What’s Blocking My Blessings? (Pt.6) (318) - October 4 2025

This week we will be talking about how to Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. How does resisting the devil improve your blessings? Any attacks you may be experiencing could be because you might not be hidden in Christ. In order to be hidden in Christ, you actually have to be in Christ. The presence of the Lord must be upon you in your every day lifestyle. A person must be submitted to God and not just visiting Jesus for a current problem.

This program covers the following Scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): John 15:3-5, John 10:7-10, Ephesians 6:10, Joshua 24:15, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, Zachariah 4:6, James 4:7-10, 1 Corinthians 15:27-28, Proverbs 3:5-7, Ephesians 6:10-18, Psalms 51, Romans 12:2, John 15:10.

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) And welcome back to yet another episode of Touch of God. This week we'll be talking about What's Blocking My Blessing, Part 6. For those of you who'd like to follow along in the Bible as we read the scriptures, we do apply the Amplified Classic. That's the one that we use. So last week on What's Blocking My Blessing, Part 5, we talked about entitlement. What is entitlement? What does the Bible say about entitlement, which is coveting? Entitled children growing into entitled adults. What happens to people who were coveting in the Bible? What are some habits and actions that lead to entitlement and come from entitlement? Entitlement in relationships. This week in What's Blocking My Blessing, Part 6, we will be discussing resisting the devil and he shall flee from you. Here are some of the topics that we'll be discussing. How does resisting the devil improve your being blessed? What are we resisting? Do you have to serve the Lord in order to resist the devil? Is the devil attacking you or did you invite the devil to your party? Remain hidden in Christ? Can I ask my family members and friends to resist the devil for me and obedience to instruction? So let's start with the first segment. How does resisting the devil improve your being blessed? A blessed life indicates that we are not cursed. What does a cursed life look like? Let's look at why attacks from the enemy, the devil, can block your blessing. Life is about serving good or evil. In order to resist the devil, this means that he is present in an area or can be present through temptation. If temptation has affected you, if evil is present in your life or in an area, then you might not be resisting the devil the way you think you are. Please keep in mind that what you learn today works ideally when you are applying the Bible to your life by not just hearing the word of God, but also doing it. This and a ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ is what makes a lifestyle a blessing. The blessing is not just for a moment, but if you remain in Christ, it is a lifestyle. Let's look at John 15 verses 3 to 5. Verse 3, you are cleansed and pruned already because of the word which I have given you, the teachings I have discussed with you. Verse 4, dwell in me and I will dwell in you, live in me and I will live in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in me, being vitally united to the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me. Verse 5, I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him bears much abundant fruit. However, apart from me, cut off from vital union with me, you can do nothing. If you are experiencing evil and darkness around you, there might be evil and darkness around you. If you're not remaining in Christ and dwelling in the Lord, as John 15 is saying, you might need to pause and think about getting deeper in the things of the Lord. John 15 verse 5 is literally telling you that apart from God, you can do nothing. If nothing is happening in your life, examine if you are apart from God. You want to be sure that you are saved. Salvation is not just something you say, but a literal action based on truly believing in Jesus, turning away from sin and outward reflection of an inward change in Christ being translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Live a lifestyle wholly and set apart according to the Bible and do all that it says. If you are still in darkness and in sin, you have not been translated from the kingdom of darkness. If you are still in your sin, this means that John 15 is not necessarily working in your life because you haven't been remaining in Christ because of sin and sin separates you from God. Examine yourself, your life, your community of friends, your family, coworkers, realize unto yourself how you live, who you are around. Have you resisted the devil in these areas? What exactly are we resisting? Let's look at John 10 verses 7 to 10. So Jesus said, again, I assure you most only, I tell you that I myself am the door for the sheep. Just know that we are the sheep in this instance. All others who came as such before me are thieves and robbers, but the true sheep did not listen to and obey them. I am the door. Anyone who enters in through me will be saved, will live. He will come in and he will go out freely and we'll find pastor. Verse 10, the thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance to the full till it overflows. Do you have to serve the Lord in order to resist the devil? Well, we just read that Jesus came so that we may have life and life in abundance till it overflows. So if you're not serving the Lord, then you might see things in your life, not overflowing, not flowing in abundance. Let's look at Ephesians 6 10 to know how to resist the devil even more. Ephesians 6 verse 10 in conclusion, be strong in the Lord, be empowered through your union with him, draw your strength from him, that strength, which his boundless might provides. So we have to be in Christ. And when we're in Christ, we're drawing strength from him. That's part of what's helping us to resist the devil. So the devil will flee literally being in union with him. As Ephesians 6 says, Joshua 24 15, choose this day whom you serve. You either want the devil or you're going to want Jesus. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 3 verses 16 to 18. But whenever a person turns in repentance to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, emancipation from bondage, freedom. Verse 18 and all of us, as with unveiled face, because we continue to be hold in the word of God, as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are constantly being transfigured into his very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the spirit. So we can see here in the verse 18 that we just read. When you remain in the Lord and you remain in the word, you're constantly being transfigured in the Lord from glory to glory. That means if we look at the opposite, if you're not remaining in the Lord, you're not remaining in the word, then you're not being transfigured and you're not going from glory to glory. These things are evident as you're remaining in the Lord and you're reading the word. We also see that where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. This means where God's presence is not, there is not freedom. Are you experiencing freedom or bondage? When the Lord directs you, it's like a GPS signal for direction on your phone. You clearly hear the instructions and know where you are going ahead of time so you will not get lost. When the GPS system is not working, someone can get frustrated, confused, keep driving in circles because they do not have direction and the frustration causes their peace to not be there. So there's a clear difference between having the Lord in your life, which is like a GPS system where you're being directed and you know what you're doing versus not having the Lord in your life, which is like not having a GPS and that just keeps you in confusion. You're going in circles and you're constantly guessing. We don't want to do that. When the Lord is in your life, from you having relationship with him, you will hear his direction and instruction. Before instruction can be given to you, you must have already decided that Jesus is your Lord and that you will do all the Bible says to do. This is how you can resist the devil and temptations so the devil flees from you. Let's look at Zechariah 4 verse 6, the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit of whom the oil is a symbol, says the Lord of hosts. So God is literally trying to give us a direct message. Let's think about what we have just learned in Zechariah 4 6. It's giving you the exact keys to overcoming, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord, whom the oil is a symbol, not by might. This means no matter how strong you think you are physically, you cannot resist the devil by your own might and your own strength. Then when it says nor by power, this means no matter how powerful you think you are, you shall not overcome the devil by any means of power you think you have. And then lastly, but by my spirit. So God is trying to tell us that when we're trying to resist the devil, it's not going to be in our own strength. We can't go in this world and find some power that's going to overcome these things of the world, but only by the Lord's spirit. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 3 17. Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, emancipation from bondage, freedom, people out there looking for their blessings. They're wanting to resist the devil so the devil can flee. So they're not under attack. They're not going through these things. You have to have the spirit of the Lord upon you, not visiting, not passing by the spirit of the Lord, but God has to be in your life. Let's look at James 4 verses seven to 10. So be subject to God, resist the devil, stand firm against him and he will flee from you. Verse eight, come close to God and he will come close to you. Recognize that you are sinners. Get your soiled hands clean. Realize that you have been disloyal, wavering individuals with divided interests and purifying your hearts of your spiritual adultery. Verse nine, as you draw near to God, be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep over your disloyalty. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame for your sins. Verse 10, humble yourselves, feeling very insignificant in the presence of the Lord, and he will exalt you. He will lift you up and make your lives significant. That's where we're wanting to be, but we have to look at everything that God is calling us to do. In James 4 verse seven, which is what we are just reading, the verse begins with be subject to God. For this verse to start with being subject to God, it is very important to start with this step. For those of you who are seeking the Lord and you don't know what it means to be subject to the Lord, let's learn together. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 15 verses 27 to 28. For he, the father, has put all things in subjection under his, speaking of Christ's feet, Jesus's feet. But when it says all things are put in subjection under him, it is evident that he himself is accepted who does the subjecting of all things to him. However, when everything is subjected to him, then the son himself, Jesus, will also subject himself to the father who put all things under him so that God may be all in all, be everything to everyone, supreme and dwelling and controlling factor of life. So when we subject ourselves to the Lord, we are under Jesus Christ because Jesus is subject to God. And when we are subjected to the Lord, we make Jesus Lord, we are under him. When a person becomes saved at that moment, they are choosing to make Jesus Lord over their life. Meaning instead of the decisions you made in your life before you were saved, now you have chosen to give that job of making life decisions to Jesus. How do we give that job to Jesus? How does that change over? And how do we stop making decisions? And how do we give that over to Jesus? Let's look at Proverbs 3 verses 5 to 7. Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind, and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways, know, recognize, and acknowledge him, and he will direct and make straight and plain your path. Be not wise in your own eyes. Reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn entirely away from evil. We just got the blueprint in Proverbs 3 verses 5 to 7 of how we can give all of our decisions over to the Lord and make Jesus Lord. There seems to be a list in James 4 verses 7 to 10 about how we can resist the devil. Let's continue to look at this verse, James 4 verse 7 to 10. So be subject to God, resist the devil, stand firm against him, and he will flee from you. After subjecting yourself to God, making him Lord over your life, the next step of that verse says resist the devil and he shall flee from you. How do we resist the devil so he will flee from you? Let's look at Ephesians 6 verse 10. In conclusion, be strong in the Lord, be empowered through your union with him. So we're already hearing that when you're in Christ, you're empowered through your union with him. To continue in that verse, verse 10 of Ephesians 6, draw your strength from him, that strength which his boundless might provides. Put on God's whole armor, the armor of a heavy armed soldier, which God supplies, that you may be able successfully to stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the verse 12, for we are not wrestling with flesh and blood contending only with physical opponents, but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits, who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly supernatural sphere. Verse 13, therefore, put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger. And having done all the crisis demands to stand firmly in your place. Verse 14, stand, therefore, hold your ground, having tightened the belt of truth around your and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude, right standing with God. Verse 15, and having shod your feet in preparation to face the enemy with the firm footed stability, the promptness and the readiness produced by the good news of the gospel of peace, lift up over all the covering shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit wields, which is the word of God. Pray all the time, on every occasion, in every season, in the spirit, with all manner of prayer and entreaty. To that end, keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the saints, God's consecrated people. That was powerful. So let's look at James 4, 8, which says, come close to God and he will come close to you. In the last passages that we were reading, it was telling us how to come close to God, how we're going to be praying at all times and how to put on the armor and the sword of the spirit, reading the word of God, to prepare ourselves to have peace by reading of the word and by doing the things that the Lord is having us do. So James 4, 8, come close to God and he will come close to you. Recognize that you are sinners. Get your soiled hands clean. Realize that you have been disloyal, wavering individuals with divided interests and purify your hearts of spiritual adultery. James 4, 7 and 4, 8 is giving us an exact list. And we've already talked about being subject to God, which was James 4, 7. Resist the devil. That's also James 4, 7. Stand firm against the devil. James 4, 7. The devil will flee. James 4, 7. Come close to God and he will come close to you. That's James 4, 8. Recognize that you are sinners. James 4, 8. Get your soiled hands clean. So how are we to get our soiled hands clean? That's mentioned in James chapter 4, verse 8. Well, we can go to Psalms 51 verses 1 to 2. This Psalm is when David sinned against God with Bathsheba. What we're going to do is you, for your homework, you're going to read the entire verse of Psalms 51 out loud, either over yourself or for a friend. And you're going to insert their name or your name in the place within the Psalms. Right? So let's just say the person's name is Sally and we're looking at Psalms 51. I'm not going to read the whole thing. That's your homework that you're going to be decreeing and declaring this word over your life or the friend's life. But for this example, the person's name is Sally. So Psalms 51. Have mercy upon Sally. Oh God, according to your steadfast love, according to the multitude of your tender mercy and loving kindness, blot out Sally's transgressions. Wash Sally thoroughly and repeatedly from her iniquity and guilt and cleanse her and make her wholly pure from her sins. You're going to go through all of Psalms 51 and you're going to decree and declare that over you, or you can put in the person's name. Just like I had just said, we're continuing to go down this list on how to resist the devil and he shall flee. We talked about cleansing the soiled hands. Then it says in James 4, 8, realize that you have been disloyal, wavering individuals, purify your hearts of the spiritual adultery. So when you're reading Psalms 51 and you're praying out loud, that's going to be a part of that process. So let's go and look at Colossians 3 verses 1 to 3. If then you have been raised with Christ to a new life, thus sharing his resurrection from the dead, aim and seek the rich eternal treasures that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and set your mind and keep them set on what is above the higher things, not on the things that are on the earth. For as far as this world is concerned, you have died and your new real life is hidden with Christ, which is in God. We want to remain hidden in Christ by keeping our minds on things above and not below as we're resisting the devil. He's going to flee, but a part of that is to not get caught up in distractions, but to keep your mind on the things of the Lord. If somebody wants to complain, no, I'm going to keep my mind of the things of the Lord. If the news media is reporting this or that, no, I'm going to keep my mind on the things of the Lord. Let's move on to this next section, which is saying, is the devil attacking you? Or did you invite the devil to your own party that you're having? In some cases, by not knowing God's word, not reading God's word, a person might unknowingly have left the door open for attacks from the enemy, inviting him into your home. Without being in Christ, witches, warlocks, demons can just walk right into your home. Why? Because the presence of the Lord is not there. So we want to remain hidden in Christ. Like we just finished reading in the Bible verses, right? Becoming saved requires that a person hungers and thirsts for righteousness. This means they don't just say salvation words at a altar, but desire to know, learn, study all there is to know about God's kingdom and being saved, living a saved life. The door can be left open for attacks in a person's life simply because of lack of the presence of God. By renewing our minds in every area to the word of God, we can remain in him. Let's look at Romans 12 verse two about renewing your mind. Do not be conformed to this world, this age fashioned after the adapted to external superficial customs, but be transformed, changed by the entire renewal of your mind by its new ideas and its new attitude so that you may prove for yourselves what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in his sight for you. Let's examine more about remaining in Christ. Let's look at John 15 verse 10. These are the words of Jesus. If you keep my commandments, if you continue to obey my instructions, you will abide in my love and live on in it. Just as I have obeyed my father's commandments and live on in his love, we all must come to a point where we acknowledge where we are in Christ or not in Christ. This will only help us to grow. Although a person wants to live a blessed life, doing wrong while attending church will not cause a person to be saved and live in Christ as you ought to or are wanting to. It's like wearing a t-shirt that says Christian on the front of it while cursing, drinking, sexually harassing people. The shirt becomes only a label when the person's characters and actions do not line up with the title that's on the front of their shirt. Wanting to be blessed and living a blessed life are two different things. It's like saying, I'm going to a restaurant and saying, I want a hamburger. Standing in front of the counter and talking about the hamburger does not get you the hamburger. You actually have to order the hamburger, pay for it, and bring it back to your table to eat. All of these things are actions. We can see that deciding and taking actions on a decision are different. When we do not carry out everything, we are saved without taking actions. We are not hidden in Christ until we are in Christ. Be sure to notice that it is you who must remain in Christ. You might be thinking, can I ask my family members, my friends to resist the devil for me or to remain in Christ for me? But when we look at James 4.7, it says, so be subject to God. That's telling us to be subject to God, right? Resist the devil, stand firm against him, and he will flee from you. If you don't have God in your life and you haven't made Jesus Lord, you can't be subject to God if you haven't made him your Lord and your Savior. In order for the devil to flee from you, you must be the one to resist the devil. Others can help pray, but you must do your part to resist on your own before adding others to help. The key here is for them to help, but you must be strong in the Lord. When the helpers leave your home, the enemy can return to what it thinks is its home, which is your home, and bring other spirits with them. Your family, your friends, your pastor, your co-workers, all of those helpers will not always be there when you are under attack. You must be strong and stand and resist the devil and he will flee. The good news is that the more you resist the devil, the stronger spiritually you will become. If others always fight your spiritual battles for you, they are the ones becoming strong and who are fighting. So we want to be sensitive to that. We want to follow the instructions of the Lord and be obedient to the Lord. With doing that, be sure while resisting the devil to pay attention to the instruction the Holy Spirit is giving you. For example, one time I was praying for someone who was choking. They started to turn blue right in front of me. I automatically went to pray. The Holy Spirit then said, sing. Although I was not ready to sing, I put aside what I thought I should do. I put aside the idea of being ready. I put aside emotions and feelings and simply responded in obedience to the Holy Spirit. The person immediately started to get their color back and start breathing again. Praise God. Amen. I remember in the moment there was no one to call. There was no medical person who could reach me in time. I did not know the medical procedure to do to relieve that person or to help them medically in that way. I just knew Jesus. I just knew Jesus. Amen. And that's what you need in your life. You just need to know Jesus. Remain in Christ. Remain in relationship.