Thinks Giving - Part 2

3 things to remember from last week’s message:

1. Your life will head in the direction of that to which you give your thinking.

2. Stop focusing on the obstacle and start focusing on the outcome.

3. You can do all things through Christ - when you focusing your thinking on the right things!

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

"Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life." Proverbs 4:23 CEV

What you are living is closely related to what you are thinking.

1) We are in a battle with unseen forces.

Ephesians 6:10–18 CSB

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

2) The Primary Battlefield is the Mind

Note that Salvation is the Helmet

Salvation covers our mind

NIV says “with this is mind.”

The inference in verse 18 is to keep the understanding that we are in a battle with spiritual forces in the heavenly realm in the forefront of our mind.

We are to be constantly aware that the battle is against these forces.

We we forget that, we look around us for the culprit and we will find one somewhere:

Our Spouse

Our mother

Our father

Our children

The bullies at school

The overbearing boss at work

The teachers

The past relationships that blew up or fell apart

The people we counted on who let us down

The ones who rejected us

The ones who had a controlling influence over us

The ones who belittled us

The ones who left us out

The ones we counted on who walked away

The ones who broke our trust

And if we can’t find anyone else, we blame the person in the mirror

3) You stinking thinking didn’t just start start stinking yesterday.

When we experience the things above, we start to ruminate on those occurences and develop strategies in our mind to avoid them happening again - or worse, to accept them as our normal.

Examples:

I am going to keep everyone at a distance so no one hurts me again.

I will never let anyone control me again. I will be in control or I will check out.

No one is ever going to walk away from me again. If i get an inkling that this is going to happen, I will leave first.

There’s obviously something wrong with me or people would not have treated me this way.

We Set up lofty expectations that are often unable to be met in order to prove that someone is true/loyal/faithful, etc. Their failure just strengthens the stronghold.

We place expectations on others that only God can meet.

We develop these thinking patterns and begin to interpret things based on how our experience has shaped our thinking. These become strongholds in our mind.

Strongholds: old, difficult, discouraging challenges. - Max Lucado

The term stronghold appears at least fifty times in the Bible. It commonly referred to a fortress with a difficult access (see Judges 6:2; I Sam. 23:14). When King David first saw the city of Jerusalem, it was an old, ancient, cheerless fortress inhabited by enemies. No wonder it was twice called a stronghold (see II Sam. 5:7,9).

Judges 6:2 NKJV

2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains.

1 Samuel 23:14 NKJV

14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

2 Samuel 5:7 NKJV

7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).

This is referring to Jerusalem - It belonged to the Israel but was inhabited by the enemy.

4) The enemy can operate out of the strongholds he has set up in territory that is not his - our mind.

2 Samuel 5:9 NKJV

9 Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward.

The Apostle Paul uses the term to describe a mindset or attitude.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 NKJV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 AMP

3 For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, 5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), 6 Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.

5) We have spiritual weapons that enable us to take back strongholds.

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The Word

Ephesians 5:24–26 HCSB

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word.

God was correcting a stronghold created by original sin:

Genesis 3:16 NKJV

16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”

The way this stronghold was to be corrected was by allowing the Word to wash your mind.

Praise

Ephesians 5:18–19 NKJV

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Ephesians 5:20 NKJV

20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Prayer

Ephesians 6:17–18 NKJV

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—