Defeating the Spirit of Athaliah

Whenever we do anything that can cause Kingdom growth there is a specific attack against us – this enemy is organized & strategic

Evil spirits set their timing to interfere with our purpose

1 Kings 20:22.  And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him,

"Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do,

for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you."

Demons depend on our ignorance of their methods and strategies to accomplish things

1. Knowing the enemy that is attacking us & that it’s using witchcraft strategies
2. Learning characteristics of different spirits – Jezebel; Balaam, serpent, fear, etc.
3. Knowing where the power is & why the attacks are aimed at our soul
4. Understanding our weapons:  Word, worship, prayer – the blood, testimony, money
5. Learning how to deal with spirits: since can’t kill them, displace them
6. Don’t fight alone

Another strategy in this season, against this house & the spirit behind it

The enemy is targeting young people – Especially Young Leaders & children 

Notice:  Paris terrorist attack against Young Adults

Here’s why he’s attacking Young Adults…

1 Kings 20:13-14

Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, "Thus says the Lord: 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"

14 So Ahab said, "By whom?" 

And he said, "Thus says the Lord: 'By the young leaders of the provinces.'"

Then he said, "Who will set the battle in order?"  And he answered, "You."

Young Leaders are going to be our Deliverers, so

The enemy’s strategy is to Discredit the Young Leaders so they have no legitimate Influence & people won’t follow

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War:  The first factor of war is “moral influence.” 

It is that which causes the people to be in one accord with their leader, so that they will be willing to follow them in life and unto death without fear of danger.

The enemy attacks the credibility of the leader

• So the leader won’t be believed or appear trustworthy
• The leader loses his Influence, his good name, and the confidence of others

Lowering the influence of the leader so that following is optional

If the enemy is successful in his attacks on leadership

Look at the effect on the membership

Containment 

Luke 19:43-44.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side,  44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." 

Contained:  no movement, no success, no progress, limited, controlled 

Robbing us of our destiny

All because we missed the timing / season

Wherever there’s destiny, the enemy tries to kill the seed

• Pharaoh tried to kill Moses
• Herod tried to kill Jesus
• Another spirit at work in our midst desiring to destroy the seed

Athaliah:  daughter of Ahab & Jezebel; wife of Jehoram, king of Judah

          Sister to Joram, king of Israel

Jezebel manipulated, controlled and cursed destiny

          Athaliah was purely destructive and power-hungry

2 Chron 22:2-3, 10

Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly.

10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.

Jehu, taking the throne of Israel, killed her son, Ahaziah, killed her brother, King Joram, and killed her mother, Jezebel

Instead of mourning her losses, or instead of trying to take out revenge on Jehu, she killed all of her son’s royal male heirs – her sons and grandsons

Ruthless, destroys those with leadership gifts – those called to rule and reign

          Destroying the next generation is destroying the future

Spirit ambushes, moves quickly against you, overwhelms

Won’t let you set your feet – tries to attack before you can prepare for the fight

          This spirit doesn’t let go easily

God preserved the generation – Joash was hidden for 6 years

2 Chron 23:3-7 NIV

Jehoiada said to them, "The king's son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David. 4 Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, 5 a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the other men are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord. 6 No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the other men are to guard what the Lord has assigned to them.  7 The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the temple must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."

Jesus came through the lineage of Joash

Determine to fight in the spirit realm to preserve this next generation

Matt 11:12.  From the days of John the Baptist until now

The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

You have support in the unseen realm – Angels are on assignment

Matt 18:10.  "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Trust the Father with your children

Ex 2:2-3

And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.

Hold God to His Promise: 

Prov 11:21.  The seed of the righteous shall be delivered.