Mark 3:23-27

…Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house…

Today we’re going to continue talking about spiritual “strongmen” in our lives that prevent us from being everything God has made us to be. These strongmen hinder us from walking in complete freedom and victory in Jesus through the battlefield of our minds. The strongmen are spirits/attitudes/behaviors that we partner with under the influence of the enemy. We walk around carrying these strongmen on our backs like heavy weights. It’s time to be free! We can walk the path to freedom through the knowledge of God’s Word and renewing our minds to His principles and Truth.

The Bible talks about lying in many places and the consequences of lying is harsh. In John 8, Jesus said to the Jews who were lying, “You are just like your father. You are of the Devil.” Lying is perhaps one of the most common of all sins.

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish” (Proverbs 19:5, 9).

The spirit of lying seeks to deceive in order to prevent the truth from being known or to control others’ opinions, situations and circumstances, to prevent consequences of bad behavior and generally, manipulation of another person(s). We know who the great deceiver is, so it should not come as any surprise that a lying spirit seeks to kill, steal and destroy.

Like we previously discussed with the spirit of jealousy, the spirit of lying also has many little sidekicks with the same motives. Here are a few, which are all rooted in lies: false religion, superstitions, self-deception, deception, exaggeration, hypocrisy, telling falsehoods, little white lies, distortion of Scripture and any other situation which seeks to control, manipulate or oppress by utilizing tactics based in untruths.

Let’s face it: we’ve all been affected by this sneaky spirit of lying. We’ve either been lied to or lied about, deceived, manipulated or coerced by an untruth…or we’ve been the guilty party ourselves. First, let’s become aware of what we’re dealing with here. A destructive spirit with a destructive motive. Secondly, let’s grasp the concept of the importance of being truthful and honest in every situation in our lives, no matter what. Let’s not even give the devil an inch with a little white lie or an exaggeration. Let’s walk in integrity, always.

Pray and ask Holy Spirit to shine His light on your soul. Is the spirit of lying and any of its nasty little friends hiding in there? The spirit of lying is a dangerous and unclean spirit in our temple that will hold us back. This spirit seeks to kill, steal and destroy. It will keep us from using fully the gifts that God has given to each of us to use. This spirit must be called out into the open before it continues to wreak havoc in our lives.

Steps to Break the Spirit of Lying

1. Admit that it is in your heart.

2. Confess and forsake the sin.

3. Ask God to help you forgive anyone who opened up this door in you and forgive yourself for living this way.

4. Renounce this spirit out of your heart. “I renounce the spirit of lying in the name of Jesus.”

5. Ask God to fill that place in you with His love and Holy Spirit, and show you your place in the work of the Kingdom.

6. Speak the promises of God’s Word over yourself.

Remember, freedom is sometimes a journey…a daily walk with the Lord through His Word and the renewing of our minds. Even after the initial prayer of deliverance, we must continue to stand on the Word and maintain our freedom…just like mowing our grass or washing the dishes. It has to be done consistently and on a regular basis! We must also allow Holy Spirit to continue to show us the layers of gunk we have and allow Him to work it out of us in His time. We are continual works in progress and I’m so thankful He never leaves us where we are, but continually calls us to come up higher with Him!

*** If you have been following along with our study on “Spirit, Soul & Body,” you will already have an understanding of where these spiritual strongmen or strongholds hide in our lives…in our souls. If you have not, I encourage you to watch the video series I made. ***