A Biblical Approach To Spiritual Warfare Training

Life Changers Church

Week FourThe Mind

Part Three

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds….” (2 Cor. 10:4)

Life Changers Church

Homework Assignment From Last Week:

What are you doing right now to make sure the devil can’t find access to your mind and emotions again?

What practical steps are you taking to make sure that you won’t fall into that same trap the next time?

Spiritual Warfare Training

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound

mind.”-2 Timothy 1:7

Spiritual Warfare Training

•Sound Mind, sophroneo: A sound mind; sensible thinking.

• A compound of the word sodzo, which means saved, healed or delivered and the word phroneo, which alludes to intelligent or sound thinking. When combined the new word means to have a saved mind.

Spiritual Warfare TrainingWhat is a Sound Mind?

Conspiracy Theory…

• It’s a Conspiracy! – an evil, unlawful, treacherous, plan formulated

in secret; a plot. • There is literally a conspiracy against you.

Conspiracy Theory

• Demonic forces are plotting against you right at this very moment.– How can they get you off your post?– How can they make you abandon your

destiny?– Abort your calling.

• And the arrows are aimed at your mind!

Covert Operations

• All wars have a covert or hidden component.– Secret spies lurking in the shadows – Sharp shooting snipers hidden from sight

• But 2 Corinthians 2:11 says “we are not ignorant of his devices..”

Covert Operations

• In the war that you are fighting everything is not always what it seems…– There is a covert plan of the enemy to

manipulate circumstances in your path, and even some of the people you encounter, in order to attack your mind.

Battlefield of the Mind

• Why is your mind the main battlefield?– Because we are fighting an enemy who is

already defeated!• So his main tactic is to try and use us

against our own selves. – He tries to manipulate our minds and our

emotions in order to manipulate our actions.

Before we can truly walk in freedom, we have to identify and eradicate the lies we’ve built our

lives upon.

Fruit Check…

• Don’t like the “fruit” your life has been producing?– Take a good look back at your roots!

• If you never deal with rotten roots, you’ll keep producing bad fruit.

Getting to the ROOT

• We all have some rotten ROOTS!

• Painful experiences that planted a seed of lies in your mind.– Lies about Who God is. – Lies about who you are to Him.– Lies about who you are in Him.

Getting to the ROOT

So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him,

If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in

accordance with them],you are truly My disciples.

And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

-John 8:31-32

• Our life’s experiences color our entire perspective on life.– The way we see ourselves.– The way we see others and their motives

towards us.– The way we see our future.– The way we see our God

• Everything we encounter we see through our own “unrealistic” lens (perspective)

• Green glasses– Envy: That’s not fair! Everybody’s life is better

than mine!• Red glasses

– Anger: The world’s not fair! They had no right to do that to me!

• Blue glasses– Depression: Life’s not fair. No matter what I do

it’s never going to change.

What Color are Your Glasses?

Uncovering the Lie

• Our experiences lie to us.– We unknowingly built our lives around those

lies.• Confronting underlying beliefs that are

contrary to God’s Truth unlocks the door to freedom in our minds.

Uncovering the Lie

• Left alone, these lies slowly grow into strongholds in our minds.– They are lies from the enemy...but they feel

true.– They became a part of our emotional DNA.

• They secretly control our actions.

Uncovering the Lie

• So, how do we identify rotten ROOTS in our lives?– We have to look for patters.– Patterns in our behavior.– Patterns in our thoughts.

• We have to stop and think about what we are thinking about.

Did You Know…

• Many of the negative thoughts that you have are not even yours.– They are really Satan’s lies and he’s trying to

get you to come into agreement with them…• Yeah, that is too hard!• Yeah, they never treat me fair!

• He wants you to accept his thoughts as your own.

Uncovering the Lie

• Propaganda from the government of your enemy!– Ideas or statements that are often false or

exaggerated that are spread in order to help advance a cause, a political leader, or a government.

• Propaganda sent to take over the territory of your mind.

Uncovering the Lie

• Your enemy knows you won’t believe certain lies.– But, he’s watched you long enough to know

which ones you will...• He wants you to think they are your own

thoughts.

Uncovering the Lie

• Deceiving thoughts snuck into your mind give you the impression that they are your own. – And, if you keep them there long enough, they

eventually will be...