Our Authority Over Satan — Otto Koning

Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God

You notice the opening hymn and the opening song were on the theme of spiritual warfare and that's what the Lord Taught me some lessons in there in the jungles of Erie and Jaya. That's New Guinea. And I want you to turn in your Bible to Ephesians 6.

That's the warfare chapter that's where you read about the parts of the armor that you're supposed to put on so that you can stand against the powers of darkness and The Verses just come prior to those verses of the armor in Ephesians 6.

They're the verses that I'd like to read for you this morning. Ephesians 6 chapter 6 verses 10 through 13. It says finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and then at verse 12.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness and high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand.

To withstand on an evil day and having done all to stand we live in an evil day. You know that That it must be able must be possible for us to stand in an evil day. You notice verse 11 and verse 13 repeat itself that he may be able to stand.

That you might be able to make it in a day wherever you are. But that verse 12 as a missionary there in the jungle of New Guinea with these headhunters cannibals around and all that occult all that Demonism and all those things.

It wasn't so sure this verse in a sense scared me more than it helped me the verse ever done that to you. We wrestle not against. I think Satan reminded me of this verse says Otto you haven't got a chance.

Look at it. Look at the power here. Satan knows scripture. He quoted it at Jesus and Jesus quoted it back at him. He knows about better. We do I believe and He says we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

If we did we could all go out and we ought to have a course in The school for karate, right? It is so that we could all make it but it's not flesh and blood but against Principalities whatever that means powers and it gets worse as you go along the rulers of the darkness of this world.

How'd you like to meet that? Who are. And then the spiritual wickedness in high places. And that's what Satan had me focusing my attention on and I tell you It gets you down. And I'm here this week to encourage you that we are able to stand and That we can make it no matter what the odds are against this.

A Missionary’s First Days in New Guinea

I never forget that first day when we Came into that village there Jufo on the south coast of Erie and Jaya, which used to be called Dutch, New Guinea and One of the older missionaries of the mission had brought the mission boat up the river with all our stuff all our gear our supplies.

Incidentally the man who brought it was mr. Preston. I think you some of you know Curtis and Brent and Tosha who are here and He brought the boat up and we flew in as new missionaries with a brand new baby, which we just had on the coast and Three weeks old and there stood all those dirty smelly savages.

I mean, they they never bathed they had sores. They have flies all on there. They stood none of nobody had any clothes. They all stood there. They all looked alike to us and my wife being a nurse. Held that baby tight in her arm covered with a blanket and he's women start pulling at the bank.

They'd never seen a white baby before so they they wanted to see the baby. My wife starts slapping their hands. I said Carol go easy now. I mean, this is our first day. I mean, well, she turned him out right there, you know.

And but she wasn't gonna let those people look at a baby while we got him there was a house there that had been built by a missionary who'd been there nine months and his wife had a Leave the field because of illness and so the place had been empty and he asked us to go to take that station.

Telling us that other missionaries would join us when new missionaries arrived. This never happened in visa problems and the other missionaries never did arrive and there we were all those years and without anybody else.

Never was intended that way but I remember going up to that house and and and it was dark and the natives carried all the Goods up to the house. They unloaded that whole boat, you know. Very quick time everybody seemed to pitch in and I Couldn't understand a word of what they were saying.

Neither could the other missionary. He was with another tribe. Mr Preston and so we we got it all up there and got some food and got some rest. We were all tired next morning there. They stood with their hands up waiting to be paid and the whole village was there men women children now I knew they hadn't all worked.

I didn't even have 300 pieces to carry. And so I said to mr. Preston I said do you remember who worked. They're all dark complexion all curly black hair. They all short, you know. Nobody if you have a red shirt on blue shirt, you can tell people by but they all wore the same thing, you know and Man, they were they were grouchy people.

They they yell and they yelled at us from the bottom of the throat a grouchy gurgling sound. It was sounded like they were terribly angry. That was their normal talk. I didn't know this if I had it wouldn't help me a whole lot, but I thought they were raving mad.

I thought why'd he angry at me and there they stood and I try to find out who you guys work. See, I'm Dutch by birth birth. I was born in Holland. We Dutch people never pay somebody for not doing anything.

Well, we're just that way and and so I I thought now who of you guys worked, you know, I tried but they all hauling at once and They're getting angrier by the minute when they thought as I hesitated they thought I wasn't gonna pay him and I asked Mr. Preston.

I said, do you remember who work? He's us. No, I said, what do I do? He says Pam, you know pay him quick and I said, I don't know who to pay. He says pay him all. Well, he'd had experience. Well, I didn't want to pay him off, but I did and All then as they went home laughing that dumb white man, you know, we got a vengeance first day.

Man wait till we come back get the rest of it. Which they later did and if we do tell the pineapple story, you'll you'll know that they helped themselves to the rest of it but They they were looking at all our things and oh brother I prayed him off.

But then after the rest went home laughing at me the others about 10 12 men stood there now I knew who had carried the heavy stuff. They were mad now. I knew what it was to be angry. I tell you they stood there and foamed at the mouth and yelled and oh, I know what I do.

I pointed to the village, you know, go away, you know, I didn't know that they pointed with their chin. I was pointing with my finger. They look at my finger wondering what I was doing. But Finally, I just shut the door and locked it as if that was gonna help a they could get under the house.

It's on post and burn the place down no time for Adam. The windows were no windows just mosquito screens. I mean I said something to my wife. I should never have said I said honey I think we're gonna set a record.

She says what? Martyred the first day in now. I Should never have said that to my wife. I mean That didn't help her any you don't know you marriage. You don't say that to your wife. I learned the hard way.

I never told her that again. I never told her that I was afraid although I was afraid of about every day. She would tell me she was afraid and I said honey, you're just gonna have to commit it to the Lord.

Because I knew from experience that was that was what I was doing every day, but oh I Finally the mission the other missionary left. We had another are you missionary came in for a couple of weeks? Help us get started on language.

She was in another station there. We were left on her own. Oh, I learned to pray those days. You better believe I did people say were you afraid? Oh sure. We'd be lying if he said we weren't. You don't know that language and there are of course people like that and then my wife gets sick with hepatitis.

She was down on her back for nine months that first year and I I had never cooked in my life. You're gonna be missionary. Hey learn to cook. It's hard enough with those foreign foods and so on but that old kerosene stove would not burn.

I was inherited from the other missionary and I took the thing apart and I Fussed with it. It was a complicated thing rusted and the dirt kerosene was dirty anyway. And I couldn't get that thing together again.

I passed it. I set it on fire a couple of times and all friends I I Couldn't get it going. I I had my devotions beside that stove so it would hear it. Maybe it gets healed. And I let my tears run on on that stove.

Just to see if it would have pity on me there was nobody that could fix it, you know, and I I laid my hands on The stove, you know, I I didn't have to anoint it with oil. It was oil all over the place.

Anyway. But you know, I tried to man Here I was outside with that big black pot cooking my rice. You know a couple of sticks in a wood fire and those natives stand around coughing and spitting and I said get away from My rice, you know, I almost getting to be like a nurse.

I was starting to see germs too. And you know, oh Friends, have you ever been frustrated? You know, the worst thing about that stove is dumb. It was a Phillips. It was a Dutch stove at that I made even worse, but you know When my wife got sick I had a weaned that baby and put him on the bottle now.

My wife had these fancy bottles you ever seen those plastic sacks in those white contain men don't allow them in your house. They're no good. I think they did this they leak. Oh terrible and I had this powdered milk trying to get through that thing and Then you're supposed to warm up the milk.

Hey, my stove wouldn't burn. I Friends let me tell you mothers something here. This is a good way. Don't let those babies push you around. Hey. Hey Minus six foot three now and plays basketball and he's as strong as any of them and he made it on cold milk so don't.

If they get hungry enough, they'll take it. Well, you know, but that radio wouldn't work neither had a little Two-way radio and the coast would call us say jufos everything. All right there and I'd say everything's fine.

Thank you. And why did I say that? Everything wasn't all right. No, I told him my wife had hepatitis, but brother, why do you Cover up the fact that you're a failure, you know, well, I was only at this three months and I was a Dutchman.

Dutchman never confessed that they can't make it. We'd rather died and fail. All right admit that we fail and so I wasn't going to give up that quick. And so everything was fine every day on the radio, but that radio voice got weaker and weaker.

You know, you're supposed to charge a battery, but my battery charger wouldn't work. It was a Briggs and Stratton. Don't get one of those. That thing I pulled the natives. I I got a little bit of language by now and I said missionary.

You're so dumb. You've been you've been pulling that thing all morning. The other missionary just pulled it one time. Man I felt like telling them they weren't so smart themselves. I mean when I started to write they said wow, he carves fast, you know.

Must have been a has carving so they weren't at least I had. I tried to tell him I had a BA. You know from college. I've been to college. They didn't believe it. But you know, they called me dumb every day for 14 years.

I started to believe it. After a while you you catch on I suppose but you know. Finally they When we were out it's an excellent opportunity to worry when the voice gets lower every day and one of these days you're going To be off the air, you know, you start worry one of these slow things.

Finally the plane came and brought us a new battery charger and so on whatever they they seek for you after about three days. And you're off the air but I Try to get that outboard motor going on the river.

That was my little boat a little fiberglass bolt to be used on those rivers. There are no roads and no swamplands and used for Evangelism. I couldn't get that boat motor going either. I'd never had any training on small motors.

I came back on furlough. I'd had I've been at the odd, you know, I've been to Bible school, you know and learned theology. But I didn't know how to run these motors. I Did that first furlough you better believe it?

I learned how to operate some of those things but I couldn't get it going and I said, oh, that's great I hope it never goes. You know because I didn't like those crocodiles in that river and and I wasn't I wasn't concerned with evangelism.

I was concerned with survival. Somehow somehow to make it. I was getting letters from home once in three weeks a plane come out of how many churches? Are you starting? You know, oh, you know, I was. I Hadn't even thought of that yet.

I Was a sole winner. Back home in Ontario Canada where I we were immigrants to Canada and I Knew the right verses are used to win people to Christ, you know. You can get it you could get to that you can get good at it.

So they can't say no I don't know how many people I won. I I was a personality winner. I guess more than a soul winner. But they thought that if I got out there in the jungle, I'd convert that whole island and no time flat.

That's what these letters were coming. How many Christians you got and all that? Well, man, I didn't even know how to speak the language yet. All these problems came up now then the medical work. I remember my wife having started the clinic and now that she's sick.

They came to me said to on give us medicine. I said, I don't know how to do that. You just go home. Oh John. You're too stingy. You're eating all the pills yourself. They well, they were looking through our windows and we were taking vitamins and they thought we were eating them.

They said don't just open the door in that building back there and right around the corner is where your wife keeps the box and they'd say I want the red ones and I want the white ones and they all had their favorite color pills and I don't know every day they called me Stinsey and Finally, I said to my wife.

What do I do? Well, I brought the box in the whole house and she took out the potent drugs that I could kill people with Codeine what-have-you sent me out there with the malaria and this aspirin what-have-you taught me how to give shots on a lemon and I Got good at that.

I'd really be able to shoot him up and I was out there and a full-fledged Medical worker. Can you imagine that? I'd say here they stood around the flocks of their flies and their sores and tropical ulcers and I'd pull their teeth with my pliers.

And I'd sew up their wounds when they'd cut each other open and I'd help deliver their babies to problem cases and Brother, but there they stood all yelling at once, you know, you don't know how to this diagnosing is a problem.

They'd have these internal disease. What are you gonna do with them? They would say the evil spirit shot me right here. Show me the scar. I say you gotta be kidding. I mean evil spirits are spirits. They got they don't go around shooting people.

They showed me the bruises and On their backs where they'd been beaten and I couldn't believe it after 14 years in that jungle I do believe these things happen but at that time I thought no, they people are all deceived and I I didn't know what to do at all.

How do you treat a Shot that said that the evil spirits give a guy. I mean even doctors here would be stunned at this wonder what to do I I Didn't know finally I hit a system. I Asked him I said, where do you hurt man?

And if it was from there bailed up I'd give him aspirin and from the belt down I'd give himself up. And I just shot him right through that clinic, you know just got him my wife was always amazed how I got him all treated so quick and I I Believe I Believe one time a guy He'd been shot by the evil spirit here and went down below the belt.

So I gave him both I Think I saved some lives. I really hope so. All right. I know I lost some. But of course doctors here at home do the same thing to save some loose some so what's the difference really?

But you know one thing they said he loves us. He loves us. He's sharing his medicine. Oh I'd give him all kinds of things. If I didn't think they they wanted attention. Well, I'd give him something else I Give him shots of water if I felt they didn't eat penicillin I Made that I used those big needles that were left, you know an extra big hole.

So that discourage him from coming back too quick. I Sewed him up without anesthesia. And later I found out that it more it hurt The more it's gonna help. Oh Man, then I sharpened my needles again. Have you ever been frustrated I mean really have you ever been called to do something that you weren't ready to do.

The Burden of Fear, Failure, and Spiritual Defeat

It sounds funny now, but all the frustration. Day by day all these people hollering at me then in the morning think of it in the morning I'd get up or I'd wake up. There's the people outside the door Give us medicine to him yelling at me.

Here was that baby yelling screaming at me for his milk you know, he was one of those that first thing in the morning screamed, you know first thing he did and He when he started solids, he'd scream between every bite, you know.

You're shoveling in as fast as you can. He'd let out a scream between that's the kind. So I I said Lord, who am I gonna shut up first? You know, here's that baby, you know, here's that this. Frustrated just by that time I didn't feel called to be a missionary anymore.

I I really prayed Lord make my wife sick enough so we can go home ah. People say well, you must not love your wife. I do love my wife. She was praying the same thing, but we had to give her have a good legitimate excuse to go home.

You know what? I mean, so you can tell your home churches. Hey, my wife got sick, you know. Nothing else is wrong with us. Oh friends and that's pride, isn't it and. But there was other problems day these demon-possessed people.

I was praying a very sincere prayer. I said Lord Don't let me ever meet a demon-possessed person. I Really prayed that sincerely because I wouldn't know what to do with him and I didn't mean I want to meet any.

What foolishness was this prayer of mine when all these people were there was a blanket control of Satan over these people. They'd all given place to the devil as they met their enemy fighting. They would invite the evil spirits to come into them so that they could fight the enemy.

Well, you got a whole gang of them just going wild people ask me about the bloodshed and the headhunting. Is it still happening? Oh, yes. And many of many of these tribes were missionaries and government hasn't gone and there's approximately 150 of these tribes today.

That haven't been touched some of the most never seen a white man and they're there today carrying on in total control by Satan what they eat that is controlled by Satan and what they Know. Whatever they do.

I later friends I later found out what some what their culture was by Taking a Bible principle something that Jesus very clearly tells us to do and doing and and taking the opposite of that. And I said to them do you do that?

And they said yeah, how'd you know? Well was contrary the opposite to what the Bible teaches and you could go right through scripture all the commands of all the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Commands of God and take the opposite and that's Satan's way and he was controlling him just from A to Z.

They ate stuff that wasn't good for him. That's why their teeth rotted out. Baby teeth of children before they got their new set in would rot out they would die by 45 most of them were dead. Satan destroying them whole tribes of them and the only thing that was good for them that they that they That was good for him that Satan had them a eat was what do you think?

Well, that was my pineapple. The only thing that was good for him Satan was willing to make an exception to ruin me to ruin my victory. Keep me angry you see but he he was destroying that way they believed all Satan's lies blanket control and They were and here I was praying Lord helped me never to meet one of them little did I know that on this side of me Was a close by the first house lived CB about a 16 year old boy Who was always falling into the water and always falling into the fire and I'd bind up his wounds and burns and terrible finally get him all healed up and he'd fall in the fire again and So frustrating we called him an epileptic later.

We found out he was a possessed boy. I Asked another missionary Do you have any? Epileptics or do you have any demon possessed people in your tribe and they said no and don't know of any. I said Do you have any epileptics?

Oh, you have lots of them around. We were totally unaware of these things and and not ready for this. This CB would do everything he could to ruin my life. I mean he'd get in we had a barrel of water caught the rainwater out in front there for the kitchen use and He would get the only piece of soap in the village as I'm and start taking his bath in my dremel water with his dirty Wounds and bandages and oh, I was so mad.

He did this over and over again. Just ruined my day. I'd get so angry. I hit him once. I shouldn't have. He'd crawl under the floor look up through the cracks in the wrong rooms. He would guess get on the on the window in the middle of the night and the screen of the window and let out a big Howl in the middle of the night.

I'd go clean off the bed didn't slumber. Miserable that kid that fellow was wearing me out and I didn't know it was a demon controlled Taken away to victory and a missionary and to help. Because my nerves were going down real fast and I was heading for a nervous breakdown and my wife was not well physically.

Next door was on the other side lived watching watches wife had twins one is a demon ones that Humans so they want to kill one while we saved both and she died in childbirth and we pull both of his kids through.

They had a big fight over her belongings and over who was going to get those children and he got shot through the arm. And we got him over that but he was crying at night. Wailing right next door to us.

The house was well about as far away from me as that pillar was the corner his house too quick but you know What you would scream yell beat his drum every night just Make a big and I we couldn't sleep was so close.

He let out big yell. I came to him one morning said watching. Why don't you do your crying and yelling in the daytime so we can all sleep at night? And he said how to and I don't have to worry about daytime.

Yeah, the whole way doesn't bother me the evil spirits won't bother me in a daytime. I said well, why should they bother you out to him? She died before I did. That's the problem. She's an evil spirit now.

It's he's gonna get back. I said, why should you want to get back? I'll do it, you know, I used to beat her all the time now He's gonna beat me that evil spirit. She was the lucky one. She died before I did.

She's gonna get back at me. I've got to stay awake to him when I feel myself going to sleep the evil spirits come in the dark when I feel myself Going to sleep then I I beat my drum and I jump up and on I scowl.

Yeah, I said, I know you do it wakes you all the rest of us up. He says well, that's what I'm trying to wake me up. Oh I said man were me on we needed to sleep so desperately because the hot humid weather and all the things going on.

So Satan was using his power breaking us down if you were Satan and you saw a couple of missionaries coming into your territory. What would you do? Hmm. Try to get rid of him, right? Somehow. Listen to this one somehow make him want to go home.

How's that. That's exactly what I was asking. Lord Lord make her sick enough so we can go home. I was wanting what Satan wanted. Who wanted me there? Of course God did. You see here. I as a Christian missionary am siding with Satan's wishes and I'm unconscious of it.

Made a study of this how often we as Christians in America and missionaries know side with Satan against God. Every time we worry we do it. Satan says worry about this one. See the radio is going to be off.

Jesus says Philippians 4 6 be anxious for nothing. By everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving so on trusting in God and what do we do? We say yes, Satan. You're right. You're worried Satan says here comes those headhunters.

They're going to get your head this time. Fear comes in. Jesus says what fear not. I'm with you be nothing. That's made. I'm like God. I will strengthen me. Yeah, I will help you know all the verses on fear.

Jesus says fear not Satan says fear. What do I do? I'm scared to death and Many many times I find I found that I'm agreeing with Satan against God and I right now I'm Finding ways that's happening here in the States where we're doing the very very same thing.

Always siding with Satan against God and when you think of God and heaven looking down on us. Oh, what must he think all the sad shape of my people who are siding more with my enemy than with me even though we're in Bible college and what have you and Friends, we were going downhill fast he was.

There was a personal problems the things inside. I Get to the mission. I got to the mission field. I was a warrior. Always had been. I got it from my father. It's really his fault. No, I said a Fearful person almost died in the war in Europe and Holland there almost drowned the Atlantic on the and that crossing in 1948 on that boat and I was afraid and I had that all the way through.

I got born again there in Canada, but friends I still had that fear. Fear sin, you know that Chronic fear is sin, but you can get by a mission board put your tie on just right comb your hair nice. Look good.

Talk good have all the verses memorized and they can and have all the good references and Nobody will never know that inside of you. You're not ready to go to mission field. We're trying to catch this now and in mission in our mission board.

We're trying to screen that out and we come out right point-blank. Hey, do you have victory old fear and worry? I'll be honest you see and Because how Satan will hold that against you. He got me out of Otto.

God can't use you. That's right. You haven't got victory over fear. You haven't got victory over worry. I was saved at a later age. You haven't got victory over impure thoughts the old filthy story that you hear back in locker room days and whatever you've read and heard and seen.

Lodged in the back of my mind and here you get these impure thought problems that you ask God forgiveness for I'm sure you know what? I mean, you can ask forgiveness and God always forgives doesn't he.

How many times has God forgive? Do you ever confess the same sin over and over again? Anybody here does that same one every day? God forgives you every day. Oh, that's grace. Isn't it the grace of God people?

He would forgive us and I thought now how long two years of it every day these sins. Well, God forgive me. God does his grace is sufficient for all our sin. That's grace of God. We ought to thank him from the bottom of our hearts for that very fact.

Otherwise, none of us could be here. Otherwise from president down the fact and none of us would have a chance if God didn't forgive over and over again. But that's not victory isn't. That's leaning on the grace of God, but God wants far more than then than living that way.

It's a miserable life confessing the same sins over again. I got to the place where I confess ahead of time sometimes I know I'd do it again. You ever told your little brother or your child Johnny now say Jesus helped me never to do it again.

I Quit that after a couple of years. I Knew I'd do it again. I knew payday was next day wouldn't have a chance to pray early in the morning. I said Lord, this is what I would pray in the morning. So I'm why not do it ahead of time instead of behind time.

I'm not trying to be funny. But that's how sure I was that I was weak in these areas and Satan would remind me of Ephesians 6 hey, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. You haven't got a chance out to look these people are demons and you have no victory side to.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood you haven't got a chance out to look these people are demons. And you have no victory and you're worrying God can't use you. You might as well go home now. Friends you've all heard of the martyrs and I remember people laid down their lives for the gospel when Satan stirred up people against him and Killed him like the Akka's in Ecuador.

If you read that story What happens to these tribes? They're usually converted everybody gets to praying for the Akka's or for later on we had two of the IBM you stand Dale and fell masters were killed there and Everybody's are praying for the same Valley whenever Satan Killed the missionaries I had people destroy him.

Ah, he lost out big didn't he. So I think Satan caught on to that. He could have wiped us up. He didn't. He wants us to just quite leave. Make him want to go home. You wonder why so many missionaries fail.

You wonder why so much many missionaries come home with sickness and and when they get home They can't find a whole lot wrong with him. And what is that Crave. I've asked missionaries on furlough said a now if you really had a good way to get out of this whole thing wouldn't you get out of it and I says yes, but I can't and Because he makes us want to go home unless we understand what the victory is the victory in Jesus Christ and I'm So glad to come here this week to share with you.

From Defeat to Victory Through Scripture

What happened? What happened? You know that boy I Finally drove me to a nervous breakdown. Well, I had not a full-fledged nervous breakdown close to it. I had to make a choice. I was so tempted to just let him die.

Not treat him anymore. I wouldn't have to do anything. My wife would never know nobody would ever know just God and me and I'm so glad I let him live and treated the fellow and it meant that I was a nervous wreck by the end of my first turn.

Fire on tranquilizers and so on. And friends I'm thrilled today That I let him live because I wouldn't I'd have to live with my conscience to rest of my day. You know when we moved to that other village Satan just knocked him off just like that.

He was through with that boy and ruining the missionaries life and So Satan's ever I'm not gonna let it live in here. He drowned in the river just very soon after we moved to another village and we had no way to help him.

We had no victory over this thing we look for answers and I searched the scripture. That's the way to start. What am I doing wrong? Where do I get answers where to get I get victory and I was still focused on Ephesians 6.

So that's the first place I went to there's the enemy in verse 12. But all all those principalities and powers and now how am I going to get victory? But it says stand therefore now put on the armor and I started looking at this Lauren's good about with truth.

You got to have on your girdle of truth. Well, I had been searching and I found Ephesians 5 18 be filled with the spirit and I didn't know what to do with it somehow I it was never emphasized in the Baptist circles in which I was I grew up in and I didn't know what to do and I didn't know anything about the spirit-filled life.

Can you imagine a missionary in a country like here in Java at all this demonism not being prepared to? Not not knowing anything about being filled with the spirit. It was it was unreal and yet I Didn't know the truth of these things.

I'd read in James 4 7 resist the devil and he will flee from you. Oh, wouldn't that be nice if that verse was true? I'd been running from him. I Remember how they chased me out of their villages the Apostle Paul seemed to do everything right.