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4- Know Within Yourself
There are no two ways about it, sometimes that can be pretty tough. Not because the devil is so strong and powerful—He’s not. The Bible says he’s already been disarmed. He has been brought to nothing! Even so, he is still a very good liar. He can really paint a bleak picture. He can whisper negative thoughts in your ear and make your situation look so bad that you may find yourself wanting to quit.

When that happens, we must follow the instructions given to the early church when they were facing great persecution for their faith. Unbelievers were literally plundering their houses and stealing their possessions in an attempt to get them to renounce Jesus. Yet the writer of Hebrews says to them:

Ye…took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:34-39).

According to these verses, in order to receive what God has promised us—whether that be healing or any other scriptural blessing—we must know within ourselves what we have been given in Jesus. That means we must know it not just with our head but with our heart. We must have His Word rooted so deeply and firmly within us that when we hear lies to the contrary, we don’t buy them. We must be so fully persuaded of what God says that we act as if it’s true even when natural circumstances look like it’s not.

We can’t quit when the going gets tough. If we quit, it’s over. If we lay down our faith and give up, the devil can keep us in permanent defeat. On the other hand, we will win if we don’t quit. It’s absolutely guaranteed.

I like the way verse 36 reads in The Amplified Bible—it makes that very clear. It says “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.”

Notice it doesn’t say you might possibly receive what God promised. It says that if you don’t cast away your confidence you will receive and enjoy it to the full!

#5- Forget About the Past
I’ll warn you right now, one way the devil will try to steal your confidence is by tempting you to look at the past. He’ll draw your attention off God’s Word by reminding you of yesterday’s failures, pains and disappointments.

“Before you get so carried away with this faith stuff,” he’ll say, “just remember that the pastor laid hands on you two days ago and you didn’t feel a bit better afterward. And don’t forget Sister Saint. She said she was believing God for healing last year and she died. What’s more, you’ve been talking this healing business for two weeks now and you still have most of the same symptoms you had when you started. You felt bad yesterday. You feel bad today and you’re going to feel the same way tomorrow.”

When the devil starts telling you things like that, remember this: Faith always looks forward. It doesn’t dwell on the past. It faces the future full of expectancy with faith in God.

Looking back is not the way to get ahead in the kingdom of God.

“But Gloria,” you may say, “I’ve made some bad mistakes. I’ve done some terrible things. I think I’ll just have to accept this sickness and pay the price for what I’ve done.”

No, you don’t! Jesus paid the price, remember? If you’ve made a mistake or done something wrong, repent and let it go because God has forgiven you. First John 1:9 says He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. As far as heaven is concerned the past record of your sins has been wiped out. It’s gone. It’s under the blood of Jesus. So don’t let the devil talk you into looking back!

Don’t listen to him when he comes to you with his dark cloud, telling you lies. Don’t let him take your past and project it into your future. Cast him out! Get rid of him!

#6 – Look Ahead to the Future
One way to defeat the devil is by getting out your Bible and telling him just what God says about your future. He says you’re the healed—so enjoying a healthy body is in your future. He says you’re more than a conqueror—so victory in every area of life is in your future. You have a good and glorious life ahead of you right here on this earth. And what’s even better is the life that’s waiting for you after that!

Remember this earthly life we’re living is not a permanent thing. This is just a temporary situation. If we live to be 100 years old, that’s just a moment in eternity. We are on our way to heaven! I think we ought to live healthy, blessed and prosperous lives while we’re here because that’s the will of God. But even so, we need to remember we’re just passing through.

We always need to be aware that during this lifetime we’re on temporary assignment for God. We’re here to work for Him and build His kingdom on the earth. Right now we’re laying up rewards for heaven. We won’t be able to earn the same kinds of rewards once we get there because there won’t be any pressure to resist up there. There won’t be a devil trying to knock our heads off, make us sick and steal our resources.

Right now we have a fleeting opportunity to give glory to God by standing strong on His Word right in the face of all the pressure and lies the devil can bring. We have the opportunity to say, “Go ahead devil, give it your best shot. When you’re finished, I’ll still be standing here believing God’s Word. I’ll still be praising Him and saying, ‘By His stripes I am healed!’ Because I’m not one of those who draw back. I’m one of those who believe and by faith I receive the promise!”

If we’ll start thinking like that we’ll be able to stand more successfully against the pressures the devil brings against us. When he tries to block our blessings by reminding us of the debts and defeats in our past, we’ll just keep looking forward in faith. We’ll confidently put the devil under our feet where he belongs, knowing that in Jesus “our bill has been paid.” And we’ll step boldly into a future full of the promises and provisions of God!

Excerpt permission granted by Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc. aka:  Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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