God's Strong Man
by
Tony Alamo
"How can a man enter into a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, except he first binds the strong man, and then plunders his house?"1 The Word of God, in the spiritual language of the Bible, says the one who has faith in God (in His Word) is the strong man.2
When the strong man begins to doubt God’s Word, he is entered into and plundered by the original evil spirit that was once in him and cast out, and "seven other spirits worse than itself… enter and live in him;" (within the temple of God, the person who once had faith but now doubts) "and the end of that man" (once he has doubted God) "becomes worse than at first" (before he was saved).3 Such will happen to this evil generation (of doubters).4
Satan, who is the prince of the power of the air,5 is constantly at work, cutting subtle grooves of doubt into everyone’s mind, heart, and soul, till doubt virtually is embroidered into the souls of every human who is not busy building his faith by both studying and receiving the Word of God. The mind can be the storehouse of God’s Word, or it can be the storehouse of doubt.
God works differently than the prince of the air. God wants His people to constantly ask of Him that we may constantly receive of Him, constantly seek Him that we may constantly find Him, constantly knock that He may constantly open unto us.6
God’s Word instructs His people to fully arm and armor themselves with His power (faith in His Word), that they may become men of power. This power is attained only by faith in God’s Word, and "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."7 Faith in every Word of God cuts invisible grooves of Holy Spirit power into the heart, soul, and mind of the believer. Faith in God’s Word is the only power that will save the soul from an eternity in Hell and the lake of fire. "The just shall live" (eternally) "by his faith" (Hab. 2:4).8 "By the law of faith" (Rom. 3:27), faith in God’s Word is the only power that closes the door of our soul to every invasion from Satan, the prince of the air. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23).
Faith and doubt are similar in one way: the one you have determines where you will spend eternity. So, "stand fast in the faith" (1 Cor. 16:13). For, "by faith ye stand" (2 Cor. 1:24). Doubt gives the assurance of Hell and the lake of fire and strengthens the likeliness of sickness, disease, and every other infirmity, mental, spiritual, or physical. Faith saves us and cures all these infirmities. Faith must occur before you are saved, cured, or delivered. You are cured by faith in God’s Word, which pulls out those hidden roots of doubt. Jesus said, "Every plant," (of doubt) "which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up" (by faith in God’s Word).9
Jesus said, "The thief " (satanic doubt) "cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I [Jesus] am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."10 Jesus came to destroy the world of doubt. Jesus said: "Think not that I am come to send peace" (with doubt) "on earth: I came not to send peace," (to doubters) "but a sword" (the Word of God, which dissolves destructive doubt and builds eternal life, heals every disease, sickness, or infirmity, ends financial problems, and gives deliverance from all evil). "For I am come to set a man" (who has faith) "at variance against his father" (who doubts God’s Word), "and the daughter" (who has faith) "against her mother" (who doubts God’s Word), "and the daughter in law" (who has faith in God’s Word) "against her mother in law" (who doubts God’s Word). "And a man’s (a believer’s) foes shall be they of his own household" (those who doubt).11
The Apostle Paul tells it like this: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness" (believers) "with unrighteousness" (doubters)? "and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel" (one who doubts God)?12
John 1:1 describes the Word of God as being one of the names of our Lord. Throughout the entire Bible, including Revelation 19:13, we know the Word is God, and our Lord is the Word of God.13 Jesus is the only one equipped to mediate God’s thoughts with His merciful, faith-giving power, His instructions of life to us.14
Faith in God’s Word destroys the most dangerous, damning disease of all, which is doubt. That is why the Apostle Paul, in speaking of God’s armor, exalts faith above all armor: "Above all, taking the shield of faith" (Eph. 6:16).
Jesus is the total, ultimate concept of God the Father. He is Deity speaking His own Word of power that we might, by faith, receive His power, THE WORD OF GOD, into ourselves. Jesus said, "The Words which I have spoken to you are Spirit and Life."15 With faith the size of one grain of mustard seed, Jesus said, "Not even one thing" (that God has promised those who believe) "will be impossible to you."16
"The words that I speak, I do not speak of Myself, but My Father who abides with Me does these works."17 We can only become "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (the Word) (Gal. 3:26). However, the Apostle Paul stated, "In the latter times some shall depart from the faith."18 Jesus said, "He who loves Me keeps My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make a place of abode with him."19 A person who says "I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar" (a doubter), "and the truth" (the faith in God’s Word) "is not in him."20 So "let us draw near" (by faith, to God) "with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22).
God said true strength is "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit" (His Word).21 The true strong man of God is filled with powerful faith through the HOLY SPIRIT, THE WORD OF GOD. The strong man of God will not allow any doubt to enter his temple because he fears the Word of God, as the Apostle Paul stated: "But I keep under my body," (I keep my body under the subjection of the Word of God), "and bring it" (my body) "into subjection:" (subjection to the Word of God) "lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself" (a strong man, because of the faith I have in the powerful Word of God) "should be a castaway" (should be bound by doubt, entered into by one plus seven evil spirits, and on my way to Hell and the lake of fire).22 By doubting God’s Word (His Holy Spirit), all strong men are bound, and God’s temple (which are their bodies) are entered with evil spirits from the legions of Satan.23
[The Lord says that the Kingdom of Heaven is not observed because the Kingdom of God is within (Luke 17:20-21). He said when you go to preach to someone, tell them “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matt. 10:7). We say that God’s Kingdom is an unchangeable Kingdom and His Word is ruled by His Kingdom (it’s settled there), and that everything must be ruled in this world by the Word of God. That means religion has to be changed to salvation, and that means secular power must become spiritual, or every one of them are going to Hell. Democracy and Republicanism change the laws, but God’s law never changes. It’s never going to change, it never will change, it never has changed. God is “the same yesterday, to day, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8). You must say that nothing has changed, it’s the same because God is a King, and kings don’t let you change their laws. He wants His will to be done here on earth as it is done in Heaven (Matt. 6:10). He saved us to rule. We are to rule this world with a rod of iron which is His Word (Rev. 2:26-27). We are not allowed to use carnal weapons, but we are to use His Word (II Cor. 10:3-4). That is the rod of iron. His Word is Him.
People should not feel that they have an inferiority complex to come up against the evils of this world. You are to come out bold—an ambassador from the Kingdom of God, that we are the Kingdom of God right here in this country, just the same as if you were an ambassador of the United States in Sweden, Poland, Czechoslovakia, any place. You are the United States there. You’re not a Polish person, or an Italian, or a Frenchman, but you are in that country as an ambassador of the United States of America. I heard one man say if somebody slaps you on the face when you’re unsaved that’s an insult. But if someone slaps the ambassador of the United States on the face when you’re in Poland or any other country, that’s an international incident and that could cause war. If you smite a person from the Kingdom of Heaven, that’s an international incident, and it’s better that a millstone that is so powerful and big that it has to be driven by an ox be hanged about your neck and you cast into the water, down into the very depths of the ocean (Matt. 10:6). It’s an international incident to persecute any of God’s children, His ambassadors from the Kingdom of God.
Stand up Christians and be counted for. If you are really an ambassador from the Kingdom of Heaven, don’t go for this garbage that they are saying here. You are here to make sure that people believe. You are to compel the gainsayer to enter into the house of the living God and to obey God because God is not a democracy or a republic. He is not going to change. His Word is the same, and you have to believe that in order to be able to penetrate that into other people’s hearts, souls, and minds. The more you read the Bible the more you are going to be able to do that. You’re not going to be able to go out there without being fully armed and armored with the Word of God because it is the same thing as entering into a war with atomic power and going out there with a paper hat and a little wooden sword fighting this incredible atomic energy. But the Word of God is more powerful. God is more powerful than atomic energy and all the germ warfare, the chemical warfare, and this whole evil system here on this earth. You are an ambassador from Heaven with the Word of God, and don’t let anyone back you down. This Kingdom is here on earth now. You make sure that more and more souls—judges, attorneys, presidents, kings hear it, believe it, receive it, and get saved and join the army of the Lord, which is very harmless. We’re just here to save your soul.]
Isaiah 53:2 states when the Son of God (the Word of God) appears incarnate, He would have "no form nor comeliness; and when we saw that He had no beauty, we denied Him" (doubted Him). This is why Jesus said people could reject His physical appearance (the Son of man24) and eventually have eternal life if they repented,25 but not reject (doubt) the Words He spoke. To doubt or reject the Word of God (Life’s Holy Spirit), the same Words Christ, Moses, the prophets, and the apostles spoke, is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, which is unforgivable, both in this world and in the world to come.26 Satan must first make the strong man of faith doubt before he can enter him.27
All humans have a stubborn mental attitude. Our flesh always wants to doubt. We need to remember that "without faith it is impossible to please God."28 Satan knows this fact very well, and uses every kind of persecution, including affliction, bondage with false accusations, poverty, and persecution of every variety to cause the servant of Christ and the world to doubt God’s Holy Word and God’s very existence. If, because of these things, one catches the damning disease of doubt, he will be completely destroyed by the entering of satanic, unclean spirits.
It is the Word of God’s will to heal anyone whose will it is to be healed, which means those who desire to have faith in God’s Word rather than to doubt Him. It is Christ’s will to heal you. As Jesus said, "Be thou clean."29 Have faith, believe, and receive healing by faith in His Word.30
Jesus said, "Whoever hears the Word of the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one" (Satan) "comes and snatches away the Word" (the strong, Holy Spirit) "which has been sown in his heart. This is that which was sown on the roadside. That which was sown upon the rock, this is he who hears the Word, and immediately accepts it with joy;" (becomes a strong man, becomes born again) "But it" (the Word of God) "has no root in him, except for a while; and when trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he immediately stumbles" (he doubts, gets bound by Satan, is entered into by demons, then destroyed). "That which was sown among thistles, this is he who hears the Word, but worldly thoughts and the deception caused by riches choke the Word, and it becomes fruitless.31 Again, he who doubts God’s powerful, Holy Word is bound, entered into, and condemned to an eternity in Hell.
God has spoken through the person of His Son.32 "By faith he" (Moses) "forsook Egypt" (Heb. 11:27). Jesus, therefore, is Deity spoken out of and into our world. Jesus lived what He spoke. To doubt the Truth, the Word of God, is to accept with preference the lies of Satan. But "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up" (James 5:15).
"Believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and both you and your household will be saved."33 Believe in Him and you and your household shall be saved, strong, not bound by Satan, entered into, and plundered. "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; and he who does not believe" (doubts) "shall be condemned."34
Jesus said, "All power in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Just as My Father has sent Me I am also sending you."35
In every race there is both a starting and a finishing line. Why not start now before it’s everlastingly too late?36 Those who continue in faith, doubting nothing in Christ to the end, shall be saved.37
The Apostle John wrote a letter to a group of strong men of faith. This statement was included: "I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. He who loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world is the lust of the body, the covetousness of the eyes, and the pride of material things; these things do not come from the Father but from the world." 38
Will you choose to be one of the world’s many doubters and spend eternity in Hell with them? Or will you choose to be a man or woman of faith in God’s powerful Word, safely trusting in the Word of God that created the heavens, the earth, and the fullness thereof, everything seen and unseen? "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God" (Heb. 11:3). I pray that you will choose rightly and become a strong man or woman of God by saying this prayer in faith to the One who will dissolve every one of your doubts with His Word.39
Prayer
My Lord and my God, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. 2 I believe that He died on the cross and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all my sins. 3 I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit 4 and that He sits on the right hand of God at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart and I invite You into my heart, Lord Jesus. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that You shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 You will not turn me away, Lord Jesus, You will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because Your Word, the Bible says so. 8 Your Word says that You will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that You have heard me, and I know that You have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as You command and sin no more. 11
Now that you are saved and forgiven of your sins, raise your hands and praise the Lord. "Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth."40
Christ now lives in you through the Holy Spirit.41 There is a way you can receive a fuller portion of the divine nature of God in you. God the Father lives now in you also. The more of the divine nature of God that lives in you, the more you will be able to stand against the temptations that so easily have moved so many millions of Christians away from salvation. This is caused by more man in us than God in us. Mankind has become so wicked that if Satan and his impish army were abolished, we would be our own devil.
Now that you are saved, pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Prayerfully study the Word and pray always for more of the divine nature.42 For instructions on how to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and to receive more of God’s holy nature, ask for our literature or call. For without holiness no man shall see God.43
Now that you are saved it is a commandment to be fully submerged, baptized in water in the name of the Father and in the name of the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit.44 Follow all of God’s commands and live.45
You've just completed the first step in a series of five steps which are necessary to receive salvation. Your second step is to deny yourself and take up the cross daily for the purpose of mortifying yourself, that is, for putting to death your own will, your soulful self, and the world with all of its lusts. All these must be baptized into the death of Christ.
Step three is your resurrection from the satanic life of Adam unto the sinless life of Christ. Step four is your ascension into a position of authority to reign for God on earth, and the fifth step is to reign for God on earth to the end for the purpose of bringing about the kingdom of Heaven on earth. You must learn the Word of God, then submit yourself and do what the Word says, so that the Church and the world may see evidence of your submission to God's Word, His order, and His authority in and by you.
Praise the Lord. May God reward you abundantly.
Pastor Tony Alamo
Our church receives much mail with thousands of requests for Bibles and literature. Much of our literature is printed in Hebrew, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Albanian, Serbian, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Arabic. Pastor Alamo’s ninety-one page book, The Messiah, is currently available in Hebrew, English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Korean, Greek, Arabic, Japanese, and Polish. Distributors for Alamo literature are on the increase every day throughout the world.
Please contact us for more information or for literature on other topics which may be of interest.
Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Worldwide
P. O. Box 2948
Hollywood, CA 90078
Twenty-four hour prayer and information line: (661) 252-5686
Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Worldwide provides a place to live with all the things necessary for life
to all those
in our United States locations who truly want to serve the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Services held in New York City every Tuesday at 8 P.M. and at other locations nightly. Please call for more information: (908) 937-5723.
MEALS SERVED AFTER EACH SERVICE
Ask for Pastor Alamo’s book, The Messiah, showing Christ from the Old Testament revealed in over three hundred thirty-three prophecies.
Become a laborer in the harvest of souls by becoming a distributor of Pastor Alamo’s literature. All of our literature and audio messages are free of charge, including shipping.
THIS LITERATURE CARRIES THE TRUE PLAN OF SALVATION (Acts 4:12).
DO NOT THROW IT AWAY, PASS IT ON TO SOMEONE ELSE
Those of you who are in other countries, we encourage you to translate
this literature into your native language.
If you do reprint, please include this copyright and registration:
©
Copyright February,1995 All rights reserved World Pastor Tony Alamo ® Registered February,1995
The Tony Alamo Christian Ministries is a division of Music Square Church, Inc.
This literature was written in February, 1995, at FCI Florence, Federal Prison. Pastor Alamo counts his imprisonment for Christ as being all joy.
"God's Strong Man" footnotes:
1 Matt. 12:29 return
2 2 Cor.1:24, 5:7, Luke 1:80, 2:40 return
3 Matt. 12:45 return
4 Matt. 12:39, Luke 11:29 return
5 Eph. 2:2 return
6 Matt. 7:7-8, Luke 11:9-10 return
7 Rom. 10:17 return
8 Rom. 1:17 return
9 Matt. 15:13 return
10 John 10:10 return
11 Matt. 10:34-36 return
12 2 Cor. 6:14-15 return
13 John 1:1,3, Psalm 138:2, Gen. 1:3 return
14 Heb. 9: 15, 12:24 return
15 John 6:63 return
16 Matt. 17:20 return
17 John 14:10 return
18 1 Tim. 4:1 return
19 John 14:23, Rev. 3:20, Jer. 7:23 return
20 1 John 2:4 return
21 Zech. 4:6 return
22 1 Cor. 9:27 return
23 Matt. 12:43-45, Heb. 6:4-6, 2 Thes. 2:11-12 return
24 John 8:28, 13:31, Acts 7:55-56 return
25 Mark 3:28 return
26 Matt. 12:31 return
27 Heb. 4:11, Matt. 12:29 return
28 Heb. 11:6. return
29 Matt. 8:3 return
30 Acts 3:16 return
31 Matt. 13:19-22 return
32 Heb. 1:1-2, John 3:34, 1 John 4:9 return
33 Acts 16:31, 15:11 return
34 Mark 16:16 return
35 Matt. 28:18 return
36 1 Cor. 9:24, Heb. 12:1 return
37 Matt. 24:13, Mark 13:13 return
38 1 John 2:14-16 return
39 Dan 5:12,16 return
40 I Chron. 16:31 return
41 Rom. 8:11 return
42 II Tim 2:15, Luke 21:36, John 15:3 return
43 Heb. 12:14 return
44 Matt. 28:19 return
45 Deut. 8:1, 30:16, Prov. 4:4, 7:2 return
"Prayer" Footnotes:return to top
1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return
2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return
3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return
4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return
5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return
6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return
7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return
8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return
9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return
10. Heb. 11:6 return
11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return