Wednesday, August 15, 2018

How Strongholds Develop

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…
2 Corinthians 10:5

The greatest battles are not fought with guns and bombs or by combat soldiers on the battlefields of this world; they are fought in the mind.  The mind is the oldest, most common battlefield known to the human race. Ever since God provided Adam and Eve a fierce battle has been raging over who will control man's thinking, God or Satan.
The first objective of the spiritual warrior is to capture his mind for God. God wants us to tear down anything that holds us back from fully knowing Him. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, The Corinthians, who Paul was writing to about  lived and evaluated things according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, so they completely missed the power of the Spirit that was available to them.  Paul however followed a different direction in life. Though Paul lived in a body of flesh, he would not walk after the pattern of the flesh or according to the natural man, but he walked in the Spirit depending on God.  The key to tearing down strongholds is learning to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh.  We are not fighting an 
The Battleground of the Mind 
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:3
·     Satan’s desire is to make us think wrong before we act wrong to avoid the guilt and shame of wrong.  (Justify our sin) We can rationalize our sin and talk ourselves into it believing that God desires our happiness over our obedience.  
·     Satan’s joy is to capture the mind of a new believer and turn them to the world for the definition of what has occurred in their life.
·     Opening the door and allowing Satan access to our mind will allow him access to our whole lives.
The Battleground of Experience (Environment)
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:12-13
  • What we listen to, read and even smell can affect our spiritual life. 
  • The place where Satan gains a hold will become a draw on your life and will eventually become a lifestyle if not dealt with.
Satan only needs a piece of your life to rule your life. One relationship, one attitude, one fear…
He will consume all thought and energy.  This can produce guilt in our lives that drains us spiritually and paralyzes us in the work God has for us.  We feel no one will understand or, even worse, judge us so we remain silent.  So…What I cannot confess I will obsess. Then…What I closet will consume me.
We cannot let Satan have the upper hand in this battle.  He wants us to feel defeated, but we are not defeated.  In Christ, we will be victorious over every stronghold.  He will break every chain.  He will lift us up and out of the bondage of the strongholds that strangle us.  Take every thought captive and leave them at His feet.  Turn to Him and trust Him to deliver you.   

Scripture to Claim:

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 NASB

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