CONQUERING THE CONTROLLING POWER

Conquering Controlling Powers


The last days’ operation of iniquity is on the frequency of mysteries. Forces have been let loose from hell to hold bound the sons of God. But I have good news for you, we are going to destroy those forces! There are many things you never intended to do, but somehow there are controlling forces in the air that want to take advantage of your ignorance of the real battle. The Bible says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Our battles are essentially spiritual. It will therefore require a spiritual approach to have our desired victory. Vows, determination, will-power, are able to handle habits; but spiritual influences can only be handled from the spiritual sphere. We have been able to adequately handle habits, it’s time to confront spiritual controls. There are habits and there are controls! Controls are remote in nature. They are in the air. That wild anger, that depression you can’t trace the source – you are jumping and praising the Lord this minute and the next you are like a “deputy devil” – they are all demonic controls but your hour of deliverance has come!

You are a most fruitful vine, if you are a born again child of God, you are God’s choicest vine (Isaiah 5:1). You have such a fantastic future, but the devil is eyeing it! He wants to steal it! John 10:10 tells us, “The thief cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” But you know, something? Satan can be destroyed! In Mark 1:24, the demons cried out, “Art thou come to destroy us?” Our generation will keep satan on his knees. If you have suffering defeat in the hands of these controlling spirits that defeat will be turned to victory from now.

Something about sin is that it buys opportunities. Romans 13:14 says, “….and make no provision for the flesh…” When a provision is made satan dives in. But you can break that control!

THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2). There is a law of sin; a force that remotely controls, subjects and brings into captivity innocent sons of men. Paul confessed, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:18-19, 21,23)

A law is a force. It’s a control! If you are a very angry person, you don’t need anyone to say anything to make you angry; you just get angry over anything, whether good or bad, because of the bondage of the law of sin and death. It’s there in you, warring! But thank God the Bible says, “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” (2 Cor. 10:3-4). There is a way out!

CONTROLLING SPIRITS

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). There are forces called rulers of the darkness of this world. They are behind all the works of darkness. They are spirits. They are forces in the spiritual realm, that are out to devastate the destinies of men. Friend, the rulers of this wicked world, and the wicked spirits in high places, are the forces we are contending with! These forces influence people to do things against God, so that they can fall under His judgment. What are these spirits?

Unclean Spirit

“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out” (Mark 1:23). There is what is called unclean spirits and their mission is to make men walk in all manner of uncleanness.

The Spirit Of The World

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (1 Cor. 2:12). There is a spirit of the world which monitors, supervises, co-ordinates and organizes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Anything that makes for spiritual arrogance and rebellion is the work of the spirit of the world. When the things of God don’t matter to you any more, you are under the influence of one of the spirits of this wicked world.

Every time you see your spirit not embracing the truth of life, know that there is a strange influence trying to tear down your destiny. So, be smart enough to say like Jesus, “Get thee behind me satan!” That thing that won’t let you be contented or be grateful to God, that keeps your mind panting after things, is the spirit of the world. Haven’t you heard that godliness with contentment is great gain? (1 Timothy 6:6).

The Bible says, “…Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Who sever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4). No enemy of God has a future. Remember Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzer, Herod and others. It is the love of God that guarantees glorious living!

Lying Spirit

Lying is one of those demonic influences over the lives of people to make them come under God’s wrath (1Kgs 22:22).

Spirit Of Bondage

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom 8:15). The spirit of bondage gets people tied down, locked up and chained down! This spirit is responsible for all manner of afflictions that people suffer. Talking about the woman that was under affliction for eighteen years in Luke 13:16, Jesus asked, “…Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond…?”

The Spirit of bondage is a spirit of captivity. For instance, somebody is coughing and is still smoking! He has been told at the hospital that he has tuberculosis. He doesn’t want to die, yet he keeps smoking. He is under the arrest of the spirit of the spirit of bondage, the spirit that causes addiction to evil. Everything binding you to what you don’t want is a spirit of bondage.

Spirit Of Whoredoms

“They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD” (Hosea 5:4). The spirit of whoredoms constantly craves filthiness, sexual immorality, making motions in the body, etc. That is the spirit of adultery and fornication. If you are under the control of this spirit, I’d like you to know that you have power over it! Jesus gave us power against unclean spirits to cast them out (Mathew 10:10).

Spirit Of Disobedience

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2).This spirit works disobedience in people, going through the flesh and the mind to take people off God’s presence so that they can be afflicted and tormented. It works through the flesh and the mind to make you a child of wrath.; to bring the wrath of God upon your life! But the hour of your liberty has come. It’s over now! The answer is here!

The True Source Of Empowerment


There is no substitute for empowerment in the quest of any man to fulfill destiny, because we live in a wicked world. Therefore to live without power is to go through life as a victim. Empowerment is the guarantee for fulfillment of destiny.

Our Glorious Destiny In Christ

First, it is important for us to recognize that we are a people of enviable destiny. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Rom 8:29-30). This implies that God has a grand design for each of us to live a glorious life. We all have glorious destinies in Christ! God planted a seed of glorious destiny into every life and when you give your life to Christ, you enter into that heritage, so it is sealed and established. But whether you actualize that glorious heritage or not, is largely determined by this great factor called empowerment. Jesus called the twelve disciples and He took them through His training school for three and half years, at the end of it He said, “I cannot guarantee the fulfillment of your mission until you are endued with power from on high. You have been instructed but you must be empowered.” You may have instructions but you may not have what it takes to apply the instructions. So Jesus said, “Tarry ye until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). That means your glorious destiny in Christ is not guaranteed without empowerment.

Jesus said in a parable in Mathew chapter 13, a man sowed good seed in his land and while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares and then the dressers came and said, “Master did you not sow good seed in your field how come it came out with tares?” And He said, “An enemy has done this. This is not my original intention, it is the doing of the enemy.” And it is important for us to know that the enemy understands only one language and it is the language of power, outside of power he has no respect for you. The Bible says, “Through the greatness of thy power shall thy enemies submit themselves unto you” (Ps. 66:3).


Our glorious destiny is already fully paid for but it is also constantly being contested by the enemy and that is why we need to be empowered.


Our Source Of Empowerment!The Church has settled for a long time on the Holy Spirit as the only source of empowerment and that is why I think we are stranded. Thank God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He is God’s grand design to initiate us into the realm of power but He is not an end in Himself. The Holy Spirit launches us out into that realm of power. In Isaiah chapter 11, the Bible talking about the anointing upon Jesus says, “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding…And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD…” (Isaiah 11:2-3).

The Holy Spirit quickened His understanding for empowerment. And in verse 9 of the same chapter, it says, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” That means the Holy Spirit empowers us by opening us up to the knowledge of the truth. So the truth is the actual principal raw material for the empowerment of the saints.

What is power? It is the display of authority; a demonstration of supremacy. Power is nothing but taking command in the midst of opposition, taking authority over the enemy. Romans 1:16 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” So, inside the word lies the power of God and our faith is what enables us to tap into that power. The woman with the issue of blood, by faith, tapped into the virtue that Christ carried. And you know, Christ was the moving or living word. When that woman stretched out her faith and touched the hem of His garment, Jesus said, “Virtue is gone out of me.” So, just like the physical Christ was a bank of virtue, so the word of God is a bank of virtues and we tap into that virtue through our faith.


Hebrews 1:3 says, “He upholds all things by the word of His power…” That means everything is under the control of the word of his power. So, no matter how anointed you are if you are not insightful, if you are not revelation-full, you become a victim of frustration. The knowledge of the truth is the actual channel for the empowerment of the saints. John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Nothing empowers like the truth. When the truth dawns on a man in any area of life, he takes natural command in that area. So, God’s word is not just there to inform us, it is there principally to empower us.

Our Access To Empowerment!

The Holy Spirit, as it were, is not the actual source of our empowerment, He is our access to empowerment. Many speak in tongues, many prophesy and operate most of the gifts of the Holy Spirit but they are still powerless. The truth is the principal raw material for the empowerment of the saint. Everybody you see trading the gifts of the Holy Spirit without appropriate attention to the word will soon begin to lose worth. Jesus said, when He the Spirit of truth comes He shall teach you all things, He will bring to your remembrance all things that you have been taught, He will guide you into all truth and show you things to come (John 14:26, 16:13). That’s His mission. Isaiah said, “He shall make you of quick understanding.” So His core ministry is to empower the saints by giving them access to the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10). It’s time to allow the Holy Spirit to do His job therefore.

Let Him teach you that particular truth that will give you command over that issue of your life. We are so busy quoting scriptures! It is not every word that has the answer to the particular question of your life! There is a right word that provides the answer for it. That is why the Bible says, “…Rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). And you can’t rightly divide the word without the help of the Holy Spirit. Job 6:25 says, “How forcible are right words?” When you get at the right word the forces of heaven are released to bring about your desired result. Let’s engage the help of the Holy Spirit from hence forth to direct, guide and teach us what we need to be empowered in order to gain command in all areas of life.

When He opens up the truth to you no one can shut it. And He opens it to you in a manner that it stays with you, for whatever the Lord does shall be forever. Every thing around you may be shaky but whatever the Holy Spirit delivers stays with you, It sticks! He does not only open you up to it, He helps you to receive what He opens you up to. That’s His ministry! Without a word from the Lord on any area of your life, you have no command on the earth. And the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead and guide us into that truth that would give us our required command. So, our empowerment does not stop at the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit operational in our lives, our empowerment is a continuous thing as we keep searching the word of God concerning every area of concern in our lives.

The earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the deep and God’s word came alive by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, God said, “Let there be light.“ And God saw the light. Everything God said, God saw. So whatever the Holy Spirit brings to you in your search is sure to come to pass, because heaven and earth may pass away but His word will never pass away.

How To Access The Specific Word For That Area Of Concern In Your Life

It begins with prayers, ask the Father, “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” That means you are ready for a search. Then you go for the Bible. That’s our major text, but it is not the only text. You go ahead and gather relevant anointed materials that address that particular issue of your life. God has sent into the body of Christ, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the understanding of the saints. They have a direct role to play in the fulfillment of our glorious destinies, so if you ignore them you are ignoring your destiny without knowing. In your search, you lay hold on their materials - books, tapes, videos, CDs, etc. And say, “Holy Spirit open me up.” Daniel was one of the most gifted men in his time and he said, “I Daniel understood by books.” Only those who seek are entitled to find. He that asketh recieveth, he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh the door shall be opened (Matt. 7:7).

The Spirit of God searches all things, yea the deep things of God. So you engage Him in the finding process, “Holy Spirit, I know the answer is in this book, guide me to where it is.” As you search you are bound to find an answer. That is how to be a responsible Christian. However, revelation is not just knowing what God has said He would do but knowing what He requires you to do in order for it to come to pass. Knowing what God said He would do is information, knowing what to do to actualize what God says is revelation. And John 1:12 says, “As many as received Him He gave them power to become…” In your search, the Holy Spirit shows you what you must do for what God has promised to come to pass and when you receive it, you are empowered to become it. Now you see, it is not just believing God that is faith, it is finding what God says for you to do and then doing it believing that is equal to faith.

You Must Meditate!

I am also aware that it is not reading that makes wise, it is reasoning that makes wise. Reading informs but reasoning makes wise and reasoning is what the Bible calls meditation. Meditation is the art of reasoning with God to locate the appropriate steps you must take in your quest for an answer. David said in Psalms 119:97-100, “Oh how love I thy law, it is my meditation all the day, thou through thy commandments have made me wiser than my enemies.” When you begin to reason with God in His word, you are getting wiser than your enemies. He said, “I Have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation.” So as you begin to ponder the things that the Holy Spirit opens up to you in your search, He helps you to locate what you must do in order to commit God to do what He has said He would do. It is my prayer that no frustration in your life will end this year with you!

Alive Again!


Since the fall of man what makes anyone a child of God is the new Birth. For the natural man to step into the realm of the supernatural, there has to be a conscious stepping out from Satan’s fold into God’s fold, through Jesus Christ! Christianity is neither a religion nor a philosophy. It is not belonging to an organization or a church; it is the release of the life of God into a human vessel. It is becoming a member of a mysterious body, from where you now draw mysterious virtue to live a mysterious life here on earth. Christianity is supernaturality.

Jesus, in answer to Nicodemus’ question said, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” - John 3:3

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN?

In response to Jesus’ statement quoted above, Nicodemus asked again, “…How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?( John 3:4). And Jesus told him in verse 5, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Water and the Spirit here refer to the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in convicting the sinner. 1 Cor.12:3 tells us that no man can say that Jesus is lord except by the Holy Ghost…At salvation, there is the ministry of the Holy Ghost that goes into operation to convict the sinner of the need for a Saviour. The Holy Spirit does that on the platform of the word of God (which is water) that the person has heard.

In John 6:63, Jesus said the Word is spirit and life. The Word is spirit and hand in hand with the Holy Ghost, they two begin to operate in a man to rescue him from the dungeons of death. When this happens the man becomes born again – born of the Spirit (verse 6)…

The Holy Spirit moves through the word that is preached to get a man saved. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that, “Except a man be born of water of the spirit,” he cannot enter into the experience of the new birth.

New birth is not associating with a church, changing your style of dressing or carrying a copy of the Bible about. It is connection to the divine nature so that you can stop living a mere human life where you are helplessly subjected to situations and circumstances. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and saviour, you consciously step out of Satan’s fold! Jesus comes into your heart and gives you a new life. Your old nature gives way and the new nature of Christ is born in you (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are then referred to as “born again.”

New birth is not a religion, it is a translation, an initiation into a new realm of life… it is connecting to a new source – a divine source – for a new order of life – walking in majesty, enjoying affluence, commanding influence on the earth.

YOU ARE A SPIRIT BEING

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6-7). When a human has a child, that child is natural reproduction of his parents. Because he is born of humans, he is also human. Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and their off springs are no less. But when a man is born again he is born into a new order of existence. He is not born of flesh, but of Spirit; he is therefore no longer a human being but a spirit being.

More often than not, we are deceived into thinking that because we still live in our physical bodies we are simply human; but nothing could be farther from the truth! Consider Jesus for instance, He was born of the Spirit, yet He arrived the earth very much human. But there was no denying the fact that He was also the Son Of God. The same is true concerning you. When you are born again, you are a spirit being, even though you have a mind and live in a physical temple called the body…

“That which is born of the spirit is spirit…” Now tell yourself, “I am a living spirit. I no longer posses human life, I now carry eternal life in my body. This flesh of mine is nothing but a clothing. The real me is on the inside, sanctified for exploits, ordained to celebrate liberty all the days of my life.”

You are born a spirit. What died in you when Adam fell was your spirit. But when Jesus came He gave it back to you.

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).Now, you belong to the extraordinary class of people; people who call divine forces into operation like the wind. They blow like the wind and operate outside of the ordinary. You only see the effect of their operation, but others don’t see and cannot tell how the operation was carried out.

Jesus said that the man born of the Spirit operates like the wind; you cannot tell where the wind is coming from and where it is going, you only hear the sound. If you’re born of the spirit, you are designed to live this order of life…You are to exhibit the supernatural nature of God in your day to day life.

Note that Jesus did not say “That which is born of the spirit is spiritual.” No! You are not spiritual, you are only called to be spiritually minded (Romans 8:6). But by virtue of new birth, you now belong to a higher order of the spirit realm…John 4:24 says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

If you must worship Him profitably, you must do so in spirit and in truth…It is your spirit man that relates to Him. Therefore, how alive your spirit is determines how much you count before Him and how much of a meaningful relationship you can enjoy with Him. God is s Spirit, you are born of Him so you are a spirit.

- Except from Bishop Oyedepo’s book: Exploring The Riches Of Redemption