Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear: Our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood; it’s against spiritual forces of wickedness. 1 Peter 5:8 says that the devil is our adversary. He wants us to curse God and die. To make this happen, he plants thoughts in our mind to lure us into rebellion against God. Romans 6 describes how our old self died with Christ, was buried with Him and we rose again with Him to live a new life. We’re new creations in Christ. In fact, we have the mind of Christ. Yet, in Romans 7, we read about how Satan tries to resurrect our old nature by tempting us to behave like we used to.
Consider Judas Iscariot. John 13:2 describes how the devil “put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray” Jesus. Instead of resisting, Judas gave in. If we listen to the devil or give in to his temptations, Revelation 12:10 explains that he then accuses us before God and seeks a legal right to torment us. Satan is the accuser; Jesus is our Advocate. He’s our defense lawyer and His blood is what sets us free!
We submit to God and resist any demonic attacks. We dedicate ourselves completely to Christ and renew our minds through confessing God’s Word, prayer and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We rebuke any thought or feeling that doesn’t line up with the reality of heaven and replace it with the facts: we’re saved, healed, delivered and blessed in Christ. We declare the relevant promises of God, depending on the situation. We put on Christ and keep a positive perspective. In this way, we withstand demonic attacks, avoiding the corruption of our minds and rejecting any demonic attempts to seduce us into receiving another spirit. We refuse to give the devil an opportunity!
Binding and loosing
In Matthew 18:18, Jesus taught us that whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven. Binding is another way of saying rebuking. 2 Corinthians 10:5 adds that we destroy “every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” and we take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” When an ungodly thought or feeling arises, rebuke it in the name of Jesus. After rebuking it, replace it.
For instance, we reject the lusts of the flesh. After that, we activate the fruit of the Spirit of Galatians 5:22-23 and the virtues of 2 Peter 1:4-7. We rebuke any lust of the flesh in the name of Jesus and we replace it with a godly desire. Like Romans 13:14 says, we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and “make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
For example, “Lustful thought, be gone. Sexual immorality, I rebuke you in Jesus’ name. I loose self-control in the name of Jesus.”
Another example: “Impatience, I rebuke you in Jesus’ name. Be gone. I activate patience in the name of Jesus.”
Likewise, Philippians 4:8 commands us to think about whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and praiseworthy. Don’t dwell on evil. Jesus noted, “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.” If our eye is bad, however, our “whole body will be full of darkness.” Keep your eyes and thoughts pure.
Putting on the armor of God
NOTE: For more on spiritual warfare, view the following resource: Putting on the armor of God
To stand firm against the schemes of the devil, we put on the armor of God. We put on the belt of truth. We respect the truth, seek it and receive it even if it’s uncomfortable and even if it means we have to admit we were wrong. Next, we put on the breastplate of righteousness. Remaining alert, focused and clearheaded is like wearing a bulletproof vest, equipping us to absorb demonic attacks and respond appropriately. We put on the shoes of readiness. We’re always prepared to minister. We take up the shield of faith which defends us from believing the lies of this world. We believe the reality of heaven, everything God says, no matter what we see or feel. We put on the helmet of salvation, which protects our mind from demonic attacks that question our relationship with God. We’re saved, healed and delivered by the blood of Jesus. Finally, we pick up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We revoke any and all ungodly thoughts or feelings and replace them by declaring the relevant promises of God.
Full confession
Remember to physically make the motion while you confess. Fasten the belt, put on the breastplate, slip on the shoes, lift the shield, strap on the helmet and pick up the sword.
“I put on the belt of truth. I respect the truth, I seek it, I freely receive it even if it’s uncomfortable and even if it means I must admit I was wrong. I worship Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. I hear His voice clearly and I obey immediately. I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I don’t let my guard down by seeking to please the lusts of the flesh. I activate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in the name of Jesus. I remain alert, focused and clearheaded. I put on the shoes of readiness. I share God’s message of reconciliation in exactly the way He leads me to communicate it. He tells me what to say and what to do because I’m one of His ambassadors. I’m always prepared to minister. I pick up the shield of faith. I believe the reality of heaven, everything God says, no matter what I see or feel. I rebuke any thought or feeling that doesn’t line up with what God says in Jesus’ name. I put on the helmet of salvation. I’m saved, healed and delivered by the blood of Jesus. I pick up the sword of the Spirit. Having defended myself from demonic attack, I go on offense. I revoke any and all ungodly thoughts or feelings. I replace them by declaring the promises of God that are relevant to the situation or circumstance. I remain alert, fully submitted to my Commanding Officer. I hold fast to the Word and I stand ready to do battle.“
Courts of heaven
NOTE: For more on the courts of heaven, view the following resource: Healing
Make a habit of spending time with God. In the morning, Jesus would go to a secluded place and pray. He frequently went to places where He could get alone time with the Father. It’s important to have quality time like this with God. Jesus said, “when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father.” It’s good to set a regular time to talk to God every day. If necessary, use it to enter the courts of heaven and be examined by the Lord. By the blood of Jesus, we revoke and remove Satan’s legal accusations against us in the courts of heaven. For example, we might confess sin or unforgiveness in our lives, seek forgiveness for any careless words we’ve spoken or legally remove ourselves from an ungodly covenant.
“Father, You are my Judge. I enter Your courts with praise. I give thanks to You and I praise You. Lord, if I confess my sin, You are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. I ask forgiveness for any and all sin in my life. Jesus is my Advocate! I plead the blood. Thank you, Lord, for remembering me by the blood of Jesus. Thank you that the blood removes any accusation against me. I want to be delivered of any and all demonic affliction and I present myself as a living sacrifice to you.”