DEALING WITH SATANIC OPPOSITION

DEALING WITH SATANIC OPPOSITION

 

Welcome, friends, to another day of broadcast. I thank GOD for the responses and expression of gratitude which many have expressed to us by way of feedback. The messages are impactful.

Today, our topic is, Dealing with Satanic Opposition.

DEALING WITH SATANIC OPPOSITION

We shall take our reading from the Book of Zachariah 3:1-7.

Zachariah 3:1-7

1Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.”

So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

Then the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘If you will walk in My ways,
And if you will keep My command,
Then you shall also judge My house,
And likewise have charge of My courts;
I will give you places to walk
Among these who stand here.

 

Let us pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly FATHER and the FATHER of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU have been our helper in ages past. We trust YOU that YOU will continue to be our help in times to come. Teach us to deal with Satanic oppositions confronting us on daily basis. We are aware that YOUR Kingdom is constantly at battle with the kingdom of darkness or Satan. YOU have already secured victory for us. Teach us never to give room to the devil to have a platform to oppose us…in JESUS’ Mighty Name we pray. Amen!

 Dealing with satanic opposition

Thank GOD that GOD has a Kingdom. It’s not news to many. Satan also has a kingdom. The Kingdom of GOD is far more superior to the kingdom of Satan. In the renowned LORD’s prayer, HE taught HIS disciples (including us: if you are one) to pray, “Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”.

In Matthew 6:33, The LORD asks us to give priority, to seek HIS Kingdom and It’s righteousness.

There it says,

 

 

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The Kingdom of GOD is a reign, not a realm. The citizens of the Kingdom are those people who willfully or deliberately or intentionally submit themselves to JESUS as king. GODs’ Kingdom is not some geographical territory with political boundaries. Our LORD JESUS said time without number that, “MY Kingdom is not of this world”. You find it in John 18:36. We are here to enforce the reign of the Kingdom of GOD. If you are a citizen of heaven the Kingdom of GOD is present wherever you go. JESUS, in Luke 17:21 said,

Luke 17:21

“…The Kingdom of GOD is within you.”

Wherever GOD’s will is being done on earth as it is in heaven, there you will find the Kingdom of GOD.

Let us see some characteristics of the Kingdom of GOD.

It is not possible to know all the characteristics; but the bible enumerates some. In Revelation 21:3-4, GOD reveals to us the goings-on in the New Jerusalem: mirroring The Kingdom of GOD.

Revelation 21:3-4

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Friends, notice that the Kingdom of GOD will be characterized by:

  1. Number one, there will be no cause for tears,
  2. Secondly, there will be no death,
  • Thirdly, there will be no sorrow,
  1. Number four, there will be no crying,
  2. Number five, there shall be no pain.

The Kingdom of GOD is characterized by “no poverty”, no war, no operation; no person will be demonized, no person will be sick, no one will be lost. It may interest you to know that the aforementioned are the very things the adversary Satan pursues with vigor: Poverty, sickness, war, operation, sorrow, death, crying and so on. Satan’s work is to oppose the Kingdom of GOD. He came to steal, to kill and to destroy. But the bible says, The SON of Man was made manifest that HE might destroy the works of the devil.

That is why JESUS said in Luke 11:20, 20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

The work of the devil is opposition, accusation and hindrance or resistance. Why does Satan oppose the Children of GOD or accuse them or resist them or hinder them? One reason is highlighted in our text, in The Book of Zachariah – the issue of filthy garment. Filthy garments speak of unrighteousness: no right standing before GOD, no salvation, self-righteousness which has no value before GOD. Recall that Joshua in the passage was the first high priest chosen for the reconstruction of the temple after they returned from the Babylonian Captivity. Verse 1 says, 1Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.

Why would Satan stand against the high priest to oppose? The answer is in verse 3: Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

Wherever there is filthy garment Satan has gotten a platform to stand and oppose. The Kingdom of GOD is marked with righteousness obtained by grace through faith and maintained by obedience to the LORD JESUS CHRIST on daily basis. The kingdom of Satan opposes you and stands to accuse you when you have no right standing or righteousness. When you start to accommodate and live in sin, Satan will oppose you, oppress and hinder you.

To deal with opposition and resistance of the devil against the will of GOD in your life, you must deal with filthy garments. How do you deal with filthy garments? We go back to our text in Zachariah 3:4: Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”

Friends, take away the filthy garments. How do you do that? In Proverbs 28:13, the bible says,

13He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

 

It is amazing that instead of GOD rejecting Joshua and casting him off, HE says to those around him, to take off the filthy clothes. The filthy garment is symbolic of sins being taken away; and fresh clothes – or clean clothes put on him. Satan was completely disarmed and paralyzed. The platform upon which he stood to oppose was taken away and neutralized. Several years ago JESUS our MASTER said to Satan, “Get behind me, Satan.”

Friends, we must reject Satan and his works. You must come to JESUS to remove your filthy garments. JESUS procured our salvation on the cross. He shed HIS blood for our redemption.

The hymn writer captured it by asking,

What can wash away our sins?

Nothing but the blood of JESUS

Joshua was the high priest. Satan opposed and stood against him so that he could not perform his duties effectively and prosper. Without a successful function of his duties the entire people and nation will remain under the bondage of sin.

Friends, let me ask you. Is Satan resisting you in your career or in your marriage or in your academics or in your business – or as a child of GOD? Rise up today and take away the filthy garments on you and reject Satan. Renounce him and submit yourself to the Kingdom of GOD through JESUS CHRIST.

Let me pray.

PRAYER

FATHER in heaven, Satan is resisting so many of YOUR Children, in the areas of fruit of the womb, good job, good education, health issues, promotions and blessings. I stand as YOUR servant to rebuke you. May the LORD rebuke you, Satan. As the people deal with their filthy garments, LORD JESUS, return their glory. Paralyze the opposition form Satan. And may his hands never achieve his purposes…in JESUS’ Mighty Name I pray. AMEN!

 

Comment(1)

  1. Reply
    Ihuoma mesirionye says:

    I am a beneficiary of this message. The lord has dealt with satanic oppositions in my life and family under the anointing of this great man of God. Sir you are my destiny helper may God increase you beyond your imagination amen.

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