I'm looking forward to looking back over this year to see just how powerfully the Lord impacted the way we think & live. So far this year He has created this seamless transition from Sunday to Sunday. The messages have been building upon one another and allowing us to see through a lot of the junk that has been handed down to us. Whether we are talking about the differences between the Old & New Covenants, or simply trying to understand the nature of God, the Lord is doing some wonderful things.
Two Sundays ago I shared out of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and talked about "Winning the Battle of the Mind." Using a boxing illustration, I drew a comparison between spiritual warfare and how a boxer trains for any fight. Some of the crucial elements in boxing are:
Know Your Opponent
Know His Strategy
& Keep Your Focus
I have never been a fan of the way most people handle spiritual warfare because I feel as though they give too much power to the enemy. If you don't understand that He is disarmed & defeated then you will always think that he has the upper hand. Believers need to understand that they fight from a place of victory. Your enemy - the one who roams around like a roaring lion - according to Scripture is the father of lies and the accuser of the brethren. This is vitally important because much of the fighting that we engage in has to do with lies that we are believing or the accusations that are being hurled at us. This is how the enemy works. We are not ignorant of his devices but sometimes we need to be reminded.
The most basic strategy that he uses is to create strongholds in our lives. These strongholds are what I refer to as mindsets. Those things that have a strong hold upon us. The mindsets that we cannot seem to shake free from. Interesting that we are told to capture EVERY thought to the obedience of Christ and that transformation comes through the RENEWAL of the mind. The warfare that we engage in should result in the destruction of these strongholds, as well as the arguments & opinions that are raised against the knowledge of God in our lives. In spiritual warfare you are not fighting people, their accusations, or their opinions. You are fighting against the devices that the enemy would love to use to keep you bound up. When you accept the Truth of what God's Word says about you then you will be able to live in the abundant life of Christ. You will be set free.
Keeping your focus doesn't mean that you have to place all your attention on the enemy. It means that your attention is focused upon Jesus, His Truth, and who you are in Him. Learn how to get rid of the statements that say "you are not good enough", "you are not strong enough", "you are not loved", etc. Anything that will keep you from being all that God says you can be needs to be destroyed. You learn to lean on Jesus and believe His definition of who you are in Him.
This past Sunday I shared out of Romans 14:17 "The Kingdom Within." The lead in was simple. Jesus states that the Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). This makes perfect sense when you consider that 2 Peter 1:3 BOLDLY DECLARES that you have everything you need for life and godliness through His divine power. The Holy Spirit within you makes sure that there is enough grace, enough peace, enough joy, enough strength, and enough of what you need to carry the Kingdom of God.
This Kingdom is fully resourced. Everything is readily available for use in your life. Your response to these truths will allow you to follow the things that make for peace and learn the joy of building up other believers as well. I have told our congregation that abundant life is "life that is more than necessary." When you know that - really know it - then you know that there is plenty to go around. There is plenty of life for you and plenty to give to others. This Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. What we are learning is how to live in the reality of this Kingdom. We learn how to spend time in it, become aware of its presence, and access everything that is available. There is no lack here. And because there is no lack, you never have to worry about running out.
I closed our time by talking about the lost "art" within many Christian circles: the art of meditation. We have allowed the New Age philosophies to take this basic discipline and change it to fit their agenda. However, for the believer, meditation is a vital tool. Accessing the peace that is available, the righteousness that is a part of your life, and the joy of the Lord is one of the best ways that I know to fight the good fight. Spiritual warfare looks much different when you fight out of the Kingdom within you. Life looks different as well.
God has ensured that you have everything you need to live life without limits. The Bible teaches us how to destroy every vain imagination that would lift itself up against the knowledge of God. We have within us, through the Holy Spirit, access to the gifts and fruit of this Kingdom. Why would we ever go back to fighting on our own or living a defeated life. Life without Limits is the promise and every promise of God in Christ is YES & AMEN. Enjoy the journey!!!
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