ENDING MASS SHOOTINGS ACROSS AMERICA

04/23/2023

"Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house." (Matthew 12:29)

The Bible is replete with all kinds of strategies. There are strategies for growth, strategies for dealing with hindrances, and strategies for spiritual warfare. Well, it is the latter that Jesus speaks about in today's theme scripture. 

The Master gives us insight into why sometimes, in certain situations, a Christian may go through a recurring season of affliction without reprieve. I mean, God called the believer to live an overcoming life (according to John 10:10), but why are certain believers caught in repeated cycles of defeat? Very often, aside from an ignorance of their inheritance in Christ, there is a strong man involved. A strong man is an evil spirit with a legitimate ground to afflict certain people and keep them in bondage. When Isaiah asked prophetically, "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive delivered?" (Isaiah 49:24 KJV). The "mighty" that this scripture talks about is the strong man, and the "lawful captive" might be an ignorant or insensitive believer whose awareness of his or her state has been beclouded. 

Make no mistake about it; you have a God victory and an unquestionable dominion over every strong man. However, what is symptomatic about the strong man is the recurrence of holding patterns; the chronic inability to find work; deals falling through at the last minute; near passes of life-altering exams, abortive pregnancies, perennial nightmares, and other patterns that a Christian ought not to experience. 

Recognizing these patterns is the first step. The next step is to recognize your authority in Christ over demons of darkness. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says to you, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." You have authority over all the power, not some of the power of the enemy. And as an aside the power of the enemy is in two dimensions; deception (represented by serpents) and affliction (represented by scorpions). Jesus has given you authority over the deception and afflictions of the enemy, but to exercise this authority requires that when you notice symptoms of the presence of a strong man, then you bind him in the name of Jesus. A note of advice (Bind the strong man, not the symptoms or manifestations. Bind the spirit, and the symptoms will fade away)

Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” In other words, every time you use the name of Jesus against that strong man, he has no other choice but to leave you. Praise God!

Faith-Filled Confession:

I have been given the authority to trample over serpents and scorpions. No limitations, holding patterns, or recurring cycles anywhere can prevail around me. I use the name of Jesus to terminate the legitimacy of strongmen spirits and bind them such that the release of advantages becomes the testimony of the righteous. Hallelujah!

One-Year Reading Plan: 2 Samuel 4-6; Luke 18:18-43