Overcoming Adversary – by Apostle Paul Oduneye

ADVERSARY
“For a great door and effectual is opened upon me, and there are many adversaries.”
1Corinthians 16:9
How do we overcome adversaries?
Those are enemies of every Christian’s progress, and all believers must understand this reality. Every Christian on earth, that’s you and me, whatever standing we have in life, there are adversaries we need to be aware of. We have tasks on earth as God’s Word have us believe. The reality is we must be equipped to fight or defeat these opposing forces against our tasks on hand.
God gave us his plans laid in our lives including the open door He laid and set before us. But, it is unfortunate indeed that the door were open for us by our Lord himself, but Christians haven’t been able to attain the level which God intended we reach due to the attacks of the adversaries.
Adversaries are opponents that contest our success or dispute our achievement in life. Adversaries are our enemies on the opposite side for position attacking every plan of success by our master.
They are up against our ideas, visions, goals and plans. If we don’t understand how to defeat the adversaries, those plans may not be fulfilled, no matter how good they may be. That’s why God sent me to share His Word for you to brace you and your plans in the light of this experience. God sees your goals are going to encounter frustrations and will have difficulty in getting accomplished because of the hurdles that are attached to them. We should know that in the enemy’s lair are Satan’s forces are at work to kill and destroy the good purposes of God. Satan, the one who came to the Garden of Eden to defeat Adam and Eve is the same devil who has been attacking people, ministers, Christians, believers and non-believers around the world. All human being needs to understand how to conquer the adversary in order to fulfill God’s good, perfect plan for their lives.
Soldier of God.
The call to follow God is a call Toby a soldier. That’s why we are called Christians soldiers. And soldiers who is not equipped for the spiritual battle such as this can be an easy prey to the enemy. The word must be very cruel to you with all the challenges or trials you are faced with, but this message of the Lord here come sufficiently at an opportune time. God’s Word for you today is you have been created to be great in life. You can be a winner! You were created with much greatness or to defeat the enemy therefore fulfill the purpose of God. By the grace of God, as you hear this message, I see the enemy falling flat on his face, defeated totally! I see every opportunity of your destiny collapse and fall down in the name of Jesus!
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1Peter 5:8
The devil is not a lion. The real lion the lion of the tribe of Judah, our Lord Jesus Christ, who dwelleth in you and me. Yet, there is an adversary, roaring around like a lion to destroy the people and the purpose of God. He Roar out with problems, sicknesses, and confusion, he prowls with a baggage of problems here and there. Heed!
“For a great door and effectual is opened upon me, and there are many adversaries.”
1Corinthians 16:9
I, Apostle Paul said, “ I am here to preach, I found a lot of open door, effectual open door, but there isn’t only an adversary, but many adversaries. Like Paul, you may have discovered open door of many good opportunities in business, ministry, in a place where you plant a church in a Christian community or you family, but you also discover many adversaries coming one after the other; fighting them and coming another one to tackle.
I have good news for you, today, God is going to give you victory! Whatever the adversities may be, sickness, frustration or disappointment or other different attacks of the enemy, either if God that is in you Victory will be yours. We are destined to be great, we are destined to be an overcomer; to be a winner. So, winner shall you be, in the precious name of Jesus, amen!
Genesis 26:15 says, “For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham hid father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.” this talks about the man of God called Isaac and how he obey the Lord and started planting in the land being a foreigner in a strange land, walking in the obedience to the Word of God. The Bible says, suddenly the people of the land came to him and they blocked all his work the work that this Father Abraham dug before.
When it was time for Isaac to started enjoying the water flow and use it to fulfill his family work. The Bible says, they came there and blocked it, “blocking it” is the work of adversaries. They are fond of impeding the good things.
Who are blocking the good things in your life?
God will destroy these blockers in the precious name of Jesus. As I’m speaking right now, the fire of God will move and destroy every adversary in your life in Jesus name. Verse 21 of Genesis 26, saw Isaac “digging another well and they strove for that”. They moved, dug another one, the Philistines came there again and fought with him to the point that even the president of the country told them to go away because they are too great to fight against. The scenario is likened to your experience about a neighbor disliking you. Why does he hate you so much, you asked. What’s your fault? Where did you go awry? Again, the devil is behind all that. He is behind that neighbor’s hatred, that friends’ fault finding attitude. Behind all these oppositions, not just that person you are dealing with, there’s more to that than meets the eye. The enemy sees your potential and he is so much against how great you will be in your life on this planet. Stop worrying then why you are against the odds, when you’re trying to be very good and fair, being helpful and kind to everyone. Yes! You are under fire not because you are offending anyone. You are under fire because you are offending the adversary. The devil has seen how glorious you will become. He knew that when you succeed, when you breakthrough, many people will be saved through your life. That is the reason why the devil is not happy with you.
Ask how he thinks about Apostle Paul, the devil will surely say he hates him, the feeling is mutual! We will never be friends, never. He is not your friend, you belong to the kingdom of light…and you will be a winner in the precious name of Jesus! If you are being thrown stones and if they distract you, it just go to show that you are a fruitful tree. A certain greatness is packaged in you, you have a great future ahead of you. But as a Christian, if you lack and have no knowledge about this matter at hand, overcoming is of great concern. Thus, this message from God sent to me for you. Even the psalmist knew this and said, “Lord teach my hands how to work”. For Christians like us to overcome the adversary in life, we must learn to fight the battle and be a winner in the journeys of life. You won’t miss your blessing, you will never be a loser in the precious name of Jesus, amen.
We must learn to emulate Isaac and learn his wisdom in conquering, which in the end, the whole country, even those who were against him including the King came and bowed down for Isaac.
I’m glad to announce to you that, soon and very soon, every opposition of your progress will bow down to you in the precious name of Jesus, amen.
Adversaries are contenders opposing the good things, they are just about everywhere, there’s no way you can run to in life that you cannot find them. To overcome them, you must be equipped to face and conquer them. God sent me to teach you how. A Christian who wants to overcome an adversary in life must have a sense o war in this world. Many take this word lightly, they don’t see the real thing here. They look at this as a play thing like they are in a play ground, instead of looking at it as a battle field. You must position Yourself in a battle, have that war mentality living a careful Christian life. Be an overcomer to understand what it takes to fight the enemy as he closes doors of every opportunity God has for you. So that he will not rejoice over you at the end.
Embrace this message God has sent me to reveal to you so you will have a testimony as an overcomer for the glory of God.
How to overcome adversary?
I am going to share five different skills to become a champion in the field of Christian living.
1.Be careful of the word from the enemy.
The enemy, everytime he shows up as an adversary, everytime he sends an adversary, Satan usually appears through the word. What do you hear and what is your response to what you heard and how? The devil speaks a word in order to pull down Christians, for example, when our great mother in the Garden of Eden, Eve was there and always listen to the word of God, there’s nothing like the fall. But one day came, the devil entered the garden and spoke to Eve and the woman listened to the devil saying, “do you think that God is faithful, do you really believe in Him, do you know He is just deceiving you? If you eat the fruit, God knew that you also will become like Him, the same like Him, that’s why He told you not to eat it”. As Eve could not control which kind of word she had, the devil captured her.
The devil will never capture you in the name of Jesus. Never allow the devil to speak to you. Everyday, he tries to connect to you. Everyday, all over the world, the devil is trying to say something, “do you think you are going to survive? Do you think corona virus will attack you? Don’t you think that disease will kill you? Don’t you know that your problem has come?” You must never embrace those words from the enemy, reject them immediately. When you reject the outright, when you have the discerning spirit to understand that it is not your portion, immediately, the enemy will quit.
He went to Jesus, he spoke many words, but Jesus knew the right words to say, don’t be affected by what the adversaries are saying nor by the people around you nor by the news. The word of God is the right word. The promises of God are what you have to believe. God’s word is different from what the devil is saying. Daniel 7:25 says, “ and he shall speak great words against the most high, and shall wear out the Saints of the most high, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” The enemy, the adversary will speak great words against God, against the saints of the Lord. Satan’s words are offensive, they are words of depression so you will give up. Be careful of the word of the enemy. He went to Isaac closing the well, but Isaac wasn’t moved by it. He just shifted. Isaac was stopped but he wasn’t moved. He took a step and dug again. He continued with focus and with that, God made him great.

This year God will lift you up in the precious name of Jesus.

So shun the word of the devil. Reject it, it is not for you. The devil is sure to send his word to attack while you are on the road to victory. Rejecting it is also understanding that the word of God is for you to overcome.

2.Beware of the enemy within.
It is one thing for the enemy to come from afar and be speaking a word, and another thing for the enemy within to manifest and destroy your will. You need to watch out and check the enemy within. Know that there are two kinds of demons. The first is oppressive demons which usually are moving, they come and go. Christians, watch for these demons. The second is possessing demons which usually enter people’s bodies and stay there. Do not give chance to any of these demons to posses you and stay with you. Be very careful of the enemies or these demons within.
Colossians 3:8-10 says, “8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” talks about the old nature which we should be rejecting. The old nature and the weakness of the body which destroys the lives of many Christians.

The enemy has conquered many great people because of the element inside dwelling in them. This means the weakness.

You’ve been a good example to the church, following God, doing service to the Lord, paying your tithes and offerings, you worship God but you are known to be a good fighter, easily angered. When you get angry, you are just like a little demon in action, such experience will hive chance to the enemy to destroy your tomorrow. Worship! Reject it now. Your enemy within must be speaking wrong words, evil words. Instances happen when you engage in conversation with friends. “Ah you will die, you’re in trouble.” These are words of bad news that do not have the grace that cannot help the healer, there are enemies within saying those, you have to reject them. It is necessary to get them put of your life. You are a Christian. You are reading this message now, you are praying to become a conqueror, casting out demons in the name of Jesus, but you are a drunkard. You are not what we call a ready to live a new life. You are a smoker even though you are a Christian. Everybody knows you only have one wife but you have about five or seven girlfriends. The enemy within is making you do things like that of a philanderer and doing such can kill your destiny if you are not careful.

Be firm to reject that nature.

You are the most respected song leader but you keep engaging in a fight with your spouse at home, it is like acting as little demons in you in the house. It is the enemy within that you need to wired off. Make sure the door for things like this are not open. If doors are not open, the devil cannot wreak havoc and dismantle things. The door in the Garden of Eden open through Eve, both Eve and Adam both fell in the end.
Many people considered to be religious or pious and are able to cast off spirits, lay hands or pray for other people and know how to preach but they don’t know how to check the weakness of their own life that can destroy their will. The devil will never be able to attack you without your weakness, the devil is cunning enough o search your frailty, to devour you and attack you.
The wrestlers, boxers or any fighter in the world, whenever they fight, they routinely check the weakness of their opponent in the bout, they have send somebody to the camp of their competitor to check and get ideas other weakness of such opponent. They even watch their videos many times. They even watch the videos of them fighting.
Watching every move, their strength and the weakness in order to defeat the opponent. Same with our Christian life. The enemy is always checking our weaknesses, they keep watch. Be careful of the enemy not to take advantage of your weakness to destroy you , don’t be deceived, no matter how anointed you are if you are not able to subdue your weakness, have it captive to the obedience of the words of Christ, you may lose the battle. The Nazarite of God, Samson who was renown for killing thousands of Philistines highly anointed to remove a great pillar of the gate of the land killed thousands with a jawbone of an ass is a wonderful anointing. Somebody holding just a jaw of an ass calling the enemy one by one saying ‘come on let me kill you’. No one of them ran away and they kept coming. Samson’s anointing was so great he arrested (slew) all of them – Judges 15:15 says, “ And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.”

Despite Samson’s great anointing, his weakness was always ladies. There was no mentioning in the Bible, nor did it come to pass that he went up a mountain to pray or come into God’s presence to commune with Him. He never knew how to pray. He never knew it that is why he made a mistake. The only time he prayed was when he was about to die. That was the first time the Bible said he prayed. He didn’t even know what to pray. He just prayed, “Father, let me die together with them.” May sound preposterous but Samson never had any idea about prayer.

Your weakness may be not reading your Bible, you don’t pray as you used to, you no longer cherish the things of the Spirit, you always keep engaging the flesh and more of it.
This is dangerous!
You are an easy, vulnerable prey to the enemy. Watch out!

This was how Delilah was able to capture Samson. In many passages of the Bible, Samson was mentioned coming from a woman’s house he visited and coming from the, he moved to another house and paid another woman a visit. But it never mentioned Samson going to the house of God.
Do not give the enemy room in your inside, an opening for the adversary to destroy you.

God created you especially well like He did Samson. You may want to change who you are, you may wish to remake yourself, giving in to the lust of the world and eventually lose everything.
Do not let the enemy put a halt in your destiny. Your enemy, our adversity, Satan is moving everyday looking for something or someone for a ‘kill steal and destroy’ spree. Watch out for the weak area in your life. You’ve got strength! Build up and God will give you victory in the precious name of Jesus!

3.Beware of comfort zone.
The be winner in this life, watch out for your comfort zone the devil doesn’t Target people when their fire is burning inside them zealous for the Lord, singing, reading the Bible, praying, speaking in tongues. The devil is taking steps backward away from you when you are on fire but, he waits till you relax.

That’s when he attacks. As soldiers of Christ, we never have time to relax. We can never afford it. Be on fire for the Lord continuously, until you see the face of Jesus in heaven. Comfort zone is the place to slaughter great people. You want to relax when it is not yet time. Any form of respite from God affords the devil to give you a job to do, an idle hand is the workshop of the devil. The a Christian relaxes the devil has chances. Let us check again the word of God, the Bible. There was a great anointed man of God who never lost a battle, but one day, his Destiny was almost ruined if not for God’s grace that rescued him. 1Samuel 11:1-2, says “Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. 2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.”
When it is time for the King in a battle, the king has a chance to stay behind at home and and send his soldiers to go to the battle. That same day when the King though of having been there, having done that, when evening came, Satan arranged a certain lady to take a bath naked near the King’s window. The enemy where the woman was bathing, did what he wanted to do, woke the King up “now that you are not in the battle, not busy, I have a job for you. Look to the window!” the King was in awe seeing a wonderful sight, he fell for the lady, killed her husband and King David almost his destiny and his throne.
The devil took advantage of David’s relax state, he being not busy, became victim of the adversary.
Make it a point to keep your fire burning for day by day. Don’t live life without praying, don’t live a day without reading the word of God, life do not attempt to live a careless Christian life.
For the enemies wrong, moving around, looking for whom to destroy.
The time came fore attacking David, all of his advisers were talking and saying he will attack the King when the king is weary, all ready to relax. There was also a time when Absalom was hearing advice on how to kill David.
When you are on fire fighting the battle, the devil will not come to you but, when you choose to relax on your comfort zone, then it’s got to be the most perilous time of your life.
Be cautious again, you must have left off some works you have dreamed for God before. You are no longer on fire for Jesus, You are relaxing, thinking of being on the frontline before, for Sunday school, worship service and deem it’s time to relax, consider yourself challenged! Be on the battle for Christ all the days of your life. There’s no retirement on Christianity, we only surrender on everything when we get to heaven, at the feet of our Lord Jesus, we lay down our sword.
There is a sword on your life God has given you, continue using it and keep fighting till your heaven bound. If you realize and put down your sword before the time, the enemy is up and ready to avenge. May you never be captured by the devil in the name of Jesus.

4.Strengthen yourself.
In any Christian battle or in any war waged, it is normal for a soldier to get wounded, bruising is possible. Expert and great soldiers can manage to take bullets out of their wounds even in the war place. They can take out the bullets in the absence of a doctor, strengthening their selves and continue to the shooting. You may be bruised in your marriage, attacked in the area of finance and business or struggling about the Lord’s gift or relationship with God itself. Never give up, never let the enemy take advantage. Strengthening yourself by moving on. In so doing, got to strengthen you. Don’t allow the devil to knock you down.
Hours before administering a crusade, I was attacked by the enemy, with lingering words of disability, I can’t preach all of a sudden, crying to the Lord for a help. Then the Lord answered me, “Paul you never knew anything. The devil just slapped you once and you are crying desperately.” The Lord continue telling me “Stand up now! Move on with the crusade and slap the enemy many times, I will surprise you. Which I did, got me cleaned up, dressed up and went to the crusade ground. God surprise me as He said. I was praising God at it was just a simple ministration but, God surprised me with many testimonies coming and the presence of God was so great, many souls surrendered to Jesus. I was wondering and odd about what God wanted do that time, reason why Satan went ahead to attack me. When God wants to do new things in your life Satan ahead launch his attack, when he attack you and you are vulnerable, you are lost. Proverbs 24:10 says “If thou saint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” In the day the adversity appears, build up your strength, don’t give up, don’t allow the enemy to do what he wants to fulfill in your life, be a wise soldier when the adversary comes to use his accomplice to get in the way for your preparation for service or message and thereby destroy your spirit. When this happens, strengthen your self. 1Samuel 30:4-6 says, “4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” David and his soldier were out for battle. Before they came back, the enemy destroy took their family and all the property were taken away. When David came and found they were stripped of family and property, all of them sat down and cried until they had no more strength. You too may be crying now, God is saying not to cry anymore. Stand up and slap the devil back. No amount of weeping can deliver you in the time of adversity neither can’t it give you victory. You need to wipe away your tears. Ready, and let the giant in you, rise up against the demons. He is not a lion, he is like a lion. The real lion is inside you. When you sit down and cry, the lion inside you will fall his hand but, when you rise up and fight the battle to confront the enemy and tell the adversary that he cannot stop you, that you are destined to win, that you have in you the lion of the tribe of Judah, the devil will surely say he missed the road, that he is in the wrong place and eventually flee from you. You are in a center of a battle, rise against it, be strong, strengthen yourself. After the weeping, David’s soldiers got annoyed with his crying that they decided to stone him and kill him for misleading them they thought David was a bad leader, making them lose everything they had. Being a wise soldier that he was, David strengthened himself, and the Bible said, David got back all they lost, the family, children and the property were restored. Whatever the enemy has stolen from you, marriage, investment, spiritual gifts or valuables, you’ve lost them and shed tears for them, I am telling you now that God is able to restore back things to you. If (1) you never give up, (2) fight the battle, (3) defeat the enemy. You shall make it, just fortify yourself. Do not surrender. The greater lion is in you! Let the real lion emerge and rise up in you and defeat the fake lion in this world in Jesus precious name.

5.Let your joy flow always.
Always flow in joy. The enemy’s tool to attack is his weapon of sorrow. Proverbs 17:22, “A sorrow heart dries the bones, a merry heart is medicine to your body.” Own the joy that the Lord has, he says “Rejoice” and repeatedly days “Rejoice”. To overcome the adversary, anything that he sets in your life, act against it. Never have time for sorrow, it seems impossible but there are people who don’t have time for crying because he has the secret of winners, the joy of the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the LORD is my strength.” May you never be a victim to the adversary. Let the joy of the Lord be there even when you are in the middle of the roaring sea. Seeing not the problem, but the big God inside your life. Greater is He that is in me! Smile everyday.
Have that great assurance, the pandemic is surely not affect you. That you ought do good, you will overcome and have testimony and celebrate. Having and doing great things from and for the Lord. After this season of lockdown, we will have a celebration, a feast of victory and a glorious testimony in the mighty name of Jesus. Rejoice and let the Joy of the Lord flow. When you know how to celebrate in the middle of adversities, in the face of adversaries, the enemy will go crazy. That will keep Satan wondering why even when he was finding you and keep you get wasted, you seem un scattered, he will suddenly leave and move away knowing he was not given any chance. See the great, big and powerful God in you, you will amass in the powerful and mighty name of Jesus.

Father in heaven, you are worthy to be praised. Thank you for your word again. Lord, I pray and I declare victory for everyone engaging battles one after the other.
Receive the victory! Every opposition of your success in life, I declare them pulled down. Every adversary against your progress, I declare them pulled down in the name of Jesus. Victory is in you. Move from glory to glory, it is well with you, peace unto you. The joy of the Lord will never depart from you. By the time we enter the kingdom of God, by the time we celebrate as Victorious soldiers of Christ, we shall be together in the precious name of Jesus, amen.