IDENTITY 3: NO VACANCY, DEVIL!

Hello there! I greet you in the mercies of the Lord. I thank God for the breath of fresh air which you have received, the awakening of the slumbering giants within and the prosperity of your souls. Today, I will love to share with you another sub-topic in our IDENTITY series. We have, all along, dealt with some key issues with regard to who we are. I believe we are now walking in ALETHEIA. However, it will be expedient to look at some loopholes you'll do well to close.

Some weeks ago, I stumbled upon Robert Liardon's SCHOOL OF THE SPIRIT. It was greatly insightful, I must say. he made mention of some vital things that the devil could use against us to gain foothold in our spirits. Mind you, you are a spirit. So, don't get shocked when you find me referring majorly to your spirit. If properly used with fireproof understanding, your spirit controls your body! He spoke of he body, soul and the spirit. Let me run through these three.

1. THE BODY: Simply put, the body is just very devoid of spiritual sense. It knows nothing more than comfort and pleasure. The body was designed to house your spirit but never to control it. R.L (Robert Liardon) used the example of sex. He said, "Your physical body, when it wants sex, doesn't recognize covenants chief of which is MARRIAGE. It has its own whims and it takes a very spiritually disciplined person to understand and put in check, every movement of his body. You see, Kenneth Hagin in His book, ZOE: The God-Kind of Life, threw more light on a wonderful part of the scripture. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians (2Cor 9:27) said, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Paul was one man of astounding spiritual understanding. He knew that the very essence of his life was his spirit. So, the "I" as used, is not referring to his body, rather, his spirit. There's a space for the body: "it". Funny enough, "it" is a pronoun used to refer to an object. That's exactly what your body is -- an object, a vessel housing your spirit and the Holy Ghost. Put it in its rightful place!

2. THE SOUL: J. PRESTON EBY in his teaching FROM THE CANDLESTICK TO THE THRONE, PART 20, says "the soul is the mind, will, emotion, and desire of man." True enough, R.L's explanation of the soul tallies with this. Liardon goes on to expose to the reader, the compartments of the soul: the WILL, EMOTIONS, INTELLECT, IMAGINATION AND MEMORY. I believe that when you are dealing with the devil, which, of course, is everyday, he will attack your Will first. You see, when your WILL is attacked and taken, you are as a man without red-blood cells!. R.L calls it the door we choose to open or close. If your Will is not re-enforced by the potency of God's Word, you might not stand a chance. The EMOTIONS have proven to be the major entry point for demons into the human soul. Speaking from experience, I believe this to be true. When you refuse to bring your emotions into check, they go out of hand. You MUST know when to draw the line. INTELLECT is the place where thoughts such as "There is no GOD, there's only science!" Our intellect was  given to us by God. \When your intellect seems to be running wild, remember that Paul said in 2Corinthians 10:5 to "bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. IMAGINATIONS could be tricky. I remember that, for a long time, I struggled with some unhealthy imaginations. For as long as I allowed them, I remained in the shackles of sin and eternal death. However, after discovering God's Word for myself, I knew I was free. Through His Word, you know you are designed for "casting down imaginations." MEMORY could hinder as much as the four already mentioned. You see, if you keep allowing the past come back, you can't go forward. I saw Joyce Myers' messages one day and, though I joined her late, I saw her putting up some obstacles on a constructed Cross. Of the many things that could hinder, GUILT was mentioned. I never second-guess the Holy Spirit or the power of salvation through Christ. You shouldn't!

You must know that the soul cannot stand alone. It is created to bond with one of the other two parts. It either bonds with your body/flesh or with your spirit. Which bond is at work in your life? When you are born-again, your soul undergoes a renewal or restoration. For this reason did the Psalmist say in Psalm 23 that "He restores my soul."

3. SPIRIT: This is the central command. Every spiritual blessing is imparted not to your soul or body but to your spirit. The Holy Spirit does not bond with your flesh or your soul. He bonds with your spirit. It is your spirit that is reborn, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation..." God created us to have fellowship with Him. This fellowship is SPIRITual in every sense. There is every need to develop your spirit. An undeveloped spirit is a Samson-spirit -- an undisciplined spirit. Anointing is not the only thing. The Christian race does not stop at confessing Christ. There is a place of WALKING IN THE SPIRIT. An unruly spirit might bring destruction upon himself. On the other hand, a disciplined, obedient spirit is God's battle ax against the kingdom of darkness. Joseph stands out when we talk about discipline. In R.L's view, your spirit can be developed by "EATING THE WORD" and through PRAYER.

Never let the devil get any hold of you. Everyday, as you wake, confess to your spirit that DEVIL, THERE IS NO VACANCY FOR YOU IN MY BODY, SOUL OR SPIRIT. When you are suddenly overwhelmed by negative feelings, guilt, an overpowering sense of lust, confess these words over and over again, covering every part with the blood of Jesus. I promise you that there will never be an entry point for the devil. Cast out every unhealthy feeling by shouting it to his face: "I BRING MY BODY UNDER. I AM DEAD TO THE WORLD BUT ALIVE IN CHRIST. I BRING INTO CAPTIVITY, EVERY IMAGINATION TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.

Be blessed and be PRACTICAL with your FAITH....Walk in VICTORY! #COAL2