Dealing with the Demonic III (Luke 4,31-37; 8, 26-39) February 25, 2007

The Gospel of Luke: Dealing with the Demonic III

Hillcrest Church, February 25, 2007

Text

" ³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area." (Luke 4:31-37, NIV)

" ²⁶ They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” ²⁹ For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. ³⁰ Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ³¹ And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. ³² A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. ³³ When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. ³⁴ When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, ³⁵ and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ³⁶ Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. ³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." (Luke 8:26-39, NIV)

Introduction

Two weeks ago, we began our discussion of the last half of Luke chapter four by sharing a simple, yet powerful principle for dealing with the prevailing demonic influences in a the region where we live.

· The way I overcome any dominant spirit is by voluntarily walking in the opposite spirit.

o The way I overcome a spirit of pride and arrogance is by walking in a spirit of humility.

- When I walk in a spirit of humility, I experience an outpouring of God’s grace!

o The way I overcome a spirit of mammon (money) and materialism is by walking in a spirit of generosity and simplicity.

- When I walk in a spirit of generosity, I tap into heaven’s infinite resources; When I walk in a spirit of simplicity, I experience God’s peace.

o The way I overcome a religious and controlling spirit is by walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

- As I walk in the Holy Spirit, I become a better person (fruit) and I can truly help others (gifts).

Last week, we continued this discussion by sharing several things that we need to know and that we need to do when confronted with the demonic:

· Here’s what you need to Know:

o Demons are given to iniquity.

o Demons are limited in their ability.

o Demons hijack human personality.

o Demons often disguise their activity.

o Demons are not afraid of religiosity.

o Demons already know Jesus’ identity and recognize His authority.

· Here’s what you need to do:

o Remember Jesus’ unconditional victory.

o Exercise Jesus’ absolute authority.

o Walk in an attitude of genuine humility.

Today, I want to treat this subject for a third, and probably final time during this particular series of messages, zeroing in on one particular aspect of demonic activity in our lives, their assault on our homes and families.

As I do, I want to tell you again that there is no need to be afraid of this subject, neither is there any need to be fascinated or obsessed with this subject.

Through the absolute, unconditional, and total victory of Jesus during His earthly ministry, His death on the cross, and His resurrection, every believer is able to overcome every demonic power they confront and be victorious, as they walk with God, seek His will, and rely on His power!

Lessons from the Gerasenes

This episode is different from the others recorded by Luke in some interesting ways:

· It takes place in a predominantly Gentile region.

· It involves a very severe degree of demonic activity (“Legion” – many – perhaps 6,000)

This episode teaches us some important things about demonic activity:

· Demons can influence things other than human personalities (pigs and perhaps wind on lake previously)

· Demons sometimes speak the truth, but they are never to be trusted to tell all the truth!

· Demonic activity influences the human will, but cannot completely destroy it. (Man came to meet Jesus.)

· Demonic activity always results in some form of destruction and devastation:

o Shame (“no clothes”)

o Separation and alienation (“lived in the tombs,” “driven by the demons into solitary places”)

This particular episode graphically illustrates the ultimate outcome of demonic activity in our lives if deliverance and victory do not occur.

The good news is that Jesus is always victor…!

The most interesting fact of all is the specific command of Jesus given to this individual after he was set free.

"³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him." (Luke 8:38-39, NIV)

"¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”" (Mark 5:19, NIV)

Demonic influence on families is very real, but it can be broken in Jesus’ name…!

How to Overcome Demonic Influence in our Families and in our Homes:

1. Recognize historical patterns of demonic influence.

2. Repent of any personal involvement in these things.

3. Renounce any attachment to family patterns of sinful behavior.

4. Remove any objects connected with such sinful behaviors.

5. Remain diligent in our study of God’s word and pursuit of God’s presence through prayer and worship.

6. Rejoice in the precious promises of God to redeem our families!

Dealing with the Demonic II (Luke 4,31-44) February 18, 2007.doc

The Gospel of Luke: Dealing with the Demonic II

Hillcrest Church, February 18, 2007

Text

" ³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. ³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. ⁴⁰ When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. ⁴¹ Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. ⁴² At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. " (Luke 4:31-44, NIV)

Introduction

Last week, we began our discussion of the last half of Luke chapter four by sharing a simple, yet powerful principle for dealing with the prevailing demonic influences in a the region where we live.

The way I overcome any dominant spirit is by voluntarily walking in the opposite spirit.

· The way I overcome a spirit of pride and arrogance is by walking in a spirit of humility.

o When I walk in a spirit of humility, I experience an outpouring of God’s grace!

· The way I overcome a spirit of mammon (money) and materialism is by walking in a spirit of generosity and simplicity.

o When I walk in a spirit of generosity, I tap into heaven’s infinite resources; When I walk in a spirit of simplicity, I experience God’s peace.

· The way I overcome a religious and controlling spirit is by walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

o As I walk in the Holy Spirit, I become a better person (fruit) and I can truly help others (gifts).

If you are interested in more detail concerning this subject, go to my blog and click on,”My sermon notes,” and you will be taken to a web page where I have begun posting my notes and some additional research concerning the topics I deal with in my Sunday messages.

Today, I want to take us through the rest of this passage showing how Jesus deal with the demonic at Capernaum.

In order to deal with the demonic…

Here’s what you need to Know:

1. Demons are given to iniquity.

Evil, foul, unclean, “unholy,” “lying,” “infirmity,” etc..

NEVER GOOD, ALWAYS BAD…! (“spirit guides,” “white magic,” etc.)

2. Demons are limited in their ability.

"⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” ⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” ¹² The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord." (Job 1:8-12, NIV)

"¹³ No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)

"⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV)

"⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7, NIV)

Demon threw the man down, but came out WITHOUT INJURING HIM…! (Demon would have wanted to injure him, cf., “throws him in the fire…,” but, confronted with the power of Jesus, only had limited ability! (cf. Lester Sumrall – demon put my bed back where you found it…!)

3. Demons hijack human personality.

Demons can impact a person’s total personality (being) physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually (unclean).

"²⁴ “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”" (Luke 11:24-26, NIV)

4. Demons often disguise their activity.

Man apparently not acting up when the synagogue service started…

"¹³ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NIV)

"⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10, NIV)

" Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." (1 John 4:1-3, NIV)

"²⁰ If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. ²¹ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. ²³ So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time." (Mark 13:20-23, NIV)

"⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, NIV)

5. Demons are not afraid of religiosity.

"¹¹ God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. ¹³ Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. ¹⁷ When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. ¹⁹ A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. ²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." (Acts 19:11-20, NIV)

6. Demons already know Jesus’ identity.

"¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:19, NIV)

They were there when it happened…! When the pigs ran over the brow of the hill, when death had to let Jesus go, etc.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Remember Jesus’ unconditional victory.

"¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Colossians 2:13-15, NIV)

2. Exercise Jesus’ absolute authority.

"¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”" (Luke 10:19-20, NIV)

No “magic” in the name; but there is great “power” in the person…!

Relationship with the person brings power over demons (“Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you”?”

3. Walk in an attitude of genuine humility.

"¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” ¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”" (Luke 10:17-20, NIV)

Respecting God’s sovereignty…! (He does not always give us victory, when,, where, and how we want it, but He has promised that in the end, we will prevail…!

"¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him." (2 Corinthians 2:14, NIV)

Dealing with the Demonic - Part 1 (Luke 4:31-37)

The Gospel of Luke: Dealing with the Demonic I

Hillcrest Church, February 11, 2007

Text

" ³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. ³⁶ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area." (Luke 4:31-37, NIV)

Introduction

Throughout the life of Jesus, He encountered and dealt with the demonic. We may or may not experience as much overt demonic activity as He did, but the words of the Apostle Paul make it very clear that each one of us is in a struggle against the supernatural powers of darkness.

" ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10-18, NIV)

Sometimes, we encounter them without seeing them, the way Daniel did when he set himself to fast and pray. His testimony bears out the fact that different geographic localities are dominated by spirits with different personalities.

" In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. ² At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. ³ I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. ⁴ On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, ⁵ I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. ⁶ His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. ⁷ I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. ⁸ So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. ⁹ Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. ¹⁰ A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹ He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. ¹² Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”… ²⁰ …he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; ²¹ but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. ¹ And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)" (Daniel 10:1-11:1, NIV)

I do not know the names of the dominant demons here in Dallas (nor do I particularly need to or want to), but I am well acquainted with their character. In this first message on dealing with the demonic, I want to give you a single, simple, yet extremely important principle for dealing with the dominant spirits in the area where you live. Together, we are going to apply it to our lives in some very practical ways.

1. The way I overcome any dominant spirit is by voluntarily walking in the opposite spirit.

This can involve “turning the other cheek,” as Jesus put it.

"³⁹ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:39, NIV)

The Apostle Paul tells us that we can thus overcome evil by doing good in response.

"²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. " (Romans 12:21, NIV)

Jesus walked this out during the most difficult moments of His life on earth.

"²¹ To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ²² “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” ²³ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:21-23, NIV)

2. The way I overcome a spirit of pride and arrogance is by walking in a spirit of humility.

This is the first territorial spirit that I believe controls our geographic area.

The foundation for everything else we do to resist this spirit is to walk in mutual appreciation and humily.

"³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, NIV)

Simply put, pride is the refusal to acknowledge our need of God. Humility is the acknowledgement of our need of God.

When I walk in a spirit of humility, I experience an outpouring of God’s grace!

"⁶… God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”" (James 4:6, NIV)

3. The way I overcome a spirit of mammon (money) and materialism is by walking in a spirit of generosity and simplicity.

This is the second territorial spirit which grips North Dallas.

The spirit of mammon and materialism causes us to see everything through the lens of finances and material prosperity. When we are under the influence of this spirit, we value things more than people, and evaluate people, including ourselves, by what they have instead of who they are. When we are under its influence, what we want most of all for our children is financial prosperity and we tend to express our love and affection for them showering them with things that our money can buy, while we spend so much time making the money it takes to buy those things that we cannot afford to give them our time. Under the control of this spirit, we will ultimately wind up sacrificing things that money cannot buy for the sake of the almighty dollar.

Our sinful nature is inherently selfish. God’s basic agenda in our lives includes moving us from a mentality of self-centeredness to a mentality of servant hood.

Generosity goes against our natural, sinful tendencies and seems foolish to the natural mind, but Scripture promises special prosperity to the generous person.

"²⁴ One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." (Proverbs 11:24, NIV)

When I walk in a spirit of generosity, I tap into heaven’s infinite resources.

"³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”" (Luke 6:38, NIV)

When I walk in a spirit of simplicity, I experience God’s peace.

" ¹⁰ I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do everything through him who gives me strength. ¹⁴ Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵ Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; ¹⁶ for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. ¹⁷ Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. ¹⁸ I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." (Philippians 4:10-18, NIV)

Simplicity is relative. The man who earns $10 million per year will probably take his wife to a different restaurant for Valentine’s Day than the man who earns $10,000 per year.

Adopting a lifestyle of simplicity does not mean taking on a spirit of poverty. It is simply the conscious decision to not only live within the limits of our means, but to go even further by scaling back to living well within our means so that we have significant resources to invest in relieving human suffering and financing kingdom expansion. It means refusing to engage in “conspicuous consumption,” i.e., spending money we do not have to buy things we do not need to impress people we do not know or even like…! It means renouncing a “lifestyle of consumption” where we feel compelled to buy new cars, new clothes, new houses, and other new “things,” when the “things” we already have meet our needs very well!

It is not always easy in our culture to live a lifestyle of simplicity, but it brings tremendous blessing!

"⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:6-10, NIV)

4. The way I overcome a religious and controlling spirit is by walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

This is the third controlling spirit in our area.

A religious spirit hates the move of the Holy Spirit and cloaks its malicious, destructive tendencies in religious garb.

This spirit hates the move of the Holy Spirit because it is a controlling spirit that seeks to dominate church life through religious and denominational politics, etc., and the sovereign move of God’s spirit is outside its control.

As I walk in the Holy Spirit, I become a better person (fruit) and I can truly help others (gifts).

"¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:17-18, NIV)

"²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)