“Spiritual Warfare 5” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 12/06/2009 Dane Boyles

“Spiritual Warfare 5” Spiritual warfare is the conflict of two opposing wills. The wills of God and Satan are so diametrically opposed that the differences between the two are irreconcilable (Rev. 12:17)! Satan’s most potent scheme is to dehumanize us!

“Spiritual Warfare 5” The fallen principalities and powers shape our world through language and images to such an extent that their ways become “the air we breathe.”

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Cor. 4:4)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” Just think for a moment how deceptive this spirit is. Ask yourself, among all the people you know, is God revered, feared and honored? Is God’s Word upheld as the standard for thought, speech and behavior?

“Spiritual Warfare 5” How does the enemy blind the minds of unbelievers? 1. He blinds people by the lure of sin. 2. He gives unbelievers lies to believe. 44 “When he speaks, he speaks his native language.” (John 8:44)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” “I’m good enough. God will accept me.” “God is so loving that He wouldn’t judge me. “Hell isn’t real anyway.” “I’ll always have tomorrow to follow God.” “There are many routes to God.”

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:3-4)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” God is interested in men. He is interested in what men do by faith in the middle of circumstances. Spiritual warfare is a battle takes place in the mind for control of the heart.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” We must ask ourselves what’s most real to us. That which is most real to us determines how we react and what we use to defend ourselves. Spiritual warfare in its most basic sense has to do with the sovereignty of God which by extension has to do with the Power of God.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” If you believe God is sovereign, then the Word of God determines three things:

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 1. What you are to say about our world. 2. What you are to think about our world. 3. What you are to believe.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” The reason is that the Power of God is to settle in our minds that God is in control of what takes place in the world. If in our minds the linkage between the Word of God and what we believe is broken, we also separate the Power of God from the material world.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 4 lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:4-5)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” Ask yourself: Do I believe in the power of God? The Israelites were notorious for factoring out the Power of God. We have to protect our minds so that we don’t fall for these lies.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. (2 Cor. 10:3) 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. (2 Cor. 10:4)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 2 the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (Eph. 2) 4 On the contrary, they [our weapons] have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:4)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” What is a stronghold? A stronghold is an entrenched pattern of thought. Four strongholds: 1. People don’t believe in the Power of God. People live their lives having a form of godliness but do not believe in the power of God!

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. (Rom. 4:19)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Rom. 4:20-21)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 2. People don’t believe in the spontaneity of God. 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Gen. 1:1, 3)

“Spiritual Warfare 5” The crossing of the Red Sea. An ax head floated. The walls of Jericho fell. Mary became pregnant.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” The Almighty maintains a spontaneous moment by moment relationship with everything.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 3. People don’t believe the invisible is determinant. Instead people believe in a natural system of cause and effect. Entering the Promise Land. The invisible side of reality determines what happens here.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” 4. People don’t believe they aren’t in control. Generally speaking, people believe they’re in control. However, the power of God, and only the power of God determines all outcomes in any given situation according to the will of God!

“Spiritual Warfare 5” Summary Four Strongholds: Not believing in the Power of God. Not believing in the spontaneity of God. Not believing the invisible is determinant. Not believing we aren’t in control.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” Summary You can’t say you have faith (I believe in the Word of God), if you don’t believe God has the power to do what He says.

“Spiritual Warfare 5” Summary Faith is operating beyond the range of what our central nervous system says about our world.