The Battle for You: the Heart (2)

Intro

1. The Battle for You

2. Ephesians - God’s High Purpose and Our High Calling

3. Grace. . . Even When

The Battle for You layout

The Heart - battles where few stood against many

The Soul - battles that won the war

The Mind - battles that tactically genius

Battles in History

The Alamo (1836) - between 180-250 Texans defended the Alamo against 1,500 Mexican soldiers under the command of Santa Anna. The Alamo was lost, but the war was won. In the coming skirmishes with the Mexican army, the Texan army yelled, “Remember the Alamo”

The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) - around 7,000 Greeks stood their ground against any army numbering between 150,00-300,000

Why do I use battles like this as an example?

Sometimes our heart leads us to do things beyond conventional wisdom says

Conversely, the heart is generally grabbed before the mind is ready

Battle for the Heart

There are two forces fighting for your heart

God fighting to give you a new heart that pursues Him

Satan fighting to turn your heart away from God.

Jesus tells us a parable in about the nature of the heart

Luke 6:43–45 NIV

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

There is a verse in proverbs that sums up this parable very well:

Proverbs 4:23 NIV

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Why do we need to join in the battle for the heart?

The Good and the Bad of the Heart

What the Heart is:

The heart is intellectual

1. The heart is intellectual

Perceives, understands, debates, reflects, remembers, thinks, imagines, is wise, and mad

The heart is emotional

The heart is emotional

Experiences intoxicated merriment, gladness, joy, love, trust, affection, desire, sympathy

Is sorrowful, anguish, bitterness, anxiety, despair, lust, callousness, hatred, fear, jealousy, discouragement, anger, irresolution

The heart is volitional (decisive)

The heart is volitional (decisive)

Can purpose, incline to, prompt, be steadfast, willing, willful, contrive evil, follow it’s treasure

The heart is moral

The heart is moral

Gentle, lowly, holy, faithful, upright, pure, single-minded, clean, loving toward God, loving toward others, sensitive

Hardened, evil, self-deceiving, deceitful, avaricious (greed), lustful, arrogant, impious, perverse, unrepentant, defiling

How do I win the battle for my heart?

Read your Bible

Pray

Get involved in church

Meet with a group of people and study the Bible together

Closing

A battle is being waged for your heart. Jesus promises us that:

Matthew 6:21 NIV

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.