A Captured Mind

Hey everyone, my name is Hayden Crompton and I’m a student pastor at a church about 25 minutes from here: Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church.

God’s doing a huge thing there and if you’re looking for a church I’ll be hanging around and would love to let you guys know more about it.

We’ve got some of our students here from our church, visiting the campus… super proud they came!

And I also have my beautiful wife here with me <3.

Now I’m excited to be here with you guys, and as you saw we’re kicking off a new series tonight called “Mental Toughness.”

In sports you have to have a strong mind to be successful. If you went out onto the field, court, track thinking ‘i’ll probably get destroyed’ or not having any confidence, you’ll probably get beat.

But for Christians, we need mental toughness too. Because each day we’re in a battle with the Enemy - he’s already lost our heart (Jesus won those) but he’s trying to destroy our minds.

In war, when a soldier is captured, the captors try to mess with the minds of captives. One method they use is to give them a shovel and point to a huge pile of dirt. they will then tell them that they have to move that dirt to another pile.

Once they did that, the captives would have them move it to another point.

Why? For humiliation, and losing a sense of purpose.

Did you know that our enemy is trying to do the same thing to us?

Satan wants nothing more than to capture your thoughts with:

Doubt

Addictions

Condemnation of our past

Pain, impurities, heartache.

Why?

To make you feel humiliated, and useless.

As a Christian, you have been called according to His purpose. You have been set apart, redeemed, are being sanctified, and God has a huge plan for you!!

And that plan is to be much more than what you are pursuing right now! It’s to bring glory back to God.

The Spiritual war we enter into every day is between God’s Truth and the Enemy’s lies.

Read

As we get into this Scripture, what can we learn from this battle in our minds?

1. Walking in our War

verse 3 - “For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh,...”

So how did Paul get here in his letter?

The Church in Corinth was founded and Paul was there to preach to them. After a little bit of time, however, some false teachers came about and started spreading untrue things about Paul.

In verses 1-2, we see that they began to say about Paul that he was bold in writing but timid and weak in person.

Well, , Jesus says that He was humble and lowly at heart. So what they were saying about Paul is almost a complement.

He was Christlike

But at this point, Paul is dealing with a good old fashioned bit of drama.

You ever been there?

Of course you have. But I want you to see the incredible thing Paul says next:

“for although we live in the flesh....”

a) Conflict

Paul is dealing with drama. He recognizes it and in the first two verses tries to have the people understand and make things right with them

But this isn’t a message about drama. This is a message about war...

Even in conflict

Hayden, where is the war?

Between our spirit and our flesh. The Holy Spirit and our old self.

b) Character

Look at what Paul says, this should bring us comfort… “We live in the flesh...”

What Paul is saying is, “I have my moments too.”

We have to be people that don’t walk in the flesh, but walk in the right character of God.

2. Weapons in our War

verses 3b-5

“weapons” in verse 4 is the same thing as armor.

These weapons are completely different than what our flesh would say:

to drama, talk back or punch someone.

to temptations, try harder

to pride,

these weapons are in :

Truth - belt

I’m not sure this is the whole truth

Righteousness - breast plate

A little sin won’t hurt

Evangelism - gospel of peace on feet

faith - shield

Salvation - helmet

God’s Word - Sword

Prayer - Alert

The spiritual war we enter into every day is between God’s truth and the Enemy’s lies.

Think about Peter in the Garden of Gathesemene

He cut off the solider’s ear, after Jesus told him to be in prayer unless he would fall into temptation.

3. Winning our War

verses 4b-5

These weapons are powerful through God through the demolition of strongholds.

What’s the stronghold in your mind?

Is it pride?

a drug addiction? A relationship

past sin?

Is it porn?

Is it language?

Demolition - means pulling down, or destruction

Strong holds - castles or fortresses

this imagines a huge castle that an army is up against trying to get into!

WHat’s the stronghold in your life?

The spiritual stronghold isn’t a castle, right? It’s anything lifted up above God’s wisdom.

“Argument” or “Imagination” - reasonings, theories, opinions.

“Proud” or “High thing” - anything elevated above

What Paul means here is the elevated opinions of men that go above the truth of God.

IT’S WHAT MEN MAKE UP IN THEIR MINDS, the big castles that we just can’t seem to get past that hold us back from where God wants us to be!

What’s yours?

Is it doubt?

Is it pain?

Is it an addiction - drugs, porn, alcohol?

Is it a past sin?

Is it a relationship?

How do we win?

Take our Spiritual weapons to those bad boys!

Maybe you’re struggling with doubt - Jesus says no one can take you from my hand.

Maybe your stronghold is impurity or porn: take