How to Recognize and Defeat a Demonic Scheme

Hey, welcome to Self Talk. In today's show - I think you're going to find this very interesting - I'm talking again about demonic schemes. It is a topic that is critical for you to understand because there's a 98% chance there's a demonic scheme operating against your life and if you're not aware of the scheme, it's difficult to defeat it. But knowledge of demonic schemes is so important for your quality of life, to achieve your purpose, it's important for your family, for your friends, for your job, for your future. I think today's show is going to be critical for you. Don't forget to uh, subscribe and rate and you know, all the stuff we do. Uh, and please share this with someone. I appreciate you very much. And as usual, this show is sponsored by the International College of Ministry, at icmcollege.org which is now enrolling, full of Spirit and truth. Thank you again for listening to another episode of Self Talk, episode 166, can you believe it? God bless you.

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Okay, here we go, Self Talk with me, Dr. Ray Self. Heavenly Father, I thank you for everyone listening to the show. I pray, Father that my voice, my words, will be a blessing to them and that you would speak through me with your Holy Spirit. Lord, touch us. Lord, help us to hear and receive what you have for us today. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Amen. I, I want to share a scripture with you which is extremely important. I'm talking again about schemes it’s, is such– I cannot tell you how important this topic is for your life to understand. This– it is something that is affecting almost every Christian and I would say that most Christians are completely unaware of this issue. 

So in 2 Corinthians, chapter 2, beginning at verse 10, Paul says, “Now from whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if I indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us;” now hear me, “for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” Let's look at this again. “...for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” The first part this is 2 Corinthians 2:11 “...lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” 

Of course, one of the doorways for Satan to take advantage of us is unforgiveness. That's what he was talking about in verse 10. But this statement, “...for we are not ignorant of his devices,” “...for we are not ignorant of his schemes,” in some translations. We need to understand his schemes. When you go to the book of Ephesians um, and we are looking at uh, Ephesians, you know, talking about the armor of God, okay? And he said, Ephesians 6:11, “...put on the full armor of God so you'll be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” 

So the question is, you know, what is a scheme, okay? Stand firm so we'll uh, not be ignorant of his schemes. So you look that up in the Greek, um, uh, a scheme is… it means travesty, travesty, okay? Um, lie in wait. It's a plan, it's a plot against your life. If you are called by the Lord, and that means the Lord has special plans for you and I think all of us He does, you know, before you're in your mama's womb, the Lord says in Jeremiah, “I knew you and I ordained you to [something]…” but this is what I've discovered in my years of ministry: Satan hates God's purpose and plans working through God's people. Satan, again, does not attack God directly. I mean, he's, he's not stupid. Who would attack God directly, you know? It's a, it's, it's a 100% guaranteed losing battle. So what Satan does is he attacks God indirectly by coming against God's plan working through His people, His children, the ones that He loves. 

So Satan has a plan to stop you from what God has for you. He has a plan to stop you from God's blessing, he has a plan to stop you from, from God's purpose for your life. And you know, if you've been around me a long time or any time at all, I'm very big about finding your promised land. A promised land is the place you’re created to be doing what you're created to do. Now, Satan does not want you to find this place and does not want you to do or achieve the purpose for your life, your created purpose, so he schemes against you, he plots against you. Now, you know I'm a Spirit-filled guy. If you've been around the Spirit-filled churches, you've probably been involved in deliverance. You understand about casting out demons which is, you know, a thing that we should do. You know, “These signs will follow those that believe,” in Mark 16, “...in My name they will cast out demons.” We should do that. However, if you cast out demons and you do spiritual warfare but you are not rebuking and renouncing and fully aware of the scheme against your life, it's just going to keep reoccurring. 

So what is a scheme? A scheme is a destructive pattern and the key word I want you to focus on here is the word pattern. It's a pattern of destruction, and these schemes normally start when you're very young. And once Satan gets a scheme that he knows works against you, he will find thousands of ways to reinforce this scheme your entire life. For instance, let me just give you a few examples. Maybe the scheme against you is rejection. Rejection. Because it's a weapon that Satan has formed against you that works. And you recognize this. You can know that this is the scheme because it seems like everywhere you go, your entire life, there's always a sense of rejection. And it comes through family, it may come through a boss, it may come through a teacher or a coach, or it's like you keep hearing and feeling rejected your entire life and it just– it's just frustrating. It just keeps reoccurring. 

Um, fear. My mother had this scheme. You know, really big-time fear. It's like you– this, this spirit of fear keeps harassing you, um, over and over and over again. Things keep happening to you to cause you to, to feel afraid. Maybe it is um, unworthy. Unworthiness. And you've had this sense that's underneath you of feeling unworthy, unqualified, not quite measuring up. And it– it's a sense that you want to get– you don't you know– it's not Godly, you know, it's not biblical, but you can't shake it. And then not only can– you can't shake it, but Satan sends messengers to reinforce the scheme. In other words, um, it could be a friend who um, ignores you, it could be a pastor who overlooks you, it could be a boss who levels a false accusation against you and you get demoted so there's that rejection, okay? Um, I knew a um, or, or, or there's that, that fear unworthiness. Um, you know, the message of unworthiness will come to you if this is a scheme - I know I was talk– I kind of backtracked there to another scheme. 

There's, there's a number of schemes, but what the devil does is he'll use friends and well-meaning people to reinforce the message or the scheme. One of the ways you recognize it is this scheme keeps repeating itself. It keeps coming over and over and over and over. And I know I've told my story a few times, but I had this scheme against my life for so many years that - and the way I describe it was I don't matter - and almost my entire childhood I fought this scheme. Well, I didn't really fight it because I really wasn't sure what was going on. I had this sense of I'm not important, you know, I really don't matter. I felt like other people were important, other people's ideas were important, other people's thoughts were important, other people's desires were important, but I didn't feel valuable. Like I didn't matter. And the message would be enforced. It would come to me by uh, you know, being overlooked or ignored or interrupted or um, not chosen or just uh, never ever, ever, ever being encouraged or reaffirmed or recognized for the gifting that was within me. It was like I became invisible. I actually could call this scheme invisible. It was like nobody could really see the value and talent within me because I didn't matter. And… and these were not bad people, but the message would, would come to me through a boss or through a coach or through a friend, even through my mother and father. I mean, they weren't trying to but I got this message. Once I became aware that this was a scheme against my life called the scheme of I don't matter, I was able to recognize it - which was huge - and defeat it through spiritual warfare and refusing to go along with it and knowing what the word of God says. 

One of the biggest schemes is… one of the most common schemes I call illegitimacy. Illegitimacy is a scheme that causes you to question yourself, to question your abilities, to question your salvation, to make you unsure or insecure of your talents and your gifts, uh… so to the point that the way people react to illegitimacy is they try to prove themselves. I see this a lot in the church. People with the spirit of illegitimacy sometimes become title-hungry, position-hungry. They need a title, they need a position to legitimize themself. And, you know, it's, it's, it's a sad thing because we are legitimate children of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, but the spirit of illegitimacy makes you want to question yourself. You know, I've talked about this in several other earlier podcasts, but when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon Him by John, um He's baptized by John, then the Holy Spirit comes upon Him right after that. The Bible says He was led into the desert. When He's in the desert, Satan comes to Jesus and he starts asking Him questions. “If you be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.” Now, the question… what's wrong with the question? “Well, the question was to get Jesus to doubt He was the son of God. “If you be the Son of God…” See, that is a spirit of illegitimacy. So what Satan was trying to do was get Jesus to doubt who He was or because of that doubt, prove who He was. 

And see, one of the things, one of the fruits of the spirit of illegitimacy is this constant need to prove yourself. I see this with men all the time, the constant need to compete, to win, to achieve, to, to make themselves something, to, to, to beat the competition, to prove themselves. And it's the bottom– the root of that is illegitimacy. And so then Satan goes to Jesus, “If you be the Son of God, throw yourself down from this Temple Mount.” Of course, Jesus knew who He was. He had been affirmed by his Father. “This is My Son whom I'm well pleased.” He did not buy into this scheme of illegitimacy. 

But what I want you to see is this plot against Jesus is the same plot that's against so many Christians. Satan wants you to question your value, question your worth, question your anointing, question your salvation, and out of this questioning, gets you to constantly try to prove who you are to prove your value, to prove your worthiness. And see, that's the spirit of illegitimacy. I can tell you countless pastors who've told me that before they get up to preach almost every Sunday morning, they get attacked by that spirit that makes them question their anointing or question their, their worth or question their call to pastor. This hits pastors and leaders all the time and most Christians. So the spirit of illegitimacy is a common scheme, but other schemes can be, again, I mentioned fear, uh, unworthiness, you know, I don't matter, uh, abandonment. Abandonment is… is a, is a common scheme. 

But again, the way you recognize this is you go back and look, look at your past. What ugly message that is contrary to scripture seems to come to you constantly? Maybe just through your thoughts, through your dreams, through friends, through the world. It says– every time you turn around, you get this message… of, of fear, abandonment, or illegitimacy, you know, whatever it is. 

Uh, there's a scheme uh, called the religious spirit. There's people out there that are super religious. Well, what's wrong with religious? Because what happens is their whole relationship with God is based on works. It's based on achievement, you know, they have to work to earn their way to heaven, they have to work to earn their salvation. And all this is contrary to scripture. We're saved by grace, not by works. But the religious spirit is always based on works. There's no love in the religious spirit, it's always about rules and regulations and do not and don't and don't and no and no and no; and there's always shame and condemnation with that, okay? Uh, a religious spirit can be very harsh and cruel this is the spirit that attacked Jesus in his trial. You know, when He was about to be crucified. Matter of fact, this is Easter week so it's interesting to talk about that. Um, the religious spirit that the Pharisees and Sadducees had, they used to, to kill Jesus, to try to kill Him. Of course, He rose on the third day. That's a spirit of religion. 

So the point of this podcast is that you probably have a scheme against your life and I want you to just take a moment and think about what is, what keeps hitting me everywhere I go? Why do I keep getting this feeling, this message, these thoughts? And if it's been repeating itself for years, that's a scheme. So what do we do? Well, pray the Word. Lord, you said in your word that I should not be ignorant of Satan's schemes. Father, I recognize this scheme of the devil and I refuse to accept it in the name of Jesus Christ. I will not accept this scheme. I rebuke and renounce the scheme of the enemy. Satan, your scheme is destroyed by the blood and the authority of Jesus Christ. Amen. Father, in your word, in Ephesians 6:11 says put on the full armor of God that I be able to stand against schemes of the enemy. Lord, I thank you, Father, that I have the armor of God. Father, I thank you, Lord, that I have uh, girded my loins with truth. I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I have shod my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I have the shield of faith, Father. Father, I thank you I have the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God, Father, and your armor protects me against every, every scheme of the enemy, Father, and no scheme will prosper against me or my family, in the name and the power and the authority of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

And this is what you have to do, folks. Your first step is know that Satan is scheming against you. He's plotting against you. And know that becoming aware of this plot can free you up. Then stand firm against it. Do not receive it. It's not God's plan for your life. You have been born again and adopted into the kingdom of God. You are a joint heir with Jesus Christ, a member of the royal priesthood. It gets no better than that. You don't have to have a title, you don't have to have a position, you have something greater than all of that. When you were dead in your transgressions, you have been seated 

together with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. That's as high as it gets, folks.

Now, if you want to have worldly achievement or spiritual achievements, that's great, you know, achieve, you know. You know, get your doctorate degree, you know, get your master's degree, um, answer the apostolic call, the prophetic call on your life. That's all great but your legitimacy is not in your title, your your legitimacy is not in your position, your legitimacy is in your identity as a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And this is one thing that the scheme of Satan does not want you to realize. That is the highest, greatest honor of all. It is better than being president of the United States - and Lord knows we need a good president. It's better, it is better than any title, any position. It's better than having the money of Bill Gates or what's his name…  Elon Musk. It's better than all of that to have an eternal inheritance and to be a child of the King filled with His Holy Spirit, made to rule and reign. This is as good as it gets and this has nothing to do with illegitimacy. You are legitimate. And every scheme of the enemy is exposed we're not ignorant of them, we stand firm against them and we are free. Who the Son sets free is free indeed, amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you for listening to Self Talk. I hope this show has been a blessing to you. God bless you.

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Okay, folks. Thank you for listening to another episode of Self Talk. I pray and I hope and I believe that this show has been a blessing to you. Don't be unaware of Satan's schemes. Stand firm against them, that's what I want you to know. It is so important for your life, it's so important for your spouse, your family, your kids, your job, your career, for everything, for the kingdom of God. It is important. Thank you so much. Don't forget to go to the uh, website for the podcast, and the easiest way to get there is use the link icmcollege.org/selftalk. That'll take you to the website. On the website, you can see every episode we've ever done. You can also subscribe, and please give me a review. Reviews really help our Google analytics a lot and that helps us get the message out to more people. 

Don't forget that if you have a call of God on your life, it's time to get equipped for your call. I mean, it's not– you know, if God called you to be a professional golfer you'd pick up a golf club and take a lesson, amen. If you're called to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ or a counselor a pastor or a church leader or even want to go deeper in the Word, the International College of Ministry is the place for you. We're enrolling now at icmcollege.org. You know what else you can do? You say, “Well, I'm not sure, I'm not sure how much will it cost. I don't know what it would take.” Well, on our website there's a big link. It says Get your free evaluation. You fill out the form, we'll send you an evaluation and tell you exactly what it'll take to get a degree, how much it'll cost you, and… it's– we're, we're very affordable. We even have scholarships if you can't afford our low tuition, so… And you work on your own schedule. I know this is a plug for International College of Ministry. It's my baby and I love it and I love equipping the saints. Thank you so much for listening to the show today, Self Talk with Dr. Ray Self. And I just pray God's blessings and we're not ignorant of Satan's schemes and we are– we have defeated every scheme of the enemy and who the Son sets free is free indeed, which is us. In Jesus’ name. Thanks again. God bless you. This is Dr. Ray.