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How to be a Strong Christian | Strong Christians Control Their Thoughts
One of the hardest things about struggling with something is thinking you are Alone
We are continuing in our series BE A STRONG CHRISTIAN
- What would it take for you to be a stronger Christian?
- Not always what you think
This weak is titled:
Strong Christians Control Their Thoughts
A truth we all know is this:
How you think shapes WHO you are, WHAT you do, and HOW you think of yourself and others
One of the greatest forms of discipline is mental discipline
Now, here is what today is NOT about
- Occasional bad thoughts
- Quick thoughts at the moment
What we are after and PATTERNS OF THOUGHT
- Our thought patterns shape our life and viewpoints
Here’s the trouble with thought patterns
- You don’t often know they need to change
I had to have a severe enough CONSEQUENCE to change my thought patterns about money
- became much more frugal after that
Today, I want to pair your thought patterns to something you have possibly never paired them to before…
2 Corinthians 10
3 For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
What Paul is giving Christian believers here is a ROAD MAP
- So let’s take a trip on how to take control of our thoughts
STOP #1: Recognize the nature of reality
Do you have a body, or are you a body?
- We HAVE a body because we are comprised of both flesh and spirit
- Flesh is not just our human body, but also our fallen human nature
We are also SPIRIT
Both of these parts have been conformed to sin
- Result of the fall
- WE are born into this nature of sin
The Bible speaks of our spirit as “THE HEART”
- The root of our emotions
- Thoughts
- Personality
Jesus said:
Matthew 15:19
19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
Because we are born into sin, These are the NATURAL nature of our hearts or “spirit”
- This is the nature of the sinful Flesh
But when we receive salvation, we are changed
- We are regenerated
- We are “BORN AGAIN“
While salvation is instantaneous, Maturity is NOT
- Sanctification
Sanctification is all about TRANSFORMING YOUR MIND to that of JESUS Christ from its conformed status of sin
Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… (WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?)
…so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
- So that your thoughts may be controlled and honoring to God
So, the reality is
- You are Spirit and Flesh
- Our spirit and flesh are under the curse of Sin
- Salvation regenerates and allows us to be TRANSFORMED BY GOD’S TRUTH
2: KNOW YOUR MIND IS A BATTLEFIELD
2 Corinthians 10
3 For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.
You may not know it, but your mind is THE battleground in your life
- Satan cannot force you, but he can lie, trick, and manipulate you
But we are NOT powerless
- By ourselves we are
As Jesus followers, we walk in HIS authority
You Cannot break strongholds in your life by yourself
- Usually cannot even recognize them
In this spiritual war, we do not win by being more powerful than our enemy, but by SURRENDERING TO GOD’S POWER IN OUR LIFE
- You win by giving yourself over to God
The flesh wants to “HANDLE IT,” but you cannot fight strongholds on your own
3: CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS BY BREAKING STRONGHOLDS
WHAT IS A STRONGHOLD?
2 Corinthians 10
We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
A STRONGHOLD IS:
- ARGUMENTS
- PROUD THINGS AGAINST GOD
To control your thoughts or “TAKE THEM CAPTIVE,” the STRONGHOLDS in your life but be destroyed
ARGUMENTS:
Reasonings, philosophies, and schemes of the world which we believe to be true
PROUD THINGS:
Anything proud, man-centered, self-confident, and self-reliant
This is the reality that Paul is trying to get us to understand:
The enemy has build strongly fortified garrisons to resist the Truth and thwart God’s plan of redemption. There is the fortress of human reasoning, reinforced with many subtle arguments and the pretense of logic. (ARGUMENTS)
There is the castle of passion, with flaming battlements defended by lust, pleasure, and greed. And there is the pinnacle of pride, in which the human heart sits enthroned and revels in thoughts of its own excellence and sufficiency. (PROUD THINGS)
What DO we have to wage war against such an opposition
- Authority of God
- Truth of God
This wall is the WALL OF STRONGHOLD
- Made up of arguments and proud things
- Lies, pride, self-centeredness, self-truth
BONDAGE:
- Mental
- Emotional
- Spiritual
FREEDOM IN CHRIST
Most people never break through the WALL OF STRONGHOLD
- most live here in the town of bondage, thinking this is the nature of reality
- Lost in themselves, their sin, their pride, their “SELF TRUTH”, and the lies of culture
But Jesus came so that we can have freedom?
Luke 4
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release[l] to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
THE TRUTH IS… JESUS HAS COME TO SET YOU FREE
Do you have a stronghold of:
- FEAR – Jesus can set you free
- bitterness/anger
- hatred or jealously
- lust or pride
Or maybe your stronghold is:
- your past mistakes
- what was done to you long ago
- What they said to you
- what they called you
Or maybe your stronghold is:
- What you have been lead to believe about yourself
- what they have told you about your body
- The lies whispered in your mind by the enemy
- No one loves you
- No one cares for you
- you will always be alone
Whatever your stronghold, JESUS HAS COME SO YOU CAN HAVE FREEDOM!
- THAT IS THE TRUTH, AND IT WILL SET YOU FREE!
Through Christ, you have the authority to breakdown the strongholds in your life as the spirit reveals the truth of God in your life
How to break strongholds?
- Having a humble heart
- Submitting your will and desires to God’s plan every day
- Knowing God’s truth
- Speaking truth to lies
To help with this, we have created this: