The General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Reverend Dr Samuel Aboyeji, has stated that every human being is controlled by a spirit, whether of God or otherwise.
Speaking during a recent sermon on the theme ‘Faith for Great Exploits, Message during Impartation of the Spirit of Faith,’ Rev Aboyeji said, “Every man born of a woman is dominated by a spirit and when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ what happens to you is that there is an exchanged, the spirit of God comes alive proper in you.”
He explained that while the Spirit of God is meant to direct believers, not all Christians yield to Him.
“I will not lie to you, it is not all the believers that are controlled by the spirit of God. There are believers who are dominated by the spirit of greed, there are believers who are dominated by the spirit of wickedness.
“The spirit that controls you is the real you. Whatever spirit that is controlling you is the real you,” he added, warning that titles such as “Reverend” or “Bishop” do not necessarily indicate a person is speaking by the Spirit of faith.
He made reference to biblical examples, saying, “From the works and actions of Caleb and Joshua they carried another spirit different from the spirit that the remaining spice carried. Numbers chapter 14: 24 Joshua and Caleb they made it because they had a spirit of Faith. The spirit controlling the other ten was spirit of fear.”
Sharing a personal testimony, Rev Aboyeji recalled a harrowing experience during a campus outreach in the early 1980s. He explained that while praying in a bush, unaware that cultists also used the location, he was suddenly attacked. His face and tongue were cut, and as they screamed that they had only come to pray, his Bible was soaked in blood. He found himself lying in a pool of blood and was eventually taken to a hospital where nurses were on strike.
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In that moment of distress, he said the Spirit of God brought Psalm 118:17–18 to his heart: “I shall not die but live to declare the glory of God.” He affirmed that this word sustained him, and that is what he continues to do today.
He emphasised that his survival was a product of speaking from the spirit of faith. “They say you want to kill yourself? We say you should keep quiet but I said if I keep quiet I would die, but you see those words are coming out of the spirit of Faith, they are not empty words.”
Rev Aboyeji urged Christians to “say the right thing” and refuse to be silenced in times of crisis. “Every intimidating circumstance will respond to the voice of the spirit of faith. Spirit of faith will determine your approach to life. The spiritual controls the physical.”
The service also featured the induction of 19-year-old Precious Ogunleye, an undergraduate of Kwara State University, into pastoral ministry.
Ogunleye, who is also a student at Life Theology Seminary, Ikorodu, is part of the Young Ministers Forum, a vision of Rev. Aboyeji to train young people with a calling into ministry.
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