One major belief is based on the misapplication of 11 Corinthians 10:3-5; the scripture concerning our weapons of warfare. The apostle is telling us that spiritual warfare is located in the minds of men. The strongholds are patterns of thinking that allow men to ‘hold out’ against God’s gospel. A thought becomes a knowledge against the knowledge of God, this knowledge becomes an imagination, which develops into a stronghold all designed to alienate from God. All of the battle is in the minds of men and their patterns of thinking. Our struggle is to overthrow the erroneous patterns of thinking that keep people blinded to the Gospel!
Our spiritual weapons are prayer and teaching. Through anointed teaching vain imaginations are demolished and the Holy Spirit destroys the refuge of lies, self-justification, idolatry and humanism. These are destroyed through divine arguments. In prayer we pray for souls, revival and Holy Ghost conviction. Spiritual warfare is attacking the strongholds of people in their minds and stripping away excuses and reasons and high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. One good example is this, ‘I’m basically a good person.’
This true spiritual warfare is a matter of overcoming deception, accusation and temptation on a personal level and in the wider sphere. The world is deceived. Self is a huge stumbling block. Self has to be laid down; nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ.
The choices set before Adam and Eve were the Tree of Life, which is dependence on God and inward wisdom through an ongoing relationship with Him and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is independent judgment and absolute free will; we decide for ourselves! God said. “If you eat of that fruit you will die.”
We need to read Paul’s commission that is also ours, in Acts 26:15-18. We are called to preach the gospel of grace and forgiveness, turning men from the darkness of this world’s vain philosophies to the light of the truth. We can never hope to achieve that aim by attacking territorial spirits when we focus on naming spirits of evil instead of our own need of repentance before God.
There are spiritual principles that underlie every mode of thinking in the world today. One is called the mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy3:16) which can be summarised thus: God had to descend to earth to save sinful man. God became man. He condescended to do this to save us. This is the doctrine of Christ. The other is the mystery of iniquity that amounts to exact opposite. That is, self can be exalted above God, man can ascend and we can save ourselves; we can be as gods. (2 Thessalonians 2:4,7)
We are not going to take over the nations! The Lord Jesus is! We do not have the power! The Lord Jesus does. Our focal point should be advancing the Kingdom of God, not attacking the kingdom of Satan. In James 4:7 the emphasis is in submitting to God. And then the devil will flee. The key for the Church is a living reality of Jesus Christ in our hearts where He is pre-eminent in every asset and facet of church life. Let us pray for a deep revelation of the One who died for us and who rose again. – from Bill Randle’s book: Making War in the Heavenlies
Post published in: Faith