This is the sermon transcript for:

Under The Influence

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36)

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:17 ESV)

The progression that takes place when people feel they can’t have victory.

The bondage or struggle becomes a part of your identity
For some, you feel increasingly hopeless
- There’s a movement in the body that has adapted to this defeat and now just consider this pursuit as (This is the crowd that is banking on God being blind to their sin because all He can see is Jesus.)
- This growing number of people, no longer experience salvation as the greatest miracle, which transforms who you are. It actually, more resembles the greatest cover-up that disguises who you really are. So it’s senseless to strive for anything more.
You become defensive
You become a slave

The greatest misunderstanding of slavery our culture struggles with is understanding the bonds of slavery. The greatest chains of slavery will always be what humanity feels it needs. You will always serve what you feel you need.

There’s no such thing as an independent slave.
When humanity creates a dependency, it gives birth to a slave.
You begin to lose the life God wants for you.

There really are demons

Barna Research: Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8,9

“Satan hails the skeptic and the superstitious alike!” C.S. Lewis

We can be under their influence

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Ephesians 4:26-28

They have to flee in Jesus’ name

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

How are you confronting your struggle?
1. Every time our culture recommends a solution it’s deterring you from a God solution. HERE’S WHY

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

3794 oxýrōma (from the root oxyroō, “fortify”) – a fortified, military stronghold; a strong-walled fortress is used figuratively of a false argument in which a person seeks “shelter” (“a safe place”) to escape reality.

A prisoner locked by deception
Living by something that is not true

Where’s this come from?

All the bad programming we’ve had or still getting

Why is it still at work in my life?

Because only the truth can set you free

Why can’t I get rid of it?

It’s fortified by:

Your will (your actions)
Your fear (your belief)
Your dependencies (your desires)

Without these fortifications, the enemy no longer has a “strong-hold” and is powerless!

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

What do the weapons we do possess actually do?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Let’s start with this tonight.

What do you need? (Apply the truth) stop feeding it what the world says and thinks
- I’m not saying apply the truth to the answer to this question, apply it to the question.
Why? ( Apply the truth)
And who needs to provide it? ( Apply the truth)

These are the chains that currently bind you. This is your enslavement and only the truth will set you free from it.

What do you need? Right now I’m asking and it’s hard to identify. It will conceal itself until it can catch you alone. It will wait for those moments you’re vulnerable. But it feels like a weight.

Now to Him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20