Hinderance to Healing part 3

Spiritual Opposition

We know its God will to heal.

On of His names is Jehovah Rapha

The Lord who heals physical and emotional needs.

Jeremiah 30:17 NASB95

‘For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘Because they have called you an outcast, saying: “It is Zion; no one cares for her.” ’

Jehovah Rapha our healer.

in this series we’ve looked at Bibical evidense that its God will to heal us.

“As it is in heaven”

but we also recognize that healing doesn’t always happen

sometimes the required healing is held up for decades, and sometimes it never comes.

many Christians just chalk it up to “well God doesn’t want to heal me”

This is errenous and in itself can prevent the healing from manifesting.

When we require healing and it doesn’t come instead of laying the shortcomings on God

let’s instead investigate what could be preventing God from carrying out His will in the situation.

You see I beleive it is always God will to heal,

I also beleive God’s will is not always being done on the earth.

that’s why Jesus told us to pray

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This means the issue is not about convincing God to do something, but rather removing the obstacles that prevent God’s will from being done.

Today I want to take a look at how the enemy causes sickness, and is often the one who gets in the way of our healing.

One of the areas that i believe many 1 st world Christians are ignorant of is the supernatural rhelm that is all around us.

We’ve become so reliant on our science, technology, and empirical thinking most beleiver go their entire day without even recognizing there is a Spiritual unseen battle going on everywhere around us.

Infact if God opened our eyes to see into the supernatural rhelm it would drastically change the way we think.

How can I say that.

Well it changed for mee.

I gaurentee I think differently than many of you,

I don’t blame politicans for their shortcomings, because I’ve seen the evil which is controlling many of them.

Daniel 10:1–21 NASB95

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and one of great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult. Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said to me, “O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. “Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.” When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who was standing before me, “O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. “For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.” Then this one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. He said, “O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince.

If there is war in the heavenlies that are trying to prevent God’s word from going forth, I think its reasonable to conclude GOds will concerning our healing can be held up by spiritual wickedness.

I beleive there are 3 main ways satan causes sickness in people.

1. Satan causes sickness directly.

An obvious tactic is demonization

approximately 25 percent of Jesus’ healings as recorded in the Gospel of Mark involve demons.

Crippled woman healed!

After Jesus healed her, the religious leaders condemned Him for healing on the sabbath.

He responded in Luke 13 verse 16

Luke 13:16 NASB95

“And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Jesus heals the mute boy

Mark 9:14–29 NASB95

When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

The demon displayed itself as what many today would describe as muteness and seizures

This is where it gets compicated.

Yes we have natural sicknesses but we can only have demons who mimic those sicknesses

not every sickness is caused by a demon, but also not every sickness has a natural cause.

Have you ever thought about when a person sneezes the polite thing to say is “God Bless you”

People used to believe a sneeze caused someone to expel their soul out of their body, and so “God bless you” or “Bless you” was used as a protection against the devil snatching your soul.

You may just accept that its an old faible that we hold on to out of poliety

but where the “myth” originate?

I don’t know.

But what I can tell you.

I have lead deliverance sessions where the person being delivered sneeze multiple time at the time the demons are expelled.

Just something to think about.

The point is this.

Some sickness has a natural cause and needs to be healed

but some sickness is actually a demonic influence mimicing a natural sickness.

the natural and demoic need to be dealt with in differnt ways

Now let’s also understand demons can cause illness without possession

Yes possession almost always results in some form of illness in the individual

mental physical or spiritual

But they are more than capable of doing the same thing with those they oppress.

The reason why I bring this up is many believers are uncomfortable with the idea of a demon causing their sickness.

“If I have a sickness caused by a demon does that mean they can control me?”

no.

understand this.

Jesus was oppressed by the devil. He never gave into him, but he was oppressed none the less

2. Satan indirectly uses the natural results of the Fall to cause sickness and suffering.

He uses bacteria, viruses, malnutrition, accidents, fights, poisons, old age, chemicals, the sun

Again is the a natural cause or a tactic of the enemy.

depending on the answer How we seek the healing changes

3. Satan tempts people to fall into sin

that sin results in sickness

In the OT. God used sickness to punish the people

Numbers 16:45–50 NASB95

“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces. Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the Lord, the plague has begun!” Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.

1 Samuel 6:19 NASB95

He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck down of all the people, 50,070 men, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.

But what about the NT?

Elymas Blind

Acts 13:6–12 NASB95

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

Taking comunion wrong

1 Corinthians 11:28–32 NASB95

But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

Whenever the devil tempts you, its to cause you to sin, the enemy is hoping the result is theft, murder and destruction.

In the case of sin we need to repent

before can can carry out His will for healing

So how do we deal with the enemy when they cause sickness.

When instead of praying to ask God to heal.

We take our authority in Christ and command the enemy to fless from us.

James 4:7 NASB95

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Luke 10:19 NASB95

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

WHAT AUTHORITY IS

The authority that Jesus is talking about in Luke 10:19 is not brute force power. It’s delegated power,

much like a policeman possesses. When a policeman steps out in front of traffic and holds up his hand to stop it, he’s not stopping cars and trucks with his own brute strength – he’s stopping them with the delegated authority that comes from wearing the uniform. He’s backed by the law.

That’s the authority you have in Christ. You’re not stopping the forces of darkness (sickness, fear, evil, lack) with your own strength – you’re stopping them with the delegated authority given to you by God in Christ. You’re backed by all the power of God.

How amazing is that -- God Almighty Himself is the power behind your authority!

Ephesians 6:10 NASB95

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

That means you can step out in front of the devil, hold up your hand and say no, backed by the power of God’s might.

IT BELONGS TO US

The Bible says that you are the body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:27).

Jesus is the Head, we are the Body -- and His authority is perpetuated through the Body.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He transferred His authority on earth to His Body, the Church.

In God’s mind, when Christ was raised, we were raised

Ephesians 2:6 NASB95

and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Both the Head and the Body are seated there, next to God, in the place of power and authority.

That means you are seated there! You are seated in the power position, and you are His heir

Romans 8:17 NASB95

and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

That means that everything that’s His -- including His authority -- now belongs to you.

HOW TO USE IT

The door to exercising your authority in Christ hinges on Ephesians 1:20 and Ephesians 2:6, the verses that say we are seated with God in Christ.

I encourage you to meditate on those until you fully grasp the revelation that you are seated with Him, and you are the one He moves through.

Then when adversity arises, use your authority by speaking out what His Word says,

using the Name of Jesus.

For example, you could say,

“Sickness, I command you to leave my body in Jesus’ Name according to

1 Peter 2:24 NASB95

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

The authority is in the name.

It’s like using the name of the president of a company – that name can get things done.

It’s the same in the spirit realm, except that the Name of Jesus is higher – carries more weight -- than any other name

Philippians 2:9

Philippians 2:9 NASB95

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

Think about that! When you use the Name of Jesus, believing that you’re seated with Him at the right hand of God, you are backed by all the power in heaven!

Every knee must bow to that Name

Philippians 2:10 NASB95

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Jesus made it very clear that His Name is the key to all authority:

John 14:13–14 NASB95

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

In Acts 3 when Peter & John encountered a lame man at the Gate Beautiful, they said,

“In the Name of Jesus, rise up and walk”

and he did! It wasn’t their own anointing or power that raised the man – it was the authority in the Name of Jesus.

That same authority belongs to us – using the Name of Jesus is how we use it!