Read Power over the Enemy: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds Online
Authors: John Osteen
Power over the Enemy: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds (15 page)
I have seen their fruit over and over again—confusion, division, discord, deception, and destruction. Their fruit is shearing the sheep of their money and goods. When they finally leave, the pastor has to pick up the pieces, love the people back into the Word of God, mend their wounds, and get them back on the right track.
You can’t go by the supernatural alone, because the false can look just like the real thing. Exodus 7:10–12 says, “So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the L
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commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”
These verses tell us that Pharaoh’s magicians performed the identical miracle that Moses and Aaron performed. Aaron threw down his rod, and it became a serpent. The magicians threw down their rods, and they became serpents, too, supernaturally. But Aaron’s serpent swallowed up all their serpents, overcoming them. These men of the occult had the same supernatural works as Moses and Aaron, but they weren’t of God. They didn’t have the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
Moses was the humblest man on the earth (Numbers 12:3). Pharaoh’s magicians were arrogant. They were ministers of Satan, even though they could duplicate the miracle of God. In the end, however, God overcame them all.
When these people come into our churches, we need to test their fruit. Do they have gentleness? Are they willing to yield to the pastor or church leaders? Do they love the congregation? Acts 20:29 says that these false ministers are “savage wolves” who enter into the church, “not sparing the flock.” They have no love for the sheep. They have no real concern for the local church. They have supernatural displays, but by their lack of spiritual fruit, you can tell that they are ministers of Satan.
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There are many false teachers and ministers who have no answer if you ask them, “Where are you from? Who was your pastor there? Is there anyone in that town whom I can call regarding your ministry?” Many times they don’t want anyone to know where they came from. They don’t want anyone calling to check on them. Everywhere they have been they have caused discord, trouble, and heartache. They have left the sheep wounded and deceived, and they have done nothing but harm.
These are seven ways you can recognize the minister of Satan who comes as a minister of light. As pastors, church leaders, and Christians, we have a responsibility to be careful to whom we listen, to whom we let speak to our congregations, and to whom we invite into our homes. The Bible says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
If you feel a person is a minister of Satan, here are suggestions on how to handle the situation.
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To pastors and church leaders on how to go about handling this type of person and situation, I suggest:
First, do much praying when someone you feel is a minister of Satan comes into your congregation and gets hold of some of your people. Get alone and pray and seek the mind of God. Pray much in the Spirit, using your prayer language.
Second, remember that the battle is not a legal battle, but a spiritual battle. You are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against demon forces.
Third, depend completely on the Holy Spirit. Trust God to manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit and to impart His wisdom to the situation.
Fourth, remember to love the person or persons in your congregation who have been deceived. They are not the enemy. You are fighting a demon force that has deceived them.
Fifth, take a bold stand against Satan. Don’t be arrogant, but be bold in the power and might of the Holy Spirit. I urge you to protect your flock at all cost. Dare to be a true servant of God. Do not allow the ministers of Satan to sow discord in your congregation.
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To a member of a congregation who might come up against these false ministers, I suggest:
First, remember that a false teacher may not be recognized immediately, so be on your guard. Keep spiritually in tune with God, so you can recognize someone who does not have the Spirit of God within.
I’ve been in meetings where everything looked and sounded all right, but something inside of me didn’t like it. I couldn’t put my finger on anything in particular that was wrong, but inside me, something kept telling me, “Beware!” It was that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. When you keep sensitive to the Spirit and listen to His leading, He will show you whether something is real or false.
Second, if you suspect someone to be a minister of Satan, ask yourself whether this person reminds you of the seven points mentioned previously. Go over them carefully and prayerfully and see how the individual measures up.
Third, always hold your pastor and church leaders in high regard. Remember that God has put them in the positions they hold. Pray daily for them. Lift up your pastor and his wife, your elders, your deacons, and your leaders in prayer to God.
Fourth, personally take a stand against false ministers. If you find that someone is a false prophet or teacher and is drifting around the congregation, go to him and say, “No, this is not right. Stop deceiving these people.” Strongly take a stand, and if he insists on continuing, bring your concern to your pastor or a church leader.
Fifth, help your friends who are being deceived by these false ministers of Satan. Take it upon yourself to share this chapter with them and show them the seven ways they can recognize the false from the true. Don’t wait for the situation to grow worse and worse until it finally comes to your pastor’s attention. By that time, too many people will be deceived and hurt.
Sixth, stay in regular attendance in your church. Don’t let anybody drag you away from your regular church services to go to any meeting that would cause your faith to be weakened. Be faithful in
attending church where your pastor teaches the Word of God so that you will be strong and ready to resist error.
Seventh, don’t let strangers stay in your home if you suspect they might be ministers of Satan. You are putting yourself and your family in unnecessary danger. If they are in your home, and you recognize that they are ministers of Satan, ask them to leave immediately.
You ask, “Pastor Osteen, shouldn’t I minister to them?” Yes, you can minister to them, but it is better to minister to them outside your home. I know we are to entertain strangers and those who may be angels of God (Hebrews 13:2), but we do not want a minister of the devil in our homes. So be careful who you entertain and who you let stay any length of time in your home.
Eighth, stay full of the Holy Spirit. Pray much in tongues every day and stay in the Word of God. Feed on the Word and grow up into maturity. If you are spiritually mature, you will know how to recognize and separate the false from the true.
Hebrews 5:12–14 says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
In other words, if you are staying in the Word of God and are strong in the Word, you will know how to discern between the false and the true. So stay full of the Holy Spirit and full of the Word of God, and God will make you a strong pillar in the church in these last days.
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Finally, I want to make a bold confession over you that you will not be deceived. On the contrary, you will be able to deliver those who are being deceived. You will resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Make this confession with me:
“I boldly confess that I am of God. I am born of the Spirit of God. I am filled with the Spirit of God. I am full of the Word of God. I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. I have been delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.
“I am in the light. I am a child of the light. I do not walk in darkness, but I walk in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“I boldly confess that I will not be deceived. I will quickly recognize the ministers of Satan. I boldly confess that not only will I not be deceived but I will deliver those who are being deceived. I will be a pillar in my local church. I will be strong in the body of believers where I attend regularly.
“I boldly declare that I will be a strength to my pastor and his wife and family and to the leaders of my church. Satan will have no place in my life. My children will not be deceived. My spouse will not be deceived. We will be strong in these last days, and we will be a credit to the Gospel. When the final day comes and the Lord calls us home, He will be able to say to me, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ ”
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hroughout your life you will be confronted by many false teachings: remember, you set the direction of your life with your thoughts. You don’t have to entertain every thought that comes along. The first thing you need to do is ascertain whether that thought is from God, or is it a destructive thought from the enemy?
If a thought is negative, most likely it’s from the enemy. If it’s a discouraging, destructive thought; if it brings fear, worry, doubt, or unbelief; if the thought makes you feel weak, inadequate, or insecure, that thought is not from God. You need to get rid of it immediately. The Bible says, “… casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5). If you dwell on the enemy’s lies, the negative seed will take root, and the more you think about it, the more it’s going to grow, creating an enemy stronghold in your mind.
You can control the doorway to your mind, reject the negative thoughts, and choose to dwell on the Word of God. The Bible says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night… and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Your consistent thoughts will determine what kind of life you live.