We Are In A Fight
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I say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.
You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.
You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs — Victory in spite of all terrors — Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.
Let that be realized. No survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge, the impulse of the ages, that mankind shall move forward toward his goal.
I take up my task in buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. I feel entitled at this juncture, at this time, to claim the aid of all and to say, "Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength."
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE IN A BATTLE (V. 3)
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE IN A BATTLE (V. 3)
we are in a battle with satan for the hearts, minds, and souls of man.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE DIVINE IMPLEMENTS OF WAR (V. 4)
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE DIVINE IMPLEMENTS OF WAR (V. 4)
belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit (all from the word of God)
this not talking about individual Roman pieces of armor this talking about war machines that can take down fortresses.
our weapons are not swords, guns, etc.
God’s word is capable of
destroying
speculations - reasonings, logic, and arguments of the enemy
lofty thing - every great argument that stand against the knowledge of God
take every thought captive - misguided thoughts and arguments of the enemies, every argument or excuse for not believing and following God Paul says will be destroyed.
punish all disobedience - every false doctrine will suffer destruction
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENEMY HAS FORTRESSES (V. 4)
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENEMY HAS FORTRESSES (V. 4)
It can be a worldview, such as materialism, hedonism, Darwinism, secularism, relativism, communism, atheism. All of the different -isms are mental strongholds that people set up against the knowledge of God.
A stronghold can also be a personal attitude. Worry can be a stronghold. Seeking the approval of other people can be a stronghold. Anything that you make an idol in your life can be a stronghold — fear, guilt, resentment, insecurity. All of these things can be strongholds in your mind. And the Bible says that we are to tear them down.
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE WAR IS FOR THE MINDS OF MEN (V. 5)
WE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE WAR IS FOR THE MINDS OF MEN (V. 5)
to control, to conquer, to bring into submission.” We take captive. We make it submit. Every thought obedient to Christ. Make it obedient. Hupakøe means “to bring into submission, to bring under control.”
But how do you do that? And how do you teach other people to do that? How do I make my mind mind? I have noticed that my mind doesn’t always mind. It is often disobedient. It is often very rebellious. It wants to go in a different direction. When I want to think a certain way, it wants to go another way. When I need to ponder, it wants to wander. When I need to pray, my thoughts want to float away.
“The battle for sin always starts in the mind.” Tweet Share on Facebook
Paul talks about this in , and he says, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. . . . Wretched man that I am!” (, ). The fact is, the reason we have so many ineffective Christians today is that they do not know how to fight the battle of the mind.
How do we wage war against the mind?
How do we wage war against the mind?
Don’t Believe Everything You think
Don’t Believe Everything You think
the world puts all sort of suggestions in our minds that are false, we are bombarded with those false ideas all the time.
Sin messes with he condition of the mind. The bible describes our minds under sin as:
confused
anxious
closed
evil
restless
rash
deluded
2 Kings 6:11
Now the heart of the king of Aram was enraged over this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?”
and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.
because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
2 Cor. 4:4
in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.
Just because you think does not mean it is right. In fact that is what gets us into a lot of trouble. Those words I think…God won’t mind if I…he really didn’t mean that…that makes sense
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
we lie to ourselves all the time.
we tell ourselves things are really better than they are
we tell ourselves that things are not as bad as they are
we tell ourselves we are doing ok when when we are not doing okay
we tell ourselves its no big deal when it is a big deal
All sin begins with a lie
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
if satan can get you to believe in a lie, he can get you to sin, anytime you sin you are thinking that you know better than God. We say God said this but what about this
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Guard Your Mind From Garbage
Guard Your Mind From Garbage
garbage in/garbage out
The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
NLT - the fool feeds on trash
nutritionist will tell you there are 3 kinds of food for you physical body. brain food or good food, junk food, toxic foods.
the same is true for the mind
Brain food - there are some foods that will make you smarter, more godly, and more mature emotionally
junk food - there are so many things that you can fill your mind with that is just stuffing its not good or bad necessarily except for the fact that it takes away from time that could be spent on the good food
Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
the Bible tells us to fill our minds with the right things
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Never Let Up On Learning
Never Let Up On Learning
Be a life long learner, love knowledge, love wisdom, love the act of learning.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
right after he gets done telling us top apply all diligence to our faith moral excellence, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love he says
2 Pet. 1:
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
in order to be a good learner you have to be teachable and in order to be teachable you have to humble
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
I would rather admit I don’t know than to pretend that I know it all and not learn
The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak
Wise men store up knowledge, But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
5 levels of learning
knowledge - more than just knowing facts. in mark 12:24 he tells the Pharisees they don’t know the scriptures yet they had spent their lives memorizing the Torah
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
Wisdom (perspective) - seeing life from God’s viewpoint. if knowledge is knowing what God says, wisdom is knowing why God said it
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.
1
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
conviction - when we have knowledge of God’s Word and then perspective on the reason god does what he does then we will have conviction. conviction is something you die for. know more than ever we need godly men and women with biblical convictions. we are not talking about opinions
reason for Jesus dying on the cross
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
it was that conviction of love that lead him to the cross
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
examples of conviction
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Acts 20:
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
character - conviction leads us to develop habits and the sum total of our habits is what we call character. we can’t say we have the character of honesty unless we are habitually hones…kindness....faithfulness (God/Spouse)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
more like God in our character
skill - comes from doing something over and over
If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
the more you learn and have wisdom conviction, build character, you will have skill and be useful for the kingdom. you can use that knowledge
Let God Stretch Your Imagination
Let God Stretch Your Imagination
THINK!
THINK!
Let me leave you with this little acrostic: THINK. Here are five things to remember in our own lives and to teach to others.
“T” stands for test every thought. says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Ask God to search and test your thoughts. Don’t believe everything you think. Test every thought.
“H” stands for helmet your head. Put on the helmet of salvation. In California you can’t ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet. You don’t have to wear elbow pads or knee pads, but you do have to wear a helmet. Why? Because if you get your head hurt, you are in deep kimchi. And the Bible says, “Take the helmet of salvation” ().
Until we are saved, we don’t have any protection against the fiery darts that the Devil unleashes on our minds. Repentance means changing your mind — not just changing what you do. It’s first and at its heart mind change. Repentance is changing the way you think. It is a mental shift. Put on the helmet of salvation.
“I” stands for imagine great thoughts. Think about all the great promises of God. Everything is possible to him who believes. What an amazing blank check we have in Christ. Imagine great thoughts.
“N” stands for nourish a godly mind. Make sure that you are growing and developing. says, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Mediate and fix. Study and reflect.
“K” stands for keep on learning. The Bible says, “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” (). Do others see progress in your life? Are your words and conversations more powerful, more meaty, deeper, stronger, more practical, more life-touching?