Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. And all that we do and all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. This is a song I want to sing before I get into my message. Nothing But Praise. I was nothing when I met you. I'm nothing, Lord, without you. I'm nothing but a sinner saved by grace. All I am is what you made me. All I have is what you gave me. I've nothing to repay. Nothing but praise, nothing but praise to you and you alone I bring before the throne of righteousness Nothing but praise I bow my heart in humble thankfulness Nothing but praise For all you claim to be And your blessings upon me and me awaits I've nothing, Lord, to give Nothing but praise In my weakness you are stronger In my journey you are longer Your love has bent my light in every way. When I falter, You restore me. When I'm broken, You adore me. I have nothing to repay. Nothing but praise, nothing but praise To you and you alone I bring before the throne of righteousness Nothing but praise, I bow my heart in humble thankfulness Nothing but praise for all you claim to be And your blessings upon me and me awaits I've nothing, Lord, to give Nothing but praise All my days are in your keeping. All my moments in your healing. Your grace has been my strength from day to day. When I'm lost, your spirit guides me. In the dark, your light beside me. I've nothing to repay. Nothing but praise. Nothing but praise. To you and you alone, I bring before the throne of righteousness. Nothing but praise I bow my heart in humble thankfulness Nothing but praise for all you claim to be And your blessings upon me and me awaits I've nothing, Lord, to give Nothing but praise, nothing but praise To you and you alone I bring before the throne of righteousness Nothing but praise, I bow my heart in humble thankfulness Nothing but praise for all you claim to be And your blessings upon me and me awaits I've nothing, Lord, to give Nothing but praise. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Darrell Bailey, servants for Christ, for we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. Amen, what a wonderful message today with Brother Richard Goodwin, amen, at Bethel Crossroads. Brother nine-year-old Raymond was saved by the marvelous grace of God. What a spectacular message, him and his wife, and what a great time that we had in the Lord. The Lord just showed out and just gave us a great blessing at the house of the Lord this morning. I always say, you can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips, amen. Brother Richard is our neighbor right down the street from our pastor, Keith Dempsey, as well. and what a wonderful blessing today to hear the preaching of the word of God. Now as we come to our time of message, amen, on our sermon audio, praise God, take your Bibles over to Ephesians chapter six, Verse 12, Ephesians chapter six, verse 12. And the message that the Lord has burdened and laid upon my heart, this has been heavy upon my heart, I'm gonna be talking about spiritual warfare and demonic influence. Spiritual warfare and demonic influence. in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12. The Bible says, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. And so, I'm glad as we look at what kind of influence of the reality of a spiritual warfare that every one of us goes through every day. We know that it's not against flesh and blood, but it's against the rulers and the authorities and the cosmic powers over this present darkness and those spiritual forces of evil that are in heavenly places. Let's open up with a time of prayer. Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for the salvation of that young nine-year-old boy this morning. As we come before you seeking your wisdom and guidance, we look into the deep truth of your word and we ask ourselves, Lord, that the Holy Spirit would open our hearts and minds and grant us an understanding and discernment in the matters of spiritual warfare. Every one of us are fighting a battle every day with this old fleshly nature. Even no matter if you're saved by God's marvelous grace, there's a battle that's going on all the time. Help us to understand and to discern the matters of spiritual warfare. Protect us, Lord, from the schemes of the devil and empower us to stand firm in our faith. And may your word be a light under our path and a shield against the darkness, Lord, as we continue to let our light shine wherever we are. And Lord, may we be servants for Jesus' sake. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name, I was reading about a man that experienced a terrifying encounter while hiking in the wilderness. He was alone when a sudden storm rolled in. I remember when I was in the military and we were up around in the mountains, a storm could roll in. Lightning would look like it was making the hairs on your head stand up when it would strike. And this was the kind of storm that this man was alone in. As he sought shelter, he slipped. He fell down a steep embankment, hit in his head. He became disoriented and injured from the fall. And he started seeing shadows and hearing voices, which he initially dismissed as hallucinations from the trauma of the fall. Well, you know what? The storm intensified and the shadows seemed to take on a menacing form surrounding him and whispering threats to him. In his desperation, he cried out for help, feeling utterly helpless against these unseen forces. Just when he thought that he couldn't take it any longer, he remembered a Bible verse that his grandmother had taught him. Psalms chapter 27 verse 1 the Lord is my light and my salvation Whom shall I fear he began to repeat it over and over the Lord is my light and my salvation Whom shall I fear the Lord is my light and my salvation Whom shall I fear and he began to repeat it over and over and slowly the shadows receded and the voices faded away eventually He was found by rescuers, shaken but unharmed. As we think about this story and the dramatic of it, it serves as a very powerful reminder that we live in a world where spiritual warfare is real. And the Bible speaks clearly about the existence of evil spirits, their influence, and how they seek to deceive and oppress us. Yes, an evil spirit can influence a saved Christian, but it cannot possess them. Now, listen to the distinction, because as we look at the distinction of the influence, influence an evil spirit can tempt, it can oppress, it can influence a Christian's thoughts and emotions and behaviors, and this influence is external and can lead to spiritual struggles, sin, or discouragement. And so, For an example, the Apostle Peter, though saved, was influenced by Satan when he tried to dissimulate Jesus from going to the cross. In Matthew chapter 16, verses 22 and 23. Now, that's the definition. of influence. But now listen to me. The distinction between influence and possession, however, a Christian, a saved born again Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, cannot, cannot be possessed by an evil spirit. Possession implies complete control over a person's mind and body and spirit, which cannot happen to someone who is sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. Amen? And so, I'm glad that when we look and realize that we're reminded in Ephesians chapter 1, Because as I turn my Bible over to Ephesians chapter 1 verses 13 and 14, listen to what it tells me, amen, because the Word of God is the authority. And so in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13, In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also that you believe you were sealed with that holy spirit of promise in verse 14 which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory and so the holy spirit resides within a believer and where the Spirit of God is, no evil spirit can dominate. Praise His mighty name. Say amen with me. And so, I'm glad, wow, a Christian, you know, as we look at, can experience spiritual warfare and the influence of evil, they are protected from possession because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God. Now, here this morning, we explore what it means to be demonized, how it affects believers, and the victory that we have in Christ, amen. And so, as we look at this, And we begin to discover, amen, about the reality, first of all, of spiritual warfare. What it means to be demonized, how that it affects believers, and the victory that we have in Christ, amen. Boy, I tell you, if this ain't good, God's better to us than we are our own selves, amen. And so, when we look and we realize what God is wanting to do, in our lives, amen. Thank God we see the reality of spiritual warfare, amen, and what it means, praise God, to have that power that the Lord gives to each and every one of us, amen. Thank you, Lord, for that wonderful blessing that you've indwelled us and you have given us, you have possessed us with the Holy Spirit of God. And again, I say, what it means to be demonized and how it affects believers and the victory that we have in Christ. What did I say? The difference between possession and influence. Now, I think today that there's a lot of Christians that I'm around that if they don't live the way they should, they can be influenced. And that's the problem that we have in the world today. Here with the reality of spiritual warfare. The first thing that I see is the nature of our battle. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual weakness in high places. You see, the battle that we face is not physical, but spiritual, involving unseen forces that seek to influence and control us. Oh man, Corrie Ten Boom said something one time. She said, there's no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment and the one who fears is not made perfect in love. You see, Corrie Ten Boom reminds us that the fear of demonic forces is driven out by the perfect love of Christ. And so, not only do we see that it's the nature of our battle That all of us that we fight praise God but also that we see the the subtlety of demonic influence a man the subtlety of demonic influence because when we look and realize that through the battles that we fight each and every day a man and We realize that the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5, verse 8, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. You see, Demotic, notice how I said, influence often operates in subtle ways through temptations, false teachings, and oppression, rather than outright possession. And so, we see the subtlety of demonic influence itself. It does secretly as it tries to work on us and begin to give us the battle that we fight every day because it cannot possess us, but it can influence us. And so we see not only the nature of our battle, the subtlety of demonic influence, but the necessity of spiritual armor. Because what does it say in Ephesians chapter six, verse 13? Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, praise God. You see, as believers, we must be equipped with the full armor of God to stand firm against the enemy's attacks. Amen? It means, you know, as every one of us go through life today, And so, what it means to be demonized, how that affects believers and the victory that we have in Christ, we see the reality of that spiritual warfare. But secondly, we see the power of Christ over demonic forces. I'm glad that each and every one of us when we look and realize what God wants to do in our lives. Take your Bibles over to Luke, chapter 10. Luke, chapter 10, praise God. In Luke, chapter 10, verse 19, that it begins to give us a powerful scripture, amen. Luke, chapter 10. Luke, chapter 10. Verse 19, amen. Boy, I'm gonna tell you, when we look at the word of God and tells us this, it says, listen, it says, behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Boy, I thank God. That's the power of Christ over demonic forces. We see Christ is authority over demons. Amen. Jesus has given us, men and women of God, authority over all the power of the enemy, ensuring that we can resist and overcome demonic forces. One of my favorite authors, Neil T. Anderson, said one time, Satan can only attack us by getting our permission. Without our consent, he's powerless, unquote. And so you've got to understand our authority in Christ. That means knowing that the enemy's power is limited unless we allow him to influence us. And so we see here that it's Christ is authority over demons. a man that we're up against. But secondly, we also see that it's the freedom that is found in Christ. John chapter eight, amen. Verse 36, if the son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. Hallelujah. True freedom from demonic oppression and influence is found in Christ alone, amen. And so we see Christ is authority. over demons. The freedom that is found in Christ. But thirdly, we see the role of faith that is in deliverance. Because Revelation chapter 12 verse 11, the Bible says, and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Boy, you see, our faith in the power of Christ's sacrifice and our testimony of his deliverance are the key in overcoming the enemy. And so what it means, to be demonized, how it affects believers, and the victory that we have in Christ. First, there was the reality of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, verse 12. Secondly, there was the power of Christ over demonic forces in Luke 10, verse 19. But lastly, we see living in victory through Christ in James chapter four, verse seven, amen. And through this, we see that the word of God tells us, it says, submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. You see, living in victory through Christ is by submitting to God. Victory begins with submission to God's will and resisting the devil's temptations and Deceptions a man and so I'm glad that when we look and we realize Billy Graham said something one time he said And I quote, the God who made us also saves us and he will continue to rescue us from the snares of the enemy, unquote. You see, this emphasizes the ongoing protection and the deliverance that we have through our savior, Jesus Christ, amen. And so. The second thing that we see, not only submitting to God, but we walk in the light. In 1 John 1 7, the Bible says if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin, praise God. And so, walking in the light of God's truth protects us from the darkness of the demonic influence. Praise his mighty name, amen. So we see that we submit to God we walk in the light Amen, but oh so we see the assurance of God's protection because in Psalms 121 verse 7 the psalmist says the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil He shall preserve thy soul you see God's promise of protection is to our assurance that as we live in victory over the forces of darkness. Submitting to God, walking in the light, and the assurance of God's protection. Now how do we ensure that we're not being influenced by demonic spirits, amen? Well, we gotta stay grounded in the scripture. Study and meditate on God's word regularly, reading. And I'm glad that the psalmist says, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. We've got to use scripture to combat that temptation. Just as Jesus used scripture to counter Satan's temptations in the wilderness in Matthew chapter four, we too should use God's word to stand against spiritual attacks. Amen. And so we stay grounded. in the scripture amen hallelujah that's how that we're able uh to discern that's how that we're able to knock back that influence amen and so uh we see that we stay grounded in scripture but also we pray continually as well. Maintain a strong prayer life. Prayer keeps us connected to God and aware of his presence and it means seeking God's guidance, his protection and strength. Ephesians 6.18 says, pray and always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit. Watch and there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And so we pray for discernment. Ask God for wisdom and discernment and recognize the subtle influences of the enemy according to James chapter 1 verse 5 that he talks about, amen. And so we stay grounded in scripture. We pray continually and thirdly, we put on the full armor of God. I'm glad that as Ephesians 6 talks about that, we put on the spiritual armor of God. That includes truth and righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God and prayer. Each piece of armor is essential in protecting ourselves from spiritual attacks and influence. And so it's a daily application, intentionally put on, intentionally put on each piece of armor daily to be prepared for that spiritual battle. Amen. And so we get up before, as I always say, before we get a cup of coffee, and we intentionally put on the word of God. Stay grounded in scripture, pray continually, put on the four armor of God, but fourthly, live a holy and a righteous life. I'm glad that James 4, 7 challenges us, amen, that we are to resist temptation. and instructs us to submit ourselves therefore to God to resist the devil and that he'll flee from us. Living a life that seeks to honor God and turn away from sin minimizes the opening for that demonic influence and so resist temptation to live that holy and righteous life. But very quickly we need to repent. When we sin, we should confess. We need to repent quickly. and seek God's forgiveness and restore our fellowship with him. In 1 John 1, 9, praise God. And so I'm glad that we see that out of all of the things that helps us to know that we're not under the influence, amen, to stay to where we need. We stay grounded in the scripture. We pray continually. We put on the forearm of God. We live a holy and righteous life. But fifthly, we stay connected to the body of Christ. This is where a lot of people's got a problem. we fellowship with our believers. But a lot of you are at home and you ain't got nobody to fellowship with and you ain't got nobody to seek any godly counsel. When we fellowship with other believers, being a part of a strong Christian community provides support. It provides encouragement. It provides accountability. And Hebrews 10.25 reminds us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as believers. But we struggle sometimes with spiritual oppression or influence and we seek counsel and pray for mature, trusted Christian leaders. But if you are not in the body of Christ, you cannot stay connected the way that you should. It's fellowship with believers and it's seeking out godly counsel. It's the things that we've got to be able to do, praise God. And so, when we look And we realize, amen, that the sixth thing that I think I would recommend is that we have got to be aware of Satan's schemes. Again, listen to what I'm telling you. Number one, stay grounded in scripture. Number two, Pray continually. Number three, put on the forearm of God. Amen. Peace by peace with intention. Number four, live a holy and a righteous life. Number five, stay connected to the body of Christ. And number six, be aware of Satan's schemes. Now, how can you be aware? How can you know? that he is trying to attack you. You've got to recognize the spiritual warfare. You've got to understand that Satan is a deceiver and will try to lead us astray, according to Paul's writing in 2 Corinthians 11, verse 14. Be alert and aware of how the enemy might try to influence your thoughts. emotions and actions oh so not only uh that you're aware of Satan's schemes by recognizing spiritual warfare but guard your heart and your mind the wisdom of Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 says keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life you see the issues of life because we've got to be able to protect what you allow into your mind, what you allow into your spirit, whether it's through media, relationships, and other influences. Allowing demonic and ungodly influences into our lives, into our homes, can open the door for spiritual oppression or influence. Whether a person is a Christian or not, to guard against this is essential. to be vigilant about what we allow into our environment. And I'm glad that there's a lot of things that we've got to be careful about, amen. And I tell you. that we're careful uh... first of all of the occult the practices and the uh... objects of those things avoid occult practices engaging in fortune-telling and astrology and tarot cards and ouija boards and seances and witchcraft or any form of divination that's directly forbidden in scripture according to deuteronomy chapter eighteen verses ten through twelve not only occult practices and objects but remove occult objects as well from your home and from your living quarters and all of the charms and all of the amulets and all of the crystals believed to have some kind of magical properties or books on witchcraft, they need to be removed. from your home. Acts chapter 19 verse 19 describes how new believers in Ephesus burned their magic books as an act of repentance and cleansing. And so we see that it's those occult and practices and objects, amen, ungodly media, filter the entertainment choices that comes through that one-eyed monster of that TV, that music, those video games, those books that you allow into your home, that content that glorifies violence and immorality, the occult, the demonic that can desensitize you to sin and open the door to spiritual influence. Philippians 4.8 encourages us to focus on the things that are true, on the things that are noble, on the things that are right, that are pure, that are lovely, and that are admirable. Praise God. Beware of all this New Age occult and content, of the media forms, of the overly New Age philosophies, the witchcraft, and the other things, because they can have harmful spiritual impact onto each and every one. The unholy relationships. You've got some friends out there, you better choose wisely. Because in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 33 it warns, be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners. Who are your children around? Who's your wife or husband around? Close relationship with people who engage in ungodly behavior or who are involved in occult practices can lead to negative spiritual influences in someone's life. And so avoid unequal yoking. 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14 advises against being unequally yoked together with unbelievers in a marriage, in a relationship and partnership and associations that could pull you away from your faith and expose you to ungodly influences. And so idolatry and false religions remove idols, remove religious symbols and objects and things of paganism that's removed from your home. statues of gods and goddesses and religious artifacts from other faiths, anything that promotes the worship of something other than the true almighty God according to Exodus chapter 20 verses 3, 4, and 5. And avoid mixing Christian beliefs with elements of other religious spiritual practices that can lead to spiritual confusion and open door to the demonic influence, oh my goodness, and unconfessed sin. holding on to unconfessed sin in your life creates a foothold for the enemy while there's a monster that's piling up on your back he's crawling around on your back because they sin that ain't been relinquished that's been let go that's been uh repented of And so, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 27 warns, neither give place to the devil. Regularly confess and repent of any known sin to maintain a pure and a holy life before God. And then, avoid habitual sin. Engaging in ongoing, unrepentant sin weakens your spiritual defenses, invites demonic oppression. Whether it's an addiction, whether it's immorality, whether it's dishonesty or any other sin, it must be addressed through repentance and seeking God's help. for that deliverance, amen. And so, those unhealthy spiritual practices of that people, negative influences that were around, trust in God's power and protection, amen, and pray for it and rely on the Holy Spirit of God. Walk in the Spirit, amen, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh because the Holy Spirit empowers us to live in a way that pleases God and to resist the enemy's influence. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's conviction, amen. And so, as we stay close to God through these practices, we can be confident that we're walking in His light and not under the influence of demonic spirits or Satan. And as I get ready to close out, as believers, we must recognize that spiritual warfare is a reality that we face every single day of our lives. And while the world may downplay or misrepresent the existence of demonic forces, the Bible provides us with clear guidance on how to stand firm against them. Through Christ, we have been given the power, we've been given the authority to resist the enemy and to live in victory. Let us not be ignorant of the devil's devices, but rather be equipped with the wisdom and the truth of God's Word, walking in the freedom and the protection that Christ has secured. And so, how that we can recognize when we're under spiritual attack by being sensitive to the changes in our spiritual, emotional, and our mental state, and by testing these experiences against the truth of the Word of God, according to 1 John 4, verse 1. What steps that we can take to resist the devil's influence in our lives? I've talked about a lot of them, but by submitting to God, immersing ourselves in his word, praying continually, and using the authority given to us in Christ to resist the devil, according to James 4, 7. And then how can we support others who may be struggling with demonic oppression? by praying for them and encouraging them with scripture and helping them to seek deliverance and freedom in Christ. In Galatians chapter six, verses one and two. I'm glad, as I close out, that spiritual warfare and demonic influence is real. And you need to be careful because every one of us are in a battle every day, but we can rely on the power and the authority of Jesus Christ. Father, we thank you for the truth of your word, the victory that we have through Jesus Christ, to be vigilant, wise in our spiritual walk, always relying on your strength and protection. And may we stand firm against the enemy, fully clothed in your armor, and intentionally put it on and walk in the light of your presence. Guide us, Lord, as we go forth and keep us safe from all harm. In Jesus's marvelous mighty name, amen. you