SATAN ATTACKS OUR IDENTITY TO GAIN DOMINION - Overcoming Satanic Operations, Oppositions and Oppressions Series

SATAN ATTACKS OUR IDENTITY TO GAIN DOMINION - Overcoming Satanic Operations, Oppositions and Oppressions Series

We trace a recurring strategy behind spiritual attack: the enemy questions identity first, then seeks dominion. We compare Lucifer’s pride regarding identity and dominion, the serpent’s lie in Eden, and Jesus’ responses in the wilderness to learn how to stand on God’s word.

Chapter Markers
- 0:00 Identity And Dominion Defined
- 0:16 Lucifer’s Fall From Heaven
- 1:23 Pride And The Five “I Will”
- 8:31 Eden’s Trap Around Identity
- 14:05 The Wilderness Test Of Sonship
- 17:21 When Scripture Gets Twisted
- 20:03 Kingdoms Offered For Worship
- 25:53 Standing Firm And Praying Back

Transcript

Identity And Dominion Defined

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Identity and dominion. Isaiah chapter 14, verse 12. I'll start reading from verse 12. Identity and dominion. We're gonna look at Adam and Eve. We're gonna look at Jesus. We're also gonna look at Satan.

Lucifer’s Fall From Heaven

SPEAKER_00 0:16

It says in Isaiah chapter 14, verse 12 how you are falling from heaven. Remember, Jesus said that I saw Satan fell down from heaven like lightning. How you are falling from heaven. This shows that the devil was in heaven, the devil was a created being. So the devil is not God, he was created. Amen. Anything that is created cannot be God. Madam Lydia, you cannot be God because you are created. I cannot be God because I'm created. What qualifies you to be God is that you are a creator, you are uncreated creator. Only God is uncreated creator. You and I we are the created creators. We can create, but we are also created. Amen. So Lucifer is a created being who is trying to be like God. Oh Lucifer, that was his initial name before he had the name Satan, which means advisory. Okay, that was his name, shining light. Oh Lucifer, son of the morning. How you are cut down to the ground, you who have weakened the nations.

Pride And The Five “I Will”

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Angels have hearts. Angels, angels, demons, they have hearts. God has a heart. God has a heart. Angels have hearts. Satan has a heart. So he said in his heart, from which proceeds his intentions, his plans, his desires. And this is what the Bible states about the heart condition of Satan while he was in heaven. A perfect place. Heaven, a perfect place, no sin, completely perfect, completely holy. But there's something about the heart of men and the hearts of angels. They had free will. You cannot tell me that God controlled your hearts. No, your heart, you have free will over your hearts. It's up to you now to tame your heart and ask God to guide your heart. Lucifer said in his heart, I will ascend into heaven. Well, you are already in heaven. You are already in heaven. Amen. Look what it says. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. Stars here represent angels. Stars symbolizes angels. So we see the expression of the heart of Satan, Lucifer, in this verse 13. Like I mentioned, identity and dominion. Right? So what we're reading here is that Satan wants to have dominion. Satan wants to have dominion. He is already in heaven. And he is one of the ranking angels. He already possessed dominion, but he was not satisfied with what he had. He was not content with what he had. He had dominion. But now he wants to have more dominion. He wants to exalt his throne. Satan has a throne. Look what he says. I will exalt my throne. God has already given Lucifer a throne. He has a throne. He has dominion. But that's not enough. So he was made by God. God gave him dominion. He has identity. He had dominion. But that was not enough. He said, I will exalt. Wow, I. When you start speaking, using that word I, something is gonna enter into your heart. Anyone that is proud, if you want to know a proud person, when they will talk about themselves, they will always use this word I. Everything I did this, I accomplished this, I am the pastor, I am the musician, I am the media guy. Everything, I, I, I. Look at how many eyes, look at how many eyes in verse 13. Three eyes, all of them, I will, meaning that it has not happened, but he is planning to do it. It has not happened, but he is planning to do it. Three eyes, he said. Number one, I will ascend into heaven. Okay, Satan, you are already in heaven. Which heaven are we talking about? I will ascend in heaven, meaning that because God, okay, God is beyond heaven, God is beyond the earth, and God is beyond heaven. He is trying to say, I can come to that point where I am beyond heaven, the domain of God where the angels live, because heaven cannot contain God, the earth cannot contain God. You see, this man, this this angel, he had a throne. He said, I will ascend into the heaven. He says, I will exalt. Oh my god. You see, sometimes when we when we worship God, we will use this word, God. I exalt you. The word exalt means to elevate, to elevate, to magnify. So it meant that I will elevate my throne, the throne that God has given me. He said, I will take this throne, I will take this dominion, and I will exalt, I will elevate, I will magnify myself above the stars of God. The stars of God here, they are angels above the angels of God. Wow, God, that's why sometimes when we read the Bible, God called Himself, I am the God of hosts. The word host refers to all the angels. God is saying that I'm the God of hosts. So Satan now is saying that I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. Now, I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, those that worship God, those that worship God, and look what it says on the furthest sides of the north, verse 14, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. Now, look at his intention, look at the aim of his goal, look at the purpose of all of this. Now, look what it says: I will be like the most high. I will be like the most high. I finally he said it. Finally, he said it. I will be like the most high. He is not the most high, but he's saying that I will be like you see, the Bible says that Satan is a copycat. He says the Bible says that he appears as an angel of light, he appears as he is not the angel of light, but he appears as the angel of light. That's number one. Number two, he row like a lion, but he's not a lion, he's a serpent. Number three, he acts like he is God, but he says, I will be like the most high. So he is trying to copy God the Father, he is trying to copy God the Son. Because Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus is the angel of light. God the Father is the most high, he is a copycat. That's why we as believers we are blinded. He will come as if he is God, demanding worship, demanding praise, demanding what only belongs to God. So, what we see here is two things identity and dominion. As a result of this, pride came into the heart of the devil to be like God and to have dominion over God. Identity and dominion.

Eden’s Trap Around Identity

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Now, let's go to Adam and Eve and see. This is what we are fighting with in our world. Genesis chapter 3, verse 1. So we see, we see something about the devil that what he was looking for, he was looking for identity and dominion. The identity is to be like God, and the dominion is for him to be, to exalt his throne above the stars of God. Now, the serpent, so that was he fell already. God said, Oh God, God, God kicked him out of heaven. No, no forgiveness, because you cannot replace God. There's one sin that God can resist you, that is the sin of pride. That's the only sin in the Bible where God can push you away, where God can say no to you is pride. Now he became a serpent, a liar, a deceiver. As God indeed said, now he has a problem with God. Now he has a problem with God. Now he wants to challenge God. Now he wants to tell God who God is. Now he wants to tell you, Anna, who God is.

unknown 9:43

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Now he wants to make himself equal to God. Can you imagine? He still has this desire to be like God, but he cannot tell God in God's face that God I want to be like you because God doesn't play that. Because he can't fight. Nobody can fight God. Who can battle against the Lord? Nobody. So for he fights very cheap. He attacks the children of God. But he dare not to face God one-on-one. Because God is not his type. So what he did here was to attack God indirectly through the image bearers of God. He said, Has God indeed said you should not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit, okay, wow. Have you ever wondered why Satan didn't approach Adam? Do you guys know why Satan didn't approach Adam? But he approached Jesus. He didn't approach Adam, but he approached Jesus. Have you wondered why Satan approached Eve? Not Adam. Because who received the word? It was Adam that received the word, and then he conveyed the word to his wife Eve. So if Satan wants to fight fear, if Satan wants to fight man to man, he would have addressed this temptation to Adam. But he tried with Jesus. Why Eve? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, which shows that when God communicated this commandment to Adam, Adam also communicated it to his wife. That's how Eve knew about it. So Eve says, But the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You should not eat of it, nor shall you touch it lest you die. Now, verse 4. Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. Wow, contradicting the word of God. No, no, God is lying. You're not gonna die. Wow, another voice, you're not gonna die. For God knows, wow! For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be open, and you would be like God. Wow, the same thing that he said, I want to be like the most high. Now he's trying to tell Eve. He said, Eve, God knows God is trying to hide something from you. What God is trying to hide from you is your identity that you are nobody, you're just an animal, you're just a monkey. But if you read Genesis, God said, Let us make man in our image and likeness. So, Eve and Adam, they were already in the image and likeness of God. So, why is the devil trying to play around with the identity, saying that God knows that the day you eat of this, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Wow, what he wanted for himself, he couldn't get to be like God. Now he's trying to trick Adam and Eve, lying to them that you are not the image and likeness of God. God is hiding that identity from you. But you know what? Disobey God, then you'll be like God. How can you disobey God and be like God? You cannot disobey God and be like God. He said, Be holy for I am holy, be merciful for I am merciful. What we see here is our forefather and mother, Adam and Eve, they fell because they were not content, they were not satisfied with the identity when God said you are my image and likeness. The devil deceived them.

The Wilderness Test Of Sonship

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Now let's go to Jesus and see something. So, what we learned from from Satan is that identity and dominion. What we have learned from the temptation and the fall of man is identity. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward he was hungry. Now, when the tempter came to him, he said, If you are the son of God, again, identity. Wow, identity, identity. I want to be like God. If you disobey God, your eyes will be opened and you'll be like God. Now, Jesus, ah it said, Jesus, if I know you're the son of God, but let me play around with your mind. Let me make you question yourself, let me make you question your relationship with God. He said, if you are the son of God, prove that you're the son of God. Command these stones become bread. Show us that you're the son of God.

unknown 15:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

How can you disobey God and claim to be like God? You cannot disobey God and claim to be like God. You have to obey God to show the devil that you are on God's side. You have to obey God to show the devil that you're like God. He says, Command the stones to turn into bread. Look at the response of our Savior. It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. You know what he did? God gave Adam the first man the word and he failed. Jesus is saying that. I know what you did. You tricked Adam. You tricked him. You couldn't attack Adam because he had the word. You attack his wife. Now, this same word that the first Adam broke, this same word I'm gonna stand upon to tell you that man does not live by bread alone. Because the issue was to eat from the tree. Ah, Lee Kashara. The issue was eating, the issue was the physical man eating. The same thing with Jesus, it's so similar. He said, Jesus, I know you're don't forget that Adam and Eve were not hungry. They were full, they were satisfied because God gave them everything. Whereas Jesus was in a vulnerable position, fasted for 40 days. Oh my God.

unknown 16:47

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

He said, Man does not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So he's trying to remind he said, Devil, I know you made the first Adam to fall, using the word of God against him. Now I'm also gonna use this same word back at you to let you know that for man to leave, they need the word of God. For us to leave, we need the word of God. Okay, the devil lost. He didn't give up.

When Scripture Gets Twisted

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Then the devil took him up into the holy city, set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you are the son of, you see, two times he questioned his identity. Two times he was trying to trick Jesus about his identity because he had one. He said, You know what? If you are the son of God, prove it through yourself. Let's see, just do stupid things. Then Jesus said, and is he see this time arrives? Oh Jesus, I know you know you're quoting scriptures. Now let me tell that I know the Bible as well. So that's why God himself quoted scriptures against Jesus. Bible for see, Satan knows the Bible. The devil believes in God and he knows the word of God, he will twist it. Ha! Now the enemy that we are fighting is very smart, he knows the truth, but what he does, he twists it. Wow, how can we deal with such an enemy that knows the truth? That's what the Bible says. He appears as an angel of light, but he is not the light. He said, Jesus, if you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. Now he's quoting the Bible, he says, For it is written, hey Anna, Satan knows the Bible, Mama. The devil knows the Bible. He can even use this Bible to confuse you. Hey, hey, hey, that's one of the most scary. I'm like, God, why did you give the devil access to the Bible? He says, He shall give his angels charge over you. This was a challenge against Jesus. Bible for Bible, and in his hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against the stone. He is squatting an old testament scripture. We as believers we don't even know the Bible. The devil knows the Bible more than you. How can you even stand against him? The Bible says, young man, young woman, you overcome the devil by the word of God. But some of us we don't know the word of God. So how can you overcome it? How? Jesus said to him, Okay, okay, he's trying to trick me. Okay, let's let's do talk talk of war. So you're using the scripture against me. Okay, then Jesus said, It is written, hey, you should not tempt the Lord your God. No, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna play God. No, God didn't ask me to jump foolishly. I'm not gonna jump to show myself I'm God. No, I'm not doing that. That's I'm tempting God, I'm not doing that. Again, the devil said, Okay, hmm, I didn't get you the first time, I didn't get you the second time. Now let me try the

Kingdoms Offered For Worship

SPEAKER_00 20:03

third time. So, what we see here is an attack against the identity of Jesus. Now, again, the devil took him up and exceed okay, you see, wow, the devil, his goal for you is for you to worship him. That's the ultimate goal of the devil, that's the ultimate aim of the devil. He wants to be God, and he's trying to say, God, I cannot be God in heaven, but I will show you that I can be God on earth. I can get humanity to worship me as God. That was his goal, and that is still his goal. He can get the church to worship him if the church is not careful. That is his goal for us to worship him rather than worshiping God. He can give you money to sell your soul to worship him rather than worshiping God, he can give you success to sell your soul to worship him rather than worshiping God, he can give you anything that God can give you so that you can worship him. We have an enemy who is trying to be like God, and his goal is for him to prove that he can also be like God. Now, look, we will see this same goal when he was trying to get Jesus to do the same thing. He says, And the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and show him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Oh my god, you know what he did? He took Jesus up, trying to back him with Jesus because he he was trying to attack the identity of Jesus, he couldn't, he was trying to use the word of God against Jesus, but he couldn't, because that is why the Bible said Jesus Christ is the word of God. Now he said, Okay, I have tried the word, mama, Lydia, it didn't work. Now let me try to see if Jesus Christ can give me his soul. Let me offer Jesus Christ success. Let me offer Jesus Christ glory. Mama Lydia, he had glory before. When he was in heaven, he had glory. Now he's the man. When he was in heaven, the Son of God had glory. He is the glory of the Father. Now he's the man. He's saying that I know you don't have glory as a man. You came as a servant, as an humble servant. But I know you had glory in heaven. But now I'm going to show you all the kingdoms of the world. I'm going to show you Uganda. I'm going to show you China. I'm going to show you Canada. I'm going to show you US. I'm going to show you America. I'm going to show you all the countries in the world. All the kingdoms in the world. Not even countries, kingdoms. When you kingdoms have kings, we're talking about what? Throne, throne, throne. Because the devil had a throne in heaven. He said he said, Jesus, I had a throne in heaven. Your father kicked me out. But guess what? I have a throne here because he's the ruler of this world. So he was trying to show, say, Jesus, I always wanted to be like your father, but now I am in charge of this world. Now look, I will show you all the kingdoms.

unknown 23:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

And their glory. All the kingdoms. And their glory and their beauty and their majesty. Jesus, you cannot say no to this. Jesus, I know you can say no to this. And he said, Look, mama, what is trying to offer Jesus? All these things I will give you.

unknown 23:43

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 23:44

Jesus, you know what he did? You cannot give somebody if you have not shown what you're trying to give to people. Satan is very crafty. He will show you sin before he tempts you to sin. He will tell you the benefits of the sin before he tempts you to sin. He will make you to see the shiny, the surface. He will make you to see all the pretty women. He will make you to see all the money. He will make you to see everything. And then he will make a bargain with you. Sell your soul. I need your blood. You can have success. You can have wealth. You can have children. You can have cars. You can have ministry. Even pastors, if they want the church to grow, they'll make a deal with the devil. Ah God. If the devil is trying to make a deal with Jesus, who are we? That the devil will not try to make a deal with us. Jesus was vulnerable. He was vulnerable. When you're vulnerable, that's when he comes and offer you everything. When you are weak, that's when he comes. He does not fight fear. He said, Jesus, look at this. All these things I will give you. But one, I want you to do one thing for me. This would have been a slap in the face of God the Father. This would have been a slap in the face of God the Father. He said, Jesus, look at his true intention, mama. Who was in his heart since Isaiah? We have just read that I will be like the most high. What makes you like the most high? Is when the created things worship you. He says, if you fall down, hey, if you fall down, if you fall down, if you fall down and worship me. Wow. Wow. Dominion. He attacked the identity of Jesus. Now he's trying to have dominion over Jesus.

Standing Firm And Praying Back

SPEAKER_00 25:53

You see, for the enemy to have dominion over you, you know what we do? He will take away your identity. I've noticed this. If the enemy wants to subject you, he will tell that you're you're good for nothing. God doesn't love you. You're not a child of God. You are a sinner. You are a way what? You are a failure. You know what? He's isolating you from your identity. And then you start believing his lies. And guess what? He has dominion over you. He attacks your identity to have dominion over you. That's his strategy. Because he cannot have dominion over you when you know who you are in Christ. When you know your identity, you're able to stand strong. Say, no, I am the first, not the last. I am I am I am modern conqueror. Greater is he that is in me. He doesn't like that. But if you don't believe that, he will have dominion over you. So he attacked the identity of Jesus. If you are the Son of God, turn this stone into bread. If you are the Son of God, fall. Eventually, Jesus resisted. He said, Jesus, if you will fall down and worship me. Now look at the response of Jesus.

unknown 27:02

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 27:03

He resisted two powerful temptations identity and dominion. Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan. All along he has been against God. And then look what he did. He quoted the scripture. He says, For it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and him you shall serve only. Two things that God wants from us, nothing else. To worship him, to serve him. That's what the devil wants as well. He wants us to worship him, he wants us to serve him. And the world worships him, and the world serves him. So he has no change. He has the same plan. The plan that he had when he was in heaven, Lucifer, that was the same plan that he strategized against Adam and Eve. That was the same plan that he had against Jesus. What we can learn from Jesus. He stood identity and dominion. We are gonna pray based on those two prayer points. God, don't let the enemy subjugate me. Don't let the enemy have dominion over me. Help me to know who I am. Help me to know who I am so I can withstand the lies of the enemy.