2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Introduction

The story has been told of a mental hospital that many years ago devised an unusual test to determine when their patients were ready to go back into the world. They brought a candidate for release to a room where a water faucet was left on so that the sink overflowed and was pouring water all over the floor. Then they handed the patient a mop and told him to mop up the water. If the patient had enough sense to turn off the faucet before mopping up the water, he was ready to be released. But if, as in the case of many, the patient started mopping while the water was still flowing, they kept the patient for more treatment.

As Christians, all of us face the world in which we live and are confronted with the need to do battle with the evil that dominates it. But, like the patients in the mental hospital, until we realize where the source of that evil is, we will make no real contribution. To see less evil in the world means that we must conquer the evil that is pouring forth from our own heart. That is conversion. Then, to deal with the evil around us, we need a “mop and bucket,” the spiritual armor that God has provided for us.

We Wrestle Not Against Flesh And Blood

He gives us to understand who and what our real enemy is. It is not the individual as much as it is the spirit in the individual. This is why you have to learn how to love the person and hate the spiritual influence that controls their actions. Ephesians 6:12 says For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

• We are fighting with everything that we have to hold on to what we have.
1. But this is more than us having the power to hold on to God, the strength of our salvation is that He is also holding on to us.
2. He holds us while the enemy is buffeting us about, trying to destroy us and gain victory over our witness.
3. We, therefore, must recognize that many times there is more going on than we recognize with our senses.
4. And while we are getting angry and upset over the condition of our lives, we can't forget that if things are going to change we have got to change them through the power of God.
5. Our adversary has studied us and has coordinated a plan of attack aimed at keeping you from enjoying your new life in Christ.
6. And his scheme is so widespread that if he cannot destroy you, he'll aim his attacks towards the people closest to you and the interests that are near and dear to your heart.
7. Therefore, you have to fight not just for yourself, but spiritual warfare involves praying the devil off of your kids, praying him away from your spouse, taking authority over the devil on your job, defeating the enemy that's trying to take your mind.
8. I know that you are already saved, but your salvation was not enough to change the devil's mind about destroying you so you had better get ready for the fight of your life!!!
9. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! - Hebrews 15:57
10. THE VICTORY IS ALREADY OURS, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO FIGHT!!!!!!

What Are The Weapons At Our Disposal?

But God in all of His wisdom never would have left us down here to fight an enemy that we were not equipped to overcome. So He gave us weapons that are for us to use against the wiles of the adversary. That is, providing that we are not too lazy to use what He gave us. Because there are those who are willfully defeated by the enemy, not putting to use that which God hath given.

• First of all, we have the weapon of prayer.
1. This should be the first line of defense against the adversary, prayer.
2. It should be the first thing that we do when trouble comes because it is what we should have been doing all the time.
3. The reason why some people are so weak that they cannot handle a fight is because prayer is what strengthens us.
4. And if you wait until the enemy shows us to start praying, you are already at a disadvantage.
5. But if you know how to pray and pray right, he said that whatsoever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
6. And when the devil hears you call on the Name of Jesus, demons start trembling and strongholds have to loose.....
7. Diseases dry up when you pray in the authority that Jesus gave.
• Next, there is the gift of fasting.
1. Jesus taught that there are certain spiritual enemies that we fight that will only be defeated by a combination of prayer and fasting.
2. Fasting kills the flesh and brings a spiritual awareness of the power that God has given.
3. It makes us aware of spiritual things and aides us in our endeavors to be more like Jesus, as it makes us to understand what is going on in the spiritual world all around us.
• Then there are the angels.
1. The Bibles says in Psalms 34:7 that The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
2. I thank God for the angels.
3. There are times in your life when God's angels are fighting for you and you don't even know it.
4. But the enemy is releasing things in the heavenlies because the angels of the Lord have gone to war on your behalf.
5. My mind goes back to the story of Daniel and how that he prayed to God for the space of three weeks.
6. Notice that he didn't stop praying just because things had not changed, this is spiritual warfare.
7. And while he was praying, the devil thought to hold up his answer from the Lord.
8. But Michael, that warring angel, went hand to hand with the adversary and loosed Daniel's answer from the Lord.
9. Sometimes God has sent the answer and the enemy tries to hold it up, but the angels are there to assist me in my victory.
• Finally, there is the weapon that the saints of old really understood, the power of the blood.
1. This is one weapon that the enemy can't stand.
2. The blood represents the ultimate defeat.
3. Whenever the enemy would attack people years ago, it was common for the saints to do what they called "Plead the Blood"!
4. When they were rebuking the devil, they would say one of the most damaging things to the ears of the devil.....
5. They would comfront him with the words "Satan, the Blood is against you!"
6. If the devil don't like what he hears, the only way he can cover his ears is to let go of what belongs to you!

To Wrestle Means "Hand To Hand" Combat

And this is the reason why to change many things, you must be willing to struggle and go to war, even if it means that you've got to sweat and get dirty in the process. To wrestle denotes hand to hand combat.

• Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life
1. You've already won, but you still have to fight.
2. The devil would love to ruin you, but the power to succeed is in your hands.FIGHT!
3. Don't allow the enemy to ruin you or anyone else that you know.
4. Your family is worth fighting for.
5. Your health is worth fighting for.
6. Your peace of mind is worth fighting for.
7. Your family's souls are worth fighting for.
8. If you have to roll up your sleeves and go hand to hand, fight for it.
9. Tell that drug addict son, "I'm fighting for you!"
10. Tell your daughter the stripper, "I'm fighting for you!"
11. Tell them that you've prayed too long to see them just die and go to hell.
12. Tell them that you've prayed too long to lose them to the streets.
13. Fight for them until they see the need to fight for themselves.
14. And if one can put a thousand to flight and two can put ten thousand to flight, then sooner or later, everything around me will be covered by the power of God!
15. While you're fighting, remember that a thousand shall fall at thy side, ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.