DUI – Deciding Under the Influence

Vision – I saw Christians and demons. I saw through the people and at their hearts. Some Christians had black spots on the fleshy,
red hearts and the demons were drawn to these spots like moths to a flame. When they saw a spot they gathered around it asking,
“What is it?” Then one of them would identify it, “it’s hate” or “it’s pride” or “it’s laziness”. Once identified they encouraged the
Christian to talk about it, “They wronged you; tell your friends about it”, “he’s a jerk, you’re just venting”, “you were right, they were
wrong, they need to understand your point of view, tell someone who will understand”, “stay in bed, you don’t need to get up and
pray, it’s ok God understands – you work hard and need a rest, sleep in for a while”.

Google Results
Demons made me do it – how many times have we heard this? (17 mil results). Devil made me do it – 19 mil results. Voices in my
head – 126 mil results

The pattern for losing fellowship with God and becoming just like Satan:
1. Gossip
2 Timothy 2:16 – gossip makes you less like God.
Proverbs 16:28 – begins to sow division.
Proverbs 18:8 – people, even Christians, tend to love a nice piece of juicy gossip.
2. Religion (denominations)
3 John 1:10 – gossip leads to denominations (Proverbs 26:20 – without it the quarrel disappears)
But this looks so honest and sincere! Blowing the whistle on others – 2 Corinthians 11:12-15
Examples of times I’ve been “under the influence”
Me: religious spirit – but you think it’s some kind of religious piety that makes you better than someone else. A feeling of “I
know more than you do” or “I’m right, you’re wrong”
Paul: 2 Corinthians 11:21b-28
Leads to envy – they’re being used by God more than me!
3. Envy (spirit of Cain)
Matthew 13:53-58 – Gossip turned to envy over His spiritual abilities and restricted the move of God.
Genesis 4:1-12 – God accepts someone else more than me…makes you a murderer and hardens you against God’s word.
Examples of times I’ve been “under the influence”
Me: someone gets a gift from God that you’ve been praying for.
The Apostles: Matthew 20:20-21, 24 – can’t you just see them gossiping about this? “To think they would ask to sit there…I
want to sit there”. (Mark 9:33-34).
4. Hardness
Romans 1:29, 32, then 18, 21, then 2:5
5. Pride (become just like Satan)
3 John 1:9 – loves to be first. Is that not the mentality of Satan?
Isaiah 14:13 - You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of
God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.”
Me: pastor story – Jesus baptizing (John 4:2)

God told me once, “I want you to be more concerned about loving them, and less concerned about proving your point to them”.

Because “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor 8:1)

Now that you know you’ve been used by Satan, how do you keep it from happening again?
Matthew 12:36-37 – it all starts with gossip.
Mark 7:20-23 – heart washing.
Watchman Nee story.
James 3:2-6 – tame the tongue.

Be on your guard against anything that doesn’t match God’s heart – Matthew 16:21-23, Luke 9:51-56: both sounded very pious but
missed God’s heart. Identify what is wrong with this last one - Galatians 2:11-14 (Paul failed to follow Matthew 18:15-17).

What if you see someone who has fallen prey to Satan?

2 Timothy 2:23-26
Proverbs 26:4-5