I Cor. 10:3-4; Matthew 16:18; Luke 11:21-22
Building a powerful, productive, prevailing, pragmatic, progressive and purpose -driven church at this end time demand a great task. The head and founder of the church emphatically said that “I will build my church”. He used the word “NIKAO” for every church that is ready to make impact in the community, which means we must overcome, bind, conquer all the evil forces preventing the glory of God from shining in our communities and to enforce the victory of Christ. The gates of hell in every community must be overcome if the church must be strongly built.
A. The unseen forces in the community Eph. 6:12.
Every community has spiritual entities that hinder the advancement of the church there. Check these out:-
a. Principalities: These are individual demon controlling the affairs of people in the community. They import spiritual blindness, aparthy to things of God and darkness into hearts of people.
b. Powers: This group includes the captain of team spirits Mark 5:9
c. Rulers of darkness: This group include regional spirits; and they take decisions regarding the affairs of the community. They are demonic elders and chiefs.
d. Spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places: They dominate wickedness in high places and oversee the other levels of demonic activity.
B. Signs of demonic domination in our community.
Herbalists
Occultic centers
Mystic temples
Pagan temples
Juju and sacrifices
Murder violence and sinfulness.
When there are large scale poverty, sicknessness, backwardness and ungodliness in a community, it is a sign of demonic domination there.
C. We must prevail:
To effectively prevail over this unseen forces in our community would demand that we clearly understand two issues.
i. The church is to represent Christ in the community
ii. To shine as light to dispel every power of darkness.
The devil does not want the light of the gospel to shine into any heart II Cor. 4:3-4. And he achieves these evil purposes through cursing suffering, wars, famine, sicknesses, violence, injustice, robbery, accidents, crisis and every imaginable evil.
Christ has given unto us the promise of victory over the unseen forces that hindered the advance and progress of the community. We will have to take the following steps for a resounding victory over demonic onslaught in our community.
Our Authority to Prevail:
1. Jesus has come:- He has disarmed Satan and given us the authority to deal with him.
2. The church has come:- The church has the divine power to prevail over hosts of darkness.
3. The kingdom has come:- The kingdom of God must subdue the kingdom of this world.
1. We must seek the leading of the Lord:
This would demand that we separate ourselves into seasons or period of fasting and praying for leading, revelation and strength concerning the unseen forces in our community.
2. Tracing your community roots: We cannot break satanic stronghold without the discovery of the demonic foundation Ps. 11:3.
3. Vicinity warfare: Taking authority and binding the demonic presence in your church location using the word of God, name, and blood of Jesus to quit them.
4. House - Warfare: This is going from house to house to pray for the people and also to identify ‘Satan' houses' in the community.
5. Street Warfare: This is going the length and breadth of your street and adjoining ones to do warfare. Destroying the presence of demons in the street junctions and claiming them for the Lord.
6. Community breakthrough prayer: This can take two forms: praise rallies and prayer marches. Whole churches in a community can do these and join together to destroy the cloud of darkness hanging over the community.
If we don't prevail over the demonic forces in our communities by taking these time-tested, practical and proven steps, the church will not have more than a token presence there. The empty, sick, struggling, sinful and stagnant churches are evidence of satanic machinations in our communities. Until we overcome there, the church cannot become a prevailing, productive and progressive one.
