"TURNING THE DEVIL'S OWN WEAPONS AGAINST HIM"
NOVEMBER 22, 1998 PM
MICHAEL F BLUME
Hebr 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;
2Tim 1:10 But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death,
and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
Satan had the power of death.
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But Jesus abolished death and through death destroyed him that had the
power of death.
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He turned the devil's own weapon against him.
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Satan had the power of death.
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And Christ destroyed the devil through death.
David killed Goliath with a stone and used the giant's own sword to cut
off his head.
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He used his enemy's power against his enemy.
In Exodus 16:12-15, 19-27 we read about the manna that was given to Israel
from Heaven.
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Israel grew tired of the manna and were plagued by serpents in Numbers
21:5-9.
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Serpents come to you when you cannot discern the Lord's Body as we studied
this morning.
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The manna was Jesus Christ, in symbolic form (John 6:31-33).
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And not appreciating the manna is not appreciating the Lord's Body.
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And if we do not feast on the truth of the united death we Christ that
we experienced, serpents come and defeat us -- devils come.
The remedy was the lifting of the brazen serpent on a pole for the dying
Hebrews to look at.
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Christ said that picture refers to His death (John 3:14-15).
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He became what was killing us -- sin.
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As the serpents were killing the Hebrews, they were to look to a serpent
on a pole that prefigured Christ and His purpose in dying.
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He became sin as symbolized by the serpent that first entered the Garden
and tempted man into sin and death.
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And death itself was destroyed on the cross.
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Satan had the power of death
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And Christ, through death, destroyed him that had the power of death.
Satan felt he finished Christ off forever.
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But Christ used that death inflicted by Satan and actually defeated Satan
beyond Satan's wildest imaginations.
Jesus said the Spirit of truth would guide us into all truth.
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This is pictured by the fire of God leading Israel into Canaan.
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Way back when Abram first journeyed to the promised land, Lot tagged along
with him after God told Abram to separate from his family.
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Lot was Abram's nephew.
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Time came when the herds of Abram and Lot multiplied until they wandered
in each others' herds.
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The men knew they had to separate.
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Abram gave Lot the choice.
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Lot chose the well watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah.
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After Lot left and separated from Abram, them God gave Abram a revelation.
Gene 13:14-15 And the LORD said unto
Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and
look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward,
and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it,
and to thy seed for ever.
When we let go of things we should not have any way, as Abram let Lot go,
then God can give us a revelation.
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He doesn't ask us to get rid of anything for which He will not give us
a greater thing in return!
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And the revelation Abram received was all the land that was His.
Christ is our promised land.
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We have Christ but we must possess Him now.
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What I mean is very similar to the thought of Israel possessing the land.
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Canaan was the Hebrews' land.
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God gave it to them.
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But they had to POSSESS it.
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They had to march in it and conquer all enemies and enjoy the land under
their feet.
God's Spirit is leading us into all truth.
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Christ is truth.
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He is leading us into all that is Christ.
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I am sorry, but Acts 2:38 only started me on this road and now I am journeying
into all truth.
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Do not plant you stakes in the ground at Acts 2:38.
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That is not the end of the journey.
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It is only the beginning!
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(And some have not even begun yet! They have not even experienced
Acts 2:38)
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I am in Christ but I am being led into all of Christ.
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I am being led into all truth.
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Abraham had to look all over the land.
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We need to see all that is hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3).
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We have everything in this land!
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But we may now experience what we have!
We know that we have healing if we are sick.
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But how many who know that ever experience it?
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We know we have victory.
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But how many experience that?
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Israel had all of the land of Canaan the moment God promised it to them.
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But how many of them experienced Canaan?
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All the adults over 20 years of age who doubted they could enter Canaan
never experienced it, though it was their land!
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They doubted.
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They did not POSSESS what was their's.
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We need to possess all that is In Christ.
WE ONLY POSSESS WHAT WE EXPERIENCE.
A guide is one who knows the region and tours us through so we can experience
it for ourselves.
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The Spirit of Truth will guide us into all truth so that we can experience
it for ourselves.
Again, we must go in the name of the Lord.
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David did not go with spear and staves, but he went in the name of the
Lord.
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And he defeated Goliath.
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And he used Goliath's own weapon against him.
We are in Christ.
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We have all power in heaven and earth.
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Go in that name!
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Use that name!
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Command Satan to fell in the name of Jesus Christ.
It is a step of faith to POSSESS the land.
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Whatever we choose to step onto with faith will be ours to enjoy.
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But too many are afraid to take those steps.
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They do not believe.
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They do not believe what is preached to them and just get entertained by
the preaching.
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And they are weak.
Possess the land!
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Experience all that is yours!
We enter a rest when we mature in spirit and come to this understanding.
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We rest as far as our need to be made ready to go to heaven is concerned.
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But we work for Him doing holy work and holy activity that can only be
done by holy people.
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People who feel unworthy to work for God realize that such work is holy
work.
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But they do not realize that Christ made us holy when He redeemed us.
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We could never do that on our own.
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These doubters need to learn something.
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They think they need to perform all these good deeds to earn this opportunity
to serve God.
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They are wrong.
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Rest in the finished work of Jesus that made us holy, and stop trying to
earn the power of God and holiness.
The Spirit will show you what belongs to Jesus so that you will know what
belongs to you.
John 16:13-14 Howbeit when he,
the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall
he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for
he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.
There are things about Jesus that all of us have never even seen yet.
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If it is Jesus,. then it is ours since we are united to Him.
Only circumcised men could eat the Passover.
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This represents the fact that only people with an unveiled heart who can
see revelation of God, will learn about what they have in Christ.
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Circumcision is that of the heart (Ro. 2:29).
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Only they will understand what is Christ so they know what they have, too.
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Whatever is Christ's is our's, for we are in Him.
Our inheritance is in Him.
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He is our promised land.
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Revelation 2:12 says if we overcome we will eat the hidden manna -- manna
that is hidden to the rest of the world since they are not unveiled in
heart to receive revelation (See 2 Cor 3:14-18).
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The manna is Christ.
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We need to consume the truth of Him.
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He is hidden to the world.
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The god of this world has blinded the minds of them that do not believe.
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So He is hidden manna.
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But we can be unveiled and receive a revelation of Jesus Christ.
He tasted death for every man (He. 2:9).
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We need to feast up that truth.
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We need to live by it.
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Every man died if he tasted death for every man.
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But only the believers of that will enjoy it.
All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him (Col. 2:3).
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So we must get a revelation of Him.
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The eyes of our understanding must be enlightened in the revelation of
the knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17).
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Eph. 2:4 says that Paul taught this in case people should beguile the saints
with words.
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They will tell you to "Be more holy. You are not holy enough."
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They are lying.
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Verse 6 says that as we received Christ so must we walk in Christ.
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Faith and not effort to earn.
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Faith that we died in Him is how we received Him.
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And we walk in Him by faith in our life unto God with Him.
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We know we walk in newness of life since we know that we are dead with
Him and therefore are risen with Him (Ro. 6:5-11).
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So we walk in Him by the same faith that we received Him -- knowing we
are united with Him.
Hebr 3:14 For we are made partakers
of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the
end;
We partake of the communion bread in indication that we partake of Christ.
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This means whatever is in Him is in Us.
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We show that by eating the bread and putting it into us.
1Joh 5:20 And we know that the Son of
God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that
is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God, and eternal life.
We must know and understand that we are IN HIM.
I received Him when I knew He died as me.
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Now I live by the truth that I am one with Him in His resurrected life
also.
Colo 3:17 And whatsoever ye do
in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God and the Father by him.
All that I do now I must do it in understanding of my union with Him.
In His name.
Colo 2:9 For in him dwelleth all
the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
BODILY!
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We are the Body of Christ.
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What is in him BODILY is all the fulness.
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That is why we have all the fulness, for we are His body.
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Can you discern the Lord's body?
I do not revel in shadows of Christ, in meats and drinks and laws of the
sabbath.
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These are shadows of the Body of Christ.
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The Church is the body.
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We do not need an outward thing for we already are what we need (Col. 2:16-17).
Eating the Passover lamb speaks of putting what is true of Christ into
your understanding that it is true of you.
Unbelief keeps us out of the rest.
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We are weak and sickly and cannot defeat enemies because we have not learned
what we are in Christ.
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And we do not go forth in his name.
God's power does not move for us by our doubt but by our faith.
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We will not enter the rest and defeat the enemies any more than doubting
Israel did if we do not believe we are united with Christ and no weapon
formed against us can prosper.
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If you fight in faith you win.
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We ought never to fight without reminding ourselves that we are in Christ.
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His death was our deaths.
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His death freed us from the power of sin.
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Keep in mind you are in victory over everything since you are united to
Christ whenever you fight a battle.
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Command the enemy to flee in Jesus' name.
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Actually speak it out: "I command you to cease your work against me, for
I have power over you in the name of Jesus Christ."
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Speak to stress.
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Speak to the mountain as if it could hear you and tell it to be removed.
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That means, speak to stress, and fear and anything that attacks your mind.
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When lust enters your mind, command the devil to cease putting that into
your mind and command him to go in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus abolished death after He used it against the one who had its power,
the devil.
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Satan has no power over you!
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But you need to understand why!!