"STOPPING THE DEVIL FROM USING OUR HEAD AND HANDS"

MF Blume
August 21, 2011


1 Samuel (5:1)  And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.  (2)  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.  (3)  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.  (4)  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

1Sa 5:4 YLT  And they rise early in the morning on the morrow, and lo, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the ark of Jehovah, and the head of Dagon, and the two palms of its hands are cut off at the threshold, only the fishy part hath been left to him;




"Philistine" means IMMIGRANT.
•    An immigrant is someone from another nation who is not originally from where he presently lives.
•    He has moved to one nation from another.

One immigrant we do not want to have in our land is THE DEVIL and his evil spirits.
•    They are not from here and the Philistines represent an enemy people who are immigrants in our land.
•    We do not want the enemy in our land.

The god of the Philistines was a FISH GOD.
•    It looked like a fish but THE HEAD AND HANDS were HUMAN HEAD AND HANDS.
•    Those two parts did not look like a fish but like a human.
•    It was like a FISH took the head and hands of a human and used them for itself.

THIS IS LIKE THE DEVIL.
•    The way that the devil takes over your life and brings death and destruction is by USING YOUR HEAD AND HANDS like they were his own head and hands.


God gave MAN dominion over the earth.
•    Satan is not supposed to have that power.
•    God created us to have power over the world.
•    And even power over the devil.
•    When you get saved by Jesus Christ, He returns power to you!

Psalms 115:15-16 KJV  Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.  (16)  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

And look where we are supposed to BIND and LOOSE:

God did not give the earth to the devil.
•    He gave it to us.
•    But we lost it because Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.
•    The devil seized its power instead.
•    AND HE USES OUR OWN HEAD AND HANDS to destroy our lives.
•    He lies to our MINDS in our HEADS to get us to do wicked things with our HANDS.
•    But when Jesus saves us, we are born again into the KINGDOM OF GOD and we get the land back and the devil cannot use our head and hands any more!

Matthew 16:(19)  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Don't wait to die and go to heaven to enjoy the kingdom.
•    The keys of the KINGDOM are for you to use right now in this earth!

This is why the ARK OF THE COVENANT is used in this story.
•    The Ark of the covenant is a symbol of the KINGDOM OF GOD.
•    It is a golden chest where the glory of God dwelt, and has a solid gold MERCYSEAT on it.
•    This MERCYSEAT represents the throne of God.
•    It has wings of cherubs over the seat just as Isaiah saw the throne of God with wings of seraphs over it.

When the Philistines took the ARK into their false god's temple, IT REPRESENTS GOD'S KINGDOM POWER going in to destroy the power of the devil.

The KINGDOM OF GOD COMES so that the power of the devil does not control you any more.
•    The power of GOD COMES INSTEAD.

SIN is another immigrant we do not want in our land.
•    God did not make us to have sin in our lives.
•    But Adam's disobedience caused us to be born with the immigrant of sin in our lives.

SO OUR LIVES AND THE DEVIL must be taken care of to set us free.

TWO VERY IMPORTANT ASPECTS of our lives are represented as HUMAN HANDS AND HEAD on Dagon.
•    The Bible speaks much of WHAT WE KNOW and WHAT WE DO as a result.
•    KNOWING is represented by your head.
•    DOING is represented by your hands.
•    If you EXPECT to do something in your mind then you will likely find a way to DO IT with your hands.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PUT UP WITH DEFEAT AND COMMITTING SINS.
•    Many think sin is something we have to put up with and expect it to beat us up every so often.
•    This is from an unrenewed mind.
•    We commit a sin and repent, but we say that we're only human and we have to sin just as though it is something the cross never dealt with nor covered.
•    The New Testament teaches us that it is an UNWANTED IMMIGRANT.
•    An unwanted STRANGER who does not belong here, and God wants it to leave our lives.
•    It is something we do not have to see rule over us.

IF YOUR MIND IS TORMENTED, JESUS CAN SET YOU FREE HERE TONIGHT!

You do not have to have nightmares all the time.

You do not have to be sick in your body!

The Kingdom of God comes and we cast out spirits in the name of Jesus Christ and we heal the sick!

Listen to how the bible talks about sin.

Rom 6:2 KJV  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Rom 6:12 KJV  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Rom 6:14 KJV  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

We're here to tell you that sin does not have to ruin you and control you any more.

Jesus Christ has come in His kingdom to OXFORD HOUSE and told us to preach THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS HERE!

Matthew 10:7-8
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Israel was in a backslidden state where the spiritual leader, Eli the High Priest, had eyes that were dim.
•    Paul spoke in Eph 1 about eyes of our understanding.
•    Dim eyes represent lack of spiritual understanding and revelation.
•    And it is when these kinds of times occur, we become defeated in our lives.
•    Sin takes over our lives and we do wrong things, even though we hate them and really do not want to do them.
•    They begin controlling us.
•    BUT WHEN THE WORD COMES and LIGHT of TRUTH SHINES, THE DEVIL'S POWER IS DESTROYED.

Eli had two sons who were wicked and adulterous.

HOPHNI's name means FIST FIGHTER.
PHINEHAS' name means MOUTH OF THE SERPENT.
•    These boys committed adultery and fornication with women of the "church".
•    They forced offerings to be given rather than accept offerings.
•    The meaning of the names of the two sons adequately represents the state of many Christians when carnality is rampant amongst the church.
•    They fuss and fight with people.
•    People whose homes are not in order.
•    Screaming at home.

Look at how it all started that day.

1 Samuel 4:10  And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.  (11)  And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.  (12) And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

This messenger from Benjamin is very significant.
•    Like the preacher.
•    He is like PAUL the apostle who was also from the tribe of Benjamin.
•    Paul taught us about how we can defeat the devil's power over our own flesh.

Not only was ELI dim-sighted and had sons who lived like devils, fist fighter and mouth of the serpent, but he was VERY FLESHY (fat) and was called AN OLD MAN.
•    Lots of flesh represents lots of LUSTS OF THE FLESH in our lives.
•    All of that flesh represents fleshliness and carnality that defeated people have ruling their lives.

They get upset easily and pick fights with people and cannot let something die, but hold grudges.
•    The reason they hold grudges and are always fussing with everyone is because THEY ARE FULL OF LOVE FOR SELF.
•    When you love yourself too much, if anyone says something about YOUR SELF, you defend it more than you defend anything else.
•    It is YOU, and you love YOU too much.


YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS.
•    If we love self this much, then God will not allow us to call Himself our God.
•    AND THIS IS THE ROOT OF SIN.
•    Money is not the root of evil... LOVE OF money is the root of all evil.
•    And love of money is actually LOVING YOUR SELF AND SERVING YOUR SELF SO THAT SELF CAN HAVE EVERYTHING IT EVER WANTS.

This message from this man of Benjamin told Eli that the ark was taken and his two sons were killed -- and it caused the OLD MAN TO DIE.

The message above all other messages that stops sin from ruling in our lives is found in the Bible in Romans 6.

The Bible teaches us that SIN rules in the lives of people who love self too much.

The devil tricked the woman in Genesis to sin by causing her to focus on herself more than anything else.
•    "YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD."
•    "YOU WILL BE WISE."
•    The tree was desired to MAKE ONE WISE.
•    it AFFECTED HER MIND.
•    That is why it is called fruit of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil.
•    THIS IS HOW THE DEVIL USES OUR HEADS!
•    She got that in her mind and then HER HANDS TOOK THE FRUIT AND SHE ATE.

When they heard the ARK OF THE COVENANT was taken by the enemy, it represents how JESUS CHRIST WAS TAKEN BY THE DEVIL and crucified.
•    Jesus died, and it was the devil's biggest mistake.
•    Just like they took the Ark and it destroyed their idol.
•    Jesus Christ's death was what destroyed the power of the devil.

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

When we were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ into Jesus Christ's death WE DIE WITH JESUS.
•    We become part of his destruction of the devil.
•    The power of the devil in our lives is destroyed!
•    When you realize you are supposed to be dead, you start acting like it.
•    You adjust your lifestyle to what the bible says about you.
•    YOU DO NOT PLEASE SELF ALL THE TIME.
•    YOU DIE to that self centred sinful lifestyle.
•    You do not make SELF such an issue that anyone who dares do the least little thing to hurt SELF is punished by you so they never forget it.


Paul preached the cross in Romans 6 and told us we're crucified with Jesus.

Romans 6:6 KJV  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

AND IT SLAYS THE OLD MAN!

Like Paul's message, the message of the man of Benjamin killed the OLD MAN.

KNOW THIS and get victory!

In our story, not only did the PHILISTINES (the devils) have to be dealt with, BUT THE OLD FLESHY MAN IN ISRAEL died as well!

You are the spiritual leader of YOUR LIFE.
•    When Eli had these sons who were very wicked, it represents our lives that PRODUCE wicked things.
•    These boys represent our wicked works.
•    THEY HAVE TO DIE.
•    IF WE ARE fleshy and carnal and produce works of the flesh like FIST FIGHTER (HANDS)  and MOUTH OF THE SERPENT, (HEAD) and are blind and have no word of God and the light is out, your whole LIFE will be taken over by sin.
•    THE DEVIL USES YOUR HEAD AND HANDS if you SPEAK LIKE A SERPENT AND FIGHT WITH PEOPLE.

We need to rule with Jesus instead of letting SIN RULE in us!

The ark of the covenant is the THRONE OF JESUS IN HIS KINGDOM.
•    The devil should not be controlling your head and hands.

AFTER A BENJAMITE GIVES A MESSAGE THAT SLAYS THE OLD MAN, WE READ ABOUT THE ARK IN WAYS THAT PARALLEL THE THREE DAYS OF THE WORK OF THE CROSS.

1Sa 5:1-5 KJV  And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.  (2)  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.  (3)  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow (DAY TWO), behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.  (4)  And when they arose early on the morrow morning (DAY THREE), behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.  (5)  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

If the devil and sin ever had a TEMPLE it would be a tomb!
•    When Jesus was crucified, HE WAS LAID IN A TOMB.

DAY 1- Ark is put into temple of Dagon.
•    Tomb is place of death, like a temple of the devil!

DAY 2 - Dagon is seen fallen down on face before the ark.

DAY 3 - DAGON IS SEEN fallen down again with head and hands broken off on the threshold!

JESUS WAS THREE DAYS IN THE TOMB!

And the Philistines are so stupid that they get rid of the ark when they know God is more powerful than their idol fish god, and send it away.

1Sa 5:7 KJVR  And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

It's the hand of God upon us (our old man) and DAGON, THE DEVIL!

Get rid of it!

The THIRD DAY the head and hands of DAGON were broken off.

1 Samuel 5:4 ...and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

Literally it was ONLY THE FISHY PART that was left.

1Sa 5:4 YLT  And they rise early in the morning on the morrow, and lo, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the ark of Jehovah, and the head of Dagon, and the two palms of its hands are cut off at the threshold, only the fishy part hath been left to him;

When you are carnal, and led by the flesh and ruled by sin, THE DEVIL USES YOUR HEAD.
•    If you do not THINK spiritually  and have your MIND RENEWED with truths of the Bible, THE DEVIL HAS YOUR HEAD.
•    HIS thoughts are in your mind.
•    If we do not understand in our minds the truth, we will THINK WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH SIN.
•    The devil owns your MIND and you think the way he wants you to think.
•    Especially when SELF is too alive, and we cannot think of anything more than what so and so said or what so and so did to us.
•    THE DEVIL HAS A HUMAN HEAD AND THAT HUMAN HEAD IS OUR'S!

And if the devil has your HEAD, he HAS YOUR HANDS.
•    Your hands represent your actions and what you DO.
•    When your MIND is on SELF and you are defending yourSELF and you serve and worship yourSELF more than even God, then you are going to DO A LOT OF THINGS that are wicked and sinful.
•    THE DEVIL HAS YOUR HANDS!

You need to go back to the place where Jesus laid.
•    Go over in your understanding the fact that you were crucified with Christ.
•    Sin has no more dominion over you other than WHAT YOU ALLOW IT TO HAVE.
•    So, realize you do not have to let it rule you and claim the blood that set you free from it and stop it from ruling you.

The reason we read about the ARK causing the human head and hands to come off Dragon on the third day is because the victory Jesus had over death and the sin and the devil is YOUR VICTORY.

Just because Israel was God's people did not mean the Philistines could not conquer them and defeat them.
Similarly, just because you are a Christian and Jesus Christ won the war for you does not mean the devil cannot take over your MIND and ACTIONS when you let the OLD MAN rule and do not pray and do not deny self and you let the light go out in your life.

LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE!

Reckon yourself to be dead to sin and alive to God because you died with Jesus and resurrected with Jesus.
Only when you connect what happened to Jesus to yourself, will you present yourself to God as ALIVE FROM THE DEAD.

KNOW speaks of your HEAD.

Rom 6:9-11 KJVR  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  (10)  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  (11)  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But YOUR HANDS are involved here, too.

Rom 6:13 KJVR  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead (a matter of the head that KNOWS one is dead to sin and alive to God), and your members (such as hands) as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Some think that they are not servants to sin even though they commit sins occasionally because they think no one can stop sinning.

Romans 6:17 KJV  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

But Jesus said that committing sin means we are servants of sin.

John 8:34 KJV  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

So when the bible says we are not to yield ourselves

Notice that the MARK OF THE BEAST is on THE HEAD AND HAND. FOREHEAD, right HAND.

When you BREAK THE NECK of the OLD MAN with the truth by learning the work of the cross, that is when the glory of God's power goes to work and the DEVIL gets his neck broken and LOSES YOUR HEAD!

When you affect the old man with the cross, you affect the DEVIL!
•    He uses your old man and YOUR mouth and YOUR hands.
•    SO LET THE OLD MAN DIE!