KEEPING WHAT YOU HAVE - MAINTAINING DELIVERANCE

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE DELIVERED?

If your desire is to feel more comfortable inside, to be more successful in life or just to get out of some mess you've gotten into, I can assure you that you will keep little of your deliverance. The main reason to seek deliverance is to fulfill God's plan for your life here on earth. If that is your motivation, you will do well in keeping your deliverance and getting more and more freedom. You will be able to serve God in the family, church and community.

Gal. 6:7-10 Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at - scorned, disdained or mocked (by mere pretensions or [professions of His precepts being set aside). (He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.) For whatsoever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. Most of us are here seeking help because we have now reached the reaping stage of our life. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction; but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life eternal. And let us not loose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. So then as occasion and opportunity open to us, let us do good (morally) to all people (not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage). Be mindful to be a blessing, especially, to those of the household of faith - those who belong to God's family with you, the believers.

II Tim. 3:16-17 Every scripture is God-breathed - given by His instruction - and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, and for training in righteousness (that is, in Holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action), So that a man of God may be complete and proficient, well- fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. It is from God's word we will learn how to live and gain more and more deliverance.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO WIN A WAR, YOU MUST KNOW YOUR ENEMY. - No natural army would go out to fight an enemy whose action and activities he has not studied, neither should we. John 10:10 The thief comes only in order that he may steal and may kill and may destroy, I have come that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance - to the full, till it overflows. Anything you do to yourself that destroys or brings harm to your life is inspired of the devil.

I Pet. 5:6-11 tells us how careful we need to be. Vs. 8. Be well-balanced - temperate, sober-minded; be vigilant and cautious at all times, for that enemy of yours, the Devil, roams around like a lion roaring (in fierce hunger), seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Vigilant, cautious, temperate, well- balanced and sober minded are strong words. They help make us aware that we must lead our life correctly. I heard a prophecy from Jack Harris in which God said, "This is a real war against a real enemy over a real truth." If we could get this settled in our mind we would do better in every skirmish. When a person becomes a Christian he has been born to war. This war is against our real enemy the Devil.

THE DEVIL HAS SOME TRICKS HE PLAYS ON US - NO ONE ESCAPES. - The Devil wants to lull us into carelessness, seduce with selfish desire and destroy us with gradualism. He whispers, "Throw all caution to the wind, be wild, crazy and reckless, follow the crowd, look for worldly excitement. "He'll paint sin up real pretty. Heb. 3:13 But instead warn (admonish, urge and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened (into settled rebellion) by the deceitfulness of sin - (that is,) by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamour of his sin may play on him. Satan never has his cigarette ads show on older person throwing up his lungs in the death grip of lung cancer. When he suggests sex sin, it is not shown as it is - death from sexual disease or diseased, deformed and retarded children, mental, emotional terrors and grief over sins, and the curses put upon oneself and descendents. He paints a pretty picture and uses peer-pressure to try to force us into his trap.

The Devil knows humans very well. He has had many centuries to learn to trap us. Humans have a great weakness. It's called self. We like to see, own and eat pretty things, we love the praise of our peers and we like to think we're smarter than the average human. We like short cuts to all the above.

When we see we are caught in his trap, we get mad at each other and blame each other or God, but we seldom blame the Devil. So, he generously adds hate to the list of demons he has in us. The demons job is to play us along and when we begin to realize what has happened, he slams the trap door shut and tries to convince us that there is no way out. But, God has made a way out for all Christians.

Satan and his host have power and authority (Eph. 6:12) in the heavenly sphere. If we follow the suggestions given us by his demons, he will gain more and more power and authority to hold us captive until he has destroyed not only us but our children for many generations.

But God - these two little powerful words hold the key to triumphing over the power of the Devil. If we turn from Satan to God, we qualify to use the power and authority over Satan that God has given to all his followers. Luke 10:19 BEHOLD! I HAVE GIVEN YOU AUTHORITY AND POWER OVER ALL THE POWER THE ENEMY POSSESSES. This power we have is through the blood and name of Jesus Christ, God's son, and our obedience to his commandants. Our trouble is that most of us do not use hardly any of the power we have been given. In fact, we'd rather believe the love gospel than to have to resist anything. We certainly do not want to wage war against the Devil and the demons.

Even as Christians, we do not have the right to attempt to use this power unless we are willing to study the Bible and discipline our lives. This does not mean that we have to be perfect in every way; it means that we are always going after God and learning to obey more and more.

SUBMIT TO GOD - James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We are always getting things out of order. We want to resist the Devil before we submit to God. It requires:

1. We must accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, Master and Saviour.

2. We will begin a diligent study of the Bible.

3. We will accept Biblical principals as our own.

4. We will begin to live by these Godly principals.

5. His will for our life is more desirable to us than our necessary food.

Only as we begin and continue these things, can we say we are submitted to God. Then and only then will we begin to be able to resist the Devil and have him flee from us. With the Devil and demons, our words don't work but our actions will. We can only say we have put on the whole armour of God after we have actually done it. Eph. 6:11-18 must be an active part of our life.

God wants obedience that comes from our desire to please God. As we are learning to bring ourselves into subjection to God we may have to force ourselves to obey. It is our actions we force not our desire. Breaking old habits requires diligence.

We have power to bind and loose according to Mat. 16:18-19. We bind the demonic activity within us and attacks on us in the name of Jesus Christ. Our purpose in binding them is to cast them out. Binding demons in someone is not done to control their will but to control the demon in them. God has given each of us a free will so we do not ever try to control another person's will.

LET'S CONSIDER TEMPTATION - I Cor. 10:13 For no temptation - no trial regarded as enticing to sin (no matter how it comes or where it leads) - has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man - (that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear). But God is faithful (to His Word and to His compassionate nature and He (can be trusted) not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will (always) also provide a way out - the means to escape to a landing place - that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it.

This tells us that temptation is common to mankind and we are able to resist. Our problem - we don't take the escape route! In fact, it is one of Satan's best wiles to use on us. We often feel guilty of sin when some shameful thought occurs to us. Actually it is an attempt of a demon to get you to follow the suggestion. I have learned to stamp it reject and send it out of my mind. You see the thought is not sin but to begin to elaborate on it, will lead to sin. Don't converse with demons and miss the escape route.

Study verse 14. Therefore, my dearly beloved, shun (keep clear away from, avoid by flight if need be) any sort of idolatry (of loving or venerating anything more than God). The Devil and demons watch us to see what we like and then try to push us into worship of it. That is idolatry. Be careful, remember what the Bible says about temptation and respond correctly and immediately.

I Pet. 5:8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the Devil, roams around like a lion roaring (in fierce hunger), seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith (against his onset - rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined), knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.

GRADUALISM - One other very successful wile of Satan is gradualism. Humanism is taking our society over very gradually. We in America are loosing our God given freedom gradually. Satanism is moving in on us gradually.

I can remember a time when each state controlled its schools. Federal aid came in very slowly and very subtlety. At first, the aid did not have any strings attached but as time passed and the state became dependent on the aid, the federal government began to impose rules and regulations. Beware of gradual seduction.

We get into trouble gradually: too much T.V., too much food, too much self indulgence. Soon we are addicted and have become something we never thought we'd become.

I Cor. 10:21-22 You cannot drink the Lord's cup and demon's cup. You cannot partake of the Lord's table and demon's table. Many times we try to partake of both and find that we indeed cannot serve two masters. A Christian cannot serve two masters and we will find ourselves gradually drifting away from God and maybe willfully giving up our salvation in the end.

Our mind is the best entry way Satan has. In II Cor. 10: 3-5 For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. We do not wage war on other people to get ups on them by using natural wiles or strategy to win over them. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical (weapons of flesh and blood), but they are mighty before God for the over throw and destruction of strongholds. We wage a spiritual war of binding and loosing demonic strongholds over our life first, then over the nation, our locality and other people. (Inasmuch as we) refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. I would read this and pray what I thought was a most holy prayer. Over and over I pleaded with God for him to take my thoughts. One day I heard, "I would not touch your thoughts with a ten foot pole. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9).

COVENANT - When we accepted salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we made covenant with God. In this covenant there are duties of God to us and from us to God. Controlling our mind is not God's duty but ours. God gave detailed directions in Phil. 4:8 For the rest, brethren, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is lovely and lovable, whatsoever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things (fix your minds on them). I often had to check this list when I had let my mind get under the control of some demon (such as retaliation). If it was not on the list, I would not think on that thing.

Most of our entertainment today goes back to the ancient pagan worship of gods and goddess': all acts of perverted sex, sports from Olympia, demonic music from old music used in old pagan temple worship, the use of drugs for temple worship also. Most nursery rhymes come from old Druid tales.

Let the scripture mold you, correct you, and refine you. II Tim. 3:16 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, (and) for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action).

Read and study I Cor. 13:1-13. If I (can) speak in the tongues of men and (even) of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional,spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have (sufficient) faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God's love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody). Even if I dole out all that I have (to the poor in providing) food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me). I gain nothing. Love endures long and is patent and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. This is a good balance verse. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it (it pays no attention to a suffered wrong). It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person. its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything (without weakening). Love never fails (never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end). As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away (it will lose its value and be superseded by truth). For our knowledge is fragmentary(incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

It is good to read and study this chapter and compare your state of mind and action to it. It will give you a good idea how you are doing. I find that I have made a lot of improvement over the years but I have much work left to do.

EZRA, NEHEMIAH AND ESTER - These chapters contain helpful information for us as we get and maintain our deliverance. The Jews are given the order by the King to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of God. The King (as God has for us) made provision for the building of the temple (we are now the temple where God lives on earth).

You notice the king did not build the temple, the people were to build it. When the people began to work, there was not much opposition until the foundation was lain (we also get little opposition until we have lain the foundation of salvation). When your enemies (Devil and demons) see that you are going on with you Christian life, they will rise up just as the Samaritans did and try to stop the progress.

The prophets continue to teach the people and the people continue to get right with God while they built the temple. The progress is opposed all the way. Finally, they see that the enemy has a room right in the middle of the temple (just as we discover the enemy in the form of demons is sitting right in the middle of our temple and opposing all our progress). The enemy is thrown out and the work continues (demons are cast out but the work is not yet complete.

The Jews still have a strong enemy who intends to kill them all (Haman). God always has a people who will follow Him without regard to cost. They remain true (conduct spiritual warfare), God works with them and they conquer their enemies. After you begin to receive deliverance, this section of Scripture will help you understand your work and the enemy's attacks against you.

HOW SHALL WE KEEP DELIVERANCE?

1. Study and apply the Word of God to your thoughts and actions (I Peter 3; II Tim. 2:15).

2. Discipline your mind and life according to God's directions. You are responsible for the use of your mind and the actions of your life (II Cor. 10:5).

3. Remember no action takes place until the mind plans the action (I Cor. 10:13).

4. When you fail get up and start over, remember the Bible says that we are knocked down but not knocked out (Rom. 6:16, 12:21; II Cor. 4:8).

5. Use the Word of God against evil thoughts and demonic attack . Jesus did this at His temptation. When demons come back to attack or tempt you, take authority over them in the name of Jesus Christ. Immediately begin to tell them about Jesus' death and resurrection which were done for you (Matt. 4:4,7 & 10).

6. Don't fear demons; be consistent and fearless against them. Remember no demon gets into anyone who has not given ample ground for its entry (Phil. 1:28).

7. Clean out the home you live in. There should not be anything in your house that calls demons. Ask the Lord to guide you to things in your home that displease Him. Be sure and check out all your jewelry. Most of our Christian jewelry in actually from pagan origin (Deut. 7:26).

8. Fellowship with other Christians (Heb. 10:25).

9. Fight against fleshly appetites daily (Gal. 5:19-21,24).

10. Don't return to old sinful friends or places or old thought life (I Cor. 5:7).

11. Maintain a attitude of gratitude and praise to God for all His blessings (Deut. 28:47-48).

12. Pray always in all manner of prayer (Matt. 13:33).

13. Maintain a loving attitude even to your human enemies (Matt. 5:44-46).

This is an extremely important part of deliverance. We can spend a long time casting out demons but maintaining your deliverance is your part and no one can do this part for you. You have to maintain your own deliverance; it is the hardest part of deliverance. You will have to change your mind, the way you think, and you and you alone will have to change the way you act. You will have to study and obey the Word of God. It's not a matter of how much you read the Bible but how much you obey it's precepts.

PRAYER - This is a sample prayer, you may be led by the Holy Spirit to add or change it to suit you own needs. Dear Heavenly and Gracious Father, I agree with this lesson. I agree with the Holy Word of God. I want deliverance for the right reasons, so that I might serve you and do the things you would have me to do. I renounce all selfishness so that I can do my own thing. I want to do and be all you have planned for me. I want to walk within your perfect will. Help me Lord Jesus to maintain my deliverance. As I seek your face, show me how to do this. As I agree with you, Lord, I will maintain my deliverance. I will submit myself to you and I will seek your face. I thank you, Lord Jesus, that you will help me maintain my deliverance, stay free and go on with you. Now, Lord Jesus, I forgive my ancestors and my descendents and anyone else that has hurt me or sinned against me. I ask that you forgive them and bless them with all spiritual blessings. Forgive me for my many sins, I forgive myself for sins against my body. I break every curse, every hex and every demonic tie that binds. I break every soul tie brought about by witchcraft or sexual impurity. Lord Jesus, restore my fragmented soul. Send your angles out to recover anything Satan has stollen form me. Lord Jesus, stir up the demons in my subconscious mind. Command them to identify and reveal themselves as unto Jesus so that they can be cast out. I ask all these things in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Master and my Saviour. I take authority over Satan according to the whole Word Of God which I accept in simple childlike faith. It is in Jesus' name I pray. Amen

LIST OF DEMONS TO CAST OUT IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Names of possible demons - others should be added as directed by the Holy Spirit for deliverance. See the Mass Deliverance Manual for Lists of Demons: Bad Habits of Thinking and Reacting, Common Demon Groupings, Ingratitude, and Maintaining Your Deliverance from Evil Spirits. Start off with Common Demon Groupings and then go on to other lists.