Exposing Satan's Playbook The Perry Stone

from the Lord and transferred to a person through the laying on of hands, as Paul did with Timothy (2 Tim. 1:6). A P OWERFUL W EAPON The second weapon for defeating mental strongholds is a spiritual weapon available in your own life. Paul told the young pastor to war with the prophecies that went before him! Paul gave Timothy a “charge” (1 Tim. 1:18), which is more of a term used for a military commander giving an order to a soldier. Paul is not saying, “I have some good advice,” but “I have an order I want you to follow!” Paul reminded Timothy that “prophecies . . . went before” him ( KJV ). This indicated that Timothy was given prophetic words concerning God’s will for his life that were confirmed by the Holy Spirit and that revealed God’s will for Timothy was the pastoral assignment at Ephesus. It was common in the early church for apostles with spiritual gifts to operate in a vocal gift and give a word of prophecy concerning God’s will for a minister. As an example we read the phrase, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us . . . ” (Acts 15:28). In Acts 13, as Paul and others were praying and fasting, the Holy Spirit instructed the church leaders to send Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey (vv. 2–4). There were even warnings of coming famines and warnings of coming danger that were received through a Holy Spirit–inspired utterance (Acts 11:28; 21:11). Paul’s instruction was for Timothy to war with the prophetic words he had received! He was making it clear to Timothy that