Capture Your Thoughts

HOW TO PULL DOWN OUR SPIRITUAL STRONGHOLDS: YOU MUST CAPTURE YOUR THOUGHTS Sometimes, controlling what we think is like tying to coral and herd cats, isn't it.

It can seem like an impossible task, can't it.

And try as we may it can become discouraging and make us want to give up, doesnt it.

But don't be discouraged and don't give up before you hear what I have to share with you.

Because to tell you the truth everybody struggles to control his or her thought life to some degree.

No matter whether you are a sinner or a saint; young or old, rich or poor, educated or not - when it comes to self-control of thought it's a challenge that most fail at.

Because all of us have to some degree have - over analyzed our anger...

- made our heart a storehouse for our hurt - clung to some caustic heartache, insecurity, and any number of harmful imaginations - before and maybe even now....haven't we?

And even justified our reasoning for doing so with well articulated reasoning - can I get a witness.

And the problem with this is that many are not aware of its meaning : Not knowing that when we allow our thoughts to rule, we are surrendering our minds to the flesh, and eventually these things will come out in our life and conversations - as what is known a Spiritual Strongholds.

Yes, each person struggles with some type of mental battle. A battle that some win at...but yet there are far too many people who are defeated and perish...because of it.

The Holy Spirit has led me to develop a series of sermons that addresses the vitally important topic of how one can pull down their spiritual strongholds - no matter what that strong hold is so that we can live victoriously as we experience God's best for our life. . ● BEFORE ONE ACCEPTED CHRIST THE DEVIL SAW YOU AS A TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY ● HOWEVER THE MOMENT THAT ONE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR THEY IMMEDIATELY BECOME PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE OF THE DEVIL - BECAUSE YOU BECAME A CHILD THE LIGHT AND ARE NO LONGER A CHILD OF THE DARK - HE IMMEDIATELY SET UP PLANS TO RECAPTURE YOU. ● AS WE WALK OUT OUR FAITH AND GO THROUGH THIS REGENERATION PROCESS CALLED SANCTIFICATION -

WE MUST BE AWARE THAT THE DEVIL HAS SET - TRAPS TO TRIP US - SNARES TO ENTANGLE US - PITS TO HOLD US HIS INTENTIONS IS TO KEEP US FROM GAINING ● THE FULL REVELATION OF GOD'S ● THE COMPLETE REALIZATION OF WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE THE REVELATION AND REALIZATION OF GOD AND CHRIST - YOU WOULD BE TOO POWERFUL FOR THE DEVIL TO CAPTURE ● SO HE KNOWS HE HAS TO ATTACK US IN SUBTIL WAYS. - HIS SINISTER NATURE IS NEARLY UNDETECTABLE BECAUSE ITS "SUBTIL" - THE BIBLE SAYS IN GEN 3:1 -THAT HE WAS MORE CUNNING AND CRAFTY THAN ALL THE CREATURES CREATED OF THE FIELD. NOTE: SUBTLE: making use of clever and indirect methods to achieve something.

- HE IS SNEAKY ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT HE CAN'T ATTACK US IN AN ALL OUT ASSAULT - BUT HE KNOWS OF WILEY WAY HE CAN EXPERTLY EMPLOY TO INFLUENCE US...IN ANY DESTRUCTIVE WAY --- WE CAN IMAGINE - BECAUSE THIS IS DONE THROUGH CONTROLLING OUR

IMAGINATION AND THOUGHTS THROUGH STRONG HOLDS. ...

NOTE TO SELF TELL THE REALITY FAIRY TELL ABOUT THE GRASSHOPPERS AND THE GIANTS NUMBERS 13:31-33 - WE BE NOT ABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE STONGER THAN WE ARE - WE WILL BE EATEN UP BY THE LAND - WE SEE OURSELVES AS BEING GRASSHOPPERS AND SO DO THEY ● THE DEVIL LEVERAGES CONTROL OVER OUR THINKING THROUGH USING OUR IMAGINATION TO CREATE STRONG HOLDS THAT OUR FLESH RESPONDS TO NOTE: DEDINITION - the faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.

PSYCHOLOGY: 1) REPRODUCTIVE IMAGINATION - the power to reproduce stored memories 2) CREATIVE IMAGINATION - the power to recombine stored memories to create a new memory.

HE DOES THAT BY INFLUENCING YOUR IMAGINATION TO PUT CERTAIN IMAGES INTO MOTION, INSIDE YOUR MIND, THAT ONLY SHOW YOU YOUR DEFEAT...NEVER YOUR VICTORY...IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION OR CIRCUMSTANCE ⊙ THE ISREAITES HAD BEEN IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS BEFORE BUT THE DIFFERENCE THIS TIME IS THEY ARE FREE. THE DEVIL SHOWED THEM AND MANIPULATED THE IMAGES OF THEIR PAST OF HOW THINGS WERE...

- WHEN THEY WERE UNDER THEIR TASKMASTER - WHEN THEY WERE IN A LAND UNDER HARD BONDAGE - WHEN THEY WERE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO TREATED THEM POORLY THEN THEY DID THE REST....

- AND THE WORSE PART ABOUT IT IS: THEY TOOK OWNERSHIP OF THEIR STRONG HOLD - WE BE...

BECAUSE THEY MADE THE LIE THEY WERE SEEING THEIR TRUTH ■ AND IN THIS SCENARIO THEY LEFT GOD OUT...

- THEY IMAGINED GOD'S BEST FOR THEIR LIFE TO BE

THE WORSE THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO THEM -- THEY SAW THEMSELVES TOO WEAK TO DEFEAT SUCH BIG PEOPLE - THEY SAW THEMSELVES TOO OVERWHELMED TO HANDLING SUCH A BIG PROMISE - THEY SAW THEMSELVES TOO AFRAID TO FACE SUCH A BIG PROBLEM HAVE YOU EVER DONE THAT? ALLOW IMAGES FROM YOUR PAST TO CORRUPT AND DISTORT THE REALITY OF YOUR PRESENT AND FUTURE THEN YOU HAVE A STRONG HOLD THAT MUST COME DOWN ● THE FACT IS WHEN THE DEVIL TRIES TO SET UP HIS STRONG HOLDS IN OUR MIND ULTIMATELY HE IS TRYING TO GET US TO =》BELIEVE HIS STRONGHOLD OF LIES =》 ACCEPT HIS STRONGHOLD OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS =》GIVE IN TO HIS STRONGHOLD OF TEMPTATIONS =》 GET CAUGHT UP IN HIS STRONGHOLD OF CHAOS =》 FALL FOR HIS STRONGHOLD OF FEAR

=》 FOLLOW HIS STRONGHOLD OF FALSE DOCTRINE BUT WE CAN OVERCOME THE DEVIL ATTEMPTS TO SET UP STRONG HOLDS BECAUSE OF WHAT WE KNOW: THAT PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLD IS NOT A NATURAL BATTLE ITS SPIRITUAL WARFARE WHEN YOU ACCEPTED CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR YOU WERE ENLISTED INTO THE ARMY OF GOD - YOU WILL BE IN AN ON GOING BATTLE UNTIL THE COMING OF CHRIST. BUT IT'S A VICTORIOUS BATTLE THAT WE WIN...

BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS IN HIM WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS US SO LET ME TELL YOU HOW WE ARE TO PULL DOWN OUR SPIRITUAL STRONGHOLDS 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 KJ21 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. [4] For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds, WE WALK --- For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], WE DO NOT WAR --- we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man.

OUR WEAPONS ARE NOT MADE FOR A FLESH AND BLOOD ENEMY --- [4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, OUR WEAPONS ARE SPIRITULLY SUPERIOR AND MIGHTY WEAPONS GIVEN TO US FROM GOD --- but mighty through God THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE DESIGNED TO OVERTHROW AND DESTROY EVERY STRONGHOLD --- to the pulling down of strong holds;) (SEE ABOVE) .....

GOD HAS GIVEN US WHAT WE NEED TO BE VICTORIOUS BUT WE HAVE TO FIGHT IN THIS WAR...

IN OTHER WORDS YOU HAVE TO USE THE SPIRITUAL WEAPONS GOD HAS GIVE YOU TO DO TWO THINGS: 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 KJV 1) REMOVE EVERYTHING THAT TRIES TO COME AGAINST YOU GAINING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD...

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, ⊙ GAINING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS HAVING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ONE THAT BEGINS IMMEDIATELY AND DEVELOPS OVER TIME - as you to learn the principle, precepts and promises of God

- you will soon come to know God for youself.

[Rom 11:33 KJV] 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

2) BRING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT THAT TRIES TO COME AGAINST YOU GAINING THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ ⊙ THE CANDID OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST - JESUS OPENLY STATED HE CAME TO DO THE WILL OF GOD - JOHN 6:38 ⊙ THE CAREFUL OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST - JESUS CAREFULLY FULFILLED THE WILL OF GOD - MATTHEW 5:17 ⊙ THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST - JESUS PRAYERFULLY SUBMITTED HIMSELF TO THE WILL OF GOD - LUKE 22:42 . ● PAUL KNEW THAT SOME WHO WOULD READ THIS EPISTLE WOULD TAKE HEED OF ITS TEACHING CONCERNING THE DETRIMENT OF STRONG HOLDS. HE KNEW SOME WOULD RECIEVE REVELATION AND COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT - DEVELOPING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

IS FAR BETTER THAT THE IMITATION ONE THE DEVIL OFFERS - DECIDING TO COMMIT TO A LIFESTYLE OF OBEDIENCE LIKE CHRIST IS FAR BETTER THAN THE CATOSTOPHIC LIFESTYLE OF THE DISOBEDIENT ● AND YET THERE WILL BE MANY WHO CHOSE TO BE SLOW IN RESPONDING OR DENYING THE CALL TO REPENTANCE ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO PULL DOWN THEIR STRONG HOLDS, CAST DOWN THEIR IMAGINATIONS AND TAKE THEIR THOUGHTS INTO CAPTIVITY...

AND FOR THAT THERE WILL BE A JUDGEMENT FOR THEIR DISOBEDIENCE THATS WHY HE SAID THIS IN [6] And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

AND THATS WHY WE NEED TO SEEK THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ALWAYS IN ALL WAYS EXAMINE OURSELF SO THAT WE MAY BE CLEAR OF ALL HINDERING STRONGHOLDS...

BY DOING WHAT SCRIPTUE SAYS in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-23 KJ21 [19]Quench not the Spirit. [20] Despise not prophesyings.

[21] Test all things; hold fast to that which is good.

[22] Abstain from all appearance of evil.

[23] And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray

God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.