March
3, 2013
2
Cor 10:4
Introduction
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Once I drove out to Wales, and saw a castle on the river Wye
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This castle was now in ruins, after many hundreds of years of disuse
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It was nothing like Buckingham Castle or other castles you may have
seen
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It was a fortification, designed to be able to keep out intruders
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The walls were thick, the windows were narrow, it was surrounded by a
moat which was now dry
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But the drawbridge was down
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This is the kind of fortification Paul is referring to when he speaks
to the Corinthians about spiritual warfare
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Today we are going to take a look at the subject of strong holds
Our
soul - a castle
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During recent weeks we have been talking about our soul
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1 Thes 5:23 talks about us being made up of spirit, soul and body
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When we accept Jesus sacrifice on our behalf, the Father, Jesus and
the Holy Spirit come to dwell in our human spirit - John 14:16-17, 23
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This spirit part of us is now secure and safe from the enemy - Eph
1:13
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We do still however need to protect our soul from the enemy's
attacks.
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We can liken our soul to a castle, which has a protective moat, thick
walls, and a drawbridge
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When the drawbridge has been raised, and the windows have been shut,
the enemy has no entry points
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He can fire arrows at us as much as he wants but he cannot get
through to capture the castle
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The question is, what happens when we let our guard down?
Who
is our enemy?
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Jesus describes the enemy
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John 8:44 - Satan a liar and a murderer
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Easton's Bible Dictionary says:
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"Satan means adversary; accuser. When used as a proper name, the
Hebrew word so rendered has the article "the adversary"
(Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). In the New Testament it is used as
interchangeable with Diabolos, or the devil, and is so used more than
thirty times.
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"He is also called "the dragon," "the old
serpent" (Rev. 12:9; 20:2);
"the prince of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30); "the
prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2); "the god of
this world" (2 Cor. 4:4); "the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2).
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"The distinct personality of Satan and his activity among men
are thus obviously recognized. He tempted our Lord in the wilderness
(Matt. 4:1-11). He is "Beelzebub, the prince of the devils"
(12:24).
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"He is "the constant enemy of God, of Christ, of the divine
kingdom, of the followers of Christ, and of all truth; full of
falsehood and all malice, and exciting and seducing to evil in every
possible way." His power is very great in the world. He is a "roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). Men are said
to be "taken captive by him" (2 Tim. 2:26). Christians are warned
against his "devices" (2 Cor. 2:11), and called on to "resist"
him (James 4:7).
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"Christ redeems his people from "him that had the power of
death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14).
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This excellent summary shows he is a force to be reckoned with
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Ways in which he operates are:
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Rev 12:9 - deceives whole world
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John 10:10 - thief - kills steals and destroys
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1 Pet 5:8 - roaring lion - seeking opportunity to devour
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James 4:7 - he can be resisted
The
enemy's tactics
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Satan is a liar, and one of the main ways he attacks us is through
lies
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When we let our guard down, not being alert and vigilant, we can fall
prey to Satan's lies - this affects our thinking
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He is a thief - he robs us of joy, fulfillment, our future
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When we listen to him, we lose out on what God has purposed for us,
just like Adam and Eve - the battle is being played out inside our
head
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He is angry at us and seeks our destruction - he will use
circumstances, attitudes and people to try to cause us to give up -
discouragement is a negative emotion - once again, in our soul
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He tries to break down our defenses, and then get to us
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Satan is a control freak
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He desires to control our lives through his deceptions and hatred
But
don't give up!
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Mark 9:23 - All things are possible to him who believes
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1 Jn 4:4 - Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world
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Eph 6:11-18 - defensive armor
The
Christian's armor
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Eph 6:11-18 - description of Roman armor
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Most of the armor is defensive
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Belt of truth verse 14 - truth defeats lies
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Breastplate of righteousness - need to be living a clean lifestyle
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Footwear - preparation of the gospel of peace
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Shield of faith - With God all things are possible - He quenches the
fiery darts from the enemy
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Helmet of salvation - God gives a sound mind, when we are saved he
cleans up our mind little by little - this is the soul about which we
are speaking
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Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God - truth is in God's
Word
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Praying in the Spirit
Conclusion
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Satan would like to get a foothold in our mind
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He wants to use that foothold to progressively take over more real
estate in our minds
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But God is greater than him, and is well able to protect us from him
-Next
week we will continue looking at strongholds
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