A large portion of the content of this lesson came from Dressed To Kill by Pastor Rick Renner.- “Agoridzo” – tells us that Jesus Christ came to earth to locate us in our depravity and to personally inspect our slavery to Satan.
- “Exagoridzo” – declares that Jesus not only came to inspect our condition but to permanently remove us from Satan’s power.
- “Lutroo” – tells us that Jesus was so dedicated to delivering us from Satan’s dominion that He was willing to pay the ransom price of His own blood in order to break the devil’s ownership over us.
- “Apolutrosis” – tells us that, in addition to permanently setting us from Satan’s hold, Jesus also restored us to the position of “sons of God”. Now we are fully restored and made joint-heirs with Jesus Christ Himself!
Through the Blood of Jesus, we have been utterly and completely set free from Satan’s control!
Therefore, Satan has no legal right to control us, our bodies, our families, our businesses, or our money. Although we once genuinely and legally belonged to him, we are no longer his to manipulate or dominate.
Why then, does the battle still rage on?
Freedom becomes a way of life only as we replace our wrong thinking and wrong believing with what the Word of God declares about our new condition.
The problem is that people were so abused in Satan’s slave market, they do not realize that they are no longer bound to him and his scars on their lives.
Renewing of the mind is really about removing these “residual areas” from the past so that those strongholds will not continue to exert power in believer’s lives.
The enemy probes our lives to find the “residual areas” that we don’t know to deal with or refuse to deal with so that we can be free.
Here are doors that he looks for to gain access to our lives:
- Wrong thinking
- Wrong believing
- Memories of terrible experiences that happened before we knew the Lord that we still allow to dominate our emotions
- Fears that were transferred to us from our parents, family members or friends
- Years of incorrect doctrine taught to us in our former churches that we must now “unlearn” and overcome
In all of these areas, your soul (your mind, will, emotions) is the strategic center where spiritual warfare takes place.
Before we are Born Again, the condition of our minds is hostile towards God and is bent on destruction.
Romans 8:7 NIV The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
Colossians 1:21 NIV Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
Ephesians 4:17-18 NLT With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. (18) Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against Him.
Very often it is through the unrenewed mind that the enemy is able to exert his foul influence over us.
That is why we are told over and over to give serious attention to the condition of our minds:
Romans 12:2 NLT Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Ephesians 4:22-24 NKJV that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, (23) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 3:10 NIV and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
1 Peter 1:13-14 NKJV Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (14) as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
In these scriptures, Peter paints the picture of a runner whose garments have fallen down and gotten angles up around his ankles. He was running a good race but got tripped up because of wrong thinking.
The consistent renewal of our minds with the Word of God will eradicate wrong thinking, wrong believing, scars from the past, and hurtful emotional memories that would exert influence on our new life in Christ.
In addition to taking authority over demonic powers, real spiritual warfare also entails taking authority over your mind.
This is a lifelong commitment!
The following are essential elements of genuine spiritual warfare:
- Renewing your mind
- Meditating on the Word of God until it gets in your heart and soul
- Learning to live a holy life
- Seeking to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ on a day-to-day basis
- Learning how to walk after the Holy Spirit
As you grow and your understanding of God’s Word begins to increase, you will probably have many opportunities to use your faith and to resist the devil.
Don’t be surprised by pre-emptive strikes.
Don’t be surprised when the attack comes and Satan whispers to your mind no one else has gone through the difficulties you are going through right now.
This is a trick to make you fix your eyes on yourself.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT (13) The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.
A fight nearly always follows illumination.
Mark 4:14-15 NKJV The sower sows the word. (15) And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Your knowledge of how and when Satan attacks will equip you to deal with these assaults more intelligently.
James 1:2 NKJV My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Notice this verse says “when” and implies that these attacks will come. The Greek tense suggests:
- These attacks normally come when you least expect them.
- They usually come from a direction you would have never dreamed of in a million years.
- They are specifically designed to catch you off guard and to take you by surprise.
Remember, we said that it is possible to have a strategy for dealing with these attacks.
2 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV (4) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
If you are mentally prepared and alert to how the enemy operates and to the potential of attack, you have already eliminated half of the battle.
Having a strategy and being mentally prepared eliminates the element of surprise. This will always give you the upper hand against the enemy.
As long as we do nothing for God, we can be confident that we will face no challenge from the enemy.
However, when we do begin to do what God has called us to do and start experiencing a measure of success in it, we must stay mentally alert and aware.
Luke 4:13 NKJV Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
But we can know, when the attack comes, we can overcome in every situation and God has a way to make the plans and attacks of the enemy backfire on him.
Romans 8:35-39 NKJV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written: “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE KILLED ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER.” (37) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (38) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, (39) nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“More than a conqueror…” comes from the compound Greek word: “hupernikos”.
“Huper” is where we get our word “super”. This word means over, above, beyond, way beyond measure. It conveys the idea of superiority, higher, better, more than a match for. It means to be first-rate, top-notch, un-surpassed, un-equaled, and un-rivaled by any person or thing.
Putting these two words together means that we are: greater conquerors, superior conquerors, more than any match for any foe. We are utmost conquerors, paramount conquerors, first-rate conquerors, top-notch conquerors, un-surpasses conquerors, un-equaled and un-rivaled conquerors.
In other words, we win!
There are many cases in the Scriptures where the attacks of the enemy backfired on him.
Example of Paul in prison in Rome and pens the Epistles of the New Testament that have laid the foundation for the Church.