PUT ON THE SANDALS of PEACE (Ephesians 6:15)

           The Romans needed sturdy sandals on their feet for marching and fighting.  They would walk in sand, on sharp rocks, and through streams of slippery stones.  They could be attacked at any moment so they needed something that would help them stand firm no matter where they found themselves.  Their enemy would pick a location to fight that was advantageous for them but not for the Romans.  They would do anything to gain an unfair advantage!

LESSON FOR TODAY:  Our enemy still does the same thing to us today.  He does anything he can to gain even the slightest advantage over the Christian.  He tries to choose the footing that will give him victory and take away our peace. When he gets us on his ground he presses the attack.   We can be on his ground when something that happened at that place in the past opened the door to demonic control.

Some event may have happened on the land or in the home or room where you live.  It could be a violent act, an occult activity, a curse, a dedicating of the property to the powers of darkness or similar acts.  Sometimes when we go into a certain neighborhood or home there is a ‘sense’ of evil, a discomfort in our spirit.  In a store that sells New Age materials you may ‘feel’ different in your spirit, a discomfort.  This is the explanation for supernatural apparitions that happen in ‘haunted’ homes – demonic activity may be present.  Some countries and even continents are in extra darkness and bondage and it can be sensed by believers.  The message we get is from God’s Holy Spirit Who is warning us against the evil around us.

LESSON FOR TODAY:  Our solution is 1) to pray, taking back any access the enemy may claim to the property and asserting our right as children of God to claim and use it.  Put any other claims under the blood of Jesus and dedicate it to Him for His honor and glory.  Then 2) claim the place for Jesus and dedicate it to Him alone.  A sign, picture or cross on the wall can be a good visual reminder to all of the ownership of the property by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray, even anoint your house and property, inside and out.  Walk around your boundaries praying out loud, claiming your property for God and forbidding any demons to have any access to it.  Dedicate it to God and invite His presence through all of it.  Take back any access any demons may claim to the property and put that access under the blood of Jesus.  Break it in Jesus’ name.  Ask God to put an angelic hedge of protection around it.  Do the same in all the rooms of the house, especially the basement (if you have one). Anoint each room with oil by dipping your finger in the oil and putting a cross on the door, walls, etc.  Pray as you did when you walked around the property.   If there is one particular part of the house that seems to have demonic presence in a specially strong way, put a night light there so there is always light in to room.  You could do that to all the rooms.  Demons hate light, and they hate hearing Jesus praised, so you can play praise music in various places 24 hours a day.  It can be real soft – they will hear it!

LESSON FOR TODAY:  Another way we can find ourselves having poor footing and a harder time standing against Satan, is when we have something in our possession that gives demons access to the place where we are.  When the Jews took possession of Canaan under Joshua they were told to not keep any of the objects they captured.  Even animals and children were to be destroyed.  They had been dedicated to Satan and were claimed by him.  Those who used these things would be opening themselves up to the demonic powers to whom they had been dedicated.  That’s why Paul had the people in Ephesus burn all their occult books (Acts 19:17-20).  Today we must watch for things like literature from other cults and religions, Ouija boards and other occult paraphernalia, pagan objects from primitive cultures, objects from Masonic or other secret societies, some Native American artifacts or the like.  Pornography, drug or alcoholic supplies, music with a black or evil dimension and similar items can also be used as points of entry by demons.

LESSON FOR TODAY:  The solution is 1) to remove and destroy such objects as God convicts you as being openings for demonic access.  Ask for forgiveness for having them, cleanse the room from their presence, 2) take back any access the enemy may claim and dedicate the space as well as yourself to Jesus.  Ask Him to reveal to you anything else that may need to be dealt with.

When a room or object is under the control of an evil spirit for whatever reason they claim, painting crosses by dipping a finger in oil and making them on a wall claims the place for Jesus.  Playing Christian music and leaving a small light on also are offensive to the forces of darkness.  Of course praying and quoting scripture while making the crosses is important, too.  I know I, as a Christian, have great power in blessing people, especially my own family and other Christians.  ‘God bless you’ is more than a slang or shallow comment.  There’s real power in it when one means it that way.  It’s a privilege I use and repeat often to people.  Distance doesn’t seem to affect it at all.  Of course there is something even more special about touching a person when I pray or ask God to bless them, but when far away from them God still answers the prayer.  The power is in God who is everywhere (omnipresent).  Satan and demons are limited to one place at a time so they are at a distinct disadvantage in this, too.

 

(If I can answer questions or offer personal counsel, or if you would like a free copy of my Spiritual Warfare Handbook, email me at Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org or download it from http://sw.christiantrainingonline.org/.  My next book, Spiritual Warfare in the Bible, which is a more advanced treatment of spiritual warfare, is also available there for free.)

C t O Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
| ChristianTrainingOnline.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View) Copyright ©1995-2024

PREVIOUS POSTS