In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Elijah in the Bible. Elijah is depicted as a man who is hurting, confused, and full of questions. He is under attack from the devil and feels guilty and useless. However, God sends an angelic chef and butler to minister to him, providing him with food and drink to strengthen him. The preacher emphasizes that even in our hardest trials, God is there to refresh us and remind us that He is not mad at us. The story of Elijah serves as an example for us to remember that the devil may attack us because of the sin within us, but we can find strength and hope in God's provision and care.

This message is one of the Times Square Church pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing, World Challenge, Post Office Box 260, Lindale, Texas, 75771, or by calling 903-963-8626. None of these messages are copyrighted, and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to friends. Taking back control of your life. Now, I believe God fully intends that we have full control of our lives through the power and the might of the Holy Ghost. Not that we're in control, but the Holy Ghost in us helps us control our lives. The Bible said our life is to be ordered by the Lord. David said those who trust in the Lord will not be confused. They won't be confounded. They won't live in confusion. Now, your life is not under control if you're being victimized by a spirit of fear, or if you have a spirit of lust on you that's driving you. If you are under despondency or depression, if you're under a stronghold of feeling worthless, unwanted, you're bombarded with thoughts of giving up and running from everything, that means your life is not under control. I pray this morning that the Holy Ghost will cause you, your spirit, your mind, and your body, everything in you, to rise up this morning as you hear this word challenging your heart. I want to show you how one of the most powerful godly men in all the Bible lost control of his life for a season, and I want to show you how he got it back. And in looking at Elijah's life, we're going to understand how we lose control and how we can gain back that control. Hallelujah. Now, you know the story very well of Elijah on Mount Carmel, but let me give you just a little thumbnail sketch of it, just a little background for the message. You remember he called Ahab together the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah to the top of Mount Carmel, and there was going to be a contest. Now, folks, the contest on Mount Carmel never was between Elijah and Jezebel. Jezebel was full of the devil. Elijah was full of God. This battle always was and always will be between God and the devil. That's what the battle was. Who is worthy of worship? Who is going to be in control of mankind? This was the battle that was going to be staged. And you remember how the Holy Ghost came down, the Spirit of God came down and consumed the sacrifice on Elijah's altar that he built and licked up the 12 barrels of water that a servant had set on it. And then as the people saw the fire fall, they fell, all those who were torn between two opinions, between Baal and Asherah and Jehovah God. They were torn between two opinions. They'd been told, choose this day whom you will serve. And now, this awesomeness of God coming down, they fall on their face prostrate and they said, Jehovah is God. And in a rage for having been so fooled and exposed to this idolatry that was worthless and it kept them under such bondage and captivity, in a rage they went with Elijah to the brook Kidron and slew 850. All of them were slain. And then, of course, you remember the story of this powerful man of God going, he tells Ahab, get ready for rain. He goes up in the mountain and this man single-handedly preys down a mighty thunderstorm. The Spirit of God comes on him and he runs ahead of Ahab's chariot, 16 miles. I don't know how an old man can run ahead of a horse running full speed. I don't know how any man could do that unless the Spirit of God was on him. He goes to Jezreel where Ahab's palace is and Jezebel, of course, is waiting. And this man of God doesn't even go into Jezreel, he waits outside the gate. And Ahab goes into the palace and he's saying, Jezebel, you have got to hear what happened today. And she said, well, I want to know because all my priests, Baal and Asherah, have followed you to that mountain. What happened? He said, they're all dead. You should have seen it. The fire came down right out of heaven, consumed. That man put 12 barrels of what he's explaining all this to Jezebel. And up to this point, Elijah is sitting outside the gate of Jezreel. And I don't know what he's thinking. Now, we know he's a man of like passions according to James. He's a man who's subject to like passions just like you and I are. So this man was not God, he was human. But he represents where many of us are right now, outside the gate of Jezreel, in full control. This man has called fire out of heaven. This man is holy. There's not an impure thought in his mind. This man is righteous. This man has prevailing power with God in prayer. This man is sitting there outside the gate with great expectation that God's going to finish the work that he'd begun. That idolatry is going to come down. That finally God is going to prevail. And God has used me. God has used me because after all, I'm the only one left in all of Israel that's jealous for God's glory. Everybody else has failed. I'm the only one left. And he's sitting there thinking this and maybe just going over all the manifestations of God's power he's seen in his lifetime. But I think there's something else in his mind. He's sitting there to see, he's curious, how is God going to finish the work? How is God going to fulfill what he promised me? And he's sitting there saying, I wonder if there's going to be riots on the streets. He's waiting. I'm sure he sent his servant in a few times. Anybody making any noise? Anybody on the streets? Where are all these people who killed the prophets and saw the fire of God? They're back. Where are they? Why aren't they moving against the palace? Why aren't they throwing Jezebel out the window? He's waiting. And there's no report. He's thinking, well, they're going to need me here. They're going to need a prophetic voice as soon as this erupts. I've got to be here. He's feeling very important that he's the only one, very, very different and strange and powerful and mighty in God. And you know, he's sitting there waiting for this miracle to happen. Now, folks, I want to tell you your most vulnerable point in your life. The most vulnerable time in our life is when right after we have experienced mighty victories in prayer, in renting souls and being close to God, feeling his presence and something mighty and beautiful has happened. That's when you're most vulnerable to the enemy to come. I want you to get that as your first lesson and get it good in your heart right now. I know that many pastors and evangelists and many people in the pew that have been used of God have become smug, thinking they have finally come to a place in God that they're above being attacked, that if it is an attack, they know how to handle it and everything is fine. And there's a smugness. And the enemy came in at that smug moment. The enemy came in and many of them fell because they were not prepared, nor was Elijah prepared at this time. An angry devil moved in at the first sign of smugness and he injected some kind of spiritual pride. That was in Elijah. He said, God, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts. For the children of Israel have forsaken the covenant. They've thrown down your altars. They've slain the prophets with the sword. And I even, I alone am left and they seek my life to take it away. He said, I'm the only one left God. And I'm here to see that you finish your job and you do everything you promised me to bring down idolatry. You see the two battles in this story. There's a battle on Mount Carmel and there's a personal battle. And it's the personal battle I want to focus on. Up on Mount Carmel, there's a battle between God and the church, so to speak. That's the corporate body of the heavenly father. That's the church. And this battle up there is the kind of battle that most of us are engaged in. And it's an easier battle than the one Elijah is about to face. You see that corporate battle is the battle of the devil against morals. It has to do with abortion. It has to do with taking God out of our schools, out of our government. It's flaunted homosexuality. And you know, many are involved in that battle. They like to see the fire come down and consume the enemy. Folks, there's nothing wrong with demonstrating. There's nothing wrong with petitioning. There's nothing wrong in prayer meetings and vigils and prayer vigils to bring down the strongholds and bring the fire of God down and the judgment of God against sin. That's one battle and that's a corporate battle. That's fine. But there's another battle, and that's when the devil does not come after the church, but he comes after you. He comes after you as an individual because you have made an impact in the kingdom of God and you've made an impact and shaken hell. And here is Satan saying, I may have lost the battle for the church, but I'm going after God's man. I'm going after God's servant. And you're going to see as the story unfolds that you can have great victories and be very effective against the powers of hell and then go home and face a mad devil. Jezebel is a spirit. It's still at work in the world and especially in the church of Jesus Christ in these last days. It's a spirit of seduction, not just physical seduction. That's juvenile. The real seduction is to try to rob the church of the pure worship given to the father. The Jezebel spirit is any spirit that comes to sidetrack people and get them involved in anything but true holy worship. And this is the battle that Elijah is about to face. You know who Jezebel is? It's the devil in drag. It's a man dressed as a woman. A devil. Camouflaged. Coming to distort and corrupt true worship. Now, Elijah's personal battle begins right here at the gate. You see, Jezebel doesn't repent because devils can't repent. They're reprobates. There are some people that can't repent because they've sold themselves out to the devil. She listens and her face turns red with anger. And suddenly the devil rises up in her. And it's the devil speaking. And I know what she's saying. I may have lost my priest. And this is the devil thinking in her. I was put to an open shame. By the way, where did that happen before? I mean later. At the cross of Jesus. Put to an open shame. It's a crippling blow to my plans to lose all these priests. I may have lost the affection and worship of many of the people of God that I expected. That battle's ended. So I'm going now and focus all my attention on this man who's caused all this havoc in my kingdom. I'm going after Elijah. I don't care what else happens. If anything else, I'm going to get that man. And Elijah's sitting there. This man's holy. He's pure. He's righteous. He's in control of all of his circumstances. He's in control of his emotions. He's high. He's exulting in the Lord. He just feels great. God has done one of the greatest things I've ever seen in my lifetime. And suddenly he looks up and there's a messenger of Satan looking down at him with a frown. Ahab said, Jezebel, you should have seen all the lies you've done about how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. You know what that man, that messenger of Satan, here's what it says. So let the gods do to me and more also if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow at this time. Here's the messenger of Satan saying, you're a dead man. You're marked from this time on. You've done enough damage. You're a 24-hour slave. You're dead meat. You've had it. Now, first of all, she swears by her gods that had just been exposed as useless. Right? So had nothing to fear about their gods. She is saying, look, and this is the devil speaking, you holy man, you man who say you're sent from God. It's all right to stand up there when I'm trying to destroy morals and I'm trying to get at the church. Let's see how you stand when I come against you. Beloved, God allowed this personal challenge, this personal battle for a reason. It's the same reason that every godly, dedicated believer goes through this same battle. It's one thing to stand against the workers of iniquity. That's human beings. It's another thing to come face to face with an angry devil who is out to try to get at you. You see, when you hear about the wicked forces in the United States killing babies, something tells you that the devil is working against the whole body of Christ. He's working against the morals of our young people. When you hear of homosexuality being exalted and it's flaunted, you know the devil is trying to get at the morals of our kids. And you see that, that it's much different when the devil focuses everything upon you with lies and fear. You see, Elijah didn't stop to think that there are chariots of fire around about him. He didn't stop to think that the same God who was on that mountain could help him through his personal battles. See, the devil didn't want to kill Elijah. That's sending them to heaven. Can you imagine the devil? You see, we hear a lot of people, Christians, saying the devil is out to kill me. He's not out to kill you. Can you imagine the devil going to a Christian philosopher and saying, Aha, look, another one I sent to heaven. The devil doesn't want to kill any Christians. He doesn't want to affect your diet. He wants to get to your living. He wants to make you miserable. He wants you to panic. He wants you to live in fear and bondage and depression. That's the only chance he has. He knows for many of you he can't get at your salvation. He can't touch your soul and your spirit. Full of God and full of the Holy Ghost. So he's going to come and try to scare you with lies. With images he's going to roar at you, though that roar is empty. And this poor man, God bless him, he panics. You know, the devil knows that worshippers are in control. And the only way he can spin your life out of control is to rob you of your worship. To get you so downhearted, get you feeling so empty, so useless, that you can't worship God anymore because you feel unworthy even to come into his presence. And 24 hours later you find him on the way out in the wilderness, a day's journey, and he's sitting on a juniper tree and he's saying, That's enough. I have had it. Look in verse 19. 1 Kings 19, chapter 19, verse 4. Speaking of Elijah, well, verse 3. And when he saw that, or when the messenger of Satan delivered that message, he arose and went for his life. And he came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servants there. He said, Look, I just won't be left alone. Have you ever said that? I just won't be left alone. I'm going through a battle, just leave me alone. That's what he is saying here. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die. Now that's strange language from a man who's running for his life. This man's running for his life, the scripture says. He's trying to save his life and now he's out under a juniper tree saying, Lord, I don't want to live anymore. Strange talk. He requested for himself that he might die. And he said, It is enough. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for I'm not better than my father's. Have you been there? Look at me now. Have you been under that juniper tree? Suddenly the enemy came in. And first of all, he wants you to think you were unholy. Now get this picture, please. The devil attacks a holy man without anything in his life to touch. Only simply because he had a zeal for God and he brought down the strongholds of Satan himself. This man was effective, powerful, prevailing. And yet he's being attacked by the devil. Personally attacked by Satan. Next time the devil tries to tell you you're under attack because there's something deep in you that the devil sees and he's just calm, attracted to that sin that's in you, remember this story and remember it well. Confusion has set in on this man. He's sitting on this juniper tree and he said, I've had enough. I can't take it anymore. Lord, I want to die. Now, come on, every one of you said that at one time or another. I've had it. Some of you said it yesterday. Some of you said it this morning. Don't look at me like that. You're standing there, poor Elijah. No. All of these, all of these Old Testament stories of Scripture said are meant for our teaching. Upon examples, upon us, upon whom the ends of the world have come. Even their blessings and all their trials are given to us so we can learn their lessons. Enough, Lord. I'm going to tell you again, the devil's not trying to kill you, he's trying to make you miserable. Now, Jeremiah, remember, experienced the same great battle. Would you go to Jeremiah 20? Hold 1 Kings 19, go to Jeremiah the 20th chapter. There's another great holy man of God, a great prophet of God. Not an unclean thought in his life. I mean, this man is righteous before God. Start with verse 11. Jeremiah 20. Are you there? If you're there, say amen. Well, then why all the rustling of the leaves here? Verse 11. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one. Now, here's a man in control, it sounds like, doesn't it? Therefore, my persecutors shall stumble. They shall not prevail. They shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper. Their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. Now, that sounds like a man, he's saying, I have a mighty terrible God with me. My persecutors, my enemies are going to stumble. Well, look now at verse 14. Cursed be the day. He's under the juniper tree. Cursed be the day wherein I was born. A man had just said the Lord terrible and mighty is with him. Let not the day wherein my mother bare me be the blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father saying, A man child is born unto thee, making him very glad. Someone came out, nurse said, you got a boy. Jeremiah said, cursed is that man who told my father that I was a boy. Cursed the day I was born. Cursed the man who told my dad I was born. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew and repented not. He's angry at that man for announcing his birth. And let him hear the cry in the morning and the shouting at noontime. Because he slew me not from the womb. He said, that man shouldn't have come and told my dad he's a boy. He should have taken a knife and killed me. Cursed is that man for not killing me. Or that my mother might have been my grave. That my mother might have been my grave. I didn't see that before. He said, I wish I had died in the womb was what he's saying. And her womb to be always great with me. In other words, I wish I had never come out of the womb. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow that my days should be consumed with shame. Holy man of God. Why didn't they kill me when I was born? Why didn't I stay in the womb? And then he goes on to say, oh Lord, you've deceived me. And I was deceived or fooled. You're stronger than I am and you prevailed. I'm in derision every day and everyone mocks me. He said, God, I have to do your will because you're stronger than I am. What am I going to do? You tell me to prophesy and I prophesy and it doesn't happen. Everybody's mocking, making a fool of me. God, I want to die. He was what kind of man was he? Holy man. He's under attack of hell. Now, I want to stop here and I want to from now on the rest of my message. I want to speak only to a specific group of people here this morning. I want to speak to those who are walking in holiness and righteousness before the Lord. You're not perfect, but you're striving and you have a hunger for God. You know at the best of your ability, you're walking in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. You're full of the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you, it's possible for you to have a season when things go out of control, spin out of control. There comes a time right in the midst of all of that blessing, the enemy will come at you for that very reason. Because of the blessing and the anointing and what you've done to his kingdom. Now, we all know the drug addicts, alcoholics, the wicked out in the streets. We know their life is out of control. They live with restlessness. These girls from Anna House can tell you what it was like before Jesus came in and many of you do. It was out of control, completely out of control. But there are many godly people who are running from the devil. They're not in control. They're right now under guilt. Right now feeling down and depressed and worthless. Now folks, like I said, most of us don't need a message on how to stand up and not run. There are many scriptures the Bible said stand, stand firm, stand strong, put on the whole armor of God, withstand the enemy. Many of those. There are few of us here this morning could say as Nehemiah did, should such a man as I run? I'm a man of God and might go to run. And not many Christians can say that because you already ran. You already have been under attack. You're where Elijah and Jeremiah were. You did run. You've said, I want to die. I've had enough. Now, the issue I want to talk about is not how to stop, how to quit from the starting to run. I want to show you how to stop running and how to get control back in your life. Now, you can take control back from the devil. You can take the ground again that you've lost and reclaim it. And I want to show you how Elijah did it. And I don't see any other way. Now, folks, listen to me. I am not preaching theology this morning. I walked and prayed, walked and prayed over every one of these points that I'm going to bring, every one of these teaching points I want to bring to you now, the next 15 minutes or so. God worked them into my soul. God said, David, here's how you're going to take back all the ground. Here's how you're going to learn to stand. And the Holy Spirit birthed this in my heart. And I want you to listen because I know God, by His Spirit, speaking to so many here. First of all, if you're going to take back control of your life, you must keep in mind that God is with you even in your running. He is with you all through the attack. He doesn't leave you. He doesn't forsake you. Do you know what God did when this man is sitting under a juniper tree and he's sleeping because he's so numb? Do you know you can be so numb under attack that you just want to sleep? Do you know God looks down at this running man, this man who's in despondency and despair and feeling that, well, why did I run? He's having afterthoughts, I'm sure. Why did I run? And he's sitting here in this despair. And you know what God does? He sends him an angelic chef and butler. You don't believe that? Well, look at it. It's right here, verse 5. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked and behold, there was a cake baking on the coals and a cruise of water at his head. The angel was a butler and a cook. He did eat and drink and he laid him down again. This man can't do anything but sleep. The angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him and said, Arise and eat. There's another meal. Because the journey is too great for thee. Have you ever had a meal so nutritious it lasted 40 days and 40 nights? Some cook. Some meal that was. 40 days. He went in the strength of that meal, the scripture says. You know, I believe I know what the Lord told the angel. The father took the angel aside and was assigned to go to minister to Jeremiah. And I know what he said. I think he said something like this. Now, be patient with him. He's hurting. Now listen, folks, this is for you. He's hurting. He's confused. He's full of questions. He thinks he wants to die, but he really wants to live. He thinks he's failed me. The devil's lying to him. He's under attack. He's feeling guilty. He feels useless. He's at the end of his rope. But I still love him. I've got much more kingdom work for him to do. I'm going to awaken his spirit soon. But meanwhile, feed him good, refresh him, wake him up, and walk him through the desert. Hallelujah. And tell Elijah, the journey is too great for him. I thank God the angel said that. And that was God speaking, folks, because the journey is too great for any of us. The journey is too much for you. You can't handle it. Why don't you learn it now and quit trying to figure it all out? How am I going to make it? You can't make it unless the angel of the Lord camps around about you. And God gives you strength. And, folks, that's the word of God. Here it is. Go eat and drink, and you'll find the strength you need through this trial. Here it is. This is better than an angel. This is the very word of his own heart. And he said, this is the meat that you eat, and this is the drink that you drink, and it's the strength. It doesn't last 40 days. For me, it's lasted years. I almost walked right into that. You know what I did this past week? I totally assured myself that no matter what I go through, that he's not going to forsake me. That he's right there, and he's ministering to me. I may not be able to see it, but, oh, folks, even in your hardest trial, you'll see little things that God does for you. Just little nice things that God does for you to refresh you. This message is one of those things. He's not mad at you. I'm better than an angel. God said he made me higher than the angels. The word. I am preaching it. I'm preaching my heart out. Number two. Listen close. Taking back control requires dealing with the Lord's still small voice, asking you the same question he asked Elijah. What are you doing here hiding out? This is the end of side one. And what he's saying is, like, how long are you going to let the devil lie to you? How long do you let this go on? When do you wake up and say, enough of this running, enough of this foolishness? What are you doing to yourself, Elijah? Wake up. It's time to take a stand. It's time to fight back. It's time to get control. What are you doing in this condition? That's what the still small voice of the Lord is saying to you right now. What are you doing living with this kind of fear? What are you living with this sense of worthlessness? Why? What are you doing hiding here? You're hiding out. Why? And he gives the Lord. The Lord asked it two times. The first time he said, well, Lord, it's because they've killed all the prophets and slain them with the sword, and I'm the only one left, and they're trying to kill me. Don't you understand? He's saying to God. And God didn't understand because he wasn't telling the whole truth. And so he asked him again because he's trying to get to the real issue. And it's the real issue that you have to deal with this morning and hear it in your spirit. Holy Ghost gave it to me. Listen. What God was trying to get him to say in all honesty is, God, you let the devil get to me and harass me and take away my joy and my rest, and you let him put a fear on me, and I didn't deserve that kind of treatment. I've been holy before you. I was obedient. I did everything you told me to do, and you let Jezebel loose on me. All my praying, my faith, my preaching, my obedience, my devotion to you, Lord, and all I get out of it is the biggest battle in my life. And he's paved. God struck my soul with a sword of love. And he said, that's you, and that's my people. When you go about your way doing God's work, giving your whole heart and energy, and then you fall under attack. It can be physical. The devil can rob you of peace, rest. It can just come because there's something happening here in the spirit world. And you run, and you're in panic, and you have all of these fears in your mind, and the Lord comes to you and says, now, let's talk sense. Why are you so down? Why are you in panic? Why do you have this sense of being worthless to me and to anybody else? What's the real problem behind it? It's, God, I don't deserve an attack from the enemy when I was trying so hard to please you. Now, folks, deal with it. In your spirit right now, that's the only way you're going to take control again by the Holy Ghost, is to see how little peeved you are. Oh, you're not mad at the majestic God, you're mad at the personal God. You're mad at the personal dealings with the Lord. Why, Lord, must I have this season of confusion? Why must I be dealt with in this manner when I have totally given my heart to you? My spirit is free in you. I'm not a liar, I'm not a cheat, I'm not an adulterer. Why? See, he's standing on this issue, I'm holy, I'm the only one fighting for you, and he didn't tell God to rest. Well, God did everything to be a servant to you, and now look at you, I've allowed in my life. And when you get that out of your system, when you get that out and say, Yes, Lord, I don't understand it, because this prophet is sitting in that cave, his head between his knees, and he's saying, I don't understand. I do not understand this. I was so close to the answer, it looked like total victory, and now I have this season of confusion, everything of hell coming at me. I don't understand it. God gets beyond me. You see, you could be a housewife, and you'd be sitting here this morning, you're down and out, and you say, Lord, all my life, all my Christian walk, I've tried to do my best for you and my family. I've raised my children the best I know how, and I've tried to seek you, and I love you with all my heart. I try to get to all the meetings, and I read my Bible, and now, Lord, why do you allow the devil to come against me and try me so powerfully? And does my diligence and my love for you and my walk with you, does that not mean anything? Does that not merit you keeping me from such a battle? Hmm. Hallelujah. But you see, God has... Here's the real bottom line. I don't like that word, that phrase, bottom line. Here's the real issue, the heart of the issue. What we're saying in so many words is... And listen, please. Give me your Holy Ghost attention. What we're saying in so many words is, Lord, I'm not in this to learn more lessons. I'm tired of learning lessons. I'm here on this earth simply to do your will, win victories for you, reach souls, and go home to glory. You see, that's the whole thing. We're tired of learning lessons. I'm tired. I say, oh, no, not another lesson. God, I'm... I'm going to tell you again, but I'm... At this time in my life, at this age in my life, Lord, is there never a time you just sit back and the devil's defeated and you... No more battles and you can just go to heaven singing hallelujah. God has a different idea and it's this. When you learn how to resist the devil, he'll flee from you. Because the Bible says, resist the devil and he'll flee from you. You know what most people interpret that as? They start railing against the devil. You old dirty devil! And they try to curse the devil and they yell at him, they scream at him, and they shake people, or I suppose before the devil trying to shake the demons out. I've been in meetings and there... I heard one group, they were yelling the demons away. They were screaming, hallelujah, scare the devils away. The devils must get a laugh out of that. That is foolish. No, the Lord is saying, when you learn how to properly resist him so that he'll flee from you, and you're not going to learn how to resist him until I let him come at you. The very fact the scripture says, resist the enemy, stand up against the enemy, suggests that an enemy is coming at you. For example, those medical snake canners that get the juice out of those rattlesnakes for medicinal purposes, you know how they're trained? They go into the snake pit and they learn not to fear the snake. And the only way they can get rid of the fear of the snake or the rattles is to go in there and learn how to operate and know their devices and their moves. And they're trained, not outside the pit, looking in and say, you see, don't touch that one over there. No, they walk into the pit. God said, I'm going to take you into the pit, face to face with the devil, so you learn how to resist him, so you know that his war has no power, he's defeated. You know, Michael, the archangel, says, had to contend for the body of Moses. The devil wanted, when Moses died, the devil came to claim it. And you know what he wanted to do? He wanted to put, inject into thoughts of the leaders of Israel to build a great big tomb and build a monument and get all the people to worship the body of Moses. And so God sent the archangel. Nobody knows where the body was because Michael, the archangel, took it away. And the Scripture says, yet Michael, the archangel, while contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses. But he dared not bring against Satan a raiding accusation, but he said, the Lord rebuke thee. And you know what happened? Michael has not one iota fear of the devil. The devil comes at him and he said, look, I'm on an assignment. This is Michael speaking. I'm on an assignment. I don't have time to talk to you. I don't have time to sit and jab and waste arguments with you. The Lord take care of you. I was in what they call a deliverance meeting years ago, and everybody's excited because they're talking to demons, talking to devil. Folks, you don't give him the time of day. The Lord takes care of him. The Lord rebuke you. I'm on an assignment for God. I'm not going to worry about you. The Lord take care of you. You may try to attack and everything else, but folks, don't stop and argue with the devil. Don't talk to the devil. Say, the Lord rebuke you. All right, finally, most important, you are in control when you begin to acknowledge and understand why God allowed you to endure such a personal, grievous battle. You've got to understand why he did it. First of all, he was trying to get you devil proof. Now, that doesn't mean you won't be attacked again, but you will have been trained, and there's a reason for it, because he's trying to open up greater doors of service. He's trying to prepare you. He's trying to prepare you for greater service. And secondly, he's been preparing you for greater anointing. Now, the word of the Lord comes to this man. I want to show you something about this man. Verse 15. 1 Kings 19, verse 15. Before I read that, look at me, please. Some of you right now, you're going through the greatest battle you've ever had in your life, and I don't know who I'm talking to. You're going through the greatest attack, and you're really under the fire, under the gun, and you don't realize, you've got to stop. And I'll tell you, this hit me yesterday afternoon while I was praying over this message, and I was writing as the Spirit was leading me, and it hit me. God said so clearly, the Holy Ghost said, once you understand why you're going through this, once you understand the real purpose of it and why God allows it, then you have taken back all the ground that you've lost. You are in control by the power of the Holy Ghost. You understand it. First of all, He's trying to strengthen you, because when you go out in these last days, there's going to be a devil come down this earth having great wrath. And He's got to have a body of people that have faced off with Him, that have been strengthened against Him, know His devices, and are not afraid of Him. There's no fear in their heart anymore. They'll never run again. Elijah would never run again. In fact, he came back later to Ahab, remember, in Naboth's vineyard. He came back and prophesied the downfall of the kingdom. And some of you that are going through it, and I'm going to close very shortly, some of you that are going through it don't know that the battle you're in right now has been preparing you for greater service. And the devil's been trying to tell you that you're useless, worthless, and of no value to God's kingdom or to anybody. And if you'll just stop and take God's Word into your heart right now, I'm telling you that He's preparing you for something greater than you've ever known, of effectiveness in your home, with people, friends, family, and in the kingdom of God. Now, I want you to look at verse 15. And the Lord said unto him, Go, return. That's the message of the Holy Ghost right now. Get up and get back to work. Go and do what I tell you now. Return on the way to Damascus, and when thou comest, anoint Hazael. And look, folks, look at the next verse. There's three anointings. Anoint Hazael, anoint Jehu, anoint Elijah. He has power to anoint leaders. He's sending him to Samaria. He's sending him to other places, and he says, I'm giving you this cup of oil, and I want you to go anoint here, anoint here, and anoint here. There's a fresh anointing on this man, and he's now raising up something mighty in God that's going to change the world. Now, the control is coming back to this man because he has a mission. God has finally shown it to him. Folks, when you realize that the only hold the devil has on you is this fear, this fear, and it's not from God, and if God didn't give it to you, you don't have to put up with it. You can, in the name of the Holy Ghost, shake that off today in an act of faith and say, I'm not going down. God's taking me further into his kingdom. He's going to give me a fresh anointing from heaven. He's going to use me. I like this part, and here's where I end. So he departed from that place, that cave. He said, that's it. Hallelujah. He didn't have to shed a river of tears. He didn't have to go to the closet and pray for another seven times. He heard the word of the Lord. As you're hearing it right now, and I'm telling you right now, get up. Get up out of that despair. Get up out of that depression. Get up out of that fear. Get up out of that bondage and depart from your cave. God's going to use you, and the moment you get up and walk out, the anointing will flow. Stand, please. Hallelujah. Lord, we're not going to run from Jezebel. We're not going to live with fear and bondage. I smite that spirit in Jesus' name. God, you're going to deliver your people today. Deliver this house from all bondage, all fear, all depression, all anxiety. God, chase that messenger Satan out of this house. Get him out of here. Hallelujah. Glory be to Jesus. Now, here's what I have to do. I have to do it. I don't want anybody to walk down here unless you're in the battle of your life. You say, Brother Dave, I am in the battle of my life. And I want you to humble yourself before God. And I want you, the moment you step out of your seat and walk down this aisle and stand here, I want you to know that you're saying, I'm walking out of this cave. I am departing from my depression. I'm departing from this spirit of fear. I've had it with that. I'm out. I'm coming, Jesus. I know you want to use me. I want you to get out of your seat up in the balcony here on the main floor and come. Don't come unless you say, Brother Dave, that's me. I'm in the battle of my lifetime. And I want out. I want victory. Hallelujah. Go ahead. You're going to have to move in tight, move in close. There's going to be a lot of people coming. I'm going to ask all those who've come forward and all those in the building, especially these that have come forward. You say that you're in a battle of your lifetime, and it's true, many of you are in that battle of your lifetime. But I wonder if you're truly convinced that you can get out of your cave. You've got to be convinced as you stand here right now that God wants you out. He doesn't want you in that condition anymore, He wants you free. How many believe you can be free before you walk out of this church? Raise your hand, hold it up, hold it up high, just hold it there right now. And I want you to pray right out of your innermost, pray from way down in your soul. Cry it out of your heart, Jesus, I'm in a battle, a battle for my life. But Jesus, I know you're with me, you've not forsaken me, you do love me. Say it again and believe it, you love me, Jesus. Say it again, you love me, Jesus. You are with me, Jesus. You've not forsaken me. Oh, Holy Ghost, come right now, come upon us. You have not forsaken your children. Ask Him to set you free right now. Lord, I want to be free. I lay it down at your feet. I'll not be afraid anymore. Repeat this with me, I will not fear what the enemy can do. Again, I will not fear what the enemy can do. Because God in me is greater. God is greater. Oh, thank you, Jesus. God is greater. God, you're greater. You are greater. We are not going to fall. Oh, bless the name of Jesus. Bless your wonderful name. Folks, we're going to sing and clap our hands just a minute. But what I'm wanting to see God do is not just a hyped up emotional, let's go get the devil. No, what I want to see is that deep, quiet assurance. When you've persuaded yourself that God is with you. That you can be righteous and still go through this battle. That you are not at the end of your rope. You're just beginning to climb His ladder. And He's going to bless you. And your battle is going to end. He's not going to keep you in your battle all your life. It's going to end. How many believe your battle is going to end? Did God end Elijah's battle? Did God leave him up in a cave and say, Well, you didn't have faith and you ran and you panicked. Go ahead and work it out yourself. No, He didn't. You've got an angel with you. The angel of the Lord camped around about them. That fears Him and delivers them. You can't see Him, but He's there. He said, You're not going to dash your foot against the stone. You're not going down, you're going up. You're going to be just like Elijah. You're going to have victory and anointed. And then when Jesus comes, He's going to translate you in a chariot and take you away. Hallelujah. Going to heaven with Jesus. Glory to God. Glory to Jesus. Hallelujah. Beloved, if this is true, Then there ought to be a genuine joy breakout. In our hearts and in this church before we walk out here. There ought to be a joy. You that come forward, just stay right where you're at. For a few minutes while we sing this. Let's rejoice in the Lord. You can rejoice right in the face of the enemy. You can rejoice right in His face. You can rejoice because God's with you. Please, let all the fear of your circumstance, all the fear of the enemy, drain out of you as you stand here and praise the Lord. Now let it all go. Hallelujah. What can happen if God's with you? What can happen to you if the Lord is with you? Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus. Let's sing. What do you have? Huh? Let everything praise you. Everything that hath breath, praise the Lord. Let everything that hath breath, praise the Lord. While you're standing there, will you shake hands with three people and say, God's in control now. God's in control. This is the conclusion of the tape.