Jesus Crushes Satan

This is Darren Kuhn with the Masculine Journey Podcast, where we search the ancient paths to find ways that God brings light into a dark world and helps set men free from the struggles that we all face on a day-to-day basis. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it.

Share it. But most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network. The resurrection power of Jesus Christ is absolute, transforming and restoring lives, healing hurt, and making all things new. This power set Michael Bowen free from the captivity, darkness, and hell of addiction, and delivered him back to God. This is Jesus Breaks the Chains. I'm part of the Jesus Breaks the Chains series on Truth Network.

I'm evangelist Michael Bowen, and I pray that the Lord blesses you greatly and you receive this word in love and in truth. This podcast is titled Jesus Crushes Satan. I love this podcast.

I love the title of this podcast. Just hearing that right now fires me up and it should fire you up too, because I was so tired of being crushed by Satan in my addiction and going to prison. And being humiliated and being a disgrace and everything that I tried to do good in my life was destroyed by the enemy.

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. And he did that for 25 years of my life until I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I want to open up with this scripture, Romans 1620, and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Amen. I asked myself after I read that, who is this God of peace? And it's answered for me in Isaiah 9-6, it says, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There it is right there, written in God's word by the prophet Isaiah.

In this scripture, the child and the son is the almighty God, the everlasting father who came to earth in the flesh as the God of peace, Jesus Christ. He is the one who invaded my life when I was in prison. On May 18, 2013, I was living in my car, selling drugs, smoking drugs, shooting drugs into my veins, stealing from people in stores to pay for the drugs I could not stop using. I could not stop getting high.

I was running wild through the Austin, Texas city streets. I had abandoned my children, abandoned my life. Nobody knew where I was for three months, and the weight of sin was pressing down on me.

It was so heavy, so dark. I did not know then that God was about to change my life. Very soon, the very next day, on May 19, I was arrested by the police for theft, actually for six counts of felony theft.

I was looking at some good prison time on that one. I was arrested, and I was taken to the county jail. I call this day the day I was captured by God. I remember when the police pulled me out of my car, put the handcuffs on me, and I remember this vividly. When he opened the door, and I had to duck my head to go into that back seat.

The back seats are very, very uncomfortable, very narrow, and they're made out of plastic. I felt the hardness of that plastic seat, and I got in there, squinched in. I remember when my head went under, and as I was entering that police car in there, I said to myself, thank you, God.

I just knew it. I just knew that I would have a chance of stop using drugs. The only way that I'd stop using drugs is if they locked me up where I couldn't get to them. So I was arrested that day, May 19. Now I call this day the day I was captured by God. I went to jail, and then before a judge, and the judge sentenced me to a year in prison for my crimes. This was the second time for me to be sent to prison.

Let me tell you, the first time I went to prison, I did not make any changes while I was there. I actually picked up a habit of smoking cigarettes. I never smoked cigarettes in my life until I went to prison the first time. I really saw everybody on the prison yard smoking cigarettes, and I used to hate cigarettes. I wouldn't put a cigarette in my mouth to save my life, but it was what everybody was doing, and I didn't have anything else to do, and started to take it. I developed a cigarette habit that day, and that time I was there. I also tried making hooch, which is a form of alcohol you can make with fruit bread and sugar from the meals that they serve you.

We would take them, and we'd find a container or something, and we'd put it all together, shake it up, put it in a jar, and let it ferment into alcohol. I was not trying to make any changes, and I spent my days gambling at the poker table and really just running around and acting a fool while I was in prison that first time. Through all of this, I deceived myself and believed that the experience itself of going to prison was enough to get me to stop using drugs and stealing.

Let me tell you, I was wrong about that. Let me tell you, after I got out of prison that first time, I did an interstate compact from Arizona. That's where I was in prison, in Arizona. I was living in Tucson at the time out in the desert.

I knew I needed to change. I figured I'd been to prison once. I'm going to go start over in Texas.

That's where I'm from. Going back home to my home state. There's no way I'll do drugs again because prison was so bad. I've learned my lesson. How many times out there have you said, I've learned my lesson this time? This time will be different. And you always fall back in the same old sin, that same old thing that you go to, your go-to when life is stressful or you got some disappointment or some hurt or even some excitement sometimes.

We reward ourselves with the very thing that is going to destroy us. And for me, it was alcohol and crack cocaine. Now, ended up not too long, maybe a couple of years being in Texas of going back to the same thing that I was locked up in prison before, using crack cocaine and stealing.

However, this time in prison, when they gave me my year in prison in the Texas prison system, it was much different than my first. Instead of doing the same things I'd always done, I began praying to God and asked Him to forgive me. I began reading the Bible and the Word began to transform me. The Word, I felt a change.

The Word started cleansing me. And then one day I went to the prison chapel and Jesus began to speak to me. He told me that if I gave my life to Him, that He would show me a better way.

And this time I believed Him. And I surrendered my life to Him on a prison chapel floor. After a year in that prison, I was released on May 27th, 2014.

That was over eight years ago. The day that I was released from prison, I moved into a drug rehabilitation discipleship home. A Christian sober living home, they call it. And that's what I was. I was a Christian and I was living sober.

And I had no desire to ever go back to that old life again. Actually, when I was on that prison chapel floor, turning my life to Jesus Christ, when I was able to come up off that floor, and I felt the presence of Jesus Christ move through me and over me, I have not had a desire to use alcohol, to drink alcohol or use drugs since that day. So I went to that discipleship home and I soon joined the Spirit-filled church.

I went to church every time they opened the doors. And one Sunday, I was baptized in Jesus' name for the remission of my sins. God filled me with His Holy Spirit. As He promises in His Word that I was reading, I knew there was a promise of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And then I was filled with His power and His fire and His wisdom, His understanding and His love that is unbelievable, that I never felt before this love that I experienced in Jesus Christ and this acceptance and this humility and this peace.

So He's the Prince of Peace, the God of Peace, the Prince of Peace, everlasting Father, Almighty God, hallelujah. My sins have been forgiven and I've been made clean and the fire of God has burned the addiction out of my soul. Like I said, I haven't had a desire to drink alcohol or use drugs since that day that I surrendered to Jesus in prison. Now I'm even preaching in that same prison to men who are like I used to be, who are also hoping to find a better way.

I point them to Jesus and many have come to know the Lord, just as I've done, and they are witnesses of Jesus and have powerful testimonies of how Jesus changed their lives when they surrendered it to Him. We are an army. We are marching of the saints.

We are men and women who have been overcome by addiction, alcohol addiction, alcohol and drug addiction. And God has taken us from that battlefield of addiction and from the prisons all over the United States, all over this world, and He's raising up for Himself an army. A mighty army of evangelists, of ministers of fire to go preach His gospel, to share our testimonies. And so I'm preaching to those men in that prison and I point them to Jesus when I'm preaching. And many have come to know the Lord and are witnesses and they changed their lives. Their lives were changed forever when they surrendered it to Jesus. I'm also evangelizing and ministering to the drug addicted and those who are in prison in Liberia, West Africa.

This blows my mind. Over eight years ago when I was surrendering my life to Jesus Christ, I never believed in my wildest dreams or in my wildest imaginations that I would be preaching this gospel and ministering to people in another country in Africa that was so far away. I didn't even know where Africa was eight years ago.

Hardly. I knew where it was on the map. Certainly didn't know where Liberia was. And now I'm in Liberia, West Africa sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, sharing the love of Jesus Christ with those that are overcome with addiction. What an awesome God.

What a great life. I am humbled, honored and privileged to live in Jesus Christ every day. In all of this, Jesus revealed to me the truth of who He is as the only one who could save my soul from hell and crush Satan once and for all under my feet. Jesus is that God of peace. He is the God of peace. John 1, 1 through 5 says, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

I'm going to ask you some questions based upon this scripture. Who is the light of men? The Word. Who is the light of the world and the light that shines in the darkness? The Word.

Who was with God and who was God? The Word. The Word is the light of the world and the light of men who shine in the darkness. That's the Word.

The Word is my God who shines into my darkness in that prison. It's the Word. John 1, 14 tells us about this Word. What did this Word do? How did this Word come to life and shine in my darkness?

I'm going to tell you. John 1, 14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Who became flesh and dwelt among us?

I ask you. The Word did. Who is the Word? Again, the Word is God. Who is God manifested in the flesh? Jesus is God who is manifested in the flesh. 1 Timothy 3, 16 talks about this. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.

It says, God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. Everything changed for me when I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ in that prison chapel and then was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. This is how God crushed Satan under my feet in Jesus' name. Matthew 28, 18-19 speaks of this.

The Great Commission, they call it. And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It says, Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Baptize in the name.

What is that name? For me, that name is Jesus. Acts 2, 37-39 says, Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Then and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The promise is to you and your children and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call. What is this gift that we are to receive? This gift, it says, is the Holy Spirit. And I'm here to tell you, it is the power and fire of God. Acts 1, 8 states this, But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Let me ask this question.

Everyone listen to this podcast. Why do I receive this power that is promised to me in God's word, this Holy Spirit that is power? I receive this power to be able to be a witness of Jesus Christ to the end of the earth and to go and make disciples of nations and to preach the gospel to every creature. The word of God tells me today, brothers and sisters, friends of mine, my end of the earth is in the prisons in the United States where God sends me to preach his word and minister to the men and women who are there.

Today, my end of the earth is in the graveyards, cemeteries, ghettos in prisons in Liberia, West Africa, where I've been called to help Jesus set the captives free from the heavy yoke and bondage of the slavery of addiction in that country. Only Jesus breaks those chains. Jesus broke the chains of my addiction when I surrendered my life to him, was baptized and filled with his Holy Spirit. The fire of God burned the addiction away. And the power of the Holy Ghost gave me the power and the authority to carry his message of salvation in this gospel to all those that are living in the darkness that need to come out of that darkness. They're in the bondage of the slavery of addiction.

Hallelujah. Today I'm making disciples of drug addicts and prisoners. Well, I shouldn't really say I am making disciples of drug addicts and prisoners. Jesus is making disciples of drug addicts and prisoners through me, his vessel that he placed his spirit in. He is making disciples of those in prison and that are bound by the chains of drug addiction who surrender their lives to Jesus Christ like I did when I had found myself in that predicament and in that situation in prison and bound in the heavy chains of addiction.

I want to share this scripture with you. From the day of Pentecost when the disciples were told to go tarry in Jerusalem and that they would receive the promise from the Father that was the gift of the Holy Spirit. And so they went. The count was about 120 and they went to the upper room as the story is told. And they went and they prayed. And I'm sure they were fasting and praying and crying out to God like I cried out to him on that prison chapel floor. In Acts 2, beginning in verse 1, it says, When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as a fire, and one sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. I believe the reason why I'm speaking to you now through this podcast today is because my second time in prison, I believed in Jesus and received him as my Lord and Savior, and I repented of my sins. Then when I was released from prison, I was baptized for the remission of those sins and filled with the Holy Ghost like disciples on that day of Pentecost. I had my day of Pentecost, and I was filled with the Holy Ghost and fire. Everyone that is listening to this podcast, if you haven't already experienced this, if you haven't already done so, everyone can have their own day of Pentecost. It's a promise to you.

It's promised in the Word. I ask you now, when will your day be? My day came when I trusted Jesus with my life and believed that he would show me a better way. I surrendered to Jesus, crying and weeping, laying on my face on a prison chapel floor, begging him to save me.

And he did. In this process, I repented fully and holy and turned away from my sins. I was baptized for the remission of those sins as it states in the Word that I should do. And then I was filled with the Holy Spirit. And now I am set free and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. That was John 8 32. John 8 36 says, whom the Son sets free is free indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The Son shall make you free. The Son is the truth.

What is that truth? Jesus has come to save you, rescue you and set you free so you can have a relationship with him and be a witness of him to this dark and wicked world. Like I am being to you here today through this podcast, like I am doing to those men and women, I'm being a witness to them in the prisons that I go to and preach the gospel and share the love of Jesus Christ with.

I am doing it in Liberia, West Africa, when I encounter the drug addicts in that country and the criminals, the street criminals who have found themselves overcome by this dark world, wicked world and the power of addiction over their lives and they can't break free. Romans 16 20. I'm going to say it again. It's what I opened up with this scripture. Look, brothers and sisters, friend of mine, this is a promise to you.

It happened to me. It will happen to you if it hadn't already happened. Romans 16 20. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Amen. To you who are listening now, I say this. If you surrender your life to Jesus now, God will crush Satan Satan under your feet shortly like he did under mine. God of peace wants to fill you with his Holy Spirit and give you the authority and power to crush Satan once and for all and to keep him under your feet every day.

You live the rest of the days of your life as God calls you to be a witness to this dark and cruel world, fallen world. God has a mission for you. He's called you out of this world. He has made you his chosen. You are his.

And he wants you to tell everyone that you come into contact with about him. Hallelujah. It's why we were created to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the one who came in the flesh.

Hallelujah. And dwelt among us. Luke 10 17 through 19, the 72 returned with joy. These are the disciples. He sent them out two by two in a number of 72. He sent 72 disciples out to go and do what he had called them to do, just like he sent me out to the prisons and to West Africa, Liberia, West Africa.

He sent 72 out. And when the 72 returned, this is what the scripture says in Luke, the 72 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 overcome all the power of the enemy.

Nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the Spirit submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. That means rejoice in your salvation. Do not rejoice that the Spirit submit to you.

They're not submitting to you. They're submitting to the Jesus Christ in you. Hallelujah. Psalm 9 1 13 says you will tread on the lion and the cobra. You will trample the great lion and the serpent. I believe that you receive the authority when you are baptized into Jesus name, and I believe you receive the power to make disciples of the nations and be a witness to the end of the earth when you are filled with the Holy Spirit. This is my truth that the Lord revealed to me, search the scriptures and ask God to reveal this truth to you. When I was in prison for that year, I read the Bible all day every day, and I went to church and listened to every preacher that came in and preached the word to us. Night after night after night, I listened to the men and women, the many men and women volunteers who God sent to teach us the word.

And I believed in that word and I listened. I let the Holy Spirit move on me and show me the truth in that word. My advice for you who are listening, if you have not done so already, is to surrender your life to Jesus now and let him show you a better way like he showed me. Repent of your sins and make the God of peace your Lord and Savior and confess him as your Lord and Savior of your life with your mouth. Then join a spirit-filled church, be baptized in Jesus name for the forgiveness of your sins. It is written in Acts 2 38 and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I believe in doing this, you will have the authority and power to overcome the difficulties in your life. Romans 8 37 says, Yet in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8 31, What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us? 1 John 4 says, You are of God's little children and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. The Holy Spirit in you is greater than the spirit that's in the world, the prince of the air. Hallelujah.

The prince of the peace overcomes the prince of the air. Hallelujah. Philippians 4 13 says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I say I can do all things through the God of peace who strengthens me, who Jesus Christ who strengthens me. Isaiah 40 29 says he gives power to the weak and to those who have no might he increases strength. My strength comes from the Lord. Hallelujah. 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 3, But the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 1 Corinthians 15 57, But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers, sisters, friends of mine, those listening to this podcast, I'm going to tell you this victory is yours now. Grab a hold of it. It belongs to you.

It is a free gift from God. God, the God of peace is ready to crush Satan for you in Jesus name. I believe this with all of my heart.

Colossians 2 11 through 15 says, In him you are also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with him through faith in the work of God, who raised him from the dead, and you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. You too can live in this triumph with Jesus Christ when you make him your Lord and Savior, like I have done. I love you all, and I pray that you too can find the freedom that I have found in Jesus Christ. Jesus breaks the chains. He is my Lord and Savior, and through him, God has crushed Satan under my feet, and given me the authority and power to be his witness to the end of the earth.

This is the greatest life I have ever lived, living my life in Jesus Christ. God bless you all. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Thank you for listening. For more information on Michael Bowen's ministry, Sons and Daughters of Thunder, visit sonsanddaughtersoftunder.org. And remember, there is no addiction in Jesus Christ. Jesus breaks the chains. This is the Truth Network.