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Word & Spirit School of the Bible

Word & Spirit School of the Bible. Pulling Down Strongholds Study No 1. Introduction. JESUS made it clear that before we get involved in any enterprise we need to prepare ourselves. Preparation is vital Preparation takes time Preparation puts us in a winning position

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Word & Spirit School of the Bible

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  1. Word & Spirit School of the Bible Pulling Down Strongholds Study No 1

  2. Introduction JESUS made it clear that before we get involved in any enterprise we need to prepare ourselves. • Preparation is vital • Preparation takes time • Preparation puts us in a winning position • Preparation produces results

  3. Intro continued…. • Sometimes we want to rush ahead of God. • Or we are impatient and frustrated and can’t wait to take time to prepare. • Because our spiritual conflict, as a follower of the Way, Jesus Christ, is with the god of this world, the devil, we need to take time to prepare for any conflict. • Without preparation we will probably get knocked out and fail to be victorious. • The Bible says that the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds

  4. We are going to consider…. • The Conflict • The Enemy • The Strategy • The Preparation • The Weapons • The Armour • The Victory

  5. Continued…. • The Church of Jesus Christ is in conflict with the god of this world. • Our enemy is the devil and all his principalities, powers, rulers and spiritual forces. • Part of our strategy is to understand the enemy. He will lie and cheat, not play fair, and subscribe to no rules. • Preparation is counting the cost, and taking counsel. • The weapons provided by Almighty God are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds. • The armour is provided by God Himself and is supernatural protection. • The victory is already won. Jesus has won the victory.

  6. Purpose of this study… • To prepare Christians for spiritual warfare, the pulling down of strongholds. • To help Christians know the Church is not a hospital for sick saints. • To show that it is a place of healing of the emotions, the strengthening of the will, the renewing of the mind and the environment in which old things pass away and all things become new.

  7. The Conflict…. • Jesus, while on earth, was in conflict with evil forces. • The apostle Paul saying that our warfare is not against flesh and blood (human forces), but against spiritual forces , indicates that the Church is at war. • Sometimes I think the Church has given the impression that it is some kind of social and recreational club with religious overtones. • The Bible presents the clear message that the Church exists as salt to war against sin and spiritual corruption.

  8. Who is the Church in conflict with? • To understand this we must go back in time and into eternity. • Isaiah 14:12-15. Here we get a glimpse of the beginning of the conflict between Lucifer, Star of the Morning, Son of the Dawn, and Almighty God. • We find him defeated in his attempt to gain control of Jehovah God’s Universal Kingdom. • Lucifer becomes Satan, the adversary.

  9. Satan the adversary…. Satan becomes God’s adversary. He is against all that Jehovah God is for. • He is God’s adversary. • He is not God’s equal. Satan becomes man’s adversary. • Having been defeated in his attempt to take control of God’s universal kingdom, he now turns his attention to taking over the rule of the earth which God had given to man.

  10. Continued…. • Almighty God made Adam and Eve co-rulers over the earth. Gen. 1:26-31. • The earth became the kingdom over which man, made in the image of God, was to rule. It is to this kingdom Satan turns his attention. • By the means of lies and deceits he causes Adam & Eve to sin, and in doing so they lost their God given authority over, and rule of, the earth. Gen. 3:1-24. • Someone put it this way. The King and Queen became the gardener and his wife.

  11. Still more…. Satan takes over the world. • He becomes the ruler of the world, John 14:30; god of this world, 2 Cor. 4:4; the prince of the power of the air, Eph. 2:2. • Humanity is now subjected to the horror of sin and all its fruits, and to the dominion of Satan as the ruler of the world. • He releases all his hatred upon humanity, and I think, but for the grace of God, would have annihilated the whole human race.

  12. And more…. • He lets loose all his vindictive, destructive forces of hatred, murder, resentment, bitterness, aggression, war, disease, death, poverty, corruption, starvation, immorality and so much more. • Don’t we see all these forces reflected in humanity? • He has legions of fallen angels to support him and assist in this all out war against the human race. c.p. Jude 6; Rev. 12:7-17.

  13. The Church in conflict with…. • The Apostle Paul says that our fight is not against flesh and blood (humanity) but against rulers, powers, world forces of darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness. Eph. 6:12. • You would think that humanity, in the state it is in, would run with open arms to a loving heavenly Father who, through Jesus Christ, has made a way of salvation, forgiveness and reconciliation. • As a result of Adam’s sin mankind became fettered. • As a result of Christ’s victory mankind can become free. Rom. 5:12,17-21.

  14. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil…. • Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8. • Jesus succeeded in doing this through His death on the cross, and by the power of His resurrection. Rom. 5:6-11. • The conflict between the Church and the devil continues, and as the Church on earth grows, and through tests and trials learns to become spiritually stronger and more resourceful, so it increasingly has the effect of salt. Matt. 5:13.

  15. Salt does a number of things…. It seasons: Many things taste better seasoned with salt. It brings out the flavour. The Church of Jesus Christ in the world helps to bring out the flavour of:- • Goodness • Kindness • Meekness • Love • Tenderness • Faith • Joy • Peace….self-control….etc. • Some the things the world needs to get a taste for.

  16. More…. It preserves: To keep meat or fish fresh before the days of refrigeration it would be salted down, that is, preserved withy the use of salt. • The Church as the salt of the earthshould be having a preservative effect. • We should be helping to preserve what is good and wholesome in society as an example to those who are not born again members of the Church. • We should be setting the standard of excellence at work, in social concern, ethics, morality, sexuality, honesty, and many other areas.

  17. And still more…. It is a killer of germs: In the form of chlorine it is used in drinking water and swimming pools as an agent which kills germs and purifies. • The Church as salt should be having this effect in society. • Standing against practices which are sinful, therefore harmful. The bacteria of sin which destroys peoples spiritual lives. • True Christians, full of the Holy Spirit should be influencing their environment with purity of mind, heart and body.

  18. Remember…. The Apostle Paul says that the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3,4.

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