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Welcome to From the Pulpit.

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Each week we bring you a different message

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from some of history's greatest speakers in the

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Christian faith and powerful sermons from modern preachers

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too.

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This week we have S.M. Davis with

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his message Conquering Satan's Strongholds.

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Turn in your Bible with me tonight please

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to the book of 2 Samuel chapter 5

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and then be ready to turn with me

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to several other passages throughout the Bible but

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we'll begin in just a moment with 2

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Samuel chapter 5.

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I believe it was in 1998 that a

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preacher came here from Kenya, Africa by the

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name of Titus Kamala and he gave one

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of the most unusual testimonies of how he

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was saved.

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He was raised in the home of a

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drunkard and eventually became one himself, got drunk

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one night out in public and passed out

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and was so passed out and so out

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of it that the police came by, picked

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him up and thought he was dead.

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Took him to a third world country morgue,

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opened the door and threw him in on

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a pile of other dead bodies.

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Locked the door.

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I don't know why you lock the door

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to a morgue but anyway they did.

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Locked the door and he woke up after

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a while and realized where he was on

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a pile of other dead bodies and he

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told how that the news report literally was

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picked up and went around the world of

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him trying to get out of there and

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finally being rescued and how God used that

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to bring him to Christ.

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I don't know about you but if I

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got that close to death, I think if

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I was lost I'd want to be saved

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too.

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And after he was saved he started preaching

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and winning souls and one of the villages

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he was in, in Kenya, Africa, the witch

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doctor got wind of what was going on

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and came after him.

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And the witch doctor said to him and

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two fellows with him, my God, referring to

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Satan, is bigger and more powerful than your

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God, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ and

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I'm going to prove it to you.

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And the witch doctor reached around, picked up

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a basket, opened it, took out a large

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deadly cobra that he had already used to

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kill other people and threw it at brother

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Kamala.

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The cobra reared its head, spread its cape,

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and posed and poised to strike.

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And brother Kamala said, I didn't know what

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to do so I did the only thing

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I could think of to do.

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Now would you look with me at 2

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Samuel chapter 5, an unusual passage that I

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don't think I've ever used as the text

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in a message before.

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This is the time when David is becoming

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the king over the entire nation of Israel.

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Chapter 5 verse 3, so all the elders

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of Israel came to the king to Hebron

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and king David made a league with them

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in Hebron before the Lord and they anointed

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David king over Israel.

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Verse 6, and the king and his men

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went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants

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of the land, which spake unto David saying,

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notice this, very, very unusual saying, except thou

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take away the blind and the lame, thou

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shalt not come in hither, thinking David cannot

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come in hither.

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Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, the

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same is the city of David.

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And David said on that day, whosoever getteth

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up to the gutter and smiteth the Jebusites

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and the lame and the blind that are

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hated of David's soul, he shall be chief

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and captain, wherefore they said, the blind and

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the lame shall not come into the house.

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Now, isn't this a very strange thing?

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What is he referring to when it says

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that, verse 6, except thou take away the

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blind and the lame, thou shalt not come

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in hither, and then David says that the

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blind and the lame are hated.

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Now, you won't need to turn there, but

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just let me read to you a passage

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from Psalm chapter 115, verse 4, because I

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believe this is what it's referring to when

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it refers to the blind and the lame.

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Their idols are silver and gold, the work

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of men's hands.

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They have mouths, but they speak not.

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Eyes have they, but they see not.

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They're blind, they can't see.

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They have ears, but they hear not.

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Noses have they, but they smell not.

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They have hands, but they handle not.

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Feet have they, but they walk not.

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See, they are lame as well, neither speak

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they through their throat.

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And so you could refer to these not

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only as blind and lame, you could also

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refer to idols as deaf and dumb.

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Because they're nothing but the Jebusite said to

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David, you cannot take this unless you do

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something about the blind and the lame.

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You should not come in hither because they're

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looking at their idols as being powerful, as

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part of the strength of this stronghold of

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the city.

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And notice that David took the strong, very

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key word for the message tonight, David took

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the stronghold of Zion.

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This was a fortress, it was a stronghold

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that they thought was strengthened by the idols

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and the idolatry, but it was not.

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And so David sent those folks up and

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they said the blind and the lame shall

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not come into the house.

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They're going to be, they're going to be

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tossed out.

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I believe they were burned or torn apart

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or whatever.

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Verse 9, so David dwelt in the fort

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and called it the city of David.

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And David built round about from Milo and

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inward.

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And David went on and grew great and

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the Lord God of hosts was with him.

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So David took a city that had been

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a stronghold for idolatry and conquered it and

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made it a fortress for God.

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How interesting that is.

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Turn over in your Bible to Matthew chapter

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12.

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In Matthew chapter 12, Jesus used a true

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story about an unclean spirit to describe the

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attitude of the nation of Israel.

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The nation of Israel, by the time Jesus

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came, had cleaned the idolatry out.

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The blind, the lame, the deaf, the dumb.

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Those idols that could not see, speak, hear,

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walk, touch or anything.

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And the children of Israel had finally gotten

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rid of that.

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But in Jesus' day, they had not replaced

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it with love and sincerity and obedience and

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true worship.

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And notice the story that Jesus then tells.

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Matthew 12 verse 43, Then shall the righteous

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shine forth as the sun in the kingdom

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of their father who hath ears to hear,

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let him hear again.

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The kingdom of, excuse me, I'm in chapter

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13.

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I need to be in chapter 12.

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Sorry about that.

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Chapter 12 verse 43, When the unclean spirit

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is gone out of a man, he walketh

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through dry places seeking rest and findeth none.

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Then he saith, I will return into my

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house from whence I came out, and when

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he is come, he findeth it empty, swept,

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and garnished.

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Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven

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other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they

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enter in and dwell therein.

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The last state of that man is worse

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than the first, even so shall it be

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also unto this wicked generation.

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So the demons now have created.

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This man started out with one demon.

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He wound up with seven more, more wicked

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than himself.

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And the demons have created a stronghold in

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this man's life.

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Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 10.

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And the apostle Paul here gives one of

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the most powerful verses in the New Testament

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for Christians to be aware of, especially because

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we are in a spiritual battle.

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2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4, For the

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weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they

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are not fleshly weapons, but mighty through God

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to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down

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imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself

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against the knowledge of God and bringing into

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captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

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You notice again the casting down of strongholds.

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And a couple of more verses in Ephesians

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chapter 4.

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Here are instructions to the Christians at Ephesus

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concerning their walk as Christians.

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In verse 26, Be ye angry and sin

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not.

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That's a present passive imperative in the Greek.

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It means be angered, be acted upon by

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somebody trying to get you angry, but don't

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react and sin by getting angry.

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So be ye angry means be angered and

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sin not.

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Let not the sun go down upon your

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wrath.

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Read verse 27 out loud with me, would

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you please?

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Neither give place to the devil.

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This word stronghold is a powerful, powerful word.

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And the key truth that I want to

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share with you this evening is that God

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wants to use his people to conquer Satan's

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dark, wicked strongholds of deception and idolatry and

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ungodliness.

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Isaiah 34, 13 described a fortress that was

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an habitation of dragons and a court for

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owls.

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And God wants to use his people to

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conquer these strongholds and replace them with fortresses

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of truth and godliness and righteousness.

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So I want to speak to you tonight

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on the subject, conquering Satan's strongholds or how

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to conquer Satan strongholds.

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How many of you have ever visited a

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fort?

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Let's see your hands.

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A fort or a fortress.

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A little over a year ago now, my

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wife and I were in South Alabama and

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we went to Fort Morgan right on the

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Gulf of Mexico.

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And we saw there walls and cannons and

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barracks and places to store food and ammunition.

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A group of men could literally hold off

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an attacking force for days or weeks.

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And I suppose that they probably did.

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I remember when I was in Baltimore, Maryland

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visiting Fort McHenry.

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That is where Francis Scott King was on

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the ship and saw the Star Spangled Banner,

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deer still flying.

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In fact, just recently I was able to

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visit the grave of Francis Scott King there

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in Frederick, Maryland.

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And here is Fort McHenry.

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And it was a powerful fortress that was

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able to withstand the bombardment that came against

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it.

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A fort is a stronghold.

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It is a place of tall, often stone

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walls, sometimes up on a hill.

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It may have massive secure gates.

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It would be a place that could stand

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up to a powerful assault because of its

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almost impregnable nature.

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I've also visited castles and forts in France

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and in Romania and saw rooms and yards

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full of all kinds of ancient weaponry.

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I looked through the Bible to see how

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many times this word stronghold occurred.

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And I found out that it occurred 27

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times in your King James Bible.

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00:13:14,610 --> 00:13:19,250
But that the Hebrew word, mipsar, is translated

272
00:13:19,250 --> 00:13:24,130
fortress or fence city or strong city 23

273
00:13:24,130 --> 00:13:28,150
more times for a total of exactly 50

274
00:13:28,150 --> 00:13:29,950
times if I counted right.

275
00:13:30,510 --> 00:13:33,370
The first time the word stronghold occurs is

276
00:13:33,370 --> 00:13:36,270
in Numbers 13, 19 where they were checking

277
00:13:36,270 --> 00:13:39,070
out the inhabitants of Canaan land.

278
00:13:39,370 --> 00:13:43,130
Before they went in to conquer Canaan, they

279
00:13:43,130 --> 00:13:45,450
wanted to check out and find out whether

280
00:13:45,450 --> 00:13:50,350
they lived in tents or in strongholds.

281
00:13:50,410 --> 00:13:52,690
It made a difference what your strategy was.

282
00:13:52,750 --> 00:13:53,930
If you're going to go up against an

283
00:13:53,930 --> 00:13:56,470
enemy and he's in a tent or he

284
00:13:56,470 --> 00:13:59,030
is in a stronghold, such as a fortress

285
00:13:59,030 --> 00:14:00,170
of a walled city.

286
00:14:00,810 --> 00:14:03,530
In 1 Samuel 23, 14, David was in

287
00:14:03,530 --> 00:14:08,330
the wilderness in strongholds and God protected him

288
00:14:08,330 --> 00:14:08,890
there.

289
00:14:09,350 --> 00:14:12,250
It's interesting to me that the city of

290
00:14:12,250 --> 00:14:15,670
Tyre, right on the coast, the city of

291
00:14:15,670 --> 00:14:20,010
Tyre was referred to twice as a strong

292
00:14:20,010 --> 00:14:22,210
city in Joshua 19, 29.

293
00:14:22,930 --> 00:14:25,470
And then it was named after several other

294
00:14:25,470 --> 00:14:28,750
cities in 2 Samuel 24, 7 as a

295
00:14:28,750 --> 00:14:30,250
stronghold.

296
00:14:30,790 --> 00:14:32,890
I love Nahum chapter 1, verse 7.

297
00:14:33,010 --> 00:14:36,550
It says, The Lord is good, a stronghold

298
00:14:36,550 --> 00:14:39,030
in the day of trouble, and he knoweth

299
00:14:39,030 --> 00:14:40,950
them that trust in him.

300
00:14:41,410 --> 00:14:45,150
But that word stronghold only occurs one time

301
00:14:45,150 --> 00:14:46,170
in the New Testament.

302
00:14:46,870 --> 00:14:49,330
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal,

303
00:14:49,330 --> 00:14:52,050
but mighty through God to the pulling down

304
00:14:52,050 --> 00:14:53,990
of strongholds.

305
00:14:54,010 --> 00:14:56,950
It is saying to us that Satan is

306
00:14:56,950 --> 00:15:00,770
a builder of strongholds, not in the physical

307
00:15:00,770 --> 00:15:03,230
realm, but in the spiritual realm.

308
00:15:03,790 --> 00:15:05,830
Do you realize that it is possible that

309
00:15:05,830 --> 00:15:10,130
there are people here tonight that Satan has

310
00:15:10,130 --> 00:15:14,090
built a stronghold, a fortress in their life?

311
00:15:14,470 --> 00:15:18,450
And you live in continual defeat because of

312
00:15:18,450 --> 00:15:18,590
it.

313
00:15:19,330 --> 00:15:23,130
Now if you study the biblical history of

314
00:15:23,130 --> 00:15:27,030
Satan and the unclean spirits, you will find

315
00:15:27,030 --> 00:15:31,470
that Satan, our adversary, was once Lucifer, the

316
00:15:31,470 --> 00:15:35,150
light bearer and anointed cherub of God, Ezekiel

317
00:15:35,150 --> 00:15:36,030
28, 14.

318
00:15:36,890 --> 00:15:39,090
I believe he may have been an archangel

319
00:15:39,090 --> 00:15:41,070
along with Gabriel and Michael.

320
00:15:41,670 --> 00:15:45,130
He had incredible power, beauty, and wisdom.

321
00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:50,870
His very being rang with fabulous music of

322
00:15:50,870 --> 00:15:52,050
every sort.

323
00:15:52,710 --> 00:15:55,470
Isaiah 14, 11 refers to the vials.

324
00:15:55,730 --> 00:15:57,490
We get the word violin from that.

325
00:15:57,810 --> 00:16:00,150
He had in his very being the ability

326
00:16:00,150 --> 00:16:03,170
to make the music of stringed instruments.

327
00:16:03,850 --> 00:16:07,170
Ezekiel 28, 13 refers to the tablets in

328
00:16:07,170 --> 00:16:12,130
him, timbrels and drums, pipes, flutes and trumpets,

329
00:16:12,510 --> 00:16:13,390
wind instruments.

330
00:16:13,390 --> 00:16:15,950
And so he in his very being had

331
00:16:15,950 --> 00:16:20,190
the ability to make this fantastic orchestral music.

332
00:16:20,990 --> 00:16:24,150
But Ezekiel 28, 17 tells us that his

333
00:16:24,150 --> 00:16:27,290
heart was lifted up with pride and he

334
00:16:27,290 --> 00:16:29,410
wanted to be equal with God.

335
00:16:30,050 --> 00:16:33,450
Apparently he deceived many of the angels into

336
00:16:33,450 --> 00:16:36,070
following him in his sin.

337
00:16:36,530 --> 00:16:39,430
And Revelation 12, 9 records that the devil

338
00:16:39,430 --> 00:16:42,130
was cast out into the earth and his

339
00:16:42,130 --> 00:16:44,030
angels were cast out with him.

340
00:16:44,730 --> 00:16:47,350
But Satan and his army of fallen angels

341
00:16:47,350 --> 00:16:51,190
do not simply float around all the time.

342
00:16:52,070 --> 00:16:55,650
Yes, they travel, but primarily they look for

343
00:16:55,650 --> 00:16:59,150
a place where they're able to reside.

344
00:17:00,110 --> 00:17:03,310
Ephesians 4, 27 commands you and me as

345
00:17:03,310 --> 00:17:07,710
Christians to not give place to the devil.

346
00:17:08,270 --> 00:17:11,550
It means the same thing as a room.

347
00:17:12,150 --> 00:17:15,210
In fact, that same Greek word is translated

348
00:17:15,210 --> 00:17:18,670
five times in the New Testament as room.

349
00:17:18,869 --> 00:17:22,829
And Paul is saying to Christians, don't give

350
00:17:22,829 --> 00:17:25,369
Satan a room in your life.

351
00:17:26,190 --> 00:17:28,610
In Matthew 12, 43 to 45, an unclean

352
00:17:28,610 --> 00:17:29,530
spirit left a man.

353
00:17:29,610 --> 00:17:30,590
We read it a few minutes ago.

354
00:17:30,650 --> 00:17:33,370
That man had apparently been providing a place

355
00:17:33,370 --> 00:17:34,910
for that spirit to live.

356
00:17:35,500 --> 00:17:38,390
Now that man, the Bible says when the

357
00:17:38,390 --> 00:17:42,730
unclean spirit is gone out of a man,

358
00:17:43,430 --> 00:17:46,510
perhaps the unclean spirit was cast out of

359
00:17:46,510 --> 00:17:46,850
the man.

360
00:17:47,490 --> 00:17:50,530
Maybe something happened to make the demon feel

361
00:17:50,530 --> 00:17:52,390
uncomfortable about staying.

362
00:17:54,190 --> 00:17:57,190
Maybe he experienced true salvation.

363
00:17:58,270 --> 00:18:00,730
Maybe godly music came into his life.

364
00:18:00,810 --> 00:18:02,210
Maybe there was words of praise.

365
00:18:02,330 --> 00:18:03,410
Maybe there was sincere worship.

366
00:18:03,530 --> 00:18:04,030
I don't know.

367
00:18:04,710 --> 00:18:07,430
Maybe the spirit just decided to go looking

368
00:18:07,430 --> 00:18:09,090
for a new place to stay.

369
00:18:09,710 --> 00:18:10,970
We're not told why.

370
00:18:11,450 --> 00:18:13,730
We're simply told he went out of the

371
00:18:13,730 --> 00:18:13,910
man.

372
00:18:14,670 --> 00:18:16,030
And what did the spirit do?

373
00:18:16,690 --> 00:18:20,450
He started looking for a place to stay.

374
00:18:21,190 --> 00:18:26,590
He walketh through dry places seeking rest and

375
00:18:26,590 --> 00:18:28,230
findeth none.

376
00:18:28,750 --> 00:18:30,470
And the word place is there when it

377
00:18:30,470 --> 00:18:34,170
says he walketh through dry places seeking rest.

378
00:18:35,130 --> 00:18:37,910
Same word used in Ephesians chapter 4 verse

379
00:18:37,910 --> 00:18:38,470
27.

380
00:18:38,950 --> 00:18:43,250
Neither give place or room a place to

381
00:18:43,250 --> 00:18:44,710
rest to the devil.

382
00:18:44,890 --> 00:18:46,790
The same word is used in Luke 9,

383
00:18:46,830 --> 00:18:47,150
12.

384
00:18:47,330 --> 00:18:49,750
And when the day began to wear away,

385
00:18:50,010 --> 00:18:52,490
then came the twelve and said unto him,

386
00:18:52,910 --> 00:18:54,550
Send the multitude away that they may go

387
00:18:54,550 --> 00:18:56,170
into the towns and country round about and

388
00:18:56,170 --> 00:18:57,230
lodge and get victuals.

389
00:18:57,270 --> 00:19:00,550
For we are here in a desert place.

390
00:19:00,910 --> 00:19:03,110
Now you could stay in a dry desert

391
00:19:03,110 --> 00:19:05,510
place, but it wouldn't be very pleasant.

392
00:19:05,750 --> 00:19:06,890
Humans don't like it.

393
00:19:07,730 --> 00:19:09,250
Neither do demons.

394
00:19:10,310 --> 00:19:12,510
When the spirit found nowhere else to call

395
00:19:12,510 --> 00:19:14,790
home, he went back.

396
00:19:15,490 --> 00:19:18,770
And amazingly, that fellow had cleaned up his

397
00:19:18,770 --> 00:19:19,270
house.

398
00:19:19,410 --> 00:19:21,550
He threw out all the filthy junk in

399
00:19:21,550 --> 00:19:22,030
his life.

400
00:19:22,090 --> 00:19:24,270
You can imagine all the filthy junk a

401
00:19:24,270 --> 00:19:25,390
man could get in his life.

402
00:19:25,390 --> 00:19:28,670
He got an empty religion with ritual and

403
00:19:28,670 --> 00:19:29,710
no reality.

404
00:19:29,850 --> 00:19:32,490
Let me tell you, nothing is emptier than

405
00:19:32,490 --> 00:19:35,330
empty religion that just has ritual and no

406
00:19:35,330 --> 00:19:35,890
reality.

407
00:19:36,330 --> 00:19:38,570
And the spirit said, Wow, what a place

408
00:19:38,570 --> 00:19:39,110
to live.

409
00:19:39,350 --> 00:19:42,910
So he went traveling again and found some

410
00:19:42,910 --> 00:19:44,890
other spirits who were looking for a place

411
00:19:44,890 --> 00:19:45,270
to stay.

412
00:19:45,530 --> 00:19:47,990
And he invited them to move in with

413
00:19:47,990 --> 00:19:48,330
him.

414
00:19:48,370 --> 00:19:49,270
And they did.

415
00:19:49,530 --> 00:19:51,290
And the latter end of that man was

416
00:19:51,290 --> 00:19:52,610
worse than the first.

417
00:19:53,530 --> 00:19:54,950
The history of the unclean spirit.

418
00:19:54,950 --> 00:19:57,350
Secondly, the home they desire.

419
00:19:58,210 --> 00:19:59,790
They left their home in heaven.

420
00:20:00,410 --> 00:20:02,230
That is still the home of the rest

421
00:20:02,230 --> 00:20:04,270
of God's angels who did not follow Lucifer.

422
00:20:04,650 --> 00:20:07,730
Matthew 22, 30 refers to the angels of

423
00:20:07,730 --> 00:20:08,370
God in heaven.

424
00:20:09,070 --> 00:20:12,650
Matthew 24, 36 refers to the angels of

425
00:20:12,650 --> 00:20:12,910
heaven.

426
00:20:13,510 --> 00:20:16,770
Mark 12, 25 refers to the angels which

427
00:20:16,770 --> 00:20:18,250
are in heaven.

428
00:20:19,230 --> 00:20:22,390
Apparently, heaven is the home of the angels.

429
00:20:22,550 --> 00:20:25,790
And they are dispatched to earth to accomplish

430
00:20:25,790 --> 00:20:27,770
specific purposes for God.

431
00:20:27,890 --> 00:20:31,390
I remember a preacher years ago who made

432
00:20:31,390 --> 00:20:33,030
it come alive for me as a little

433
00:20:33,030 --> 00:20:33,290
boy.

434
00:20:33,670 --> 00:20:35,850
He talked about that passage where the angels

435
00:20:35,850 --> 00:20:37,950
do always behold the face of their father,

436
00:20:38,030 --> 00:20:38,670
which is in heaven.

437
00:20:38,770 --> 00:20:40,230
And he said, Here's what's happening.

438
00:20:40,450 --> 00:20:41,550
The father's on the throne.

439
00:20:41,630 --> 00:20:43,290
The angels are right there in front of

440
00:20:43,290 --> 00:20:43,410
him.

441
00:20:43,610 --> 00:20:45,270
And they are beholding the face of the

442
00:20:45,270 --> 00:20:46,190
father, which is in heaven.

443
00:20:46,830 --> 00:20:49,010
And the heavenly father looks down and sees

444
00:20:49,010 --> 00:20:51,590
one of his children who needs some help.

445
00:20:51,710 --> 00:20:53,690
And he says, Angel, quick, go there.

446
00:20:53,950 --> 00:20:57,670
And with the speed of thought, the angel

447
00:20:57,670 --> 00:21:00,790
is right there to rescue you and me,

448
00:21:00,870 --> 00:21:02,790
to minister to us, to help us.

449
00:21:03,050 --> 00:21:04,570
Thank God for the angels.

450
00:21:05,010 --> 00:21:08,790
Jacob in Genesis 28 saw angels ascending and

451
00:21:08,790 --> 00:21:11,530
descending on a ladder that reached to heaven.

452
00:21:12,330 --> 00:21:16,710
Angels delivered messages to Mary and Joseph and

453
00:21:16,710 --> 00:21:17,470
Zacharias.

454
00:21:18,170 --> 00:21:20,730
The shepherd saw a multitude of the heavenly

455
00:21:20,730 --> 00:21:23,510
hosts praising God at the birth of Jesus.

456
00:21:23,930 --> 00:21:25,790
Then Luke 2.15 says, It came to

457
00:21:25,790 --> 00:21:27,650
pass as the angels were gone away from

458
00:21:27,650 --> 00:21:30,590
them into heaven.

459
00:21:31,390 --> 00:21:34,850
The fallen angels left their past home.

460
00:21:35,590 --> 00:21:38,410
Matthew 25.41 tells us about their future

461
00:21:38,410 --> 00:21:38,910
home.

462
00:21:39,550 --> 00:21:41,810
Then shall he say also unto them on

463
00:21:41,810 --> 00:21:43,590
the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed

464
00:21:43,590 --> 00:21:47,670
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and

465
00:21:47,670 --> 00:21:48,930
his angels.

466
00:21:49,210 --> 00:21:51,730
Revelation chapter 20 verse 10 expounds further on

467
00:21:51,730 --> 00:21:51,950
that.

468
00:21:52,250 --> 00:21:56,390
In Matthew 8.29, the unclean spirits living

469
00:21:56,390 --> 00:21:59,110
in the men of the country of the

470
00:21:59,110 --> 00:22:02,590
Gergesenes said to Jesus, What have we to

471
00:22:02,590 --> 00:22:05,710
do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?

472
00:22:05,730 --> 00:22:08,190
They were saying, Please leave us alone.

473
00:22:08,190 --> 00:22:12,010
Art thou come hither to torment us before

474
00:22:12,010 --> 00:22:13,710
our time?

475
00:22:14,090 --> 00:22:18,050
And the word time means appointed time or

476
00:22:18,050 --> 00:22:18,710
season.

477
00:22:19,470 --> 00:22:21,770
They were saying to Jesus, You're not going

478
00:22:21,770 --> 00:22:23,510
to make us go to hell early, are

479
00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:23,750
you?

480
00:22:23,910 --> 00:22:25,690
Heaven was the past home.

481
00:22:26,070 --> 00:22:29,210
Hell is the future home of Satan and

482
00:22:29,210 --> 00:22:29,870
his demons.

483
00:22:30,530 --> 00:22:34,630
Their favorite place to reside right now is

484
00:22:34,630 --> 00:22:36,350
with humans.

485
00:22:36,910 --> 00:22:39,270
But they'd rather live in hogs than in

486
00:22:39,270 --> 00:22:41,510
hell or not have anywhere to live.

487
00:22:41,650 --> 00:22:43,990
In that same passage, they begged Jesus to

488
00:22:43,990 --> 00:22:46,190
let them live in hogs and he gave

489
00:22:46,190 --> 00:22:49,010
them permission, but the hogs wouldn't put up

490
00:22:49,010 --> 00:22:49,370
with them.

491
00:22:49,610 --> 00:22:51,410
There's a big lesson there to lost folks.

492
00:22:51,530 --> 00:22:54,390
If there's somebody lost here tonight, if unclean

493
00:22:54,390 --> 00:22:56,830
spirits fear the torment of hell badly enough

494
00:22:56,830 --> 00:22:59,070
to prefer living with hogs, maybe you better

495
00:22:59,070 --> 00:23:02,350
think twice before you flippantly laugh and joke

496
00:23:02,350 --> 00:23:03,530
about going to hell.

497
00:23:03,530 --> 00:23:06,470
The hogs wouldn't have them and cast themselves

498
00:23:06,470 --> 00:23:07,410
into the sea.

499
00:23:07,750 --> 00:23:09,950
Now, what is the home that Satan and

500
00:23:09,950 --> 00:23:11,570
his fallen angels desire?

501
00:23:11,810 --> 00:23:15,150
They desire to live with or in human

502
00:23:15,150 --> 00:23:15,630
beings.

503
00:23:15,870 --> 00:23:17,370
Now, some of you are already thinking this,

504
00:23:17,410 --> 00:23:18,590
so I'll ask it and then answer it.

505
00:23:18,770 --> 00:23:21,290
Pastor, do you believe a Christian can be

506
00:23:21,290 --> 00:23:22,150
demon possessed?

507
00:23:23,350 --> 00:23:26,570
Doctrinally, I personally believe that a Christian can

508
00:23:26,570 --> 00:23:29,390
only be oppressed and not possessed.

509
00:23:29,950 --> 00:23:34,230
Practically, it seems to make little difference.

510
00:23:34,470 --> 00:23:37,730
I have seen Christians who have definitely allowed

511
00:23:37,730 --> 00:23:41,610
what Paul warned the Christians at Ephesus not

512
00:23:41,610 --> 00:23:42,410
to do.

513
00:23:42,990 --> 00:23:47,270
Don't give the devil a place, a foothold,

514
00:23:47,670 --> 00:23:51,710
a room, an area of control, an area

515
00:23:51,710 --> 00:23:53,370
of jurisdictional authority.

516
00:23:53,370 --> 00:23:57,290
Don't give the devil ground in your life.

517
00:23:57,410 --> 00:23:58,230
Don't do that.

518
00:23:58,230 --> 00:24:02,350
Third, how do Satan and his demons move

519
00:24:02,350 --> 00:24:02,650
in?

520
00:24:03,150 --> 00:24:07,110
Several years ago now, we visited Uganda, Africa,

521
00:24:07,470 --> 00:24:09,170
and we were there with the stencils, and

522
00:24:09,170 --> 00:24:10,570
they took us in their house, and they

523
00:24:10,570 --> 00:24:11,270
showed us everything.

524
00:24:11,850 --> 00:24:13,070
Here's your room.

525
00:24:13,370 --> 00:24:14,310
Here's the bathroom.

526
00:24:14,610 --> 00:24:15,390
Here's the kitchen.

527
00:24:15,550 --> 00:24:16,410
Make yourself at home.

528
00:24:16,610 --> 00:24:18,070
They came here to the United States.

529
00:24:18,190 --> 00:24:19,510
We took them to our house.

530
00:24:19,750 --> 00:24:22,910
And we said, hey, you treated us.

531
00:24:22,970 --> 00:24:24,130
Now, we're going to treat you.

532
00:24:24,270 --> 00:24:26,650
And here's your room, and here's the bathroom,

533
00:24:26,870 --> 00:24:27,690
and here's the kitchen.

534
00:24:27,690 --> 00:24:28,790
Here's the living room.

535
00:24:29,010 --> 00:24:31,510
You make yourself at home.

536
00:24:32,670 --> 00:24:35,290
And some people think that that is what

537
00:24:35,290 --> 00:24:36,510
you have to do to get Satan to

538
00:24:36,510 --> 00:24:38,150
take a room in your life.

539
00:24:38,870 --> 00:24:41,450
Now, I'll admit that will work.

540
00:24:41,630 --> 00:24:44,930
And there are spiritually blinded fools in our

541
00:24:44,930 --> 00:24:48,050
day who will pray to Satan and ask

542
00:24:48,050 --> 00:24:50,050
him to come in and take over their

543
00:24:50,050 --> 00:24:50,390
lives.

544
00:24:50,430 --> 00:24:51,650
And they are fools.

545
00:24:51,650 --> 00:24:55,790
Some worship Satan and involve themselves in all

546
00:24:55,790 --> 00:24:57,770
types of satanic rituals.

547
00:24:58,710 --> 00:25:00,350
You know, if I were to ask you,

548
00:25:01,290 --> 00:25:03,790
what is one of the poorest countries on

549
00:25:03,790 --> 00:25:04,710
the face of this earth?

550
00:25:04,770 --> 00:25:06,730
And you were thinking you would say the

551
00:25:06,730 --> 00:25:08,590
country of Haiti.

552
00:25:09,750 --> 00:25:11,470
Do you know why Haiti has had so

553
00:25:11,470 --> 00:25:13,710
many problems for so many years?

554
00:25:14,990 --> 00:25:17,050
I think it's because of a letter I

555
00:25:17,050 --> 00:25:19,750
received from a preacher just a few years

556
00:25:19,750 --> 00:25:23,050
ago now when he said, I was in

557
00:25:23,050 --> 00:25:24,290
Haiti this past February.

558
00:25:24,490 --> 00:25:27,110
I was contacted by several pastors asking me

559
00:25:27,110 --> 00:25:29,550
to arrange a crusade for the year 2004.

560
00:25:30,310 --> 00:25:34,410
The reason is because that is the anniversary

561
00:25:35,210 --> 00:25:38,870
of the signing over of the island to

562
00:25:38,870 --> 00:25:39,650
the devil.

563
00:25:41,270 --> 00:25:42,950
Parenthesis, voodoo.

564
00:25:43,750 --> 00:25:48,410
On January 4th, 1704, the island was given

565
00:25:48,410 --> 00:25:51,210
to Satan by the sacrifice of a pig

566
00:25:51,210 --> 00:25:54,310
and by the people drinking its blood.

567
00:25:55,770 --> 00:25:58,810
Do you wonder why Haiti is in such

568
00:25:58,810 --> 00:25:59,590
a mess tonight?

569
00:25:59,730 --> 00:26:03,530
Until somebody turns that around, that will stay

570
00:26:03,530 --> 00:26:07,270
a curse for generations on a country.

571
00:26:07,530 --> 00:26:10,270
Now, may I insert right here, if you're

572
00:26:10,270 --> 00:26:15,610
wise, you won't read stories or watch movies

573
00:26:15,610 --> 00:26:20,350
about these kinds of witchcraft and satanic things.

574
00:26:20,650 --> 00:26:24,070
Demonism and witches and all of this.

575
00:26:24,890 --> 00:26:28,710
You are inviting Satan to have a place.

576
00:26:29,210 --> 00:26:34,330
I remember so clearly, a group of us

577
00:26:34,330 --> 00:26:36,270
were on an airplane flying to Ghana, South

578
00:26:36,270 --> 00:26:39,910
America, and there weren't enough seats for us

579
00:26:39,910 --> 00:26:40,730
to all sit together.

580
00:26:40,910 --> 00:26:42,930
So they sat together and I had to

581
00:26:42,930 --> 00:26:45,290
sit in another seat just up there with

582
00:26:45,290 --> 00:26:45,710
somebody.

583
00:26:45,910 --> 00:26:47,530
Right next to me, there was a man

584
00:26:47,530 --> 00:26:49,350
reading a Stephen King novel.

585
00:26:49,470 --> 00:26:52,670
I really didn't know anything about Stephen King.

586
00:26:52,770 --> 00:26:53,890
Don't really to this day.

587
00:26:53,950 --> 00:26:56,310
I'm just telling you what I glanced over.

588
00:26:57,510 --> 00:27:02,350
Saw his book open and read one paragraph.

589
00:27:03,250 --> 00:27:09,290
That so glorified demonic powers that I felt

590
00:27:09,290 --> 00:27:12,090
a chill come over me and an oppressive

591
00:27:12,090 --> 00:27:13,970
spirit surround me.

592
00:27:14,230 --> 00:27:17,010
And I had to pray immediately for God

593
00:27:17,010 --> 00:27:20,410
to forgive me for reading that and cleanse

594
00:27:20,410 --> 00:27:23,170
my mind and put His hedge of protection

595
00:27:23,170 --> 00:27:24,090
about me.

596
00:27:24,350 --> 00:27:26,170
I was afraid God was liable to take

597
00:27:26,170 --> 00:27:28,050
that plane down because of me.

598
00:27:28,710 --> 00:27:29,410
I'm serious.

599
00:27:29,950 --> 00:27:31,550
I said, oh God, I'm sorry.

600
00:27:32,110 --> 00:27:33,290
Please forgive me.

601
00:27:33,350 --> 00:27:34,610
God, cleanse my mind.

602
00:27:34,710 --> 00:27:37,270
I plead the blood of Jesus against what

603
00:27:37,270 --> 00:27:38,390
I just read.

604
00:27:39,190 --> 00:27:45,030
Folks, watch out for psychics and fortune tellers

605
00:27:45,030 --> 00:27:51,830
and palm readers and witches and spirit guides

606
00:27:52,260 --> 00:27:55,350
and those that the Bible refers to as

607
00:27:55,350 --> 00:27:58,690
those having a, quote, familiar spirit.

608
00:27:58,690 --> 00:28:01,270
Most of the time when Satan gets ground

609
00:28:01,270 --> 00:28:04,250
in a person's life, he does so without

610
00:28:04,250 --> 00:28:06,770
them knowing about it.

611
00:28:07,490 --> 00:28:10,070
You don't have to say, Satan, come in

612
00:28:10,070 --> 00:28:10,950
and take over.

613
00:28:11,070 --> 00:28:13,170
I seriously doubt if there is a person

614
00:28:13,170 --> 00:28:15,410
in this room whom Satan hasn't gotten ground

615
00:28:15,410 --> 00:28:17,790
in your life at some time or other,

616
00:28:17,890 --> 00:28:19,570
whether you even knew it or not.

617
00:28:19,830 --> 00:28:22,390
He doesn't usually use a frontal attack.

618
00:28:22,390 --> 00:28:27,570
He is deceitful and cunning like a lion

619
00:28:27,570 --> 00:28:30,470
slipping up on its prey.

620
00:28:30,910 --> 00:28:34,730
He roars after the victory, not before.

621
00:28:35,850 --> 00:28:38,410
He kind of puts his foot in the

622
00:28:38,410 --> 00:28:40,570
doorway of your life and works his way

623
00:28:40,570 --> 00:28:42,570
in without you even know it.

624
00:28:42,650 --> 00:28:46,130
He is a master deceiver and his work

625
00:28:46,130 --> 00:28:49,530
to destroy you and me is not always

626
00:28:49,530 --> 00:28:50,850
an obvious thing.

627
00:28:51,650 --> 00:28:53,930
John 8, 44 tells us that Satan is

628
00:28:53,930 --> 00:28:56,270
a liar and the father of lies.

629
00:28:56,870 --> 00:29:00,470
Many are having their lives and families destroyed

630
00:29:00,470 --> 00:29:02,690
by Satan but don't even know it.

631
00:29:02,790 --> 00:29:06,750
In fact, they will defend and fight for

632
00:29:06,750 --> 00:29:10,390
that which is destroying them because Satan is

633
00:29:10,390 --> 00:29:11,190
a deceiver.

634
00:29:12,110 --> 00:29:14,770
Hear me, homes don't just fall apart.

635
00:29:15,230 --> 00:29:18,050
In many, many cases, they have succumbed to

636
00:29:18,050 --> 00:29:19,910
Satan's well-planned attacks.

637
00:29:20,850 --> 00:29:24,090
Young people don't just become rebellious.

638
00:29:24,290 --> 00:29:27,570
They often fall prey to Satan's subtle plans

639
00:29:27,570 --> 00:29:28,810
to defeat them.

640
00:29:29,030 --> 00:29:30,590
He is very deceitful.

641
00:29:30,870 --> 00:29:33,790
2 Corinthians 11, 14 tells us that Satan

642
00:29:33,790 --> 00:29:38,410
himself is transformed into an angel of light.

643
00:29:39,470 --> 00:29:41,810
He came as a serpent in the garden.

644
00:29:42,410 --> 00:29:45,530
Eve did not suspect who he was.

645
00:29:46,230 --> 00:29:49,890
It's very easy for you to not recognize

646
00:29:49,890 --> 00:29:52,790
Satan as Satan when he comes.

647
00:29:53,610 --> 00:29:56,970
I noticed two families continually having problems getting

648
00:29:56,970 --> 00:29:58,130
along some time back.

649
00:29:59,130 --> 00:30:01,690
And as I watched them, I wondered if

650
00:30:01,690 --> 00:30:05,570
they realized that it was probably Satan working

651
00:30:05,570 --> 00:30:06,950
to divide them.

652
00:30:07,770 --> 00:30:12,910
Somebody wisely warned, do not negotiate with Satan.

653
00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,910
You must learn to recognize his attacks.

654
00:30:17,530 --> 00:30:19,610
Somebody told a little story like this.

655
00:30:20,770 --> 00:30:22,870
A hunter raised his rifle and took careful

656
00:30:22,870 --> 00:30:24,150
aim at a large bear.

657
00:30:24,890 --> 00:30:26,650
When about to pull the trigger, the bear

658
00:30:26,650 --> 00:30:29,610
spoke in a soft, soothing voice.

659
00:30:30,710 --> 00:30:33,150
Is it not better to talk than to

660
00:30:33,150 --> 00:30:33,490
shoot?

661
00:30:34,470 --> 00:30:35,770
What do you want?

662
00:30:35,890 --> 00:30:37,390
Let us negotiate the matter.

663
00:30:38,490 --> 00:30:42,810
Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, I want

664
00:30:42,810 --> 00:30:43,530
a fur coat.

665
00:30:44,770 --> 00:30:46,210
Good, said the bear.

666
00:30:47,010 --> 00:30:48,970
That's a negotiable question.

667
00:30:49,150 --> 00:30:51,490
I only want a full stomach, so let

668
00:30:51,490 --> 00:30:53,150
us negotiate a compromise.

669
00:30:54,270 --> 00:30:57,090
They sat down to negotiate and after a

670
00:30:57,090 --> 00:31:00,110
time, the bear walked away alone.

671
00:31:00,890 --> 00:31:03,270
The negotiations had been successful.

672
00:31:03,430 --> 00:31:04,530
The bear had a full stomach.

673
00:31:04,670 --> 00:31:05,930
The hunter had his fur coat.

674
00:31:06,630 --> 00:31:11,930
And Satan says to you, let's negotiate, but

675
00:31:11,930 --> 00:31:15,130
there are some things that are not negotiable.

676
00:31:15,390 --> 00:31:18,170
You cannot compromise with the devil.

677
00:31:18,450 --> 00:31:21,070
You can't negotiate with him at all.

678
00:31:21,390 --> 00:31:24,450
You've got to learn to recognize him.

679
00:31:24,870 --> 00:31:27,670
But J.B. Buffington in a message said,

680
00:31:27,830 --> 00:31:31,470
we must identify our enemy if we're going

681
00:31:31,470 --> 00:31:32,270
to have victory.

682
00:31:32,270 --> 00:31:34,830
He said, during World War II in the

683
00:31:34,830 --> 00:31:36,790
Air Corps, we had to identify all the

684
00:31:36,790 --> 00:31:40,290
battleships and airplanes of the Japanese, the Italians,

685
00:31:40,530 --> 00:31:42,630
the Germans, the Russians, and the Americans.

686
00:31:42,850 --> 00:31:45,370
We had to know friend from foe in

687
00:31:45,370 --> 00:31:46,790
a split second.

688
00:31:47,150 --> 00:31:48,510
He said, by the time you had an

689
00:31:48,510 --> 00:31:51,530
airplane bearing down on you, you didn't have

690
00:31:51,530 --> 00:31:53,450
time to say, hey, let me grab the

691
00:31:53,450 --> 00:31:56,150
book and see which one of those, what

692
00:31:56,150 --> 00:31:57,290
kind of plane that is.

693
00:31:57,410 --> 00:31:59,030
He said, by the time you do that,

694
00:31:59,050 --> 00:31:59,970
you're a dead duck.

695
00:31:59,970 --> 00:32:02,390
I saw a World War II training video

696
00:32:02,390 --> 00:32:04,250
where they were showing the men.

697
00:32:04,410 --> 00:32:06,110
This is the way you identify.

698
00:32:06,270 --> 00:32:08,630
They put the American plane on this side.

699
00:32:08,850 --> 00:32:11,150
They put the Japanese plane on this side.

700
00:32:11,290 --> 00:32:13,230
And they said, they look alike like this,

701
00:32:13,310 --> 00:32:15,150
but these are radically different.

702
00:32:15,450 --> 00:32:16,510
Here are the differences.

703
00:32:16,950 --> 00:32:19,770
You must learn to spot them in an

704
00:32:19,770 --> 00:32:20,350
instant.

705
00:32:20,930 --> 00:32:21,930
Could I tell you something?

706
00:32:22,130 --> 00:32:24,690
You better learn to spot the devil in

707
00:32:24,690 --> 00:32:27,330
an instant, because if you wait, it may

708
00:32:27,330 --> 00:32:28,770
be too late for you.

709
00:32:28,770 --> 00:32:33,490
Ephesians 6 describes ranks in Satan's organization.

710
00:32:34,010 --> 00:32:36,910
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but

711
00:32:36,910 --> 00:32:41,230
against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the

712
00:32:41,230 --> 00:32:43,350
spiritual wickedness in high places.

713
00:32:43,750 --> 00:32:47,650
He has his forces well organized on this

714
00:32:47,650 --> 00:32:47,950
earth.

715
00:32:48,570 --> 00:32:50,390
Principalities refers to governments.

716
00:32:50,730 --> 00:32:54,310
Powers refers to top demon princes, such as

717
00:32:54,310 --> 00:32:56,650
Daniel had to deal with in the book

718
00:32:56,650 --> 00:32:59,510
of Daniel when his prayer was delayed all

719
00:32:59,510 --> 00:33:00,210
of that time.

720
00:33:00,450 --> 00:33:02,910
And then the angel came and said, we've

721
00:33:02,910 --> 00:33:04,790
been working to get this to you.

722
00:33:04,890 --> 00:33:07,070
Then there are rulers, those under the demon

723
00:33:07,070 --> 00:33:07,550
powers.

724
00:33:07,650 --> 00:33:09,090
Then there is spiritual wickedness.

725
00:33:09,390 --> 00:33:14,030
A multitude of Satan's forces, an unseen host

726
00:33:14,030 --> 00:33:16,170
of demonic powers.

727
00:33:16,510 --> 00:33:19,410
Are you recognized that there could be more

728
00:33:19,410 --> 00:33:22,910
angels and demons in this room tonight than

729
00:33:22,910 --> 00:33:24,070
there are people?

730
00:33:24,930 --> 00:33:30,210
Satan works wherever he can get permission to

731
00:33:30,210 --> 00:33:30,470
work.

732
00:33:30,670 --> 00:33:33,490
And we debate about demon possession or demon

733
00:33:33,490 --> 00:33:37,090
oppression, and we miss the simplicity of the

734
00:33:37,090 --> 00:33:37,490
truth.

735
00:33:38,030 --> 00:33:41,890
Demons go where they are allowed to go

736
00:33:41,890 --> 00:33:44,470
or have a right to go for as

737
00:33:44,470 --> 00:33:46,970
long as they are allowed to be there.

738
00:33:48,230 --> 00:33:50,110
Satan goes where you let him go.

739
00:33:50,230 --> 00:33:52,530
He gets a place in your life.

740
00:33:53,230 --> 00:33:56,570
One way he does it is through certain

741
00:33:56,570 --> 00:33:57,430
possessions.

742
00:33:58,550 --> 00:34:02,290
In Mark chapter 5, the Jews had those

743
00:34:02,290 --> 00:34:06,230
hogs and it was a possession they were

744
00:34:06,230 --> 00:34:08,090
not meant to have because they were under

745
00:34:08,090 --> 00:34:09,989
the Levitical law and it was an unclean

746
00:34:09,989 --> 00:34:10,389
thing.

747
00:34:10,730 --> 00:34:15,850
And the unclean had a right to enter

748
00:34:15,850 --> 00:34:17,110
the unclean.

749
00:34:18,250 --> 00:34:18,469
See?

750
00:34:19,270 --> 00:34:22,530
Jesus wasn't deliberately destroying a herd of swine.

751
00:34:23,090 --> 00:34:27,310
Jesus was giving permission where ground had already

752
00:34:27,310 --> 00:34:29,190
been yielded.

753
00:34:31,630 --> 00:34:35,429
I'm thinking of a family that had a

754
00:34:35,429 --> 00:34:37,730
problem with a child and they changed a

755
00:34:37,730 --> 00:34:41,050
lot of things, but they didn't go through

756
00:34:41,050 --> 00:34:43,710
their home and cleanse their home.

757
00:34:44,630 --> 00:34:48,290
Of whatever things may have been in their

758
00:34:48,290 --> 00:34:53,070
home that were allowing Satan to get ground

759
00:34:53,070 --> 00:34:54,389
in their child's life.

760
00:34:54,610 --> 00:34:58,750
And this child still had these demonic things

761
00:34:58,750 --> 00:35:01,370
he was playing with in his bedroom.

762
00:35:02,410 --> 00:35:04,770
And the child, the parents were telling me

763
00:35:04,770 --> 00:35:07,450
the child seems to be tortured, but we've

764
00:35:07,450 --> 00:35:10,170
already pleaded the blood of Jesus against them.

765
00:35:10,170 --> 00:35:13,610
And I said, but you don't understand.

766
00:35:13,790 --> 00:35:16,210
They have a right to be there.

767
00:35:16,970 --> 00:35:19,310
You have given them that right.

768
00:35:19,630 --> 00:35:21,930
You must take away that right.

769
00:35:22,410 --> 00:35:25,870
Then you can reclaim the ground and rebuke

770
00:35:25,870 --> 00:35:28,090
them in the name of Jesus and the

771
00:35:28,090 --> 00:35:29,930
oppression can be ended.

772
00:35:31,050 --> 00:35:34,410
With some possessions comes a curse.

773
00:35:34,970 --> 00:35:37,430
Joshua chapter 6 and 7, there was Achan

774
00:35:37,430 --> 00:35:40,090
who took that thing that the Bible says

775
00:35:40,090 --> 00:35:43,090
was accursed because it was devoted to God.

776
00:35:43,130 --> 00:35:44,910
He wasn't supposed to touch it.

777
00:35:45,590 --> 00:35:48,530
And because of that, until they dealt with

778
00:35:48,530 --> 00:35:49,850
that, they could not go on.

779
00:35:50,190 --> 00:35:54,670
We must always consider the spiritual value or

780
00:35:54,670 --> 00:35:59,950
impact of earthly or material possessions because sometimes

781
00:35:59,950 --> 00:36:03,330
material possessions aren't just material possessions.

782
00:36:03,330 --> 00:36:07,990
They have spiritual things that tie in with

783
00:36:07,990 --> 00:36:08,270
them.

784
00:36:09,250 --> 00:36:13,190
In the book of Judges, Gideon destroyed that

785
00:36:13,190 --> 00:36:14,750
grove of idols.

786
00:36:15,350 --> 00:36:16,590
He destroyed them.

787
00:36:16,870 --> 00:36:21,150
That's the reason I try to not allow

788
00:36:21,150 --> 00:36:24,590
idols to be displayed in missionary displays.

789
00:36:25,510 --> 00:36:27,710
When missionaries come, I'll say to them ahead

790
00:36:27,710 --> 00:36:29,810
of time, now if you have anything that's

791
00:36:29,810 --> 00:36:31,190
an idol, if you'll do me a favor.

792
00:36:31,190 --> 00:36:34,090
I know some people say, well, you've prayed

793
00:36:34,090 --> 00:36:35,390
over it, there's nothing left there.

794
00:36:35,470 --> 00:36:36,910
And I have no debate with that.

795
00:36:36,950 --> 00:36:38,650
I'm just asking, don't put them out.

796
00:36:38,690 --> 00:36:39,710
I don't want them there.

797
00:36:40,490 --> 00:36:43,830
In Acts chapter 19 verse 19, there were

798
00:36:43,830 --> 00:36:46,670
books that were burned.

799
00:36:47,550 --> 00:36:50,350
And they counted the price of these books

800
00:36:50,350 --> 00:36:52,810
that were full of sorcery and witchcraft and

801
00:36:52,810 --> 00:36:53,830
all of this kind of stuff.

802
00:36:54,130 --> 00:36:55,950
And they found out the value of it

803
00:36:55,950 --> 00:36:59,550
was 50,000 pieces of silver.

804
00:36:59,550 --> 00:37:02,010
And that was in Acts chapter 19 verse

805
00:37:02,010 --> 00:37:02,410
19.

806
00:37:02,550 --> 00:37:05,970
And in verse 20 we read, So mightily

807
00:37:05,970 --> 00:37:08,830
grew the word of God and prevailed.

808
00:37:09,310 --> 00:37:13,710
Sometimes Satan can take ground simply through the

809
00:37:13,710 --> 00:37:16,010
possessions that you have.

810
00:37:16,810 --> 00:37:19,190
But a big way according to the context

811
00:37:19,190 --> 00:37:22,130
of the passage here in Ephesians chapter 4

812
00:37:22,130 --> 00:37:26,270
that Satan can take ground is through anger

813
00:37:26,270 --> 00:37:29,050
and its related sins.

814
00:37:29,550 --> 00:37:32,390
Notice, be ye angry and sin not.

815
00:37:32,490 --> 00:37:35,270
And then in verse 34, you have the

816
00:37:35,270 --> 00:37:37,570
catalog of sins that relate to anger.

817
00:37:37,690 --> 00:37:41,890
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and

818
00:37:41,890 --> 00:37:46,710
clamor, that's brawling, and evil speaking be put

819
00:37:46,710 --> 00:37:50,930
away from you with all malice, that's intention

820
00:37:50,930 --> 00:37:53,250
or desire to hurt somebody else.

821
00:37:53,250 --> 00:37:55,930
So when he says, be ye angry and

822
00:37:55,930 --> 00:38:00,030
sin not, neither give place to, let not

823
00:38:00,030 --> 00:38:01,990
the sun go down upon your wrath.

824
00:38:02,030 --> 00:38:02,990
Why does he say that?

825
00:38:04,430 --> 00:38:08,130
Because if you get angry, if you get

826
00:38:08,130 --> 00:38:12,550
angered, and then in your anger you allow

827
00:38:12,550 --> 00:38:14,970
your anger to rise till it becomes sin,

828
00:38:15,110 --> 00:38:18,170
and you don't deal with that right away,

829
00:38:18,170 --> 00:38:21,470
and the sun goes down on it and

830
00:38:21,470 --> 00:38:23,470
you sleep on it.

831
00:38:23,530 --> 00:38:27,990
Parents, do not send your children to bed

832
00:38:27,990 --> 00:38:29,230
with angry words.

833
00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:34,360
Do not let your children go to bed

834
00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:35,760
when they are angry.

835
00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,600
Let not the sun go down on your

836
00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:38,980
wrath.

837
00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:43,980
Do not let the bedroom become a place

838
00:38:43,980 --> 00:38:45,420
of bitterness.

839
00:38:46,380 --> 00:38:50,680
Because when that anger turns inward and the

840
00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:54,140
sun goes down, and you lie in bed

841
00:38:54,140 --> 00:38:56,920
and you think of those angry words that

842
00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,320
were said to you, and you think of

843
00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:01,780
how disgusted you are and how upset you

844
00:39:01,780 --> 00:39:05,940
are, that anger can turn into bitterness, which

845
00:39:05,940 --> 00:39:11,560
can give Satan ground or a place in

846
00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:12,720
your life.

847
00:39:13,420 --> 00:39:17,080
The only time, folks, that anger is right

848
00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:20,720
is when it's God's anger, not yours.

849
00:39:21,720 --> 00:39:24,260
Any time that it's your anger, it is

850
00:39:24,260 --> 00:39:24,480
wrong.

851
00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:26,680
James 1 20, For the wrath of man

852
00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:28,840
worketh not the righteousness of God.

853
00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,980
Psalm 37 8, Cease from anger and forsake

854
00:39:32,980 --> 00:39:33,340
wrath.

855
00:39:33,900 --> 00:39:37,520
Ecclesiastes 7 9, Anger rests in the bosom

856
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:38,480
of fools.

857
00:39:39,140 --> 00:39:43,400
Ephesians 4 31, That word in Ephesians 4

858
00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:45,840
31 referring to anger is the same word

859
00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:47,740
that was used in Mark chapter 3 verse

860
00:39:47,740 --> 00:39:51,580
5, where Jesus displayed anger.

861
00:39:52,220 --> 00:39:54,160
It is never used again.

862
00:39:54,660 --> 00:39:56,860
The Greek word is never used again in

863
00:39:56,860 --> 00:39:59,240
the rest of the New Testament in relation

864
00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:00,920
to any other human being.

865
00:40:01,180 --> 00:40:03,080
But it is used right there to say

866
00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:07,360
to you and me, let all bitterness and

867
00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:11,020
wrath and anger be put away from you.

868
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:12,500
Jesus could handle it.

869
00:40:12,720 --> 00:40:14,060
You can't handle it.

870
00:40:14,300 --> 00:40:16,000
Get it out of your life.

871
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,460
One of Satan's biggest ways of getting his

872
00:40:21,460 --> 00:40:24,480
room or his place in a family's home

873
00:40:25,100 --> 00:40:28,160
is through the father's anger or the mother's

874
00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,040
anger or both of their anger.

875
00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:30,960
Listen to this article.

876
00:40:31,700 --> 00:40:33,160
My husband and I have three children.

877
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:35,480
In the last two years, we have tutored

878
00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:37,100
our 13-year-old daughter in math.

879
00:40:37,180 --> 00:40:39,440
However, when Daddy tries to tutor her, it

880
00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:42,980
becomes a confrontation instead of a learning experience.

881
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:44,520
He yells at her.

882
00:40:44,620 --> 00:40:45,960
He makes sarcastic comments.

883
00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:48,520
She in turn gets an attitude and resents

884
00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:50,560
that he ridicules her in front of her

885
00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:50,880
siblings.

886
00:40:51,300 --> 00:40:54,000
I find his methods immature and inefficient.

887
00:40:54,420 --> 00:40:55,160
He shouts.

888
00:40:55,480 --> 00:40:56,180
She cries.

889
00:40:56,460 --> 00:40:58,040
What is being accomplished?

890
00:40:58,940 --> 00:41:01,200
I no longer like the person my husband

891
00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:01,920
has become.

892
00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:04,120
He finds a reason to yell about something

893
00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:05,300
as soon as he gets home.

894
00:41:05,460 --> 00:41:07,040
He's told the kids that he would use

895
00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:08,820
physical discipline if it weren't for me.

896
00:41:09,100 --> 00:41:11,640
I'm ready to get a divorce because I'm

897
00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:11,980
unhappy.

898
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:12,900
The kids are unhappy.

899
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:14,880
He's obviously unhappy too.

900
00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:16,380
Now, what is happening in that home?

901
00:41:17,140 --> 00:41:20,880
That father's anger is creating all kinds of

902
00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:24,420
destruction for his wife and his children.

903
00:41:25,740 --> 00:41:28,260
How does rebellion develop?

904
00:41:28,260 --> 00:41:32,900
Anyway, here is the hurt that has come

905
00:41:32,900 --> 00:41:33,560
into your life.

906
00:41:33,640 --> 00:41:34,020
Listen to me.

907
00:41:34,260 --> 00:41:35,280
It could be real.

908
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:36,520
It could be imagined.

909
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:37,540
It doesn't matter.

910
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:40,500
With the hurt comes bitterness.

911
00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:45,560
You review the offense over and over and

912
00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:47,300
as you do, what's happening?

913
00:41:47,580 --> 00:41:50,460
The Bible talks about a root of bitterness

914
00:41:50,460 --> 00:41:53,360
springing up and thereby many be defiled.

915
00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:56,260
So, you've had this hurt.

916
00:41:56,260 --> 00:41:58,840
It could have been caused by anger.

917
00:41:59,340 --> 00:42:00,360
It may have been.

918
00:42:01,300 --> 00:42:04,080
And you review it over and over and

919
00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:06,780
as you do, it's like you're pushing that

920
00:42:06,780 --> 00:42:09,940
root under the soil and watering it.

921
00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:13,700
And then you know what I watch?

922
00:42:14,540 --> 00:42:18,080
I see those who then become rebellious and

923
00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:18,800
stubborn.

924
00:42:19,980 --> 00:42:23,200
First Samuel 15, 23 says, Rebellion is the

925
00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:26,660
sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity

926
00:42:26,660 --> 00:42:27,920
and idolatry.

927
00:42:28,020 --> 00:42:33,120
So, you've got rebellion like witchcraft and stubbornness

928
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,780
like iniquity and idolatry.

929
00:42:37,300 --> 00:42:41,020
And here now is somebody who says, Boy,

930
00:42:41,100 --> 00:42:42,320
I tell you, I've heard this so many

931
00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:42,540
times.

932
00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:44,680
I've had, especially young people, but I've had

933
00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:45,820
adults do the same thing.

934
00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:48,600
Look me right in the eye and say

935
00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:52,440
to me, I like being bitter.

936
00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:55,800
I like being angry.

937
00:42:56,060 --> 00:42:58,040
I am not going to forgive.

938
00:42:58,280 --> 00:42:59,560
I don't want to forgive.

939
00:42:59,700 --> 00:43:02,280
I don't see any reason for me to

940
00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:04,900
forgive what they have done to me.

941
00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:09,440
So, here is this anger and it is

942
00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:13,180
producing Satan, being able to take a place

943
00:43:13,180 --> 00:43:15,940
and build a stronghold in somebody's life.

944
00:43:15,940 --> 00:43:19,120
And this person now, what did it say?

945
00:43:19,420 --> 00:43:23,300
Casting down imaginations and every high thought, every

946
00:43:23,300 --> 00:43:25,620
high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge

947
00:43:25,620 --> 00:43:28,420
of Christ and bringing into captivity every thought

948
00:43:28,420 --> 00:43:29,600
to the obedience of Christ.

949
00:43:30,180 --> 00:43:32,300
So, what happens is this person in their

950
00:43:32,300 --> 00:43:33,980
mind begins to justify this.

951
00:43:34,580 --> 00:43:35,920
I have a right to be angry.

952
00:43:36,480 --> 00:43:38,080
I have a right to be unforgiving.

953
00:43:38,420 --> 00:43:40,300
I have a right to be rebellious and

954
00:43:40,300 --> 00:43:41,680
no, I'm not going to quit.

955
00:43:41,780 --> 00:43:42,340
Thank you.

956
00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:43,880
I like it.

957
00:43:44,620 --> 00:43:47,360
I think it's fine and I'm going to

958
00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:48,560
hold on to it.

959
00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:51,860
And they don't realize they're not holding on

960
00:43:51,860 --> 00:43:52,540
to anything.

961
00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:54,880
They just opened the door to the devil.

962
00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:58,600
And he has created a place.

963
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:00,400
He has created a...

964
00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:01,780
He has taken a room.

965
00:44:01,900 --> 00:44:05,040
He has created a stronghold and a fortress

966
00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:05,700
in their life.

967
00:44:05,980 --> 00:44:06,840
Could I tell you something?

968
00:44:06,900 --> 00:44:08,880
You talk to somebody who believes a lie,

969
00:44:08,940 --> 00:44:10,620
sometimes it's hard to convince them otherwise.

970
00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:14,120
Have you ever noticed how you can talk

971
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:16,160
to people who believe abortion is all right,

972
00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:19,480
the murdering of helpless unborn babies, and they

973
00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:20,880
will fight you over that?

974
00:44:21,740 --> 00:44:23,020
Have you ever noticed that there are people

975
00:44:23,020 --> 00:44:25,200
who think homosexuality is all right?

976
00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:27,460
That there's no big deal, that sodomy is

977
00:44:27,460 --> 00:44:29,420
just something that well, you know, it's no

978
00:44:29,420 --> 00:44:29,680
big deal.

979
00:44:29,940 --> 00:44:32,800
They have allowed Satan to create a stronghold

980
00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:35,660
in their minds, in their imaginations and they

981
00:44:35,660 --> 00:44:36,980
think that is right.

982
00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:41,820
Through anger and strife and bitterness and unforgiveness,

983
00:44:42,360 --> 00:44:45,880
even ungratefulness, Satan can take ground in a

984
00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:47,320
person's life.

985
00:44:49,180 --> 00:44:52,660
Hebrews 12, 15, and 16 is the passage

986
00:44:52,660 --> 00:44:55,320
that talks about how that root of bitterness

987
00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:57,980
springing up and thereby many be defiled.

988
00:44:58,340 --> 00:45:00,120
And then it goes on and it says

989
00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:04,740
this, lest there be any fornicator or profane

990
00:45:04,740 --> 00:45:06,520
person as Esau who for one morsel of

991
00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:07,640
meat sold his birthright.

992
00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:10,800
So he relates, watch me now, he relates

993
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:13,980
bitterness and moral failure.

994
00:45:14,780 --> 00:45:16,320
And you know what I've seen over and

995
00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:17,160
over and over again?

996
00:45:17,280 --> 00:45:19,420
I have seen when a young person gets

997
00:45:19,420 --> 00:45:20,060
rebellious.

998
00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:22,200
And it's not always a young person.

999
00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:23,460
It could be almost anybody.

1000
00:45:23,660 --> 00:45:25,840
They get rebellious or they get bitter.

1001
00:45:26,720 --> 00:45:30,260
The next thing that happens is the I

1002
00:45:30,260 --> 00:45:31,500
don't care attitude.

1003
00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:35,640
Well, they treated me that way.

1004
00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:39,060
Mom did that, dad did that, brother did

1005
00:45:39,060 --> 00:45:39,380
that.

1006
00:45:40,160 --> 00:45:42,700
I just don't care.

1007
00:45:43,540 --> 00:45:45,580
Now where does the don't care attitude lead

1008
00:45:45,580 --> 00:45:45,760
to?

1009
00:45:45,860 --> 00:45:47,160
It leads to moral failure.

1010
00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:50,300
Because you don't care what happens anymore and

1011
00:45:50,300 --> 00:45:53,540
so the gates are wide open and Satan

1012
00:45:53,540 --> 00:45:57,060
can do anything he wants to to your

1013
00:45:57,060 --> 00:45:57,440
life.

1014
00:45:57,600 --> 00:45:59,840
In 2 Corinthians 2, 10 and 11, Paul

1015
00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:01,480
talked about the need to forgive others.

1016
00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:05,560
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us

1017
00:46:06,060 --> 00:46:09,980
for we are not ignorant of his devices.

1018
00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:13,240
Another way Satan can take ground in your

1019
00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:14,580
life is through jealousy.

1020
00:46:15,860 --> 00:46:18,700
In 1 Samuel chapter 18 verses 7 through

1021
00:46:18,700 --> 00:46:21,160
9, the Israeli army had returned from defeating

1022
00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:22,640
Goliath and the Philistine army.

1023
00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:25,280
Women were singing and dancing in the streets.

1024
00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:28,240
Saul has slain his thousands.

1025
00:46:29,260 --> 00:46:30,460
Oh, I like that song.

1026
00:46:30,460 --> 00:46:32,560
Boy, that sounded good to his ears.

1027
00:46:33,340 --> 00:46:34,860
Then they came to the second stanza.

1028
00:46:35,580 --> 00:46:37,280
Same tune, different words.

1029
00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:39,840
Saul's expression changed.

1030
00:46:39,940 --> 00:46:41,780
The glimmer in his eye changed to a

1031
00:46:41,780 --> 00:46:42,980
grimace on his face.

1032
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:47,100
David has slain his ten thousands.

1033
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:51,320
And Saul said, what can he have more

1034
00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:52,220
but the kingdom?

1035
00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:56,640
Verse 9 says, and Saul eyed David from

1036
00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:58,780
that day and forward.

1037
00:46:58,780 --> 00:47:00,620
Could I ask you, listen to me, who

1038
00:47:00,620 --> 00:47:01,860
are you eyeing tonight?

1039
00:47:02,980 --> 00:47:04,320
Who is it, teenage girl?

1040
00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:05,760
Who is it, teenage boy?

1041
00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:07,740
Who is it, worker on the job?

1042
00:47:08,200 --> 00:47:10,420
Who is it who has received more acclaim,

1043
00:47:11,300 --> 00:47:15,460
gotten more opportunities, gotten more recognition, gotten a

1044
00:47:15,460 --> 00:47:17,140
bigger raise or a higher promotion?

1045
00:47:17,520 --> 00:47:19,520
Who is it sings better than you or

1046
00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:20,900
more often than you?

1047
00:47:21,120 --> 00:47:24,200
Who is it who is a better teacher

1048
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:27,560
or got a better title or plays basketball

1049
00:47:27,560 --> 00:47:28,740
better than you?

1050
00:47:29,460 --> 00:47:31,180
Who are you jealous of?

1051
00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:34,020
The very next verse says, it came to

1052
00:47:34,020 --> 00:47:37,300
pass on the morrow that the evil spirit

1053
00:47:37,300 --> 00:47:39,860
from God came upon Saul.

1054
00:47:40,180 --> 00:47:43,120
And it simply means God gave an evil

1055
00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:46,300
spirit permission to take over a place in

1056
00:47:46,300 --> 00:47:46,980
Saul's life.

1057
00:47:47,060 --> 00:47:47,280
Why?

1058
00:47:47,720 --> 00:47:50,540
Satan had earned and had a right to

1059
00:47:50,540 --> 00:47:51,260
that place.

1060
00:47:51,380 --> 00:47:52,680
That is why.

1061
00:47:53,460 --> 00:47:56,180
Satan is looking for a place to stay.

1062
00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:58,620
He's probably not going to come in the

1063
00:47:58,620 --> 00:47:59,240
front door.

1064
00:47:59,460 --> 00:48:01,660
He's probably going to come in the back

1065
00:48:01,660 --> 00:48:06,360
door through all these different ways that we're

1066
00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:07,320
talking about.

1067
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:09,740
You know what I've noticed about teenage rebels?

1068
00:48:10,900 --> 00:48:12,580
A rebel is one of the most confused

1069
00:48:12,580 --> 00:48:14,220
and deceived people alive.

1070
00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:16,620
They really think they are running their own

1071
00:48:16,620 --> 00:48:16,980
life.

1072
00:48:17,900 --> 00:48:21,380
In reality, they have lost control, are out

1073
00:48:21,380 --> 00:48:25,600
of control, and Satan is running their life

1074
00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:26,460
for them.

1075
00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:29,460
Could I share with you what I believe

1076
00:48:29,460 --> 00:48:31,780
is a strong biblical thought about why some

1077
00:48:31,780 --> 00:48:33,720
parents lose control of their children?

1078
00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:37,060
I wonder if when parents refuse to go

1079
00:48:37,060 --> 00:48:39,440
to the trouble to make a child obey,

1080
00:48:40,240 --> 00:48:46,040
the child's continued disobedience then allows Satan to

1081
00:48:46,040 --> 00:48:48,640
get ground in the child's life so that

1082
00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:50,880
the child is more difficult than ever to

1083
00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:51,320
control.

1084
00:48:52,140 --> 00:48:54,000
Now, if that is true, then parents would

1085
00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:56,380
have to both pray over the child and

1086
00:48:56,380 --> 00:48:59,020
insist on first-time obedience before the child

1087
00:48:59,020 --> 00:48:59,720
could be set free.

1088
00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:01,100
Pastor, give me some Scripture.

1089
00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:01,780
I'm glad you asked.

1090
00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:03,400
I was about to in Mark chapter 9.

1091
00:49:03,780 --> 00:49:05,840
A father brought a son to Jesus who

1092
00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:08,060
had been under the control of an unclean

1093
00:49:08,060 --> 00:49:10,320
spirit since he was a child.

1094
00:49:10,860 --> 00:49:11,820
Mark 9, 21.

1095
00:49:12,040 --> 00:49:14,300
And that Greek word was used in other

1096
00:49:14,300 --> 00:49:17,600
places to refer to children as young as

1097
00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:19,900
three years of age.

1098
00:49:21,860 --> 00:49:23,980
Satan may also come into your life through

1099
00:49:23,980 --> 00:49:24,360
pride.

1100
00:49:25,440 --> 00:49:27,780
1 Timothy 3, 6 warns how pride can

1101
00:49:27,780 --> 00:49:30,660
come into a believer's life so that he

1102
00:49:30,660 --> 00:49:34,080
would then, quote, fall into the condemnation of

1103
00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:34,580
the devil.

1104
00:49:35,740 --> 00:49:38,600
Pride is taking personal credit for what God

1105
00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:39,400
and others have done.

1106
00:49:39,700 --> 00:49:41,580
Pride is trying to impress others.

1107
00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:44,720
Pride is overestimating one's own importance.

1108
00:49:45,140 --> 00:49:47,580
Pride is thinking we are better than somebody

1109
00:49:47,580 --> 00:49:47,880
else.

1110
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:48,420
Listen to me.

1111
00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:50,800
At the heart of racism is pride.

1112
00:49:52,380 --> 00:49:55,880
At the heart of a lot of indebtedness,

1113
00:49:55,920 --> 00:49:57,800
not all of it, but some indebtedness is

1114
00:49:57,800 --> 00:49:58,100
pride.

1115
00:49:58,380 --> 00:50:00,720
At the heart of a lot of contention

1116
00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:01,320
is pride.

1117
00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:03,620
The Bible says by pride comes contention.

1118
00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:07,520
Satan may get a foothold in your life

1119
00:50:07,520 --> 00:50:08,460
through pride.

1120
00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:12,560
Satan can only do his work if he

1121
00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:15,500
can get the ground in somebody's life so

1122
00:50:15,500 --> 00:50:16,960
he can do it.

1123
00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:19,200
And do you realize what I have just

1124
00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:19,980
described here?

1125
00:50:19,980 --> 00:50:23,120
Not only the history of the unclean spirits,

1126
00:50:23,260 --> 00:50:27,060
the home they desire, how they move in,

1127
00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:30,520
but I'm describing to you right now the

1128
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:32,300
horror of a satanic takeover.

1129
00:50:33,480 --> 00:50:36,480
Because once Satan gets a foot in your

1130
00:50:36,480 --> 00:50:39,760
life, a foothold, he takes that one place,

1131
00:50:39,820 --> 00:50:41,060
he doesn't stop there.

1132
00:50:42,180 --> 00:50:46,200
Then he says, I've got this room, I'm

1133
00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:47,700
going to try to get another room here.

1134
00:50:47,700 --> 00:50:50,520
And he takes more ground and more ground

1135
00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:51,400
and more ground.

1136
00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:54,080
And I've seen people who started out with

1137
00:50:54,080 --> 00:50:59,340
a little bit of bitterness over rebellion and

1138
00:50:59,340 --> 00:51:02,240
it wasn't long until they were in alcohol

1139
00:51:02,240 --> 00:51:08,180
and drugs and pornography and immorality and homosexuality

1140
00:51:08,180 --> 00:51:12,100
and other things too wild and too wicked

1141
00:51:12,100 --> 00:51:14,480
for me to even mention from this bullpen

1142
00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:17,300
because they allowed Satan to take the ground

1143
00:51:17,300 --> 00:51:18,120
in their life.

1144
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:21,600
So what is, I'm glad there is hope

1145
00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:22,740
for deliverance.

1146
00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:25,500
What is the hope for deliverance?

1147
00:51:25,580 --> 00:51:27,780
I'm talking to somebody right now who may

1148
00:51:27,780 --> 00:51:30,340
have already given Satan a room or ground

1149
00:51:30,340 --> 00:51:30,980
in your life.

1150
00:51:31,080 --> 00:51:31,740
What do you do?

1151
00:51:32,020 --> 00:51:34,240
Remember that Paul said the weapons of our

1152
00:51:34,240 --> 00:51:38,120
warfare are not carnal but are mighty through

1153
00:51:38,120 --> 00:51:40,940
God to the pulling down of strongholds.

1154
00:51:41,160 --> 00:51:41,800
What do you do?

1155
00:51:41,800 --> 00:51:46,400
First of all, you recognize who your enemy

1156
00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:47,160
is.

1157
00:51:48,480 --> 00:51:50,700
First Peter 5, verse 8 says, your adversary

1158
00:51:50,700 --> 00:51:51,660
the devil.

1159
00:51:52,580 --> 00:51:54,220
Did you know if Satan can get you

1160
00:51:54,220 --> 00:51:56,940
mad at others instead of upset at him,

1161
00:51:57,340 --> 00:51:58,700
he scored a double victory.

1162
00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:03,160
The Bible doesn't say your adversary, your dad.

1163
00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:06,460
The Bible doesn't say your adversary, your mom.

1164
00:52:06,540 --> 00:52:08,780
The Bible doesn't say your adversary, your wife.

1165
00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:11,420
The Bible doesn't say your adversary, your husband.

1166
00:52:11,420 --> 00:52:14,140
The Bible doesn't say your adversary, your ex

1167
00:52:14,140 --> 00:52:16,360
-husband or ex-wife or son or daughter

1168
00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:16,960
or...

1169
00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:17,900
It doesn't say...

1170
00:52:17,900 --> 00:52:20,200
The Bible doesn't say your adversary, your in

1171
00:52:20,200 --> 00:52:21,480
-laws or your neighbor.

1172
00:52:21,620 --> 00:52:22,580
It doesn't say that.

1173
00:52:24,320 --> 00:52:28,300
No, it says your adversary, the devil.

1174
00:52:28,540 --> 00:52:30,380
And you're going to have to bring...

1175
00:52:30,380 --> 00:52:31,400
Somebody put it like...

1176
00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:33,860
Somebody said, and I wonder about this.

1177
00:52:33,900 --> 00:52:34,840
I don't really know about this.

1178
00:52:34,900 --> 00:52:35,740
I just share it with you.

1179
00:52:35,740 --> 00:52:40,420
They said, fiery darts are thoughts that Satan

1180
00:52:40,420 --> 00:52:42,820
sends your way to deceive you.

1181
00:52:43,920 --> 00:52:46,500
Proverbs 14, 12 says, there is a way

1182
00:52:46,500 --> 00:52:48,740
which seemeth right unto man.

1183
00:52:48,900 --> 00:52:51,740
And so Satan will plant these thoughts in

1184
00:52:51,740 --> 00:52:52,860
your mind.

1185
00:52:53,240 --> 00:52:55,640
In Acts chapter 6 they were asked, why

1186
00:52:55,640 --> 00:52:58,760
has Satan tempted you to lie?

1187
00:52:59,520 --> 00:53:02,060
So you've got to recognize who the adversary

1188
00:53:02,060 --> 00:53:06,400
is and recognize the lies he has told

1189
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:09,500
you such as you are justified to be

1190
00:53:09,500 --> 00:53:09,760
bitter.

1191
00:53:10,020 --> 00:53:11,920
You are justified to not forgive.

1192
00:53:12,260 --> 00:53:14,620
You are justified to hold on to this.

1193
00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:17,540
And Satan holds on the ground.

1194
00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:19,260
Recognize your enemy.

1195
00:53:20,380 --> 00:53:22,280
Confess your sin to God.

1196
00:53:23,100 --> 00:53:24,040
Whatever it is.

1197
00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:25,440
Is it anger?

1198
00:53:26,200 --> 00:53:27,180
Is it bitterness?

1199
00:53:27,500 --> 00:53:28,420
Is it rebellion?

1200
00:53:28,740 --> 00:53:31,120
Is it rock music?

1201
00:53:31,120 --> 00:53:33,240
Because rock music is the thing.

1202
00:53:33,460 --> 00:53:36,700
Anytime you find rebellion, in our day you

1203
00:53:36,700 --> 00:53:39,840
almost always find rock music which is feeding

1204
00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:42,500
that and building that.

1205
00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:45,280
Whatever the sin is, is it jealousy?

1206
00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:47,420
Confess that sin to God.

1207
00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:50,840
And then ask God in the name and

1208
00:53:50,840 --> 00:53:52,760
through the power of the shed blood of

1209
00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:55,420
Jesus to take back any place or ground

1210
00:53:55,420 --> 00:53:57,840
that Satan may have taken in your life.

1211
00:53:57,840 --> 00:54:01,080
Revelation 12, 11 says they overcame Satan, thank

1212
00:54:01,080 --> 00:54:03,480
God for this, by the blood of the

1213
00:54:03,480 --> 00:54:03,820
Lamb.

1214
00:54:05,140 --> 00:54:07,560
And then you've got to fill the emptiness

1215
00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:08,240
of your life.

1216
00:54:08,460 --> 00:54:10,360
Remember that guy in Matthew chapter 12?

1217
00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:14,740
His life was, it was empty and you

1218
00:54:14,740 --> 00:54:16,460
better put some, once you get the devil

1219
00:54:16,460 --> 00:54:18,000
out you better fill your life.

1220
00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:19,300
What you gonna fill your life with?

1221
00:54:19,420 --> 00:54:20,980
You fill your life with truth.

1222
00:54:21,900 --> 00:54:24,200
You fill your life with the truth that

1223
00:54:24,200 --> 00:54:26,420
you can love anybody you choose to love.

1224
00:54:26,420 --> 00:54:28,700
You can forgive anybody if you choose to

1225
00:54:28,700 --> 00:54:29,040
forgive.

1226
00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:31,840
You can get victory over any sin.

1227
00:54:32,220 --> 00:54:34,140
Satan will tell you, you can't get victory

1228
00:54:34,140 --> 00:54:34,520
over this.

1229
00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:36,140
I want to tell you, through the blood

1230
00:54:36,140 --> 00:54:38,140
of Jesus you get victory over any sin.

1231
00:54:39,240 --> 00:54:43,220
You fill that empty room with truth, with

1232
00:54:43,220 --> 00:54:44,960
the power of the Holy Spirit, with the

1233
00:54:44,960 --> 00:54:47,320
joy of the Lord, with faithful Christian service,

1234
00:54:47,500 --> 00:54:49,960
with witnessing to the lost, with Bible reading

1235
00:54:49,960 --> 00:54:53,320
and meditation and prayer, with strong godly standards,

1236
00:54:53,520 --> 00:54:55,760
with godly melodious music.

1237
00:54:56,580 --> 00:55:00,320
You look for every opportunity you can to

1238
00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:01,320
yield your rights.

1239
00:55:01,700 --> 00:55:02,360
What's he saying?

1240
00:55:02,660 --> 00:55:04,960
Not only in Ephesians 4.31 did he

1241
00:55:04,960 --> 00:55:06,660
say, let all this be put away from

1242
00:55:06,660 --> 00:55:06,800
you.

1243
00:55:06,820 --> 00:55:08,800
In the next verse he said, and be

1244
00:55:08,800 --> 00:55:13,220
ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one

1245
00:55:13,220 --> 00:55:16,060
another, even as God for Christ's sake hath

1246
00:55:16,060 --> 00:55:16,620
forgiven you.

1247
00:55:18,080 --> 00:55:21,240
Ask yourself this question, is this really worth

1248
00:55:21,240 --> 00:55:23,360
fighting for from God's viewpoint?

1249
00:55:24,060 --> 00:55:25,840
A lot of people fight over stuff not

1250
00:55:25,840 --> 00:55:26,600
worth fighting for.

1251
00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:30,040
A lady wrote, we know two sisters who

1252
00:55:30,040 --> 00:55:31,960
haven't spoken to each other in ten years

1253
00:55:31,960 --> 00:55:34,880
because they both wanted their mother's ice cream

1254
00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:35,320
scoop.

1255
00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:39,200
Come on folks, yield your rights.

1256
00:55:40,080 --> 00:55:42,040
Give up the ice cream scoop or the

1257
00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:44,140
dresser or the end table or the picture

1258
00:55:44,140 --> 00:55:46,040
or the money or the car or the

1259
00:55:46,040 --> 00:55:48,140
dog or the cat or the room or

1260
00:55:48,140 --> 00:55:50,120
the parking place or the dress or the

1261
00:55:50,120 --> 00:55:51,860
anger or the shoes or the right to

1262
00:55:51,860 --> 00:55:54,040
be bitter or the right to have the

1263
00:55:54,040 --> 00:55:55,660
last say so.

1264
00:55:57,200 --> 00:56:00,180
Decide when Satan comes to me looking for

1265
00:56:00,180 --> 00:56:04,160
a place to build a stronghold, he's just

1266
00:56:04,160 --> 00:56:07,880
going to have to keep looking because by

1267
00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:09,860
the grace and power of the Lord Jesus

1268
00:56:09,860 --> 00:56:13,120
Christ, his strength is going to be gone.

1269
00:56:13,740 --> 00:56:16,340
And by putting all of this in my

1270
00:56:16,340 --> 00:56:18,380
life where it should be like it should

1271
00:56:18,380 --> 00:56:20,760
be, I will be able to build a

1272
00:56:20,760 --> 00:56:25,420
fortress of truth that will stand against Satan's

1273
00:56:25,420 --> 00:56:26,540
strongholds.

1274
00:56:27,140 --> 00:56:31,240
I began with Titus Kamala, saved out of

1275
00:56:31,240 --> 00:56:32,460
a terrible background.

1276
00:56:33,660 --> 00:56:35,680
And after he got saved, started preaching and

1277
00:56:35,680 --> 00:56:37,760
winning souls and a witch doctor came after

1278
00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:40,180
him and said to him and two guys

1279
00:56:40,180 --> 00:56:42,940
with him, my God, Satan is bigger and

1280
00:56:42,940 --> 00:56:44,640
more powerful than your God, the Lord Jesus

1281
00:56:44,640 --> 00:56:46,260
Christ and I'm going to prove it to

1282
00:56:46,260 --> 00:56:46,400
you.

1283
00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:48,620
He opened a basket, took out a deadly

1284
00:56:48,620 --> 00:56:50,460
cobra that he'd used to kill people and

1285
00:56:50,460 --> 00:56:51,940
he threw it at Titus Kamala.

1286
00:56:52,760 --> 00:56:55,000
The cobra reared his head, spread his cape,

1287
00:56:55,140 --> 00:56:55,940
poised to strike.

1288
00:56:56,080 --> 00:56:57,860
Brother Kamala said, I didn't know what to

1289
00:56:57,860 --> 00:56:59,020
do, so I did the only thing I

1290
00:56:59,020 --> 00:56:59,840
could think of to do.

1291
00:56:59,960 --> 00:57:02,100
I looked at the snake and I remembered

1292
00:57:02,100 --> 00:57:05,680
Mark 16, 18, they shall take up serpents

1293
00:57:05,680 --> 00:57:07,580
and if they shall drink any deadly thing,

1294
00:57:07,640 --> 00:57:08,660
it shall not hurt them.

1295
00:57:08,840 --> 00:57:10,460
And I looked at the snake and I

1296
00:57:10,460 --> 00:57:13,080
said, I command you in the name of

1297
00:57:13,080 --> 00:57:15,320
the Lord Jesus Christ to be gone from

1298
00:57:15,320 --> 00:57:15,640
here.

1299
00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:19,640
And the snake fell over backward and crawled

1300
00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:20,680
back to the basket.

1301
00:57:22,590 --> 00:57:26,230
The second time, the witch doctor said, we're

1302
00:57:26,230 --> 00:57:26,870
not done.

1303
00:57:27,990 --> 00:57:29,870
Grabbed the snake out of the basket, threw

1304
00:57:29,870 --> 00:57:31,550
it at the guy again and he did

1305
00:57:31,550 --> 00:57:33,250
exactly the same thing.

1306
00:57:33,530 --> 00:57:35,070
I command you in the name of the

1307
00:57:35,070 --> 00:57:37,010
Lord Jesus Christ to be gone from here.

1308
00:57:37,650 --> 00:57:39,350
And the snake crawled back to the basket.

1309
00:57:39,550 --> 00:57:42,130
Third time, same thing happened.

1310
00:57:43,090 --> 00:57:45,250
And by that point, he was feeling his

1311
00:57:45,250 --> 00:57:45,630
faith.

1312
00:57:48,190 --> 00:57:50,350
And I wouldn't suggest this, I'm just telling

1313
00:57:50,350 --> 00:57:50,910
you what happened.

1314
00:57:51,030 --> 00:57:51,890
This is what happened.

1315
00:57:52,370 --> 00:57:54,470
He looked at the witch doctor and said,

1316
00:57:54,950 --> 00:57:56,330
now, enough of this.

1317
00:57:56,810 --> 00:57:58,970
You've got two minutes to get saved or

1318
00:57:58,970 --> 00:58:00,310
you're going to die and go to hell.

1319
00:58:03,510 --> 00:58:05,690
And he started looking at his watch and

1320
00:58:05,690 --> 00:58:06,550
counting down.

1321
00:58:08,090 --> 00:58:10,810
It's been 30 seconds, I suggest you get

1322
00:58:10,810 --> 00:58:11,250
saved.

1323
00:58:12,190 --> 00:58:15,410
At one minute he said, sir, you have

1324
00:58:15,410 --> 00:58:17,430
one minute left to live.

1325
00:58:17,730 --> 00:58:19,230
You've seen the power of my...

1326
00:58:19,230 --> 00:58:20,610
I don't suggest that, I'm telling you what

1327
00:58:20,610 --> 00:58:20,910
happened.

1328
00:58:21,530 --> 00:58:24,090
And the witch doctor screamed, tell me what

1329
00:58:24,090 --> 00:58:24,730
to do.

1330
00:58:26,150 --> 00:58:28,610
And he said, fall on your knees right

1331
00:58:28,610 --> 00:58:31,710
here, repent of your sin and ask God

1332
00:58:31,710 --> 00:58:33,910
to forgive you and cleanse you from your

1333
00:58:33,910 --> 00:58:36,930
sin and renounce your spiritism and your witchcraft

1334
00:58:36,930 --> 00:58:38,650
and trust Jesus as your savior.

1335
00:58:39,930 --> 00:58:43,690
And within 30 seconds to spare, he cried

1336
00:58:43,690 --> 00:58:45,590
out to God and got saved.

1337
00:58:46,150 --> 00:58:49,710
And brother Kamala said the fellow got baptized

1338
00:58:49,710 --> 00:58:52,750
and began faithfully serving God in their church.

1339
00:58:54,090 --> 00:58:58,870
I want to tell you, thank God, God's

1340
00:58:58,870 --> 00:59:02,070
power is more powerful than Satan's.

1341
00:59:03,090 --> 00:59:05,390
You know Jesus, have you trusted him?

1342
00:59:06,250 --> 00:59:08,370
Does Satan have ground in your life?

1343
00:59:09,010 --> 00:59:11,050
You've been listening to From the Pulpit.

1344
00:59:11,170 --> 00:59:13,110
This week you heard S.M. Davis with

1345
00:59:13,110 --> 00:59:15,530
his message, Conquering Satan's Strongholds.

1346
00:59:15,710 --> 00:59:17,770
Tune in next week for another powerful message

1347
00:59:17,770 --> 00:59:19,670
from God's word on From the Pulpit.