The Preacher's Special
Subject: THE WARFARE OF THE CHRISTIAN
Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2007
DEAR FOLKS,
America is in a war against those that want to kill us and destroy our way of life. We must fight this fight and we must win. But there is another war that many have forgotten about. It is the war against Satan and opposes everything that is right and good. We don’t war after the flesh; we war against the flesh!
2 Corinthians 10:2-3
But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
When some people are saved they have the idea that the Christian life is “a bed of roses.” It is far from that. While we are not persecuted for our faith like the early Church, we are constantly confronted with opposition to our faith. This passage deals with strongholds. A stronghold is “a large fortified place; a fort or group of forts, often including a town; citadel.” –Webster
As we examine the warfare of the Christian:
SOME THINGS ABOUT STRONGHOLDS
1. Strongholds have to do with the flesh:
The flesh will not fight against itself. We do not use the things of the flesh and the world to do battle with fleshly matters.
2. Strongholds are fortifications of Satan within the believer that are built when sin is tolerated. It is like an addict. He became an addict by the continuous use of narcotics.
3. Strongholds cause death. I do not mean physical death but death to one’s usefulness. Paul deals with this in his own ministry.
1 Corinthians 9:27
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
4. Strongholds hinder spiritual growth. Strongholds muddy the waters of the understanding of the Scriptures. There must be understanding so that we can apply the teaching of Scripture to our daily walk.
5. Strongholds cause embarrassment. A defeated Christian is devoid of power that makes the Christian life effective.
6. Strongholds involve the imagination.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Wrong imaginations become meditations that are against the Word of God.
The word “imaginations” refers to the carnal reasoning of the flesh. If this stronghold is to be removed, we must cast down the imaginations that are in conflict with Scripture and refuse them.
7. Strongholds have to do with opinions held that conflict with the Scriptures. The words, “and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” means that everything that enters the mind needs to be tested by the Word of God.
SOME THINGS ABOUT OUR WEAPONS
1. The weapons are not carnal. This means we do not use the world’s methods in the presentation of the Gospel or with counseling the saved. We know where we came from and where we are going. The weapons of our warfare cannot fail because they are backed up by the Lord Jesus.
2. The Word of God is a weapon.
Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
3. Prayer is a weapon;
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
SOME THINGS ABOUT THE WARFARE
1. The warfare must be God’s way;
2 Corinthians 10:4
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds
2. The warfare must be according to truth;
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
3. We must act immediately when tempted to tolerate sin;
2 Corinthians 10:6
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
We are in a spiritual warfare. The person who doubts this is already under attack by the Devil. We must recognize the way Satan attacks us.
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Here we have a promise. We are to resist the devil. If we are to resist him, we must know how to recognize his ways.
Jude 1:9
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Remember this. Satan has already been defeated by Jesus on the Cross. When we resist him in the Name of the Lord, he must “flee from us.
When you got saved your signed up for this war, but I’m afraid we have a lot of deserters.
