Alesaggio
11-26-2005, 01:20 AM
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
We are not ignorant of the schemes of satan! What I’ve discovered, is actually the reverse of this verse to be true. Many, if not most Christians I have come across, have no idea about the schemes and attacks that enemy has planned against them.
In fact – this ‘ignorance’ shouldn’t surprise you either …because the number one plan of attack the enemy has against the world today – is to ‘mask his presence’.
Have you ever considered that some of the accusations and voices you hear in your mind, are not actually your own thoughts?
Revelation 12:10, the Bible calls satan, the ‘Accuser of the brethren’. The Bible also suggests, that Satan has the ability to put thoughts directly into your mind.
Matt 16:23, Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.
John 13:2
And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.
And later in the book of Acts.
Acts 5:3
Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart?
You see, so often – when we read the words of Ephesians 6:12 about not wresting with ‘flesh and blood’ …we ‘externalize’ it. We think about these things in other people, in the world, in the secular government and society.
But you know what we also forget? That we ourselves – are made of the same ‘flesh and blood’ as others are. Have you ever asked yourself ‘whose flesh and blood’ we are fighting against? Just maybe we need to look a bit closer to home, …into our own hearts and lives, and accept that some of the thoughts we have been conditioned to listen to, …some of the judgments and prejudices we have embraced, …haven’t actually originated in truth, or even from our own thought life, …but from the whispers and suggestions of the ‘spiritual rulers of the dark world’!
‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’.
Revelation calls satan the ‘Accuser of the brethren’.
See if you recognize any of these:
· You’re no good!
· You can’t do it!
· You’ve tired and failed before!
· No one will listen to you!
· You can’t take the spiritual lead of your family – what will your wife think?
· You’re a failure!
· You’re ugly!
Now, what about thoughts aimed at getting us to be suspicious or hurt by other people.Thoughts designed to break fellowship and friendships. Emotions designed to make us feel indignant and hurt.
· They’re talking about you behind your back!
· They’re out to get you and make you look bad!
· They’re telling lies about you, and people are believing them too!
· They don’t like you!
· They are really the enemy and you need to get away from them!
What do we do when we hear these thoughts in our heads, that are almost too fast to recognize, even experiencing them as emotions? We respond to them with our own thoughts!
The thoughts of accusation and doubt that come into your head, usually start with the word ‘you’.
· You are a failure!
· No one will listen to you!
· You can’t succeed!
· You’ve failed every time before!
· No body likes you!
· You can’t trust anyone again!
If they were your own thoughts, they would start with an ‘I’.
These thoughts even have the potential ability to alter and influence how we think about others, how we treat them and react to them.
Who do you think fuels marriage and family break-ups, church splits and racial disharmony?
We can build up a whole image about a person, …a whole attitude of whether we like them or not, …based upon the thoughts in our heads, …even without speaking or meeting with that person!
That’s why gossip is condemned by Scripture, – because the one behind it, is the ‘Accuser of the brethren himself’. Be careful, be very - very careful!
Ephesians 6:13 Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth.
Put on salvation as your helmet,... the protector of our minds!
__________________
We are not ignorant of the schemes of satan! What I’ve discovered, is actually the reverse of this verse to be true. Many, if not most Christians I have come across, have no idea about the schemes and attacks that enemy has planned against them.
In fact – this ‘ignorance’ shouldn’t surprise you either …because the number one plan of attack the enemy has against the world today – is to ‘mask his presence’.
Have you ever considered that some of the accusations and voices you hear in your mind, are not actually your own thoughts?
Revelation 12:10, the Bible calls satan, the ‘Accuser of the brethren’. The Bible also suggests, that Satan has the ability to put thoughts directly into your mind.
Matt 16:23, Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.
John 13:2
And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.
And later in the book of Acts.
Acts 5:3
Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart?
You see, so often – when we read the words of Ephesians 6:12 about not wresting with ‘flesh and blood’ …we ‘externalize’ it. We think about these things in other people, in the world, in the secular government and society.
But you know what we also forget? That we ourselves – are made of the same ‘flesh and blood’ as others are. Have you ever asked yourself ‘whose flesh and blood’ we are fighting against? Just maybe we need to look a bit closer to home, …into our own hearts and lives, and accept that some of the thoughts we have been conditioned to listen to, …some of the judgments and prejudices we have embraced, …haven’t actually originated in truth, or even from our own thought life, …but from the whispers and suggestions of the ‘spiritual rulers of the dark world’!
‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’.
Revelation calls satan the ‘Accuser of the brethren’.
See if you recognize any of these:
· You’re no good!
· You can’t do it!
· You’ve tired and failed before!
· No one will listen to you!
· You can’t take the spiritual lead of your family – what will your wife think?
· You’re a failure!
· You’re ugly!
Now, what about thoughts aimed at getting us to be suspicious or hurt by other people.Thoughts designed to break fellowship and friendships. Emotions designed to make us feel indignant and hurt.
· They’re talking about you behind your back!
· They’re out to get you and make you look bad!
· They’re telling lies about you, and people are believing them too!
· They don’t like you!
· They are really the enemy and you need to get away from them!
What do we do when we hear these thoughts in our heads, that are almost too fast to recognize, even experiencing them as emotions? We respond to them with our own thoughts!
The thoughts of accusation and doubt that come into your head, usually start with the word ‘you’.
· You are a failure!
· No one will listen to you!
· You can’t succeed!
· You’ve failed every time before!
· No body likes you!
· You can’t trust anyone again!
If they were your own thoughts, they would start with an ‘I’.
These thoughts even have the potential ability to alter and influence how we think about others, how we treat them and react to them.
Who do you think fuels marriage and family break-ups, church splits and racial disharmony?
We can build up a whole image about a person, …a whole attitude of whether we like them or not, …based upon the thoughts in our heads, …even without speaking or meeting with that person!
That’s why gossip is condemned by Scripture, – because the one behind it, is the ‘Accuser of the brethren himself’. Be careful, be very - very careful!
Ephesians 6:13 Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth.
Put on salvation as your helmet,... the protector of our minds!
__________________