Tearing Down Strongholds

Tearing Down Strongholds

(And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight...( Colossians 1:21)

As the children of God born into a world dominated by man, we are in a constant battle. Our eyes are drawn to the attraction of beautiful clothes, beautiful cars, beautiful people–all the things that we can promote ourselves with in the sight of others. The Apostle John tells us that the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life , is not of the Father, but is of the world (1 John 2:16). Our flesh pushes us to appease its appetite so we can feel comfortable and satisfied with our earthly surroundings, but in the meantime our spirit is crying out for relief. In this world there are many things that can allure us and, if we aren’t careful, they will find us in their snare. The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 1:21 that we were alienated and enemies of God because our minds were wicked and our works manifested our wickedness; but, Paul also gives us the answer to combat the attack against our mind–that is to make a conscience effort to control the things which we allow to entertain our thoughts.

Philippians 4:4-9

I. Rejoice in the Lord always. (v4)
A. Be glad–Everything is working for our benefit (Rom. 8:28, 5:1-5)
B. Be delighted–Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps.37:4)

II. Live Moderately. (v5)
A. Be gentle–Must not strive, but be gentle unto all men (2 Tim. 2:24-26)
B. Be considerate–What you would have done unto you, do unto others (Matt. 7:12)

III. Be Careful for Nothing. (v6)
A. Don’t worry or be anxious–Take no thought about tomorrow (Matt 6:34)
B. Be content–Learn how to live satisfied in abundance or abasement (Phil. 4:11-13)

IV. Prayer and supplications for everything. (v6)
A. Pray believing–(Matt. 21:22)
B. Pray in Jesus’ name–(John 14:13-14)
C. Be thankful–(Eph. 5:1-6)
D. Every good and perfect gift is from God–(James 1:17-18)

V. Think on these things. (v9)
A. Truth
B. Honest–worthy of respect, noble
C. Just–God’s proper standards and actions, expressed in the covenants; in proper relationship with God
D. Pure–innocent (undefiled)
E. Lovely–Pleasing
F. Of good report–admirable, appealing, praiseworthy
G. Virtuous–(moral) goodness, excellence
H. Praise–commendation

Conclusion:
If the enemy can get into our mind, he has a stronghold against us. Paul tells us we are to "bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). Most often, the war that rages within can be conquered on the battlefield of our mind. We must make an effort to change what we allow into our mind if it is contrary to the things pertaining to godliness. We must "set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). Our delight has to be Jesus!

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF PROMISE

The Promised Land is, perhaps, the most commonly used allegory in biblical teaching. It has been used as a symbol of death--passing from this life into the next. It has been used to illustrate God’s ability to deliver an individual from a lifestyle of bondage into one of freedom. Many times it has been called on to represent God’s refuge from the enemy’s attack. It has been called a place of provision, a place of rest, a place of safety, a place of victory, a place of
prosperity, a place of dominion, a place of destiny; the list goes on and on. The Promised Land can represent many different things to many different people, but there is one common factor for the many applications–it is a place that must be sought after.
No matter who you are, the Promised Land is a place that is beyond the boundaries of your beginning. It is a foreign land that has to be sought after; one that is a found by hope and expectation. It is a place that can only be found through the belief of a promise with an expected end. Just as the land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and enjoyed by Joshua, so must our promises be realized through patient pilgrimage and divine guidance. It is a step-by-step process that is planned out by God and walked out by us.
When researching the journey to the land of Canaan as recorded in the Old Testament, I have discovered that there is a pattern that can be traced from the beginning of the journey to the end of the destination. It is a goal that began with the promise given to Abraham and ended with the reward given to Joshua. It started with belief and was realized with action.
It began with a call. God instructed Abraham to leave his present situation and pursue his divine destination.(Gen. 12:1-4). Abraham believed the promise of God and accepted the call of God, not knowing exactly where it would take him. Next, God told Abraham to “lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.”(Gen. 13:14-15) God was telling Abraham to “look beyond your own horizon, don’t limit yourself to your present circumstance--have a vision for something more.” Then God told Abraham to walk through the land and He would give it to him; so Abraham “removed his tent and came and dwelt...and built an altar there.”(vss17-18) Abraham heard the call, believed the promise, and pursued the inheritance–being fully persuaded that God was able to complete what He had begun. (Rom 4:20-21)
Abraham never saw the fulfilment of the promise; it was received by his descendants. This was a generation who had been tempered by hard trials along their journey-now they were ready for what God had offered their ancestors. All they had to do was take it! Joshua led them across the Jordan River to possess it; but, ironically, this was only the beginning of their inheritance. Once conquered, Joshua was instructed to walk across the Land of Promise in its entirety. (Josh. 1:3) If he was going to receive the fulness of the promise, he had to understand the potential of what was given to him and realize its vastness. Finally, in his last exhortation to the people he loved so much, Joshua encouraged Israel to “cleave unto the Lord”, “take good heed unto themselves”, “put away their strange gods” and “ incline their hearts unto the Lord God of Israel.” (Josh. chpts 23-24) In other words, Joshua was compelling them to defend the inheritance God had given them.
To sum it all up, we can follow the journey of the prophets of old and realize that there is an established pattern. There is an example to follow that was developed by God, realized through God, and fulfilled with God. It is a journey that consists of six simple steps: (1) hear the promise (2) accept the call (3) see the vision (4) possess the land (5) realize the potential and (6) defend the inheritance. ---John Burkett