Written by Patty Johnston

Verse: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11.

Original Translation: ‘advantage’ in Greek is pleonekteo. It means to take advantage of someone by being sneaky about it or to desire more (being greedy) than what is rightfully yours. It would be used to describe someone who wants something so bad that they would do whatever it takes to get it.

Original Translation: ‘ignorant’ in Greek is agnoeo. It means to not know certain facts or to make mistakes because you don’t have the knowledge or understanding of something.

Original Translation: ‘devices’ in Greek is noemata. It means a mind that is scheming or conniving.

This verse is telling us that Satan is very sneaky in his attack against us. So it’s important that we aren’t in the dark about his battle plan. We need to understand the ways he attacks us so that we know how to stand against him and defeat him. Nichole has teachings on spiritual warfare that you can learn from. You can find them in the files in the ministry group and on her YouTube channel.

Ministry Group Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/351690279198647

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/@nicholehenson9579/videos

Below Portion Written by Nichole Henson

Tactics of the Enemy

It is very important to learn and understand the tactics of our enemy (demons). Knowing about them will help us to always be on guard against their attacks and see them coming from a mile away. They are very slick and do not come as they truly are. If they did, we would never fall for their tricks. Satan was able to convince 1/3 of the angels in Heaven to turn against God. Imagine that. Convincing 1/3 of the angels who were in the constant presence, love, and glory of our Father! And now he and his legions of demons are constantly plotting our demise. They spend every second planning ways to pull us away from God and separate us from Him for eternity. He also deceived Eve, who walked with God face to face daily. If he could do that to the angels and Eve, how much more should we be on our guard against him and his demons?

This does not mean that we walk in fear, but it does mean that we do not take them lightly. They are a foe who we must intentionally guard against. We should not ignore them and pretend like they do not exist. We should learn to recognize their attacks and send them packing every single time. If the enemy cannot get you bound in sin, they will try to get you bound in fear and anxiety, and/or stuck in legalism. They may say things like, “You are going to mess up and get caught again, you will never be free, you just messed up and I am coming back!”

List of Tactics

Kill, Steal, Destroy: They want to separate us from God for all eternity and they will use any means necessary. They do not fight fair, and they are cruel. They will kick you when you are down and actually create moments of weakness, even using our closest family and friends when possible.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10, AMP.

Attacks the Mind: The first place the enemy attacks is the mind. If they can capture the territory of your mind, your thoughts, and the way you operate, they will soon have you in bondage. Be very careful of what thoughts you entertain and allow to grow.

Subtle/Cunning: They come in the disguise of innocence, a little of this or a little of that. They sneak in a little sin in here and there, and before you know it you are in bondage. If we give them an inch they will take a mile.

Lurking: They are always looking for a way to get into our lives. Demons are all around us and they are constantly trying to find a place of weakness. They watch our habits and reactions to find a way to trip us up. They hide in the dark places ready to jump out and trip us up. They are always looking for a way to get into our lives. They never rest, they never stop, and they never sleep. They are always looking for a way to trip us up and tempt us.

Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

Distorts the Word of God/Deception: They will always try to bring misunderstandings to the meaning of God’s Word. They can also try to use the Word to bring condemnation, doubt, and anger. They will even try to blind us to the truth of God’s Word and the truth other Christians try to share with us. They try to twist the Word of God and also conversations with others in order to bring division and cause confusion and doubt. They even tried to distort the meaning of the Word to Jesus when He was in the wilderness. Matthew 4: 1-11.

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9.

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10.

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:1-2.

These verses show why we must be so careful of who and what teaching we listen to.

Temptation: They will throw every kind of temptation our way to try to trip us up and get us into bondage. Keep your eyes open to temptation and the way the enemy can use situations, including other people, to try to get you to commit sin in your lives.

And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:26.

For forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. Luke 4:2.

For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. 1 Thessalonians 3:5

Some examples of common temptations are them sending the wrong people into our lives. they will often send people of the opposite sex, and even wrong friends into our lives to try to pull us into sin. This could even involve area of addictions. Lust in the form of pop ups on the phone/computer, people reaching out with sexual advances, fantasies popping into the mind, sexual dreams etc. Another example is everything going wrong, road rage, and other situations that try to create anger and rage.

Accusing Us: This one could go with the battle in the mind section, but I wanted to talk about it separately because it is, in my opinion, so important. The enemy is always accusing us. He is before God telling Him how bad we are day and night, and his demons are doing the same thing to us. They whisper all sorts of negative things to us about ourselves. I think this is where much of the negative “self-talk” comes from. When I was a family therapist, and now in ministry, one of the biggest issues people talk to me about is the negative self-talk they have going on in their minds. In my opinion most of that originates from the enemy. He literally hates us so much that he is constantly trying to whisper in our ear to make us hate ourselves.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10.

Makes Trades: He says, “You give me that, and I will give you this.” He tried to do that with Jesus. He told Him, “I will give you the world if you bow down to me.” He does the same with us. He is constantly trying to make trades in order to trap us. Matthew 4:1–11.

“You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so, I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.” Ezekiel 28:15–19.

Hides in the Dark Places: They love to give nightmares and they also love to stay hidden. They are so hidden that they often sit on the front pews of many churches, and sometimes even behind the pulpit, and yet we have no idea they are even there. We are shocked when the members are caught up in all kinds of sin and the pastor falls, but it is because we don’t even recognize when the enemy waltzes through the front door. We must be on guard and learn how to spot them, wage war against them, and not sit idly by as they destroy lives and ministries.

Lies: The lie usually starts out as a whisper in our ear. We often mistake it for our own thoughts. They whisper a lie to us, we dwell on the lie, we start believing the lie, we speak the lie, we act on the lie, and then bondages are created and the lie becomes our truth. Some of the lies include things such as, “God doesn’t love you; you will be just like so and so; you will never change; you will never be good enough; and no one loves you.” At times they mix in a little bit of truth with their lies to make them more appealing and the lie harder to detect. Remember, Satan is called the father of lies for a reason and his demons are full of lies as well.

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44, AMP.

Condemnation Disguised as Conviction. There is one easy way to tell the difference between the two. Condemnation will tell you that God could not possibly forgive you, that He is mad at you, and that you went too far. It will drive you away from God. Conviction on the other hand will draw you toward God. It is Him drawing you in to get things right with your loving Father. Condemnation beats you up and makes you run from God in guilt and shame. Real conviction drives you toward God. God will always draw you to Him and the enemy will always chase you away from Him.

Brings up Our Past: They will do this over and over for one of two reasons: one, to get us stuck in the regrets of the past, or two, get us stuck in the nostalgia of the “good old days” that are long gone. Either one can create bondages from which are hard to break free. Do not get stuck in your past or the “what ifs” of life. Just like Lot, we must move forward and not look back, unlike what his wife did. It is called our past for a reason.

But Lot’s wife, from behind him, [foolishly, longingly] looked [back toward Sodom in an act of disobedience], and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:26.

Creates Chaos: They create chaos in us or in our environment. They try to constantly get us to go from one crisis to the next. It is like a hamster running on a wheel. We run from one issue to the next, but never get anywhere in life. We are constantly running around and around until we wear ourselves out. They create chaos to keep us in turmoil all the time. They will try to wear us out to keep us exhausted and distracted so it is harder to fight spiritual battles.

Masquerades as the Holy Spirit/Pretends to be Something They are Not: They do not come in their true form. Many times, they pretend to be the opposite of who and what they really are. I have cast out several demons who have told me they pretended to be the Holy Spirit and speak to the people they reside in. They create massive confusion this way. This would explain why I have heard people say God has told them things that directly contradict His Word; but they are positive they have heard from God.

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14, AMP.

What Ifs: This goes along with fear but is a little different. You can get caught up in a fantasy world because you are always playing out life in your head. You get stuck in your head and cannot get out to move forward in life because you are always worried about what might happen.

Entertainment/Décor/Jewelry: They are really sneaky in this area. Many times, we do not even notice how they are creeping in through the shows we watch, the books we read, the games we play, or the music we listen to. Be very selective on the things you allow in your home and make sure to know everything your kids are viewing, hearing, and reading. Cartoons with magic can be really cute, but they are also very dangerous. I have personally cast demons out of children who came in from watching shows and reading books with magic in them. It isn’t a game, and it can lead to destruction. No matter how innocent it seems, the enemy does not look at it that way. They do not care what significance you place on something; they only care if it grants them legal access to your life.

Deceives: This is why you have to be so careful of who and what teaching you listen to and the ministries you follow. Many ministries are full of deception. Whether they know it or not they have allowed seducing spirits to direct their teaching and actions.

But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, 1 Timothy 4:1.

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9.

Sends False Teachings and Prophetic Messages: The enemy counterfeits the things of God. We must walk in discernment so we do not fall prey to false doctrines, ministers, or ministries. Something can look, and even feel, right, but once we start testing it to see if it lines up with the Word of God it can fall short. I want to give you a few tips on how to test the ministry/prophecy/minister to make sure it is lining up with the Word of God. If someone gives you a word/message they say is from God, do not automatically claim it as your own. First, see if it lines up with the Word of God and His character as shown in the Bible. If it doesn’t, disregard it and verbally break agreement with it. If it seems to line up with the Word of God, ask yourself if the word is confirming what God has been speaking to you or what others have spoken over your life. If it does, thank the Lord for more confirmation. If it is totally different than anything you have heard before or that God has been telling you, ask God to confirm to you if it is from Him or not. Also, recognize/discern how it sits with the spirit within you. If it does not sit well, file it away and continue praying about it. Just because someone calls themselves a prophet does not mean that everything they speak is coming from God. When someone gives a prophetic word, it has three possible sources: God, demons, and/or self. A word can be from a single source or a mixture of the three. Oftentimes, the person speaking false words does not even know they are operating in self and/or under demonic influence.

The way in which we test prophetic words is the same way we do with ministries, doctrines, signs, and wonders. Some questions we should ask ourselves are: do they line up with the Word of God? Do they glorify God, self, or man? Does it simply make me feel good or does it draw me closer to God? Do I walk away wanting to live a better, closer life with the Lord? Am I drawn to a higher standard of living, or do they cause me to justify my sin? Also, a word of caution, just because something “looks” like the Holy Spirit does not make it the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament when Moses went before Pharaoh and was performing many signs and wonders, Pharoah had his magicians doing the same things. We cannot judge something as a move of God simply based on how it looks. We must go deeper and verify that it is in fact the Holy Spirit.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. By this you know and recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source]; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus [acknowledging that He has come in the flesh, but would deny any of the Son’s true nature] is not of God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is now already in the world. Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. They [who teach twisted doctrine] are of the world and belong to it; therefore, they speak from the [viewpoint of the] world [with its immoral freedom and baseless theories—demanding compliance with their opinions and ridiculing the values of the upright], and the [gullible one of the] world listens closely and pays attention to them. We [who teach God’s word] are from God [energized by the Holy Spirit], and whoever knows God [through personal experience] listens to us [and has a deeper understanding of Him]. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know [without any doubt] the spirit of truth [motivated by God] and the spirit of error [motivated by Satan]. 1 John 4.

False Signs and Miracles: Just because a ministry or a person performs a sign or miracle, it does not guarantee they are from God. We must test the spirits and make sure they are actually from God. A few quick ways to do this are: ask yourself does the sign or wonder contradict the Word of God? If so, it is not from God. God does not contradict His Word. Signs and wonders should lead people to repentance and to the Lord. If it only brings glory to the person, there are major issues. Everything done should always point back to Jesus, lead others to Him, and create an atmosphere where the lost find their salvation.

for they are [actually] the spirits of demons, performing [miraculous] signs. And they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Revelation 16:14.

When Moses was preforming miracles, the Pharaohs magicians did some of the same miracles.

The fish in the Nile died, and the river became foul smelling, and the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts and enchantments; so, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. Exodus 7:21–22.

Twist: They love to twist everything, including the Word of God, our words, and the words of others. They do this to bring division and confusion. Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and they heard you say something, and you are positive you did not say that or say it the way they heard it? The enemy loves to do this to bring strife and division.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden; but [only] from the tree of the knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die [because of your disobedience].” Genesis 2:16–17.

Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil. Genesis 3:1–5.

Distractions: This is a huge area that the enemy uses against us. We all have busy lives and things to accomplish. It is so easy to let the things of the Lord slip by unnoticed. We can get distracted by lack of time, our career/job, family, hobbies, and even things of the Lord. As soon as we pick up our Bible a million things that need to get done start running through our heads. Or when we try to pray our phone starts ringing off the hook. We can binge watch our favorite show for hours but fall asleep after 5 minutes of praying or reading the Bible. We can also get so busy with ministry and things of the Lord that we neglect our personal relationship with Him. Doing things for Him is great and is needed, but it cannot take the place of our personal relationship with Him. Nothing can take the place of being with Him and taking the time to sit at His feet. We can be doing all the right things as far as working for the kingdom of the Lord, but we could be missing the most important, better thing: spending quality one on one time with Jesus.

Now while they were on their way, Jesus entered a village [called Bethany], and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His teaching. But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.” But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38–42.

Manipulation: The enemy loves to dominate, manipulate, and control. We must not use manipulation to get what we want from others, and we also should not allow ourselves to be manipulated.

Steals the Word of God: This could come in the form of forgetting what you read, getting tired every time you try to study the Word, and not being able to understand the meaning of what you are reading.

Fear: Fear can come in many forms, but the goal is the same—to paralyze you and stop you from moving forward. Some common fears are fear of demons (retaliation, coming back), the future, the past, the present, dying, losing salvation, being alone, the dark, sickness, failure, rejection, being abandoned, and many others. Fear comes in many shapes and sizes, but they all have the same goal of getting you stuck, paralyzed, and in bondage to the enemy.

Regret: The enemy will also try to get you so stuck in your past that you never move forward into your future. Regret and the “what ifs” of life are two ways he will try to keep you trapped. We all have things we have done that we wish we could go back and change, but do not let the enemy get you stuck there. If you have a lot of regret, try to settle it by apologizing to anyone who was involved, ask for forgiveness from anyone that you need should, ask God to forgive you, and then release it to God. Do your very best to refrain from going back to that place. Do not dwell or linger there. Do not analyze the past situations or fantasize about how it could have gone differently. Leave it in the past and move forward into your future. We cannot go back and change anything that has already happened, but we can use it as a learning experience and move forward, working to be who God has called us to be.

Physical Illness and/or Mental Illness: Demons can cause physical and mental illnesses.

Attacks Our Identity: The enemy wants to confuse, blind, and steal who God has called us to be. When we begin to walk in the identity given to us by God, the next step is walking in His authority and His kingdom purpose. Those are the things the demons want to keep us from more than anything else.

Compulsions and/or Addictions: Compulsions: They use compulsions to draw us into sin and/or addiction. It can feel like we are doing everything possible to avoid a specific sin or sins but also feeling like not having the ability to stop.The enemy loves to bring temptation to the point of creating additions in your lives.

Blinds Us to the Truth: There are times that we just cannot see truth. It can be right in front of our faces, but it is almost like we are in denial or blind. The enemy often does this to keep us from seeing the truth that can set us free.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4.

Practical Tips to Fight the Attacks of the Enemy (Demons)

Relationship with God: Our relationship with Him is the key to staying free and walking in who we were created to be. He must be first in our life. We are called to live a life of submission to Him. We must lay ourselves down at His feet and pick up His will, His purpose, and His plan. There is no room for pride or rebellion. We must always walk in total submission to Him. Romans 12:1-2.

Prayer: Make time for God daily to sit at His feet and grow in your relationship with Him. Nothing can replace your time with the Lord. Sitting at His feet is where we learn from Him, where we talk to Him, and He talks to us. This is where He pours out His anointing and His love. I love to sit with Him and ask Him questions and then listen for His reply. Some of the things I ask Him are what He wants to say to me, what He wants to change in me, what He wants me to do in certain situations, and I also ask Him about anything I do not understand in His Word or things that are going on in my life. I journal the things He says to me so I can always go back and reflect on His messages. Prayer is so much more than just asking Him to do things for us. It is about talking to Him and then also listening to Him. I am not saying that we should neglect praying for the needs of others and ourselves, but I am pointing out the importance of not getting stuck in the pattern of only bringing our requests to Him. We must be intentional about our relationship with Him and actively pursue getting closer to Him, learning from Him, and being submitted to Him.

Keeping Our Thoughts Clean: Do not focus on the negative side of things and do not speak negatively about your life or situations. When you feel negative emotions or hear negative thoughts, verbally counter them with positive words from the Bible. Speak life. Adjust how you talk about yourself and others. Do not entertain negative thoughts at all, not even for one moment. Replace them with the truth found in the Word of God as soon as they enter your mind. Keep your thought life under control. Do not entertain thoughts of the past (regret), fantasy, etc. Pull down every single thought that does not line up with the Word of God. Give them zero amount of your time. Often what you spend time thinking about will eventually come out in your behaviors and in your life. That is why we must focus on the things of God and His truth. Our feelings and emotions will lie to us, but His Word will never fail and never lie. It must be the firm foundation of our lives. 

We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5, AMP.

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart.] Philippians 4:8, AMP.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it an indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.” Proverbs 18:21, AMP.

Also, be mindful of the words others speak over your life. If anyone speaks curses, break them immediately and never accept them and come into agreement with them. Proverbs 18:21, AMP.

Speak God’s Word: Scripture is so powerful. It will keep you connected to God and it will also make the enemy flee. Pick scriptures that speak specifically to your life and situations and say them out loud. We can also use scriptures to speak against the enemy and pray to God. I created a binder that is full of scriptures that I have personalized to speak and pray over my life and the lives of my family.

Praise and Worship: It pushes darkness back and draws God near. It also reminds us of the goodness of God. If we feel the enemy attacking, we should start verbally recounting all the things God has done for us. We should know our identity in Him and put the enemy on notice that we know who God says we are. We need to have a thankful heart and tell God how thankful we are for all He has done for us. There are times that we just need to sit in His presence and thank Him without asking Him for anything. He has poured His love out on us and loved us even when we could not love ourselves. He is a good Father, and He takes care of His children. We must never take that for granted or take it lightly. We do not deserve His love and kindness, but out of His goodness He gives it to us anyway. He gave His one and only Son for us so that we could have eternal life in heaven. Jesus loved us so much that He faced shame, ridicule, rejection, and physical death so that we could have eternal life with Him. He clothes us in His righteousness and salvation so that we may approach the Father. We must never forget His sacrifice and we should always come to Him with a thankful heart.

Repentance: Be quick to repent when you sin. Also, ask the Holy Spirit to convict you immediately when you mess up. Invite Him to teach you God’s ways. Ask for God to let you see people the way He sees them, feel about others the way He feels about them, and love like He loves. Ask Him to search your heart and mind and burn up anything that is not pleasing to Him. Our goal is to look, act, and feel more like Him. We are called to be His representatives on the earth so we must be more like Him. We need to spend time in self-reflection and ask ourselves—do others see Jesus in us, are we so full of Him that others can sense His presence, do we sound like Him, do we act like Him, do we love like Him, do we have the mind of Christ, and do we represent His character? We must then address the areas where we are lacking.

Remain Humble and Submitted to God:

But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation].

Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives

[the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].” James 4:6, AMP.

We must always walk in full submission to Him. We must also dedicate our lives to Him and lay our will, plans, and purposes down at His feet. Once we accept Him as our Lord and Savior our lives are not our own anymore. We owe Him everything. 1 Corinthians 6:20.

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. Romans 12:1, AMP.

Deliverance: Deliverance is closing all doors to demons, casting them out in the name of Jesus, and maintaining the freedom.

Christian Counseling: You may have wounds that need to fully heal. That can require prayer, deliverance, and counseling. In John 5:1–14 Jesus heals a man and later finds him in the temple. V. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” That is why it is really important to work through all past pain, hurt, and trauma. If you are hurt, make sure to take the pain to God, forgive the person, and release them. We must keep all pain, bitterness, anger, resentment, and rejection uprooted from our lives. It does not mean that painful situations will not happen, but when they do occur we must be quick to deal with them and take them to the feet of Jesus. Do not shove them aside or try to bury them. Face them head on and deal with them fully so you can walk in total freedom and healing.

Change Habits: For example, if one of your issues is pornography, you may need to put an accountability app on your phone. If it is drugs, you may have to avoid certain places and people. If it is gossip with friends, you may have to distance yourself until that habit is broken. You will have to work to break those old patterns and habits. Part of that change is renewing your mind daily by prayer and reading the Word of God.

Discipleship: You should make sure you have a place to learn about the Lord such as a biblically based church and/or a Bible study group. Find someone to mentor you and help you grow in the Lord. Don’t try to go it alone. Find and create a Godly support system. Surround yourself with people who love the Lord and want to grow in Him and help you grow as well.

Verbally Assault the Enemy: We are in a war for our lives with an enemy whose only goal is to kill, steal, and destroy us. We cannot be passive with him or allow him any room in our lives. We do not have to always be on the defensive. We can go on the offensive and push the enemy back. If he has taken anything from you go get it back. Push your territory further and further. You be the one taking ground and not him. I love the story of David and Goliath and it really puts the battle against the enemy in perspective. 1 Samuel 17. This is an example of how I come against the enemy: (With a loud, firm voice) “Right now I am coming against you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I command you to take your hands off my life and family. I cancel and break every demonic plan and obstacle trying to come against me in the name of Jesus. You have no control over my life, enemy. I draw the line in the sand and say you may not cross it. Jesus gave me authority to trample over you and you are under my feet. I know who I am in Jesus Christ. I know what His death on the cross means and what power over you it gave me. I know who He says I am. I am a child of the Most High and you will not torment me. The Word of God says greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. It also says no weapon formed against me will prosper. NONE, not one weapon. I put on the full armor of God and you cannot penetrate that. I take the shield of faith and your darts are no match for it. I hold the sword against you which is the Word of God.” This is how I speak to the enemy. There is no sitting down at the table for coffee, conversation, and compromise. No, this is a battle and I go to battle against him. We are not in a discussion. I am dictating what he will and will not do and he is obeying. The Word of God says we have authority and I walk in that every day of my life. Does he like this? No. Does he try to defeat me again? Yes. It is a battle we will be in until we get to Heaven, but we do not have to live in constant torment. Remember that your mind is your territory, and the enemy has no business using it for his playground. We do not have to tolerate the thoughts he tries to give us or the words he whispers to us. Take your mind back and refuse to give him any ground in your thought life.

Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you. Luke 10:19, AMP.

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues. Mark 16:17, AMP.

Identity: We must make sure we are walking in the identity given to us by Jesus. No one and nothing else should dictate who we are. If you do not know who you are in Him, search His Word to see what He says about you and who you are, how He feels about you, and ask Him who He has called you to be. We are all called to be disciples of Christ and a big part of that is laying down our lives for Him and totally dying to self. Every day we must make the choice to pick up our cross and follow Him. We must walk in the full identity and authority given to us by Jesus if we want to live victorious lives. We must know who we are, who the enemy is, and be secure in our relationship with the Lord.

Armor of God: Put on the full armor of God daily. You can incorporate these verses into a daily personalized prayer.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10–18, AMP.

Fasting: This is a great way to get your flesh under control and break old habits. It is also a really good way to grow in your relationship with the Lord. If you are not familiar with the practice, do a Bible study on the subject and research the importance it held in the Bible and still holds for us today. Do not allow the thought of fasting to overwhelm you. You can start out small and go from there. It is all about your heart intention and wanting to be fully surrendered to the Lord. If you wait until you feel ready to fast you will never get started because our flesh is never ready to give up the things it wants. We must be the ones to make our flesh submit to the things of God and not the other way around.

And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they put on a sad and dismal face [like actors, discoloring their faces with ashes or dirt] so that their fasting may be seen by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full. Matthew 6:16, AMP.

In this Scripture, Jesus said whenever you fast. He did not say if, He said when. I think it is safe to say that He assumed His followers would be spending time fasting. You can find many scriptures in the Old and New Testaments that speak to how the people highly regarded fasting as a means to get the attention of God, to get their prayers answered, to hear from God, for breakthrough in difficult situations, and for repentance.

Name of Jesus: His name is above all things. When we speak to the enemy in His name they must obey. They understand the authority in His name and they know they must obey. The key is for us to learn and recognize that ability and put the enemy on notice that we understand the power in His name.

For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9–11, AMP.

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well. Mark 16:17–18, AMP.

The Bible says if we are His believer’s, signs and wonders will accompany us in the form of casting out demons, speaking in tongues, and healing the sick. It does not say they can, might, or even that they should. It says they will. We will do these things, and if we aren’t doing them we have to figure out why.

Authority Over the Enemy: We have authority over the enemy in every area of our lives. The enemy belongs under our feet. We have the ability to tread on them, and that means they are under our feet. We do not have to tolerate demons in our lives. We can draw the line in the sand and tell them that they may not cross it. It is time for us to take our territory back and reclaim every single thing the enemy has stolen from us.

Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. Luke 10:19–20, AMP.

Be Honest with Yourself and God: Do a personal inventory and do it often. Take a long honest look at yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to show you any areas that you need to work on. Do not live in denial or minimize the things in your life that need to change. Our goal is to be more like Jesus, and He is the standard we must hold ourselves up to. We will never measure up because he is sinless and faultless, but He is still our example and who we must strive to be more like.

House Cleaning: Be mindful of every item that comes into your home. Do not bring in anything that has any connection to witchcraft, paganism, sinful behaviors, false religions, and the occult. Also, pray over any preowned items asking God to remove anything demonic that may be attached to them. Also, verbally bind, and cut off anything that may be attached to them in the name of Jesus. If demons are still manifesting in your home, you have the spiritual authority to cast them out. First, find out why they are there. Is there an object that is giving them legal rights? If so, destroy it and make them leave. If there is no legal right, take your spiritual authority and make them leave your house. Ask the Holy Spirit for discernment so you will know exactly what you are dealing with.     

Testimony: Share your testimony with others. Tell about the goodness of God and help others get their freedom!! Freedom is to share and to be used to set other captives free. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. God set you free and now you can help show others there is hope and freedom for them as well. You are a living advertisement for His goodness, grace, mercy, and bondage breaking power.

And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. Revelation 12:11, AMP.

Forgiveness: Unforgiveness is a huge open door to demons. Make sure you are actively choosing to forgive those who have hurt you.

Blessings,

Nichole Henson

Fullness of Joy Ministry

fullnessofjoyministry@gmail.com