Satan's greatest weapon is to make people, even believers, believe that either he does not exist or if they believe he does exist, that he is not relevant to their lives. Jesus called Satan the Father of Lies, the deceiver. Satan and his demonic assistant spirits are extremely relevant to everything. Jesus was crucified and resurrected in order to defeat Satan, and He did. However Jesus' work did not put the demonic world out of commission. Jesus left the "clean up work" for you and for me. All demonic authorities will eventually be under the feet of Jesus, and His feet are attached to His body, which is you and me.

When we mention Satan in this series, we will be referring to him corporately; that is meant to include all of the demons, fallen angles, principalities and powers that work under him.

Satan is relative and active in the political subdivisions and the geographical subdivisions of the world. He is active and relevant within institutions, within family structures as familiar and generational spirits. He is active and relevant in the lives of unbelievers, holding them captive from the truth of Jesus' work of redemption that would set them free and deliver them from the satanic prisons. He is also relevant and active in the lives of believers.

Today there is backsliding and compromising within the church and within the church's realm of influence more than ever before. Why?

1. Revelation 12:12 says that Satan knows that his time is short and as we get closer to the Lord's return, he will increase his activity.

2. However even more than that, God Himself is at work shaking this world and His church. Look at Hebrews 12:25-29 which indicates that God Himself wants to remove those evil things from people's lives and He needs to bring them to the surface. Also look at 2 Thesalonians 2:5-12 which also indicates that God wants to bring those things that have been hidden in His people to the surface so that they may be removed; for their sakes.

This last category is one that has attracted almost as much controversy as speaking in tongues. At the very least Ananias and Sapphira were demon influenced. Notice, I did not say demon possessed, but demon influenced. "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?'" (Acts 5:3).

In our book Be Real with God, we make the following statement:

Christians can be vulnerable (some disagree with this). If we are influenced by demons before coming to Jesus, there could be a period of time before we receive deliverance. Some never do receive deliverance based upon the fact that they do not wish to totally yield. Obviously, a Christian cannot be "possessed" by a demon, but they sure can be influenced. It does not matter if we use the term possessed, influenced, oppressed or whatever. What matters is that we know how to get rid of demonic activities in our lives!

These Scriptures show that we are still vulnerable even after we believe. "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons" (1 Timothy 4:1). "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough" (2 Corinthians 11:3,4).

Some say that the blood of Jesus protects Christians. Yes and no. The blood protects us when we are obedient Christians. We cannot presume God's protection if we are living in disobedience. "...who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance" (1 Peter 1:2). Christians do need deliverance. I have personally been involved with some absolutely amazing demonic deliverance that resulted in Christians being healed and set free! This is not doctrine but it is factual testimony.

My wife and I have personally been involved with more than one demonic deliverance concerning a Christian, and have read testimonies of hundreds of others.

Satan holds his prisoners, those types mentioned above, by use of strongholds. This word infers the stronghold of a castle, that part that protects the inner chambers. Satan's strongholds guard his inner chamber where he holds his treasures. His treasures are described in Revelation chapter 18. "and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men" (Revelation 18:13).

Before one can rescue a prisoner of Satan one must first break the stronghold in order to get to the target.

The definition of a stronghold. A mindset that accepts as inevitable or unchangeable something that is contrary to the revealed will of God. The stronghold is in the mind. If that can be broken, then the treasures can be released.

New Testament and Old Testament examples of dealing with the demonic.

When Jesus was walking out His earthly ministry on several occasions He cast demons from people's lives. In Luke chapter 11 He even inferred that those to whom He was speaking practiced the casting out of demons. (Luke 11:19). This ministry was under the Old Covenant. Notice that in Mark chapter 5 that even Jesus was not able to dispose of the demons to their ultimate destination, and all He could do was to move them from one place to another. Even the demons knew that it was not yet their time to go to their ultimate destination, and they ended up in the swine.

The Old Testament ministry of casting out demons is very valid and is still in place. There is a great ministry in delivering people from demonic influence. However there is a New Testament ministry in dealing with demons that involves disposing of them forever, moving them into "early retirement."

Notice in Luke chapter 4 when Jesus announces His mission, He stops short of the entire mission that God has given Him, I believe because He had not yet been to the Cross. Isaiah 61 picks up where Luke 4 leaves off;

"To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him" (Luke 4:19,20).

"To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn" (Isaiah 61:2).

New Testament deliverance.

"But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. "But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils" (Luke 11:20-22).

Notice the word "overcomes" in the above Scripture. I believe that when we go through the "overcoming process" that we not only obtain deliverance for our lives and for those in our realm of influence, but we also permanently put away the satanic beings that were perpetrating the offence or the generational curse.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death" (Revelation 12:11).

We have been teaching on Revelation 12:11 in most of our books and lessons as the prescription for overcoming. There are three things mentioned, all three of which have to do with a way of applying the Word of God.

The blood of the Lamb. We must see the finished work of Jesus and how that gives us our true identity in Christ. We must see this constantly, even daily, through the Word. God speaks His promise to us, the promise customized exactly for our adverse circumstance. He speaks this in terms of the victory of His finished work, the work of His Cross and His blood. He speaks those things that be not as if they were because He sees the end from the beginning. He expects us to believer this Word. This rhema is planted as a seed in our hearts and we will go through doubt, persecution, temptation and difficulty as Satan attempts to steal His Word.

Love not our lives. We must see through the Word of God our imperfections and sin. We must allow the Word to convict us so that we may walk in the Spirit and repent for those things that would separate us from real time fellowship with God.

The word of our testimony. We must constantly keep the Word of God coming out of our mouths as a sword against Satan and as an instrument to renew our minds. We stand on His Word until the Ancient of Days walks into our "cosmic courtroom" with the verdict.

Gideon was an overcomer and he became a mighty warrior for God. His life's purpose was fulfilled. Abraham was an overcomer and the entire nation of Israel and the Church came from his loins. There are many more that walked through this process.

As we go through this overcoming process, we do not need to focus on Satan and his influence, our overcoming will simply disarm his strongholds and the bounty will be set free! We have seen this in our experience dozens of times! We have seen it take place in so many different ways and in so many different dimensions, even in foreign lands, which we had no idea that our overcoming was affecting.

Overcomers need to know this:

1. You must walk in the light so that truth can always be revealed in you and to you. You must walk in the light so that the blood of Jesus can always cleanse you. By walking in the light you will stay in real-time connection with Jesus and that is what will get you through. You must be transparent with yourself with God and with those close to you.

If you cover anything, God will eventually bring it to light, but you may experience adverse consequences and shame.

2. Overcoming is different for each one of us. God expects you to overcome in your own realm of influence and where you are located. There are no bigger overcomers and no smaller overcomers. We all have our own issues and realm of influence that God has assigned us.

If we look at Revelation as a real time current application for our lives today, in addition to perhaps it being a picture of some end-time historic process, we will see this theme.

1. Jesus reveals Himself to John, the sufferer, in chapter 1. He reveals the power of His blood and resurrection. He shows Himself as Judge, the Judge of vengeance. He tells him to proclaim this message to other sufferers throughout the ages.

2. Jesus speaks to the seven churches, the seven types of believers. He tells them that they must "not love their lives to the death." Or in other words, to get their lives in order because they will face some terrible things and in order to overcome they must be honest and repent.

In each of the seven churches in Revelation, Jesus is proposing the same thing, "Will you be an overcomer?"

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (Revelation 2:11).

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it" (Revelation 2:17).

"And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--" (Revelation 2:26).

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels" (Revelation 3:5).

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name" (Revelation 3:12).

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:21).

3. In Revelation chapters 4 and 5 God shows John, and you and me, the Scroll at the Throne of God, at the Judgment seat. The Scroll, according to Scripture, is not only our inheritance it is also Satan's inheritance, his judgment. There is a simultaneous judgment as horrible things take place. We receive our true inheritance, and Satan receives his; that being locked up in the Lake of Fire.

This is New Testament overcoming. This is New Testament deliverance. This is New Testament spoiling of Satan's goods. This is New Testament of casting demons from the influence of lives in our God ordained realm of influence.

4. Between chapters 6 and 16 of Revelation, chapter 12 being an interlude of history, "all Hell breaks loose." That is the way it seems when we are overcoming. However we are to stand on the promises that God has individually given us for overcoming. We are sealed so as not to be subject to the horrible things that are taking place. As a matter of fact, since we have the resurrected life of Jesus in us, we are capable of turning all this evil into a blessing. "and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20).

5. Revelation 17-19 shows the enemy spoiled and his goods taken.

6. Revelation 20 shows the enemy shackled and cast into his destination so as to no longer deceive the unbelievers.

7. Revelation 20-22 shows us, the overcomers, in ministry. The anointing comes by overcoming.

Overcoming is Jesus' primary purpose for this day and time! Will you participate?

Not so fast! Real overcomers must understand a few things.

1. You must be totally committed to His Word, to being a disciplined disciple of Jesus. You must live and breathe His Word. Not making the Word of God first place in your life is certainly a door for a stronghold to take over. Our minds, if not stayed on the truth of the Word, will drift into strongholds.

2. You must be totally and gut level honest with yourself, God, and those around you. Dishonesty in any form is an open door for Satan to create a stronghold!

3. You must be totally committed to keeping your relationship with Jesus on a real time intimate basis. If you practice numbers 1 and 2 above, you are eligible to receive revelation knowledge as you continue in His Word. This is not cognitive knowledge, but it is Jesus speaking to you personally. You cannot overcome without this. You cannot be conformed to the image of Jesus in your character without this.

4. Overcoming involves death and resurrection. This is the way Jesus defeated Satan, New Testament style. When Jesus went into the grave, into Hell, and was resurrected, He became a new species of being over which Satan has no dominion (Romans 6). We are Christians, or "little Christs" and the life of Jesus lives in us. What makes us think that we should live a life other than the One modeled for us?

When we overcome, we will also experience a type of crucifixion.

This is the path of the overcomer. We receive His promise, His rhema or revelation as a seed. However the seed must die before it pushes through the ground to bear fruit. Dying is painful. We experience the "dark night of the soul." We feel God has forsaken us. He has not. He is trusting you with New Testament ministry, with spoiling Satan's strongholds.

When we overcome, the result is eternal!

We have put away familiar spirits, family generational curses, and the demons that hang on to those, for eternity. We bear fruit by allowing the seed of the Word to bear fruit while Satan is trying to steal the Word (Mark 4). Why do you think Satan is so intent on stealing the Word? Because the growth of the seed, the Word, and its fruit will not only be a positive thing for believers, but a final judgment for Satan. The Word is Jesus. Jesus wants to whip Satan through us, through His Word working in us.

Do not be deceived, believer in Jesus. Satan has the potential for much influence in your life and in the lives of those around you. He has potential with your marriage, with your children, with your finances, with your church, with your pastor, with every realm of your life. We have seen amazing examples of Satan's influence in believer's lives that no one would have expected.

However, do not be afraid either, because if you dwell in the "heavens" as an overcomer, you will bring much spoil to the Kingdom of God! So rejoice!

"Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" (Revelation 12:12).

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son" (Revelation 21:7).

The Greek translation (Strongs) of the word "overcome" is: 3528 nikaw nikao AV - overcome 24, conquer 2, prevail 1, get the victory 1; 28 1) to conquer 1a) to carry off the victory, come off victorious 1a1) of Christ, victorious - over all His foes 1a2) of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death - against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions 1a3) when one is arraigned or goes to law, to win the case, maintain one's cause.