Welcome again to the Extra Credit Discipline of Spiritual Warfare. Karen Christie is sharing thoughts from a Kay Arthur study called “Lord is it warfare? Teach me to stand”, that a Women’s Bible Study recently concluded. Today we continue to talk about “The Battle”:
You’re in a battle that you had nothing to do with starting. It was started in the heavenly realms when Satan rebelled and it got transferred to earth. The whole world lies in the hands of Satan, and men join Satan in his rebellion against God.
Praise God believers are born into the family of God and we’re fighting on the other side. Here are some key points:
- Satan’s agenda is to try to make us ineffective and hold us hostage.. Prisoners Of War. 1Peter 5v8 says..Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- Satan will attack your individual life. He doesn’t care who you are, what your status may be, Satan wants to overthrow you. He holds us POW in drugs, depression, discouragement.
- Satan seeks to destroy our families.. He started with the first family Adam and Eve. Satan tempted Eve, Eve tempted Adam and the family came under the authority of hell. In Genesis 6, the Sons of God had relationships with the Daughters of men producing a rebellious generation. So why is family so important to Satan? Because the battle will be waged by our seed, by our offspring. Satan wants to destroy the family not only because he wants you, but because he wants the next generation.
- Satan attacks the Church by promoting disunity, division, discrimination, racism. He wants to split the family of God up because Satan knows God doesn’t work in a context of disunity.
The source of our spiritual battles finds root in our minds. Paul admonishes to take or bring every thought into captivity. In order to get relief we need to learn to think differently. Satan makes himself so at home with the vice grip of our thinking that we conclude there’s no way we can get rid of our various problems. This stronghold or fortress is a mindset that holds you hostage.
Today let’s become aware of our thoughts, and take them captive by replacing them with God’s truth.. his word.