If we begin to misuse grace, this leads to becoming hard hearted, desensitized, ultimately falling back into the old patterns that used to hold us.

Transcription

1 Destroying Strongholds Review We are in the midst of Winning The War Within. There are two natures struggling inside of you one is the old nature that has been canceled, The other is the new nature of Christ that is ever-expanding. 1. When we receive Christ, sin s power and penalty are cancelled. 2. We renew our minds by putting God's Word first in our lives. 3. We annihilate and demolish the old nature with no compromise. If we begin to misuse grace, this leads to becoming hard hearted, desensitized, ultimately falling back into the old patterns that used to hold us. Today's message, Destroying Strongholds. From time to time, you may come up against something in your life that seems very hard to overcome something that's entrenched in your life. These are called strongholds. They can come into our life through inheritance (from previous generations) or through some foothold you gave the enemy in your life. These strongholds start in your thought life and then affect your behavior, develop into a habit, and then something becomes entrenched in your life. NUMBERS 14:18 ESV The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation. Example of the fifth column In 1936, civil war broke out in Spain. Two generals were talking about how a certain city was going to be taken. When asked about his strategy, the one general replied, I have one column coming from the south, one from the north, one from the east, and one from the west. Then he paused and said, But I have a fifth column, and that is the column I am relying on to take the city. The other general asked, Where is the fifth column? He replied, It's inside the city! If you have a stronghold in your life, there is a fifth column that the enemy has inside your life. He will use it to try to destroy you. 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 NIV The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 1

2 Strongholds are fueled with lies from the enemy that we have embraced over a period of time. These lies are usually connected to thought patterns, emotions, and even physical feelings that we are very familiar with. The number one lie that the enemy uses in a stronghold, is that you are stuck that you cannot get free. You are into deep, you've gone too far, It's been too long, or you're too far gone. The antidote to that lie is this: Decide to believe what the word of God says about you and your situation. The Word of God is far more powerful than any lie or bondage of Satan. The new nature inside of you is infinitely more powerful than the old nature of sin. 1 JOHN 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Even as I am communicating the Word of God to you, it's life-giving, restorative, and it's power is bringing healing. The Word is penetrating your defenses and the stronghold of the enemy in your mind. Expose the stronghold to the light. Share your area of weakness with someone you trust. The enemy works in darkness, he does not work in the light. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:7 (NIV) says, if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Confess your faults one another and pray for one another. Another tool at our disposal in breaking a stronghold, is fasting. Fasting weakens your flesh through denial, adds wings to your prayer and strengthens your spirit man. ISAIAH 58:6 NKJV Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Most our problems and sins can be dealt with by simply renewing our minds and obeying God's Word, however, if you are in over your head, going down this process will help you strike the winning blow. When we bring it to the light, it strikes a mortal blow to the enemy, it puts us on good ground. Our pride is broken and our humility brings God's grace. Add this all together and we had what the Bible calls brokenness. In this process you become weak, God dependent. This is why we have people raise their hands to decide to follow Jesus. It shows humility, brokenness, weakness and God reliance. It brings their lives into the light and breaks pride and connects them to salvation and eternal life. Now that you are in good ground you are ready for the final blow to destroying in demolishing your stronghold. 2

3 You have an atomic weapon, the Blood of Jesus The Blood of Jesus is nuclear, not physical. It's a spiritual weapon that demolishes strongholds. REVELATION 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. The Blood of Jesus was shed 2000 years ago but it has present power because it was an eternal sacrifice, past present and future. We see two things that God's people did to overcome Satan and cast him down out of their lives. The Blood of the lamb Their testimony To use this powerful spiritual weapon, we must personally testify to what the Word says the Blood has accomplished in our lives. Ex 12:6-7 & 12-13; and 12:22 Gives an excellent example of how our testimony is related to the blood. EXODUS 12:6-7 NKJV Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. EXODUS 12:22 NKJV And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. EXODUS 12:12-13 NKJV For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. When Israel was delivered from Egypt, God sent ten plagues to judge Egypt. Israel was instructed to kill a lamb and take its blood in a basin to paint the door posts of their homes with the lambs blood using a hyssop branch. When the angel saw the blood on the doorpost he passed by their homes and they were spared. 3

4 Your hyssop branch is your testimony. 1Cor 5:7 Says, Christ our Passover Lamb was sacrificed for us. His blood was shed to save us from judgment. Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. We must personally testify to what the Word says the Blood has done for us. As long as the blood remained in the basin and was not applied to the door posts, it was ineffective. So it is with our testimony. Until we apply what the Blood has done to our lives with the hyssop branch of our testimony it remains ineffective. PSALM 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, The Blood of Christ has sevenfold power in our life to deliver us completely from Satan's power and from the bondage of all sin cleanse us, restore us and set us apart for His use. I will review the sevenfold power of his blood in our lives and then I will lead you in a confession that will bring these things directly to bear in your life. The sevenfold power of the blood Through His blood we were: 1. Redeemed. 1 Pet 1:18 We were not redeemed with corruptible things like gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Jesus. a. 1 PETER 1:18-19 NKJV Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 2. Forgiven. Eph 1:7 says Through the blood of Jesus all our sins are forgiven 3. Given access. Rom 5:2 By his blood we have access to His grace wherein we stand 4. Cleansed. 1 John 1:7-9 Says- if we walk in the light as He is in the light and have fellowship with one another the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. Also if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 5. Justified. To be made legally righteous, just as if you'd never sinned. Rom 5:9 says Therefore being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him. 6. Sanctified. To be set apart for sacred use Eph 5:26 says Christ Saved us and cleansed us and then set us apart For Himself. 7. We are Temples of the Holy Spirit 4

5 1Cor 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God s. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God lives in a house: we were bought by Him for a price. Our Confession Based on His Blood sacrifice, we will Demolish strongholds of Satan. It will cancel his lies and keep you on the pathway to total freedom from sin and bondage. CONFESSION- My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, redeemed,forgiven, Cleansed,justified and sanctified by the blood of Jesus. Therefore the devil has no place in me and no power over me. The members of my body are wholly set apart for God's service, and I do not own my life, My body is for the Lord and the Lord for my body If you and I meditate on these truths and make these confessions, we will leave the world, the flesh, sin and the devil behind. And walk into total freedom and victory in every area of your life. 5

6 Sermon Verses: 2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5 NKJV For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, REVELATION 12:11 NKJV And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NUMBERS 14:18 ESV The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation. 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4 NIV The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 1 JOHN 4:4 NKJV You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. EXODUS 12:6-7 NKJV Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. EXODUS 12:22 NKJV And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. EXODUS 12:12-13 NKJV For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 1 CORINTHIANS 5:7 NKJV Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. PSALM 107:2 NKJV Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 1 PETER 1:18-19 NKJV 6

7 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. EPHESIANS 1:7 NKJV In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. ROMANS 5:2 NKJV Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 1 JOHN 1:7-9 NKJV But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ISAIAH 58:6 NLT No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. ROMANS 5:9 NKJV Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. EPHESIANS 5:26-27a NIV To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 NKJV Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God s. 7