Message 15 - By Leroy Surface
Pulling Down Strongholds
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being
absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am
present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which
think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the
flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting
down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your
obedience is fulfilled.
II Corinthians 10:1-6
Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians in advance of his coming
to them. The reports he has received from Corinth are not good. In his
first letter to the Corinthians he reproves them for their sins; everything
from fornication of a sort that was not even found among the Gentiles, to the
divisions, which divided the brethren, to the fact that they were suing one another
in the secular courts. Paul dealt severely with the Corinthians in his first
letter, and now he is writing a second letter to them, and the issues are a
little different this time. False teachers had come into the church, twisting
and changing the gospel message until it was “another gospel” (II
Corinthians 11:4). He spoke of
false Apostles, false prophets, and false teachers in the church at Corinth,
bringing another gospel, resulting in “another
Jesus,” and “another spirit.” Paul
had first brought the gospel to Corinth, but now, in his absence, they were
ridiculing him, making fun of both his appearance and his speech. In our
text, the essence of his words were, “I
have always been meek and lowly when among you, but now, being absent I must be
bold toward you, begging you to hear me, so I don’t have to be bold toward you
when I come.” Paul spoke of those in Corinth who “think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.” Those
ministers, who do walk according to the flesh, tend to believe that all ministers
are the same.
Paul began this chapter, saying, “I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” Sometimes
we have the idea that the only manifestation of Jesus is “meekness and gentleness,” and that is what Paul had always been
when present with them. It was Paul who had brought the gospel they
believed and received. They were saved; they were freed from sin and the world,
yet in his absence, both sin and the world had come into the church. These were
the things Paul addressed in his first letter; now, in his second letter he
warns them against the false apostles, and false teachers who were filling
their church. The Corinthian church was being moved away from Christ to another
“gospel,” which was not the gospel.
Paul wrote to them with great boldness, in the hope they would reject the false
teachers along with their doctrines and return to “Christ-crucified,” whom Paul preached. If Paul must come to them,
there would be spiritual war against the stronghold of false doctrine that was
being established in that church. If he must be bold, then he will be bold
against those who “think of us as though
we walk according to the flesh.” Paul was ready to lay “lowliness and meekness” aside for a
moment, to deal with some issues in that church. Certainly, to do so is
not to leave the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. I remember several years
ago a lady came to me in tears. I asked her what was wrong, and she answered, “It’s my child.” She had a rebellious
child that, though well trained in the early years, was not serving the Lord.
She had reprimanded the child for almost continual disobedience, and the child
looked at her and said, “but I can’t see
Jesus in you.” The implication from this child was, “If I could see Jesus in you, then I would want Jesus in me.” This mother was heartbroken. “What is wrong with me that my child can’t
see Jesus in me?” she cried. It seemed to me that the rebellious child
had used a strong weapon against the mother. It seemed, the child was
vindicated for rebellion, and the mother was the villain. What an amazing turn
of events! I said to that mother, “Your
child couldn’t see Jesus in Jesus!” The mother was shocked that I would say
such a thing. How could I say such a foolish thing? I said to her, “The Pharisees
couldn’t ‘see Jesus in Jesus.’ The scribes couldn’t ‘see Jesus in Jesus.” The
Son of God was walking among them, meek and lowly, doing nothing but good,
healing the sick, casting out demons, feeding the multitude with five loaves
and two fishes, doing all manner of wonderful works, doing nothing but good,
and they hated Him, rejected and despised Him, plotted His death and gave Him
over to be crucified. I told the mother, “Your
child couldn’t see Jesus in Jesus.” Then I said, “The Jesus your child needs to see is Jesus with a ‘whip’ in His hand.”
The Pharisees saw Jesus with a whip in His hand when He drove them out of
the house of God, saying, “You’ve made my
Father’s house a house of merchandise, and a den of thieves.” He overturned
the moneychanger’s tables, released the animals that were being sold in the
temple, and drove them all out of the temple with a whip. Sometimes even the
church needs to see Jesus with a whip in his hand. Can you understand
that? That is the place Paul had come to with the Corinthians. He was
ready to let them see Jesus with a whip in His hand. I trust I haven’t come
this morning with a whip in my hand, for that is certainly not my purpose in
this message. There are times, however, as Paul wrote in Romans 11:22, that the church needs to “Behold therefore the goodness and the severity of God.” Paul
explains this statement with his next words; “On them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou
continue in his goodness.” The Jews had fallen because of unbelief; they
didn’t believe the gospel; they rejected the truth. There is also “goodness” to those who continue in His
goodness. God brings people to Himself through His “goodness,” but sometimes he also uses “fear” (Jude 1:23). Sometimes
He deals with His own children in “severity,”
and I’m so glad He does. The scripture says, “Every son whom He loveth, He chasteneth.” I’ve been chastened many
times by the Lord, and it always feels so good when it’s over, because it
reassures me that He loves me and that I am His child. He said if He doesn’t
chasten us, it is because we are not His children; that we don’t belong to Him.
God never spanks the child of another. The chastening of the Lord is sweet and
good to those who understand, because, even when He takes His whip to us sometimes,
he says, “It is because you’re my child
that I must do this.” I’m not the only one. Some right here in this church
have confided to me how the Lord chastened them. I told them, “That’s such a good report. That tells me
you are a child of God, if He chastens you. He’s calling you back to Himself.
He’s giving you warning about the great danger you were about to enter
into. It let’s you know He loves you, and that you are His child.” That
is steadfast and sure, when He is dealing with His children.
The false teachers at Corinth were making personal attacks against
Paul. They were ridiculing him, hoping to destroy the “messenger,” because in reality it was the message of the gospel
Paul preached that they warred against. In one place they said, “His bodily presence is weak, and his speech
is contemptible” These false teachers were probably powerful
orators. They were scholars. They were probably men of worldly wisdom who
could speak great swelling words to move the people, because Corinth was one of
those cities of Greece where philosophers gathered to offer their wisdom. Much
of the Greek philosophy had been incorporated into the “gospel” of these false teachers. These men were so powerful in
their philosophical presentations, that in their view, Paul was nothing. In
their view, “his bodily presence was
weak;” he had never been “properly
trained” by the great Greek philosophers. Again, in their view, “his speech was contemptible,” due to
his lack knowledge of the finer points of oratory. They expected that Paul
would be the meek, gentle, and lowly man that he had always been in their
presence. They expected him to stand silently by while they took the church
into Greek philosophy, and the carnal things of the world. Paul warned them, “It’s in my mind to be bold against some who
think of us as though we walk according to the flesh.”
If the devil can convince you that the gospel you receive from this
ministry is nothing more than the opinion of a man, then it will never do
anything for you. The enemy whispers, “That’s
just Brother Surface’s opinion. He
preaches a little different than most ministers, so that’s just his opinion.” If
you believe that, you can sit on these pews every service for the rest of your
life, and the gospel will never do anything for you. The gospel of Jesus is not
“just another thought among many
thoughts.” It is “the power of God
unto salvation.” Paul commended the saints of Thessalonica. He said, “When ye received the word of God which ye
heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the
word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13). That church was transformed by the
power of the gospel Paul preached, because they received it not as a man’s
opinion, but as God speaking. I struggled just like most others for twenty-five
years trying to make the word work, until that same gospel Jesus revealed to
Paul was revealed in me. It “effectually”
worked in me, just as it works in everyone who has ever believed
it. Praise God, it makes men free! I do not boast when I tell you
that if you will believe the gospel I preach, it will make you free. Certainly
it is not because it is my word or my thoughts, but because it is the record
that God gave of His Son (I John 5:10),
and is in complete agreement with the scriptures and with all the apostles of
the Lord, who preached and taught the same gospel. It will make a New Creature
of you; it will free you from your bondages and fears, and deliver you from the
things you don’t want to do, and from all the ways you don’t want to be,
because, in four words, “Jesus saves from
sin.” You can be “free from sin”
to serve God.
In Paul’s absence, a stronghold of Satan had been established in
the church at Corinth through the philosophical teachings of false
teachers. Paul writes to warn them, “Though
I walk in the flesh, I do not war after the flesh.” He continued, “For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to pulling down of strongholds…” I was
visiting with someone the other day that told me, “I have a stronghold I’ve got to pull down.” I answered, “A stronghold.” They said, “Yes, I have a stronghold in my
thinking. I’ve got to renew my mind and pull down this stronghold and cast down
this imagination.” I questioned, “What
are you trying to do that for?” They answered, “Paul said to pull down the strongholds and cast down the
imaginations.” I responded, “Paul
wasn’t talking about you pulling
down the strongholds that are in you.”
If Satan has a stronghold in a person’s life, they do not know it is there.
The person who has “imaginations,”
does not recognize them as imaginations, and certainly cannot deliver
themselves from them. Strongholds and imaginations will never fall until
they are exposed for what they are by the preaching of the truth of the gospel.
It was Jesus who said, “And ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” It is the “truth of the gospel” that makes men
free. The psychologist says it is the “truth
about you” that will make you free. The gospel says the “truth” is “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” When the strongholds of Satan
are discovered and exposed by the truth, the captives will go free. There is no
such thing, however, as you pulling down the stronghold that is in you.
If you are still at war with something within yourself, it is
impossible that you will ever win that war. The thing you are at war with is
sin, and the only deliverance from sin is “through
death.” That doesn’t mean you must “continue
in sin” as long as you “live in this
body.” The “death” that delivers
from sin is death “with Christ.” This
is why Jesus died for us, so we would die with Him. Paul said, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should
not serve sin. For he that is dead is
freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7). If you are at war with something within you, you are not
going to “pull it down.” You are not
going to change your own ways. It’s not within the abilities of a man or woman
to change their own self. Jesus said that no person could, by taking thought,
change their height or the color of a single strand of their hair; neither can
you change your ways, your desires, your hopes, your dreams, or your
imaginations by taking thought. If there is a “spiritual stronghold,” by virtue of what a stronghold is, the one
held captive does not even know they are captive. If you should become aware
that you are a captive, cry out to God for mercy. Repent and believe the
gospel, and He will destroy the stronghold, but you can’t do it.
Paul boldly made it known that God had given him a weapon that
would pull down Satan’s strongholds in the church. Concerning those strongholds
Paul said, and I paraphrase, “The
weapon of my warfare is not carnal. The fact that I might be meek and lowly;
that my bodily presence may be weak and my speech may be contemptible does not
matter, because God has given me a weapon that is not carnal, but mighty
through God to pull down the strongholds, and to cast down the imaginations,
and to bring every thought into captivity.” I understand that the “philosophical gospel,” the thinking of
the wise of this world, takes this text to tell us how to pull down strongholds
in our own life. If the devil can turn you inward, so you don’t look
outward, the whole world will go to hell while you are trying to straighten
yourself out. There are people who spend their lifetime trying to “perfect themselves,” so they can be a
fruitful witness, but never accomplish anything for God because they deny the
word of God which says, “for by one
offering, He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). When Jesus died on the cross for us, He did a “perfect work,” and provided a “complete salvation” for everyone who will
believe it. Paul settled it in Colossians
2:10 when he said, “And ye are
complete in Him,” which means the same in the Greek as “perfected.” He has made us complete in Christ.
The modern “philosophical
gospel” teaches us how, through “renewing
our minds,” and “retraining
ourselves,” to set a guard on our every thought, our every word, and
imagination. All these things are nothing more than “methods,” which may help a sinner, but have their source in
philosophy, and certainly have no place in a child of God. Plato could have
given these same methods to you. Socrates, or Aristotle would have given
you the same. Paul said, “Beware lest any
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Philosophy turns individuals inward unto themselves, and they
will never do anything for God. I asked the question when I took the pulpit
this morning, “How many are redeemed?” If
you are the “redeemed of the Lord,”
then you are free to serve God. If you are the redeemed of the Lord, He has “given you the victory through Jesus Christ
our Lord” (I Corinthians 15:57). The “spirit of your mind (Ephesians
4:22-24)” was renewed the moment
your old man was crucified, and you were quickened with Christ. You became a “new creature” (II Corinthians 5:17). Everything
became new. You now have Him who “always
causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus” (II
Corinthians 2:14).
Paul was not boasting in himself when he told the Corinthians he
would not “war after the flesh.” He did not come to debate. He would not argue
the fine points of their philosophy; neither was he seeking a common
denominator of doctrine with them. He recognized the stronghold of Satan in the
church, and knew it must be pulled down. He was coming to Corinth in the
power of the Holy Ghost, to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that God
would work with him to pull down those strongholds. Every imagination, and
every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God would be cast
down, and every thought would be brought into captivity to the “obedience of Christ.”
It is easy to misunderstand the term “obedience of Christ.” We know every child of God is to “obey Christ,” but the term “obedience of Christ” speaks of His
obedience to the “death of the cross.” In
Philippians 2:6-8, Paul speaks of
Jesus, who “being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death
of the cross.” The “obedience of Christ” is His obedience to
“the death of the cross.” That is the
very heart of the gospel. In I
Corinthians 1:23-24, Paul said, “But
we preach Christ crucified…the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” There
is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ, but it’s not through
an intellectual knowledge of Him. It is by way of His cross. The intellectual
will teach anything but the cross of Christ. The philosophical will teach
everything except the cross of Christ. Go to churches across our nation,
many of which are filled to capacity with people seeking self worth and greater
prosperity for a better life in this world, and you will find they do not teach
the cross of Christ. You will never hear the blood of Jesus mentioned, unless
as a covering for our sinful selves so God can’t see us. They do not believe
the blood of Jesus was shed for our sanctification (Hebrews 13:12). They will never tell of freedom from sin that
Jesus died to give us. These things are not taught in those churches.
Why? It is because Satan has successfully established his stronghold, and
they cannot preach the truth. They cannot bring the only message that will make
people free from sin to serve God. They cannot preach Christ-crucified,
and the death of the cross. Jesus said in Matthew
7:14, “Strait is the gate, and narrow
is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Many
people would close you in with laws, with principles, and with commandments,
and say, “this is the straight and narrow
way,” and while it is “straight and
narrow,” it does not lead to life. The “strait
gate” is the “cross of Christ,”
and Jesus Christ is “the way” (John 14:6). The only access to the “way” is through the cross. Paul
told us that we are “reconciled to God in
the body of His flesh, through death,
that He might present us holy, unblameable, and unreprovable, in His sight”
(Colossians 1:22). It was Satan who said, “All that a man hath, will he give for his
life” (Job 2:4). Man will get very religious and
absolutely submissive to laws, ordinances, and other religious things, rather
than “submit to the death of the cross.”
When Paul speaks
of “bringing every thought into captivity
to the obedience of Christ,” he is speaking of a wonderful thing. After the
gospel has pulled down strongholds, and cast down imaginations and every high
thing, something wonderful happens in the heart and mind of the people so
delivered. In Corinthians 5:14, Paul
said, “For the love of Christ
constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all
dead.” Paul was literally saying, “I
have been captivated by the very thought that ‘one died for all.” It is
such blessed “captivity” that would
cause the people to submit their own selves to the death of the cross. The “obedience of Christ” becomes the captivating
factor in the hearts of the people. The next verse says, “and having a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your
obedience is fulfilled.” What does this mean? When your “obedience to the cross” has been
fulfilled, you are indeed “dead unto sin,
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11). All those
things you have struggled with, and the strongholds you have tried to pull down
are gone; they are cast down, and destroyed at the cross. It’s not that you
obeyed the preacher or the deacon, or that you obeyed a creed, a commandment, a
law, or an ordinance, but that you “obeyed
the cross.” You surrendered, and the old man died, crucified with Christ.
It is not a “self-inflicted” death;
you have “obeyed” the “death of the cross.”
Strongholds
in the church
I must pause here and meddle a little. You notice that we still
sing the old gospel songs and hymns at Calvary Outreach. Many of the songs we
sing are over a hundred years old. The only thing special about songs written
so long ago is that there was a real revival in the land in those days. Those
songs were not written out of the talent and abilities of man. They were not
written in a time that sin and the world filled the churches. The source of the
songs was not carnal knowledge of music theory, or natural ability to put
beautiful words together. The anointed gospel hymns were written as the Holy
Ghost moved upon men and women to communicate their faith through song, just
like the Holy Ghost moved upon holy men of old to write the prophecies and
verses which are the word of God to us. The same anointing of God that was upon
the writers of these old hymns is still felt over a hundred years later when
the saints of God worship with these songs. Certainly, they still bring
tears of joy to the eyes of those who know God. To despise the old hymns as so
many do, is to despise what God has done. A couple of years ago I was visiting
with some people from another church. They spoke about their music. They said, “Our music really goes. It’s a little loud,
but you can really move with our music.” They were proud that they had
thrown the hymnbooks out. They kept telling me, “You can really move with our music.” I asked them, “Is there a child of God anywhere who really
‘knows the Lord’ that cannot be moved by the old gospel hymns?” Consider
these words, penned by Fanny Crosby: “Jesus
keep me near the cross, there’s a precious fountain, free to all a healing
stream, flows from Calvary’s mountain.” You would have to be dead not to be
moved by these words from “There is a
Fountain Filled with Blood.” The second
verse says, “The dying thief rejoiced
to see, that fountain in his day, and there may I, though vile as he, wash all
my sins away.” These are just a couple out of hundreds of precious old
gospel songs, filled with life and message. So many of the old “sanctified songs” are filled with joy;
songs like “My Soul is Filled With
Glory,” or, “There’s a Glory,
Hallelujah, in My Soul.” I saw Brother Marty this morning, leading the old
gospel songs with tears streaming down his face. I’ve seen him many times when
he could not continue, but could only lift up his hands and worship God. He
could do nothing else because of the glory of God that had come upon him. Then
again, I’ve seen Marty sing a contemporary song a couple of times, and though
the words were very pretty, and the music flawless, he was never moved. What
makes the difference? It’s the presence of God with the one who wrote the
song. We’ve stayed with the old. People tell me, “Brother Surface, there a lot of good songs with good words being
written today,” and, I know that must be so. My point is all this: Music is
a medium with such a powerful hypnotic influence to lead people, that we need
to know its source; because that is exactly where it will take us (back to it’s
source).
Have you ever read the legend of the Pied Piper? I downloaded
it and read it just the other day. It’s funny, it’s sad, and it carries a
powerful message to parents today. The Pied Piper was a flute player, so gifted
that he could entice any living creature to follow his music. According to the
legend, he delivered one nation from a plague of gnats, and another from a
swarm of vampire bats. The city of Hamlin was overrun by a plague of rats. The
first verse of the poem says of the rats:
They fought the dogs, and killed the cats,
and bit the babies in the cradles,
They ate the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the
cook’s own ladles,
Rats were everywhere. Rats in their food; rats in their houses, and
rats in their clothes. Rats had taken over the city of Hamlin, and the people
were demanding that the mayor and city council do something about it or they
would throw them out. The Pied Piper heard about the rat problem in the city of
Hamlin, and came to offer his services. He told the council he would rid their
city of the rats for a thousand “gilders.” They
responded with great joy, “We will give
you fifty thousand gilders to get rid of our rats.” Immediately, the
Pied Piper went out into the street and began to play his flute. Before he had
played three notes, the people heard a rumbling, which turned into a roar, as
the rats ran out of the buildings and houses of Hamlin to follow the music of
the Pied Piper. He walked the streets of Hamlin playing his tune until all the
rats in the city were following him in the streets. He walked out of the city
to the river, and there by the river, as he played his flute, the rats ran into
the river and were drowned. Hamlin was free from the rats, and oh what joy was
in that city. The people were rejoicing in the streets because the rats were
gone. The Pied Piper came to the mayor and council to receive his thousand
gilders. The mayor said something like, “a
thousand gilders to a vagabond like you? We’ll give you fifty.” The
Pied Piper was angry and the council was indignant. They told him they
knew the rats were dead, and he couldn’t bring them back, so he could go blow
his flute all he wanted, but they would not pay him as they agreed. With that,
he went back into the street and began to play his flute. Before he had
played three notes, the mayor and council again heard a strange sound. In the
words of the poet,
There was a rustling, that seemed like a bustling
Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling,
Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,
Little hands clapping, and little tongues chattering,
And, like fowls in a farm-yard when barley is scattering,
Out came the children running.
All the little boys and girls,
With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after
The wonderful music with shouting
and laughter.
All the little children of Hamlin were caught in the hypnotic spell
of the music. They ran out of the houses into the streets to follow the
music. No one could stop them. Moms and dads watched as their children left
their homes to follow the music. They were struck dumb and could not make a
move. Again, in the words of the poet:
The Mayor was dumb, and the Council stood
As if they were changed
into blocks of wood,
Unable to move a
step, or cry
To the children merrily skipping by --
And could only follow with the eye
That joyous crowd at the Piper’s
back.
The people stood by like they were turned into “blocks of wood.” They were struck dumb and could not open
their mouths to say anything. They could not even reach out a hand to resist as
they watched the Pied Piper lead their children out of their homes, out of
their city down toward the river. According to the legend, the Pied Piper led
them past the river into a cave in the mountain, and the mountain closed behind
them, and they were never seen again. The people of Hamlin lost their
children, and I was moved by the fact that even as they were losing their
children they were struck dumb and couldn’t move; they were like blocks of
wood, and could only watch as the Pied Piper’s music led their children away.
The Pied Piper is just an incredibly interesting poem, which
carries a powerful message about the hypnotic power of music over young
people. This legend dates back over eight hundred years, but it is seen in
it’s perfection in this twenty first century. What the Pied Piper did to
the children in Hamlin, music has done to the children in America and most of
the world. This preacher has not been a “block of wood.” I’ve not been struck dumb. When God spoke to me in
September of 1966 in a vision, He said, “I
set thee a watchman to my people.” He said, “If you don’t warn them, I will require their blood of your hands.” I
remember in July of 2003, I awoke in the middle of the night hearing a voice
speaking the words of Isaiah 56:9-11,
“All ye beasts of the field, come to
devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all
ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down,
loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and
they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way,
every one for his gain, from his quarter.” It was a call to demon spirits
to come and destroy, because the watchmen were asleep. They were like “dumb dogs, that could not bark,” and “greedy dogs, which could never have
enough.” “Come and devour,” was the cry. I knew God was telling
me to warn the parents, because demon spirits were coming for their children.
We cannot be “dumb dogs.” Many years
ago, another preacher called me a “barking
dog.” I don’t like to hear things like that about myself, but I said, “If I’m a dog, I’m going to bark,” because
that is what a dog is supposed to do when the thief comes. If I’m a dog, I’m
going to be a barking dog. People stood by like “blocks of wood,” while their children were led away by the music
of the world, but before you knew it, that same music was brought into the
church, because, “We don’t want to lose
our young people.” They did not know that they had already lost their
children. A stronghold of Satan was successfully established in the churches.
I’m not speaking only about music this morning. There is something
else that has distressed me beyond measure. I recognized years ago that if a “man of God is grieved,” it is because “the Holy Ghost is grieved.” If a man of
God is angry, it is because God is angry. If he is bold, it is because the
Holy Ghost is bold. The men and women of God who are grieved over the
strongholds of Satan in the churches today must not be timid. They must speak
out, and cry aloud in the house of God against the devices of Satan. It
must have been twenty-five or thirty years ago that David Wilkerson attended a “gospel rock concert” at the invitation
of the group that was singing. In the middle of the concert, David leaped out
of his seat, and ran into the aisle, crying “demons,
demons, demons.” If I remember correctly, he said he saw demons
pouring out of the music into the church. I believe that vision. I know that
unclean spirits have flooded the churches, and now they are beginning to
manifest themselves in such ways as the apostles of our Lord prophesied they
would just before the return of Jesus.
Until just recently there was a “revival”
meeting in Lakeland Florida led by a man who is purported to have great
healings and miracles, even to raising the dead. This man’s body is covered
with “tattoos” and “body piercings.” He wears studs in his
lips, his ears, and in his eyebrows. Because of the reports of great miracles,
many are enticed to believe, “God can use
anything.” Yes, He can, but I tell you, God won’t use just any thing. He
used a “donkey,” He used a “whale,” and He used a “rooster,” but He won’t use that man who
is flaunting demonic devices in his own body. He will not do it. At first I
felt bad about the way I was feeling. I thought, “I can’t speak out against this! Just look at all the reports of
healings and miracles that are taking place.” I don’t know if anything is
happening or not, but it doesn’t matter if everything is happening. If
everything that is reported is actually happening, I can tell you, God is not
in it. Jesus spoke of the very generation we live in and said, “There shall arise false christs, and false
prophets, shewing great signs and wonders, in so much as if possible they shall
deceive the very elect” (Matthew
24:24). In Revelation 16:13-14, we read of “unclean
spirits, like frogs.” He said they are “spirits
of devils” which would go out into the world, “working miracles” to deceive the nations and gather them to the
battle of that great day of God almighty.
In the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, there is a “beast,” and there is that which is called “the false prophet.” In the fourteenth verse, the false
prophet deceived the people “by the means
of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.” It
doesn’t matter if miracles are taking place. It doesn’t matter if great wonders
are happening. There was a time in the Old Testament days of Elijah, when
the people of Israel did not know who God was. Elijah challenged four hundred
and fifty prophets of Baal to a sacrifice, and told the people of Israel, “We will serve the God that answers by
fire.” The thing that happened that day grips our imagination. The prophets
of Baal prayed all day, and there was “none
to answer.” Elijah offered his sacrifice and prayed for thirty
seconds, some sixty-three words, and the fire of God fell from heaven and
consumed the sacrifice. Oh, what a wonderful display of the power of God to
Israel, but I read again, in Revelation
13:13, of the false prophet, “and he
doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth
in the sight of men.” The false prophet learned to imitate the miracles of
the true prophet. Consider Moses, when God sent him into Egypt to deliver the
people. Moses threw his rod down before Pharaoh, and it turned into a snake.
Pharaoh called for his magicians, men who worshiped the demon god’s of Egypt,
and they threw their rods down, and they turned into snakes. Don’t tell me
the devil can’t do miracles. It’s too late to tell this preacher the devil
can’t do miracles. Miracles are the proof of nothing! Moses turned water
into blood, and the magicians did also. Moses called for a plague of
frogs, and the magicians also brought frogs upon the land. Whatever Moses did
the magicians also did through the power of the demon gods of Egypt up to a
certain point. When they could no longer do the miracles Moses did, even the
magicians told Pharaoh, “This is the
finger of God.” This present “fad
revival” will also come to an end, and it will be in shame.
Satan has made a “beachhead”
in the church, largely through music. It has become a “stronghold,” established in the very heart of the many churches
that have accepted the world’s music to attract the young people. Let me tell
you what is about to happen now. The same things that have come out of that
music in the world will come out of the same music in the churches. A change of
words did not sanctify the music, and you will see this come to pass. You are
going to see young people in the churches across America begin to cover their
bodies with tattoos, and piercings, with studs everywhere they can put them,
while moms and dads and pastors are going to stand like “blocks of wood,” unable to make a move, or even speak against it.
It is going to happen, because pastors are afraid to speak. They will
stand like “blocks of wood” while
unclean spirits work miracles to deceive their congregations, and lead them out
to perdition. The church has been conditioned to believe that anything
supernatural must be of God. Listen to what God said about it. “If there arise among you a prophet, or a
dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the
wonder come to pass, whereof he spake
unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known,
and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet,
or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether
ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). Under the Law of Moses, they were commanded to bring that “prophet” before the congregation and “stone him to death,” even though he
gave a “sign or a wonder,” and it “came to pass,” because he was using “signs and wonders” to lead the people
away from the true God of Israel.
Many people believe that music is just a matter of taste. Consider
the beginnings of “Rock and Roll” in
the 1950’s. It seemed innocent and fun to most people, but it has spued its
demonic influence into every nick and cranny of American culture for over fifty
years. It is the same with “rap”
music. Nothing could be more vulgar or filthy than the influence “rap” has had on America’s children. I
have visited “good” churches, filled
with “good” people, but have seen
posters of “gospel groups” on the
walls of the youth ministry that looked no better than the demon possessed rock
groups of the world. The music cannot be “sanctified” by the words that are put with it. Music that was
demonically inspired can never carry the true gospel message. Such music
is not “a matter of taste,” it is a
bondage; just like drugs and alcohol. It has established a beachhead in almost
every church across the land. It has built a stronghold in those churches, and
now we will see the true nature of what has been at work all along.
But I say, that the things which the
Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not
that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the
Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of
the table of devils.
I Corinthians 10:20-21
We have a sacrifice to offer. Do you know what our sacrifice
is? It is our body! “I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). Our
physical body is to be presented as a living sacrifice, with an emphasis on “holy, acceptable unto God.” In Leviticus 19:28, he said, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your
flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” My margin
reference says, “nor print any ‘tattoos’
upon you.” God is speaking about piercings and tattoos in this text. Some
may say, “But, Brother Surface, that was
a commandment of the Law of Moses. We are not under the law, but under grace.” Yes,
I believe that! Thank God, we are not under law, but under grace, but we
must consider what the first part of that verse says. “Sin shall not have dominion over
you, because you are not under
law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). If sin has lost its dominion under
grace, it is impossible that any person under the influence of grace would want
a tattoo or piercing. We are not under the law. The law said, “Thou shalt not do it…,” but those who
are under grace have neither desire or need to do it. Those who are under grace
are the only ones who can present their bodies “holy and acceptable to God.” I will tell you something so bold
that you may get mad at this preacher, but the man or woman, teenager or child,
who presents their body to be tattooed, is offering their body to demons. I
will stand by that saying, and God almighty will back me up, not only in the
Day of Judgment, but in this present life also.
In the day that Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal, those false
prophets prayed all morning, but there was no answer. In the afternoon they
began to “leap upon the altar, and cut
themselves with knives, as their manner was.” Get a picture of “leaping upon the altar, and cutting
themselves with knives” in your mind. These things were part of Baal worship.
Tattoos, cuttings, and piercings are a part of devil worship, and God said, “You shall not do it.” Some may yet say,
“Preacher, that was under the law.” The
fact that Jesus nailed the Law of Moses to His cross did not sanctify sin. If
tattoos and piercings were “alright”
because “Jesus nailed the law to His
cross,” then it would be “alright”
for a man or woman to marry a dog. Someone said, “Where did that come from.” The law said, “And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye
shall slay the beast” (Levites
20:15-16). If the fact that the
Law of Moses was abolished, and nailed to the cross of Christ means that you
can do everything forbidden by the law and be accepted by God, then there would
be no such thing as sin, and all the world would be acceptable to God. The
modern church is not far from that belief. The nature of sin, however, has
never changed, nor has the righteousness of God.
I realize there are many wonderful men of God who received tattoos
and piercings before they surrendered their lives to Jesus and were
saved. Please listen closely to what I say. They are redeemed from
all iniquity. They are born again, “new
creations in Christ.” They carry no guilt or condemnation before God for
past sins. As with every sin they were delivered out of, they hate the things
they once did. They will carry in their bodies the marks of past sin, but they
will not carry the guilt of it. A man who had tattoos told me “I will not come back to church because I am
a bad example.” I asked him if he was proud of his tattoos, and he
answered, “No, I hate them.” I
said, “Then you are free from
them. God is not ashamed of you, and neither am I. If you were proud of
your tattoos, I would be ashamed.” I told him to use them for God. Tell the
young people, “These are the marks that
sin left on my body. They are the result of serving Satan, but now, thank
God, I am free to serve the Lord.” He did, of course, come back to church.
I have known people to say, “I want it,
I’m going to get it, and then I will repent, and God will forgive me.” No
he won’t. Before you can repent of any sin, you must hate that sin. There is no
such thing as repenting of sin and continuing to “enjoy” what you repented of. If you enjoy it, you have never
repented of it. I know people who have “HATE”
written on their knuckles. If they get saved, they will still go through life
with “HATE” written on their
knuckles. I have known men with images of demons on their bodies. When they get
saved, that horrible image remains on their body. Young people, when you get a
tattoo, you can’t change your mind later. It is done, and you have opened the
door to increased demonic activity. You have presented your body to devils. You
say, “I didn’t know that!”
That’s the reason I am telling you these things. Peter told those who were
guilty of the death of Jesus, “I know
that through ignorance you did it.” They didn’t know what they were doing
when they called for the death of Jesus, but they must repent of it
nevertheless, and God did receive their repentance. Young person, if you
have already given your body to be tattooed and pierced, repent, and ask God’s
forgiveness. If you understand what you have done, and receive God’s
forgiveness, you will hate your tattoos and piercings, and will never again
wear a stud in your body.
Church, we are not helpless. If we are helpless, it is because we
have shut our mouths, and refused to speak out while unclean spirits have
entered the house of God. We are not helpless. God didn’t put us in this world to
be defeated. He made us overcomers by the blood of the Lamb of God. He has
given us His Spirit which is “more than
able” to make us “more than
conquerors, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The miserable condition of our
nation is directly connected to the stronghold Satan has established in our
churches. You can watch for it across the nation. You will see many “youth pastors” submit their bodies to
receive tattoos and studs, rather than present them holy and acceptable to
God. That unclean spirit will stand in many churches and deceive many
people. Those churches will become as the heathen, having nothing to do with
Christ-crucified. We are almost there right now.
Doctrines
of Devils
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
I Timothy 4:1
What is a “doctrine of the
devil.” I was preaching on television several years ago, and my phone
number was on the screen for people to call for prayer. That particular day I
was preaching that the children of God are not sinners. A lady called and told
my wife, “This must be a doctrine of the
devil, telling people that Christians are not sinners,” and with that, she
hung up. It really boggled my mind to consider what she said. I’d rather
believe that a doctrine of the devil would tell the people that Christians are
still sinners and must sin every day. He would also tell you that you have two
natures after you are saved. He would tell you that if you are born again, your
spirit is pure and holy, while your body continues in sin, including drugs,
fornication, and perversion. I do believe the devil would tell you God would
receive you even if you died in an act of atrocious sin. All these would be a
few of the tenants of the devil’s doctrine for the church.
I spoke of the man leading the “signs
and wonders” revival, whose body was covered with tattoos and numerous body
piercings, with studs in his lip, ears, and eyebrow. These alone are enough to
warn us against such a minister, but there is an even greater reason to totally
shun his ministry; he believes and teaches several doctrines of the devil.
Sadly, those same doctrines are far too common in the churches today. Among the
greatest errors a person could believe is the heresy that the Holy Ghost will
dwell in and work through the spirit
of man at the same time that sin and demon spirits dwell in and work through
the flesh of man. The Gnostics of the
first century believed this same doctrine, which is the reason they were
condemned as a heretical sect. It was also the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
which thing Jesus said He hates. On one occasion, this same minister asked
God why he wasn’t doing miracles in a particular service. He said God spoke to
him and said, “because you haven’t kicked
that woman in the face yet.” Another time he says he asked God the same
question, and he answered, “because you
haven’t ‘leg dropped’ the pastor yet.” I must wonder who his god is,
because I’m pretty certain the God I serve does not want that lady kicked in
the face. Another time he told of a service in his early ministry, after he was
saved, filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues for hours at a time,
casting out devils, and operating gifts of the spirit, that twenty five demons
took possession of him during a house meeting. Another voice began
speaking through him, cursing, using profanity, and he began thrashing about,
breaking furniture, and throwing people around the room. He said it took eight
men to hold him down while they cast twenty-five demons out of him. The
justification for this experience was that the demons were not in his spirit,
but only in his flesh. We will see what the word of God says about that.
What? know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
I Corinthians 6:19-20
Notice that it is our “body”
that is the temple of the Holy Ghost. It is our body that is purchased, and we
are to glorify God in both our body and our spirit which both belong to God.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Romans 8:11
The “Spirit of Him that
raised up Jesus from the dead” is the Holy Ghost. Notice, it is our
mortal “body” that the Holy Ghost is
given to quicken. In the previous verse, it was “Christ dwelling in us” that made our “spirit” alive.
I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
Paul speaks of “the life
which I now live in the flesh.” It is not Paul, but Christ who lives,
quickening Paul in his spirit, and manifest in his flesh. There is no place found
in the entire bible that a man ever had, or could have both God and the devil
co-habiting the same body. Such teaching is simply another “doctrine of the devil.” The simple but harsh truth is, the spirit
that told the preacher to kick the woman in the face, was the same spirit that
trashed the furniture, and threw people around the room. The spirit that was
cursing and using profanity was the same spirit that also spoke in tongues
through that preacher for hours a day. It must be so, because we do know that “bitter and sweet waters cannot come out of
the same fountain (James 3:11).
Jesus told us to “Beware of false
prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16).
Strong Delusion
Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth
in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
II Thessalonians 2:2-3
And then shall that Wicked be
revealed…even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in
them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all
might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
II Thessalonians 2:8-12
What are these verses talking about? They reveal the time
just before the return of Jesus, when demonic spirits will exalt themselves in
the house of God, and pretend they are God. The scripture says these spirits
will work “in them that perish.” The
Holy Ghost is very particular. He will not dwell in a vessel that is not
sanctified and holy. Unclean spirits are attracted to filthy vessels.
Multitudes of people who have not received the “love of the truth,” will be deceived by the “strong delusion” of seeing the powerful manifestations of these
filthy spirits. Satan will work in them with “all power and signs and lying wonders.” Vast multitudes will be
led away to perdition, the scripture says, because they “believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” They
would, as the scripture says, “believe a
lie, that they all might be damned.”
In recent years we have seen an influx of deceiving spirits that
have come to the churches, pretending to be the Holy Ghost, but there is
nothing “holy” about them. They
come, showing great signs and wonders to prove they are of God, but in reality
they oppose God, for they are the spirit of antichrist who would, if possible,
take the place of God. Paul said our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through
God, “to pull down strongholds, cast down
imaginations, and every high thing…” The “high thing” is another spirit, pretending to be God, but exalting
himself against the “knowledge of God.” They
want you to be religious, but they don’t want you to “know God.” Strangely, the entrance of these deceiving spirits was
prepared by the lifeless message of philosophy taught in many churches. For a
full generation the people have been taught that sin and Satan can dwell in our
bodies at the same time that Christ dwells in our spirits. Such teaching
has prepared the multitudes to believe the Holy Ghost will, not only dwell in
unclean temples, but also do His mighty works through them. The idea that a
child of God has both a sin nature and a divine nature prepares them to accept
a “man of sin.” Everything we are,
and all that we receive is the result of what we believe. Absolute confusion
must reign in the hearts of the people who neither have nor love the truth.
They are the “enemies of the cross” (Philippians 3:18). Rather than preach “Christ-crucified,”
and the “death of the cross,” they
bring “another gospel,” which is not
the gospel. These are those Jude spoke of in his short epistle: “For there are certain men crept in
unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness…” (Jude 1:4).
That
They Might be Saved
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer
to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that
they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being
ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Romans 10:1-3
Paul was born and raised in the Jew’s religion, and was very devout
and zealous in his religion until He met Jesus. Now he is praying for Israel, God’s
chosen people to be saved. These are the people God had set His love upon
centuries before. He had given them the promises, the oracles, and the
adoption, yet Paul was praying for their salvation. I do not believe the modern
church is far from that same condition. I really don’t! My heart’s desire
and prayer for the church in America is that they might be saved. We can turn
on religious television and see tens of thousands of people gathered to
worship, but they are very much like the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus
told her, “Ye worship, ye know not what”
(John 4:22). The only way to recognize the risen savior is by the nail scars
in His hands. Millions today worship “another
Jesus” (II Corinthians 11:4), who has no “nail scarred” hands. They
do not even know what they worship. Our prayer for them must be, “that they might be saved.” They are
very religious. Most of them are good people, not fornicators, or such things.
They are keeping all they know to keep; they keep the principles, they obey the
ordinances; what more could be expected of them? What is the basis for
praying for their salvation? It is because they, like Israel so long ago,
are ignorant of “God’s righteousness.” We
read it in Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness…
.” What is God’s righteousness? If God’s righteousness is the law,
Israel was not ignorant of it. They knew and kept it in every detail. If God’s
righteousness is in principles, the religious are not ignorant of them, for
they know them in detail. If it is in the ordinances, they are not ignorant of
them, for they have kept them all. What is the “righteousness of God.” It is “Christ-crucified.”
It is the Son of God, dying on a roman cross for every person. It is Jesus’
“obedience to the death of the cross.” Paul
said that Israel was “ignorant of the
righteousness of God.” They know the law, they know the principles, they
know the prophets, they know the oracles, they know all these things of their
religion, but they are utterly ignorant of the righteousness of God. They were “going
about to establish their own righteousness.” They did everything to be
righteous. They also did everything to prove they were
righteous. Likewise, there are those today who do all things; they keep
every law, every principle, every ordinance; they do all, trying to be
righteous. They struggle with many things within themselves, forever subduing
and denying themselves, trying to present themselves holy unto God, but they
never “attain” to righteousness (Romans 9:31). On the other hand, there
is the person who looks, acts, and lives just like the world, and they go about
trying to prove they are
righteous. They have nothing to prove it with. They do not even have
a “self-righteousness,” which is as “filthy rags” before God; these are they
who “walk naked,” while claiming they
are “covered” by invisible
righteousness that is imputed to them. Their philosophy tells them “God sees you as righteous, even though the
world sees that you are a sinner.” No! That is such foolishness!
Paul said, “…and going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God.” This is the point of salvation. It is when you
submit yourself to “the righteousness of
God,” which is “the death of the cross.”
“Knowing this,” Paul said, “our old
man is crucified with Christ.” If you are coming as a sinner, make that
full surrender. There is no other gate into the wonderful salvation Jesus
Christ has provided for you. Your “old
man of sin” will be crucified with Christ, and you will be “born again” with Him in His
resurrection. Now, being “dead indeed
unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11),” you can also “present your
body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God,” and He will baptize
you with the Holy Ghost.
I cannot stand like a "block
of wood,” as the parents did while the Pied Piper led their children away.
That “legend” from almost a thousand
years ago, reveals the “hypnotic power of
music” to lead young people where they do not really want to go. The
children followed the music of the Piper into a cave in the mountains, which
closed behind them. Oh what a “stronghold”
that was. How much more so is it today? The children and youth of America
are held in Satan’s strongholds, and seemingly there is nothing the parents can
do to free them. I remember “Normandy”
this morning. Do you know what “D-Day”
is? In World War II, Hitler’s armies had conquered France, and established
a Nazi stronghold. America and Britain planned an invasion for the purpose of
destroying Hitler’s stronghold in that nation, or the world would be lost to
Nazism. France was the key to saving Europe, so much so that the stronghold had
to be destroyed at any cost. We put well over a hundred thousand of our boys on
the beach at Omaha in one night. They came from battleships and landed in troop
carriers, facing machine gun fire before they even reached the beach. In the
darkness of night, our boys had to climb ropes straight up the side of a cliff,
while carrying their weapons and munitions, and still facing enemy fire. During
that first night in which our boys established their beachhead, we had 10,000
American casualties, with 2500 dead, which is more deaths than we have had in
the past five years in Iraq. Even with so many casualties that first night, our
generals were satisfied, because they had been willing to lose two or three
times that many, if necessary to destroy Hitler’s stronghold. Before the stronghold
fell, another fifty thousand boys from America and her allies had given their
lives. It came through the great cost of the loss of their lives, but the
stronghold came down. The tide of the war changed at Normandy. Not
only Europe, but also the entire world was saved from Nazism because our boys
paid the price to pull that stronghold down. If you ever wanted to be really
proud of America, look back to “D-Day,
June 6, 1944,” to the day our boys gave their lives to destroy the
stronghold of our enemy. America and Britain arose to the occasion, and the
world was saved because those young men were willing to lay down their lives
that day in Normandy.
Consider the stronghold Satan has established in America, and
especially in the churches. Jesus gave His life to deliver us from sin and
Satan. Now it is up to us to offer our lives to God, to be filled with His
Spirit, and to preach the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ until the
strongholds come crashing down. If we do so, we will save a multitude.
Message 15 - By Leroy Surface - Pulling Down Strongholds
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