The common principle of the believer: (a) obey God's will, (b) resist the Devil's will, and (c) exercise his own will in the collaboration with the will of other saints. The undercutting of any footing of the evil spirits begins with resolve of abhorring those wicked spirits. But those powers of darkness pay no attention to a man's resolve, so after man applies this first step, he must now express his more specific choice of deciding the future he desires by declaring several things in his favor. After such choices are made what is required is definitively to resist by our will exerting force to contend with evil spirits. Before we can truly resist we will need to refuse, that is, shut the door of the entry of the enemy. Refusal is our position of what lies behind; resisting is our attitude to what lies ahead. Resisting prohibits further working; by refusing he cancels former permissions he had granted them. By resisting we keep that freedom that was granted to us that was obtained through refusal. In order for resistance to work, original ground surrendered must be recovered through refusal. This battle centered on resisting going forward is dependent on the will, our volition. To resolve, choose, and refuse are a matter of attitude, while to resist is a matter of overt practice. It is a conduct expressive of an attitude that pushes the enemy off the ground they presently occupy with real force to regain control of our sovereignty.

The greatest hindrance to complete liberty is the believer's unwillingness to recover all territory carefully: point by point, one after another. We should not exercise our will in a general, vague and inclusive way to retake all ground for this only indicates correct attitude, nothing specific. To resist generally shows we really do not oppose the evil spirits. By being specific even on past prayers and answers shall need to be retraced and denied. Passivity in degrees has now turned into a looking upward and the reverse process takes hold. The most immediate is usually first reclaimed. Regaining his original condition needs to compare his present passivity with his once normal state. It can be exceedingly difficult to reject inertia and reclaim lost areas because (a) his own will is obviously weak and powerless; and (b) the evil spirits contend against him with their full strength. Indeed, through various manipulations, the evil spirits will not allow their captive to act without their permission, and he can hardly decide at all himself. Yet, now, though he is powerless to decide, he will not let them at least control his will.

The contest of wills brings the believer to (a) oppose the rule of the evil spirits, (b) recover all lost ground, and (c) work actively with God for the use of every part of his person. Reassert our refusal to "fight through" to regain the faculties of our organs to proper working status. In addition to refusing ground, refusing their operations is necessary also: (a) to act in place of him, (b) influence him to act according to their will; must be countered with (a) refusing to let them act for him and (b) resist their influence on him. Stiff opposition will ensue in exercising our volition to reinstate our own office.

This fighting through period is very painful and symptoms grow worse, but this is just the enemy feeling the pressure to make his last stand. This shows resistance is having its effect. During this part, stand on Rom. 6.11 that the Lord's death is our death for the evil spirits have no power over the dead. Lies such as no hope of restoration should be met with Scripture that Calvary has destroyed Satan already (Heb. 2.14; Col. 2.14-15). The work of salvation is finished so that all may experience deliverance out of the powers of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God's love (Col. 1.13). When we suffer for the sake of recovering ground, that instills within us the urgency that the ground be recovered. How afraid the enemy has become, but give the enemy no heed after rooting him out by refusing him attention and communication. Restoration of conscious awareness of many things is evident of that former invader departed from his senses. Faithfully proceeding while requiring some time before finally set free completely, he should be wary of contentment of just a little gain; he should not stop until his normalcy is recovered entirely.