DEFEATING THE STRONG MAN

One of the main objectives of Satan, is the promotion of spiritual ignorance which has led to the death of many, thereby reaffirming the scripture that says “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Hosea 4:6(KJV). Ignorance is a great killer that has killed more people than any named disease. In present times, people pay little or no attention to the acquisition of spiritual knowledge, because it is now referred to as archaic or alien to modern culture, and as a result, many have become the captives of the mighty.

WHO IS A STRONG MAN?

Mark 3:27 says “ No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house” KJV.

In the school of deliverance, a strong man is a personality that denies people their right to meaningful existence. The strong man is a spiritual bandit who steals, and fills his store house with the dreams and aspirations of his victims. They are responsible for enriching the graveyards with unfulfilled dreams, potentials, and aspirations of their victims. The graveyard may be repugnant, but it is a treasure of buried talents, dreams that never became a reality,  books that never got published, and records that never got broken etc. The graveyard is a daily "re-enactment" of the parable of the buried talent by a servant, who brought no profit to his master. 

As the name implies, they are stubborn, persistent and resolute in their decision to prevent an individual from possessing what rightfully belongs to him/her. These personalities may be physical or spiritual, with no specific location of residence, because they can be found anywhere. The denial of their existence by the ignorant, does not limit their operations or render their powers impotent, as many victims have become their lawful captives, while others have been sacrificed on satanic alters. The term strong man, is indeed very vast, as it cuts across boards with respect to principalities and powers in both high and low places. They have no particular form or shape because; they can operate in any capacity. This invariably means that a strong man can be a witch, wizard, marine personality, household enemies, idols, territorial forces, and anything that stands at the door of your breakthrough.

HOW TO DEFEAT THE STRONG MAN

The world is a battlefield, and only the strong survives, because you either spoil the strong man’s house by binding him, or he spoils yours by binding you, which could be very devastating. The story of David and Goliath in the book of 1 Samuel 17, gives us a deep insight on how to defeat a strong man, and these principles were applied by David in his battle with Goliath.

KNOW YOUR IDENTITY (1 John 4:4):  

The definition of identity is who you are, the way you think about yourself, and the characteristics that define you.

The children of Israel were greatly afraid when confronted by Goliath, because they forgot who they were, and how God destroyed the enemies that stood against them on numerous occasions. They forgot that their God who walks amongst them, leading them day and night was no match for Goliath. When you fail to trust God in the midst of challenges or when confronted with a strong man, you lose your identity, because your faithlessness disconnects you from your source, which is God.

David had the courage to fight Goliath, because he was fully aware of who he was, and while the armies of the children of Israel were casting their gaze on the giant nature of Goliath, David said in 1 Samuel 17:26"...for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"  He also likened Goliath to the lion and the bear he killed while taken care of his father’s flock, and above all, his statement to Saul showed an unwavering dependence on God;   

  

1 Samuel 17:34-37"But David said to Saul, your servant has been keeping his fathers sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine".

SAY NO TO DISCOURAGEMENT (Isaiah 4:10):    

Discouragement is a silent killer that has left many unfulfilled, and this is a direct consequence of no self confidence or enthusiasm that leads to a lack of capacity to perform. It kills the "fighting spirit" in an individual, thereby paving way for stagnancy and non achievement. The armies of the children of Israel could not fight Goliath because they had no confidence which was consequent on a misplaced identity.

Saul said to David “you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth”. This was a clear attempt to discourage David from fighting, but because David knew his identity in God, he refused to be discouraged because God never fails. Also, a similar attempt was made earlier, which was expressed by the sarcasm of Eliab his eldest brother, but in all, David was resolute in his decision to fight Goliath. The absence of discouragement is a presence of courage which rejuvenates the “fighting spirit” of an individual, giving him a reason to win.

GROW IN GRACE AND NOT IN SIZE (2 Peter 3:18):  

Looks can be deceiving, and deception is a tool in the hands of the enemy. Goliath was not just a warrior, but a champion of the Philistines, with a personality that could throw any opponent off balance. The armies of the children of Israel were held to a standstill because they were overwhelmed by the size of Goliath, not knowing they have an unbeatable God who was no match for Goliath. This is the case of many today, who focus on the appearance of the problem, without casting their gaze on God who has been in existence and bigger than any problem. The bible tells us in the book of Daniel, that those who know their God shall do great exploits, and this is an assurance that has been given to us that whatever challenge or battle we are involved in, that we will always be victorious when we focus on God.

In the book of 1 Samuel 16:13, Samuel anointed David as king, and the Bible records that from that day forward, the Holy Spirit was upon him. This is an indication that David was operating in the Holy Spirit when he fought and defeated Goliath. 

In spiritual warfare, what you carry inside of you is very important, because your physical nature in terms of size and stature is of no importance. This is the reason why a 2 year old witch will eliminate a 40 year old man with ease in a spiritual battle. Every believer should strive to grow in grace and in spirit, because we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

KILL THE SPIRIT OF FEAR (Isaiah 35:4):  

The spirit of fear can turn a soldier into a boy's scout, because fear leads to identity crisis. It takes away courage, and as a result, leads an individual to submission. The spirit of fear is an indication that you doubt the capacity of God to deliver you from any given situation.

David was not scared of Goliath because he knew that the same God who delivered him from the bear and the lion, would also deliver him from the hands of Goliath, and this was contained in his reply to Saul when he said “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion, and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine”. In every given situation, we should know that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

ABSOLUTE DEPENDENCE ON GOD (Jeremiah 17:7-8):

This is the last point, but not the least because it is actually the most important point, but placed last for strategic reasons. The experience of victory by an individual when confronted with a strong man cannot be achieved without the absolute dependence on God. When an individual absolutely depends on God, it means that he/she totally relies on the abilities of God to empower his/her own abilities for a task or an assignment beyond his/her abilities.

David defeated Goliath because of his unwavering believe and dependence on God, and in turn God gave him spiritual insight on how to defeat the strong man that stood against Israel. While others were with various kinds of weapons, David took just five smooth stones, but only used one to terminate the reign of Goliath as a champion amongst the Philistines, and also to remove the reproach of defeat from Israel. Absolute dependence on God, is also allowing Him to lead the way while you follow, thus leading to a super natural experience and revelation of His deep and secret things which provides you with spiritual options that are unknown to the enemy.

 In conclusion, the power to defeat any strong man has been given to every believer through the name of Jesus Christ, therefore its the sole responsibility of the believer to enforce that power for victory in any given circumstance.

GOD BLESS YOU.

#TheMessenger