2. Bring what is in the darkness to the light so that you can be healed. (There isn't anything that would shock us).

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1 Spiritual Warfare 201 Liberation for Life - Session 3 Dave Collins and Faye Johnson Introduction In this class we will be looking at three common areas that that trip up believers and hinder there growth. Not only that, when Repentance, forgiveness and bitter root judgements are not addressed they can allow the enemy access or legal grounds to attack them. In this class we will define each of these areas and look at how we as Christians can do warfare in each of these areas. Review Knowing your Enemy World, Flesh & Devil Who is Satan - BIG GOD and little devil Satan s Tactics Strongman and Minions Weapons of Warfare Objectives Understand what Repentance and how to do it. Know importance foe forgiveness and how to for give someone and how to know that you have forgiven some one. Understand Bitter Root Judgements and how to break free from them. Understanding Repentnce What is repentance? According to Webster it is to feel sorry for or regret over something so as to change one s mind or actions. When we repent over an issue, we are truly sorry for having done it, not just sorry or angry for having been caught doing it. We realize that all sin is ultimately directed at God (Ps. 51:4 Against Thee alone, O Lord, have I sinned. ), and our deepest heart s desire is to change. Another meaning within repentance is to do 180-degree turn from our sin and never do it again. 1. Overcome the defense instinct. Unrepentance gives Satan a place where he can and will operate in our lives Satan has a legal access, given to him by God, to dwell in the domain of darkness. The devil can traffic in any area of darkness, even the dark that still exists in a Christian's heart. (Neil Anderson) We need to deal with areas of darkness in our own lives. 2. Bring what is in the darkness to the light so that you can be healed. (There isn't anything that would shock us). When the Holy Spirit shows us an area that needs repentance, we must overcome the defense instinct, which is to keep it covered and hidden. The greatest defense weapon we have against the devil is an open, honest heart before God. If we allow the Holy Spirit to bring conviction, 1

2 rather than arguing with Him, our heart becomes more pliable before God. He gives us strength to stand against evil desires. As the Scriptures say, God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. James 4:6-8, NLT. We often hear resist and flee as a testimony to spiritual warfare, but it is in the context of repentance, humility and a clean heart that we see Satan fleeing. 3. Name your sin call it what it is. When the Woman at the Well confessed her sin by saying she had no husband, Jesus commended her for her answer. You have answered well, He said. Calling a sin by another name is pointless; it just hides the sin under another layer of deception. We commend you for your honesty as you walk through this process. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16, NIV. 4. Nothing, not any type of sin, can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? I am convinced that no created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:35) But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV. Understanding Forgiveness Forgiveness is essential for the Christian, it is how we get in the Kingdom, and is to become the normative for the kingdom life style for all Christians. Generally, forgiveness is a decision to release and let go of the responsibility or perceived debt that others owe us for wounding, hurting or violating us. It s transferring the responsibility from us to God to deal with the person. It means making a choice to release our feelings of anger, hatred, judgment, resentment, thoughts of revenge or retaliation. Forgiveness doesn't mean that you deny the other person's responsibility for hurting you, and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong. You can forgive the person without excusing the act. Forgiveness is the act that leads to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt you. Forgiveness is the release that brings a kind of peace that helps you go on with life. Forgiveness is meant to be a lifestyle and is a key for inner-healing and removing involuntary demonic footholds in our lives. Forgiveness resolves pain. Forgiveness removes the right of the enemy in your life. Forgiveness can restore relationships. Forgiveness helps remove the blockages to intimacy in our lives. 2

3 Captives Versus Prisoners Isaiah 61:1-4 To proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; Captives are those who have been offended or affected negatively (slimmed) by others or by the spiritual atmosphere environment they have encountered. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 People who have been taken captive (or slimed) get free just by simple prayers of brushing off. This should be normal kingdom living, stepping over offenses, washing our selves off (Ephesians 5:26-27). However, when you are not able to wash ourselves off and get free with a simple prayer of release, it might be possible that you have moved from being a captive to a prisoner. Prisoners tend to be those have allowed offences from their environments to stay unchecked or to accumulate, when offences become unforgiveness and unforgiveness move into bitterness, and bitterness then can become a stronghold. If this occurs, we are Prisoners! In Matthew 18, Jesus how to deal with offences, then in verses He taught a parable that explains how we become prisoners. Because the servant was unwilling to forgive a debt to him by others, in anger, his master turned him over to the tormentors to be tortured until he should pay back all that he owed. In Verse 35, Jesus say s: This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the prison door behind which we have been jailed. When we first look at this, our thoughts are surely we have read this wrong. In Matthew 6:15, Jesus said, if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you. Again in Mark 11:25-26 it states this again. The degree to which I am able and willing to forgive others is a clear indication of the extent to which I have personally experienced God my Father s forgiveness for me. The corollary to this is that anyone who is not willing to forgive another has certainly not known God s loving forgiveness. Philipp Keller Why Forgive Ohers? It s Essential to the Christian life. We are commanded to! It breaks the strongholds in our lives. Forgiveness is a key to healing and blessing. Forgiveness can be difficult for us when we judge the wrong done to us or by us too great to 3

4 forgive. Forgiveness is extended by grace, not by worthiness. What Forgiveness Is! Forgiveness is a supernatural event. Forgiveness is something we cannot accomplish, it is something in which we cooperate with God and are released by His grace extended at the cross by Jesus.! Letting Go of a Right to Get Even You give up the right for revenge when you forgive someone.! Moving Forward Forgiveness is like saying, It hurt. I didn t like it, but I m moving forward with my life in spite of the pain.! Dropping Resentment and Grudge Forgiveness releases the angst towards the person who did the injury.! A Choice Forgiveness isn t easy, but it s a conscious decision made by the injured party.! A Step Towards Healing Forgiveness releases a weight from the shoulders of the injured, opening the door for emotions to heal.! An Opportunity to Display Grace There is no greater picture of God s forgiveness of us than for us to forgive one another.! The Removal of a Roadblock Forgiveness removes the barrier between us and living at peace again with ourselves, others and God. What are the Signs of Forgiveness! Pride or self-righteousness seeing the self as right and the one typically wronged, or having a lopsided view of events that promotes the self. With this there is often a spirit of self-pity attached nursing the wound.! Gossip, slander or criticism verbal comments that unearth bitterness in the heart, the need to make others smaller or less significant, the object of ridicule.! Hardness of heart and insensitivity the inability to feel mercy or remorse for another s pain, especially when we are the source of the problem.! Vengeance, malice or anger a need to release onto others the wreckage that has been done in our heart.! Jealousy, covetousness the inability to celebrate another s success, or the view that they do not deserve it.! Withdrawal, rejection, or abandonment cutting off relationship with others. Working Forgiveness It is important that forgiveness be extended from the heart. A person cannot attain freedom if forgiveness is only done as a rote activity. So it is important to check us to be present to the pain that we are forgiving from our heart. Without this presence of heart, true freedom is not acquired. Most people will know when they are heart present to the offense and able to forgive willingly and whole-heartedly. However, our feelings do not need to lead in forgiveness. 4 When we lead in prayer for

5 forgiveness it is often helpful to say, I choose to forgive In choosing to forgive we are aligning our will with God s truth and choosing to do as the Lord has commanded. The feelings will come along in time. Don t let feelings stop the choice to forgive. What Forgiveness is Not! Not Justifying a Wrong In forgiving, we are not justifying a wrong done to us sin is still sin.! Forgetting Forgiveness does not mean that we forget it means that we see the event differently through the cross with the pain and bondage of it removed. When forgiveness manifests, pain in the memory will lift.! Forgiving does not always mean reconciliation some people may not be safe for entering back into relationship. Where trust has been broken, restitution must first take place.! Regaining Automatic Trust You don t immediately trust the person who injured you when you forgive them. That wouldn t even be logical. Trust is earned, and they must earn trust again.! Removal of Consequences Even though you forgive someone, they may still have consequences to face because of their actions.! Ignoring the Offense You don t have to pretend nothing happened when you forgive. The reality is an offense was made. Acting like it never occurred only builds resentment and anger.! Instant Emotional Healing Emotions heal with time. Some pain runs deep and takes longer to heal.! Restoring the Same Relationship The relationship may be closer than before or not, but most likely it will never be the same.! A Leverage of Power Granting forgiveness does not give a person power over the person being forgiven. That would violate the entire principle and purpose of forgiveness. Forgiving Others Be specific We are about to settle an account before the Lord you don t go with incomplete records when you go to court; you make sure that you have an accounting of the case. So it is when we go before the Lord to forgive. It is important that we are specific as possible, without the need to be unnecessarily graphic. In this way we are releasing others and ourselves from the pain. So Name the offender. Name the hurt. Name what you are forgiving. Freedom will manifest in-kind with the release. Unforgiveness As A Protection Sometimes the one receiving ministry is unwilling to forgive, because the anger has formed a defense for them. It is a false protection from being hurt by others. When we ve operated in a state of unforgiveness for sometime we no longer know how to live without that protective shield. Some think they will be victimized again because forgiveness brings vulnerability to 5

6 that area. We need to be assured and encouraged to set right boundaries, and look to the Lord to protect the tender areas of our heart. He is able to restore all those areas that have been wounded. It is important to understand that God does not always prevent us from being hurt; He is present in our pain and in our life. While the Lord does protect us, more often He restores us when we are wounded. This is what the incarnation accomplished. Jesus, having taken on an earthly body encourages us to live life fully, as He did. He is fully able to restore and heal what has been wounded. It is important that we ask the Holy Spirit to help us with forgiveness. Especially if it is a long held hurt. There may be structures built into the heart that keep the wound in place, or keep us from seeing it fully. Shame, pain or anger may hold unforgiveness firmly in place. When forgiveness comes, many of these feelings dissipate, and we will find a new way to live when similar circumstances arise. Anger With God Removing a Barrior for Healing There are times when the one receiving ministry needs to admit that they are angry with God for not answering or not being there in the midst of the difficulty. In truth, God is not absent, nor is He to blame for the negative events of our life. But in the course of working out healing and transformation, we may need to come to terms with how we feel about God. Blame can become a barrier to healing. It might be appropriate to recognize that we are angry at God about what happened. This is often hard since the perception is that God didn t do anything wrong. However, our heart has held God responsible for the negative events. We have expectations of Him that He didn t live up to. We ve not felt His presence, and felt abandoned in time of great wounding. Parents represented God to us and if they were abusive to us, we have a view of God that is abusive. These prejudiced views get lodged in the heart early in life. We ve suffered a terrible loss or injury and find it hard to forgive because we cannot reconcile our feelings of anger toward God. Forgiving Ourselves It is important to receive forgiveness from the Lord, the release from bondage. Sometimes we hold ourselves accountable for the foolishness of our actions, or the cruelty or harm we have done. We are unwilling to release our self-judgment and condemnation and prevent forgiveness and grace from freeing us from the pain of condemnation. Thinking we guard ourselves from repeating these same actions, we set ourselves into a prison of torment without relief. Asking and Receiving Forgiveness Once we have released those who have sinned against us, we need to ask the Lord to forgive us for our sinful reactions and judgments. In doing this, we ask the Lord to free us from prison. We move out of the hands of the tormentor and into grace. How to Know that you Have Forgiven You quit rehearsing your story with yourself and others. You quit seeking to punish or hurt their reputation. 6

7 You quit trying to intimidate them when you see them. You quit making them feel guilty for what they did. You accept the matter of total forgiveness as a "life sentence." (You keep forgiving indefinitely). You can bless them and ask God bless them also. Blessing the Other Person True Feedom We know we have stepped into full freedom when we are able to bless the one who hurt us. When we are able to bless in the place of cursing, we bring resurrection life into dead places. Romans 12:14-21 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse Do not repay anyone evil for evil Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like setting ourselves up as a higher tribunal than Him. C.S. Lewis Bitter Root Judgements What are bitter roots or bitter root judgments: Hebrews 12:15 Our sinful reactions to hurt Critical, condemning judgments of people Matthew 7:1-2 Refusal or inability to forgive someone Operations of the unchangeable law or God which causes us to reap what we have sown Galatians 6:7-8 Contain the power to defile many, including ourselves, causing us to drink poison instead of nourishment Romans 2:1-2 Bitter roots are not: The hurtful or terrible things that happen to us The sins of those who have wronged us Powerful enough to overcome the free will of another A bitter root expectancy is: Attitudes or practiced ways of thinking which expect the worst from others & ourselves Habits of self-fulfilling prophecy, by which we push people to fulfill our picture of the waysthings will go. [When relationships or circumstances turn out as we expect, our negative thinking is confirmed, and we may fail to realize how we may invite others to hurt us.] Based on the specific judgments made most often against father and mother: Women will always be controlling Men can t be trusted. No one ever listens to me. Expectancies are psychological Healing for bitter root judgments: Recognition: seeing sinful patterns and how they affect one s life Luke 6:43-44 Repentance: choosing change; determining to stop patterns by acknowledging judgments and bring them and their expectations to death on the cross in prayer. 7

8 Confession: allows us to be fully known before God, in our brokenness and sin, so that He can heal and change us. Clinic: Repentance Prayer I confess my sin of and forgive all who may have influenced me to sin. I repent of giving place to any spirit of darkness in the area of and break every unholy bondage associated with it. In the Name of Jesus, I renounce and cancel all agreements I have made with you and I reclaim every part of my life I have given to you. I take authority over any spirit of and command you to leave me now in the Name of Jesus and by the Blood of His Cross. (Now ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the opposite of what you just repented of.) Forgiveness Prayer Lord Jesus, I choose as an act of my will, regardless of how I feel, to forgive (name of the person) who has wronged me by (how they wronged you), because it made me feel (describe how you felt). I relinquish all my thoughts of seeking revenge, retaliating or getting even. I set myself free from holding them in debt to me any longer. With Your help, I will no longer dwell on the situation or continue to talk about it. I release them to You, and I ask you to bless them. I thank You for forgiving me as I have forgiven them. I thank You for releasing me. I ask this in Jesus name, amen. Journaling Give an example for a repentance prayer and forgiveness prayer. Give an example of a bitter root judgement. Homework Descibe a time where you had to repent from something that you had gone. What was a bitter root judgement in your life that you dealt with. What did you do to get set free? 8