The key, which identifies INIQUITY to the seeker, is found in Isaiah 14:13-14. The 12th verse states Lucifer weakened the nations, and as the significance of the 13th and 14th verses is understood and applied to the actions of men everywhere, it is easy to understand how Lucifer does this. Lucifer said in his heart five things. Allow the following study to open your eyes to the cause of every selfish action of men.

1) I WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN. This drive accounts for every feverish act of men to try to raise themselves into a more rarified atmosphere of existence: social climbing, club joining, self-directed church work, do-gooding with expectation of "going to heaven" for it, any form of works which is believed to earn the same entrance. Striving for recognition by those thought to be above one. It is a devilish drive. The Bible shows that only God can elevate man into heavenly places with Christ Jesus, and man's only ability in the matter is to surrender, ask, seek, and knock.

2) I WILL EXALT MY THRONE ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD. This drive in man is the root cause of competition (emulation); it attempts to drag another down and climb above him in any realm of activity. It is in every word of gossip, slander, or reputation destruction, and drives the one who bears witness to himself and works for praise. It motivates to self-exaltation, mighty achievements, large building and work programs, and weakens by consuming energy in utter futility. It can never be satisfied.

3) I WILL SIT UPON THE MOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION, IN THE SIDES OF THE NORTH. Here we find the root drive behind the actions of the poor attention-seeker. What great lengths man will go to in an effort to satisfy this monster. From the little boy bike rider who crashes into the rear of a car, crying: "Look, Mom, no hands!" to the movie star who commits suicide because someone else now sits above the congregation, this desire to be looked at, listened to, and given recognition produces endless strife, frustration, irritation, anger, fear, and torment. It weakens by consuming energy in futile and vain efforts to satisfy it.

4) I WILL ASCEND ABOVE THE HEIGHTS OF THE CLOUDS. During several years of liberation ministry in the prayer room, we have had hundreds of experiences with the effects of this drive. It demands pink clouds, feet off the ground, an emotional bliss type of existence. It feeds through the senses, feelings, and imaginations - alcohol, dope, gambling, religious ecstasy, elicit sex, love-making abnormalities, sweets, music, food drives. Escape practices such as reading, TV, travel, talk, etc. are the gratification practices of this iniquity.

5) I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH. This drive causes most of the splits among men, wars, and strife. It is an iniquity, which demands that the one afflicted be recognized as God, and quite often is accompanied by the drive to be exalted above the stars (others). It will cause a man or a group of men to fight, wrangle, strive, and murder in order to prove that they are right and are entitled to be regarded as above all others. It always drives the afflicted to try to get his own way and win every argument.

There seems to be a fixed law that we are POSSESSED by those persons or things which we possess. This law operates whether we reach out to possess a PERSON in the natural, or CHRIST in the spiritual; whether we seem to acquire material riches or the "true riches." After we possess and are possessed, we then consume (destroy) and are consumed (destroyed). When we are engaged in the consumption of and being consumed by earthly persons and things, we descend into death (torment); But when we consume Christ ("eat of My flesh, drink of My blood"), we come into ETERNAL LIFE and the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

The more I am in this work, the more I see that possessing and consuming PERSONS and THINGS of this life produces insanity (powers of Satan, which are death), and that as soon as a person begins to turn loose of that to which he clings, and by which he is bound, and begins to feed on Christ, and to be in turn taken into HIM, then comes liberation and life. How this flesh does fight a change of diet! And how powerful is the Spirit to "show forth Christ."

REGARDING INIQUITY DRIVES

Having recognized the reality of these drives and how they manifest in man's nature, how can we deal with them when they are manifesting in our lives? We've found that they are not continually operating, nor do they always operate in the same area.

We identify the drive, and understand it is a spiritual force, not a spirit (although spirits "feed" on those drives and manifest from them).

We recognize that these drives are part of the old "self" that keeps us from walking in the Spirit. They are often a part of behavior patterns that grieve the Spirit and hinder our walk, bring reproach upon our witness, may open us to deception, and always dull our spiritual perception.

We can ask God to cause the iniquity to "pass" from us and clothe us with a change of garments.

And He answered and spake unto those that stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him He said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
Zech 3:3 (KJV)

We can also ask our Father to "subdue" them.

He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah :19 (KJV)

They do not leave in a moment of time. We can illustrate them, perhaps, as being like a pond or reservoir where refuse is on the bottom. At times the refuse is stirred up and comes to the surface where it can be dealt with. As it is recognized and dealt with, there is less remaining. Dealing with it honestly and asking God to subdue and cause it to pass from us may be likened to denying self and taking up our cross. It is not done once and for all, but over and over until. . . . One thing is sure: the more we die to "self," the more resurrection life comes from the dying. Paul speaks of "reigning in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:17). Coming to the point of reigning in life did not come overnight in the apostle's life, nor will it in ours. It comes as a result of dying daily and the resulting resurrection life.