The Raging Battle

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, 

but  divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses."

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

The world may scorn our spiritual weapons, but it only does so because it doesn't understand the battle that rages around all of us daily. A battle not of earthly hands, but of the hands of Satan and his demons. It sounds so odd and dramatic to unbelievers to say such things, and that's just the way the enemy wants to keep it. As long as he can convince the world that he doesn't exist and that Christians are foolish to think he does, he keeps his strongholds intact. We who belong to the Lord don't fight spiritual battles with earthly weapons. We fight with the spiritual weapons Paul listed in Ephesians 6: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Against these divinely powerful weapons no fortress of evil can stand.

Don't Forget to Pray

David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And will You give them into my hand?" Then the LORD said to him, "Go up, for I will give them into your hand."

1 Chronicles 14:10

Four simple words: David inquired of God. It's easy to take those words for granted, to even overlook them as we study the life of the king called "a man after God's own heart." Yet that phrase speaks of David's humility and dependence upon the Lord. Before moving forward in battle, he prayed and waited for God's response. What a great example David is for us. Before facing the spiritual battles in front of us, we first must pray. And then wait for God's direction. So simple, yet so easy to forget.

Winning The Battle For Your Mind

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!"  

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

Is is possible to have peace of mind, no matter what our circumstances?  Absolutely. If our thoughts are fixed on God. Paul wrote, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) The mind is a spiritual battlefield. It is where Satan wages warfare, and we must be forearmed to stand against his attacks. In his message "The Battle For Your Mind", given at the Desiring God 2010 National Conference, Rick Warren lists five principles for renewing your mind to win the battle:

1. Don't Believe Everything You Think

2. Guard Your Minds From Garbage

3. Never Let Up On Learning

4. Feed Yourself Daily With God's Word

5. Let God Stretch Your Imagination

To hear Pastor Warren's entire message at no cost, click on this link: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/the-battle-for-your-mind#/listen/full