The Destruction of
Spiritual Fortresses{Part 1}
There is
a spiritual battle. The principal battlefield where this fierce conflict is
being waged is in the mind of man. 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 minds of people. The
mind is the oldest, most common battlefield known to the human race. Ever since
God provided Adam and Eve clear instructions on how to live joyful, successful
lives, 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 (CIM). &
that is what I want to help you do today. I want to help you capture your mind
for God.
God wants
us to fully know Him and to tear down anything that holds us and others back
from fully knowing Him. Old patterns of thinking and behavior keep us from
right thinking and from right doing so that we are not actively involved in the
ministry of God as He would have us be. Do you have beliefs, thoughts or
actions that lessen or weaken your service to God? Do things, persons, or
situations cause you anxiety or frustration? Are you hindered in your personal
prayer life and in the coherency of your Bible reading? If so you need to
listen intently to the Bible’s description of how to obtain victory through
spiritual battle. Here God teaches how to tear down debilitating old habits and
thought patterns that assail and thwart us when we attempt to move closer to
God. May we learn what the weapons of our warfare can accomplish and put them into
obedient service for the eternal glory of God.
SPIRITUAL BATTLE
A
distinction is drawn between existence in this world and living for this world
or age. People wanted to judge Paul as if all his action and abilities were
focused on himself and his place in this life. But that was not the case, his
energies and interests were focused on Christ, not himself.
The Corinthian
were being led by fleshly thinking [and judged Paul’s ministry by outward
appearances]. They 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. He may live in a fleshy body
like every other person subject to its laws and limitation that are common to
all human flesh, but he would not let his old way of living before he came to
know Christ direct his 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
follower of Christ cannot allow his conduct to be controlled by the considerations
of expediency and self-seeking which are characteristic of his lost condition
when he walked according to the flesh or in the way of this world. Paul’s
strength was not found in the flesh. He refused to develop and use the fleshly
weapons on which natural man depends. Paul’s weapons were spiritual.
He knew
how to wage spiritual war. The term war (στρατος) is literally “lead
an army.” The Apostle Paul states that though he does not fight
according to the flesh, he does fight, he even admits that he leads a spiritual
army to war. This war was not against flesh and blood though (Eph. 6:10ff). His
foes were the devil and his demonic agents. He warred against the power of
darkness. Thus Paul used spiritual weapons because you cannot win spiritual battles
with fleshly weapons. We too must put on the full armor of God and fight with
spiritual weapons. Again, our Christian life is not merely a walk but also warfare
(1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2: 3f, 4:7; 2 Cor. 6:7).
SPIRITUAL WEAPONS FOR
DESTROYING FORTRESSES
The
thought of spiritual war is more fully developed in verse 4.
” For the weapons of our
warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction
(tearing down) of fortresses (strongholds).” { 2Cor
10:4}
Anyone
can use fleshly weapons but few in Christian circles can use spiritual weapons.
A Christian who engages in warfare or a campaign must have the weapons with
which to fight. The armor of the Christian warrior is given in Ephesians
6:11-18. It is spiritual armor. The armor of King Saul, though splendid in the
eyes of men, cannot overcome the spiritual giants who come against us. These
are not flesh and blood foes and attempting to withstand them with fleshly
weapons makes them laugh at our great folly.
No we
need divinely powerful weapons. We need weapons that are made mighty by God.
Paul’s attitude of humility is one weapon, since pride places us in the control
of Satan. Spiritual weapons like the Word of God, prayer, love, peace, the
Cross, the sinless life of Christ, the shed blood of the cross, obedience,
surrender to His Lordship, the power of resurrection and the ascension are the
weapons that defeat the enemy. As Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and
the truth will set you free.”
Only
spiritual weapons are divinely empowered for over throwing the fortresses of
evil. There is a temptation to meet a challenge of one who is in the flesh, who
is under the sway of the evil one, with fleshly weapons of human wisdom and
strength but that is not where true victory lies.
v A “stronghold” is an
entrenched pattern of though, ideology, value or behavior.
v It is a mind-set that causes us to accept as unchangeable
situations that we know are contrary to the will of God.
v [Stronghold: NT:3794, ochuroma (okh-oó-rō-mah); from ochuróō
remote derivative of NT:2192 (meaning to fortify, through the idea of
holding safely); a castle (figuratively, argument)]
v So then it something we have fortified or built up in our lives
and now think we cannot remove it. [Some strongholds are good: those built up
by the Word of God are good, those against the word are harmful.]
Developing a stronghold is like planting a tree. While it
is still small it is easy to bend and mold, but that tree gets to be 25-30
years old it can’t be bent, the roots are deep and it becomes a major project
to move.
One of
the most basic of principles taught in the Bible is that of sowing and reaping.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. For
he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that
soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).
It goes
like this: sow an action, reap a habit and it has been shown to take about 21
days to tear down one and start another, better one.
We start
with one cigarette, one drink, one cuss, and then it leads to another, and
another. Eventually we have a full blown stronghold with all the repercussion
that come with them! Like cancer, sorosis of the liver, diabetes. We did this
to ourselves and we cannot, dare not blame the devil for it.]
This
verse promises that those who find and learn how to use God’s spiritual weapons
in the power of God’s Holy Spirit are empowered by God Himself for the
destruction of strongholds, in their life, in the life of their loved ones, in
their church and in their community in which they battle. When engaging the
enemy with these weapons the church is assured of victory. The world scorns
these weapons wanting to provoke you to use fleshly weapons and we often turn
to human methods and are overcome by demonic forces. When Joshua and his army
marched around Jericho for a week, the spectators thought them mad. But the
weapon of obedience to God’s Word brought down the high walls and the enemy was
conquered (Joshua 6:1-20). These spiritually powerful weapons are the ones the
powers of darkness most vehemently fight against and keep us from knowing,
remembering and using because they are the only weapons by which they and their
work can be torn down!
So we
have some negative strongholds in our lives and we need to get rid of them, but
it won’t be easy. You may have some hard difficult work in front of you.
Tearing down bastion in your life must often be done the way they were erected,
brick by brick, or thought by thought. Can God deliver you?
Yes, but you did
this to yourself over time and it will usually takes time for us to get to the
point of deliverance, so we must go through a continuous process to get to that
point.
The Message will be Concluded Tomorrow; God Bless You.
Sermon by Dennis
Davidson
Prayer Points
1. Every Satanic Stronghold assigned against my destiny; I pull you
down in the name of Jesus.
2. O lord my father ; sanctify my heart in the name of Jesus.
3. Stronghold of stagnancy and backwardness loss your hold in the
name of Jesus.
4. You my life; reject the voices of darkness, in the name of
Jesus.
5. Power of darkness occupying any area of my life; be evacuated by
the fire of the Holy Ghost.
6. You today; hear the word of the lord! You shall favour me in the name of Jesus.
7. My life shall magnetize blesses and goodness throughout today
and the rest of my life on the name of Jesus.
8. Blessings that I do not merit; locate my life in the name of
Jesus.
Seven Fold Amen with Faith!!!
Amen!
Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen!
2015 is your Year of multiple restoration and
unparalleled Favor in the name of Jesus
|
IF THE ENEMY HAS STOLEN FROM YOU;
RECOVERY IS BY FORCE.
STOP THEM BEFORE THEY STOP YOU,
GOD BLESS YOU.
|
Post a Comment
Add You Comments, Prayer Request, Recommendations, Questions and so on