Jim Martin Ministries/Grace Ministries international
4184 East Patterson Dayton, OHiO 45430
© 2001 - All Rights Reserved
www.jmmgrace.com

Dear Friends,

When my wife and I were first married, we attended a Full Gospel church and it was there that I was introduced to the topic of spiritual warfare. Not only did I hear sermons about battling the devil and his demonic hordes, but I also read many articles and books about the matter. Because this was so new to me I was somewhat captivated by what I heard and read.

As the years passed, I began to see something rather disturbing concerning the subject of spiritual warfare. Through meditation in scripture it became explicitly clear to me that a great portion of what has been taught is totally unscriptural and based on the mental reasoning and assumptions of man.

This plays right into the devils' plans, for if he can get us deceived about who he is, what he can do and how he operates, we will end up chasing shadows and trying to win battles which do not exist. Thus, having somewhat neutralized us through these deceptions, he has more liberty to wreak havoc in our lives.

Not long ago, the Lord began speaking to me about this and I am sharing here what He said, including the scriptures He referenced. I have titled this, "Understanding Your Enemy."

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Satan is a created being. His powers are limited. He cannot do anything beyond the level of his existence. He is a spirit. Unlike Me, he has a beginning. His understanding is first relative to the spirit-realm, and second to the natural. His advantage is that he understands how things operate in the spirit before you are born. This is knowledge you must obtain through your relationship with Me.

He was a witness to creation and watched as I created the sub-atomic particles, then formed the sub-atomic particles into elements, then formed the elements into discernable substance, what you know as creation. He understands more than your greatest scientists how things are put together. He also knows that the design of creation points to me; that is why he has tried so hard to discredit creation through the doctrine of evolution.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your fatherye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)

 The desires of your enemy are as follows:

• He wants to keep you focused on the natural more than the spirit


• He wants you to think he has powers similar to Me


• He wants you to think he can read your mind and know your thoughts


• He wants you to think that he can arbitrarily control the actions of people


• He wants you to see yourself as a lesser category of being


• He wants you to think he can move freely without hindrance

Any time you think any of the above, you have accepted a lie as being truth.

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. (Luke 9:1)

¹After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

⁹And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

¹⁷And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. ¹⁸And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ¹⁹Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:1, 9, 17-20)

¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues

(Mark 16:17)

Devils do not respond to your thoughts. Likewise, inherent authority is just potential; exercised authority is how you are to live. Satan knows the power of the spoken word; remember, he was a witness to creation as I spoke it into existence. You must speak the will of the Father to exercise authority over the enemy.

The greatest course on demonology you will ever take is to study the lives of Jesus and the Apostles as recorded in scripture. Take note of how they exercised authority over devils and follow their pattern. I watch with sadness as so many of my children spend more time studying Satan and his demons than they do studying the life and ministry of their Savior.

Did I not say in my word that you are not ignorant of Satan's devices? I spoke that long before the first book was written about your enemy. I spoke that long before the first conference was held on demonology. I spoke that long before the first college course was taught about the devil. I spoke that because it is in my word that you will receive the greatest teaching possible about the manner in which all devils think, plan, and act.

Are you born again? If so, then the spiritual life in you is of a type devils do not have and cannot obtain.

⁵¹And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. ⁵²Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. ⁵³Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:51-54)

¹³But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? ¹⁴Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:13-14)

Angels were not created in the image of God as was man. Angels were not created with the same characteristics and abilities as man. God never told the angels to be fruitful and multiply. God never breathed His life into angels as He did into man. Jesus became a man, not an angel, to redeem humanity and creation.

The angels which did not concede to Lucifer's deceptions carry more authority than those which fell. As my children, you carry more authority than the angels which did not fall. Therefore, do you honestly not believe that you carry more authority than all devils?

By yourself, you will never comprehend how to live victoriously over the devil and his demons. This is why you have so many seminars and conferences on learning how to rise in dominion over him. But you make it too complicated; for if you would study My word, you would know what to do. Study closely Ephesians 6:10-18, for it is in that passage you will see nothing but daily victory over everything the devil can present to you.

Yes, your enemy will attack. He attacked all of the Apostles and he attacked my Son. But neither the Apostles nor My Son ever expressed any fear of the devil. They knew their position in Me.

Do not let the enemy deceive you into passivity. You must be aggressive toward him. You must treat him as My Son treated him. Give him no ground. You are My child, not his. You have my life, which carries with it the victory over all the works of the enemy, including his lies. Also, do not forget this: you are his enemy, and he tries so desperately to get you to believe his lies that he is more dangerous to you than you are to him.

He is of the world; you are from above. I am for you. Learn this and live it, and none of his weapons formed against you shall prosper.

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I find it so interesting how a great number of Christians want to blame their choices to sin on the devil. But the devil cannot make anyone sin; all he can to is present a temptation. This is confirmed in James 1:12-16:

¹²Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. ¹³Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: ¹⁴But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. ¹⁵Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. ¹⁶Do not err, my beloved brethren.

The error (verse 16) many Christians make is believing either that they cannot avoid sinning or that the devil has some sort of unbreakable control over their lives. But if Satan is that powerful and controlling, then why didn't he keep them from getting saved? Also, if God hates sin, why in the world would He just sit back and allow Satan to control the lives of His children without intervening?

Along with this, the Bible makes it very clear that Jesus defeated Satan and his demons (Colossians 2:15), that in Christ we have been made more than conquerors (Romans 8:37), that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2:5-6), and that Jesus has made us kings and priests unto God (Revelation 1:5-6). With all of this being undeniably true, it is therefore impossible to conclude that Christians are at the mercy of the devil...he has no mercy to extend!

Though we will never become another Jesus, the same authority He demonstrated over the devil was given to us the moment we were born again. Now, all we have to do is study the scriptures to learn more about this authority and then begin exercising it against the devil and every demon that tries to derail us in our life as a Believer. Glory to God, every day we awake, we can terrorize the devil! Now, that is good news!

May God's will be fulfilled in your life,

Jim

P.S. - If you would like a CD of the sermon in which I shared the prophecy "Understanding Your Enemy," you can order it from our website.

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Internationally-known worship leader Terry MacAlmon is returning to Grace Christian Center! Terry will be with us Saturday evening, June 9, at 6:00 (Eastern). This service will also be broadcast live from our web site, www.jmmgrace.com. Do your best to attend and share this with your friends.

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SPECIAL NOTE: In last month's letter I listed several topics about which I have been asked many questions over the years. Along with those topics I identified various teaching series that would help people in their personal times of study. Keep in mind that those are entire teaching series, not individual sermons. All of the sermons in each of those series are in MP3 format, which will only play on computers or CD players compatible with MP3 CD's.

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