“I Am Free…I Am Free…I Am Free At Last”

MC Sermon - 2/20/22

Intro.  Many within the church are being distracted by what is going on around them. The distraction disrupts the pursuit of the purpose of our journey.  This then leads to discouragement which leads to destruction.   

The Results:  Many Christians live a life governed by the philosophy of ‘what is the use‘ or ‘it is what it is’.  Neither is conducive to spiritual growth or victorious living but in reality produce a life of bondage and deception.  

In truth what we are experiencing is what Solomon shed light upon in the Song of Solomon 2:15, “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes.”     

The reality of it is simple…it isn’t the big bad sins that cause most people to fall away it is the little overlooked things in our lives that control and rule us but seldom ever get our attention.   What must be recognized today is that the ‘little foxes’ are the strongholds in our lives that cause us to live a see-saw type of Christian life;  Not up long enough to enjoy the view…neither down long enough to be concerned.   What I want each to know today is this is not God’s will.  John 8:36, clarifies God’s will for us, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  Are you living the ‘free indeed’ life?  If not…why not?  Is it possible the un-admitted strongholds in your life have controlled you so long until a life of bondage has become your accepted way of life.  If so…today is the day you need to break free and begin to declare that by the grace and goodness of God “I Will Be Free…I Will Be Free…I Will Be Free At Last” and then you will be able to shout,  “I Am Free…I Am Free…I Am Free At Last!”  How can you do it?  Accept and embraced knowledge. John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The Truth - We Are In A War Not A Popularity Contest: A war whose outcome will determine whether we will go in the rapture are remain behind to witness the wrath of God being poured out upon remaining humanity.  A war that is being fought very subtle and without a lot of visible bloodshed.  

Christians are quietly and beguilingly  being drawn away from a Biblical foundation that will enable them to withstand the stormy winds that are ahead.  The words of II Tim. 3:5 are unfolding before us,  “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:”.  We have a lot of form and formality…a lot glitz and glamor…a lot of theatrical light shows in the church today but ‘WHERE IS THE POWER?”

You, I, can win this war for God has given us the power and the authority to do so.  It hinges on the words of  Isa. 19:1-2,  “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:   But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

Learn & Live:  II. Cor. 10:”3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.  4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;”  (Stronghold - a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack; a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld.)

Eph. 6:10-12, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  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.”

The Little Foxes, Gal. 5:16-21, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness (morally, spiritually impure), lewdness (indecency or obscenity; vulgar sexual character or behavior:), idolatry, sorcery (magic, witchcraft), hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”   (Practice=the customary, habitual, or expected procedure or way of doing something.)

Conc. Matt. 24:13,  “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”     

Endures - “to remain firm in a commitment to be true to the commandments of God despite temptation, opposition, and adversity.”

Endurance is and always will be necessary for us to complete and win what is set before us.

"Words" Part I

  Words….can encourage or discourage…can heal or inflict…an bring joy or sorrow…can bring light or darkness…release or bind…can build up or tear down…can make one feel loved or hated.   God use them to create… Jesus used them to restore life.   Satan used them to bind, Jesus used them to lose.  How words are used is our choice.  Words can only do good or bad according to the will of he/she who chooses to use them.  All we do or say is based off of choice. I, have over the years hear someone say, "I didn't mean too say that..."  Really?  Are we to believe that you have no control over what comes out of your mouth.  I don't think so!  We must, at all times, choose with care what we do and say for Words Effect...Words Reveal and Word Have Power.

The Effects of Words:  Rev. 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Words Reveal:   The greatest tool of revealing what a person is made of are the words he/she speaks.  With our words comes insight that reveals what we believe; what we think; and ultimately what we are.  Words ultimately reveal what you think of others as well as yourself. In truth they are a mirror that reflects without doubt who or what controls us.  

Matt. 12:33-37, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.  The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”

TLB “A tree is identified by its fruit. A tree from a select variety produces good fruit; poor varieties don’t. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For a man’s heart determines his speech. A good man’s speech reveals the rich treasures within him. An evil-hearted man is filled with venom, and his speech reveals it. And I tell you this, that you must give account on Judgment Day for every idle word you speak.Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”

The Power of Words:  The power of words is revealed in James 3:1-4, 1 “ Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly]. For we all stumble and sin in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses]. Now if we put bits into the horses’ mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well. And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman (the person in control) determines.”

    In these analogies we see that the smallest things are used to shed light upon the power of words.  Simply put, it doesn't take some big and seemingly powerful to alter the trajectory of something.  Though we may think our words are at times meaningless we need to understand they often change how someone we love lives their lives, feels about themselves, or even the direction they choose in life.   There is power in words...be careful how you use them.  Later we will see, according to the Word that we will give an account for every word that we choose to speak.

Ref.  K.Copeland  Bible

"The Way We Were"

 Destiny - The Way We Were

Intro.  Often to move forward to our Destiny we must first ascertain where ‘we are’ compared to where we ‘have been’.  That often means we have to take a good look at ‘The Way We Were.’ 

To those of us who desire to attain the destiny God has ordered for our lives I challenge you to take a good long look at where you are and from whom do you depend for your life's resources.  You, as I,  must be brutally honest and admit that we, the church, are a far cry from what God remembers.   It is  through the portal of this honesty that we begin to move to the Destiny that lies before us.  It is the honest person, no matter how painful the results of the honesty, that will accomplish the will of God for his/her life.  

God directed accomplishments will produce evident change in the church.  Change that will build up not tear down the body of Christ.

    For us to understand fully the will of God for His church I believe it   

    is imperative that we see the way we were and accept that for too long we have been on a slippery slope of lukewarmness and indecision with the result producing a church that is but a shell of what God has destined us to become.

In Jere. 2:2-3, Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.3 Israel was holiness to the Lord, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ” v.8, The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’  And those who handle the law did not know Me;  The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit.

    

God Remembers The Way We Were….

The kindness of thy youth, v. 2:  Kindness in man is an expression of gratitude in a high degree, also of piety towards God; holiness and zealous affection toward all that is good and truly desirable.

The love of thine espousals v. 2:  A time that, because of our love for Him, we willingly shared all our dreams, wishes, hopes and willingness to go where He goes and does what He does.  he remembered a time that our surrender was complete and fully confessed.  " Thy vows are upon me, O God: O my soul, thou has said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord. "    But now?

When thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown, v. 2:  Remembering their willingness to follow Him in the wilderness, a place of need.  But now?

(When) Israel was holiness unto the Lord, V. 3:  Separation, place of thing set apart.  God remembers when His people were set a part specifically for Him.

The priest said not, " where is the Lord? ", v. 8:  Ceased to turn to God for directions but followed their own agenda.  ( Note Eze. 22:23-28 )

God Sees The Way We Are….

Forsaken the fountain of living waters and heed out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water, v. 13:  Israel was drinking from a fountain - a continual supply - but forsook the continual flow of living water and built their own cistern. 

I hear the call of the Father…He is calling us to return and once again drink from the fountain of life giving water.  Return to the place of refreshing that we may become the resource the world around us so needs.  

We must this day choose to be more than a memory in the mind of the Father.  

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land. “ Isaiah 1:18-19 

As always, it is a choice.

"Identity Crisis"

Note:  The following is a series I am teaching  in Wed.'s Word Studies w/ Pastor.  I pray it will be an encouragement to you as well as a directive.  We are who we are because of who God says we are...we can do what we need to do because God says we can.  Never believe differently.

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"Identity Crisis"

I firmly believe that one of the main reasons that many Christians remain in captivity after salvation is because of an Identity Crisis.   A crisis that is brought on due to… # 1 Failure In Realizing Who They Are In Christ # 2 Accepting Who They Are Based Upon What The Word Says.  Hosea 4:6 says,   “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge….”  

It doesn't matter who or what others say you are... it doesn't matter what the devil says you are… It is what the Word/God says.  In truth it doesn't matter what or who God says you are...if you don't accept it you will continue to fight the same battles you have been fighting for years.

 I. Let It Go: The first thing you must do after salvation to be able to go forward is to .....let what was stay what was not what is....just let it go!

You say "but you wouldn't say that if you knew my past.   I would say what God would say..."What past?"

According to God, the Creator, you don't have a past…5 2 Cor. 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."

II. The Word Defines Us:  God’s Word concerning each of us is irrevocable. 

Deuteronomy 4:2 “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything from it”

Proverbs 30:6"Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar”.

Revelation 22:18-19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

III. The Word Says…

*I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10). “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

*I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5). “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

*I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

*I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me (Isaiah 54:14). “In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.”

*I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18). “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.”

*I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”

What I Have…Because of Him:

*I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, “For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

*I have the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

*I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). 

*I have received the gift of righteousness and reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)”

*I have received the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened.  Ephesians 1:15-18, “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”

*I have received the power of the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, to cast out demons, to speak with new tongues. I have power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm me.  Mark 16:17-18,“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

*I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him Who created me (Colossians 3:9-10, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,”

"No More Waiting"

(Note:  Trying to get back on schedule with my blog.  My objective is to share encouraging directed from Father with those who follow me.  I do this by posting sermons I have preached in condensed form.  If you enjoy what your are reading please let other know.  My deep desire is to honor God and add to the Kingdom daily with my words and actions.  I pray you are blessed with the following...)

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Intro.  I awakened early one morning this week with the title of two sermons I had preached several years ago on my mind.. As I entered into my Father Time these words kept resonating in my spirit....No More Waiting” & “ It’s My Time Now”. 

To all who are standing on promises God has given YOU I encourage YOU to embrace these two statements as prophetic today. YOUR wait is over...YOUR time is NOW!!!   There is  “ No More Waiting “…..No More Waiting For....The move of God!   No More Waiting For....The outpouring of the Spirit. No More Waiting For....Revival. No More Waiting For.... Blessings. No More Waiting For....Peace in our families. No More Waiting For....Prosperity in our whole man. No More Waiting For....Hope in what seems like a time of hopelessness... No More Waiting for your healing...No More Waiting For your sons, daughters, & family members to be converted.  It is time for us to rise up and declare, “ It Is My Time NOW!”

Expectation Is The Foundation of Faith...Do the above words stir you to expect what God has promised?  If not why not?  God's Word is truth & light...if He said He will do it.  Note Ps. 5:3,  “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; In the morning I lay my request before you and wait expectantly."  The keys words here are wait, don't stop God's provision with doubt...have patience, He will come through.  Expect...confess...praise for it...it will come.

There Are Three Steps To  Possessing What God Has Promised.... let me deal with one of them: 

# 1- Realize That God Will Do What He Said He Will Do “ The moment God says something to you it becomes fact.  You and I are at that time given a choice; we can accept and began walking “ as if  “ or reject it by putting it on hold.“   We place it on hold with our doubts, fears, offenses, jealousies, confessions, etc.  

I want you today to now....

Your Set Time has come!  Ps. 102:13  Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the     

                                             time to Favour (an attitude of approval: preferential treatment     

                                             shown to somebody) her,  yea, the set time, is come.   (Set = 

                                             ready, prepared, primed)

Due season has arrived!  Gal. 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season      

                                            we shall reap, if we faint not.  (Due = rightful, deserved, owed) 

                                            What you are owed is determined by what you have sowed! 

Ga.6: 7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a manu (;  soweth, that shall he also reap.”

                                                

2Co.9: 6 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;  and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

 Today is your day!!  Now is your time!!

What Is On The Horizon....

“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Lk. 12:49

The Vision...

A few weeks back, while n prayer in the sanctuary at MC, I was shown what is on the horizon for the church.  The hungry church...the praying church...the purified church...the hearing/seeing church.

(A Note of Clarity:  The Church = each born-again child of God who understands and knows that we r who we are because of Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection and ascension.  He is now and will forever be the only way to the Father.)

“I saw a pile of smoldering embers; as I looked closer I could see the white dust, a residue of what had been, proof that in the past a fire had once been there but had lost something to burn and seemingly left nothing but the proof of the past fire.  But then I felt the urgency to look closer, under the proof of the past fire, the dust, I saw some glowing ember, .some very small particles that still had the fire in them.  As I stood gazing at the smoldering embers a wind began to blow across 'what was', the dust of the past fire, the dust was blown away, the wind continued to blow upon the small glowing embers and suddenly a fire burst out.  As I stood there the fire began to grow in intensity. As it grew I began to see people start noticing the fire and were drawn to it’s flames.  The higher the flames grew the further away it could be seen and it became like a magnet to those who saw it.  People began to come from far away places...large crowds of people...they came to see and experience the fire.

This morning, 7/17/18, my spirit was drawn back to that vision and I heard these words...”It will begin with a gentle breeze and will then grow n intensity".

To the hungry...the thirsty...Pastor or parishioner...get ready the gentle breeze, if it hasn’t’t already started blowing, it is about to begin and then the Wind.

(If this resonates with your spirit...share it with others.)

“Armed & Dangerous”

Preached:  6/10 & 17/18

Text:  I Peter 4:1, “Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also...”

Intro.  Can you imagine an army going into battle without...guns, bullets, missiles, war ships, tanks etc.  That would be sure suicide!   It just doesn’t happen!  Nor should we, the body of Christ, go into the daily battles we face unprepared....unarmed.   We must arm ourselves for the conflicts that will come our way...to fail to do so is to commit spiritual suicide. 

In Peter’s first letter he tells the child of God to ‘arm himself’....”So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves…"NLT

 Arm: (3695) (hoplizo from hoplon = weapon) This basically means to make ready or prepare, with a focus upon the process of equipping; or to arm, to furnish with arms or to provide. In the case of soldiers it means to equip one's self with weapons.

With What ...”with the same attitude (to have understanding, to think) he had,” 

Jesus was ready and willing to do ‘whatever it takes’….”be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.” I Pet. 4:1-3 NLT

He was willing to do whatever had to be done to accomplish what He was sent here to accomplish.  It is with this same attitude that we must  arm ourselves for our daily battles. 

 Note: Outlook determines outcome; a believer must have the right attitude if he is to live a right life. Since this is a constant struggle we need to be properly motivated and that is what Peter is doing in this section, teaching that we can be motivated by the truth that our Lord also suffered and also by the certainty of His imminent return to judge the living and the dead.

Victor Or Victim? You Choose:  Too many Christians live with a  ‘victim mentality’. It is used to shed light upon their needs...to produce sympathy for their cause.   The child of God ceased to be a victim the moment he/ she gave their heart to Christ.  At that very moment you became a VICTOR.  ‘Old things passed away all things became new’. II Cor. 5:17

 We Must Arm Ourselves With Facts To Become A Victor Not A Victim:

Fact # 1 - We will face/have difficulties in this life….10 John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (great trouble or suffering);”  

Acts 14:22, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”  

I Thess. 3:3, “no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.”

We will never win without recognizing and accepting the FACT that we must fight....It is extremely destructive to teach a new Christian, or any Christian, that once they get saved everything is going to become easy.  The devil NEVER gives up!  He wants what he claims to be his property back....that is not going to happen if we are armed!!

Fact #2 - Knowing YOU Never Have To Lose….12 ”Listen! I have given you authority, so that you can...overcome all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.”  Lk. 10:19  TEV

Listen!   Pay attention to what is about to be said.  Don’t drift off here...listen closely.

“I have given you authority (exousia: rightful, actual, and unimpeded power to act, or to possess, control, use, dispose of, something)”  Simply put….”I have given you the right to exercise the power I have given you.”

D. Sheets:  Where God and Satan are concerned, the issue has never been power, including over control of the earth.  God is al-powerful.  When Satan tried to pull off a coup in heaven, there was a flash of lightning and Satan was gone (Luke 10:18).  No battle, no time delay, no sweat or exertion on God’s part...just a release of His power and glory.  It is always and only a question of authority.

The same is true with us and our struggle against the kingdom of darkness.  Satan did’t gain any power at the fall and didn’t lose any at the cross.  His power or ability didn’t change at either event; his authority, or the right to use that power, did.  In fact, though Christians often state otherwise, 14 Scripture nowhere says that Christ delivered us from or dealt with Satan’s power at Calvary.  He dealt with Satan’s authority. 

The King James Version uses the Greek words dunamis (power) and exousia (authority) interchangeably, which is unfortunate and creates confusion.  In Colossians 1:13, for example, it translates exousia as power:  “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.“  The verse should read that Christ has delivered us from the authority of darkness, as most other translations actually do.  Likewise, in Matthew 28:18 Jesus didn’t say he has been give “all power, “ as the KJV renders...He already had that.  Christ used exousia:  He was stating that He had taken back the authority for us that Adam has lost. 

This is more than a mere technicality.  If Jesus stripped Satan of his power, as some teach, then we no longer need to concern ourselves with him...he becomes a nonissue.  Or if we Christians have been delivered from Satan’s power, as some teach, then he can no longer affect or control us.  We would be able to ignore him completely, which is precisely what many Christians do.

If on the other hand, Jesus dealt with Satan’s authority...the right to use his power or abilities...then we would need to deal with him as a usurper, a rebel, a thief that has no right to steal kill and destroy but will if not stopped (John 10:10).  If we have been delivered from Satan’s authority and given a higher authority in Christ’s name, then we must exercise that authority over the devil’s works and power.  When we do, God’s awesome power will back up our authority.  Luke 10:19 refers to this...using our authority over Satan’s power:  “Behold, I have give you authority (exousia) to tead upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (dunamis) of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.”

Jesus said we have authority (keys) to “bind” the forces of hell (Matt.16:19).  The term is deo, and means to “fasten or tie, as with a chain or cord” (Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, NASB).  The word was also used in legal circles to mean “legally or contractually binding,” which obviously conveys the idea of authority, binding or tying Satan legally, and God will back us with His power.  So again, 15 what will determine victory for us is understanding and exercising our God given authority.

 Some Reminders:  Eph. 1:19-20, NLT “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

 I 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.”

 I John 5:4, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Conc:  He has not left us unequipped!  He has given us what we need to win.....it is up to us to arm ourselves and go for the victory!! It is ours for the taking!!  We are and should be armed and dangerous...ready to reek havoc against the enemy of the Kingdom!!  The devil can’t take what we want allow!!