Podcast Summary: How To Stand By Faith

Speaker: Dennis Hattabaugh | Dufresne Ministries Podcast – Oct 30, 2019
Location: World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA

Episode Overview

Dennis Hattabaugh offers a rich and practical teaching on “how to stand by faith,” focusing on the importance of understanding the enemy’s tactics, defending the mind, and skillfully using faith and the Word of God to resist spiritual opposition. Drawing from scripture, personal experiences, and illustrations, he both instructs and encourages believers to become active and deliberate in spiritual warfare—particularly in the arena of their thoughts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding the Enemy’s Tactics

• Know Your Enemy (00:19): Just as any great army studies its adversary, Christians must understand how Satan operates.
• Enemy’s Method—“Wiles” of the Devil (07:10):
  • Eph 6:11—Wiles in Greek: “a road, avenue, one-lane road traveled back and forth, trickery, craftiness.”
  • Insight: The devil always attacks the same way—down the “road” of the mind.

“When the enemy attacks your life...he’s coming down the same road. When you and I understand the road, we will be victorious.” —Dennis Hattabaugh (09:55)

2. The Arena of Battle: The Mind

• 2 Cor 2:11 (12:37): Satan’s devices = mind games; primary battlefield is your thought life.
• Prov 23:7—As a man thinks (14:42): Gatekeeping thoughts is crucial; the mind is the access point.
• Tactic: Satan attacks with subtle, repetitive thoughts to wear down defenses over time.
• Daniel 7:25 (18:25): Devil aims to “wear out the saints”—specifically, to wear out the mind.

“The way into your life cannot come through your spirit… he attacks your mind, your emotions, your feelings, to get you to go down the road he wants.” —Dennis Hattabaugh (15:17)

3. Skillful Use of Faith

• All believers have faith; not all are skillful (01:48).
• Fight of Faith = Fight of Words (05:17):
  • 1 Tim 6:12—"Fight the good fight of faith.”
  • “It’s a fight of words. If it’s a fight of words, then what you have to say...is crucial to your victory.”
• Faith Confession (06:00): Not simply quoting scriptures, but speaking faith-filled words rooted in your heart.

4. Standing Your Ground with the Word

• Eph 6:10-14 (21:00):
  • Spiritual armor enables believers to stand “eye-to-eye” against the enemy.
  • The belt of truth (the Word) holds all together.
  • ‘Stand’ in the Greek means to stand eye-to-eye and not back down.

“At that moment, what you are to do is to take the faith of God, your faith, and stand against him eye to eye, and don't back down.” (25:13)

• Jesus as Example (26:10): Responded to Satan’s temptations with “It is written”—answering every specific attack with a specific scripture.

5. Dealing with Strongholds and Mindsets

• 2 Cor 10:4-5 (27:00):
  • Weapons are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
  • Strongholds: two types
    • Prison: Keeps you locked in, seeing others free but unable to be free yourself.
    • Fortress/Castle: Walls up so you resist even the truth.
• Logical Lies (31:41):
  • The most dangerous strongholds often make logical sense, which is why they go unchallenged.

“Logical thoughts are the hardest ones to deal with because they make sense. Those are the ones the enemy brings at you.” (32:37)

• Responding to Thoughts (34:03):
  • Don’t coexist with the devil’s thoughts.
  • Cast them down with words—specifically the Word of God.

6. Personal Testimony and Illustration

• Past Poverty Mindset (35:27): Personal story of breaking a poverty stronghold by consistently speaking God’s promises aloud (even when circumstances remained the same for months).
• Wife’s Testimony (32:57):
  • Overcoming body image lies, describing how facts can seem unshakeable until spiritual intervention and renewing the mind through the Word.

7. Practical Application

• Vigilance:
  • Continuously “hold fast” to your confession (Hebrews 10:23).
  • Recognize and resist thoughts of defeat, poverty, sickness, etc.
• It’s On You (28:13): It’s the believer’s responsibility—not God’s or the pastor’s—to defend their own mind.

8. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The fight is not physical. The fight is with faith words, not just any words—faith words.” (05:37)
• “The devil doesn’t attack your spirit—he attacks your mind…to get you to believe what he’s suggesting.” (15:17)
• “Nobody wakes up one day and decides they’re going to get a divorce… The enemy is slowly bringing thoughts into your life… just a slow, constant, persistent drip.” (20:15)
• “Faith is for the fight, and it is a fight. And faith is to defend your mind.” (25:35)
• “You don’t cast down thoughts with thoughts. You cast down thoughts with words—the Word of God.” (29:28)
• “A lot of people are in prison. A lot of people are in castles… The lies the enemy uses against you make sense.” (31:28)
• “If you don’t quit, if you don’t give up, that ‘one day’ will come.” (37:40)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:19 – Need to know the enemy’s tactics
• 05:17 – The fight of faith is a fight of words
• 07:10 – “Wiles of the devil,” explanation of the Greek term
• 12:37 – 2 Cor 2:11: Mind games; devices = attacks on the mind
• 14:42 – Prov 23:7: The mind as the gatekeeper; Satan can’t attack your spirit
• 18:25 – Daniel 7:25: Wearing out the saints in the mental arena
• 25:13 – Standing eye-to-eye with the enemy using the Word
• 26:10 – Jesus responding to the devil: “It is written.”
• 29:28 – Cast down thoughts with words, not more thoughts
• 31:28 – The “prison” and “fortress” of strongholds
• 35:27 – Dennis’s personal testimony: overcoming a poverty mindset

Conclusion and Call to Action

• Main Takeaway:
  The enemy’s primary strategy is subtle, repetitive attacks on the mind—believers must become skillful in defending their thought life using faith-filled, Word-based responses. Recognize the “road” the enemy uses, refuse to entertain lies, and instead reinforce God’s truth until it changes your mindset and circumstances.

• Altar Ministry & Healings (From 55:00 onward):

  • Call for those struggling with strongholds, suicidal thoughts, or physical ailments.
  • Imposition of hands and prayer for healing—numerous testimonials of pain being relieved on the spot.
  • Encouragement that the “anointing destroys the yoke,” but mind renewal is the believer’s responsibility.

• Encouragement to Listeners:

  • Remain vigilant, persistent, and proactive in using the Word.
  • “Don’t let your mind be a playground for the devil.” (40:40)
  • “We’re coming up in the name of Jesus. Things are changing for us!” (End)

For Further Study & Growth

• Meditate on and declare scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8-9, 1 Timothy 6:12, Ephesians 6:10-17, 2 Corinthians 2:11, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, Proverbs 23:7, Daniel 7:25, Hebrews 10:23
• Develop a habit of responding to negative thoughts with specific, faith-based scripture.
• Be intentional about identifying and uprooting mental “strongholds”—whether they feel logical or not.

“If you learned anything tonight, just learn this: he’s coming down the same road, same road, not a different road—coming through the mind.” —Dennis Hattabaugh (40:52)

[Note: Advertisement, intro/outro, and logistical non-content sections are omitted.]