We want to continue our study in the
New Covenant or the Better Covenant.
The last few studies we were considering how
the New Covenant is superior to and better
than the Old Covenant.
And I mentioned that this doesn't mean that
we are not interested in the Old Testament.
We're talking about the Old Covenant that God
established through Moses, which we saw yesterday was
obsolete and abolished.
And if we don't understand the terms of
the New Covenant and our privileges under the
New Covenant, I believe that we can never
enter into the fullness of what God wants
us to experience during our earthly life.
My own experience with many, many believers has
been that this is the fundamental reason why
they never seem to come into what the
Bible calls the rest of God.
Their life seems to be perpetually in unrest,
and they seem to have an up-and
-down experience, sometimes on the mountaintop, sometimes in
the valley, sometimes praising the Lord, sometimes depressed.
And yet that is not the path that
God has designed for His people.
Proverbs 4.18 says very clearly, the path
of the righteous is like the shining light
that shines more and more unto the perfect
day.
It's like when sunrise is compared there to
the new birth, and the midday position of
the sun is compared to the time when
we become like Jesus, totally, sinlessly perfect, when
Christ comes again.
But from the moment of new birth to
that midday position, where we become like Christ,
there must be a steady growth, like the
light of the sun that shines brighter and
brighter, and you know the sun never backslides.
It's always going forward, forward, forward, forward.
That, Proverbs 4.18 says, is the will
of God for everyone who is righteous, who
lives by faith.
If that is not our experience, you will
discover the reason is invariably that you are
trying to live under the old covenant, trying
to live the Christian life under the old
covenant, and it just doesn't work.
So let me just review what we have
already covered.
First of all, we saw that in the
new covenant, we don't come to God as
God, but as a father.
This is fundamental, this is the foundation.
If you don't get this right, we're going
to have a lot of problems along the
way.
We come to God as father.
We refuse to come to him on any
other basis.
In the Old Testament, they could not come
like that.
Every heathen religion teaches man to fear this
awesome God who is out to punish them.
Jesus said that he was our father, and
we must be absolutely clear on this.
Then secondly, we saw that in the old
covenant, they were under law, and the distinctive
word of the law was, thou shalt or
thou shalt not.
But in the new covenant, we are under
grace, and the word in the new covenant
is, I will, I will write my laws
in your heart and mind.
God's grace comes to help us in our
time of need.
It is sufficient for our need.
If we try to live without that grace,
then of course we fall, and it is
human struggle.
Then it is an up-and-down experience.
And then thirdly, we saw that in the
old covenant, they live by sight, and that
in the new covenant, we live by faith.
We don't look for visible signs.
When people testify about visions and signs, it
is not an indication of spirituality.
A lot of people who claim to have
these visions, maybe they do have them, I
don't question that.
But I've seen a lot of carnality in
their lives.
They don't know how to control their temper,
even at home.
What's the use of seeing angels if you
don't know how to talk to your wife?
I don't think your wife's impressed of you
just because you saw angels.
So it's a life of faith, not of
sight.
And then we saw yesterday another characteristic of
the new covenant, that the Holy Spirit could
dwell within.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit could
only dwell upon a person.
The Spirit came upon David.
The Spirit came upon Samson.
The Spirit clothed Gideon.
It says in Judges 6.34. It's something
like a dress.
It's like a shirt or a dress that
we wear.
It can be taken off.
And the Spirit left people.
Spirit came upon Samson and left Samson.
But when the Spirit was upon him, he
could do mighty works on the outside.
We saw that in Hebrews 11, by faith.
Every one of those Old Testament people did
things by faith on the outside.
They didn't live by faith.
No.
None of them lived by faith.
They did certain actions by faith.
Splitting the Red Sea, pulling down the walls
of Jericho.
And many people are taken up with these
external things.
But in the New Testament, we live by
faith.
The Spirit comes within.
That's the meaning of John 7.39, when
it says, the Spirit was not yet given
in this way, because Jesus was not yet
glorified.
The first human being in whom the Spirit
dwelt was Jesus.
And God became man.
He lived on earth as a man.
And he lived in the power of the
Holy Spirit that dwelt within him.
And came upon him after his baptism.
So we see that Jesus is our example
in all these areas.
In every area, he is our forerunner.
There is a difference between the Spirit being
upon and the Spirit being within.
You take the case of Samson.
When he saw a lion.
Now, our natural tendency is to run when
we see a lion.
But when Samson saw a lion, and when
the Spirit of God came upon him, he
could catch that lion and tear it to
pieces.
But when he saw Delilah, she tore him
to pieces.
Because there was another lion inside Samson.
It was called the lion of sexual lust.
He could not conquer that.
The Spirit came upon David and he could
slay Goliath.
He could face Goliath.
But when he saw Bathsheba, he fell.
Because within these men was another lion.
There was one stronger than Goliath inside David's
heart.
That was the giant of sexual lust.
He could not conquer that one.
So that clearly proves that the lion inside
is much more powerful than the lion outside.
And this is what God could never accomplish
in man during the age of the law.
The greatest men who lived under the law
could not deal with sin within.
Their heart was constantly defiled.
Many of them could not even keep the
external law, thou shalt not commit adultery.
But now under the new covenant, the Spirit
comes within.
Jesus said in John 14, the Holy Spirit
is now with you, but he will be
in you.
And within you, he will fulfill the righteousness
of the law.
He will write the law in your heart.
God will work in you in the new
covenant, like it says in Philippians 2, to
will and to do his good pleasure.
That is to write, put his law in
our mind and in our heart.
To will and to do.
To give me a desire to do it
and the ability to do it.
I'm sure all of us will acknowledge that
it was God who gave you the desire
to do God's will.
That wasn't of your own making.
The good news is, the same God who
gave you the desire to do God's will,
has also promised to give you the ability.
God works in us not only to will,
but to do his good pleasure.
We need to have faith for that.
Now today we come to the fifth area
where there is a distinct difference between the
old covenant and the new covenant.
Our subject today is Satan defeated.
In the entire Old Testament, from Genesis to
Malachi, we never read of a single Old
Testament prophet or saint fighting Satan.
Never.
The closest we come to it is that
sometime when Daniel was praying in Daniel chapter
10, but even there it was Michael who
was fighting Satan, not Daniel.
Do you know who the Old Testament people
fought?
The Israelites, the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Amorites,
the Hittites, the Moabites and many otherites.
These are the ones they fought.
They fought human beings.
In the new covenant, let me read to
you, Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12.
We have looked at many distinctive features of
the new covenant and many ways by which
we can identify whether you are under the
new covenant or the old covenant.
For example, I told you the other day,
sin shall not be master over you because
you are not under law, but under grace.
So one way to know whether we have
come into the full blessing of the new
covenant is to ask ourselves, does sin have
the mastery over us?
Does sin have the mastery over us?
If sin has the mastery over us, well,
we are still under law.
You may be baptized in the Holy Spirit,
you may speak in tongues, but you are
still under the law because sin has mastery
over you.
That is the test.
Do you know God as the Father or
a distant God?
Do you want to live by sight or
by faith?
It is very easy to know whether you
are under the new covenant or the old.
Here is one more test, Ephesians 6.12.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.
That means we don't fight with human beings.
But we fight against those evil rulers, powers,
world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces
of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Do you fight with human beings?
You are under the old covenant.
Whether it is Philistines or Amorites or your
neighbor or your wife or your boss or
anyone.
If you fight with human beings, you are
under the old covenant.
A new covenant Christian, his position is, we
wrestle not, we do not fight with human
beings.
In fact, one of the first qualifications to
fight Satan is that you stop fighting with
human beings.
Many Christians never enter the new covenant because
they are fighting with human beings.
Their enemies are enemies of flesh and blood.
They have got a bitterness against this person
who did some wrong to them and some
grudge against some other person over there and
somebody who did something to them 20 years
ago.
How can these people ever fight with Satan?
Their heart is full of bitterness and grudges
and unforgiving attitudes and anger towards human beings.
They have got their guns trained on human
beings.
We must have only one enemy, Satan.
And unfortunately some Christians have got their guns
trained at other Christians.
That is even worse.
We have got one enemy, Satan.
We must stand for the truth, expose wrong
doctrine and express our convictions.
Sure, but enemies, only one, Satan and his
demons.
We wrestle not.
And if you want to enter the new
covenant, I want to encourage all of you
who are here to make a decision today.
That from today, I will never fight with
human beings.
I may stand for a doctrine, but even
for a doctrine, I am not going to
fight about it in an unchristlike spirit.
I want to concentrate all my guns on
Satan and his demons and leave God to
deal with all my earthly enemies.
God can well take care of your earthly
enemies.
The apostle Paul once said in 2 Timothy
4, Alexander the coppersmith has done me much
harm, he says.
The Lord will repay.
I am not going to waste my time
fighting about him or talking about him.
The Lord will deal with him.
I have got to fight with Satan.
I wrestle with principalities, powers, rulers, wicked forces.
Is this only for apostles and some special
category of leaders to fight with Satan?
It is for every believer.
Is Ephesians 6 written for Christian leaders or
for all believers?
Is the armor of God which we need
to fight against Satan only for leaders or
for all believers?
Every believer must take this position.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood.
That is the first step.
The second thing we need to know is
that Satan was defeated on Calvary's cross.
I want to show you two verses especially
that make that very very clear.
First of all in Hebrews in chapter 2.
We are talking about the defeat of Satan.
Now he was not defeated under the old
covenant.
This is the thing I want you to
see.
Satan was not defeated until Jesus died on
the cross of Calvary.
Many Christians know that when Jesus died he
took our sins.
But many Christians do not know that when
Jesus died he defeated Satan.
He took away Satan's power and armor from
him.
Imagine if you did not know that Christ
died for your sins on the cross.
You would be still carrying your sins.
The guilt and weight of your sins would
be upon you.
And when you do not know that Christ
defeated Satan on the cross.
Well that is exactly what Satan does not
want you to know.
So that he can have power over you.
Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14 and 15.
It says since then the children, that is
us, share in flesh and blood.
He himself likewise also partook of the same.
That is the Lord Jesus.
Why did he do that?
One of the purposes with which he did
it.
Was that through death, that is on Calvary's
cross.
He might render powerless, that means take away
the power of him who had the power
of death.
That is the devil.
The devil was not destroyed.
He was defeated.
We know the devil is not destroyed.
That is still in the future.
But he was defeated.
His power was taken away from him.
And the reason was so that he might
deliver those who through fear of death were
subject to slavery all their lives.
The fear of death is the greatest fear
that human beings have.
Every other fear is smaller than the fear
of death.
And all human beings lived in the fear
of death.
A lot of believers live in the fear
of death today.
But here it says not a single believer
need live in the fear of death.
It is called a slavery here in verse
15.
It brings a slavery, an enslavement.
Fear is Satan's weapon.
And God does not want you my dear
brother and sister to take a single decision
in your life on the basis of fear.
Of circumstances or people.
We may have feelings of fear.
But we don't live by feelings.
We may have feelings of doubt and fear.
So many feelings.
But we don't live by feelings.
We live by faith.
We don't live by what our senses tell
us.
So what if there are feelings of fear?
We are not going to take decisions on
the basis of fear.
We are going to take decisions on the
basis of faith.
Knowing that Satan was defeated on Calvary's cross.
And so we see, Satan had the power
of death until Calvary.
If you read Hebrews 2.14 that seems
to be pretty clear.
Him who had the power of death.
He doesn't have it now.
But apparently when Adam sinned.
He handed over all that God entrusted to
Adam to Satan.
And Satan got the power of death.
And Jesus took that power away from him.
On Calvary's cross.
It says in Revelation chapter 1.
The Lord says to John.
Today I have the keys of death.
Death is like a door.
And Jesus said to John.
I have the keys.
John was living at a time when all
the apostles had died.
He was the last one alive now.
All of them had died a violent death.
They were killed or crucified, beheaded, so many
things.
And the Lord was comforting John by saying
don't worry.
I've got the keys of death.
Nobody can kill you until I open the
door.
That applies to us too.
I thank God that I serve a Lord
who has the keys of death.
That door can never be opened for me.
By the enemies of the gospel.
By road accidents, cancer, anything.
It can never be opened until Jesus determines
the day and the hour.
When I should go through.
If you believe that.
You won't have any fear.
You won't have any fear of going to
any part of the world.
If the Lord calls you to go.
I'm not saying you should go if the
Lord doesn't call you.
But if the Lord calls you.
Fear will not stop you.
Impossible.
Because you say well the keys of death
are in my Lord's hands.
He took it away from Satan on Calvary.
And through his resurrection he conquered death.
Satan was defeated.
We no longer live in fear of death.
And because we don't have the fear of
death.
We don't have any other fears either.
We can stand like Jesus before Pilate.
And say you got no power over me.
Pilate said don't you know I have power
to crucify you.
And Jesus as our forerunner said no you
don't.
Only what my father gives you.
And we can say that today.
Colossians in chapter 2.
Is the second verse.
Colossians chapter 2.
It says.
It talks about two things that Jesus did
on the cross.
Verse 14 and 15.
One.
He cancelled the certificate of debt.
Consisting of decrees that was against us.
Which was hostile to us.
That is the debt we owed to God.
Because of our sin.
Jesus took that debt certificate and tore it
up.
When he died on the cross.
He paid the price.
And then.
That wasn't all.
He nailed that to the cross.
In verse 15.
The second thing he did on the cross.
Was he took away the armor.
From the rulers.
The evil rulers and authorities.
That Satan and his hosts.
And made a public display of them.
Having triumphed over them.
In the cross.
So Satan thought.
He had got Jesus.
When he killed him on the cross.
Little did he realize.
That he himself.
Was going to be defeated there.
When Christ died.
Now this is so important for us to
know.
It is very very important for us to
know.
That Satan was defeated on the cross.
Just like I said the other day.
You must know.
That your sins were all forgiven.
On the cross.
The blood of Jesus cleansed your past.
You have got to finish with that.
You must not think.
There is one sin left.
Which was not cleansed in the blood of
Christ.
If you want to move on.
In the same way.
You must know.
That Satan and every single demon.
Was defeated on the cross.
I remember some years ago.
A young lady was brought to my house.
And she said well.
She was not a believer.
She said every time somebody prays for me.
I fall down.
I said well.
We will pray for you.
You will not fall down.
Just sit on that chair.
And I asked her to.
Pray the sinners prayer.
And whenever I tell people.
To pray the sinners prayer.
And accept Jesus into their heart.
I always tell them at the end of
it.
Also to speak to the devil.
Just like you can speak to God.
You can speak to the devil.
And tell him Satan.
I do not belong to you anymore.
I belong to Jesus Christ my Lord.
You have got no power over me.
You were defeated on the cross.
Jesus Christ is my Lord.
He came in the flesh.
And I told her to say that.
I said tell Satan.
You were defeated on the cross.
And suddenly she looked at me.
Changed her voice.
And said.
I was not defeated on the cross.
I knew I was dealing with a demon
there.
So I turned to the demon inside her.
And said you are a liar.
You were defeated on the cross.
You are a liar.
Get out of her in Jesus name.
Left.
You do not need more than a word.
To cast out a demon.
If you believe.
That he was defeated on the cross.
Then I told that lady.
Now say.
Tell Satan.
You were defeated on the cross.
Just half a minute later.
She said Satan.
You were defeated on the cross.
I do not belong to you anymore.
Jesus Christ is my Lord.
You know.
We come across situations in India.
Where all your theology will not work.
If you do not know how to cast
out demons.
Just like Jesus did.
The Lord has given us authority.
This is the reason why he baptizes us.
In the Holy Spirit and fire.
To give us authority over demons.
So that they listen to you.
They are not afraid of you.
But the mighty name of Jesus.
There is no other name they are afraid
of.
You can try the name of any other
God.
They will not listen.
The name of Jesus.
They fear and tremble at that name.
And I know times.
When sometimes.
Dealing with some of these demon possessed people.
They look so fierce and turn around at
you.
And glare at you.
And for a moment.
You are taken aback.
And to build up my faith.
I ask myself this question.
Was this one of those demons.
That escaped at Calvary.
Or was one of these.
Is it one who was defeated.
And I know it was defeated.
I say.
Well then it is okay.
You can glare at me.
I glare back at you.
In Jesus name.
Get out of him.
Or her.
There is no demon.
That can stand.
Before the name of Jesus.
In 27 years.
Let me give you my testimony.
I have never seen.
One.
Single.
Demon.
Not leave.
A person.
When commanded to leave.
In the name of Jesus.
You don't have to yell.
You don't have to scream.
You just do what Jesus did.
Tell that.
Do what the apostles did.
Tell that demon to go.
In Jesus name.
It will go.
This is real.
God has given us authority.
And that is the day.
When I.
When this woman said.
When the demon said through her.
I am not defeated.
That I realized.
That Satan.
Does not like to be reminded.
That he was defeated on the cross.
And that is the day.
I decided.
That I am going to remind him of
that.
As often as possible.
That you were defeated on the cross.
Many days.
I say.
Satan you were defeated on the cross.
You can't touch me.
I would encourage you to say that.
Satan is real.
Just as real as.
Any human being around you.
Tell him.
What your savior did for you on the
cross.
Tell him to his face.
You were defeated on the cross.
You can't touch me.
I don't belong to you.
Jesus Christ is my Lord.
It will build up your faith.
And it will deliver you from fear.
Why do I say this?
It says in Revelation in chapter 12.
How people overcame Satan.
In Revelation in chapter 12.
We read that.
Satan is called.
The deceiver.
Of the whole world.
Verse 9.
Jesus called him a liar.
A murderer.
One who hates his brother.
Is a murderer.
John reminds us.
Satan was a murderer.
Jesus said in John 8.44. I want
to tell you about certain sins.
That are very close to Satan.
Let me just mention them quickly.
First of all.
Pride.
He became the devil.
Through pride.
If it was not for pride.
He would have remained as an angel.
It wasn't the love of money.
Or sexual evil or murder.
That made that archangel into a devil.
It was pride.
Sin came into the world.
Not through disobedience.
But through pride.
And whenever we are proud.
Spiritually proud.
Whenever you look down on somebody.
Because he is less spiritual than you.
Or because.
He belongs to another race.
Or he doesn't know the bible like you.
Or he belongs to another denomination.
Whatever the reason.
Whenever you are proud.
Of your natural abilities.
Or your spiritual abilities.
Whether you know it or not.
At that moment.
You are holding hands.
With Satan.
That's why we got to hate pride.
To hold hands with Jesus.
We have to humble ourselves.
Like he did.
Another thing Jesus said.
Was that Satan was a liar.
Do you know that the first sin.
Mentioned in the bible.
Is a lie.
The first lie that Satan said.
Was what he told Eve.
You shall not die.
Even if you eat that tree.
Sin is not serious.
It doesn't matter.
God loves you.
Don't worry.
God won't punish you.
That was the first lie with which.
Satan deceived man.
And he is deceiving man with that even
today.
Sin is not serious.
God won't punish you.
God is a loving father.
You will not die.
You will surely not die.
Do you know the multitude of people who
believe that.
God won't send you to hell.
How can a loving father.
Send anybody to hell.
Do you know the multitude of Christians.
Nobody preached about hell like he did.
Because he knew the dangers that man faced.
Satan is a liar.
Whenever we tell a lie.
Even when a little child tells a lie.
He may not know it.
He is holding hands with that first liar.
Satan.
He is a deceiver.
When you tell a lie.
When you pretend.
Here is one way of telling a lie
without opening your mouth.
When you pretend.
To be more spiritual.
Than you really are.
That is a lie.
You are holding hands with Satan.
That is why Jesus told the Pharisees.
Who pretended that they were spiritual.
How can you escape the damnation of hell.
You fellows are holding hands with Satan all
the time.
How shall we overcome him.
If we don't get rid of pride.
If we don't get rid of lying in
our lives.
He is a murderer.
Jesus said.
From the beginning he has been a murderer.
He was the one who instigated Cain.
To kill his brother Abel.
That is 1 John 3.
He who hates his brother.
Is a murderer.
Love does no harm.
To his neighbor.
Whenever you plan and scheme.
To do any type of harm.
To another human being.
Leave alone a brother.
To another human being.
You are holding hands with Satan.
When you hate somebody.
He who hates his brother.
Is a murderer.
And you know that no murderer.
Has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3.
How can you ever imagine.
That you are going into God's kingdom.
If you hate somebody.
That is impossible.
It's as impossible as an idol worshiper.
Going to heaven.
In fact that person has got a greater
possibility.
Than the Christian who hates his brother.
He who hates his brother.
Is a murderer.
And no murderer has eternal life abiding in
him.
Many Christians.
In many groups.
Whether they know it or not.
They are holding hands with Satan.
And they do not have eternal life.
They may have had it once.
They don't have it.
I don't know whether they ever had it.
That is for God to judge.
I am not getting into that matter now.
But this I know definitely.
That there is no eternal life in them
right now.
No murderer has eternal life.
That is the third characteristic of Satan.
Hatred.
Pride.
Lying.
He is called here in verse 10.
The accuser.
Of the brethren.
Whenever we.
Back bite.
Gossip.
Speak evil.
Steal a person's reputation.
By tearing his reputation to pieces.
Speak about a brother.
Without even knowing the facts.
From hearsay.
Whether you knew it or not.
In all those moments.
You were holding hands with Satan.
The accuser of the brethren.
Determine my dear brothers and sisters.
If you haven't determined that before.
To get rid of pride.
Lying.
Hatred.
And a spirit of judgmentalism.
And accusation of others.
Leave their judgment to God.
He doesn't need your help.
To judge those people.
God can do it very well himself.
Let's not join hands with the accuser of
the brethren.
But it says here.
They overcame him.
By the blood of the lamb.
All the accusations of Satan.
They said well the blood has cleansed me.
And then it says by the word.
Of their testimony.
Verse 11.
The overcomers are people who speak a word.
Of testimony.
This is not talking about testimony in the
meeting.
The context proves that they are giving their
testimony to Satan.
They are speaking to Satan and telling him.
I don't belong to you.
You can't touch me anymore.
You can't touch my body.
It belongs to Jesus Christ.
This is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
You can't touch me anymore or my body.
Jesus Christ is my Lord.
That's a word of testimony.
I want to say one or two more
things.
Which can bring us into fellowship with Satan.
2 Corinthians chapter 2.
And verse 10 and 11.
Here it speaks about.
Having an unforgiving attitude towards someone.
And I want you to see these two
verses together and see how.
An unforgiving attitude brings.
Satan.
To the place where he is far over
your life.
When you forgive anything.
I forgive also.
For indeed what I have forgiven.
If I have forgiven anything.
I did it for your sake in the
presence of Christ.
He is talking about forgiving this man.
Who had sinned and who has now repented.
In the church in Corinth.
He says why do we do this?
So that.
No advantage be taken of us by Satan.
Satan gets a power.
Over any believer.
Who hasn't forgiven somebody else.
We got to be careful here.
An unforgiving spirit.
Is something that gives Satan power over your
life.
Here is another thing to beware of.
One more thing.
Ephesians chapter 4.
Ephesians chapter 4 it says.
Anger.
Undealt with anger.
Gives Satan power over our life.
It says in Ephesians 4.26. Be angry.
But do not sin.
Don't let the sun go down on your
anger.
And don't give the devil an opportunity.
In your life.
You see the devil coming in there.
What does it mean to be angry without
sinning?
There is an anger.
Without sin.
And there is an anger with sin.
Whenever we are in doubt.
Here is a little guideline I can give
you.
Whenever you are in doubt about anything in
scriptures.
Just like if you read an English word.
In the newspaper or in a book.
And you didn't know its meaning.
You go to a dictionary.
And turn to that meaning.
Turn to that word and read its meaning.
In the same way.
Whenever you come to a word.
In the New Testament that you don't understand.
Don't go to the dictionary.
The word.
Has been made flesh.
In Jesus.
Jesus is our dictionary.
He said learn from me.
What humility means.
What gentleness means.
Matthew 11 verse 29.
For I am gentle and humble of heart.
If you want to learn humility.
You can never get it from the dictionary.
Look at Jesus.
If you want to learn what righteous anger
is.
And what unrighteous anger is.
Very simple.
Don't go to the dictionary.
Go to Jesus.
Where did Jesus get angry?
And where did he not get angry?
First of all, where did he not get
angry?
When they called him the devil.
He didn't get angry.
Prince of devils.
They called him a false prophet, heretic, lunatic.
And they spat on his face.
They pulled his beard.
They whipped him.
They did all types of evil to him.
He never once got angry.
All anger.
When people hurt us.
Or call us names.
Is sin.
Where did Jesus get angry?
Says in Mark chapter 3.
When he saw the Pharisees not willing.
For that man with a withered hand to
be healed.
He looked at them with anger.
He was angry.
At their indifference to human need.
That's what the living bible says.
When he saw their indifference to human need.
When they would not allow a poor man.
To be delivered.
Whenever he saw people being exploited.
In the name of religion.
He was angry.
When he went to the temple.
And he saw people making money.
In the name of religion.
In the name of God.
Exploiting poor widows.
He was angry.
So we get a helpful guideline.
From the dictionary.
From the word made flesh.
Righteous anger.
Is that which does not concern me.
In any way.
When people get hurt.
Other people being exploited.
People exploiting poor people.
In the name of God.
Anger should burn within me.
But when people harm me.
And call me names.
My duty is to forgive.
This is where the world is upside down.
The world is under the control of the
devil.
How do we know that?
They get angry when people hurt them.
And they don't get angry.
When other people are being hurt.
When in the name of Jesus being dishonored.
By the devil.
When we come under the control of Jesus
Christ.
We are never angry.
Whatever people may say or do against us.
But we are burning with anger.
When in the name of Jesus dishonored.
By people who exploit poor people.
And poor widows take their money.
To live in grand style.
Like a lot of preachers are doing today.
If that doesn't make you burn with anger.
I want to say you are not like
Christ.
Don't let the devil get an opportunity.
And it says here even if you slip
up.
And get angry.
You are off.
Sunset.
Is the time limit God has given.
If you got angry at 6 o'clock
in the morning.
Make sure it is settled by 6 o
'clock in the evening.
Now you don't have to wait till 6
o'clock in the evening.
You can settle it by 6.01 in
the morning itself.
But.
It is the outer limit.
You know for people who haven't got victory
yet.
The man who has got victory deals with
it immediately.
Repents.
Confesses.
Forsakes.
You are not permitted.
To carry over your anger.
Overnight to another day.
I remember once.
When I was.
Conducting a marriage.
In India.
I gave that young couple one exhortation.
I said never never never.
Go to bed.
Without your.
Disputes settled.
Don't ever go to bed.
Both of you.
Without anger eliminated.
Without forgiveness.
Give forgiveness.
Because the Bible says.
Don't let the sun set on your rock.
About 13 years later.
Or 12 or 13 years later.
That brother came to me and said.
Brother Zach.
I just want to tell you something.
By the grace of God.
I have obeyed that exhortation.
You gave me.
12 years ago at our wedding.
It thrilled my heart.
That there were people like that.
Who really took that exhortation seriously.
Never.
To let the sun go down.
With their anger still residing in their heart.
And they have a happy marriage.
These are the type of.
Homes we seek to build in India.
And everywhere.
Not perfect homes.
Not people who never slip up.
But people who are quick.
To apologize.
Quick to ask forgiveness.
Quick to get rid of their anger.
So that.
Before they go to bed.
Satan gets no power.
Over their lives.
I want you to turn to a verse.
That Jesus spoke to his disciples.
In Luke chapter 10.
Luke's gospel chapter 10.
He told.
His disciples.
In verse 18.
I was watching Satan.
Fall from heaven like lightning.
I have given you authority.
To tread upon serpents and scorpions.
Over all the power of the enemy.
And nothing.
Shall injure you.
Look at that verse.
That applies to us.
If you are a disciple of Jesus.
He says to us.
I have given you authority.
Over all the power of the enemy.
Notice these two different words.
Authority.
And power.
These are two different words.
Authority is greater than power.
I give you authority.
Over all the power of the enemy.
Satan has got more power than us.
In the days of Job.
We know he could bring fire down from
heaven.
He could stir up the Sabians and the
Chaldeans.
To attack Job's property.
He could bring a storm.
And bring a house down.
He could do many things.
And we know around.
I have seen many examples in India too.
Of Satanic power through black magic and all
that.
He has got a lot of power.
He can do a lot of things I
can't do.
But I have got authority.
In India.
In many many parts of India.
We don't have traffic lights.
At a junction of an important road.
There would be a policeman.
Standing on a little box.
Directing the traffic.
From the center of that junction.
And here you can have.
Ten massive trucks.
Coming down at a hundred kilometers per hour.
That can run down.
Hundreds of policemen.
And this little policeman.
Just lifts up his hands.
And all those ten trucks.
Stop.
Isn't that amazing.
That's authority.
What the trucks of God is power.
He has got authority.
In Jesus name.
Thus far.
And no further.
And the devil stops.
Resist the devil.
It says in James 4.7. First of
all submit to God.
Resist the devil.
And he will flee from you.
Have you read that?
Many times we get the picture of the.
Christian running for his life from the devil.
I don't get that in the Bible.
I see the devil running for his life
from the Christian.
Resist the devil and he will flee from
you.
And the Bible also tells us at what
speed he will flee.
Three hundred thousand kilometers a second.
Have you read that verse?
It's in the Bible by the way.
We just read it in Luke chapter ten
verse eighteen.
He falls like lightning.
Do you know the speed of lightning?
Three hundred thousand kilometers a second.
Resist the devil.
In Jesus name and he will flee from
you.
I believe that.
He cannot stand.
Unless there is sin in your life.
Unless there is pride.
Lying.
Hatred.
Anger.
An accusative spirit.
Unforgiving attitudes.
Then you haven't submitted to God.
Then you can shout and yell and scream.
In Jesus name I resist you.
I resist you.
He will laugh at you.
He will say Jesus I know.
Paul I know.
But who are you?
That's what he says to many many Christians.
Jesus I know.
Paul I know.
And today perhaps he can mention other names
as well.
I know all these people but who are
you?
I know all about your life.
I know all about the bitterness there is
in your life.
The anger which you have not confessed or
given up.
The grudges.
The lying.
The deception.
The hypocrisy.
The pride.
The arrogance.
You are trying to resist me.
Who are you?
I know how you go around accusing brothers
behind their back.
You and I are in fellowship.
How can you resist me?
This is the sad thing.
We are fighting human beings when we should
be fighting the devil.
Are you under the old covenant or the
new?
He cannot stand before us.
The son of God was manifested to destroy
the works of the devil.
That's why we are not afraid as we
look into the future.
You know many things can happen.
So much terrorism in the world.
Life itself has become uncertain.
I know that people go from one country
to another.
People from India.
It's a poor country.
A lot of unemployment.
A lot of difficulties.
Poverty.
There is insecurity even there.
Which is the safest country in the world
to live in today?
The psalmist says.
I will dwell in the secret place of
the most high.
The shadow of the almighty.
That's the safest place in all the world.
The shadow of the almighty.
I get a picture of Jesus walking ahead
of me.
Towards the sunlight.
And me behind him.
In his shadow.
Just following him.
And I don't have any fear.
That's the safest place in all the world.
The devil can't touch me there.
And he can't touch you.
Wherever you are.
If you are in the center of the
will of God.
It could be in some remote heathen country.
Or it could be in a secure so
called Christian country.
The only safe place is the center of
the will of God.
Where your sins are confessed.
Where your conscience is clear.
Where you have got rid of these demonic
attitudes that I mentioned.
Satan cannot touch you.
He will be an overcomer.
Wherever you are.
And as we look into the future.
We don't have any fear.
Many things can happen tomorrow.
Which I don't know.
Next week in my life.
In my family.
In my circumstances.
Between 21 and 22.
I know where Satan is going to end
up.
Therefore I don't live biting my fingernails.
Wondering what's going to happen.
I thought of it something like this.
You know India has got as many cricket
enthusiasts as Australia.
And let's imagine that I saw a cricket
match live.
India versus another country.
And I saw it live on television.
And I saw that India won.
And then someone who was working and didn't
get the opportunity to watch that match live.
Comes home in the evening.
And sees the replay of that on television.
And he doesn't know the result.
And he sits there watching.
And the Indian wickets are falling and he
is tense.
But I am not tense.
I am relaxed.
He says.
Is the fellow not loyal to our Indian
team?
Oh yes I am loyal.
But I know the final result.
That's why I am relaxed.
You are tense.
You are biting your fingernails.
Hey the wickets are falling.
Are we going to win?
I say relax.
How do I have that confident relaxed attitude?
Because I have already seen.
This is a replay for me.
I have already seen the final result.
That's our position as Christians.
I have read Revelation chapter 20.
If you haven't read it.
Please read it.
Read it again.
I have seen the final result.
I know we have already won.
There is a replay going on I know.
Let it go on.
I am not only on the winning side.
I have already won.
Satan was defeated on the cross.
God who sees the end from the beginning.
Has already told me what his end is.
All authority is being given to me.
And to you.
Let's exercise that authority.
And live with the dignity.
Becoming.
Of a new covenant Christian.
Let's pray.
Has the devil succeeded in bringing some fear
into your heart.
Concerning the future.
Is he able to nag you with doubts.
Fears.
Fear of death perhaps.
Made you perpetually insecure.
Do what God's word says.
Submit to God.
Confess these particular sins that I mentioned today.
If any of them are found in your
heart.
Forsake them and determine that you will never
again.
Hold hands with the devil in any of
these areas.
You are determined to walk in the light.
Satan has got power only in the darkness.
And say Lord.
I submit to you totally.
I confess sin that needs to be confessed.
I believe the blood of Jesus cleanses me.
And now I resist Satan in Jesus name.
He has got no right over me.
He can't touch my body.
He can't touch my mind.
He can't touch my spirit.
He can't touch my family.
He can't touch my property.
He can't touch anything of me.
He was defeated on the cross.
Satan you were defeated on the cross.
All of your demons are defeated on the
cross.
You've got no power over us.
We've got authority over you in Jesus name.
And we resist you in Jesus name.
Thank you Father.
Thank you Lord Jesus for the victory you
won on the cross.
I pray that that victory will be established
wherever your children walk on this earth.
That the victory of Calvary will be established
wherever every place where the soul of our
foot shall tread.
You've given to us in Jesus name.
Thank you Father.
May it be true in every one of
our lives.
We ask in Jesus name.
Amen.