Your Words Hold a Miracle: The Power of Speaking God's Word (15 page)

God wants us to be a blessed people. As a good Father, He wants to give us good things to enjoy in this life. Now I realize that many of us have already received the good things that God has given.

He has given us health.

He has given us strength.

He has given us financial blessings.

He has given us healing—mental, emotional, and physical.

He has blessed us with wonderful families, and many other things that we rejoice in.

Did you know, however, that there is an enemy who wants to steal and destroy all that God has given you? Perhaps you have already lost or are in danger of losing some of the blessings of God. My desire is to help you.

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HREE
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HINGS
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ATAN
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ANTS TO
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O

The Bible teaches us that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). He once was a beautiful angel in heaven, but he became lifted up in pride and rebelled against God. He was thrown out of heaven and down to the earth with many other angels who rebelled with him (Ezekiel 28:11–19). These fallen angels became evil spirits that are organized under Satan’s command (Ephesians 6:10–12).

Satan is the enemy of the Church, and he works with great fury to destroy anyone who would be deceived by him. Thank God we know the truth about him! We have been delivered from Satan’s power and kingdom because Jesus defeated him for us on the cross. Now, we
have power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt us (Luke 10:18–19). Satan has absolutely no legal or spiritual right or authority in your life. However, that does not stop him from trying his best to deceive and defeat you.

The following three passages of Scripture describe three things that Satan is intent on doing to you if you remain ignorant of his devices.

• “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43–45).
  

• “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
  

• “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
  

You will notice these scriptures tell us three things that Satan is determined to do:

1. Satan will try to return.
   

2. He will try to steal, kill, and destroy.
   

3. He will try to devour.
   

This chapter is to help you know how to keep the enemy from accomplishing his goal. I believe it is possible to stand fast as more than a conqueror. God is going to help you as you read and meditate upon the truths written in this book. My deepest desire is to inform God’s people of the precious grace, mercy, and knowledge of God. You need to know how to rise up with a personal knowledge of who you are in Christ and not have to depend on anyone else. You can stand in the thick of the battle unwavering and unfaltering, with the Name of Jesus Christ, and send the enemy fleeing in terror from you!

It is important that you know how to keep the blessings that God has given you, whether they are wonderful health, financial prosperity, emotional stability, mental peace, or marital blessings.

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ATAN’S
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OUNTERATTACK

I want you to know that you will not enjoy the blessings of God without being contested by your enemy. He will leave you alone for a while, then he will make a counterattack and surprise and alarm you. Many people lose what God has given them when Satan makes his counterattack. Many go back into poverty, emotional instability, and mental torment. They say, “I thought God had visited me with His blessings. It looks as though I have lost it all.”

You need to know how to keep what God has given you.

Did you know that you can lose your blessings by ignorance as well as sin? Hosea 4:6 states, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” People need more than inspiration; they need information. Let’s look at the Word of God and get Bible information that will help us.

In all three texts quoted at the beginning of this chapter, we have a revelation of three things the devil is determined to do. In Matthew 12:43, Jesus revealed that it is the devil’s stated purpose to come back against you. He wants to reenter your life in some phase. He said, “I will return to my house.”

He is too ignorant to know that your body is the temple of God. He still thinks it is his house. We once
belonged to him, but now we belong to God (Ephesians 2:2–5). When we were dead in trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ. First Corinthians 6:19–20 states: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Can you imagine some demon talking with other demons about your precious body and calling it, “his house”? Nevertheless, he said, “I will return.”

You can stand in the thick of the battle unwavering and unfaltering, with the Name of Jesus Christ, and send the enemy fleeing in terror from you!

Friend, the devil is determined to return and try to take control of your life mentally, physically, financially, emotionally, and every other way. He is going to try to come back into your life in some area.

In John 10:10, it says that he is going to try to steal and to kill and to destroy. These are revelation scriptures that tell you clearly the thoughts of your enemy. Satan says, “I will steal what God has given you. I will kill your dreams and desires. I will destroy
your business and destroy your peace and destroy your happiness.” He is an evil prince with demon forces under his command, and he sends them forth to steal, kill, and destroy. Some people think that if they just stick their head in the sand and ignore him, he will go away. No, he won’t. He will come at you from every side. Just ignoring the devil does not send him away. He’s determined to steal everything he can from you. He is out to destroy you.

D
ON’T
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LAME
G
OD
!

As a pastor, I have counseled many brokenhearted people in tragic situations. Some of them have asked me, “Why has God done this to me?” They are angry and bitter with God.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing for someone to come and say, “Why has Satan done this to me? I’ll never give in to him!”

Far too often people blame God for what the devil does, especially when it comes to their health. The enemy is determined to steal our health and replace it with misery! He has said, “I will return to my house. I will steal, I will kill, and I will destroy.”

Be sober! Be vigilant! Be on your toes! Be keen! Don’t get apathetic or careless!

D
ON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN
!

First Peter 5:8 reads: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Be sober! Be vigilant! Be on your toes! Be keen! Don’t get apathetic or careless! Don’t let your guard down!

Isn’t it a tragedy that while the powers of darkness are so vigilant, so constant, so alert, and so active that some of God’s people are not alert and active, but would rather sit down and say, “Well, I don’t think we should take the Word of God literally. Some of it just doesn’t make sense to me. I can’t expect God to work today as He did in the Bible times.” While our adversary walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, they sit on their hands passively and let the powers of darkness do whatever they want!

Never has the kingdom of darkness been more active than today. At every level of society we are seeing an unprecedented attack on biblical values and standards, and the result is the erosion and breakdown of the fabric that God meant to hold our lives together. If there was ever a day when we needed truth and to stand for truth, it is today!

Satan’s purpose is to take from you what God has given you.

Let’s see what God tells us to do.

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OLD
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LREADY
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AVE
!

Jesus said in Revelation 2:25, “But hold fast what you have till I come.”

Some people think if God gave it to them, it is forever theirs. Well, it is, but somebody is going to try to steal it. The devil will try to take it from you. God says, “Hold fast what you already have!” Stand your ground! Resist the devil!

The Bible reveals your rights and privileges in Christ. As you feed on the Word of God, you will know how to keep what God has given you.

Some people say, “Well, I thought God healed me, but here I am feeling all the symptoms again. And I thought God gave me His blessing on my business, but now it’s failing. I thought I was blessed!”

The reason God tells you to hold fast is because there is a force that is going to seek to pull your blessings away from you. You are not going to keep your healing, you are not going to keep your blessings, and you are not going to keep all the good things of God if you get passive and let the devil slip up and take them away from you. The Bible says, “But hold fast what you have till I come!”

I remember when our house was paid off, what a joyous day it was! Now, what if I came home one day
and some burly fellow was sitting in my debt-free house and said to me, “My family and I decided this is our new house.” Would I just say, “Well, I thought it was mine, but come on, Dodie; come on, children. We have to get out”? My wife would say, “No, this is my house!” And I would fight him “tooth and toenail!” I am not going to work and pray and believe God to pay for my house just to have anyone, big or little, come in and take what is rightfully and legally mine!

In a similar manner, many Christians are not fighting for what is rightfully theirs. Satan comes around to steal everything, and they just roll over and act as though it’s his. You have a legal document—the Bible. Read it to the devil and command him in Jesus’ Name to go!

This reminds me of our German shepherd, Scooter. I used to ride a bicycle around our neighborhood, and he would trot along beside me. I was so proud of that dog. Scooter was so big and strong and healthy looking that he could “whip” a lion. He would run like a deer, and I bragged on my dog everywhere I went.

One day I was riding along and a little tiny dog just about five inches tall came running out at Scooter. Its legs were hardly bigger than matchsticks. As I watched him bark, I thought,
Scooter is going to eat him up with one bite. Watch out, little dog!
But that dog ran toward
my big fine dog, yapping and barking up a storm, and Scooter just turned over on his back, put up all four feet, and gave up!

I was so shocked. Scooter could have put one paw on that little dog and that would have ended it! But he just rolled over and said, “I give up.” I don’t know what that little dog said in dog talk, but he was convincing!

Some believers act just like my dog Scooter in the face of a spiritual attack. A voice starts yapping and telling them, “You’re not going to get well. You have all the symptoms again. You are going to go broke. You are going to lose this and lose that. You will never be free of your addiction.” They just roll over, tremble in fear, and throw in the towel.

No! Stand up on your feet! Use the Name of Jesus! Hold fast that which you already have! Don’t give the enemy one thing God has given you. It does not belong to him. You have a legal document. It is written in the Word of God. This legal document says abundant life is yours.

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ONFESSION

What else does God tell us to do? Hebrews 4:14 says, “Let us hold fast our confession.” Don’t change your confession. Don’t change your words. Don’t begin to agree with what the enemy tells you. Friend, if you begin to change what you say, you will lose it.

How are you to hold on to what God has given you? Renew your mind every day in the Word of God. Romans 12:2 states, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Let God’s Word live big in you.

Colossians 3:16 states: “Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness” (
AMP
). Live in the Word. Learn it until, as Jesus did in Matthew 4, you can say, “It is written,” and drive away the devil every time he attacks you.

Renew your mind in the Word of God.
Think the thoughts of God,
your heavenly Father.

God tells you to hold fast to what you already have. Hold fast to your confession. Don’t ever change what you are saying. Say what God says about you. It does not matter
if every symptom of financial distress, emotional upset, or physical disease comes. Hold fast to your confession.