Friday, May 31, 2013


Morning by Morning, May 31 - Defeating the Kings of Darkness

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Teach me Your ways and empower me to live them, step by step and morning by morning.  ...

"Meanwhile, these five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.... And Joshua said, 'Roll larger stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them; but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies, and attack them from the rear. Do not let them enter their towns, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.' When Joshua and the Israelites had finished inflicting a very great slaughter on them, until they were wiped out, and when the survivors had entered the fortified towns, all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah; no one dared to speak against any of the Israelites" (Joshua 10:16).

In our spiritual battles, pre-figured prophetically by Israel's battles for her promised land, there are kings of darkness that have to be captured and bound in order to plunder their kingdoms and possess the inheritance of freedom and peace You've promised for us in Christ (Colossians 1:13). In the context of deliverance from spiritual oppression, You said, 'But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how else can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered" (Matthew 12:28-29).

We battle kingdoms of deception, pride, fear, shame, rejection, bitterness, sickness, brokenness, and everything else that's anything less than Your perfect will in our lives. It's the battle for the abundance of life You've promised for our inheritance against the one who comes only to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10). So You call us to submit every area to You through confession and repentance, through embracing Your truth and rejecting our enemy's lies, through Your healing and our deliverance, to embrace all You've intended for us even as we daily engage the enemy of our souls (James 4:7).

The sins and wounds, the lies and curses, the false identities and the defiled destinies of our lives are our battlegrounds. But You lead us and empower us to pursues our spiritual enemies in the victory of the cross and the power of the blood of Jesus. You teach us to take authority over these kings and their kingdoms, these strong men and their strongholds, to silence the voice of our accuser and declare the praises of our Deliverer (Revelation 12:10-12).

You've won our victory and now we participate with You by faith to embrace the truth of what's been done and won for us in Christ so that Your victory becomes our victory (Colossians 2:15). Praise You, Jesus, for the victory of Your cross and the power of Your blood! You have crushed our enemy under our feet as we stand in Christ and Christ stands in us (Romans 16:20). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays


My Friend,  I pray you will be empowered by God to embrace all that's been done and won for you in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

You or someone you know might be encouraged by my book Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance available through our ministry web site: www.messiah-ministries.org  These are some of my stories and the lessons I've learned through my first fifteen years of full time ministry in healing and deliverance.

Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257