sometimes we experience our greatest attacks right when we are the closest to our calling yes sometimes the night is the darkest right before the dawn and I believe every one of us here experiences prolonged waiting in certain areas of our life where for other people it's easy to get that blessing breakthrough but for us it takes long I first time that I came and experience with came to experience that when I was younger we were praying for this thing called baptism of the Holy Spirit where you received the gift of tongues and we were 14 13 year olds year olds and everybody got it in the first meeting and I actually went with anticipation that I'll get it before them maybe it's a little pride or something it took me six months to receive the baptism of the holy spirit it's like God just extended that you know a lot of churches start and they grow right away and you know it took us decades before we experience breakthrough some people get pregnant they don't even realize they're pregnant I know one couple went on a honeymoon wasn't planning for children came back already pregnant took us 13 years so maybe you are here today and you're in one of those places in your life where an area of your life takes very long and it gets harder and harder and harder You're Not Alone David received the promise from God he will be a king and his life started to move toward Kingdom he was no longer with the Sheep now he was playing music for The King and so David kills the Goliath and then what begins to happen is after that his life changes I mean he becomes the poster boy of Courage we still you know refer to David and Goliath's story after that he becomes David's armor Bearer like a security guy private security and then after that he becomes a general I mean life couldn't get better for David and then David gets married to Saul's daughter I mean that's it he's pretty much linked he's going to be the next king it's obvious and the best friend of David is Jonathan who next in line for the kingdom everything couldn't go better than the way it was going for David until everything starts going wrong Saul decides to be jealous of him become suspicious of him wants to destroy his reputation and then throws Spears at him sends assassins to David's house to kill him and then spends the rest of his life trying to destroy David's life and David's life gets really really really hard and it gets tired until one day he said this David thought to himself one of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul the best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel and I will slip out of his hand write this down discouragement can come from trusting in God for continual Deliverance now trusting in God brings hope yes but trusting in God continually for the same thing can wear a person out when a person doesn't see results when they don't see any breakthrough when they don't see any change in their life and they're just trusting in God even someone like David came to that conclusion this is not a good state that David was in but we do have to acknowledge his humanity and he says you know one of these days God's going to probably maybe fail me or one of these days you know I'm just kind of tired of doing this thing so and guess what David does David goes and he joins the Philistines do you remember who David killed Goliath was the Philistine he's Most Wanted in the Philistine territory and David shows goes up to the Philistines and pretends to be a Madman crawling on the walls because he knew he was smart he knew that they don't kill mad people there they don't kill mentally ill people so he knew that they're not going to kill him they're just going to think he's crazy he goes in there pretends to be crazy he tries to fit in and the Bible says that Saul stopped chasing him but God also stopped speaking to David if you look at David's Chron chronology you will see this at this point of his life David is no longer getting Psalms David is no longer speaking to God you're not seeing any prophetic utterances you're seeing David is submitted to uncircumcised ruler David becomes a mercenary who fights for profit not for Honor he lied for favor no record of any Psalms it was the lowest point of his life spiritually how did this point came into his life discouragement from continually trusting in God for deliverance disappointment can do more damage to you than the devil if you allow it discouragement if allowed it it can drive you to do things that even the enemy couldn't make you do Saul could never make him pretend to be mentally ill and joined the opposite side but disappointment discouragement did that to David and David joined the other side and David started to fight for money no longer for Honor David pretty much has this broken connection to the Lord now we don't see any Psalms you don't see David is at the lowest point of his life spiritually he comes back home he finds out his wife is taken his children his whole family is captured and his city is burned down and the scripture says while this is happening the man of David said let's kill David take his head off it's always the solution kill the leader and the Bible says says this now David was greatly distressed for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved and every man for his sons and for his daughters but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God my today's message is going to be strengthen yourself in the Lord your God I want you to notice what David does not do the Bible says when David lost everything David does not ask God for direction he doesn't ask God for wisdom he's not asking God right now for instruction he is strengthening himself in the Lord his God when you are worn out and the Bible says in Daniel that the devil in the last days he speaks against the things of God and it says this and he will speak words against the most high and he shall wear out the Saints of most high when the devil cannot break you down when he cannot knock you out he will wear you out and he can wear you out by your continual waiting for God's breakthrough you can naturally become so worn out by not seeing that breakthrough that if you are not careful the enemy will present a plan and he says there is an easier way there is a more less badly way less tense way there's an easier way that you can adopt your life into where it does not require tension doesn't require resistance doesn't require constantly being you know actively involved and not seeing results from God there's an easier way to live your life and David chose the easier way but the Bible says an easy way leads to death not to breakthrough the Bible says the Broadway leads to death does not lead to breakthrough and David ends up in a place where he is in a breakdown he loses everything that he has and instead of saying God why did you do it this is wrong what is happening to me David doesn't blame himself the scripture says that David strengthens himself in the Lord his God I personally have experienced few times in my life of that feeling I'm not saying I experienced my wife's being taken cuz I don't have wives I have a wife one and or children or a city being burned down but the feelings were the same where you are distraught where you're discouraged where your feelings are all over the place where your thoughts are judging you or coming against you the enem is whispering in your ear and then what I found out a lot of times there's a Temptation in desperation to seek instruction from God on what to do next when you are really broken when your life is falling apart your emotions are like a sea it's going all over the place a lot of times we like God what do do I need to do tell me what to do speak to me God and usually you find out God doesn't speak King Saul experienced a similar thing in the chapter before when the Philistines were coming against Saul and Saul who wasn't close to God he said Lord speak to me and God didn't speak to him so he got so desperate to hear from God that he went to a witch and Saul didn't like witches Saul cast witches out so he didn't want to do anything with witchcraft but in his desperation to hear from God he went to Witchcraft he didn't go to a witchcraft because he wanted to do witchcraft he went to Witchcraft because he wanted to hear God he was desperate to hear God but see you must understand if you want to hear God you got to get near God many of us in desperation say God give me a strategy what do I do God give me a solution got to bring a solution but see many times you must understand God might not give you a strategy before he gives you strength God wants to give you strength before he gives you a solution so if you find yourself depleted discouraged worn out and you're tired you're like I can't do this anymore I'm done what do I do God come on God I want to let you know most likely Heaven is not going to speak so what do you do you got to find your strength because when you find strength you find strategy when you find strength you find solution when David strengthened himself in the Lord his God then the Bible says David inquired of the Lord and the Lord spoke find your strength and you will find your solution how do you find your strength here are five things that you and I can do today to find our strength number one sing David said the Lord is my song and my strength something happens when you're [Music] depleted your sound can change things in the spirit realm your feelings are like this your thoughts cannot be trusted your circumstances will lie to you everything will seem just crazy but there's something happens when you sing to God at that moment you were not going to feel like singing the only singing You and I will feel like at the time maybe is that country song where the truck is broken a girl broke your heart and you truck beer and the broken heart and that's really the only song you're like man I just want to medicate myself with those sad sorrowful songs but those sad songs they'll make you feel good they'll never change your life into good you got to learn to sing at that moment sometimes you're so weak you can't sing turn on the worship song and let the worship song sings sing and let it get into your ears and just let it sing way maker miracle worker promisee keeper and guess what begins to happen the Bible says God who is Holy enthrones the Praises of his people the presence of God begins to descend in the room where the worship is happening and it's going to start robbing off of you and if that worship starts happening with you something will begin to happen the presence of God will change your perspective and your atmosphere will begin to change in your heart have you ever taken an airplane and you've noticed when the airplane goes up everything becomes smaller the airplane does not reduce things it's to your perspective begins to change when the problems seem bigger than you when your feelings are crazy when there's like waves they hitting you everywhere and the sea is roaring and you're seeing like just everything seems to be going against your life is just falling apart and then your guilt comes in because you feel like you contributed with lack of discipline lack of this and all of that begins to swamp just coming at you guilt and shame is not going to get you out the Bible doesn't say and David felt bad for himself the Bible doesn't say David felt guilty for himself the Bible doesn't say and David blamed himself see when you are in that place there's no room for Blame Game you can't win if you're going to blame yourself you're going to strengthen yourself in the Lord your God and the way you do this you got to open up your mouth and many times when you sing to God you don't have to sing out loud you don't have to sing perfectly but sing enough that your thoughts get Disturbed will your emotions get stabilized and the presence of God comes into your heart and it comes into your [Music] mind sing sing to God because that will shift something inside of you worship is like water it replenishes you spiritually the Bible doesn't say and the Lord strengthened David the scripture says and David strengthen himself in the Lord his God when you are a baby Christian God will give you a bottle the moment you're no longer a baby God doesn't give you a bottle he makes his presence and his power available but it's up to you and I to receive it you know I I have a boy and all he needs to do is and everyone stops what they're doing and he gets a bottle now I'm 37 years of age if I want something I don't do when I was 17 years old age if I wanted a steak I didn't go cuz if I did that I wouldn't get a steak I would get a belt cuz my parents were traditional they believed in not sparing the rod come on somebody milk you get meat you go and get it God gives his strength makes his strength available he does not give you that strength like milk you have to strengthen yourself in the Lord your God if you don't tap into that strength by making a decision to sing you will suffer in weakness not because God is in making you strong it's that God expects you as a mature believer to now lay hold of that strength and how do you do that you worship him in the midst of that situation amen you want to be strong in God when everything around is falling apart learn to sing to God you like but I'm not a big worship gu you're a child of God you're a worshipper everyone is a worshipper the reason why some of us have nothing to give to God in regards to worship is because we worship television or we worship football or we worship Sports we got American Idols we have Idols in our culture that we worship and when you take worship from an idol in this culture and you will have it to give it to God you'll give it to the Lord and you will begin to see that your life will begin to change your heart will begin to change you will find strength as you give your song to God Amen number two not only we sing to God but number two is we also have to speak in tongues the scripture says he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself but he who prophesies edifies the church Isaiah 28: 11-12 it says for with stammering limps lips and another tongue he will speak to this people to whom he said this is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing yet they would not hear something happens when we speak in tongues not think in tongues the Bible says to sing in tongues speak in tongues and to pray in tongues verbal so not only we sing worship songs to God but we speak in tongues now we are a uh Full Gospel believing tongue speaking devil casting our church come on we believe in all of the Holy Spirit we believe in the parts of the holy spirit that make other people uncomfortable we believe in that and not only we believe in that we practice that now if that offense some of you and maybe you think the Holy Ghost is weird no he's not weird but he is wild holy spirit is a wild wind he's a mighty powerful Holy Spirit and we love the Holy Spirit we also are not ashamed to speak in tongues and I believe if Jesus said those who believe in me will speak in tongues there's importance in that why is the tongue speaking very important when you are worn out is because the Bible says he who speaks in the tongue edifies himself now I grew up in a very more of a traditional Pentecostal Circle where you spoke in tongues when the Holy spirit filled you meaning you don't speak in tongues at will you speak in tongues when the presence of God comes in the prayer meeting and then you're like it's like bules up like bubbles up inside and then like it like really bubbles up feels really really really really good and then it just takes over and then when it stops you stop speaking in tongues pretty much it's out of your control it will be more like holy spirit does the speaking in tongues and you're just a passive participator but Paul in here doesn't say if the holy Spirit speaks in tongues he will edify you he says you speaking in tongues edify yourself see having the gift of tongues and having the Holy Spirit doesn't make you spiritually strong if you do not speak in tongues and if you do not actively collaborate with the Holy Spirit during Co me and my wife we build a gym in our house we have a gym in our house it doesn't have any members I mean me and my wife are the members who have been as faithful in that gym as you have been in yours very Unfaithful thankfully my membership has not been revoked having a gym in my house does not make me strong you actually have to go there you actually have to exercise see same thing just because you have the Holy Spirit it doesn't make you strong the Bible says that God wants want to wants to strengthen you in your inner man through the Holy Spirit but you do have a role to play and one of those roles that you can do is you can speak in tongues now the Bible says we can pray in tongues so as you are praying pray in the Holy Ghost but the scripture says we can also speak in tongues that means as you are driving pray in the Holy Ghost the Bible also says you can sing in tongues that means as you are you know working on your garden you can just sing Melodies to the Lord in tongues now your mind is unfruitful meaning your mind most likely will not know what's happening but your spirit at the moment is getting built up if you are weary and worn out you have something you can build yourself up don't wait for God to pull you out you can pull yourself out by the power of the Holy Spirit by singing to God and speaking in tongues amen number three speak to your soul and David did that a lot in Psalms you see Psalm 42 starts really beautiful David has this wonderful devotional time with God as the deer pens for living water so my soul thirsts pens for you oh God my soul thirst for the Living God oh when will when will I come and appear before him you're reading this like yes I'm hungry for God I'm thirsty for God and next thing you know why are you dis quieted all my soul whoa how did that happen how did you go from I'm hungry for God too I don't feel God I don't know what he's doing and I'm kind of disturbed right now have you ever had that in your life but it seems like there's the soul has its own roller coaster in one moment you're so sensitive to his presence his presence is so near and next moment you don't even know if you're saved you get these thoughts you're like is life even real like we're past Flat Earth I'm I I don't even know if what if we're in The Matrix right now not even sure if I'm real complete confusion how could you go from I hunger for God to I don't know where he's at it happens to spiritual people being spiritual doesn't mean that you don't have crazy emotions it just means you don't live in them and you're not ruled by them and you can actually speak to your emotions you can speak to your soul David did that he says why are you dis quieted oh my soul and then he said this he says hope in God for I will yet trust in him hope in God this is what I realized when I was younger in faith I lived in my emotions i basked in them and I hoped that they would be good mostly they were not good but when you grow in the Lord you don't live in your emotions you live with emotions you don't live in them and you can tell your emotions the word of God now again you don't necessarily doing a dinner table why are you disquieted on my soul probably not a good idea to do that cuz your family will think you crazy and they will call a psychiatrist or a cop they'll say he's hearing voices and speaking but in your own quiet time you can speak to yourself David did that he spoke to himself that means there are parts of you that think feel moods you are not those parts you have those parts you are not your thoughts you have thoughts you are not your emotions you have emotions and you can speak to those emotions amen why am I saying you can speak to them because if we're not careful people who are worn out discourage disappointment typically use their mouth to describe their situation instead of using their mouth to alter it in this building as I'm assuming you have in your car and in your house we have this thing called a thermometer thermostat that also serves as a thermometer thermometer is something that measures the temperature tells us is it's hot or if it's cold a thermostat is something that can set the temperature your mouth can be a thermometer it constantly describes I am sick I am sick and the doctor says this sickness will only go get worse that's a thermometer or you can use your mouth where the Bible says let the weak say I am strong so you can set the temperature in your life by your mouth now I'm not saying you can speak things into your existence that are not there I'm not saying that what I'm saying is when we speak things we agree with God's word when I say I am strong I'm not denying the presence of weakness I'm not giving weakness a place of influence let me say that again when I say that I am healed person fighting sickness I'm not denying the doctor's report and I'm not calling a doctor a witch doctor I'm simply denying the place of that report a place of influence in my heart I'm aware of diagnosis I'm aware of the weakness I'm aware of the poverty I'm aware of the situation I'm just not giving this situation a place of influence so my mouth is not to describe it situation my mouth is to set the atmosphere that is different than this situation if you come to your house and it's hot you can walk around say oh it's hot oh I'm sweating oh it's hot oh I'm sweating oh oh it's hot oh it's sweating how many of you know by walking around and saying oh it's hot and I'm sweating oh it's hot and I'm sweating the temperature will not change and that's what many of us do we think if as long as we can walk around complain and whine and God sees that we're really pitiful God's going to have mercy on us no God won't because God isn't moved by pity he's moved by by faith and you have to understand is that one of the ways the faith expresses itself is the faith has a voice and Faith doesn't glorify your feelings it doesn't glorify your thoughts it doesn't glorify your sickness it glorifies God it glorifies Jesus it glorifies the promise and the power of God and that's why what faith will do is the faith will not deny the problem it just will not give the problem a place of influence and it will say I am healthy person fighting sickness I'm a blessed person fighting poverty I'm a strong person fighting weakness that's Faith now we're whining and complaining and a thermometer describing situation goes like this H just a sinner hope I'm saved by grace one day maybe I'll go to heaven I'm just such a poor person I just really really wish God will change my situation how I know that everybody know that but I just don't want to be ugly nobody loves me but I just hope one day somebody will love me and we think the more pitiful the more painful we describe the situation the more somehow that's going to change it won't it's just pretty much walking around say it's hot it's hot and I'm sweating doesn't change the weather oh but it's just the bad weather well most of us know in Tri Cities you have to have your own air condition in the house that doesn't reflect the weather but reflects what you desire to have a weather and climate in your own house you don't have to reflect the culture you don't have to reflect what's happening to everybody you have an air conditioning in your own heart called the Holy Ghost and you can set the temperature by agreeing with God's word you can set the temperature by agreeing with God's promise you can set the temperature by agreeing with what God says about you and walk in the authority that you have and now reflect the culture that's why the Bible says do not conform to the culture but be transformed got your own th thermostat in your own house and guess how you set the thermostat this book of the law Joshua 1 18 shall not depart your I'm hinting mouth speak it I'm not saying again that's not real faith when the doctor says you have cancer no doctor I don't have cancer that's not Faith that's a fantasy what is what is faith do in that moment you say doctor I thank you you're doing your best job I appreciate that but what you don't allow is that report that disease to have a place of influence because the place of influence is reserved for by his stripes I am healed I'm not a sick person trying to get healthy I'm a healthy person fighting sickness my identity is not my diagnosis my identity is in Jesus I've been crucified with Jesus I've been buried with Jesus I've been risen with Jesus and I walk with Jesus so my identity is Jesus Christ people identify with cats dogs opposite gender same gender I identify with Jesus Jesus is my identity so I speak [Music] Jesus somebody say speak to your soul number four we strengthen ourselves by strengthening somebody else strengthen others life is like tennis those who serve well sell ly lose serve others all you got to do when you feel really really bad go find a homeless person ask them their story and let them take you on the ban Rabbit Trail buy him a sandwich sit down next to him in that heat and for 10 minutes just sit with them talk to them hear them out and if that's not enough sign up for Gospel Mission a union here and just serve food one time a week go to a place in a hospital where somebody's fighting for their life and hopes to have an extra day find somebody that's hurting one of the biggest things that many of us do when we are worn out is this is we say I need a break from serving you don't realize serving is your shovel to get you out of the place that you are in and you're throwing it out serving is your key to get you out of the prison that you are in I am not saying we shouldn't take break and we shouldn't pause and rest and grieve and all of that I'm not saying that what I'm saying is that many of us have over glorified our pain and caused our pain to become our [Music] prison Joseph translated dreams while being in prison and he didn't say well go sorry sorry bro I I can't tell you the interpretation of the dream why yeah kind of got pretty hurt by God he gave me a dream when I was a teenager and yeah look what I end up yeah I don't I don't tell other people dreams anymore I don't believe in that stuff Jesus when he was being arrested and realized that Peter had an outburst of anger and cut another guy's ear off Jesus didn't say yeah um the healing anointing Upon My Life um office closed sorry bro you lost your ear yeah I'm about to lose my life uh sucks to be you deal with it no Jesus pretty much healed the guy while being arrested he was so distraught during prayer before that the Bible says his sweat was like a drops of blood and yet he could pause and heal a guy who was actually arresting him heal him this whole idea I can't give what I don't have it's kind of a fallacy because we don't give what we have we give what Jesus has and he lives inside of us so don't use the excuse of I can't serve I can't sign up to surve why just I'm just kind of been really going through a dry season well you know how to find water at the dry season the Bible says he who Waters others will be watered himself there is something that exists when you strengthen others God begins to strengthen you when David strengthened himself in the Lord is God the Bible says after that before he recovered everything that he lost he strengthened an amalekite who actually held the key to David's future and how to recover everything that David lost I mean Jesus imagine this he's dying on the cross this is not him being arrested he already got beaten he already have a crown of thorns he's already being accused of making fun of he's suspended Between Heaven and the Earth he feels the re retion and the guy next to Jesus decides to have an altar call he said Jesus is this too late uh want to be saved now me being human if that would be me I will tell the guy to go to hell I'll say bro get lost 3 years I had a Ministry you never showed up I'm kind of dying this is uh very painful and it's not easy right now I am not I'm trying to focus okay I'm dying for the world and there you are wanting to be saved the Bible says Jesus in the middle of pain led him to Salvation Jesus didn't say uh you know I'm kind of hurting right now yeah ask one of my disciples oh they're not here I can't help you Jesus helped them I wonder how many of us would really shrink the difficult seasons of our life if we stop using them as an excuses for why we don't serve at the church and why we don't serve in our community and why we don't serve other people there is strength in serving there is no strength in self-pity there is no strength poor little me there's no strength in that but when you serve others God strengthens you and lastly you strengthen Yourself by subduing the enemy James 49 4:7 it says therefore submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you what does this mean when I'm talking about subduing the enemy what I'm talking about is this is when we're not dealing right now with the normal stress we're dealing right now with demonic stress normal stress is this it's when you have more load on you than you have strength to bear that's normal stress stress in itself is not bad stress in itself is not bad stress simply means you got responsibilities and your strength is not up to part for that so instead of praying say Lord remove the stress Lord remove the stress in my life if you pray that prayer God's going to start removing your spouse your kids your job everything so don't pray that prayer amen instead the Bible says those who wait upon the Lord he r use their strength the Bible doesn't say God goes and starts removing their stress because your wife is the source of stress your husband is the source of stress your job is a source of stress your car insurance is a source of stress your business is a source of stress a church is the source of stress if you start getting involved and start serving anything that requires responsibility carries stress so in order to say that I'm just going to get rid of all the stress in my life you can't get rid of the stress in my life unless you become unemployed divorced but then you're going to have another problem Suicidal Thoughts because you were not created to live your life doing nothing you were created to create to dominate to subdue the Earth and to just flourish as a human being with it comes stress so God comes to us and says if you wait on me God doesn't say I'll make your life so pretty and so soft and so nice no God says I'm going to strengthen you to make you stronger so you can meet the demands of life and responsibilities without falling apart I'll teach you how to strengthen yourself so that is normal stress but sometimes we're dealing with not normal stress we're dealing with demonic stress I mean I'm talking about this like third person voices coming from somewhere those things what we do with those things is we have to understand when we strengthen oursel in God through singing through speaking in tongues through speaking God's word through speaking to our soul is we have to also learn to open our mouth and this is how many Christians handle spiritual warfare Jesus I'm under attack back send one of your angels it doesn't have to be the one of the best ones just the ones that are available one of them Jesus you don't have to send a lot of them just few of them could you take let the devil get off of my back it's just it's really hurting God I'm just kind of just kind of really just just you know God just just help me God just just just help me and they think that the more pitiful they sound the more pleasing it's going to be to God and I with respect with respect to the contr and the Brokenness of your heart I want to speak and let you know that God is building an army and he is looking not for people with pacifiers but he's looking for soldiers and he wants to build out of US soldiers what does that mean that means that God wants you to learn to strengthen Yourself by what you need to learn to resist the devil resisting the devil is not God take the devil away it's you submitting to God and you're opening your mouth and telling the devil to get lost I know he can get lost so theologically it's not correct but you're telling the devil to get behind you get out of your way you need to speak to the devil now some of for some of you maybe here this is pretty like scary you're like yeah I don't do that kind of stuff I just talk to God and just God takes care of all my problems but you must understand he gave you authority to trample upon snakes and scorpions you have to understand he told you to stand still and that he will accomplish that Victory but you have a role to play you got to resist the devil Jesus in the wilderness he did didn't ask the father to remove the devil Jesus in the wilderness he spoke God's word and the devil left the devil will leave the devil will is not persistent the devil is not going to stick around your neighborhood for too long but if he notices that you're one of those people that run from the battle and you are running from the devil which the Bible never tells us to do the Bible tells us to run from sin not from the devil and this is what's going to happen the devil will bring other minions and he will turn your life into a nightmare somebody needs to get fed up and say you know what enough is enough and put up some resistance come on and as you put up the resistance he will flee so let's say you got healed first day you praise God tell tell your friends no more pain in my back praise the Lord 3 days later you get up oh it came back and then this how usually people say my back pain when did you adopt that as yours why why is it yours why is that yours what did Jesus give it to you as a gift or when did adopt that as yours or most of us who say oh I knew I I wasn't healed I knew it I knew it I just the back of my head I knew I knew this whole healing thing is is is fake I I knew it I knew yep let me call my doctor again and see that medication that I stopped taking where's that back I know I flashed down the flashed it down the toilet that that that that that pain from for my back let me go get it again and understand if that's your way of dealing with with stuff that's that's one way let me give you another way that pain starts to kind of come back and instead of adopting it as your Lost Child you can speak to it and you can say devil leave my back alone that pain is not mine I've been healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ and right now I command those symptoms to leave in Jesus name I stand in God's promise for healing that I was healed I'm walking in that healing and they will get you dirty hands off of my back in Jesus name total different approach you got delivered the demons left first night you slept so peacefully no more nightmares praise be to God for the first time you even gave a testimony and then on Wednesday that nightmare came back yeah when is the next Deliverance service I need to go to the next sign up for the next Deliverance service why I did that thing came back did it what if it's the enemy on the outside is messing with you what if it's the enemy that you need to resist he's no longer on the inside that you need to remove him through the act of Deliverance what if you stepped into the promised land now and you no longer need Deliverance but you need to exercise your Dominion because when the Devil comes on the outside when you remove him from the inside he comes from the outside wants to deceive us and trick us that he's on the inside and he wants to imitate intimidate us and just kind of drive us crazy a little bit and all we got to do is submit to God strengthen ourself in the Lord and we have to subdue him that means put up a fight talk back to the devil speak God's word to him that's what Jesus did in the wilderness now one little secret you don't fight the devil usually it's in our head the thoughts come in the reason why devil doesn't come to you with an audible voice because it would be pretty defeating if he comes to you and says I am Lucifer you'll be running with the broom around in the house and three buckets of virgin oil pouring at him so the devil knows he doesn't stand a chance if he comes with an audible voice attacking you cuz you'll be like in the name of Jesus Christ i b you right now and you will turn out like three videos from YouTube where people are rebuking the devil I mean the devil will really run from your house that's what I would you at least so he won't be coming at me with oh am the devil of course he's not going to do that he's not a stupid what he does is he masquerades as my own thoughts and then I'm confused I'm like oh this is me thinking oh this is me thinking as long as he takes the form of my thoughts I'm accepting them as my own it becomes a trojan horse and that's why we have to be smart as Christians and we have to be wise as Christians to understand that the devil is not going to attack you through many times Audible Voice he will masquerade as your thoughts after Deliverance after healing after the Breakthrough and so what you got to do is you got to discern that there are your thoughts and there are not your thoughts and those that are not your thoughts you don't try to fight them with your thoughts you're like my thoughts against their thoughts let's have a thought battle anytime you go into a thought battle everybody's going to lose the devil's going to win so what you you need to do in that moment is you got to open up your mouth and dis disrupt the whole thought thing in there that's what Jesus the Bible says he said it is written now some people say that the devil fought Jesus you know with Audible Voice and he showed up with the fork I don't think so personally the reason why is because in Hebrews it says that Jesus was tempted as we are and when I'm tempted I don't see a a guy with the horns I just get thoughts emotions and cravings and things that are just normal human human stuff and Jesus I believe was tempted like you and I were tempted most likely came in the form of thoughts to him but Jesus Christ he said he said he didn't try to one thought against this thought okay let me move this thought I just punched that thought okay let me punch the other thought let me a little bit harder a little bit hard a little bit harder okay okay okay that thought is subd now no no no we don't we don't fight Thoughts with thoughts we fight Thoughts with words we speak the word of God and when we speak the word you're putting a sword in that thought in the back of it and you're moving it moving it and you're bringing it into obedience to Jesus Christ CHR you fight Thoughts with words you speak the words of Jesus you speak the words of God and you put the dagger of the spirit inside of that thought and you bring that thought into subjection of Jesus Christ speak to the Devil he's moving furniture in your house tell him to stop because you're paying bills not him and tell him to get out of the house and get his own house he's messing with you you tell him to stop you tell tell him to stop in jesus' name and you put up a fight why because you're not a little spineless weakling you're a child of God great is he that is in inside of you than the one that's in the world why because God is building within you a mighty man and a woman of God Amen and what's going to happen you're going to change you will get stronger and the enemy will flee Jesus said he will flee the scripture says David strengthened himself in the Lord is God and he went to war he won that battle in my Bible that's the last chapter of David's Misery the next chapter David becomes a king I truly believe sometimes the hardest times will come right around where things are about to turn around and what you do at that time if you handle your difficult times with care they'll become good times how do you handle them strengthen yourself in the Lord your God don't wait for God to zap you with power he has that power available to you especially if you're not a baby Christian now if you're a baby Christian you know just trust in him he'll take care of you but if you've been around the block for a few years already listen sing to God get rid of that Taylor Swift and Rihanna and all of those all those people get rid of those people from your room you know you don't need more demons in your life you need less of them and so put in some worship songs put in some put in some stuff create an atmosphere of presence of the holy spirit in your house and in your life secondly open up your mouth and speak in tongues stop cussing stop exaggerating stop yelling at other people stop gossiping and stop complaining start speaking in tongues make a habit 10 minutes every day I'm going to speak in tongues non-stop yeah you probably don't want to do it in front of your family you're just going to do it in your prayer time but just speak in tongues number three speak to your soul when you when you go all crazy you speak to your crazy self and you say listen sit down God is faith he's going to go he's going to take care of us he's going to lead you your emotions no no no no no you you're not right your thought your thoughts you're not right just just sit down Jesus is right God's word is right and you you're going to change tomorrow everything's going to be okay sit down thirdly don't excuse yourself from serving don't simply say nah I can't serve a church anymore no I'm not going to life group anymore no somebody's inviting you to maybe help somebody move no I'm just just too depressed just going to eat a no another chips going to go buy me another ice cream you're numbing yourself not nurturing yourself no I'm just going to watch just just just glue myself to a television and just just really really just kind of you know uh it's going to wind down you're not winding down you're you're getting deeper into a pit no say hey yeah I'm coming I'm going to go help yeah I don't feel like doing it but I'm I'm a mature person and I don't have to do everything I feel like doing I can do things that are right and you'll come out from there like man I'm so glad I did it how many people I've met who came to church church and didn't want to come to church and after that they're like you know what I'm so glad I came something just broke off of me don't use don't let the enemy lie to you even if on Saturday you did something that you're not proud of and you should have not done and everything you're like no I can't go to church I'm just going to take a week to really get cleaned up really have you ever used a dirty rag to clean a dirty window that's not cleaning up that's more mess you run to church you run to God say God come on you know I screwed up messed up help me and God says come on let's reason together if you're dirty and and unclean I'll help you I'll wash you I'll purify you I'll give you power not to do it again amen and lastly if the devil sticks around your house and just lurks around and just just just tell him to go just just tell him to get off of your back and just go some of you know a story that I I've shared it's it's my personal battle as long as I remember I battled with Darkness like not spiritual Darkness like physical Darkness I was scared during the dark during the night and uh I was really afraid actually I've never told anybody that I was scared until I got freed never told my parents they didn't know sometimes I lefted my lights on even I was when I was a youth pastor never told my wife when I married her I mean come on I'm a man of God I'm going to tell her scared of the dark I ain't scared of nothing I can't our demons I'm not scared of nothing but I was scared of the dark first year into our marriage and I was a youth pastor before that and and not when we were married so many times as a pastor or youth pastor you're the last one to leave the church so are youth not was over I was usually the last one to check all the doors and I'm not I'm not going to lie to you it was one of the scariest thing to do to close the church because I had to be the last one to turn off the light and then run to my car I ran to my car you know what the first thing I did is I CH the back seats I think I watched too many movies of stuff happening in the back seats and then what I would do is I would speed from the church I mean I would drive very fast from the church just in case some kind of a scary thing was chasing me that I would like get it faster and get it away from it faithful Saturday night I'm preparing a sermon called victory over the devil even as I say it right now I see the head title right now in my word document I'm preparing a title uh for a sermon victory over the devil my wife is doing some painting at the time when she was still painting and then we have a dinner and I kept seeing these dark figures in my house in my apartment we lived in this uh low-income apartment so they didn't have lights in the living room but it wasn't why it was low income but it's just most Apartments have lights in the living room so we're eating dinner and next thing that happens is that I keep seeing these figures like something is there and I kind of got spooked out so I turned to my wife and grabbed her hand we're married for like 6 months and so she's like are you okay I'm like yeah just love you so much she's like you don't have to be like so aggressive about it you know maybe like a softer tone so we finish eating and you know my wife is taking her dishes to the sink and I'm following right after I'm I'm spooked out in my own apartment here on Chapel Hill we go to the room we turn off the lights everywhere and except in the room where Lana is finishing painting and I'm finishing my sermon and so and my wife as she's painting you know putting that final touches she looks at me and she says could you go get me water now mind you I'm going to give you a map of the apartment this means I have to go through the hall there is no lights there go through the living room there is no lights there and there's light switch all the way by the kitchen by the time I get there like three ghosts will kill me so I did the math quickly I calculated my chance of dying down night every single chance I'm going to I I really felt like something bad's going to happen to me so I said honey why don't we go together get water me and you in the dark holding hands oh what a romantic way to spend Saturday night and to walk in the Hall of our own apartment on Chapel Hill in love so my wife looked at me and she's realizing something's not right with this boy my wife knows how to make me submissive she's like go get water I said yep I got it I got it yep no romantic walks tonight just just water just I got it just water and right when I'm about to get out of my room I'm thinking I'm going to run quickly to the kitchen I hopefully I don't hit any of the corners turn on the light get the water bring the water back leave the lights on and have my wife turn off the lights before we go to sleep I did the math and right before I do that I hear the still small voice boys cuz for 10 years in my life I always ran when I was scared always never once I confronted it never once and I hear the still Small Voice that said you are the light you don't need to turn on the light and I said yeah that that's really cool that's like in Matthew Chapter 5 I know where it's written you don't understand this is Chapel Hill apart stuff happens here like I'm going to die and it dawn on me I've never confronted it in my whole life and I'm like man this is not our best time it's Saturday night it's like 11:00 like do I really want to do it tonight let me just do it when it's like day when I feel better I don't feel good right now but I knew there will never be a right time and that Saturday night around 11:00 or something I went to that living room I that I have faith zero I have faith that I'm going to die die but I knew it was the right thing to do I went to the living room I felt that fear I felt those objects all around me this is what I said I said whoever you are whatever you are I pay rent in this apartment I said you don't so you got to leave and you're not welcome here in Jesus name that's that was not a spiritual prayer I don't know if it was because I was scared of something but that's the prayer I prayed and I confronted that that day and I stood there I was like I'm a't gaining water until you leave or this thing changes and honestly within about 30 to 60 seconds something just like and I never had that fear again for the rest of my [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] life face the devil and tell him to get behind you tell him to get out of the way amen why you the eyes to your feet