
Open a Door
Spirits and the Occult
Sunday, October 25, 2020
“Spiritual Warfare” and “Spiritual Strongholds”
Unclean or impure Spirit The Greek term appears 21 times in the New Testament in the context of demonic possession. It is also translated into English as spirit of impurity or more loosely as “evil spirit.”
I am concerned with how many people sitting in Churches are allowing the enemy right into their lives and into their homes.
2 Cor 4.4-6 NIV
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
Many well intended believers have allowed confusion in their lives.
2 Corinthians 10.3-5
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ
Strongholds many haven’t considered
OCCULT ACTIVITY
In the Western world, “occult” usually evokes evil connotations associated with witchcraft and sorcery, summoning the dead, and ritual sacrifice. In some Eastern cultures, however, religion and occultism are frequently blended into a morally neutral form.
Ephesians 1.19-23
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
In other words, the Spirit of Jesus who lives in you, and to whom your new allegiance belongs is greater and more powerful than the evil presence behind what you just renounced.
LIES YOU HAVE BELIEVED
These include lies about God, about yourself, and lies about how God sees you.
REJECT those lies the devil tries to whisper in your heart about your self-worth or the Father’s love for you.
Philippians 4.8-9
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
HEREDITARY or in your LINEAGE:
You may have picked up on the fact that certain unhealthy behavioral and thought patterns present in your life was also present in your father’s (or mother’s) life, and his father, and so on. Sometimes, unhealthy, even ungodly family traditions and family patterns is passed down from generation to generation to generation until someone stands up and say, IN JESUS NAME, NO MORE!
Exodus 34.4-7
4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
2 Cor 5.17
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
God is ready to pour out his Spirit in an amazing way, but we must remove any hindrance that gets in the way!
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