Reformation Training: Be an Elijah: Confront the Demonic (PT.5)

PRAYER

RECAP:

Elijah has called the people of Israel to a decision of who is God…Baal or Yahweh

Elijah has called the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a contest of who is God…Baal or Yahweh

Yahweh proves Himself to be God through Elijah’s obedience and contest

Elijah slaughters the prophets of Baal

The drought has ended and Ahab has ran back to Jezebel

1 Kings 19:1–4 “When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.””

Ahab was a passive, weak, demonic leader and had a reputation of whining to his wife, Jezebel, when things didn’t go his way

Jezebel was a domineering, strong-willed, demonic leader that liked to use her place of authority to overrule her husband and make decisions without his wisdom and insight. She had the reputation of truly ruling the kingdom while Ahab sat back under her influence and coddling

Jezebel threatens Elijah and this wasn’t just a simple threat. It was demonic agenda from the pits of hell to take out this man of God.

In response to this life-threatening message, Elijah flees to Beersheba, and then decides to leave his servant there to journey more so into the wilderness

Elijah finds himself at his breaking point, to which he prays for God to take his life.

Tonight, we are going to be talking about spiritual warfare.

Spiritual warfare: the struggle against forces of evil, including personal forces like demons.

Whether we realize it or not, we are a part of two realms: the seen and the unseen.

Ephesians 6:12 “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

So even though Elijah was facing the people of Ahab and Jezebel, it was more than that. Ahab and Jezebel were people controlled by demonic forces. They were possessed by demons.

Make no mistake: they were not helplessly overtaken by these demons. Demons can have access into a person’s life through two means:

Living in unrepentant sin (Ex. Ahab and Jezebel, Judas)

Unhealed wounds, traumas, and generational curses (Ex. Evil kings of Scripture with their families, sin committed against you, sin you committed, Ephesians 4:27 “for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” )

A. DEMONIC POSSESSION: to be under the influence of the vessel of a demon; can be demonstrated through the soul or the physical body of men

These demons were dictating the evil behaviors that Ahab, Jezebel, and the prophets of Baal were all of demonstrating.

Unsaved, without Jesus, can be subject to demonic possession.

So people can be demonically possessed. This is where a demon or demons can completely take over a person’s behaviors and can even at times to speak.

It is important to know that this isn’t something to be afraid of, it is something that can be conquered in Jesus Name!

B. DEMONIC OPPRESSION: this is where demonic forces are able to try and exercise dominion against a believer; they are not able to fully be in control, but are able to prevent the oppressed person from having the same opportunities, freedoms, and rights as others

When you believe upon Jesus for salvation, you receive the Holy Spirit. Therefore, a Christian can NOT be demon possessed.

However, believers can experience the enemy putting the pressure on them in specific areas of their lives that limit them from experiencing what Scripture says you can experience (Ex. Anxiety/Worry; Philippians 4:6–7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”)

Demonic oppression can also be entertained or try to enter one’s life by habitual sin and trauma, wounds, and even life experiences.

The difference between possession and oppression is that when possessed, the enemy owns you, and when oppressed, the enemy attempts to limit you from experiencing what God says is rightfully yours through Him.

If you are oppressed, you must understand that the enemy doesn’t own you. God does! Therefore, he has no power over you!

Elijah had not been living in sin. In fact, he had boldly confronted the demonic forces trying to reign over the people of God. This was a life experience he was going through. He had done the right thing!

Sometimes your obedience to God will attract attacks from the enemy.

This threat from his enemy was so strong that it caused a strong man of faith and obedience to want to die.

Demonic oppression can look like anxiety, depression, and thoughts of wanting life to end. Elijah was experiencing depression to the point of wanting his life to end.

He had done nothing wrong, but had done everything right!

“The greatest news about true spiritual warfare is that it is not devil-focused, but Jesus-focused.”

So Elijah has come to this point of being at the end of his rope and God meets him in the middle of his isolation, depression, and lowest point. This is what God does:

1 Kings 19:5–10 “Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.””

HOW TO OVERCOME DEMONIC OPPRESSION:

LET GOD MINISTER TO YOU

V5, 7

God sends an angel to give Elijah a word and attention

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

V5-8

God’s instructions to Elijah were to take care of his physical needs in this moment first.

God let Elijah sleep and then he told him to eat. Elijah repeats this cycle of care until the Lord released him from this time of rest.

Elijah still had more purpose, he had more that God wanted to do through him, but he couldn’t complete those next steps in the state of weariness he was in.

You are a human being, not a human doing.

God designed us for physical (and mental and emotional) rest. He designed us with a need to eat and drink to replenish our physical bodies.

God replenishes the soul, but he designed rest, food, and drink to replenish our physical bodies.

Depression, anxiety, etc. can be influenced by the lack of rest, proper diet, and taking care of our bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

Giving honor to God with your bodies not only means by what you do in action, but how you treat the body God has given you

Do you dishonor or honor God by what you put into your body or do to your body?

GIVE YOUR BURDENS TO JESUS

We see Elijah in V9-14 is strengthened by the rest and food he received in the wilderness and now God has directed him on this journey to Mount Horeb.

While he is spending his nights at this place in a cave, the Lord begins to ask Elijah his reason for being there.

Elijah begins to express what has burdened his heart to this point.

God had ministered to Elijah, helped him take care of his physical needs, but the spiritual needs that affected his mental and emotional state still needed to be addressed.

Twice Elijah expresses his burdens to the Lord

1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

One might expect God to reprimand Elijah for his fear and running away from the very evil king and queen that he was standing up against. One might expect God to be disappointed in Elijah’s lack of faith, but God was not.

After God let Elijah express his heart, God speaks:

1 Kings 19:15–18 “Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!””

What God was saying to Elijah was this:

“There is still more left for you to do.”

“Justice is coming to your enemies.”

Ahab was murdered in battle after the Lord had pronounced judgement on him. He died by a random, unaimed arrow piercing through the joints of his armor.

Jezebel would be murdered gruesomely by her own followers and servants at word of Jehu

“You are not alone in standing for me”

So Reformer, God says to you today as He said to Elijah:

“You are not finished by this oppression of the enemy.”

“I’ve got great plans for you still ahead.”

“I will handle your enemies and those who oppose you.”

“You are NOT alone.”

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