“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.“-{2 Corinthians 10:3-5}
The Battle is for the mind.
Have you ever wondered why you face so many battles for your thought life? Luke 10:27 gives the answer, as the ultimate purpose of your mind is to “Love the LORD your God with all your…MIND!” -{Luke 10:27}.
How can you love Him if you are not THINKING RIGHT about Him and who you are “In Christ,” and seeing the world through the lens of His Word helping you to discern truth from Lies!
Because you are saved DOES NOT Mean You are Perfect in your understanding. Because you have been a believer for ten , twenty, thirty, fifty years, does not equal spiritual maturity. You may still have patterns of thinking that are not in alignment with Him and His Word. This is why we have to “renew,” change the way we THINK so we can think in a new way, His Way, in order to do His will as revealed in His Word!-{Read Phil 4:8-9}.
The Bible is not optional but IMPERATIVE if we are to learn to LOVE GOD with our Mind!
** We are not to come to Evaluate it but to allow it to Evaluate us, and enable us to evaluate truth from error, SO we may walk in His ways, Loving Him and others. For this, we need TRUTH to TRANSFORM Our Thinking so as to Influence our Choices and doings!
The “strongholds,” is a word that spoke of walled fortress’s, with thick walls, which were not easily taken. “But God,” shows us in the spiritual realm it is speaking of “thoughts,” that are built up in a person’s mind, “thoughts” that are opposed to God, His Word, anti-Him.
Figurative language for “thoughts” and “patterns of thinking.” Thinking patterns of Living life outside of Him and His will. Destructive patterns, that ultimately divide, destroy. When Lazarus was brought back to life, Jesus told those in attendance to release him from the grave clothes, as someone alive had no need of them and they were restrictive for someone who could now move because they had life! When we are brought to newness of spiritual life, God imparts His Spirit to teach us and His Word. We are “Free” in Christ from the bondage of sin, we have to learn and understand our new standing with God!- {Rom 5:1-2}.
We are told to “renew our minds, so that we may prove what the perfect will of God is”-{Rom 12:2-3.}. But the evil one sows a seed, a thought, that we don’t need His Word, we are “wise,” enough, we are “sufficient” enough, and with the deceptive “thought” embraced and acted upon, we respond to life through the lens of doing that which God forbids, namely “leaning to our own understanding,…being wise in our own eyes.”-{Prov 3:5-6}.
We fall into a pattern of thinking that influences us emotionally and out actions. We believe a lie. We look at circumstances and conclude it is impossible, it can’t be done. Such thoughts as…“There is no way this will ever change. I can’t do this. God obviously doesn’t care. There is no hope for your marriage, for your kids… give up, it’s pointless praying..” Such thought’s that attack the character of God. The lies attack and say to us, that we are powerless, and then we may spiral into despair a result. These are the results of embracing “thoughts” that are not in aligned with His Character or Word.
Lies embraced, believed, acted upon, are the blocks that build “the fortress!” For they exalt themselves against the knowledge of God- His Person, ways, will, Word!
The battle is for your thought life, to attack your faith in God.
God’s Word is not an option but a spiritual weapon to protect and promote God’s perspective for your mind and life. Don’t neglect it to your own peril.
The reason we say, “We can’t,” is because we have allowed the evil one to implant a lie and we believe and act on it as if it is “true!” Feed your mind, meditate and apply His Word! What lies are you presently believing? What “strongholds” are lieing to you and seeking to imprison you. Recognize and replace the lie with His Word by faith! And when tempted, Repeat!
SUCH Promises as “Through His Divine power ,God has given us EVERYTHING pertaining to life and Godliness and…precious and magnificent promises…” to be used! {2 Peter 1:3-4}.
We are not powerless but have Divine POWER and PROMISES to use to tear down the lies and exalt truth to Guide and govern our thinking and “if you continue in My Word… then you will know the truth and the truth will set you FREE… it was for Freedom Christ set you FREE NEVER AGAIN to be enyoked to a bond of slavery!”-{Read john 8:31-32; Gal 5:1}
How can you love God if you are believing a lie?And how can you know it’s a lie unless you know the Truth as He reveals it in His Word!
That is why ” If you continue in My Word… you will know the truth and the truth will set you free…
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – { Read John 8:31-31; Gal 5:1}
It is imperative you hide and do His Word, for you will know the truth and the truth will SET you FREE!-{Read John 8:31-3; Gal 5:1} and as you do then you will have TRUTH TO THINK RIGHT ABOUT GOD, AND TO LOVE GOD WITH – AS YOU WILL BE THINKING THROUGH TRUTH – {Read Phil 4:8-9}
“…be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”- {Rom 12:2-3}.
Thank God for His Love and provision of His Spirit to open our minds to Understand His Word and…
HIS TRUTH APPLIED CAUSES THE STRONGHOLDS TO COME… TUMBLING DOWN!
PRAY; ASK HIM to expose any lies you are believing and REPLACE With His Truth.
PRAY; ASK HIM to expose lies others are believing about Him or themselves and that HIS TRUTH would set them free…
{From the message,”Stongholds Exposed”}