Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Dr. Tony Evans is experiencing real intimacy with the Lord requires an investment. If the only worship God gets out of you is on Sunday morning, you're not near to God.
You just visit Him occasionally. This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Satan knows exactly where to find weak spots that can trip us up or tear us down. Today, we'll hear from Dr. Evans as he outlines three specific steps we need to take in order to break free from the habits in history that turned us into spiritual prisoners of war. Let's listen in. There's no way out.
You're caught, but you want to escape. It is unfortunate that Christians have been duped in the believing that if you have a stronghold, you're supposed to have it, that there's no way out. We want to blame people for our strongholds. People cannot make something a stronghold. They can set you up for you to make it a stronghold, because what makes a stronghold a stronghold is that it's got your mind, and while people can make it accessible to you, while people can encourage you in it, they cannot force you. A stronghold is where you are captured in your mind. People say, well, if they didn't have all that junk on TV and all that junk in the movies, I wouldn't have my problem. No, you don't understand.
Your problem is your problem. The first thing you must do if you're going to get out of the vice grip of the mind that is holding you hostage, no matter what it is, is to remember your position in Christ. Ephesians 2 says this, he has raised us up with Christ, seated us with him in heavenly places in Christ. You have been elevated to a position with Christ who is now enthroned over the heavenly realm, and that's where you are. He says, in light of that, in Colossians 3, verse 1, if then you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things which are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth. If your mind is set on an earthly solution, then you won't be able to get a heavenly response. So then what does it mean to remember your position in Christ?
Here it is. Your position as a child of God, if you're truly saved, in Jesus Christ, get this now, gives you legal authority over Satan, so that you can simply tell the angelic realm that attacks you, you no longer have any rights over my life. Secondly, while you remember your position, you must rely on God's provision. Turn with me to James 4. Let me read verse 6. He gives greater grace. Greater than what?
Greater than the mess you in. He says, in verse 7, submit to God. What does it mean to submit to God? I am submitted to God.
No, you're not. Stop lying. Because if you were submitted to God, you wouldn't do what they were doing in chapter 4, verses 1 through 3. What are the sources of your quarrels and conflicts among you? And the source of your pleasures that wage war on your members you lust and do not have, you commit murder, and you're envious and cannot obtain, so you fight in quarrel. You're not submitting to God if you're still fighting for yourself. Commitment can't work unless it's preceded by surrender. You say, well, what is the definition of surrender? Surrender says to God, I can't. Because once you surrender, then God can take over. Most people don't surrender, they commit.
And what they do is try to gear up their minds to say what they're going to do in the flesh. And they treat the flesh like a lion tamer trying to whip it into conformity, not understanding that it means that you surrender. Having surrendered, now you can commit. Having told God, I can't, and therefore say to God, you can, I am going to go out and not do what I used to do, not because I have the ability, because I surrender, but because I commit myself to you to supply in me that which I need to fulfill your expectations of me. You have now invited God to do for you what you can't do for yourself. Philippians 2 puts it this way, work out your own salvation in fear and trembling, but don't forget the next verse. It says, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. We want to do it ourselves and ask God to bless it when what God wants us to say is, I can't, I mess up, I've tried, I've failed, give me some grace and I will. My ability to pull it off is tied to God's ability.
We are too self-sufficient, and that's why we haven't been able to break out of the strongholds. Now I tested this. I tested it with two or three people in our body. We reviewed their position in Christ. Then we reviewed submission to Christ. And in these three illustrations, within less than one month, they overcame, at least to this point, what they hadn't been able to overcome in years of addiction.
Why? Because God came in and did for them what they could never do for themselves by granting them more grace because they said, I can't, you can, I will, because of what you do, not because of what I can do. Their surrender, followed by their commitment, led to their transformation. But some of us are too self-sufficient, and we think more of ourselves than we ought, which I don't know why we think that because we wouldn't be in the mess we were in if we didn't think it. We say on New Year's Eve, I'm going to stop doing this. We really mean it. We just don't have the power to back up the word. And so we jump to conclusions. We think more of ourselves than we ought to.
We think we are life whiz. And every time we jump out to do right, we fall flat on our face. God is saying that He has what we need to jump with, and that'll hold us on the way down. So submit to God. Involved in this submission to God is drawing near to Him. Notice verse 8, draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. There's no way to draw near to God without giving Him time. Jesus said in Matthew 17 21, some things only come by fasting and prayer. When you come into God's presence with praise and prayer, you're drawing near to God. If the only worship God gets out of you is on Sunday morning, you're not near to God.
You just visit Him occasionally. Let me tell you something about the devil. He's got an allergy. Anybody in here have allergies? That means certain times a year when the pollen is high, it irritates you. Your eyes run. Your nose run. You're just irritated.
Why? Because the pollen has infiltrated the air so much that it is choking you up. It's making you uncomfortable. It's allergy season, and you feel it. Satan is allergic to praise. He's allergic to prayer, and when it starts filling the air, he can't hang around in the environment because he's allergic to us making contact with God as a way of life. He can't handle you drawing near to God.
He can't handle you turning worship into a way of life. He's got to vacate the premises because he gets allergic. Some of us never have to worry about that because the pollen of praise and prayer never fills the air. We never fill the environment, so he's quiet at home.
He never is allergic around us. Satan ought to sneeze every time he's in our presence because he knows we're going to bombard the environment with the praise of God, and God will inhabit the praises of His people. So when we bombard the environment, we hear him go, he can't handle it because it's too much unlike what he is drawing near to God. Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with more on why trying to stop a spiritual enemy with human effort is simply a waste of time.
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Start today. TonyEvans.org. Before we get back to Dr. Evans' teaching, I want to let you know that the lesson we're hearing today is part of a 12-message audio series on spiritual warfare. In it, he looks at the nature of the unseen battle and helps us realize that many of our physical troubles essentially spring from spiritual roots. These messages will not only help you learn how to recognize the spiritual origins of the problems that plague you, but will teach you how to tackle those issues using God's methods and power. We want you to have this collection of biblical teachings on spiritual warfare as our gift. Just visit TonyEvans.org, make a contribution, and we'll say thanks by providing you all 12 messages in this two-volume collection on your choice of either CDs or instantly downloadable MP3s. And as an added bonus, we'll include a copy of Tony's popular and powerful book called Victory in Spiritual Warfare, written to help you stand against the enemy's attacks on your spiritual life, family relationships, and more. Again, just visit TonyEvans.org or call 1-800-800-3222, where resource team members are standing by 24-7 to assist with your request.
I'll have that information for you again after part two of today's lesson. Let's join Dr. Evans now as he takes us back to James chapter 4. Human effort cannot stop a spiritual foe. Repent of your sin is the next one. Remember your position, rely on God's provision, repent of your sin. He says in verse 8, cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep.
Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. That simply says, humble yourself enough to God to call a sin a sin. And we live in a day when people are not willing to own up to their personal responsibility. We live in a blamed society where everybody else is to blame. And if this didn't happen years ago, I wouldn't be doing this today.
And if that didn't happen years ago, I wouldn't be affected today. Well, that may have happened years ago, but that does not exonerate you from what you did today. And unless you come to God and cleanse your hands, you sinners, unless you come to God and purify your heart, God then considers you proud. That's why it says in verse 16, he opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. He opposes the proud. Why?
Because every time he sees you're too proud to come to him and confess to him where you messed up, you remind him of another person he doesn't like. Satan says, I don't want to submit to you. I don't want to humble myself before you.
I want to do this thing myself. Don't be too proud to come before his presence and say, I have sinned. It's my fault. And I just humble myself. Why? Because when you need mercy, you don't have anything to brag about. When you need mercy, you can't be talking about who you are. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Because God hates pride, and you are proud when you don't come to him and call it what it is. You must repent of sin. Finally, you must resist the devil. Let's back up to verse 7. Submit therefore to God.
That's one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is resist the devil. And look at the promise associated with verse 7. And he will flee from you.
Let's talk about this. Resisting the devil stuff. Turn to Peter chapter 5.
Verse 6, same statement. Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you, that is, exalt you above your trial, above your suffering, above whatever you're going through, casting all your worry on him because he cares for you. He's sober of spirit.
Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking somebody to eat up. And he's eating up your life, eating up your mind, eating up your circumstances, eating up your joy, eating up your happiness, eating up your dignity, eating up your responsibility, eating up your family, eating up your kids, eating up your me.
He doesn't have a good old time. He says, seeking someone to devour, what should you do? Verse 9 says, resist him. Firm in your faith.
Verse 10, after you have suffered for a while, the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory, will himself, he'll do it himself, perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Resist it. You say, now wait a minute.
OK, I know that. But how? There is only one way to resist Satan.
Let me say that again. There is only one way. When he comes and say, you know you've got to take that drink. You know you can't help but smoke that stick. But you've got to do it. You've got to take it. You've got to look at it. You've got to go there. He says, resist him.
But there's only one way to do that. One day, he came to Jesus and said, you're hungry. You've got to eat. Jesus said, but it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He took Jesus up to the pinnacle of the temple and said, now you've got to jump. Jesus said, but it is written, thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God or put him to the test. Then he took him to a high mountain where you can see the whole Roman Empire.
And he says, now you've got to bow. But Jesus says, but it is written, you shall worship the Lord thy God and serve him only. And then the Bible says, and Satan left him.
Why did he leave? Because Satan can't handle the one thing that always will resist him. And that is the spoken word of God. When Satan comes up and tells you, you are addicted, you tell him back. I have been raised with Christ, Ephesians 2.6.
I've been seated with him in heavenly places. I'm going to set my mind on things above when Satan comes and messes with you tomorrow. Don't go out of this building saying, but my mama said, she can't help you. But when you walk out, don't even go out walking out waving this Bible. You've got to be able to say, it is written. You've got to be able to say, but God said, you told me I got to have that, but you're a liar. And the way I know you're a liar is because God says, he who hath the son is free. God said thy word is truth and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. So I just want to tell you Satan, you're a liar because the word of God is true and Satan will leave you or else God is a liar. Satan either has to leave or God is a liar.
Now why don't somebody put him to the test and stop believing what you've been told. David put him to the test one day. David had an enemy that was much bigger than him.
Nine foot nine Goliath. Saul was scared. The Israeli army was scared. But David said, who is this Philistine dog who would taunt the armies of Israel? Saul says, well, here's the armor.
David said, I don't know how to use this stuff. All I know is one day a lion came after my sheep and God, I killed him with my bare hands. One day a bear came after my lambs. And I know that God took care of that bear because I've seen God work yesterday.
I am not going to be afraid of what I confront today. So David went out and met Goliath. Goliath said, boy, I am going to feed you to the birds.
You're going to be bird's food. David says, well, let me tell you something before you start feeding me. I don't come in my name. I don't come in the name of Israel.
I come in the name of the Lord God Almighty. And it's in his name that I'm going to spin this stone. It's in his name that I'm going to turn this slingshot. Now, I know how to throw a slingshot, but God's got to direct this stone because I know I only got one shot at you, boy.
And I'm going to trust God. He went around and around and around and let it go. It hit Goliath in the hand. He fell down.
Then I like this. David walked over and took out Goliath's sword that he never had the chance to get out himself. Walked over to Goliath's head, lifted up the sword, disconnected his hand from his body, and let him know, don't mess with God. Don't mess with God. You come in the name of God.
You come in the name of God. So let's get rid of the strongholds. You walk out here today saying, I'm not addicted anymore. That's right. You say that's the power of positive thinking.
No, that's the power of biblical thinking. Thank you, Lord. Not help me get free. Thank you, I am free in Christ. And I claim my new identity in Christ.
How do you start? We'll close with this. Hebrews 4. You need more grace. Verse 14 says, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold our confession, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness.
We know you're struggling. But one who has been tempted in all things as we, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find help, and find grace to help in the time of need.
Dr. Tony Evans, sharing how you can break free from habits and thought patterns that hold you captive. And if you're ready to do that, but don't yet have a personal relationship with the Lord, there's no better time than right now to start. Visit tonyevans.org and click the link that says Jesus. There, Tony has a short video that explains everything you need to know about what it means to be a Christian, and how to start a brand new lifelong journey with the Lord.
That's tonyevans.org. Now, if you'd like to get a full-length copy of today's message, check with us for details on the lesson called Tearing Down Personal Strongholds. Better yet, take advantage of our current special offer, and receive it as a part of Tony's complete audio series on spiritual warfare. We'll send you all 12 messages in this two-volume collection, along with Tony's companion book on the topic, called Victory in Spiritual Warfare. They're our gift to you when you make a donation to help continue making this broadcast possible each day. Just visit tonyevans.org, or if you prefer, give our resource request line a call at 1-800-800-3222, and let one of our friendly team members help with your request.
Again, that's tonyevans.org, or by phone at 1-800-800-3222. Well, before I tell you about what's in store for us next time, I wanted to quickly mention that the next episode of Stories from the Storyteller will be released in just a few days. If the kids in your life haven't yet discovered this popular animated series, I'd encourage you to share the series with them. Stories from the Storyteller follows the Evans family as their everyday experiences are turned into opportunities to learn important truths from the Bible. In Up All Night, Cam and Jay too want to be all grown up, but learn the hard way that adulting isn't as easy as it looks. It's an entertaining lesson that teaches that good leaders serve others instead of expecting to be served. Find out how your family can watch at tonyevanstv.com. That's tonyevanstv.com. Well, as far back as the Garden of Eden, Satan's been using family conflict as a weapon against us. On Monday, we'll hear from Dr. Evans as he shows us how to tear down the strongholds the enemy has set up in your home. Be sure to tune in for that.
