Bound. Now What? FIGHT!

 

So, the devil managed to sneak into your life, as he expertly does, to plant strongholds that you are now struggling with. Somehow these things have grown with you- you thought nothing of them when you were in the world and lived a life of carnality- but now, now, you've given your life to Christ and all of a sudden, what you KNOW you should stop, you suddenly find you cannot stop.

You're confused. You've just prayed and yet, you are being led by the stirrings of your loins. You go back to your cleared device history and mindlessly scroll back to the website you swore an hour ago that you wouldn't visit anymore. After your shameful escapade, you feel dirty. You hate yourself. God must hate you. You cannot pray. These demons are mocking you. You hate yourself. You are bound.

You've given your life to Christ, and yet, the stirrings for same sex bedfellows hasn't budged an inch. You've declared your dedication to Jesus in the open but you still go covertly to satisfy your pervert sexual desires. People in this community are now whispering about your hypocrisy. Your double life will soon be found out. You are bound.

You've given your life to Christ and renounced all your side lovers but somehow, once you see an attractive member of the opposite sex with the particular type of specifications that particularly attracts you, something in you snaps: ALL you can think about is how to make them your conquest or there is a side piece that you are finding particularly difficult to shake out of your life- you have entangled your marital life. You are Entangled. You are bound.

You've given your life to Christ and believed it was the end of your substance abuse but alas, the thing has gotten worse. You're drinking anything at all that has a high enough alcohol %age in it and are smoking all kinds of things- glue, weed, plantain, crackcaine, a whole human being if you could wrap them in your rizler- to help you levitate- there is no space in your life to even pray- the substance abuse is on automatic- you are crashing....... you need help but you are going. You are bound.

The only advice I have for you is:

1. My dear, FIGHT! FIGHT like a drowning (wo)man!

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal-

'The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete. '2 Corinthians 10:4-6- https://my.bible.com/bible/1588/2CO.10.4-6

Fight the good fight of faith. Fight with desperation. When you begin FIGHTING, you'll notice a push back and severe oppressive attacks. This is because what you thought was "just a habit, I can stop it when I please", is backed up by a host of demonic intelligence- COUNSELLING alone will do nada for you. It may help the surface level, but the devil will just be sniggering at you until he strikes you again.

2. You must understand where you are warring from. You must exercise your authority from where you are warring from.

a) The Lord Jesus Christ has the Authority over and above every power in the Heavens and on the Earth-

I like how KJV puts this because I feel like you get the full sense of the POWER that Jesus has- 

'Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 'Ephesians 1:20-22- KJV

A softer and more broken down translation says- 

'I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 'Ephesians 1:19-22- NLT.

b) You, as a Believer in the Lordship of Jesus & a Follower of Jesus, have the SAME authority as Jesus over these principalities and powers aka demonic and satanic forces-

'You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 'Ephesians 2:2-6- https://my.bible.com/bible/116/EPH.2.2-6

So, because we believe in Christ Jesus, we come under what God did here- He raised us together to seat in heavenly places with Christ Jesus - 'He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ!'- Ephesians 2:6-

So remember, we, as believers, are now sitting in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, "....Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 'Ephesians 1:20-22- KJV"

But the devil is counting on our ignorance and our weakness to pray or inability to persevere in prayer.

3) Be Accountable. Throw off all secrecy.

This is very important. As long as you are keeping what you are doing hidden and keeping up appearances, the situation will never get better. In situations like this, satan's power is in secrecy. He wants your hidden sin hidden- so that you struggle with whatever it is that is holding you captive whilst he condemns you at every point. Go to the person you respect the most- a person of faith- the most Spiricoco person that you would rather save your face before- go and tell them and open up what you are struggling with to them, then ask them to pray with (see? Not "FOR" you- because you have ALL it takes to deliver your own self too- you have the same authority to go to your father and you must begin to take spiritual responsibility over your own life) you.

The mortification that comes from exposing this secret sin loosens the hold the enemy has on you. But you must continue to pray.

4) Fast and Pray in Desperation.

Tell God it is a matter of Life and Death for you- Let His MIGHTY Hand deliver you and snatch you out of this fire that wants to consume you. Face this thing BOLDLY- You have the Almighty God, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth on your side- be desperate:

'Later the disciples came to him privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we cast out the demon?” He told them, “It was because of your lack of faith. I promise you, if you have faith inside of you no bigger than the size of a small mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move away from here and go over there,’ and you will see it move! There is nothing you couldn’t do! But this kind of demon is cast out only through prayer and fasting.”'- Matthew 17:19-21 TPT

There are demonic holds that will only go via fastings and prayers. This has been my own experience and I also realize that a lot of times, this fasting can be hard to do. But once you do it and are free, you wonder why you didn't do it since- this is why I say you must be desperate- or plain disciplined. Because the FLESH will always fight every attempt to fast.

When you begin fighting, you'll notice push backs. Oppressive mocking dreams- maybe dreams of the very thing you are running away from happening in front of you and you feeling the desires in yourself. Exacerbated outcomes when you slip- say you slip and take some substance or go on a website you shouldn't have gone to, that day would be the day you would be disgraced in a loud fashion etc- simply because you've started fighting back. Demonic bullyings because that is what these demons and their master know to do but this should make you ANGRY. For the dream oppression, James Goll, author of The Seer and a ton of other Prophetic books, says to sanctify your dream landscape and bind demonic entities and operations from operating in it.

5) Be patient whilst you pray and persevere.

I read something recently by pastor Cindy Trimm. She says that when dismantling old to establish the new, we must not underestimate the amount of time it will take to dislodge the enemy. This shouldn't put you off though. She wrote that

" At the moment a prayer is uttered, angelic hosts move throughout the atmospheres on behalf of the prayers, rooting up and tearing down entrenched strongholds that have wreaked havoc over our lives. Then God meticulously plants and nurtures, one by one, the answers to counteract those evils, until all is in alignment with His will. Just as it took the enemy a long time to spawn his diabolical webs and trap people in them, it will take time as well to unravel and reposition people to receive the blessings of the Lord. Therefore we must pray patiently, persistently, and passionately.

This is how come you can see a person change over a long period of time. Or, you knew a person when they were bound 10 years ago and you see them free and preaching the gospel 10 years after. It didn't happen in the 10th year- if the person had been praying and also had people praying for them for the past 10 years- the change had been happening, the dismantling had been happening and even though you may have still seen traces of this old in the 9th year, the completion of the establishment of the NEW may just have occurred in the 10th year- makes sense?

This works in all things and all manner of strongholds, stronghold of having a cheating spouse, strongholds of affliction and establishing the new of healing ( I've also heard my spiritual mentor, pastor Oyiks Alfred, say this about healing. You continue to administer the Word of God to the person and don't be deterred if you don't see any recovery immediately. The same way it takes a physical wound to heal is the same way it's taking the healing happening in the spiritual to manifest itself physically)

6) Abstain from ALL appearance of evil. ALL.

Don't try to reason it. If you have been bound by any kind of addiction in the past, stay away from that thing. Don't think that now that you are free, you can indulge moderately- stay away FOREVER. It could be your own consecration to create room for a better walk with God.

Realise that this thing is a forever something- you cannot ever go back to it- as quickly as you try to go back, even in the tiniest bits, you will be bound- and this time, probably even worse than you've ever experienced.

Scripture reference:

*'Abstain from all appearance of evil. '- 1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV

*' When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”- Matthew 12:43-45

7) Study. Study the Bible. Read books by Fathers of Faith.

Inside of books written by Fathers of our Christian faith are spiritual intelligencies (is that a word?) given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the writer for the purpose of building the body- the church: You and I. So we must study to shew ourselves approved. We must study to renew our minds. I wish I knew this a long time ago- that part of the "renewing of the mind" meant consuming books written by Father's of Faith. We cannot simply depend on what is taught on Sundays- we must personally pursue WISDOM and to renew our minds- which have before now been trained and programmed by the systems of the world, TV, Culture, Education, Friends, etc etc. The onus is then on us to retrain and renew our minds to learn and to grow in spiritual things-

"....And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of

your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,

will of God. Romans 12:2 KJV https://my.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.12.2.KJV...."

We must study having the Word of God open beside us as we read through the referencing to understand the revelation God has given to this writer in comparison to the written word of God. This helps us become better students of the Word. A lot of times we don't start out understanding the Word of God as this is a book that requires the help of the Holy Spirit to understand

(Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures- Luke 24:45 KJV),

the bible is a coded book and as you build up your relationship with God and fellowship with the Holy Spirit- for starters through prayer, worship, reading your bible, reading books written by anointed men and women, "fathers" (using to cover both genders because there are women fathers of faith) of faith like Kenneth Hagin, Joyce Meyer, David Oyedepo, Charles Spurgeon, Benny Hinn- about areas you need light shed on- Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Holiness, walking with the Holy Spirit, Healing, the Anointing, Deliverance, Power, Wealth- you will begin to gather insights about your TRUE identity in God, in Christ- who you really are, why you are here etc. Having these insights position you better to pray. They help you realize where you may be making mistakes in your prayer life and to correct them. You just generally gain WISDOM- remember that Daniel understood by books, it was in his study of books by fathers, prophets (Jeremiah) that he knew that the Israelites were supposed to be out of captivity). Also, the more LIGHT you interact with and that gets into you, the more you renew your mind and understand spiritual things, the more you "catch" the Light in the scriptures through study, the darkness NATURALLY leaves you- Light and darkness cannot dwell together. So whilst you are praying and applying the word of God to your life (keep praying the specific words that concern the areas of your struggle), continue to study and grow in knowledge, wisdom and LIGHT.

'For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,

to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ' 2 Corinthians 4:6 https://my.bible.com/bible/1/2CO.4.6

In my previous post (new year's post), I highlighted some women who really helped me grow between 2019 and 2020, whose ministries have helped me tremendously. Some of them have bible schools and coaching platforms and I believe that anyone who wants to really grow in their walk with God will benefit so much from getting on their platforms.

Mine is just to write and share as led, we need each other, these are not the times to receive light, deliver yourself from a bondage plaguing you and then keeping it under wraps so that no one knows your struggles- NO! These are the times to share tips and point others to what you have done because we need each other. I chanced on this post on my timeline today by Dr Sola Folaalade, it was a teaching on how it really is not by our power or might but by the grace of God that we are not consumed. No one can really say they are too built up so much so that they can NEVER fall. Hmmmm. 'Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

' 1 Corinthians 10:12

https://my.bible.com/bible/1/1CO.10.12"

So we must make a lifestyle of being in God's presence, of carrying God's

presence and of seeking for things that are above and reaching up for and

towards it and being around people on the same journey with us who we can go

to to keep us accountable- isolation from people on the same journey of faith

as yourself becomes the beginning of your backsliding.

We need each other.

Just thought I share this as it's been sitting in my draft (with like 28 other drafts!)

My prayer is that this blesses you if it is FOR you. Remember, we need each other.

May God's Grace, Peace, Power and Light be and rest upon you!

God's Love and the Light of the Holy Spirit,

Judgejudyjudy xxx