Pulling Down The Strongholds Part 2

2 Cor 10:3-5

 

Joseph Stowell the Pres. Of Moody In his excellent Book “ Eternity” makes this Profound – Statement about the Christian life

A)That we as believers in JC – live in 3 Dimensions or – that we belong to 3 Kingdoms

 

B) First there is  the world or Kingdom around us – this planet / our jobs / our friends / these fleshly bodies / all of which – Present challenges

1)This world that we live in is marked by greed / unfairness / disappointment

 

C) This world is controlled by our adversary the Devil – god of this world

1)   He has an agenda – program – that is aimed at –DESTRUCTION and

DISTRACTION / Distracting people of their need of God/ - DESTROY

 

D) In the world but NOT OF THE WORLD

 

Then there is the world or the Kingdom which is to Come – The Kingdom of our Lord – marked by peace / Joy / perfect righteousness

A)A kingdom in which there will be no more pain / no more sorrow / no tears / a Kingdom marked by Beauty, Perfection & Ultimate Satisfaction

 

B) We are presently longing for that Kingdom – longing for that day when we will enter into that perfect & complete rest & be w/ our Lord

     1) Joy that is beyond anything we could ever experience in this life !!

 

But then there is this 3rd Kingdom – the Kingdom with in

A)The Kingdom w/in our hearts where He who is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords is wanting to reign

 

B) Now Prior to coming to Christ – we all were following the direction of the god of this world – Motto Live for yourself

1)   That is what everyone of us was about: Living to please ourselves/ look out for ourselves - / do what is best for ourselves

 

C) But once we are born again – there is this shift that begins to take place in our hearts – Focus is: How Can I please & Honor Christ

1)   Live for Christ – More I live for Christ the more fulfilled I become

 

D) And The Moment that we made that Decision to give our lives to Christ – the stronghold of Satan was destroyed in our hearts

 

E) But Satan is constantly trying to lay hold of lost ground in our lives/ he is constantly trying to resurrect – old Strongholds & invent new ones

1) Anything to keep us from moving forward in our faith & making an impact for Christ/ he wants to make you ineffective in reaching others

 

He knows that he can’t possess our hearts – he knows our salvation is secure-  The spirit is secure

A) But the soul the mind, emotions, and will — is still up for grabs.

 

B) SO he is constantly trying to Distract us/ get us off track – in our walks w/ the Lord – so that we are ineffective for the cause of Christ

 

C) Now in our study last time we noted that the word Stronghold – spoke of a area of Contention: Area fought over / place of Struggle in our lives

 

D) It is any person, place, predicament, or problem that hinders us, harbors us, or holds us in its clutches,

1)   And impedes us from Experiencing our full potential in Christ./  It is any thing that poses a threat to our spiritual progress.

 

E) And I mentioned 6 different Strongholds that we commonly see here at the Church in the  Lives of Believers

1)   Bitterness- Unforgiveness that cripples & destroys  /

                             FEAR – Paralyses us from stepping out /

2)   Jealousy – So focused on others fail to see what God wants to do w/ us and has already done in us / Materialism: Distracts us

3)   / Extreme desire to please others that keeps us from pleasing God / Sexual Lust – controls the mind & reduces a man to crust of Bread

Those are some of the most common strongholds we see in peoples lives although there are others – talk about a couple of others today

A)Ended last time – talking about 2 weapons { 1ST was the WORD

 

B) IN Josh 1:8 we see the Lord’s plan of success for Joshua in pulling down the strongholds in the land of Canaan was simple

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

 

C) Keep the word before your eyes & Keep it  coming out of the mouth

 

D) We talked about two pieces of Armor that Paul mentions in Eph 6 that represent the word – Belt of truth & the sword of the Spirit

1)   Belt of Truth : Appropriation – Standing upon  the truth – Romans 6

2)   Sword of the Spirit – Word STATED – spoken w/ the mouth

 

D) Matt 4 Jesus overcame Satan: IT IS WRITTEN

 

E) Scripture memorization is so important: Using it speaking it to combat the enemy

1)   Bible Pocket Promise Books

 

So first weapon – the Word / 2nd weapon : Praise – Acts 16 Paul & Silas in Prison

A)Total opportunity to come under Satan’s stronghold of Fear / Doubt / confusion – leads to being angry at God

 

B) But in the midnight hr they sang – Praised the Lord – when we do that focus goes off of us / our circumstances – on to the Lord

1)   Satan’s attempt to re-erect that stronghold – is thwarted in that moment

 

C) Book of Numbers - Israel Battle – Judah went First always -

Another neat Picture :2 Chron 20:21-22  {look at notes}

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

              "Praise the LORD,   For His mercy endures forever."  

 

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

 

D) SO another Powerful weapon is Praise { Talked – how Satan hates praise

 

Today pick up talking about our 3rd Weapon : Power of the Spirit: A great weapon against the Stronghold of Fear : Eph 6:10 ….. His might

A) Remember that TV show In the late 1960’s called Land of the Giants. Seven people from earth found their spaceship caught in a time warp of some kind & ended up on a planet where everything was twelve times larger than on earth. Each week they battled giant cats, children, and soldiers.

 

B) Well that is one of the things that Satan tries to do in our lives/ He Magnifies the Obstacles – so they seem like these huge Giants to us

1)   thru our circumstances and trials he seeks to overwhelm us – w/ our inability to deal w/ those Problems

 

C) So our Problems – Loom over us like Giants in the Land the same way that Goliath stood in the Valley of Elah – before Israel

 

The Philistines had encroached upon an area that Belonged to the people of Israel – It was an area of Contention : Potential Stronghold

A)And their Champion Stood in the Valley : Philistine army on one hillside / the Israeli  army on the other – Goliath in between

 

B) Send out your best man……. Your slaves / …….. our slaves !!! No one moved – The whole army of Israel was paralyzed by fear

1) Including King Saul / Goliath came out everyday – for 40 days – each day he got bigger and bigger in the eyes of the army of Israel.

That is exactly what Satan does in our Lives – Giant Problem – he whispers in our ear – Go ahead give it your best shot

A)We might even try a few times in our own strength – to deal w/ it and what we find is it is beyond us – bigger than us

 

B) And it gets bigger by the day: Fear sets in / I will never overcome this / I will never figure this out / never gain the victory

1)   Paralyzed by fear – completely discouraged ready to throw in  the towel

 

C) That is exactly where Israel was at – When David showed up: David comes out to meet Goliath and says to him 1 Sam 17:45-46

 

45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.

 

D) David went out to meet Goliath / not in his Strength and power/ but in the strength and power of the Lord

 

Note the Phrase the name of the Lord – connected to this idea of the Power of the Lord

A)Means that I am coming not in my Authority but in His authority

 

B) See in reality we in & of ourselves have no authority over the enemy / We have  No power in & of ourselves to deal w/ our Problems

1)   But our authority & Power comes only from Jesus –

 

C) So when we come against the enemy – in the name of the Lord that is what we are saying: Admission – I can’t do this

1)   I am coming against you in the Name of My hero / My Victor / My General – Satan has to flee

                        Not given you a Spirit of Fear ……. Sound mind!!!!!

What I need to realize when facing opposition is that in my strength I have no power to tear down anything

A)But Paul says here in our text – The weapons of our warfare are not Carnal – not of the flesh – But mighty in God …… strongholds

 

B) So I can attack the stronghold of Fear – I can come against those feelings of being overwhelmed

1)   And step out in the Power of the Spirit and the Authority of the Name of JESUS & be Victorious

 

C) Satan hates it when we say: I am not coming against this in my name / my authority – but in the name & Power of Jesus

 

4th Weapon: Blood of JC – Great weapon against the Stronghold of CONDEMNATION

A)See Satan is constantly trying to put the focus on our failures – How many of you sinned this week ? / Yesterday?

 

B) How about this morning ? -  How could you it is only 9:45 – That is what he says- Not worthy to worship

1)   Condemnation – Push you away – give up – throw in the towel

 

C) Satan loves to play upon our failures and condemn us / make us think that God doesn’t love us

1)   How do we combat that tactic ? We Plead the Blood of Jesus Christ

 

D) In other words we remember & acknowledge the Fact that all of our sin / all of our Failures / every single – Wrong doing – Covered by the Blood

 

In Eph 6 Paul mentions 3 Pieces of our suit of Armor that are all connected w/ the Blood of Christ & all have a place in coming against this stronghold of Condemnation

A)Remember talking about the armor – it is not referring to things that we need to do – Appropriating what Christ has done

 

B) 1st there is the Breastplate of Righteousness – Breastplate covers the heart – the emotions: Rom.5:1 Declared righteous by Faith

1) Speaks of the Fact – that we have been robed the Righteousness of Christ

 

C) Father looks at us – and sees us in His Son – Sins washed away cleansed set free – absolutely righteous – right on in God’s eyes

 

Then there is the Helmet of Salvation: Helmet covers the head – the mind : Speaks of [the Fact]  – Our Salvation is Secure –

A)There is an assurance of Salvation for the Person who is walking w/ the Lord – Nothing can take that away

 

Rom 8:37-39

 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

B) Then 3rd  The Shoes of Peace Rom 5:1

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

C) Because I am at Peace w/ God – walk in Confidence – God is not upset w/ me / not disappointed in me – My life is covered by the  Blood of JC

1)Not just that I am forgiven but now there is a confidence to walk w/ God

 

She was pulled directly from the sheets – caught they said in the act of committing adultery { They drug her across town … feet of Jesus

A)This woman caught in the act – the law of Moses said stone her{ Stones already in their hands  – but what do you say

 

B) Jesus saw the Trap / trying to ruin his reputation for being the friend of sinners being compassionate –

1)   Jesus also Knew the Law of Moses said – both parties – where was the guy if she was caught in the act ?

C) He who is w/ out sin ….stone !!!! Wrote in the ground –

1) Woman where are your accusers ? – Gone – neither do I condemn you

go & sin no more

 

D) Here is the pt. She didn’t just receive Forgiveness but in those words of Jesus was Freedom – confidence –

1)   She didn’t have to live that way anymore –

 

So when Satan comes seeking to re-erect that Stronghold of Condemnation

A)In my heart – emotionally / In my mind – mentally / When he seeks to take the Joy out of my walk –

 

B) I come against him pleading the Blood of Christ – Rest in the truth that my Position in Christ is secure – Under the blood

1)   I have been washed clean & clothed in the Blood of Jesus Christ

 

Martin Luther had a dream in which he stood on the day of judgment before God Himself--and Satan was there to accuse him. When Satan opened his books full of accusations, he pointed to transgression after transgression of which Luther was guilty. As the proceedings went on, Luther's heart sunk in despair. Then he remembered the cross of Christ--and turning upon Satan, he said, "There is one entry which you have not made, Satan."

   The Devil retorted, "What is that?"

   And Luther answered, "It is this--the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sins."

 

 

5th Weapon Prayer:  Acts 12 Peter is in Prison – The Church at that moment was praying –  Prison doors were opened

A)The Church prayer: - Seen prison doors open – Teens who walked away from the Lord – come back

 

B) Marriages that were destroyed – renewed –

1)   Sicknesses healed - 

C) Now what is interesting about Peter’s story is that the Church was praying but not w/ much faith – Peter was loosed

1)   Came to where they were – but they didn’t believe it was him

 

D) Our Prayers can be that way!! – Lord not much there

 

Power of Prayer – Neh – Prayed & worked –

 

Jesus: Watch & Pray