Venom
08-11-2003, 01:28 AM
The first 3 threads was just the beginning of our huge study (You can access them in our signatures. You will also want to read angels and demons part 1-2) I know, it was a lot to digest. But hopefully, many stumbling blocks, and false doctrines have been removed at this point, and you are now prepared for the meat of the word, spiritual battle! We will be separating this into shorter posts, so you can understand it better. This part of the study is vital. Enjoy. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
http://bibleverseart.com/albums/album01/Spiritual_Battles.jpg
<font color="red"> Spiritual Armor! </font>
The Apostle Paul discussed the need for the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-13 NKJV: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. "
If we want to live for God, spiritual forces of evil will oppose us in "spiritual warfare." God gives us the whole armor of God for protection and survival. It enables us to reach our maximum endurance on the "spiritual battlefield" without becoming a casualty. We'll need to both wear the armor of God and know how to use it if we hope to be victorious.
The first piece of armor we take up is the shield of faith. The shield of faith quenches or extinguishes all of the fiery darts from the enemy. Consider these scriptures that reference the shield of faith:
"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Ephesians 6:16 NKJV
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV
To best understand what "faith" means, let's consider these definitions:
1. The Greek word for faith in the above verses is Pistis, which means: "Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it" (The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon for Strong's #4102)
2. Hebrews 11:1 provides further insight on the meaning of faith: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)
Putting these definitions together in practical terms, faith in God is:
Trusting in God's word as truth
Trusting that God will provide for our needs
Trusting that God will protect us from the evil one
Believing that God is with us and lives in us, even though we may not see him
Believing that Christ's sacrifice paid the penalty for our sin, reconciling us to God
Believing that through faith we have Christ's authority over evil powers
In our human weakness, we may find it difficult to fully trust and believe God in the above ways. Since God is the author, "perfecter" and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we can and should ask him for the completion of our faith. For example, Jesus told the man whose son had an evil spirit:
"Everything is possible for him who believes." 24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." Mark 9:23-25 NIV
Just as the father asked Jesus for help in overcoming unbelief, we too can ask Jesus to help us overcome our doubt. As a result our shield of faith will operate at its maximum strength.
When we believe in something, our belief gives it power to manifest in our lives. Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23 NIV). Do you believe that? We must take care that we are believing God's word and not the devil's lies. If we believe the devil's lies, we're putting faith into them and opening a door for the devil to influence us. This is "negative faith," and irony of it is that we give it power through our own belief in the lies.
Our faith must be based on the truth of the word of God. Any other source is not reliable nor trustworthy. The devil's primary tactic against our faith is to persuade us to believe lies so that our faith is not founded on truth. Once we believe lies, our shield of faith is basically deactivated, giving the enemy access to us.
As a former Star Trek fan, I love the analogy of a starship's electromagnetic shield and our faith. When the starship's shields were at 100%, the enemy torpedoes were unable to damage the ship. If the ship lost power, the shields failed and the torpedoes were free to wreak havoc on the disabled ship. When we start believing lies, our shield's power source is damaged, allowing the enemy's fiery darts to hit us.
The devil often entices people into sexual sin with the lie that God's plan for sex isn't sufficient and/or isn't worth the wait for marriage. He offers attractive counterfeits through prostitution, pornography, homosexuality, chat rooms, phone sex, fornication, masturbation, etc. in attempt to persuade us to make our own sexual provision instead of trusting God for it. This "shift of faith" away from God weakens our shield of faith. As a result, we open ourselves up for further deception and destruction from the enemy.
http://www.thelightanddarkseries.com/thearmor/THEARMOROFGOD.jpg
How the shield quenches the fiery darts: Here is a possible explanation: The fiery darts (i.e. temptations) seek to inflame our sinful desires (lust of flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life) by stirring up our thoughts of fulfilling those desires. If our faith is operating effectively, the enemy's temptations will not be able to inflame sinful desires in us, because we don't believe the lies behind them.
Actions to put up an effective shield: There are several things we can do to ensure that the proper operation of our shield of faith. They hinge upon the principle that we believe God and therefore speak what we believe (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). Our spoken words of faith set the shield into place.
Reaffirm your faith in God each day, as you extend the shield of faith over yourself and your family: This can be a simple statement such as: "Lord God, I believe that you are God and that there is no other God but you. I believe that you are Lord of heaven and earth and the creator of all things. I trust in you for my provision, protection and life today. I take up the shield of faith today and believe that quenches every fiery dart of the enemy."
Maintain daily intake of God's word in your quiet time
Use God's word to destroy the incoming lies (John 8:31-32) behind the temptations you face
Ask God to strengthen and perfect your faith in any area that it is weak: "Heavenly Father, I believe that with you nothing is impossible. I believe, Lord, but please help me overcome any unbelief I have, especially in the areas of ___________(list as appropriate for you). I receive your perfection of my faith right now, in Jesus' name! Thank you, Father, Amen."
The importance of the mind
Since man's beginning, Satan has focused his attacks on people's minds. Satan cannot force us to sin, but rather, he must persuade us to commit sin. The mind is the control center which decides if we will sin or not. If we sin, we place ourselves under the power of sin and become slaves to it (the degree will vary). Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8:34 NIV). If we choose to live as slaves to sin, we our mastered not only by our evil desires (Titus 3:3), but also the devil, who temporarily rules the world (1 John 5:19). The devil seeks to persuade us to sin because it will increase his own power and influence in the world.
http://www.thelightanddarkseries.com/broken/BROKEN1.jpg
Our minds form our faith and put into action. Faith based on God's word is the most powerful kind of faith. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20 NIV). When our shield of faith is rooted in this kind of faith, the devil cannot penetrate our defenses because all of his "flaming arrows" are quenched by the shield (Ephesians 6:16). However, if Satan can corrupt our faith, bringing it away from God's word and/or corrupting it with doubt, our shield will be compromised.
We should be aware that the power of faith can be used for sinful purposes and Satan also seeks to harness that power. Jesus' statement in Matthew 17:20 guaranteed the power of faith regardless of the bearer's intentions. Satan wants us to misuse our faith to further his kingdom.
Satan's tactics against the mind
Satan uses a variety of tactics against our minds. These are designed to weaken our faith, ruin our discernment and corrupt our thoughts. If successful, these "spiritual headwounds" will make it easier for Satan to take our minds captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Here are some examples of typical tactics Satan uses against our minds:
1. Deceive with false doctrine: False doctrine leads people astray from their devotion to Christ. For example, Paul was worried that false teachers may have led the Corinthians astray from their devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). False doctrine ultimately brings us into bondage to lies. Examples:
Smooth talk and flattery to deceive minds (Romans 16:18)
Deceitful scheming through the cunning and craftiness (Ephesians 4:14)
Trivial doctrinal disputes (2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:3-7;1 Timothy 4:7-8)
Demons teaching false doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
2. Distract with carnal interests: Satan tempted Eve by appealing to her carnal interests (Genesis 3:4-6) and he continues to tempt people today through combinations of pride, lust of the eyes and lust of the flesh (1 John 2:15-17). The more we yield to the temptations, the more our minds become set on earthly things instead of godly things.
An earthly mindset weakens our devotion to God and causes us to be unfruitful for God's kingdom. It could even cause us to become hostile toward God. Paul wrote, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so" (Romans 8:5-7 NIV). Examples of carnal distractions:
Pride (Matthew 16:23; Luke 4:3-13)
Cares of the world (Philippians 3:19; Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 13:22)
Money (Matthew 13:22; 1 Timothy 6:5,10; John 12:2-8; Acts 5:1-11)
Sexual temptations (Proverbs 6:23-29; Proverbs 7:6-27;1 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Revelation 2:20-23, 2 Timothy 2:22)
3. Poison the mind/ Blind to the truth: Well-timed and/or well-placed lies can quickly find a home in our minds if we are not firmly rooted in the truth. We are especially vulnerable when we have unresolved issues like unforgiveness and roots of rejection. If we believe what the devil says to us, we are in danger of a partial or total blinding of the truth. As with the false doctrine tactic, believing such lies places us in bondage because we are unable to receive the truth that would set us free (John 8:31-32). Examples:
http://www.thelightanddarkseries.com/iatgtht/HEALINGA.jpg
Poison the mind against other Christians (Acts 14:2)
Blind the minds of non-Christians to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Corrupt the mind and conscience (Titus 1:5)
Sear the conscience via false doctrines (1 Timothy 4:2)
The long term effects of these untreated "spiritual head wounds" could be devastating. They could even lead us to turn away from God. Paul described a group of people in Romans 1:18-32 who turned away from God. They followed a path of increasing rebellion resulting in total abandonment to evil. Key changes occurred in their minds along the way. Their thinking became "futile" and their "foolish hearts were darkened" (21). They exchanged the truth of God for a lie (25) and committed sexual sin. Eventually God gave them over to a "depraved mind" (28) and they were ultimately filled with every form of evil (29-31). (Another example: Ephesians 4:17-19)
How the helmet of salvation protects our minds
Considering the strategic value of our minds, God has given us the helmet of salvation to protect us from the enemy. This helmet functions by the peace of God, which is engaged when our minds are focused on God and when we are trusting in him. Consider these verses that link God's peace with our minds:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
3You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
The helmet, like the other pieces of armor, is dependent on our faith in God and his promises.
How to put the helmet on:
Speak it on by faith, believing that you truly have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16): We can stand on God's promise to us that he has written his laws on our minds. Hebrews 10:16 NIV says, "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." This can be as simple as saying:
"I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind from the enemy's attacks. I have the mind of Christ."
Focus our thoughts on God instead of sinful things: Paul wrote in Colossians 3:2 NIV, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." This discipline will likely be the most challenging part of walking in purity. The more we do it, the easier it will become. It basically involves redirecting our thoughts toward God and/or Godly things whenever we are being tempted. In my own practice of this I have found that speaking Bible verses, singing praise & worship songs, picturing Jesus on the cross and speaking "the blood of Jesus covers me" are all helpful in shifting my thoughts heavenward.
As we practice this "thought shifting," the Holy Spirit will help us improve our recognition of the times when our thoughts are going awry. It's important that we take action at the moment of recognition to redirect our thoughts heavenward. Any delay could lead to sin. Some writers have labeled this as the "3-5 Second Rule," where if we're dwelling on a temptation for longer than 3-5 seconds, we're most likely going to sin with it.
Our obedience in controlling our thoughts will reflect our love for God. In doing so, we will fulfill Jesus' command in Matthew 22:37 NIV to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." For more info about thought control, see our thoughts page.
Direct our requests to God through prayer: Situations will come our way that will tempt us to get anxious and take matters into our own hands instead of taking them to God. By taking our requests to God, we enable God's perfect peace to protect our mind and hearts (Philippians 4:6-7). Our prayers should always include thanking God for who he is and what he has done in our lives.
"O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle." Psalm 140:7 NKJV
The Greek word for righteousness in this scripture is dikaiosune (Strong's #1343). Crosswalk's online lexicon gives these definitions for this word:
In a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God
the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God
integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting
In a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due
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The part of the definition I'd like to emphasize is the "condition acceptable to God." We can only reach this condition through faith in Jesus Christ. In exchange for our faith, God counts us as righteous, i.e. being acceptable in his sight (Philippians 3:8-9). The breastplate of righteousness is forged by a combination of this perfect righteousness God imparts to us and our obedience to his commands for living. Our obedience is essential because it proves that our hearts are in agreement with God and that our faith is genuine.
How the breastplate works:
Our faith is the power link that connects our breastplate with God's infinite power. By believing in Jesus, we receive all the power and benefits of being righteous in God's sight (see below for examples). If we don't believe that we have God's righteousness, then our breastplate will be ineffective.
Our sin has an associated "spiritual nakedness" with it that repels God from us. When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their covering of purity and became spiritually and physically naked. Their sin and nakedness separated them from fellowship with God. Since the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23), God mercifully slaughtered an animal (s) and made clothes of skin to cover Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21).
God's actions foreshadowed the lasting sacrifice he would make by sending Jesus to die on the cross for mankind. The blood of Christ provides atonement for our sin and clothes us with a righteousness (symbolized by a breastplate) that covers our spiritual nakedness. We can now boldly approach God's throne without fear of punishment (Romans 5:1; Hebrews 4:16).
Another important function of the breastplate of righteousness is revealed by the action of Christ's blood on our conscience. The blood of Jesus spiritually washes us clean from our sin (Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:22). This cleansing action removes potential "footholds" that would have caused us to be vulnerable to the devil's attacks. With the breastplate of righteousness covering us through Christ's blood, the devil has nothing in us to exploit (John 14:30).
How to put on the breastplate: We put the breastplate on through faith by speaking it. Here is a way to do this:
"I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am clothed with God's righteousness, which protects my heart from the enemy. All footholds that the devil had in me have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. I am no longer clothed with filthy garments, but rather with rich robes of righteousness (Zechariah 3). The righteousness of God covers me and protects me from the enemy."
How to maintain the breastplate: Just as with conventional weapons of war, regular maintenance of our spiritual armor is critical to its operation in battle.
Obey God's commands for living: We are obligated to obey God's commands, out of loving appreciation for what Jesus did for us. This is a way of exercising our faith which keeps us plugged in to God's power supply. Paul wrote, "Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness" (Romans 6:19 NIV). God gives us power to live obediently through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11,13).
Live in Love: Love is the key activity by which we live for righteousness. Jesus explained that all of the commandments are summed up by love your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:14). Paul wrote: "12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:12-14 NIV). By focusing on showing God's love to others, we will grow in righteousness toward holiness. When we combine our faith with living in love, our breastplate is strong, like an alloy of two metals.
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<font color="red"> Spiritual Armor! </font>
The Apostle Paul discussed the need for the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-13 NKJV: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. "
If we want to live for God, spiritual forces of evil will oppose us in "spiritual warfare." God gives us the whole armor of God for protection and survival. It enables us to reach our maximum endurance on the "spiritual battlefield" without becoming a casualty. We'll need to both wear the armor of God and know how to use it if we hope to be victorious.
The first piece of armor we take up is the shield of faith. The shield of faith quenches or extinguishes all of the fiery darts from the enemy. Consider these scriptures that reference the shield of faith:
"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Ephesians 6:16 NKJV
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV
To best understand what "faith" means, let's consider these definitions:
1. The Greek word for faith in the above verses is Pistis, which means: "Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it" (The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon for Strong's #4102)
2. Hebrews 11:1 provides further insight on the meaning of faith: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)
Putting these definitions together in practical terms, faith in God is:
Trusting in God's word as truth
Trusting that God will provide for our needs
Trusting that God will protect us from the evil one
Believing that God is with us and lives in us, even though we may not see him
Believing that Christ's sacrifice paid the penalty for our sin, reconciling us to God
Believing that through faith we have Christ's authority over evil powers
In our human weakness, we may find it difficult to fully trust and believe God in the above ways. Since God is the author, "perfecter" and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we can and should ask him for the completion of our faith. For example, Jesus told the man whose son had an evil spirit:
"Everything is possible for him who believes." 24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." Mark 9:23-25 NIV
Just as the father asked Jesus for help in overcoming unbelief, we too can ask Jesus to help us overcome our doubt. As a result our shield of faith will operate at its maximum strength.
When we believe in something, our belief gives it power to manifest in our lives. Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23 NIV). Do you believe that? We must take care that we are believing God's word and not the devil's lies. If we believe the devil's lies, we're putting faith into them and opening a door for the devil to influence us. This is "negative faith," and irony of it is that we give it power through our own belief in the lies.
Our faith must be based on the truth of the word of God. Any other source is not reliable nor trustworthy. The devil's primary tactic against our faith is to persuade us to believe lies so that our faith is not founded on truth. Once we believe lies, our shield of faith is basically deactivated, giving the enemy access to us.
As a former Star Trek fan, I love the analogy of a starship's electromagnetic shield and our faith. When the starship's shields were at 100%, the enemy torpedoes were unable to damage the ship. If the ship lost power, the shields failed and the torpedoes were free to wreak havoc on the disabled ship. When we start believing lies, our shield's power source is damaged, allowing the enemy's fiery darts to hit us.
The devil often entices people into sexual sin with the lie that God's plan for sex isn't sufficient and/or isn't worth the wait for marriage. He offers attractive counterfeits through prostitution, pornography, homosexuality, chat rooms, phone sex, fornication, masturbation, etc. in attempt to persuade us to make our own sexual provision instead of trusting God for it. This "shift of faith" away from God weakens our shield of faith. As a result, we open ourselves up for further deception and destruction from the enemy.
http://www.thelightanddarkseries.com/thearmor/THEARMOROFGOD.jpg
How the shield quenches the fiery darts: Here is a possible explanation: The fiery darts (i.e. temptations) seek to inflame our sinful desires (lust of flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life) by stirring up our thoughts of fulfilling those desires. If our faith is operating effectively, the enemy's temptations will not be able to inflame sinful desires in us, because we don't believe the lies behind them.
Actions to put up an effective shield: There are several things we can do to ensure that the proper operation of our shield of faith. They hinge upon the principle that we believe God and therefore speak what we believe (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). Our spoken words of faith set the shield into place.
Reaffirm your faith in God each day, as you extend the shield of faith over yourself and your family: This can be a simple statement such as: "Lord God, I believe that you are God and that there is no other God but you. I believe that you are Lord of heaven and earth and the creator of all things. I trust in you for my provision, protection and life today. I take up the shield of faith today and believe that quenches every fiery dart of the enemy."
Maintain daily intake of God's word in your quiet time
Use God's word to destroy the incoming lies (John 8:31-32) behind the temptations you face
Ask God to strengthen and perfect your faith in any area that it is weak: "Heavenly Father, I believe that with you nothing is impossible. I believe, Lord, but please help me overcome any unbelief I have, especially in the areas of ___________(list as appropriate for you). I receive your perfection of my faith right now, in Jesus' name! Thank you, Father, Amen."
The importance of the mind
Since man's beginning, Satan has focused his attacks on people's minds. Satan cannot force us to sin, but rather, he must persuade us to commit sin. The mind is the control center which decides if we will sin or not. If we sin, we place ourselves under the power of sin and become slaves to it (the degree will vary). Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8:34 NIV). If we choose to live as slaves to sin, we our mastered not only by our evil desires (Titus 3:3), but also the devil, who temporarily rules the world (1 John 5:19). The devil seeks to persuade us to sin because it will increase his own power and influence in the world.
http://www.thelightanddarkseries.com/broken/BROKEN1.jpg
Our minds form our faith and put into action. Faith based on God's word is the most powerful kind of faith. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20 NIV). When our shield of faith is rooted in this kind of faith, the devil cannot penetrate our defenses because all of his "flaming arrows" are quenched by the shield (Ephesians 6:16). However, if Satan can corrupt our faith, bringing it away from God's word and/or corrupting it with doubt, our shield will be compromised.
We should be aware that the power of faith can be used for sinful purposes and Satan also seeks to harness that power. Jesus' statement in Matthew 17:20 guaranteed the power of faith regardless of the bearer's intentions. Satan wants us to misuse our faith to further his kingdom.
Satan's tactics against the mind
Satan uses a variety of tactics against our minds. These are designed to weaken our faith, ruin our discernment and corrupt our thoughts. If successful, these "spiritual headwounds" will make it easier for Satan to take our minds captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Here are some examples of typical tactics Satan uses against our minds:
1. Deceive with false doctrine: False doctrine leads people astray from their devotion to Christ. For example, Paul was worried that false teachers may have led the Corinthians astray from their devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3). False doctrine ultimately brings us into bondage to lies. Examples:
Smooth talk and flattery to deceive minds (Romans 16:18)
Deceitful scheming through the cunning and craftiness (Ephesians 4:14)
Trivial doctrinal disputes (2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:3-7;1 Timothy 4:7-8)
Demons teaching false doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
2. Distract with carnal interests: Satan tempted Eve by appealing to her carnal interests (Genesis 3:4-6) and he continues to tempt people today through combinations of pride, lust of the eyes and lust of the flesh (1 John 2:15-17). The more we yield to the temptations, the more our minds become set on earthly things instead of godly things.
An earthly mindset weakens our devotion to God and causes us to be unfruitful for God's kingdom. It could even cause us to become hostile toward God. Paul wrote, "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so" (Romans 8:5-7 NIV). Examples of carnal distractions:
Pride (Matthew 16:23; Luke 4:3-13)
Cares of the world (Philippians 3:19; Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 13:22)
Money (Matthew 13:22; 1 Timothy 6:5,10; John 12:2-8; Acts 5:1-11)
Sexual temptations (Proverbs 6:23-29; Proverbs 7:6-27;1 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Revelation 2:20-23, 2 Timothy 2:22)
3. Poison the mind/ Blind to the truth: Well-timed and/or well-placed lies can quickly find a home in our minds if we are not firmly rooted in the truth. We are especially vulnerable when we have unresolved issues like unforgiveness and roots of rejection. If we believe what the devil says to us, we are in danger of a partial or total blinding of the truth. As with the false doctrine tactic, believing such lies places us in bondage because we are unable to receive the truth that would set us free (John 8:31-32). Examples:
http://www.thelightanddarkseries.com/iatgtht/HEALINGA.jpg
Poison the mind against other Christians (Acts 14:2)
Blind the minds of non-Christians to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Corrupt the mind and conscience (Titus 1:5)
Sear the conscience via false doctrines (1 Timothy 4:2)
The long term effects of these untreated "spiritual head wounds" could be devastating. They could even lead us to turn away from God. Paul described a group of people in Romans 1:18-32 who turned away from God. They followed a path of increasing rebellion resulting in total abandonment to evil. Key changes occurred in their minds along the way. Their thinking became "futile" and their "foolish hearts were darkened" (21). They exchanged the truth of God for a lie (25) and committed sexual sin. Eventually God gave them over to a "depraved mind" (28) and they were ultimately filled with every form of evil (29-31). (Another example: Ephesians 4:17-19)
How the helmet of salvation protects our minds
Considering the strategic value of our minds, God has given us the helmet of salvation to protect us from the enemy. This helmet functions by the peace of God, which is engaged when our minds are focused on God and when we are trusting in him. Consider these verses that link God's peace with our minds:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
3You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
The helmet, like the other pieces of armor, is dependent on our faith in God and his promises.
How to put the helmet on:
Speak it on by faith, believing that you truly have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16): We can stand on God's promise to us that he has written his laws on our minds. Hebrews 10:16 NIV says, "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." This can be as simple as saying:
"I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind from the enemy's attacks. I have the mind of Christ."
Focus our thoughts on God instead of sinful things: Paul wrote in Colossians 3:2 NIV, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." This discipline will likely be the most challenging part of walking in purity. The more we do it, the easier it will become. It basically involves redirecting our thoughts toward God and/or Godly things whenever we are being tempted. In my own practice of this I have found that speaking Bible verses, singing praise & worship songs, picturing Jesus on the cross and speaking "the blood of Jesus covers me" are all helpful in shifting my thoughts heavenward.
As we practice this "thought shifting," the Holy Spirit will help us improve our recognition of the times when our thoughts are going awry. It's important that we take action at the moment of recognition to redirect our thoughts heavenward. Any delay could lead to sin. Some writers have labeled this as the "3-5 Second Rule," where if we're dwelling on a temptation for longer than 3-5 seconds, we're most likely going to sin with it.
Our obedience in controlling our thoughts will reflect our love for God. In doing so, we will fulfill Jesus' command in Matthew 22:37 NIV to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." For more info about thought control, see our thoughts page.
Direct our requests to God through prayer: Situations will come our way that will tempt us to get anxious and take matters into our own hands instead of taking them to God. By taking our requests to God, we enable God's perfect peace to protect our mind and hearts (Philippians 4:6-7). Our prayers should always include thanking God for who he is and what he has done in our lives.
"O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle." Psalm 140:7 NKJV
The Greek word for righteousness in this scripture is dikaiosune (Strong's #1343). Crosswalk's online lexicon gives these definitions for this word:
In a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God
the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God
integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting
In a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due
http://www.thelightanddarkseries.com/stcf/stcf1A.jpg
The part of the definition I'd like to emphasize is the "condition acceptable to God." We can only reach this condition through faith in Jesus Christ. In exchange for our faith, God counts us as righteous, i.e. being acceptable in his sight (Philippians 3:8-9). The breastplate of righteousness is forged by a combination of this perfect righteousness God imparts to us and our obedience to his commands for living. Our obedience is essential because it proves that our hearts are in agreement with God and that our faith is genuine.
How the breastplate works:
Our faith is the power link that connects our breastplate with God's infinite power. By believing in Jesus, we receive all the power and benefits of being righteous in God's sight (see below for examples). If we don't believe that we have God's righteousness, then our breastplate will be ineffective.
Our sin has an associated "spiritual nakedness" with it that repels God from us. When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their covering of purity and became spiritually and physically naked. Their sin and nakedness separated them from fellowship with God. Since the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23), God mercifully slaughtered an animal (s) and made clothes of skin to cover Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21).
God's actions foreshadowed the lasting sacrifice he would make by sending Jesus to die on the cross for mankind. The blood of Christ provides atonement for our sin and clothes us with a righteousness (symbolized by a breastplate) that covers our spiritual nakedness. We can now boldly approach God's throne without fear of punishment (Romans 5:1; Hebrews 4:16).
Another important function of the breastplate of righteousness is revealed by the action of Christ's blood on our conscience. The blood of Jesus spiritually washes us clean from our sin (Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:22). This cleansing action removes potential "footholds" that would have caused us to be vulnerable to the devil's attacks. With the breastplate of righteousness covering us through Christ's blood, the devil has nothing in us to exploit (John 14:30).
How to put on the breastplate: We put the breastplate on through faith by speaking it. Here is a way to do this:
"I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am clothed with God's righteousness, which protects my heart from the enemy. All footholds that the devil had in me have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. I am no longer clothed with filthy garments, but rather with rich robes of righteousness (Zechariah 3). The righteousness of God covers me and protects me from the enemy."
How to maintain the breastplate: Just as with conventional weapons of war, regular maintenance of our spiritual armor is critical to its operation in battle.
Obey God's commands for living: We are obligated to obey God's commands, out of loving appreciation for what Jesus did for us. This is a way of exercising our faith which keeps us plugged in to God's power supply. Paul wrote, "Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness" (Romans 6:19 NIV). God gives us power to live obediently through the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11,13).
Live in Love: Love is the key activity by which we live for righteousness. Jesus explained that all of the commandments are summed up by love your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:14). Paul wrote: "12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:12-14 NIV). By focusing on showing God's love to others, we will grow in righteousness toward holiness. When we combine our faith with living in love, our breastplate is strong, like an alloy of two metals.