Mike Wilkins Ministries

MARK 16:17 NKJ 17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

A demon is a member of the devil’s forces. Any Christian can cast out demons, because all believers have authority over demons in Jesus’ Name.

PHILIPPIANS 2:10 NKJ 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

All believers have the delegated authority to use the Name of Jesus — at which every knee shall bow in submission.

Demons operate through fear. But you don’t have to be afraid, because Jesus is backing you up. So, when you command demons to leave in the Name of Jesus, they must obey you.

Don’t limit this to casting out demons from “demon-possessed” people. If there is demonic activity in any area of life affecting you, use your authority in Christ and throw the demons out in Jesus’ Name. Command them to cease their activities and stop their operations against you.

How do you know if something is demonic? If it steals, kills, or destroys — it certainly is not of God! (See John 10:10.)

JAMES 4:7 NKJ 7 . . . Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

EPHESIANS 4:27 NKJ 27 nor give place to the devil.

The Bible tells you to not give any place to the devil, and to resist him, so it is obvious you can do so. If the devil, or his forces, have a place in your life, it means you are allowing it.

LUKE 10:19 NKJ 19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Jesus defeated the devil for you. According to Matthew 28:18, all authority on Earth now belongs to Jesus. As His earthly representatives, Jesus has delegated His authority to us in certain ways.

MARK 16:17 NKJ 17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

All believers have authority to use the Name of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, or authority, we can cast out the devil and all his forces.

PHILIPPIANS 2:10 NKJ 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

After Jesus’ resurrection, Scripture clearly puts responsibility on the believer to exercise the delegated authority of Jesus to resist the devil, and all his works.

EPHESIANS 4:27 NKJ 27 nor give place to the devil.

JAMES 4:7 NKJ 7 …submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

1 PETER 5:8-9 NKJ 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith,….

You can resist the devil and not allow him any place in your life, because you have authority over the devil.

MARK 6:6 NIV 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

Don’t despair if your faith is weak. Everyone starts out with weak faith.

Your faith can be fed and grow strong.

Faith requires evidence to rest upon. The Bible provides the evidence that your faith needs.

ROMANS 10:l7 NEW LIFE 17 So then, faith comes to us by hearing the Good News. And the Good News comes by someone preaching it.

Correct teaching on a subject produces faith in your heart.

But it is not enough just to hear teaching on a subject. To keep your faith strong you must feed on scriptures pertaining to that subject, by reading, speaking, and thinking about those scriptures.

And you must exercise your faith for it to grow strong. That is: act on what you learn from Scripture.

Your faith can be strong in one area while being weak in another. For example, most Christians have strong faith concerning the new birth, but weak faith concerning healing, because they have never heard much teaching on the subject of healing.

It is true, as Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, that we need every word that God has spoken — not just some of them.

So, if you want your faith to grow in any area, listen to anointed teaching on that subject, then continue to read, speak, meditate, and act on those scriptures.

“I’m a busy person. I have a lot to do. Why should I spend my time reading the Bible? I don’t have time to do all I need to do as it is.”

“I already believe in Jesus Christ, that He’s the Son of God and my Savior. I’ve already heard the Gospel.”

“Why should I read the Bible?”

Please think about the following Scriptures. Then, you will understand why you should read the Bible.

JOHN 8:31-32 RSV 31 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

JOHN 14:23-24 RIEU 23 Jesus replied: ‘If anyone loves me he will cherish my word; my Father will love him and we will come to him and make him our abode. 24 He that does not love me neglects my words. Yet the word you hear is not my own but that of the Father who sent me.

ACTS 20:32 NKJ 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

ROMANS 8:31 NKJ 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

We all face opposition. No one likes it. But opposition is a fact of life on earth.

But here’s a more important fact: with God for us, opposition doesn’t really matter.

With God on our side, what does it matter who opposes us? The worst anyone can do is kill us — which would be doing us a favor. (Being a martyr for Christ and going to be with Him in Heaven is not bad!)

And never forget: God IS for you!

PSALM 56:9 KJV 9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

PSALM 118:6-7 LB 6 He is for me! How can I be afraid? What can mere man do to me? 7 The Lord is on my side; he will help me. Let those who hate me beware.

ACTS 20:35 NIV 35 . . . the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

Giving benefits the giver. The poorer you are the more you have a need to give.

Those who don’t understand giving as planting seeds usually think it’s wrong for a poor person to give to God. But giving is planting seed for a harvest.

2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-8 NKJ 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work.

LUKE 6:38 NKJ 38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

By giving, seed is planted for a larger harvest of blessing. Nobody needs that more than a poor person.

Jesus commended a poor widow for giving all she had.

LUKE 21:1-4 NKJ 1 Then He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 “for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty has put in all the livelihood that she had.”

EPHESIANS 3:15 AMPLIFIED 15 For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named–

that Father

from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name.

Barclay translates verse 15, “of whose fatherhood all heavenly and earthly fatherhood is a copy,”.

A note in the Translator’s N.T. says, “A play on Greek words is involved here. The meaning is that the whole human idea of family and fatherhood owes its origin to God the Father.”

The Tyndale N.T. Commentary says, “He is also the One from whom alone all the fatherhood that there is derives its meaning and inspiration. From Him it derives its existence and its concept….”

What does this all mean?

God is the original Father, the original parent, and everything good that has ever been in any parent is just a copy of what was first in God.

God looks upon you as a good parent looks upon their child.

PSALM 103:13 BECK 13 As a father loves His children, so the LORD loves those who fear Him.

According to the experts, love in Psalm 103:13 means “deep love, cherishing, to behold with tenderest affection.”

There has never been a parent who loved their child more than God loves you.

1 JOHN 5:4 NKJ 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.

We all love to win.

Victory is sweet. One reason it’s so sweet is that it’s usually not easy. Victory takes effort — often great effort.

Effort is also required in the spiritual battle of good against evil we are all engaged in. But the effort required of us is to maintain our attitude of faith in God and His Word.

We cannot overcome the strategies of the devil by our willpower, or by our own strength. We must use the spiritual weapons God has provided for us.

As a child of God — you are a winner! The victory is already yours through what Jesus Christ did on your behalf. Don’t let the enemy steal the victory away from you.

Your enemy comes to steal your faith. Don’t let it happen.

PROVERBS 25:21-22 LB 21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him food! If he is thirsty, give him something to drink! This will make him feel ashamed of himself, and God will reward you.

Why would anyone want to be an enemy of someone who treated them well?

Your actions should cause your enemy to reconsider being your enemy.

When you treat your enemies well, not only do you have a good chance of making them friends, but also God will reward you.

ROMANS 12:19-21 LB 19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. [Don’t take the law into your own hands.] 20 Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be “heaping coals of fire on his head.” In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. 21 Don’t let evil get the upper hand, but conquer evil by doing good.

The way to turn an enemy into a friend is to treat them in a friendly manner.

This is God’s plan. It should be your plan, too.

HEBREWS 6:12 NKJ 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Patience is not just putting up with things.

Patience means to continue, to persevere, to stay steady, to maintain your course, to not grow weary in doing good and quit.

Patience is a fruit of the spirit, so to walk in Bible patience you must keep your spiritual life strong, by feeding on the Word and fellowshiping with God.

We receive from God by faith, but our faith has to be undergirded by patience to possess and enjoy His promises.

It’s normal for there to be a time of waiting and testing when we believe the promises of God. But hang on to your faith and it will see you through.

JAMES 5:10-11 NIV 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

God’s Word will come to pass in your life. Don’t quit believing.

Hang in there!