Warfare
“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 10:4-5
What can I say about the mind and our thoughts? Romans 8: 5 says: “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.” It’s not always easy to think about things that please the Spirit, well at least it’s not for me. There are moments when I have to think about what I’m thinking about. I realize that if I give a place to negative thoughts, it will only be a matter of time before I become a negative person.
I know that when my mind is filled with negative thoughts, most likely I will voice what is in my heart and on my mind. I have to make a conscious decision to change the course of my thoughts, I have to “put on the full armor of God, so that I can take my stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:13a
The attack of the devil starts in the mind. I know this because the Lord has warned you and I against the schemes of the devil in 1 Peter 5:8 when he says: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
The devil didn’t just come to be when you and I did; he’s been scouring the earth for a long time. He knows our likes and dislikes and his schemes against us starts in our mind. It is important that we know the word of Jesus in order to compare our thoughts with what the Lord says.
Here is an example of an attack: I will call this: Misery Loves Company. You’re on a job and a co-worker has been put on a 90-day probation period. The co-worker discusses the issue with you and may say something like, “Well, you better watch out because the next thing you know they’ll be putting you on probation.”
Ok, you may already feel insecure on the job anyway and have discussed this with that co-worker. Now a seed has been planted and that co-worker has company in their misery if they meant it that way or not. So, you begin to doubt your abilities, and since the evil one knows our fears and insecurities, he meticulously bombards our thoughts with self-doubt and fear.
But when we put the spiritual armor of God on and engage in spiritual warfare by knowing His truth, living righteously, proclaiming the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith, putting on salvation as a helmet, and fighting with God’s Word as our sword we are in fact “submitting ourselves to God; resisting the devil, and he will flee from us.” James 4:7
This then is a prayer we can say, “Abba Father I pray Ephesians 6:16, ‘to take up the shield of faith, with which can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.’ I pray Chronicles 16:11 to ‘seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.’ In the name of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
GL