Strongholds = Our Thoughts or Ideas The spiritual war I speak of begins with you. It begins with me. It begins in the soul which is at war with your spirit. The war is won by applying God's word FIRST to your own life. Hebrews 4:12 describes how God's word is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joint and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart.
In this struggle you will engage strongholds of thinking and arguments in your own mind first as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. You must cast down vain imaginations and bring every thought into captivity that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
Only then will you be prepared to engage in this spiritual culture war in your society, effectively and with some authority.
So, step one requires you to become proficient with your spiritual weapons, especially the word of God.
Discernment & Judgment
2 Corinthians 2:11 reveals what I like to call spiritual IEDs. IEDs stands for “improvised explosive devices.” This is a tool commonly used by terrorists in today modern battlefield. Verse 11 says, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices." The Greek word translated devices is enlightening. It actually means:
What tools or strategies does Satan use to redefine the lay of the land in this culture war? He uses heresies, hypocrisy and heretics. What does the Bible say these words really mean?
In this struggle you will engage strongholds of thinking and arguments in your own mind first as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. You must cast down vain imaginations and bring every thought into captivity that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
Only then will you be prepared to engage in this spiritual culture war in your society, effectively and with some authority.
So, step one requires you to become proficient with your spiritual weapons, especially the word of God.
Discernment & Judgment
2 Corinthians 2:11 reveals what I like to call spiritual IEDs. IEDs stands for “improvised explosive devices.” This is a tool commonly used by terrorists in today modern battlefield. Verse 11 says, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices." The Greek word translated devices is enlightening. It actually means:
- An evil thought of purpose
- a perception, i.e. purpose, or (by implication) the intellect, disposition, itself: — device, mind, thought.
What tools or strategies does Satan use to redefine the lay of the land in this culture war? He uses heresies, hypocrisy and heretics. What does the Bible say these words really mean?
- Heretic - Paul says in Titus 3:10 "A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition reject. A heretic is a schismatic, factious follower of a false doctrine.
- Hypocrisy - In 1 Timothy 4:1-2 we find this word used in Paul's warning to Timothy about what to expect in the last days. He was warning him about doctrines of demons. He says, "that in the latter times, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy. Hypocrisy here, biblically refers to the acting of a stage player. Pretending to play a part and using deceit. The term translated lies however is very insightful. The Greek word means "promulgating erroneous Christian doctrine.
- Heresies - In Galatians 5:19 you will find heresies in the company of adultery, fornications, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, murders and envy. Biblically, the word translated heresies here means a sect or heresy. A choice, i.e. (specially) a party or (abstractly) disunion. Olive Tree goes on to say it is the act of taking or storming a city. Or, the capture of a city. Wow, that is so much more insightful than Dictionary.com's definition. Heresies are systems of thoughts, ideas and doctrines used to lie, deceive, or change people's perceptions so as to divide, isolate and enable capture.
The Truth is Required to Correct the Deviation & Accurately Define Issues The heretic is Satan's man or woman who pretend to be something they are not. They mask themselves as angels of light, false teachers, apostles, and prophets (or politicians, news anchors, teachers, etc.) They act like they portray truth, but they do not. They are hypocrites who propagate a system of thoughts and ideas which are used to undermine the truth through the skillful use of lies and deceit to change perceptions enabling them to divide and isolate peoples which makes it easier for Satan to capture them in His lies.
The heresy is used to create a faux or pseudo moral high ground. Why? Because in warfare, the high-ground gives the occupier an advantage.
Wise Generals Use the Lay of the Land to their Advantage
They understand that he who controls the language controls the lay of the land. God's generals, those apostles and prophets made for spiritual war understand how Satan creates faux moral high grounds which gives his troops and advantage. For example:
So where do we find the truth? We find it in God's word. Jesus Christ is the living word (John 1:1-14) and 2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (KJV)."
So what can we do?
Like I said, God showed me in a dream it was time to go on the offense. Therefore, this is how I can help you get equipped.
The heresy is used to create a faux or pseudo moral high ground. Why? Because in warfare, the high-ground gives the occupier an advantage.
Wise Generals Use the Lay of the Land to their Advantage
They understand that he who controls the language controls the lay of the land. God's generals, those apostles and prophets made for spiritual war understand how Satan creates faux moral high grounds which gives his troops and advantage. For example:
- The word homophobia did not exist until 1969. It was a word made up of homo (man) and phobia (fear) to be used to accuse the opposition of homosexuality of unsubstantiated fear click here. Fear that goes way beyond the bounds of normal. At least, that is the perception this term is used to create. It's use was primarily in the religious, family and government spheres of the culture war.
- Islamaphobia was a word not in use until 1995. Same concept and intent. It's proven very useful for the Muslim's cultural jihad.
- The Center for Disease Control in 2010 published a report stating that those who practice the sexual acts practiced in a homosexual relationship were 300% in greater danger of getting a sexually transmitted disease, died 20 years earlier and had a suicide rate of 2.5x the population.
- The word of God clearly addresses this practice in Leviticus 18, 20, and Romans 1. God's warning is given because these acts are like playing with fire. If you play with fire you will likely get burned. The CDC results would seem to verify that and I'm not even addressing the eternal consequences.
- The Religion of Peace has tracked all terrorist attacks in the world since 9/11. Of the 34,544 they are reporting today, 99% of those attacks have been carried out by Muslim's. While not all Muslim's practice radical terrorism, the roughly 20% that do account for about 240 million threats out of the 1.2 billion Muslims.
- Not to mention that the tenets of Islam fit the very definition of an antichrist spirit. It says so in 1 John 2 where John is describing deceptions in the last days.
So where do we find the truth? We find it in God's word. Jesus Christ is the living word (John 1:1-14) and 2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (KJV)."
So what can we do?
Like I said, God showed me in a dream it was time to go on the offense. Therefore, this is how I can help you get equipped.
- Read God's word and pray daily. Did you know that according to a Barna pole only 11% of Christians have even read through the Bible one time? All it takes is 3 chapters a day to read through the Bible in a year.
- Hebrews 6 Foundations - Get grounded in God's word. Learn to use the word of God on defense, offense and learn all 6 major foundations God says every disciple ought to have to mature.
- Take your place on the wall of prayer. Order Build the Wall. It is a 52 day plan to help you build the wall of prayer in your family, church and city. This is an important defensive measure.
- Get on the line and go on the offense in 1Church1Day. Download the app, stand watch, pray the decrees, prayer the alerts that are sent out daily.
- Join us on our weekly The Call to Pray for our Nation. Click here for details.
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