THE BATFIELD OF THE MIND

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THEME

At the turn of the 21 century we had a crisis on our hands. The year was 1999 Many of you can think back and remember what the crisis was all about. it was known as Y2K. There was all kinds of chatter going around about the end of the world. I remember as a highschooler, hearing how everything was going to shut down, and that nuclear arsenals were going to be released on the world. All because of computers that were outdated.

It cost over 100 billion dollars to fix the Y2 K problem all because a few computer programmers back in the 50’s wanted to save some space, so instead of aligning the year with four digits, they did it with two digits.

In order to fix this problem, reprogramming had to commence in order to make new computers Y2K compliant so that the new dates could work. In fact, total new systems had to be created because some systems had chips so deeply embedded with the old programmers no longer alive in order to produce the ability to function our world correctly.

What is true for computers is true for your life.

Some of us have tried to live the Christian life with all, without all the digits in place and we find ourselves non-compliant. Some of us so badly want to program our lives properly but all the digits aren’t in place. There is a need for reprogramming. To win the battle in your life will require, will require a renewed mind. Rom 12:2 calls it a transformed mind

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 8:5–6 ESV

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 ESV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

2 Corinthians 10:3–4 ESV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

A stronghold is not merely what I do it is thinking behind what I do so that because of my thinking I view my situation as hopeless

2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

There is a deadly war being waged, and it is being waged between God and Satan.

Share a time when I operated out of my hurt and unleashed on someone else for a smaller offense

Caution to handling conflict. Addressing blind spots

Hav

Falsely attacked

Tempted

mood is low

Mind is stressed

Youre used to conversations with friends and family, and co workers where you are used to being vindicated and others are exposed

Weary from endless conversations in your head where you always come out the victor, others are exposed

Paranoia becomes your closest ally

You gravitate towards someone that you know will vindicate you and take your side

Don’t give the enemy a seat at your table

Your struggle is not against flesh and Blood

Your heavenly Father is not the one that is bringing about

Mooving forward towars deep restoration

The enemy knows when we are trying to walk closely with God. When we are trying to tune our heart in to Holy Spirit. He doesn’t want us to have a sound mind, because a sound mind, can easily descern the voice of God. A sound heart can easily feel the movements and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

So the Devil will work overtime attacking the citadel of the mind.

Any “word” or suggestion that brings discouragement, condemnation, accusation—that is not from God. Neither is confusion, nor any counsel that would lead you to disobey what you do know. Reject it all, and carry on in

Take EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE

we dont have

WHen the enemy takes over your mind

He is will entrench himself with foolish pride-

if you are given in to the need to always be right

If your worst fear is to be exposed as a phony

2. God has designed you to take full control of your mind

Beware of Disc

Determine to get rid of the devil from your seat

Deal with the discouragement, deal with the paralysis, deal with the same old lies that keep getting you tripped up again and again

The Lord told me to not give in to

How to keep a clear head and

We get wounded by the words or actions of someone

How do we win the war?

THE WAR has already BEEN WON

The word victory in the above verse is the Greek word nikos. It specifically connotes victory that has come about due to a conquest. In the New Testament, the word is always used to describe the conquest provided for the believer by Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 ESV

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It means overwhelming victory, and it means superiority

1 John 5:4–5 ESV

4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

He conquered all the powers of darkness and sin. Believers are in Christ, and Christ is in believers. The powers of darkness and the powers of sin cannot win the victory over any believer.

The overall battle has been won. Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). In other words, “What I’ve come here to do is accomplished. You have been liberated. The victory is yours.” Picture the victory you own as if you were standing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day Plus 1. Do you know what that means? D-Day was June 6, 1944, so D-Day Plus 1 is the term given to the day after D-Day—June 7, 1944. D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion in military history.1 More than 156,000 Allied troops stormed their way ashore on the Normandy coastline, pushing through a hail of Nazi machine-gun fire, grenades, and firepower. The Allies came in strong thanks to more than 6,900 ships and landing vessels, 2,300 aircrafts, 867 gliders, and 450,000 tons of ammunition. Casualties were heavy. Tragically, more than 4,400 Allied troops lost their lives on June 6. Yet by nightfall, the victory had been won. The five Normandy beaches—code-named Gold, Utah, Juno, Omaha, and Sword—were all secured. More troops began coming ashore. Temporary harbors were constructed. In time, the Allies would unload more than 2.5 million troops, 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of supplies through the harbors at Normandy. Historians agree that D-Day marked a decisive turning point in the war. Thanks to actions taken on D-Day, the outcome of World War II shifted significantly. The destiny of the entire world had changed. So imagine you’re there on D-Day Plus 1. You’re standing on one of the beaches on the day after the huge, bloody invasion. The overall war has been decided. Hitler’s power has been broken. There’s no way he can win now. From this beachhead of victory you can push forward and keep going. Why keep going? Well, even though the war in Europe is over, Hitler will still operate from a place of defeat for a while. He’ll keep fighting even though he’s been crushed. In the next few weeks, many more skirmishes will come. You’ll battle in the French town of Carentan. You’ll capture the port of Cherbourg. You’ll still need to liberate Paris on August 25. Some of the fighting will be intense. Over the next year, you’ll still need to struggle in the fierce battle of Operation Market Garden. You’ll hold the wintery line in the Battle of the Bulge. You’ll still need to push your way into Nazi-occupied Germany and liberate the horrific concentration camps. On D-Day Plus 1, you’ll need to get your mind around this truth: even though the war is over, some of your toughest fighting is still to come. Yet because the beachhead has been established, you will always fight from the place of overall victory. In your spiritual life, Jesus gives you the nikos. He gives you His accomplished work on the cross, the defeat of sin. He has established a beachhead of victory so you can move forward. From this foundation of victory, you now fight. That’s your mindset to prayerfully embrace today. THE PRAYER OF POWER Okay, it all leads up to this. The one huge prayer that holds the promise of winning the fight for your thoughts stems from this passage of Scripture: Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5) Let’s unpack that. The weapons you fight with have divine power. Those weapons are outlined in Ephesians 6:1–18, the full armor of God: the righteousness we have from Christ, the full gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and prayer. Those weapons have the power to demolish anything that sets itself up against God. With those weapons you don’t need to let any harmful thought that floats through your mind settle down. In Christ, you do not need to let the Enemy sit at your table. How? The basis of the prayer is found right there in the text. God, help me take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. It sounds paradoxical, but it isn’t. These two truths work together as one: Christ does all the work, yet you need to lean into that work by prayer and decisiveness. You must agree with Jesus. In Christ, you have been given the opportunity because of the beachhead of victory to move forward, fighting in power. The power comes from Christ. The victory comes from Christ. Yet you must agree with Christ so you don’t live in the double-barreled message of defeat. Nobody else is going to take your thoughts captive on your behalf. Nobody is going to climb into your head for you and get up into your thoughts and take captive everything that’s coming against you. It’s time for you to step up and take responsibility to partner with Christ in your destiny and your future and your victory. Here’s a hard truth, and I’m not going to shield you from this or attempt to candy-coat it: if you don’t take a thought captive, the failure lies with you. I speak this truth in love to you in the same breath I preach it to myself. The failure is not because of your mother. It’s not because of your stepdad. It’s not because of any trouble that has come against you. If you are living in defeat, it’s because you are allowing yourself to live in defeat. If you are losing the battle of your mind, it’s because you are not willing to step up and say, “There’s a fight to be fought, and I’m going to fight the battle to win my mind because I have the power of the finished work of Jesus.”

Power, Love and a sound mind.

One of the things that belongs to the Child of God are these three things. Power, Love and a Sound mind.

YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE AUTHORITY

SEE THE LIE- identify the deceptive thought in your mind and treat it as the danger that it is

Its easier to coddle the thought of your mind

How does temptation work… it starts with a thought

the thought of of I will feel better if I

overaet

if i lust

if i lash out with rage and say what i really feel

if I just stay in bed today and call into work

Shout no at this is not what Christ says about me

or another thought is

Youre pathetic, you have been struggling with this from childhood

2. Take the Thought captive in Jesus Name- when thoughts are taken captive in Jesus name, you have the power avaiable to me through the Holy Spirit to live in agreement with me.

Whatever is bound on earth is bound in heaven, whatever is loosed here on Earth will be loosed in Heave

You have the power to bind those thoughts in jesus name

So many Chrisitans are living in torment in their minds when they simply do not have to.

Story about when I first came to Christ I suffered immensily in Mind. I mean there will would come all kinds of vile and vicious things.

Don’t let the enemy have a seat at your table anymore. Don’t let the deciever, that murderer have any

3. Change the Narrative of your Story

You change the narrative. You identify the lie, you arrest the

THE MESSAG EABOUT THE GOSPEL IS

Dealing with Fear and taking a risk at love

Part of me fears that I will fail—that I am simply stating what is painfully obvious, or saying something vital but incoherent. I’m drawn to it, and I also feel ambivalent