God wants us to lift our eyes up and interact with His warrior Angels. And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? (Joshua 5:13)
In a dream the Lord revealed a stronghold to me by shinning His light on the strong man attacking our family. I found a sermon below which fits in with my dream and also scripture to help fight the battle. Ask the Holy Spirit to shine the light on what is a stronghold in your life which is letting Satan in to control your life. When He shows you, ask forgiveness, and seek the Lord with all your might through the living Word of God which He has given us.
Identifying the Strong Man
Who is the strong man? And how does one identify the strong man? The strong man is one that controls a stronghold. That is a place or territory under his influence, which is heavily fortified and is impregnable. It’s important for us to see things the way they really are and not the way they appear to be. The scripture says, “Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”. (Hebrews 11:3)
We can conclude from the above passage, that there is more than one world, the scripture says “WORLDS”. There is a spiritual world and a physical world. We also realize that the things which are seen (physical natural things) are not made up of things which do appear (physical things).
Things which are seen are a manifestation of things which cannot be seen. If we are going to identify the Strong Man, then we should be able to look at some things which are seen (physical things and conditions) and through these things perceive things which are not seen. The word perceives has to do with the operations of our spirit man and this goes beyond the realm of the senses.
The word of God says, "Faith is the substance of things NOT SEEN"...(Hebrews 11:1). The only way to identify things which cannot be seen, is by faith. Apostle Paul said, “While we look not at things which are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal". (I Corinthians 4:18)
There is a way to locate things which are not seen and this is through the laws of faith. Faith is absolute dependence and reliance on the word of God. With the help of scriptural examples you would be able to identify the strong man.
There is a Blessedness of believing without seeing. (John 20:29)
The Strong Man:
The strong man is a satanic personality in charge or responsible for a strong hold. The scripture says, "For the weapon of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of STRONG HOLD". (2 Corinthians 10:4)
A stronghold is a fortified place that Satan builds to exalt himself against the knowledge of God and plans of God. Satan always tries to hide these Strongholds. He tries to keep people in ignorance about these strongholds. He always tries to operate under the cover of darkness. The only thing that exposes him is the light of God’s Word. The revelation and illumination that comes through the Word of God is what exposes Satan's strongholds.
When Satan's stronghold remains concealed, the strongman is safe and can operate without being identified. As soon as the strongman is exposed, the battle is half won that is why the issue of identifying the strong man is of absolute importance.
A strong man is Satan’s delegated authority over a strong hold. A strong man may have other evils spirits operating under its domain of authority, the strong man is the RULING SPIRIT. You see dealing with one of the sub-spirits does not solve the problems. The strong man must be bound.
For example, bitterness is a ruling spirit and under its domain of authority are other spirits namely:
Identifying the Strong Man
Who is the strong man? And how does one identify the strong man? The strong man is one that controls a stronghold. That is a place or territory under his influence, which is heavily fortified and is impregnable. It’s important for us to see things the way they really are and not the way they appear to be. The scripture says, “Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”. (Hebrews 11:3)
We can conclude from the above passage, that there is more than one world, the scripture says “WORLDS”. There is a spiritual world and a physical world. We also realize that the things which are seen (physical natural things) are not made up of things which do appear (physical things).
Things which are seen are a manifestation of things which cannot be seen. If we are going to identify the Strong Man, then we should be able to look at some things which are seen (physical things and conditions) and through these things perceive things which are not seen. The word perceives has to do with the operations of our spirit man and this goes beyond the realm of the senses.
The word of God says, "Faith is the substance of things NOT SEEN"...(Hebrews 11:1). The only way to identify things which cannot be seen, is by faith. Apostle Paul said, “While we look not at things which are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal". (I Corinthians 4:18)
There is a way to locate things which are not seen and this is through the laws of faith. Faith is absolute dependence and reliance on the word of God. With the help of scriptural examples you would be able to identify the strong man.
There is a Blessedness of believing without seeing. (John 20:29)
The Strong Man:
The strong man is a satanic personality in charge or responsible for a strong hold. The scripture says, "For the weapon of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of STRONG HOLD". (2 Corinthians 10:4)
A stronghold is a fortified place that Satan builds to exalt himself against the knowledge of God and plans of God. Satan always tries to hide these Strongholds. He tries to keep people in ignorance about these strongholds. He always tries to operate under the cover of darkness. The only thing that exposes him is the light of God’s Word. The revelation and illumination that comes through the Word of God is what exposes Satan's strongholds.
When Satan's stronghold remains concealed, the strongman is safe and can operate without being identified. As soon as the strongman is exposed, the battle is half won that is why the issue of identifying the strong man is of absolute importance.
A strong man is Satan’s delegated authority over a strong hold. A strong man may have other evils spirits operating under its domain of authority, the strong man is the RULING SPIRIT. You see dealing with one of the sub-spirits does not solve the problems. The strong man must be bound.
For example, bitterness is a ruling spirit and under its domain of authority are other spirits namely:
1. Resentment
2. Hatred
3. Murder
4. Unforgiveness
5. Temper
6. Violence
6. Violence
7. Anger
Binding any of the sub-spirits does not solve the problem of bitterness in the life of a person bound by that spirit. The ruling spirit of bitterness has to be identified and dealt with and once that is done, the other sub-spirit can also be expelled with ease.
Binding any of the sub-spirits does not solve the problem of bitterness in the life of a person bound by that spirit. The ruling spirit of bitterness has to be identified and dealt with and once that is done, the other sub-spirit can also be expelled with ease.
There is a strong man over Nations/Cities, a strong man in Charge of Religion/Beliefs, but let us deal with the next to our heart.
Strong Man in Charge of the Families:
There are certain trends that can be traced in a particular family for generations and there seems to be a vicious cycle of the misfortunes that are repeated every now and then.
In some families, anyone who tries to excel in life dies young and this is because the strong man that rules over that family has its stronghold set a limitation in that family. Those who try to go beyond these limitations face a penalty of death. In other families divorce is inevitable, and there can hardly be stable marriages in such families. In some families drunkenness has a consistent history. Men born into such families spend all their money on alcohol, than there is nothing left to meet the needs of the home.
There is a common trend that runs through the family generation after generation. This is an indication of the operation of a strong man. In other cases, the issues are malignant diseases that seems to be hereditary from one generation to another; people born into such families seemingly inherited these diseases.
Strong Man over Individuals:
In this particular instance Satan builds up personal strongholds to influence the lives of particular individuals. In some lives, you would realize that individuals have not been able to overcome some sins, ways of thinking, feelings, attitudes and behavior patterns, though they may know it’s not right.
You see, every consistent negative attitude or emotion reaction is controlled by a strong man. For some people its pride or anger, what you call bad temper, but they also acknowledge that it’s not good and yet they can’t do anything about it. Bad habits which hold men and women in captivity are controlled by a strong man. There are many other operations of a different strong man which must be identified and the hold destroyed.
Identifying the strong that rules in a place, the following must be carefully investigated:
1. The prevalent life style of the people must be considered.
Strong Man in Charge of the Families:
There are certain trends that can be traced in a particular family for generations and there seems to be a vicious cycle of the misfortunes that are repeated every now and then.
In some families, anyone who tries to excel in life dies young and this is because the strong man that rules over that family has its stronghold set a limitation in that family. Those who try to go beyond these limitations face a penalty of death. In other families divorce is inevitable, and there can hardly be stable marriages in such families. In some families drunkenness has a consistent history. Men born into such families spend all their money on alcohol, than there is nothing left to meet the needs of the home.
There is a common trend that runs through the family generation after generation. This is an indication of the operation of a strong man. In other cases, the issues are malignant diseases that seems to be hereditary from one generation to another; people born into such families seemingly inherited these diseases.
Strong Man over Individuals:
In this particular instance Satan builds up personal strongholds to influence the lives of particular individuals. In some lives, you would realize that individuals have not been able to overcome some sins, ways of thinking, feelings, attitudes and behavior patterns, though they may know it’s not right.
You see, every consistent negative attitude or emotion reaction is controlled by a strong man. For some people its pride or anger, what you call bad temper, but they also acknowledge that it’s not good and yet they can’t do anything about it. Bad habits which hold men and women in captivity are controlled by a strong man. There are many other operations of a different strong man which must be identified and the hold destroyed.
Identifying the strong that rules in a place, the following must be carefully investigated:
1. The prevalent life style of the people must be considered.
2. The culture and traditions that dominate that geographical area.
3. Assessment of the extent of the penetration of the Gospel and persistent challenges.
Take spiritual responsibility for your life; don’t depend on everyone else for your spiritual well-being. Confess the Word over your life. Pray strong prayers that will rout the enemy. Do not allow self pity to hold you back. Stir yourself up in prayer. This is the key to overcoming life issues.
Those who experienced deliverance either came or were brought to Jesus. Someone had to take the initiative. It all begins with a decision. You cannot allow passivity to rob you of your deliverance. You must open your mouth. Your deliverance is as close as your mouth.
There are many people frustrated with life, peoples struggles can become overwhelmed by doubt and failure. Some are battling stress, and pressure that often lead to emotional and physical problem. Jesus spent a great deal of time ministering to the oppressed.
Deliverance is the children's bread; every child of God has the right to enjoy the benefits of deliverance. Deliverance brings freedom and joy.
This year, the breakthroughs you will see are, supernatural. Healing will multiply. Long – term bondage will be destroyed. Hidden roots will be exposed and eliminated. Inexplicable problems will be solved. Stubborn obstacles will be removed. Circles of life failure will be broken.
Some of you, who experience deliverance and release, will see notable changes. Sometimes the change is progressive and sometimes instantaneous. The change however will be dramatic.
~Sermon by Ben Irabor
Take spiritual responsibility for your life; don’t depend on everyone else for your spiritual well-being. Confess the Word over your life. Pray strong prayers that will rout the enemy. Do not allow self pity to hold you back. Stir yourself up in prayer. This is the key to overcoming life issues.
Those who experienced deliverance either came or were brought to Jesus. Someone had to take the initiative. It all begins with a decision. You cannot allow passivity to rob you of your deliverance. You must open your mouth. Your deliverance is as close as your mouth.
There are many people frustrated with life, peoples struggles can become overwhelmed by doubt and failure. Some are battling stress, and pressure that often lead to emotional and physical problem. Jesus spent a great deal of time ministering to the oppressed.
Deliverance is the children's bread; every child of God has the right to enjoy the benefits of deliverance. Deliverance brings freedom and joy.
This year, the breakthroughs you will see are, supernatural. Healing will multiply. Long – term bondage will be destroyed. Hidden roots will be exposed and eliminated. Inexplicable problems will be solved. Stubborn obstacles will be removed. Circles of life failure will be broken.
Some of you, who experience deliverance and release, will see notable changes. Sometimes the change is progressive and sometimes instantaneous. The change however will be dramatic.
~Sermon by Ben Irabor
NOW LET'S SEE WHAT THE WORD SAYS - SCRIPTURE THAT BRINGS LIGHT:
DOES HE HAVE ACCESS TOWARD US?
“The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:12)
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) “…For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Revelation 12:10)
DO WE HAVE ACCESS TO HIM?
“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
‘And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;” (Mark 16:17)
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you". (Luke 10:19)
TYING UP THE STRONG MAN
The Importance to live in Christ – “Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. (Acts 19:14)
The demons know Jesus and tremble – “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19) They know who we are “I know about Paul”, and they want to know about you “Who are you?”.
THE NEED: SALVATION
Live in Integrity – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
Believe in His righteousness – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1)
Follow Peace – “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14)
Take the Authority – “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19)
Apply the Word – “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:16)
The Ministry of Binding and Loosing – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
WHAT DO WE BIND?
Satan – “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:3)
His demons – “having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 1:14-15)
What do we loosen? – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed...". (Luke 4:18)
ROBBING HIS HOUSE
Taking 7 times the amount away of what he took - “Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.” (Prov. 6:31)
Receive 100 times more - “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”. (Matthew 19:29)
Taking away all his weapons - “But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.” (Luke 11:22)
Taking away what he has taken – “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:18)
Taking away all his weapons - “But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.” (Luke 11:22)
Taking away what he has taken – “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:18)
