"One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." Psalm 27:4

27 March 2007

Demonic Strategy - Jack Deere

I listened to another session from the Morning Star Conference by Jack Deere on Demonic Strategy.

Here is Jack Deere's website if you're interested in more material from him
http://jackdeere.com/

Here are my notes from the session and all the Bible references:

Why is it important to know about demonic inroads? Because people have areas of agreement with evil that allow spirits to hold influence in their lives. Demons must have a legal or spiritual right to be there.

The following are inroads for demons to gain influence in our lives.

1. LUST, SEXUAL IMMORALITY, PERVERSION

A. Man living in sexual immorality "handed over to Satan"

1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5hand this man over to Satan, so that the flesh may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)

B. There is sin that leads to death

16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God[a] will give him life--to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16)


C. Adultery can lead to death
1My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, 2that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. 3For the lips of a forbidden[a] woman drip honey, and her speech[b] is smoother than oil, 4but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to[c] Sheol; 6she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. (Proverbs 5:1-5)

D. Comments from Deere on Sexual Immorality
- Sexual immorality weakens the church
- It causes shame which cripples us
- The annunal revenue of the pornography industry is more than professional , basketball, and football combined.
- 1 out of 4 Americans look at porn every week
- 50% of ministers in a survey admitted to struggling with porn
- Goal of porn is to lead us to be disatisfied with our spouse or future spouse
- Porn leads us into experimentation
- Think of Revelation where the Harlot makes the earth drink the maddening wine of her adulteries
- Porn is as addictive as cocaine
- It works to change the chemistry of your brain
- As long as we believe we can control any addiction it has power over us and we won't be free

2. ANGER, HATRED, VIOLENCE

A. Disciples rebuked for anger against the Samaritans

54And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"[a] 55But he turned and rebuked them.[b] 56And they went on to another village. (Luke 9:54-56)

B. Anger gives the devil a foothold

26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

3. ENVY, JEALOUSY, SELFISH AMBITION

A. Jealousy is more severe than anger

4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy? (Proverbs 27:4 NIV)

Anger = an evil anointing to cause pain
Fury = carried away by anger
Jealousy = the feeling of "they don't deserve it," the hope that other people lose their blessings

Jealousy is sneaky. People are not prone to admit jealousy. Jealousy is a higher form of anger. Jealousy is the opposite of grace.

B. Envy and selfish ambition are of the devil

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (
James 3:13-18 NIV)

C. Saul's jealousy leads to an evil spirit coming on him

6 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. 7 As they danced, they sang:
"Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."

8 Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" 9 And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

10 The next day an evil [b] spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.
(1 Samuel 18:6-11)

Notice it says, "an evil spirit from God." God is sovereign. He is above all rule and authority. God uses Satan to accomplish his purposes. He tests us, strengthens us, and causes us to rely on him.

D. God sends Paul a messenger of Satan

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)

4. OCCULT PRACTICE

5. IDOLATRY

A. Sacrifices to idols are sacrifices to demons

20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. (1 Corinthians 10:20)

B. Greed is a form of idolatry

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (Colossians 3:5-6)

Materialism is a form of idolatry. If you think, "I'll be happy when I get a new car." "I'll be happy when I get married." "I'll be happy when we move into our new house." "I'll be happy when ___________"

Whatever is in that blank for you is most likely an idol. We are stuck in a trap of deferred joy in our material culture.

Time magazine did a study on happiness and found that the level of income and the level of education do not have any effect on happiness. The #1 factor was personal relationships.

6. BLASPHEMY

7. DRUGS
*There is no scriptural support for this claim but a lot of support from experience

8. INVOLUNTARY WAY

A. There are different kinds of spirits

14And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?" 17And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." 19And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." 20And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21And Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." 24Immediately the father of the child cried out[d] and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" 25And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead." 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9:14-29 ESV)

Other translations say "This kind cannot be driven out by anything by prayer and fasting."

Jesus refers to "this kind" meaning that there are different kinds of spirits.

The kind of spirit which is attached to a young child, since before the age of accountability, seems to be the kind that is involuntary on behalf of the child. Many people suffer from traumas at a very young age (rape, sexual abuse, etc.). In these cases a demon can become attached to a young child. The longer it stays the more it will become part of that person's personality and character. The evil spirit will try to pull the person into whatever evil was done to them. If they were sexually abused the spirit will pull them into abusive relationships or sexual immorality. Many young girls who are raped end up as prostitutes.

B. There are different ranks of spirits

43"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation." (Matthew 12:43-45)

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How do you break the power of addictions?

3But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:3-14)

Let there be no obscenities
coarse words
pornographic addiction
phone sex
prostitution
adultery/ illegal heart attachment
chemical dependence
hatred/jealousy

If you struggle with any of the things mentioned in this session, make a confession to God.
Share it with at least one other person that you can trust.

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For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1)

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