WEBVTT 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:07.440 Hey, I'm Pastor Steve Hole. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:11.759 I want to empower you today to walk in your true identity as a worshiper and warrior. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.839 Today, embrace the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:19.120 Welcome to the Born for War podcast. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:26.399 Can a Christian be demon possessed? 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:29.280 And I told you that the answer is yes and no. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:34.399 And what I meant by that is going back to the original meaning of the word. 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.479 So King James Version Bible uses demon possession 13 times. 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:43.520 The New King James Version, which came later, uses demon possession 13 times. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:49.039 And in each case, they're translating the Greek word daimonosomai. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:01:02.640 So daimonosomai was a word that they chose when they were translating the King James Bible from the Greek and from the Hebrew into English, and they chose the word possession. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:13.040 Now the reason I say yes and no in relation to demon possession is because that word possession means today in our vernacular ownership. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.239 Like, what are what kind of what are your possessions? 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:17.760 What are the possessions that you have? 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:24.079 You possess your house, you possess your car, or you don't make your payments and somebody else possesses your car. 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:26.640 But it has the idea of ownership, right? 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:32.000 So I don't believe that any Christian can be owned by the devil. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:39.280 So that's the reason I say no, no demon can possess a true born-again Christian. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:51.599 But if we look at Daimonosomai for what it originally meant in the Greek, it has the meaning of influenced by, not possessed by, not owned by, but influenced by. 00:01:51.760 --> 00:02:19.199 And I think we see the veracity of that definition because all through the New Testament we see in the epistles the admonition by Paul and Peter and James to advance a holiness and sanctification in our life that seems to have a pushback from the demonic world because they talk about, they talk about spiritual warfare, they talk about Satan and demons. 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:28.159 And so if Christians can't be demonized, if Christians can't be demon influenced, then why is every epistle talking about it when the epistles were written to Christians? 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:36.639 And so, yes, you can be demonized, and that's the word I choose to use, demon influence or demonized rather than demon possession. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:54.960 Meaning that there can be areas of our life that we have either wittingly or unwittingly given ground to the enemy where he starts to build a foothold, which can become a stronghold if it's not dealt with in our life. 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:58.639 And I think one of the best passages is Ephesians chapter four. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:20.479 So if you turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter four, and before, when I when I graduated from college, I went on staff with a group that's now called Crew, which back then was called Campus Crusade for Christ, and I spent a couple years, about a year and a half, two years, at the University of Maryland, and then I went overseas to Japan. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:30.879 So for about 10 years, I was in Japan, I was in Tokyo, I was in Okinawa, I was in Manila, Philippines, I was in Seoul Korea, I was in different places working with university students. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:40.800 Well, my journey in spiritual warfare began about the second year that I was in Japan. 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:50.639 And so I can honestly tell you that over a period of about nine years, as I worked with college students, many of whom I had led to the Lord. 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:52.479 So I had, they had come to know Christ. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:04:03.439 They were in a Bible study with me, they were studying the Word, they were coming to our meetings, they were fired up for the Lord, but in many cases, I still had to cast out their demons. 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:05.039 Okay, so it's kind of crazy. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.280 I know you're like, what are you talking about, man? 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:14.240 I'm telling you that your soul is still very strong, even though you have the Holy Spirit. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:15.919 So there's this battle that goes on. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.560 That's what the whole book of Ephesians is really about that battle that we have. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:26.560 So Ephesians 4 is, I've written in my Bible steps to demonization. 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:29.120 Steps to demonization, starting at verse 17. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:39.279 So I bracketed that in my Bible from 17 down to 19, and I wrote in the margins of my Bible steps to demonization or demon influence. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:48.160 This I say, therefore, and I testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:52.000 Now, the hardest thing to get anyone to do is think. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:00.000 For people to begin to realize that you are what you think. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:03.199 Do you guys remember growing up you heard you are what you eat? 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:07.040 That actually came from a French chef who coined that. 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:10.000 Um coming up in my blog on Thursday. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:13.759 But you are what you think more than you are what you eat. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:18.560 Now, you are what you eat is pretty important, but you are what you think. 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:21.680 And so we have a house in Black Forest. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:23.519 It was built in 1962. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:26.319 And we moved there in 1998. 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:32.000 So that house was already over 30 years old and it had some issues. 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:35.360 Over the years, we've done three remodels. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:41.199 Okay, now we didn't use brick, we used wood and we used metal and things like that. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:50.480 But for the sake of understanding how houses are built brick by brick, go with me on this, um, because two by fours doesn't work. 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:56.480 Um so a house is built brick by brick. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:04.079 And if you're remodeling a house, then what you have to do is you have to sometimes go in and do some what we call demo. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:12.319 So you demolition out old, but you don't take old and use old to build new. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:14.079 You use new to build old. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:20.639 So what happens, men and women, is that we have the futility of our mind, which is the old nature. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:34.399 What happens is we we know Christ, we have salvation in Christ, but we haven't learned to renew our thinking, so we're still building our life on the futility of our old mind. 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:39.279 Having, verse 18, their understanding darkened. 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:44.399 Now, man, that is such an allusion to the demonic here by Paul. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:54.000 He really, he really shares with us what's on his heart that when we have a futility of our mind, it's gonna lead to a darkened mind being alienated from the life of God. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:09.439 So when we start following darkness in our thinking, when we start self-condemning, when we start going after guilt, when we start going after gossip, if we're going after impure thoughts, you're alienating yourself from the life of God. 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:22.800 Because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:28.319 Now he's using examples here that would be different for all of us, but do you see the progression? 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:35.600 That the progression, or we can't even say the regression of demonization begins up here. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:41.439 I don't think it's even what you're consciously thinking half the time. 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:48.959 I think it's actually unconscious because of our childhood, because of things in our background or things that have been said to you that you've chosen to believe. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:56.399 And so there's these belief systems that are built up in your mind about who you are that are lies from the enemy. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:59.519 And so that that leads into actions that can be dangerous. 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:02.000 So now jump down to verse 25. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:06.800 Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak with truth to his neighbor. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:08.160 Now he says, lying. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:09.839 Why did he say that? 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:15.600 I think because that's really the crux of the matter with the enemy and his tactics. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:19.519 We're gonna look at Genesis 3 in just a second, is he's always lying. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:22.560 He is the father of lies. 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.959 So let us each speak truth to his neighbor, for we're members of one another. 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:29.759 Be angry, do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your wrath. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:37.759 Now look at verse 27, underline it, check it, whatever you like to do, highlight it, nor give place to the devil. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:47.519 And so that is the new King James Version that I'm reading from, but I think the NIV gets it better and it says a foothold, giving a foothold to the enemy. 00:08:47.679 --> 00:09:04.000 So, as I said before, let me just say it again, rehearse it so we can go back to where we're going today, but if my fingers represent fleshly sins, those sins that we all battle with, everybody in this room, battles with fleshly sins from time to time in your soulish area. 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:15.919 And if you are battling something and you confess it to God and you confess it to one another, which means you're agreeing with God that this area is not good, then it's done for. 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:16.720 You're forgiven. 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:19.360 It's, it doesn't have power over you anymore. 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:24.559 But there can come a point where you just continue to dabble in a particular area. 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:28.799 There's a corresponding demonic spirit in the fifth or sixth dimension. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:29.919 I don't know which dimension it is. 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:31.679 You say fourth dimension, but I've changed that. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:36.320 It's more like fifth or sixth dimension, comes down and can lock in. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:42.960 There is a spirit of lust that comes in and builds a foothold in your life. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:49.200 Or it could be gossip, or it could be jealousy, or it could be envy, or self-harm. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:51.279 Self-harm's huge here. 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:53.840 Some of you in this room have tried to commit suicide. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:57.759 Some of you this week have thought about committing suicide. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:09:59.279 That's demonic. 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:01.440 That is not from God. 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:03.440 You say, well, that comes from me. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:06.639 No, you don't understand the stronghold that's in you. 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:10.879 If you're starting to dabble in that kind of stuff, we gotta help you get set free. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:13.840 And hopefully that's why you're here, because that's what we do at the road. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:15.039 We set people free. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:16.720 We don't just talk about it. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:24.960 And by the way, most of this stuff is the kind of stuff that I came around in my Campus Crusade conservative evangelical background. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:27.279 You don't talk about this stuff. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:29.600 You read about it. 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:31.840 You uh you read books about it even. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:34.480 It's always the missionaries, right, when they come to town. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:35.600 They do that kind of stuff. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:38.080 But we don't have those problems in America. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:45.679 So what we do as Christians is we read about it, we even hear sermons on it and we study it, we just don't do it. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.600 We don't do what Jesus did. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:53.039 We read about what Jesus did, and that was Jesus, and that's not us, so we can't do it. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:56.480 I want to challenge you, you can do everything in this book. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:11:01.200 That greater is he that's in you, the power of the Holy Spirit working through you. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:09.759 Jesus says, the works you saw me doing, you also shall do, and greater works than these shall you do, because I go to the Father. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:15.360 So you have the capacity to set people free, and you have the capacity to set yourself free. 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:23.440 So now turn in your Bible to Genesis 3, because the tactics are the same for millennia. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:32.080 So in Genesis 3, this is our first introduction to the devil, we see his tactics. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:47.200 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:48.799 First tactic. 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:52.080 The way the enemy works, and you're not gonna meet Satan. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.559 I don't think anybody here is ever gonna meet Satan. 00:11:54.720 --> 00:12:03.039 Satan's a created being, he's in one place at one time, but he has hordes, he has an army of demons. 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:13.360 So this is the way it would come to you, is a demonic spirit speaking to you that, you know, you'll be happier if you do this. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:16.000 You'll be happier if you do that. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:21.440 Because the the tactic is always an attack on the goodness of God. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:29.200 So Satan says to Eve, you can't eat from, wow, man, God's holding out on you, man. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:32.799 You can't eat from any tree in this beautiful garden. 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:34.399 Is that what he said? 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:37.120 Well, Eve gets it right the first time. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:43.120 She says, verse 2, the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden. 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:46.879 So she's speaking truth back to the enemy. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:53.600 But the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it lest you die. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:13:02.480 Which, by the way, is the main strategy in being, in walking in the freedom of the Lord, is speaking truth back to the enemy. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:03.360 That's next week. 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:07.039 So next week I'm gonna talk about cosmic encounters. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:10.639 And I'm gonna talk about truth encounters and power encounters. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:16.480 Then the serpent said to the woman, verse 4, you will not surely die. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:19.039 Okay, so this is the second tactic. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:22.639 It's constant, is the enemy always lies. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:24.559 He's always lying to you. 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:32.960 And that's why it's so exciting when I hear of all these noteworthy people out there, they're starting to read the Bible. 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:39.120 Because you're not gonna read the Bible, encounter truth, and not be changed at least a little bit. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:43.279 And so God's on the move in so many powerful ways on the earth today. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:44.480 So he lies to us. 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:51.279 For God knows that in the days you eat of it, your eyes will be open, you'll be like God, knowing good and evil. 00:13:51.519 --> 00:14:01.200 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took its fruit and she ate. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:06.559 So, tactic number three, the enemy always uses your five senses. 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:10.559 He always uses your eyes, he always uses your feelings. 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:14.399 How many of you said, I don't feel like I want to go to church? 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:20.399 Or I don't feel like I love you anymore, or I don't feel like, I don't feel like, I don't feel like, well, that's okay. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:27.519 I mean, I I believe in emotions and they're from God, and emotions are good, but sometimes you can't trust your feelings. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:31.919 So sometimes facts don't line up with feelings. 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:44.799 I feel like if I jump off this building, that the angels will come and just elevate me and drop me down on the street on my feet, it'll be a miracle. 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:54.159 You know, I feel like I should be taking these drugs, or I feel like I need pot, or I feel like whatever it is, you know, be careful with feelings. 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:56.000 Feelings will deceive you. 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:02.480 And I think what happened with Eve is she saw the tree became desirable because she focused on it. 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:10.480 And as she focused on it, it came into her mind, it came into her heart, and it influenced her emotions. 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:12.720 So that's how the enemy works in our lives. 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:15.039 She also gave to her husband with her. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.879 She gave to her husband. 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:26.080 I remember as a 16-year-old in high school, some of my some of my friends were getting into pot smoking and stuff like that. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.360 And I remember thinking, this is pretty good for a non-Christian kid. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:32.639 But I said, You guys can't even smoke pot alone. 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:34.399 They said, What? 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:37.440 I said, you guys all have to smoke pot together. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:40.559 And they went, Yeah, Steve's right. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:43.039 Come on, let's go get some, you know. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:45.279 And they left me in the dust. 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.960 But but isn't that kind of how it works? 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:51.519 You know, it's like sin needs some friends. 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:57.200 You need almost like some sinful bloodstained allies to kind of go and do your stuff together. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.120 So Eve needed Adam. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:01.840 And so that's how the enemy works. 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:08.720 He gets you in a new crowd, he gets you in a new group of friends, he gets you with some folks, and they go, it's not that bad. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:11.039 You're not an alcoholic. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:15.279 You just binge, you know, once a week. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:22.720 You don't drink for five days, but you know, let's just let's get a get a little bit of a buzz here, guys. 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:24.799 So, you see what I'm saying? 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:26.000 How the enemy works? 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:35.120 He takes you out of your desirable crowd that you know is right, and he starts moving you into those that want to join you. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:43.919 Verse 7, then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.840 So it always leads to shame. 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:47.759 Always leads to shame. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:49.200 And we are we're ashamed. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:55.279 Some of you in this room right now, you're ashamed of stuff that nobody knows about in your life. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.000 Well, welcome to the party. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.600 We all do that from time to time. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:06.400 So you're not weird, you're not strange, you're you're actually pretty normal. 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:08.960 So everybody's got secrets. 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:10.640 But you know what? 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:16.240 Those secrets will get found out. 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:19.039 And that scares the daylights out of me. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:20.480 I hope it does you. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:30.799 To realize that if we can become more and more vulnerable with God, more and more vulnerable with people, and trust the process, especially at this church. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:33.759 You can trust the process at this church. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:35.839 And I can't speak for other churches. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:44.000 I see so much condemnation on people when they come out with things that they're struggling with, and I think that's such a disservice to what God can do in their lives. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:51.359 We've got to be willing to be open about our struggles and our battles, or we're gonna just keep playing the hypocrisy game. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:53.119 And I hate hypocrisy. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:55.200 I hate it in me, right? 00:17:55.519 --> 00:18:10.319 So the only way I know to do that is to say, we give you freedom to confess your sins to one another, because we're all in need of freedom and repentance and forgiveness in our lives, right? 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:11.920 So that's what happens here. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:17.519 This is the way the enemy works, and when he does that, there's a process involved. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:18.880 So I want to give you what I think. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:25.119 This is from a practitioner, more than a theological perspective, but six degrees of demonization. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:32.799 So six degrees of demonization that I've observed in casting out demons and working with people who are demonized. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:39.599 The first degree is occasional temptation, harassment, which every Christian experiences. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:40.559 We all have that. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:42.240 You almost have it daily. 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:51.359 You may have had it on the way to church because you were in the car with your spouse and you had an argument, the American way. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:56.160 The American Christian way is argue on the way to church and then pretend like you did when you get there. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:00.240 Um but anyway, occasional temptation, like that's a first degree. 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:06.000 We all have that battle, okay, in our lives with temptation, and you resist it. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:09.119 You resist it, you say no to it, you turn from it. 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:10.559 Uh pretty easy. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:14.720 Um, second degree is demons around a person. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:17.119 One can feel their presence. 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:20.160 And this kind of victory comes, you've got to rebuke that thing. 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:28.400 I remember you guys remember the story I told you about how lust was becoming a part of my life as a missionary. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:35.759 Um, and I would go and I would see porn on the streets there, and they were all open in Japan. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:40.319 I don't know if it's still that way in Tokyo and everything, but but I remember I was going to, I was gonna go look at it. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:45.680 I just cast out like four demons out of a guy, and then I'm going to the porn. 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:49.279 That's a that was a really powerful missionary, right? 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:56.240 But anyway, the spirit spoke to me, Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, You cast out demons, but you have one. 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:03.680 And um, and I I just stopped in my tracks, I cast that demon out, told it to leave, spirit of lust, leave in the name of Jesus. 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:05.839 I literally felt something lift off my back. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:07.440 I felt something lift off my back. 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:10.400 So that's, I believe, a demon around a person. 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:14.720 Um, in a couple weeks, we're gonna talk about haunted houses and UFOs. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:17.759 And um, I've been in a lot of haunted houses. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:23.519 Um, so I think spirits can be in an area where they've been given permission to be there. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:26.559 And so I've been in some places that are pretty spooky. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:27.839 Okay, third degree. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:32.079 Third degree would be afflicted, oppressed, sick. 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:35.200 This is more like demons are on a person. 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:39.519 So I would reference Luke 13, 10 through 13. 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:42.480 Um, I mean, sickness can be caused by demons. 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:48.000 There's nothing wrong with you trying to cover your basis if you're struggling with a sickness. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.000 Here's the thing about sickness. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:51.599 You need to get sick. 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:53.119 Okay, sick's good. 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:58.720 Sick, getting sick is generally speaking, it's good for you because it builds up your immune system. 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:04.960 What's bad is when you just jump right to drugs or you jump right to go see the doctor about something. 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:08.240 When you you just need to weather the storm, man. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:09.359 Hang in there. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:14.640 And uh and don't be taking so many antibiotics all the time, because you that builds up another problem. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.160 So, so so let me say this. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:18.799 So, sickness is not always bad, so let me just say that. 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:21.839 Okay, but some sickness is caused by demons. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:22.720 It is. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:34.400 I know that for a fact, and you probably have experienced it, and that's where you gotta have discernment, and you can rebuke that spirit, and it's on you, and it will leave. 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:42.319 And so I think it it's it's the right thing to do to always keep that door open when you're praying for someone who's sick. 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:52.319 Fourth degree is this is where I would call fourth degree being uh demonic foothold, like we just looked at in Ephesians 4. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:58.480 Demonic foothold, infested, disabling in a particular area. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:14.079 So this is where I'm Talking about where spirits are coming in and locking in, and this would be um Mark 7, 26 through 30, and victory comes through either a power encounter or a truth encounter, which we'll cover next week. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:47.920 So I'm not gonna go into the details of that, but um, this is those situations like the first time I ever dealt with the demonic was with a young man who came to me and had been letting me know through communication that he had considered committing suicide on several occasions, to the point where his roommate took all of the knives and all sharp objects out of the house because he would come home and want to thrust a knife into his heart. 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:49.759 So it was really bad. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.759 And um, and so I had never cast out a demon before. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:23:05.519 I didn't know what I was doing, but I invited him over to our house, Liz and I uh made a dinner for him, and we began to, or I began to rebuke the spirit, and all hell broke loose. 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:09.440 I mean, he was a fourth degree black belt in karate, so that was not a good thing. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:13.200 And he breaks our end table, lamp falls over. 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:16.400 I don't know how he didn't burn down the whole apartment complex. 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:25.759 Um, and then one thing after another happened, I won't go into the details, but it took me three hours to figure out that the name of Jesus is really powerful. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:27.440 So I'll give you a heads up. 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:28.400 Give you a heads up. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:30.240 Use always use the name of Jesus. 00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:32.160 I didn't know anything, I didn't know what I was doing. 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:37.359 And I thought, well, I think Jesus used his name and the name of somebody, that's a good idea. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:39.039 I'll try that, you know. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:40.960 And then he started to get set free. 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:49.519 So I'm not the sharpest pencil in the drawer, I'm not the smartest guy around, but I'll wear you out if I got something I'm focused on. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:51.519 So I wore out these demons, okay? 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:54.240 They just got, these guys are not gonna quit, you know? 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.599 Let's get out of here. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:58.160 So we cast out three demons out of that guy. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:05.279 But that's it, he had a foothold in his life, um, and probably pretty close to fifth degree. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:07.119 Fifth degree is a stronghold. 00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:08.559 So now it's a stronghold. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:14.640 So this is dominating and controlling a person in a particular area. 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:18.160 It doesn't control everything, it just controls a particular area. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:21.119 Luke 8, 26, and 27. 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:32.880 So victory's only gonna come, again, back to what we're gonna talk about more next week, about a power encounter or a truth encounter. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:38.400 And by the way, truth encounter is more important than a power encounter, but we'll talk about that next week. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:45.839 And then sixth degree is true demonic possession, owned by Satan and demons. 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:47.920 This would be Judas in scripture. 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:56.799 Through a pack or an agreement with the enemy, no desire to be set free, no true believer in Christ could come to this point. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:05.839 Modern examples would be Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Manson, Edie, I mean, I bet you our some of our mental hospitals are full. 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:11.200 Some of our prisons are full of men and women that are demon-possessed. 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:16.799 But closest I've ever come to someone like this was a naval officer. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:19.359 He was a very high-ranking naval officer. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:28.079 And I was called in by a friend of mine to come pray for him because he had tried to commit suicide three months before. 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:39.599 And the the the way it was described to me, and then he described it when I went to his house, was that he heard a voice telling him to steer his car into the oncoming traffic. 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:41.599 And so he did, and he killed two people. 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:50.880 So he killed two people and nearly killed himself, and now he's ridden with guilt and wants to commit suicide even more, and yet he calls himself a believer. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:52.240 He says he's a Christian. 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:55.680 So I started asking him questions. 00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:57.839 I interviewed him, I wanted to understand his background. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:00.400 How many here in this room have heard of automatic writing? 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:02.160 Anybody heard of automatic writing? 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:03.359 Okay, a number of you. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:18.480 So automatic writing is where someone, usually in people who are into white magic and new age stuff, and this guy was into both, um, they blindfold themselves and then they set themselves in front of a keyboard and they invite the spirits to come. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:32.160 They start channeling spirits, and then the spirits type out a message using their hands through the channeling, and they get a message and they think it's super cool, and they're communicating with white, it's white spirits, okay? 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:33.279 So they see it as good. 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:39.119 Well, this guy not only was doing that, but he was also a photographer. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:45.680 He wanted to become a great photographer, so he invited the spirit of Ansel Adams to come into his life. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:50.000 How many familiar with Ansel Adams, a great black and white photographer? 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:56.799 Um so he said, he he told me in the room, I have Ansel Adams living in me. 00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:58.720 And then I was like, hello. 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:03.920 I need, and I got better things to do than be here. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:10.160 But the bottom line was I started to confront this and deal with this in this individual's life. 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:16.240 I had two pastors with me, and they started manifesting demons. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:20.559 I mean, it was like so I was so out of my depth, you guys. 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:22.240 It was ridiculous. 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:31.519 And so I'm got a hand on him, and I've got a I've got half of my hand on one guy and half of my hand on the other guy, and I got demons just like all over the place. 00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:34.319 And after about two hours, we went, This is dumb. 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:36.079 I'm not doing this. 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:43.200 I am not capable spiritually or experienced enough practitionally to know what to do. 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:48.880 And so I I stopped it and um gave him some instructions and I left. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:53.599 And then I had to deal with these other two guys that were my friends, and we had to set them free later. 00:27:53.759 --> 00:28:00.640 But um got communication about six months later from this guy, he remembered everything I said. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.400 He had like a photographic memory. 00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:06.640 He remembered everything I said, and he began to start going to church. 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:13.359 He moved to New Orleans and uh still in the Navy, started going to church and self-delivered himself. 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:17.519 So one day he was in a room and he just told the spirits to leave. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:24.880 I don't want the spirit of Ansel Adams, I don't want that, I don't want um automatic typing, any any spirits involved with that. 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:29.119 And then God began to give him the names of the spirits. 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:35.440 He cast them out, he was picked up, levitated off the floor, and slammed up against a wall and set free. 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:37.440 So you don't want to go there. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:39.599 Let me just say that's not a good idea, okay? 00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:42.000 But that's more in that six-degree range. 00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:43.519 I mean, that's getting pretty bad. 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:49.200 But he was set free, he later got married, and is as far as I know, doing really well today. 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:54.480 But but that's an example of really pretty close to possession, all right? 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:57.599 So, how do we resist the devil and how do we fight? 00:28:57.759 --> 00:28:58.799 How do we get set free? 00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:04.480 So I think the best passage in Scripture is 2 Corinthians 10, 3 through 5. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:05.680 You don't need to turn there. 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:06.720 I'll just read it. 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:08.880 2 Corinthians 10, 3 through 5. 00:29:09.119 --> 00:29:13.920 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:16.079 So that's really important right there. 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:18.240 This is not a fleshly issue. 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:22.079 This is way deeper than the flesh. 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:32.480 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:33.680 That's my first point. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:36.319 You've got to pull down the strongholds. 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:39.039 And I'm gonna talk more about how to do that next week. 00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:48.480 Pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exhausts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:52.160 So, number one, pulling down strongholds. 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:55.759 Now, some of you don't want your strongholds pulled down. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:57.519 That's why I make it number one. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:30:04.160 Because if your will's not engaged, which that individual, that guy, the naval officer, his will was not engaged. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:05.680 He did not want to be set free. 00:30:05.839 --> 00:30:07.200 I was wasting my time. 00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:16.400 And if you've got someone in your family who's messing around with stuff and you'd like to pray for them and minister, if their will's not engaged, you are literally wasting your time. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:23.119 So the will of the person to surrender to God in that area has to be engaged. 00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:23.759 Okay? 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:27.279 And anybody can engage their will. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:29.440 I mean, anybody can. 00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:34.240 So, Christian or non-Christian, you can have a will to be set free. 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:37.440 And so don't mess around with people who don't want to be changed. 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:39.359 It's a waste of time. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:46.000 And so the first thing he says, you got to pull down strongholds, and the way you pull down strongholds, you've got to engage your will. 00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:46.799 Okay? 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:50.640 Then number two, renew your mind. 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:55.119 He says, bringing every thought captive to obedience to God, renewing your mind. 00:30:55.200 --> 00:30:56.640 It's the bricks, you guys. 00:30:56.799 --> 00:31:00.559 It's the brick by brick by brick we build the house. 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:03.839 Thought by thought we build our life. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:05.200 It's important. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:07.759 Brick by brick you build a house. 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:10.799 Thought by thought, you build a life. 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:14.559 So this is really hard. 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:19.599 It's the hardest thing for me to do for myself is think. 00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:23.839 And like yesterday, I know I was under demonic attack. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:31.759 I was probably first degree or second degree demonic activity over the last few days in my life, and I woke up at 3 a.m. 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:33.680 and I said the Lord's Prayer. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:35.359 I said Psalm 23. 00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:39.200 I said the Beatitudes of Matthew 5, 3 through 11. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:41.440 And I said those things out and it went away. 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:46.240 But I'm telling you, if we don't renew our mind, you're a sitting duck. 00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:47.279 I'm a hunter. 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:48.559 You know what a sitting duck is? 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:52.480 And that's like a duck that's just sitting on the pond, you just go boom, right? 00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:55.920 Well, the way you fly away is renewing your mind. 00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:58.079 Renewing your mind. 00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:02.160 And then number three, put on the armor of God. 00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:04.799 Number three, put on the armor of God. 00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:06.480 We're gonna do that in just a second. 00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:08.640 And we did that the last time I spoke on this. 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:12.720 And then number four, don't go to the wrong places. 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:14.640 Don't go to the wrong places. 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:21.759 If you struggle with alcohol and you're trying to get set free because you've got alcoholic tendencies, don't go to the bar. 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:22.960 I'm not real smart. 00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:24.480 You can figure that one out, okay? 00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:25.680 But don't go to the bar. 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:29.839 If you struggle with porn, don't be alone on your computer. 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:30.640 Okay? 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:32.799