STRONGHOLDS: LOFTY OPINIONS

2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5

We are in a series of discussions about the Holy Spirit.

For the last couple of weeks, we have been talking about who the HS is, how we are indwelled by the HS at the moment we put our faith in Christ.

We also talked about Galatians 5 and Romans 8. How those passages show us there are aspects of life that are different and change for us the more that we walk by the Spirit and not the flesh. If we set our minds on things of the Spirit and not the flesh.

The HS promises us fruit in our lives if we do that. Fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The HS wants to produce those things in your life if you make the choice to allow Him to!

If we set our minds on things of the Spirit, we will have a mind set of life and peace.

Even though we still walk in the flesh and are surrounded by the things of this world.

So, we have been challenged by God’s Word to no longer accept the fact that there are promises of the HS that we are not accessing.

We have been challenged by God’s Word to not look at the fruit of the Spirit as something that we strive for but something that we have.

The challenge is similar to what we have been striving to do all year.

Do all that you can do to think about God! Put practices in your life to help. Remove distractions and actions that hinder you from thinking about Him.

Because the mind set on the Spirit is LIFE and PEACE.

Last week, we started a discussion on the things in our lives and minds that hinder us from doing that.

We talked about how there are strongholds in our minds that the enemy has taken over territory in our minds and is hindering our minds and lives to be set on the HS.

There is a battle raging for territory in our minds and we have conceded territory to the enemy. We have given him power and space in our minds.

Those are strongholds.

Last week, we identified the stronghold of lies in our minds.

The enemy is a liar. However, many of us have believed certain lies and therefore surrendered territory in our minds. Our belief in those lies are the brick and mortar of the enemies stronghold. The more we believe that lie, the stronger the stronghold is.

How did your week go? Did you start assaulting some lies that you have put your belief into?

I can tell you this. The enemy hates us talking about this. He has been lashing out this week. We must be doing something right if he is coming after His people like he has been. So, we won’t back down, we are pushing ahead and identifying the second stronghold that comes from our main passage.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 ESV

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Last week, we addressed the stronghold of arguments against the knowledge of God. Lies.

This week, we are going to look at

EVERY LOFTY OPINION RAISED AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

Look, there is something that needs to be pointed out.

In this world, we have man’s opinion and God’s knowledge.

The problem is when raise man’s opinions in our live over the knowledge of God’s Word.

We live in a world who now thinks that everyone’s opinion needs to be heard by everyone on the internet. Everyone thinks they have to comment and give their opinion…

You can’t read the news without reading someone’s opinion interjected into the story.

We are surrounded by man’s opinions.

But that is not just a cultural thing or an internet thing. That’s not the point of this.

Its all over the religious world as well.

I’m guilty of this, we so often turn to the opinions of man rather than ask the HS to show us the meaning of God’s Word.

Mankind loves this! We seek what others like Calvin, MacArthur, Piper, professors and yes, even Tozer, says about a topic or passage and believe them without question. We elevate that person’s opinion over the knowledge of God’s Word when exposed by the HS in our lives.

Why? Because its easier. Because we believe that they are smarter than us.

So, we have literally elevated man’s opinion higher than the knowledge of God.

We do this and we get so entrenched in this camp or that camp. This can become a stronghold for many of us!

John MacArthur, I know, an interesting person to quote here, but he describes this as “Thoughts, ideas, reasonings, philosophies, and false religions are ideological forts in which men barricade themselves against God and the gospel.”

1 Corinthians 3 discusses this exact topic.

1 Corinthians 3:10–23 (ESV)

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

That’s too good not to read it all. The key verse is there at the end. NASB reads like this.

“all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”

Don’t build your house of thoughts and opinions solely on the thoughts and opinions of others without seeking God’s Word and allowing the HS to guide you to all truth. All things belong to you! You belong to Christ!

Others can be helpful guides and they may even get it right. But do not lift the opinions of other higher than the knowledge of God revealed in His Word for you.

You need to understand the power of the HS is capable to revealing all truth to you according to John 16:13

John 16:13 (ESV)

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

The HS is capable of leading you to truth. Put your faith FIRST in Him and His Word to show you!

However, this is not the only way that we elevate opinions higher than the knowledge of God. A lot of these strongholds about ourselves.

Lofty opinions about yourself means that you have an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or ability.

And exaggeration actually means a statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is.

Essentially it means

to elevation your opinion of yourself, either good or bad, over the knowledge of God.

A mindset on the flesh is a mindset on the exaggerated opinion of self, either good or bad.

In other words, a mindset on your flesh elevations your opinion of yourself over the truth of God’s Word.

Let me better explain the good and bad ways we do that.

Look, let’s be honest, there is a ton of ways we elevate our opinions over God’s knowledge. You could point to just about any aspect of life and see ways that we think that we know how to handle better than He does.

There are many ways, we think that we know better than God… Maybe not about theology but about life and how to best live it…

How about finances?

How about how to do you specific job?

How to manage people?

How about parenting?

How about how to run a church?

How about dealing with a difficult choice in life?

Do you see it? In most of these and many others we think we know better than God!

We may not say that but when these situations arise, we run to our experience, our knowledge, or our wisdom and never even consult the knowledge of God!

We think, “This is how I’ve always done it and its worked.”

Just because it worked before, doesn’t mean its the way He would want you to do it again.

We have to remember that the goal of life is not to have things “work out”. The goal of life is to glorify God! And you simply cannot do that by just doing things the way that you have always done them. “Working out” is not a good the deciding factor of weather or not it was His will that you do that!

Look, the Lord has asked Candace and I to do many things over the years that by the world’s standards didn’t “work out”. We have both felt like the Lord has asked us to start groups and nobody show up.

I once started a discipleship class at TSC and I was obedient to how the Lord led us to do it. The entire semester, I had one person. By everyone else opinion and truthfully even mine at times, it didn’t “work out”. But I was obedient to the Lord and one lady who was a new believer was given tools and disciplines on how to walk this Christian life.

Look, this applies to all aspects of life.

To elevate your opinion over God’s is actually to bring your opinion and set it on top of God’s and ignore His opinion as even an option.

when you handle life or situations with your opinion without even considering His opinion, you have a stronghold of your lofty opinion.

When you immediately run to your knowledge or experience over the truth in His Word, you have a stronghold.

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

Commit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 3:5–8 (ESV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.

To elevate your opinion over God’s isn’t the only way we can have this stronghold, it can also mean that elevate your opinion of your own inadequacies or faults over God’s opinion of you.

Many of us think thoughts like, “If you only knew what I had done, you would know that I’m too far gone for grace.”

Or “There is so many reasons in my past that say that I shouldn’t be able to do that for the Lord.”

Or “I just simply can’t defeat this sin. I might as well keep doing it.”

We can often elevate bad thoughts and opinions about ourselves over the truth of God’s Word!

We can put ourselves down so much in our minds that it hinders us from being obedient to the Lord.

When you put your belief more in the opinions of yourself over the truths in God’s Word, you have a stronghold!

You have given the enemy territory in your mind and it is hindering the advancement of the kingdom of God through you!

Its holding you back from stepping into what the Lord has for you!

Looks, most of us with this stronghold are aware of Romans 7. Paul makes a few statements here that resonate how we feel about ourselves.

Romans 7:15 ESV

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Romans 7:18–19 ESV

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Romans 7:24 ESV

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

If you have this stronghold, you know these passages and relate to them.

However, this stronghold gets us stuck in the Romans 7 mindset and never allow the truths of Romans 8 to become our opinion of ourselves!

Romans 7:25 (ESV)

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:14–17 ESV

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Look, its understandable to have Romans 7 moments but you can not allow a chapter 7 mindset or opinion of yourself be elevated over God’s opinion that you can now call Him, “Abba, Father”. That are now a child of God!!

You have to allow God’s opinion of who you are to override your opinion of who you are!

Step into His thoughts about you and step into letting Him do what He is asking to do through you.

The simple fact is this, if you have an opinion of your wisdom, knowledge or experiences that you elevate over the knowledge of God, and you don’t even think to consult God, you have a stronghold of your own lofty opinion.

Or if you elevate your bad opinion of yourself and who you are over the truths in God’s Word, and you reject His truths, you have a stronghold of your own lofty opinion.

Look, the answer is not to think worse or better of yourself. This is not self-help. This is God-help.

The answer is James 4:10

James 4:10 ESV

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Look at who you are competing with for truth! Look at who you are arguing with! Do we honestly think that we know better than God?!

When you humble yourself before God, you will see that whatever your opinion is really doesn’t matter.

Remember, we are talking about Creator and creation. God and man.

When you look at Him, what do you have to offer? Who can stand?!

Simply put, both of these mindsets are thinking about ourselves entirely too much. The mindset on the flesh is death.

So, just like last week, because of the HS in you, you have a divine power to destroy these strongholds.

We must first admit and confess that we have these strongholds to the Lord. Don’t try to justify yourself. Just confess it. Just admit that you do it!

Then repent. Turn away from those thoughts that you aren’t good enough. Read scripture about truths in His Word that disprove the thoughts in your mind.

Or do what Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Turn towards Christ and acknowledge that He has a path for you to take and it may not look like the way you have always done it. Or what has always “worked out” for you in the past. Maybe it is the exact same way! He just wants you to acknowledge Him in it!

Confess and turn away from theses strongholds. You have divine power in Him to destroy them.

Let’s pray