SID: Mike, you talk about strongholds in the mind and there are three primary weapons to tear them down.
MIKE: That’s Second Corinthians, Chapter 10, Verses 3 thru 5, it says, “Though we’re in the flesh we do not war after the flesh, but the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” Now watch the wording carefully. It says, “Casting down,” not demons, not principalities or powers, but “casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” So there are certain mindsets.
SID: Excuse me. So you might be able to say everything that exalts itself against a promise of God—
MIKE: Is a stronghold.
SID: I’m going to cast out. I am not going to pay attention.
MIKE: Yes.
SID: You demonstrated this in the most amazing fashion. Wait until you hear this. He went into an insane asylum, but it wasn’t for himself. Tell me about it.
MIKE: I wasn’t so sure what was happening at first. I had driven to New York, upper state New York, to preach for a friend of mine who pastored a Church of God. When I got there from Tennessee, I knocked on his door. He came to the door very abruptly, he said, “Oh, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s go.” I said, “Where are we going?” He said, “To the insane asylum.” I said, “An insane asylum?” I said, “Do you treat all your visiting evangelists this way?”
SID: What was the name of that church?
MIKE: I thought maybe the rooms were cheaper there than the motel. Who knows? But then he began to explain to me that one of his best members, a very godly woman, the leader of his intercessory group had been married to an abusive man that constantly told her things like how stupid and ugly, and worthless she was, a man who is supposed to be a protector, not a predator in his home. But anyway, she cracked and she finally had a nervous breakdown. And we went there and they gave us five minutes with her, only five minutes, and they said no religious stuff. I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I didn’t say yea or nay. I just smiled and I thought let them interpret that smile any way they want to. In my mind I was thinking, I’m here to do God’s work. And so they led us back to the room. Thankfully, they let us close the door. She did not acknowledge us being in the room. She acted like she was alone, just sitting on the bed, muttering. And the pastor said, “You go ahead.” And so I walked over and I thought well even if she doesn’t act like she hears me, I believe her spirit hears me. I believe her heart hears me. So I didn’t want anybody outside to hear. So I got real close to her and I thought, I’m going to declare every promise I can think of in the Word of God, for the next four to five minutes. And I thought Jesus, when he faced off with the devil, he always said, “It is written, it is written, it is written.” So I thought I’m going to use the same method. So I got down close to her and I said, “It is written, there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. It is written nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. It is written, behold I give you power over all the power of the enemy. It is written God has not given you a spirit of fear, but a power of love and of a sound mind. It is written if God be for you, who can be against you,” on and on, and on. I looked at my watch and lo and behold, we had 30 seconds left. I said, “Pastor, we got to go for it.” So we both laid hands on her and without planning it in advance, we both burst out speaking in tongues as loud as we could, very loud, so much so the door swung open and two big bouncers came in, grabbed us by the arm, led us to the front door, threw us outside and locked the door behind us. But we had already done sufficient damage to the devil’s kingdom because after we left, that woman got up and bathed herself, she clothed herself, she went up to the front desk, she said, “Call my family, I don’t need to be in here anymore. God gave me my mind back.”
SID: You just grabbed hold of these promises. There is a promise for every need that you have. He who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Therefore, that’s you. If you will pray this prayer and mean it to the best of your ability every rotten thing you’ve ever done will be eradicated.
MIKE: That’s right.
You’ll have a new beginning and the life and love of God will enter you. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the life and love of God. Repeat after me, out loud: Dear God.
MIKE: Dear God.
SID: I’m a sinner.
MIKE: I’m a sinner.
SID: For which I’m so sorry.
MIKE: For which I’m so sorry.
SID: I believe that the blood of Jesus.
MIKE: I believe that the blood of Jesus.
SID: Washes away all those sins.
MIKE: Washes away all those sins.
SID: And in your sight.
MIKE: And in your sight.
SID: I’m clean.
MIKE: I’m clean.
SID: It’s a new beginning.
MIKE: It’s a new beginning.
SID: And now that I am clean.
Mike: Now that I am clean.
SID: Jesus, come and live inside of me.
Mike: Jesus, come live inside of me.
SID: Become my Lord.
MIKE: Become my Lord.
SID: Amen.
MIKE: Amen.
SID: And the word “amen” means so be it.
