How to Defeat the Devil in Your Mind - Sunday Service

Brief Summary

This YouTube video by Creflo Dollar Ministries is a sermon about spiritual warfare, focusing on how to defeat the devil by recognizing his strategies and weapons, primarily those used against the mind. It emphasizes the authority believers have over the enemy through faith and the importance of understanding and believing in God's promises. The sermon also addresses specific tactics of the devil, such as deception, distraction, discouragement, and suggestion, and how to counteract them by staying focused on Jesus and the truth of the Gospel. Additionally, it includes a segment on deliverance, where individuals are prayed over to be freed from demonic possession, highlighting the power of faith and the finished work of Jesus Christ.

• Spiritual warfare is primarily a battle in the mind.
• Believers have authority over the devil through faith in Jesus.
• The devil uses deception, distraction, discouragement, and suggestion as weapons.
• Knowing and believing God's promises is key to defeating the devil.
• Deliverance from demonic possession is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Introduction

The sermon begins with a call for the Holy Spirit to move and set people free from spiritual blindness, emphasizing that Satan's influence will be overcome. Creflo Dollar asks God to speak through him and expresses a desire for God's presence to fill the space. He then transitions into the core message of the sermon, which is about how to defeat the devil in one's mind.

Exposing the Devil's Profile

Creflo Dollar introduces a series on defeating the devil in the mind, stating that it is time to expose the devil's methods of operation. He references John 10:10, explaining that Satan's purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy, while Jesus' purpose is to give a rich and satisfying life. He also cites Ephesians 6:10-12, emphasizing that believers are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces with strategies designed to keep them from the abundant life God promised.

Authority Over the Enemy

Dollar references Luke 10:19-20, highlighting that believers have authority over all the power of the enemy. He stresses that evil spirits obey believers and that rejoicing should be in the fact that names are registered in heaven, not just that devils obey. He also quotes 1 John 5:4, stating that those born of God overcome the world through faith.

Weapons of Spiritual Warfare

Dollar references 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, explaining that believers do not wage war as humans do but use God's mighty weapons to knock down strongholds of human reasoning and destroy false arguments. He identifies that strongholds exist in the mind and are constructed with thoughts of human reasoning. He then transitions into discussing the specific weapons that Satan uses against believers.

Deception: Satan's First Weapon

The first weapon discussed is deception, where Satan contradicts the truth God tells us. Dollar uses the example of Genesis 3, where God said eating the fruit would lead to death, but Satan said it would not. He emphasizes the importance of knowing the truth so that one can recognize when they have been deceived, particularly concerning identity in Christ.

Distraction: Shifting Focus from Jesus

The second weapon is distraction, where Satan tries to get believers to look everywhere except at Jesus. Dollar uses the story of Peter walking on water to illustrate how taking one's eyes off Jesus leads to sinking. He emphasizes that keeping focus on Jesus allows believers to move into another dimension of operation, which Satan wants to prevent.

Discouragement: Losing Hope in God's Promises

The third weapon is discouragement, where Satan tries to make believers lose hope in God and His promises. Dollar explains that Satan attempts to make believers doubt if what God promised works, thereby discouraging them from prayer and faith.

Suggestion: The Major Weapon

The major weapon Satan uses is suggestion, which Dollar likens to modern marketing. He references Genesis 3, where Satan subtly suggested the benefits of eating the forbidden fruit without directly commanding Eve to do so. Dollar emphasizes that Satan makes suggestions about God, ourselves, and others to lead us astray, and that opinions not based on fact or knowledge are often based on Satan's suggestions.

Practical Examples of Satan's Suggestions

Dollar provides practical examples of Satan's suggestions, such as "You can't trust God," "God doesn't mind if you sin a little," and "God helps those who help themselves." He also notes suggestions about ourselves, like "You're strong enough to handle this temptation," and about others, such as "That person intentionally did you wrong." He warns against assigning greater value to things like sage and crystals than to Jesus, as this can lead to idolatry and open doors for demonic influence.

The Mind as the Arena of Spiritual Warfare

Dollar reiterates that every attack from the enemy occurs in the mind. He cautions against maintaining opinions that are not based on truth, as these can be rooted in deception. He emphasizes the importance of choosing life and blessing over death and cursing, as Deuteronomy teaches.

The Importance of Truth and Grace

Dollar discusses how preachers sometimes distort the Bible, leading people to be mad at God when their efforts to earn His favor seem to fail. He contrasts this with the truth of grace, which empowers people to change. He notes that the enemy cannot afford for the message of grace to spread and that attacks against those who preach grace are immense.

Victory Through a Changed Mind

Dollar asserts that one's life is a product of their thinking and that victory over the mind equals victory in life. He encourages listeners to change their lives by changing the way they think, understanding grace, and recognizing that there are no contradictions in the Bible when understood through grace.

The Devil's Agenda

Dollar warns that the devil wants to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus came to give life abundantly. He describes the progression of deception, leading to a point where people are convinced of lies and become candidates for spiritual madness. He emphasizes that spiritual warfare is fought through the mind and that emotions are a key area where the enemy operates.

Believing the Promises: The Key to Spiritual Warfare

Dollar states that the most important thing a believer can do in spiritual warfare is to believe the promises of God. He encourages listeners not to condemn themselves or think God is mad at them but to rest by faith in the finished works of Jesus Christ. He identifies three finished works: propitiation (the sin offering), redemption, and reconciliation.

The Finished Works of Jesus

Dollar elaborates on the finished works of Jesus, explaining that Jesus was the propitiation for our sins, our redemption is complete through His blood, and we have been reconciled back to God. He emphasizes that these are promises to believe in, so the devil cannot use lies to attack these areas of our lives.

Idolatry and Value

Dollar warns against idolatry, which he defines as giving something more value than God. He encourages listeners to examine whether they are giving too much value to certain things in their lives, such as alcohol, if they are using them to cope with emotions.

Avoiding Suggestions vs. Knowing Promises

Dollar clarifies that one cannot avoid the devil's suggestions by running away from them but by knowing and believing God's promises. He then transitions into a segment on deliverance, offering to pray for those who feel demon-possessed.

Deliverance and Freedom

Dollar distinguishes between oppression (constant torment in the mind) and possession (bona fide demonic control). He emphasizes that deliverance is real and that there is power greater than the devil. He invites those who feel possessed to come forward for prayer, emphasizing that they have always been in control and can choose to let go of the demonic influence.

Prayer and Deliverance Session

Dollar and his team pray over individuals, commanding foul spirits to leave in the name of Jesus. They speak words of freedom and healing, encouraging those being delivered to praise God and receive the Holy Spirit. The session includes instances of people manifesting and being visibly freed from demonic influence.

New Beginnings and Church Invitation

Dollar invites those who are not born again, need to re-engage their relationship with Jesus, desire the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or feel called to join the church to come forward. He prays for those who come forward, asking for God's blessings to run them over.

Final Blessing and Announcements

Dollar gives a final blessing, declaring protection, favor, and a new shift in the lives of the listeners. The service concludes with announcements about giving opportunities, upcoming events, and ways to stay connected with the ministry.