Jerusalem
(Dwelling Place of Peace) – Demonic attribute: a force of unrest and
oppression.
Adoni-Zedek (Lord of Righteousness) – Demonic attribute: a force of
unrighteousness or self-righteousness.
23 And they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.24 So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew near and put their feet on their necks. 25 Then Joshua said to [a]them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 And afterward Joshua struck [b]them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening. (Joshua 10:23-26)
Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. 3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” 5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it. (Joshua 10:1-5)
Jerusalem
The holy city of the people of Judah, also known as the capital city, was originally named Salem, and also referred to as Jebus (Joshua 15:8; 18:28). It continued to be called Jebus until the time of David. The first explicit mention of Jerusalem in the Bible begins in Joshua chapter 10 (Joshua 10:1, 3, 5, 23). This territory was originally allotted to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:28), but because the Benjamites were unable to drive out the Jebusites, they lived together with them (Judges 1:21).
Adonizedek
means "My Lord is Righteousness" (Hebrew Strong's #0139). א 
ק
A
Canaanite king killed by Joshua; Adonizedek was the king of Jerusalem at
the time when Israel was conquering the land of Canaan. He formed an alliance
with four other kings to resist the army of Israel. After being defeated, they
hid together in a cave but were eventually killed by Joshua, who then hung
their bodies on trees. (Joshua 10:1, 3)
The Concept of Self-Righteousness:
Self-righteousness
is the belief that one is inherently right or morally good. It includes
thinking that one can be moral without God, that the self or humanity is the
source of morality, or even that one can become like God. This mindset causes a
person to feel justified in themselves, secure in their condition, and unaware
of their need for salvation. Those who view themselves as moral
individuals—believing they act according to their conscience, are certainly not
sinners, and could never end up in hell—are in fact deceived by this demonic
spirit.
Manifestations of Self-Righteousness:
Self-righteousness often aligns with spiritual pride and arrogance. It expresses itself in attitudes such as believing that pursuing spiritual practices is more important than loving others.
17 [a]Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest[b] on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. (Romans 2:17-20)
- In this passage,
the Jews were confident in being God’s chosen people, knowing the law and
strictly adhering to it, while also believing they understood God’s will
and could discern right from wrong.
- They assumed they
possessed the only true truth, saw themselves as superior, and considered
themselves above the Gentiles—despising association with them.
- Though they had
knowledge, they failed to live out the requirements of the law. With a
worldly sense of superiority, they judged others and looked down on them.
4.
They
became proud and complacent, thinking that possessing the truth of Christ,
along with the status and gifts of being God’s children, was enough.
5.
In other
words, their words and actions were inconsistent—they spoke in a lofty and
righteous manner, but behaved differently, showing complete hypocrisy.
6.
They knew
the truth only intellectually, appearing spiritual on the outside, but in
secret their behavior was unworthy, unable to live out the truth they claimed
to know.
7.
While
well-versed in the law, they criticized others and yet knew how to justify
their own actions.
21 You, therefore, who teach another, do
you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you
steal? 22 You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do
you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You
who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the
law? 24 For “the name of God
is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written. (Romans 2:21-24)
Reason of self-righteousness:
Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. (Luke 18:6)
I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: (Luke 18:9)
Two men
went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (Luke
18:10)
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. (Luke 18:11)
I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess. (Luke 18:12)
And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner! (Luke 18:13)
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be [d]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
Exhortation:
These
verses deliver a stern rebuke to those who are self-righteous. It is always
easier to correct others than to discipline ourselves, and much easier to speak
the right principles than to live them out. Do we also often expect others to
do things we ourselves are unwilling or struggling to do? Let us strive to
align our words with our actions. Do not impose on others what you would not
want for yourself. Let us not become spiritual hypocrites. If we claim to
belong to God, then we must live according to His will. If we do not obey God,
we dishonor His name, and others may blaspheme God because of us. When others
observe our lives, can they see the image of Christ in us?
Results of self-righteousness:
25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your [a]written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose [b]praise is not from men but from God. (Romans 2:25-29)
Circumcision was the sign of the covenant between God and His people. Every Jewish male was required to receive circumcision, beginning with Abraham’s household, as a sign of entering into covenant with God (Genesis 17:9–14).
According
to Paul, if one does not obey God's law, even a circumcised Jew is counted as
nothing—because an outward sign cannot substitute for an inward life. On the
other hand, a Gentile who has not been circumcised but follows the requirements
of the law can still receive God's love and acceptance.
Having
only external qualifications without inward transformation does not make
someone truly Jewish. Only those whose hearts are aligned with God are true
“Jews” in the spiritual sense.
In other words, if a person does not obey the law, circumcision becomes meaningless and actually brings judgment. True circumcision emphasizes the spiritual principle of the heart, not outward appearance. Therefore, today, no external condition is enough to make us boast or become self-righteous—nor do we have any grounds to display a sense of superiority over other members of the body of Christ.
When we feel the urge to point out others’ sins in the name of righteousness, we must be very cautious. While it is right to address sin, we must always do so with a humble heart. Often, we see other people’s sins clearly, yet we fail to realize that the same sins may also exist within ourselves. If we take time to reflect carefully, we’ll often discover that the sins we commit are the very ones commonly found in society. For example, those who love to gossip often criticize others for gossiping about them. Let us all humbly examine our own faults and resist the temptation to become self-righteous or prideful before God and others.
Prayer to Break Self-Righteousness and Pride:
Lord,
please forgive me for my spiritual pride, religious self-righteousness, and
critical, judgmental spirit. Teach me humility, Lord. Show me how to express
kindness and grace to my family members, and help me to prioritize building
relationships with them. Teach me how to share You with them in a gentle and
loving way. Increase my love and passion for my family, and let my greatest joy
be seeing them come to salvation. I pray all this in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Amen.
Blessing Prayer: Take a moment to pray and speak a
personal blessing over your loved ones.
The Spirit of Oppression
This is a
dark force that disturbs and hinders us from drawing near to God. Oppression
causes your spiritual pursuit and work to be stalled or unable to continue. In
contrast to those who are fully captive—completely blinded by the enemy, living
outside the truth while believing they are in it, thinking they are free while
actually bound—those who are oppressed know what the truth is and long for
freedom and breakthrough, but they feel powerless and unable to break through
despite their desire.
We can often recognize whether we are under oppression by examining our inner state. Feelings of fear, discouragement, helplessness, disappointment, powerlessness, and a lack of joy are clear signs of oppression.
The enemy can use our life circumstances to exert pressure, with the goal of restricting our freedom and movement. Thus, oppression is a form of captivity. It can manifest in various ways, such as laboring without reward (like the oppression of the Israelites by the Midianites in Judges 6), oppression through sickness, financial oppression, oppression caused by unbelieving family members or coworkers, religious spirits operating within the church, or carnal individuals within the church suppressing those who are spiritually minded.
Sometimes, oppression occurs because we have not taken our stand with God in the truth, thus giving the enemy a foothold. For example, the oppression of the Israelites by the Midianites in Judges 6 was a result of their idolatry—worshiping Baal—which opened the door for the Midianites to oppress them. In such cases, the way to break oppression requires both spiritual warfare and alignment with God’s truth. Whenever the oppression seems to come through people, God always helps us see that the real issue is not the person, but the dark spiritual forces operating behind them. We must engage the enemy using both the weapons of love and the power of spiritual authority, in order to break the oppression and release those who are captive.
Oppression Through Accusation and Condemnation: This is one of the enemy’s most common tactics. When we believe that we are guilty, our relationship with God and with others becomes hindered. Sometimes, when things happen, we struggle to discern whether it's our own fault or a scheme of the enemy through accusation. In such situations, we must both declare the enemy’s retreat and also stay alert in prayer, asking God to reveal any real issues in our hearts so we can genuinely repent and restore a right relationship with God and people.
Direct
Oppression of Our Thoughts, Emotions, and Mindset: This often appears as a
sudden wave of discouragement without any clear reason. The enemy knows that if
we are filled with hope and faith, we will be joyful, and joy gives us strength
to engage in spiritual battle. Therefore, he tries to suppress us mentally and
emotionally to weaken us before we can fight back.
The enemy’s main goal in
oppressing us is to attack and crush our faith, causing us to lose confidence.
Ultimately, this leads to the loss of a living, vibrant relationship with God.
The enemy knows that the strength of a Christian life comes from faith in God. Paul and Silas are powerful examples of victory through faith—they displayed the highest level of confidence in God. A slightly weaker level of faith is when we still have the strength to cry out, saying, “God, help me. Save me.” The worst condition is when we no longer even have the strength to call out to God—that is complete oppression. At that point, the person needs the help of others or the church to bring deliverance and release.
How to Be Set Free from Oppression:
1. Pray and Cry Out to God
2.
Rise Up
and war: Praise, invites God's salvation to come;
Declaration: When God’s Word is released with power and we receive it by faith,
the oppression is broken. In Luke 4:18, the word "proclaim" means to
declare— God train us to gain victory through spiritual warfare, so that we can
in turn set others free who are held captive.
In the
name of Jesus Christ, I break the power of the spirit of self-righteousness and
oppression. I put on the full armor of God and take up the sword of the Spirit.
From the dark pit of my life—like the cave of Makkedah—I pull out Adonizedek,
the king of Jerusalem. In the name of Jesus, I expose and cast out this
oppressive spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ, I trample upon its neck under
my feet.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I take up the sword of the Spirit and cut off the spirit of oppression. I bind you and rebuke you—spirit of oppression, leave me now! I break every projection of oppression in my thoughts, mind, emotions, and will. I sever all connections and loose every chain. In the name of Jesus Christ, I trample upon the neck of this oppressive spirit.
I crush you, spirit of oppression—you will no longer intimidate or terrorize me. I trample on you, and I bind you in Jesus’ mighty name!
I will make you, spirit of oppression, fear me. It is you, not me, who will be ashamed and disgraced. Shame belongs to you—spirit of oppression, spirit of fear, spirit of timidity. I cut off and break every memory from the past where I was oppressed—every fearful, intimidating, and terrifying memory. Let the fire of the Holy Spirit burn it all—burn it all away! God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, and this strong, courageous spirit will replace you—spirit of fear, timidity, and intimidation.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I take up the sword of the Spirit and cut off every connection and bondage of the spirit of confusion in my thoughts and mind. I break the power of the spirit of confusion, religious spirit, and deceptive spirit—you must leave me now and go to the feet of the Lord Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, I rebuke every spirit of confusion, deception, darkness, and slumber operating in my mind. Leave now and go to the feet of Jesus!
Lord, I
ask You to give us a renewed and clear mind, to grant us heavenly wisdom, to
open the eyes of our hearts and our spiritual sight. Burn away the spirit of
confusion, slumber, and deception with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit fire, burn! Burn! Burn!
I pull out every oppressive spirit from my life and my body, and I command them to go to the feet of the Lord Jesus and become His footstool. I also plead the precious blood of Jesus—covering me thickly, washing me thoroughly, and blocking every entry point of these evil spirits. I do not permit these sicknesses, pains, or anxieties to affect me any longer.
I declare
that I am free in Christ. The Spirit of God dwells within me, and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.I declare that my thoughts, emotions,
and will are fully released and free in Christ. My spirit flows naturally and
unhindered. My body functions perfectly, restored to the original design God
intended when He created me.
Source: Pastoral Department of Omega Ministry Service Centre
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