Shutting-Off Satan’s
Access to Your Heart and Life
Ephesians 4:27
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
10 Jan, 2010
AM
I.
Introduction (
A.
We
are in week two of our study series on Doors in the Christian’s life.
B.
It
may sound a bit boring, but the Bible says there are some very important things
to learn from doors!
C.
Usually in the Bible, doors are openings, opportunities that God is laying out
for us (as in Rev 3:8).
D.
But
there are other doors that should NOT be opened.
E.
You
see, the devil is not only a sneaky liar, he is a THIEF and a DESTROYER!
F.
So,
if you want to quit being robbed by the devil every day and week of our lives,
then there are some BIG doors that must be slammed shut and locked!
G.
I
want to preach this morning on those doors!
H.
We
will revisit these incredible truths throughout the year, so write them down and
hang on to them!
II.
Message
A.
The House Concept (2Cor
6:16).
1.
Jesus describes a man as being a HOUSE, a dwelling place God!
2.
But
more often than we are aware, our lives are dwelling places for evil spirits (Mt
12:43-45).
3.
A
human has three parts: body, soul (mind, will, and emotions), and spirit (1Thes
5:23).
4.
Evil
spirits may take up resident in any or all of these three parts:
a.
In
the body
b.
In
the soul
c.
In
the spirit
5.
Even
a Christian may allow evil spirits to enter his body or soul (Matt. 18:21-35,
Acts 5:3). Note, only the spirit of
a Christian remains exempt from demonic occupation in that his spirit is in
eternal union with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:17)
B.
The Door Concept.
1.
The
mind of a man is like a big tumble-dryer of various thoughts that are constantly
in motion.
2.
Our
thoughts come from different sources:
a.
From
God. He speaks to us!
b.
From
physical stimuli (the five senses: touching, taste, hearing, smelling, and
seeing).
c.
From
self (your own memory and your imagination).
d.
From
the powers of darkness (evil spirits). They are very real!
3.
Man,
unlike all other earthly creatures, was given a “conscience” by which he can
judge the purity of his thoughts. (
4.
Man
was also given the power of his will to choose which thoughts to entertain or
reject.
5.
When
you choose (by your will) to entertain, to enjoy a specific evil thought, then
you actually leave a door open for an evil spirit to enter into your mind and
life – and it wreaks havoc!
6.
That
is how Satan accesses our mind, and our feelings; by us opening a doorway and
leaving it open!
C.
The Opening.
1.
Evil
spirits crouch like wild animals at the door waiting for an opening to enter
(Gen. 4:7).
2.
The
door may be opened by:
a.
An
Uncontrolled Tongue (Prov 15:4)
b.
An
Uncontrolled Imagination (2Cor 10:4,5)
c.
Fears (Matthew 26:69-74)
d.
Sinful Habits. (Eph 4:26,27, Examples = unforgiveness, immorality, pornography,
anger, bitterness, and jealousy.)
e.
Stubbornness (1Sam 15:23)
f.
Emotional hurt. (Prov. 15:13).
Being rejected, or being embarrassed, or even abused!
g.
Any
kind of occult involvement. (1Chron
10:13).
h.
Drug, cigarette, and alcohol use.
(1Cor 3:17).
i.
Sins
of your parents. (2 Kings 22:13).
Problems can be passed down upon you!
D.
Symptoms of Demonic Attack.
1.
Symptoms often vary depending upon the evil spirits involved, the degree of
control they have obtained, and also the emotional, mental, and spiritual state
of the individual.
2.
Symptoms Can Include:
a.
Physical abnormalities = supernatural strength, excessive weakness,
malnutrition, overweight, uncleanliness, nudity, nerve disorders, sexual
perversion, violence, unexplained illnesses, headaches, heart problems, and
stomach problems.
b.
Mental abnormalities = restlessness, compulsions, reliance upon drugs, suicidal
tendencies, fantasizing, self-deception, confusion, extreme fears, depression,
shyness, and dominance.
c.
Spiritual = continual spiritual failures (even as a Christian), nightmares,
hearing voices, seeing unusual things, and a lack of self-control.
E.
Repairing the Breach
(Amos 9:11) – fixing the broken doors!
1.
This
is what God wants!
2.
The
Lord Jesus never intends on anyone being dominated by Satanic attacks! Satan
does constantly attack, but God has provided a means by which to endure, and
even conquer our enemy when he does attack!
3.
There is no victory in just trying to resist temptation, and repair things
yourself. REMEMBER: A vacuum is an
invitation for evil spirits to take over.
Matt. 12:43-45.
4.
So,
before you try and get rid of the problems in your life, you must:
5.
Open the Door of your life to
Jesus!
a.
Isn’t it weird how many people will try EVERYTHING else except yielding to HIM?
b.
If
you have opened doors into your life to sin, then you know how to open the door
to Jesus! It is called yielding, wanting, seeking!
c.
Jesus is now knocking at the door of your soul (mind, will, and emotions)
desiring to enter in and stay (Rev. 3:20)! Hey! By-the-way, He promises to NEVER
leave once He enters (Heb 13:5)!
d.
Jesus is The Deliverer, the Repairer of the Breach!
1)
"For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of
the devil." 1
2)
Jesus DEMONSTRATED his own power and authority over evil spirits:
a)
By
casting them out of people that He met. "When the even was come, they brought
unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with
his word." Mark 8:16.
b)
By
overcoming Satan in his death and resurrection. "And having spoiled
principalities and powers (of darkness), he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them (all evil spirits, and even Satan himself) in it."
Colossians 2:15.
6.
Realise That You Now Have A New
Resident
a.
If
you have allowed evil spirits to enter into you house, then you should also know
that you have no power of your own to overcome them.
(Acts 19:15-16). You need
the STRONGER POWER of the Spirit of Jesus in your life. (Luke 11:20-22).
b.
You
may receive this stronger power by praying:
1)
I
confess to you Jesus that I have sinned.
2)
I
realized that the penalty for my sin is death.
3)
I
believe that you, Jesus, died for all my sins and arose again.
4)
I
give my life to you, Jesus, letting you become my LORD and SAVIOUR.
5)
I
ask you to come now and live inside of me by your Spirit.
c.
REMEMBER: Greater is the Holy Spirit in you than the devil and his spirits that
are in the world. (1
7.
Use HIM to Shut The Door On Satan
(Gal 5:16) – Shut ALL the doors!
a.
You
should not only open the door to the Lord Jesus, but should CLOSE the door on
the devil!
b.
We
have too many “christians" who have received Jesus Christ, but still keep the
back door open for the tormentor!
1)
By
channel surfing – “accidently” coming across wicked TV scenes
2)
By
having uncontrolled access to the internet
3)
By
keeping filthy movie channels
4)
By
listening to rap and rock music
5)
By
hanging around wicked friends
6)
By
reading filthy romance novels
7)
By
allowing yourself a few drinks on occasion thinking they won’t control you!
c.
You
are able by the grace of God (His will and power working in you) to overcome
future attacks of the enemy. (Phil.
2:13; Eph. 4:27, 1Cor. 10:13)
d.
So,
you CAN close the door (Philp 4:13) to the enemy by taking the following steps:
1)
Put
on all the armour of God and pray daily (Eph 6:10-18) – prepare for battle!
2)
Understand nothing can separate you from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39, Jn
10:28).This battle will never determine God’s love for you! You are secure!
3)
Cast
all your cares upon Jesus because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7-9). Ask for
help!
4)
Begin House Cleaning – begin the wrestling match!
a)
With
God's help, be willing to repent of (turn from) all habitual sins. Act 3:19
SLAM!
b)
Destroy by fire all physical objects in you possession associated with the
occult or false religions. Deut.
7:25-26, Acts 19:13-19. Some
examples are books, magazines, records, Rock and Rap music CDs, tapes, videos,
statues, art objects, charms and other objects of worship. SLAM!
c)
Destroy all personal possessions of drugs, alcohol, and pornography.
Jam 1:14-15. SLAM! SLAM!
d)
Reject all wrong thoughts and run from all temptations to sin (2 Cor 10:4-5,
2Tim 2:22) SLAM!
e)
Confess to God the specific sins of your parents.
Lev. 26:40. SLAM!
f)
Confess to God all known sins in your own life asking for His forgiveness. This
is not to be born again, but to be free from Satan’s dominance in your life!
SLAM!
g)
Tell
God that you are willing to forgive everyone who has offended you and hurt you.
SLAM!
h)
Then
ask God also to forgive them. Mt
6:12, 18:22-35, Lk 23:34, Act 7:59. SLAM!
i)
Yield all personal rights that you have, to Jesus letting Him take control over
all areas of your life.
j)
Read, memorize, meditate upon and obey God's Word.
Rev. 1:3, Psa. 119:11, Josh. 1:8, James 1:21-22.
SLAM!
k)
Join
a local church and submit yourself to the authority of the Pastor.
Heb. 10:25, 13:17. Make assembling with other believers THE priority in
your life to keep you humble, and keep your challenged! SLAM!
e.
You
will then watch your life be a habitation of the presence of almighty God, and
no longer of Satan!
III.
Conclusion
A.
There are doors in our life that should NEVER be opened, or at least, LEFT OPEN!
1.
You
see, the devil is not only a sneaky liar, he is a THIEF and a DESTROYER!
2.
So,
if you want to quit being robbed by the devil every day and week of our lives,
then there are some BIG doors that must be slammed shut and locked!
B.
And
it all begins with understanding The House Concept (Matthew 12:43-45). We
were designed by God for Him to dwell in us! Yet, usually we cater to wrong and
evil spirits!
C.
And
it didn’t happen by accident!
D.
We
have seen now, The Door Concept. When you choose (by your will) to
entertain, to enjoy a specific evil thought, then you actually leave a door open
for an evil spirit to enter into your life. That is how Satan accesses our mind,
and our feelings; by us opening a doorway!
E.
We
have learned how Satan uses Openings in our lives
1.
An
Uncontrolled Tongue
2.
An
Uncontrolled Imagination
3.
Fears
4.
Sinful Habits.
5.
Stubbornness
6.
Emotional hurt.
7.
Any
kind of occult involvement.
8.
Drug, cigarette, and alcohol use.
9.
Sins
of your parents.
F.
We
have learned some of the Symptoms of Demonic Attack, like: uncleanliness,
nudity, nerve disorders, sexual perversion, violence, unexplained illnesses,
headaches, heart problems, and stomach problems, restlessness, compulsions,
reliance upon drugs, suicidal tendencies, fantasizing, self-deception,
confusion, extreme fears, depression, shyness, and continual spiritual failures!
G.
But
best of all, we have learned now how to Repair the Breach – fix all the
broken doors!
1.
Open
the Door of your life to Jesus! Jesus is The Deliverer, the Repairer of the
Breach!
2.
Realise That You Now Have A New Resident – the powerful Holy Spirit of God!
3.
Use
Him to Shut The Door On Satan – Shut ALL the doors!
a.
Be
willing to repent of (turn from) all habitual sins.
b.
Destroy by fire all physical objects in you possession associated with the
occult or false religions.
c.
Destroy all personal possessions of drugs, alcohol, and pornography.
d.
Reject all wrong thoughts and run from all temptations to sin
e.
Confess to God the specific sins of your parents
f.
Confess to God all known sins in your own life asking for His forgiveness. This
is not to be born again, but to be free from Satan’s dominance in your life!
g.
Tell
God that you are willing to forgive everyone who has offended you and hurt you.
h.
Then
ask God also to forgive them.
i.
Yield all personal rights that you have, to Jesus letting Him take control over
all areas of your life.
j.
Read, memorize, meditate upon and obey God's Word.
k.
Join
a local church and submit yourself to the authority of the Pastor.
Make assembling with other believers THE priority in your life to keep
you humble, and keep your challenged!
Shutting-Off Satan’s Access to Your Heart and Life
Ephesians 4:27
I.
Introduction (
A.
Usually in the Bible, doors are openings, opportunities that God is
laying out for us (as in Rev 3:8).
B.
But
there are other doors that should NOT be opened.
C.
You
see, the devil is not only a sneaky liar; he is a THIEF and a
DESTROYER!
D.
So,
if you want to quit being robbed by the devil, then there are some BIG doors
that must be slammed shut!
II.
Message
A.
The House Concept
(2Cor 6:16).
1.
Jesus
describes a man as being a HOUSE, a dwelling place God!
2.
But
more often than we are aware, our lives are dwelling places for evil spirits (Mt
12:43-45).
3.
A
human has three parts: body, soul (mind, will, and emotions), and spirit (1Thes
5:23).
4.
Even
a Christian may allow evil spirits to enter his body or soul (Acts 5:3).
B.
The Door Concept.
1.
The
mind of a man is like a big tumble-dryer of various thoughts that are
constantly in motion.
2.
Our
thoughts come from different sources:
a.
From
God. He speaks to us!
b.
From
physical stimuli (the five senses: touching, taste, hearing, smelling,
and seeing).
c.
From
self (your own memory and your imagination).
d.
From
the powers of darkness (evil spirits). They are very real!
3.
Man
was given a “conscience” by which he can judge the purity of his
thoughts. (
4.
Man
was also given the power of his will to choose which thoughts to
entertain or reject.
5.
When
you choose (by your will) to entertain, to enjoy a specific evil thought, then
you actually leave a door open for an evil spirit to enter into your mind and
life.
6.
That
is how Satan accesses our mind, and our feelings; by us opening a doorway!
C.
The Opening.
1.
Evil
spirits crouch like wild animals at the door waiting for an opening to
enter (Gen. 4:7).
2.
The
door may be opened by:
a.
An
Uncontrolled Tongue (Prov 15:4)
b.
An
Uncontrolled Imagination (2Cor 10:4,5)
c.
Fears (Matthew 26:69-74)
d.
Sinful Habits. (Eph 4:26,27)
e.
Stubbornness (1Sam 15:23)
f.
Emotional hurt.
(Prov. 15:13).
g.
Any
kind of occult involvement.
(1Chron 10:13).
h.
Drug,
cigarette, and alcohol use. (1Cor
3:17).
i.
Sins
of your parents. (2 Kings
22:13). Problems can be passed down upon you!
D.
Symptoms of Demonic Attack.
1.
Physical abnormalities
2.
Mental abnormalities
3.
Spiritual abnormalities
E.
Repairing the Breach
(Amos 9:11) – fixing the broken doors!
1.
Open the Door of your life to
Jesus! (Rev 3:20;
1
2.
Realise That You Now Have A New
Resident (Luke
11:22; 1
3.
Use HIM to Shut The Door On
Satan (Gal 5:16) –
Shut ALL the doors! (Eph 4:27)
a.
With
God's help, be willing to repent of (turn from) all habitual sins.
Acts 3:19.
b.
Destroy by fire all
physical objects associated with occult or false religions. Dt 7:25-26, Act
19:13-19
c.
Destroy all personal possessions of drugs, alcohol, and pornography.
Jam 1:14-15.
d.
Reject all wrong thoughts and run from all temptations to sin (2
Cor 10:4-5, 2Tim 2:22)
e.
Confess to God the
specific sins of your parents. Lev.
26:40.
f.
Confess to God all known sins in your own life asking for His forgiveness (1Jn
1:9)
g.
Tell
God that you are willing to forgive everyone who has offended you and
hurt you.
h.
Then
ask God also to forgive them. Matt.
6:12, 18:22-35, Luke 23:34, Acts 7:59.
i.
Yield
all your personal rights to Jesus letting Him take control.
j.
Read,
memorize, meditate upon and obey God's Word.
Rev 1:3, Psa. 119:11, Josh 1:8, Jam 1:21-22.
k.
Join
a local church and submit yourself to the authority of the Pastor.
Heb. 10:25, 13:17.
4.
You
will then watch your life be a habitation of the presence of almighty God, and
no longer of Satan!