstances any more.

4. I feel like quitting.

D. IT MAY COMFORT YOU TO KNOW:

1. Many of the greatest Bible characters became discouraged.

a. Moses - In Sinai desert

b. Elijah – when Jezebel sought his life

c. David – When Absalom rebelled against him.

2. The same feelings you feel they also experienced.

a. Paul – Acts 27:20; “We gave up all hope of being saved.”

b. Isa. 49:14; “Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me”

c. Elijah – “O Lord, Take away my life, for I am no better than my Fathers” 1 Kgs. 19:4

There are certain principles of Scripture that are God’s weapons to turn back the Enemy’s assaults. When these truths are in your life they take away hell’s ability to torment:

II. PRINCIPLES FOR VICTORY

A. IT IS A LIGHT AFFLICTION

TEXT: 2 Cor. 4:16-17 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

1. Revelation in the inner man withstands the outward events and circumstances. How? It’s a revelation.

2. God only has to flip a switch in your spirit so that you look at things differently than you did before – the afflictions are temporary. And because you perceive it differently, it is to you.

3. [Let every man be a liar but God be true. Who shall we believe? Man or God? God! Even if it defies all our senses.]

B. AFFLICTIONS…THEY ARE “WORKING FOR YOU”! 2 Cor. 4:17, KJV.

1. It may look bad, smell bad, etc., but God says it’s “working for you”.

2. That takes the sting away.

C. GOD IS FAITHFUL

1. I’ve been to the edge of the cliff so many times…thus I can attest that “God is faithful”.

2. A guy’s car got wrecked; He said, “I took it to the body shop. The body man beat on it. He poked a long pick into the dint, punched a hole, and pulled it out. “Hey, don’t do that, you’re hurting my car!” He, like God, answers, “Son, I know what I’m doing”. (Us and God)

3. You know how to become more thankful for something? Lose it! Lose your job, lose your old junker car, break your hip, lose a loved one, etc. God knows how to improve our attitude about the things we complain about.

4. Joyce Meyers has a book entitled, “Enjoying where you are on the way to where you’re going.”