ADVENT #14 ~ TO DESTROY the Strongholds !

1  John 3:8

He that committeth sin is of the devil;

for the devil sinneth from the beginning.

For this purpose the SON OF GOD was manifested,

that HE+ might destroy the works of the devil.

HE+ came to destroy the works of the devil ! 

HE+ came to destroy the works of demons ! 

We CANNOT “counsel” away demons.

Many are still trying to do that, slapping on psychological or psychiatric terms in a natural-minded effort to destroy the works, the strongholds,  of demons.

In Scriptures, how many times can we find “counseling” given to demonized people or people who were being led astray by wicked spirits ?

NONE. 

In Scriptures, demons left when confronted with the Living LORD JESUS CHRIST. Or, they left when confronted by those Anointed Followers of CHRIST. 

Demons do NOT leave with counsel; 

demons do NOT come under conviction. 

Demons harden hearts and deafen ears towards the words of wise counsel. Indeed, if the counsel is focusing on the real issues with the heat of the Truth behind it, the demons will feign repentance, at times.

But they do not 

LEAVE their victims.

CONFRONTATION by The LORD JESUS CHRIST, by His+ Blessed – and powerful -- HOLY SPIRIT alive in His+ Followers --  is the only Scriptural means to deliver men from demons. Those examples are given throughout the New Testament. 

HE+ came to deliver us from a walking death.  Like walking pneumonia, people do not recognize they are full of death. 

Demons hide behind cloaks of seeming righteousness. 

They are masters at deception. 

They will tell us everything is good if we “attend church regularly.”  They will tell us everything is good if we hold the values our family holds. Meanwhile, they  hide in our hearts under a cloak of righteousness. 

They will tell us everything is bad if we separate ourselves from ungodly family or friends who lead us astray, away from The LORD, away from His+ Word. 

In addition , these demons lurk about, disguised as “family spirits.” 

They will mask themselves in values that Grandfather or Grandmother had, values and pursuits which  lead them -- and us--- MILES AWAY from CHRIST.

These family spirits will have us

·       locked into temporal ways of living,

·       savor fleshly entertainments,

·     embrace that age-old “we’re only trying to make a living” pursuit of money . . .

all justified in our minds. 

These are the same MINDSETS which are controlled by these demonic family spirits instead of The SPIRIT of CHRIST.

CHRIST JESUS  was sent by The FATHER to destroy these works of the devil. 

CHRIST JESUS came – was empowered by The HOLY SPIRIT – to deliver us from demons of all sorts, regardless of their names or origins or strongholds on our family lines. 

Are we DELIVERED, then ? 

Or are we content to live side-by-side with these demons inside of us that serve the prince of the power of the air ? 

Do we want the FULL LIGHT of CHRIST to rule in our hearts and minds and lives, with no darkness rumbling around in us  ? 

Let us Pray: 

O Holy FATHER, we are fallen short of that full measure, the measure of the stature of the fullness of CHRIST. 

We have been content where we should NOT be content and have dropped the yoke. We have failed to push ourselves to embrace the FULLNESS of LIGHT given to us in CHRIST JESUS. 

We have been better stewards of our earthly goods than of the LIGHT entrusted to us in CHRIST JESUS ! 

O dear FATHER, YOU have given us the Way to have victory over every single sin, over every single emotion, and over every single thought.  

 Why have we not embraced that victory ? Why have we run away from that LIGHT instead of to The LIGHT ?

Help us with our character flaws. Change us to be like CHRIST.

This we pray in the Life-giving Name of the LIGHT+ of the World – the only LIGHT in this world – The LORD JESUS CHRIST. Amen.