Spiritual Warfare Main ~ Voice of the Watchman

Thoughts are spiritual. In fact, we don’t really understand usually just how spiritual our thought life really is. We will have victory and have faith, or suffer loss and defeat through what is ruling our thoughts. Our thoughts will shape who that we are and our very emotions. It’s the mind that we must conquer first, or we lose everything else.

Many times we concentrate on how that we “feel”. If we are feeling God and there is money in the bank and the blessings of God and life are obvious, then we are good, but if we are going through a trial of our faith then we are terrible. That should not be. Our thoughts control our feelings and faith is based on who Jesus is and the truth of God’s Word and not in our circumstances.

Hebrews 13:8 (KJV) “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. “

Philippians 4:11-13 (KJV) “ 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. “

Paul said that he had “learned” that whatever state that he found himself in to be content. He learned! This is the reshaping of our thought processes. Faith and walking by faith no matter the circumstances is something that we “learn”. The knowledge of the truth reshapes the way that we think and we are renewed in the Spirit and faith arises! John 8:31-32 “ 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. “

The knowledge of the truth builds faith. That is why we need to hear the “truth” of God’s Word when we come together to worship as a church. It is the hearing of the truth or the Word that builds faith, and we have everything that we have from God through faith. Romans 10:17 “ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. “

There are two things that go together in the Kingdom of God that gives us liberty from sin and death and Satan and darkness! One is “knowing the truth”, and the other is the Holy Spirit! 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. “

John 16:13-14 “ 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you“

The Holy Spirit and the Truth of the Word of God goes together. Jesus Christ is the living LOGOS or Word of God, so the Spirit of Truth always reveals Jesus Christ. He will always glorify Jesus Christ when He is free to work.

The “anointed” Word of God brings the truth of God in our minds and knowing the truth fills our hearts with His presence and faith. We are told to study the Word to show ourselves approved, but we must also “hear” the Word of God. When a preacher or teacher under the “anointing” of the Spirit of Truth brings the Word and we hear it, faith is built in our minds.

It is the PLAN OF GOD to always have the Spirit and Truth given together at the same time.

· The church that has all Word and no Spirit will DRY UP.

· The church that has all Spirit and no Word will BLOW UP.

· The church that has both Spirit and Truth together will GROW UP and God will Manifest there!

Folks, this is how that we are to worship God as True Worshipers, in Spirit and in Truth together! John 4:23-24 ” 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. “

So, we should have a blending of the Word of God or Truth with the power and moving of the Holy Spirit to bring liberty and in our worship services. This is the hallmark of true spiritual worship.

Jesus Christ is the living LOGOS or WORD of GOD. The Holy Spirit brings the Word of God into play in our lives and makes it a weapon. The Word of God is called the two-edged sword of the Spirit both in Ephesians and Hebrews. You see the absolute necessity of blending the Word of God with the move of the Holy Spirit if you want the POWER OF GOD to move and make a difference.

In fact, God is seeking this kind of worship. We are to live this way with a balance of the Spirit and the Truth together. The children of God are to be led by the Spirit and full of the Word.

God will show up since He is looking for this kind of worship when we have worship that includes both the Word (the Truth) and the Spirit together. That is why it is important to have both the loving giving of worship to God and the giving of the Word of God both in church.

We need that Word to bring the knowledge of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit together to have liberty from the bondages that sin and the enemy would bring to us. If we walk this way… as true worshipers walking in the Spirit and the Truth, then we will walk in God’s liberty, and our minds will be clear and free of bondages.

Remember: thoughts are spiritual! Knowledge changes your thoughts and feelings. The knowledge of the Word of God empowered by the Holy Spirit brings transforming power into our lives.

· Before you ever sin in your body, you thought it in your mind!

· Before you ever fell victim to some weakness, it started with a thought!

· Before you ever decided to walk by faith and make a stand, it began with thoughts!

Everything that you have ever learned is still in your mind somewhere. That can be good or bad. Every scripture and every profanity and every godly vision and every bit of pornography as well is stored in there. That is why it is so important that you guard as best as you can what goes in to your mind, for it has an effect.

It is important that you understand that your actions and your feelings and even your faith is dependent upon the knowledge that you have filled yourself with.

There is a battle daily in our thought life between following the Holy Spirit to do what is right and good, and the pull toward the flesh and carnal sin. God motivates he spirit within man and demons motivate carnal flesh, but it is the mind which is the seat of the soul of man that decides which rules.

If your thoughts are holy, then you will walk in the Spirit and not sin. Jesus said out of the treasure of your heart, you mouth speaks. If your thoughts are full of holiness and love then ungodly things will not proceed out of your mouth. Your heart is your soul which includes both the feelings and knowledge which both comes from your thoughts!

We will be spiritual if our thought patterns are after God, and they will be sinful if the flesh rules our thoughts. The devil uses our own carnality against us in this way, so the mind becomes a literal battleground. Romans 8:5-8 (KJV) “ 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. “

What knowledge are you filling your mind with? Are you praying and submitting to the Holy Spirit so that He can renew your mind from being carnal into a spiritual direction? What are you feeding your mind with and who are you submitting to?

Romans 12:1-2 (KJV) “ 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 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. “

Quite literally, it takes consciously putting our flesh on the altar daily and wanting the Holy Spirit to renew or refresh our minds daily to keep us walking the walk of faith and the Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit, then we will NOT fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Before we can be used of God to touch others or this world, then we must have victory ourselves in our own mind. Our mind must belong to Jesus and He must sit on the throne of our lives if we want to have practical victory in this life.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV) “ 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; “

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5 (AMP) “ 4 FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT PHYSICAL [WEAPONS OF FLESH AND BLOOD], BUT THEY ARE MIGHTY BEFORE GOD FOR THE OVERTHROW AND DESTRUCTION OF STRONGHOLDS, 5 [INASMUCH AS WE] REFUTE ARGUMENTS AND THEORIES AND REASONINGS AND EVERY PROUD AND LOFTY THING THAT SETS ITSELF UP AGAINST THE [TRUE] KNOWLEDGE OF GOD; AND WE LEAD EVERY THOUGHT AND PURPOSE AWAY CAPTIVE INTO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST (THE MESSIAH, THE ANOINTED ONE), “

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2008 Study prepared for the Sunday School for the Cawood Church of God at Cawood, Kentucky