The readiness for the attacks of the enemy is half the battle won, the same goes for the war in conquering the soul. Christians are aware that there’s an enemy, Satan, yet unaware of how he functions. The evidence that a soldier takes his battle seriously, and understands the strength of his enemy, is seen in how he arms and prepares himself. That’s why when the Apostle Paul launches into the most famous spiritual-warfare exhortation; the first thing he says is:
Ephesians 6:10-11 “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”.
Our souls have been crafted by inaccurate perceptions and false beliefs, resulting in corresponding responses from our soul’s emotions. Emotions are more than basic feelings of “love; hate; joy; happy; sadness; fear; anxiety; guilt etc. In other words, emotions are more than the way we simply “feel”. These “emotions” are our responses to our engagement with the world around us. That “world” is inclusive of any and all people/relationships/situations/information etc. that we are confronted with. Anything requiring a response from us, resulting in the producing of a certain outcome.
Even as a believer, living a life pursuing the things of God; accomplishing success in life; family; career; finances; ministry; relationships; at some point or another, can hit a threshold. A place beyond which they are unable to penetrate the complete life they know is available in God. They come to a point where often, hindrances or blockages are experienced. A believer experiencing this ‘blockage’, can feel overwhelmed, helpless, as though being “strangled”, producing a sense of suffocation. Believing a Christian cannot experience demonic activity in their lives, brings them to this place of feeling ‘stuck’. Because it leaves us without any real solution as to what can or needs to be done. When the problem cannot be identified, a solution cannot be provided.
This usually evokes a sense of feeling powerless, because any hope of extrication from these emotional positions have been forfeited. Undoubtedly, this perpetuates acts of being trapped in patterns of behavior which we absolutely know is wrong. These are the demonic activities we believe is not at work in us. This keeps us from experiencing the complete life God intended us to have. No matter how much success we seem to experience in life, periodically we are ‘tripped-up’ by the appearance of these blockages. With the distinct purpose of holding us hostage to false beliefs rooted deep in our soul’s emotions.
These well thought-out demonic schemes often come about at certain stages of our lives. It usually presents itself at a time when you think you’re experiencing breakthrough. Especially in a matter that seems it will ultimately lead you to be secure. And when the “rug is pulled out from under us”, we resort back to our default setting. Which are emotional responses, acting as a security blanket, offering a sense of familiarity. This ‘safety net’ of emotional responses makes us feel safe and in control of an uncontrollable situation. This cycle produces in us the affirming belief that this is “just the way we are/just how life is”.
The Result of Functioning from the Soul
Consider Moses. Remember Moses was raised in the palace of Pharaoh. It’s safe to assume that he was regularly surrounded by and exposed to Pharaoh’s wise-men; sorcerers; magicians. The works produced by these sorcerers and magicians are typically accomplished through formulas: words; incantations; potions. It is fulfilled through self-reliance upon previously tried and tested sequences to achieve a desired outcome. It’s the soul’s predisposition in producing a solution to a particular problem. Moses was privy to the functioning of the practices of witchcraft and sorcery. In the most influential stage of his life he bore witness to how these men performed (ungodly) “miraculous” works.
Exodus 17:6 (NLT) “I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.
At first Moses walks in obedience, accurately fulfilling the instructions of the Lord. His dependency on God to successfully accomplish what he’s been called to do is established in trusting God. But over time, as the hearts of the people are tested, so is the heart of Moses.
Numbers 20:6-12 (NIV) ‘Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown…The Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water…He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
There were many reasons to explain the sinful reaction of Moses, but there were no adequate excuses. Moses did not trust God to correct His people, so he took it upon himself to do so. Moses acted more like an Egyptian prince than a servant of the Lord. Evident here, Moses reverts to the influence which his soul was exposed to in the Egyptian palace. In his anger, he sins. Aside from taking it upon himself to rebuke God’s people, he takes credit for the water coming from the rock. But it is the act of “striking the rock” (again) that shows his rebellion and disobedience. Instead of following the instructions of God, Moses relies on the tried and tested formula of striking the rock.
This act of disobedience results in Moses and Aaron being prohibited from entering into the promised land. They are disqualified from completing the very purpose for them leading the people out of captivity.
Numbers 20:24 (NIV) “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah”.
1 Samuel 15:23 (NKJV) “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”
This is the result of the dangers of not dealing with these inaccurate and false belief systems. When we rely on the tried and tested. The formulas we’ve become accustomed to in order to gain success in areas of attack. When we trust our own reasoning, and recall coping mechanisms to enable us to experience some sense of ‘breakthrough’ over certain challenges, instead of heeding the instruction of the Lord, we become rebellious, we become as those practicing witchcraft. We realize what worked for us in the past, and follow those same patterns to produce for ourselves, claiming it’s God. And the proof of that is evident in the permanence of the results.
Satan and all his demonic alliances have no authority to keep anything in place. The only way these forces have any power over us is if we believe it. If you accept the lie presented to you, it gives these demonic influences access to you. They now have a legal right to lay a hold of you. There’s no construction/scheme of Satan that can contain humans in the earth. Nothing capable of resisting the entrance into it, and the plundering of it, by those who are authentically from God.
Up until your spirit is awakened, by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, it is your soul which instructs and informs your understanding.
1 John 5:18-19 (NIV) “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”
The Breaking of these Blockages/Demonic Influence
The removal of these blockages, originating from false beliefs, is more evasive than simple deliverance. The (mature) believer needs these blockages removed. It prevents them from accurately hearing God and walk in the life of the Spirit beyond a certain level of maturity as a believer. We cannot breakup the authority of the enemy that’s been activated against you by working through it logically. Becoming aware of the source of these attacks changes nothing; the demonic that gained control through the emotions of your soul remains entrenched. And that demonic spirit must be evicted from that hiding place it established in your soul, among your emotions.
John 8:44 (NLT) “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies”.
God will never allow a lie to take on the characteristics of the truth. When we appeal to God for relief, anything the enemy gained through us believing a lie, cannot be sustained by him who gained from it. So if the enemy gains an advantage by lying to you about who you are, and you, as a son of God appeal to Him, God will deliver you from that lie. We have to come to the realization of the truth of our identity. In this, we come to accept that we are sons of God, and begin to occupy our positions – ‘seated with Christ in heavenly places’.
The first step is repentance – the acknowledgement and confession of sins due to believing a lie. When we receive forgiveness of our sins/our false beliefs, the enemy losses the ability to hold any charge against us. The price for our forgiveness has already been paid. And as we are forgiven, so should we extend forgiveness to those the enemy used to play a role in causing us to believe a lie “forgive those who trespass against us”. When you forgive – the enemy can no longer claim that gate, that place of entry in your soul, as his to command or possess.
God will disallow the claims of the enemy to legitimate authority over you – because it’s stolen authority achieved through deception/lies. When we come into the alignment of our true identity as ‘sons of God’, we once again are able to access the benefits and privileges God has given to us as an inheritance. We obtain the right to retake a true picture of our identity and live out the purpose for which God put us in the earth. That identity as ‘sons of God’, with the purpose of representing the living God in a mature manner. We must be translated from the domain of darkness – living in bondage through false beliefs rooted in our soul’s emotions; to the Kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins – living in freedom through life in the Spirit.