Sermon by Ps. Clariss
Why is our mind always under attack? Because thinking, imagination, and reasoning take place in the mind. God communicates to us through our minds.
Transformation must take place here. Otherwise, we cannot produce the results God wants.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1,2
Spiritual warfare starts in our minds. Our thoughts determine our attitudes. Our attitudes determine our actions. Thoughts can be positive or negative; going in one direction or the other. Depending on the content of the thoughts the mind creates emotions.
Our mind is the real battlefield.
The main agenda of Satan is
× To defeat us in our mind
× To make us losers even before facing the real thing
So, we MUST renew our minds to dismantle the patterns of the world and reprogram them with the Word of God. Otherwise, Satan can lay a stronghold WITHIN our minds and attack through it at the most opportune time.
Word of God together with the Spirit of God desires to align our inner man accurately to the perfect will of God.
Our inner man comprises of our thoughts, will, emotions and conscience.
As we agree more and more to the Word of God, Holy Spirit aligns our actions to the will of God. It is possible to live in a devil free zone. If God is working for us who can stand against us?
We must cooperate to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there is any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in an everlasting way.
Psalm 139:23,24
So why should God test us? God knows our head is full of fruitless and worthless thoughts because we are listening to the enemy and not Him. Hurtful way means – We have allowed the enemy to sow negative, lustful, and vengeful thoughts within our minds.
Be clear: We only reap what we choose to sow inside our minds.
Someone once said – If the bird flies over your head – not your fault. If the bird is allowed to build a nest on your head, lay eggs, and have chicks – definitely your fault.
For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
Proverbs23:7a
A man is the product of his thoughts. The real man is the internal man or the inner man.
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Satan can only suggest. We choose what goes into our heads. When we sow in the flesh, we will reap destruction. When we sow in the spirit we will reap eternal life.
So what we are outside reflects the condition of the inner man.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and watchful. Why? What happens when we believe the evil, deceptive things that Satan says? Our thoughts are changed. The thoughts built with Satan’s supplies influence our minds which in turn influence our bodies to sin against God.
What is inside will always produce a result in the natural. That is why we need to be alert and sober and pray without ceasing, for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
The enemy’s agenda is to steal, kill and destroy all our joy, peace, and everything. He is a liar and he deceives those who don’t love (obey) the truth. He is given authority to eat dust all his life. Dust represents those who are living according to the flesh. Sand is transition. The star seed are those fully led by the Holy Spirit.
His one agenda is to stop you from living a spirit-led life. The anointing on your life by the Holy Spirit is what he hates. He knows he cannot touch you when you are fully led by the Holy Spirit.
An example: If you have been offended by someone you can have thoughts of rejection. Then the enemy who is watching your life closely talks to you about how you have been let down, how downtrodden you are and so on. As you keep listening to the devil you are slowly building a stronghold for him in your mind.
Unless your mind is renewed by the truth, it is impossible to obey God. The battle is yours. And you are not fighting against flesh and blood. You are fighting against principalities and powers.
You MUST discard unwanted thoughts.
Take the God given authority as a child of God and cancel.
Our minds can be healed. Our emotions can be healed. Holy Spirit is our helper, our comforter, our best friend.
On the other hand if our minds are affected then we don’t have the power to drown our thoughts. Then we wallow in self pity and stay in the flesh.
No one can be soulish and spiritual. That is rubbish. Luke warm; worthy to only be vomited out by the Lord.
God says – Choose Me. Choose My ways.
You must NOT BELIEVE your hurt feelings but what the Word of God says.
1 Peter 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Hebrews 12:3 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Lord Jesus understands all that you go through. He did not leave you as an orphan. He gave you a Helper – the Holy Spirit. He will lead you into all truth and the truth shall set you free. Lord Jesus is your kinsman-redeemer. He takes responsibility for your life. He avenges those who have ill treated you, gets back what you have lost and so on. He is in total control of your life. There is no need to worry about your life.
He is no longer the lamb led to the cross as the perfect sacrifice. He is now the Lion of Judah interceding for you in the Throne Room of our God.
Ephesians 4: 22 – 24 that, about your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth
Renew your mind by humbly accepting what the Word of God demands as your response in a particular situation.
Romans 7: 21-25 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand, I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
The war is between the carnal mind and the spiritual mind.
You must check yourself. If you are living a mix of both carnal and spiritual minds – Don’t think nobody knows. God knows. Satan knows.
Uproot the rubbish. Give your all to God. If we are in Christ we will always be victorious. Our righteousness will grow like the journey of the sun from the dawn to the noon day.
You must be growing in maturity to becoming Christ-like. When Holy Spirit, God, and Christ are in you, you have to take Satan out.
but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
Paul overcame every battle in the mind by persisting in God’s truth.
We must be Bible study people
- Study the Bible with the Lord
- Build the relationship – ask your questions, doubts, and confusions
- Know his mind regarding all situations of your life
- As we continue doing this our minds start to reflect the mind of Christ
- Then we will not go in the wrong direction
THE WORD OF GOD IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The Word is so powerful that it can separate soul and spirit. It can judge which thoughts are soulish and which thoughts are from the Spirit. The heart is deceitful above all things but the Word of God can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It is alive, active, sharp and able to correct the saints.
If the Word of God can divide then we are answerable for our actions. We are responsible for what goes into our minds and what comes out of our mouths. We are answerable for every careless word we speak.
As we allow the Word of God to correct us, we are filled with God’s wisdom. Wisdom is to execute the will of God and thus we fulfill the good works kept for us by our Father.
If you have a good heart it means you have treasured God’s Word. Your motives, intentions, and purposes are aligned with God’s perfect truth.
When we allow others to control us or allow the devil to control us – it is our problem. So, don’t waste another day. Clear the rubbish. Today is the day to repent. Bring your mind and heart in submission to the Holy Spirit.
Check what kind of mind you have – Doubtful? Angry (Full of rejection, bitterness)? Distracted? Confused?
For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16
We have the mind of Christ.
If you are still struggling it’s because you have so little relationship with God. You are not serious about your relationship with God.
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him, there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
1 John 3:4-6
Have you known Him?
Check today. How long have you been born again? Have you changed? Become better?
Abide means to live or stay somewhere. What is your stand today? If you obey His commands you abide in Him. If you love God you obey his commands. How can you love Him if you don’t take time to know Him?
Born again and born of God are two different categories.
1 John 5:18 We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
Born of God means you are going through the process. You are heeding the voice of the Holy Spirit, you are abiding.
Renew your mind continually to become born of God.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
1. The weapons of Warfare are mighty; divinely powerful
2. They are not carnal but spiritual
3. Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God
4. Spirit and the Word. We need both to fight every battle
5. We pull down all strongholds casting down every negative imagination
We must learn about God through His Word. We must understand His ways, His plans, and His dealings with us through the Word with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Study the Word of God to sow in your spirit. At the needed time the Holy Spirit will unlock to give direction or understanding.
We build our relationship with God this way. As we love Him we will obey His word in more areas of our lives.
Word of God is the bullet to bring down every thought of the enemy. Reply sinful thoughts with Godly thoughts. It’s our responsibility to uproot what we have already allowed in. You cannot say I won’t focus. You cannot afford to have a distracted mind. The Word says – Be alert and sober.
If our attitude is not changed then we are still living the old life – this is how our heart becomes corrupted. When we renew our mind then we know this is the way. We live by Christ’s standards.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8,9
Paul is giving the pattern to overcome our struggles. These are the boundary lines for our thinking patterns – whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Watch what thoughts are trying to enter your heart. When you mature you can overcome the carnal thoughts with spiritual thoughts Then the God of peace will be with you.
If there are recurrent thoughts – take them out with the Lord. Take time, sit with Him and the Word of God. Pour out your heart to God like King David and let God comfort you and heal you. Only you can renew your mind. No one else can do it for you.
You may be filled by the Holy Spirit but the leak in your vessel may be so big this can be useless. Fix the leak first.
You allow God to govern you then you can surrender. You say – you lead me and guide me.
Only when God has a hold on you, you are safe.
The life governed by the Spirit is LIFE AND PEACE.
Jeremiah 17:9,10 The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
“I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
To give to each person according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.
In the end, God will give judgment according to our ways and our ways are dictated by our thoughts. We cannot blame any situation or challenges.
It’s all in our minds.
Romans 8: 5-8 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Your mind must be set on the Holy Spirit and be directed by the Spirit.
How do we do that?
- Before worship speak in tongues, fight the battle, and be free to worship in joy
- In worship, we are giving away everything. Something of the flesh dies and something of Heaven is deposited in our spirit
- When you keep doing this then you are clean and God knows your clean
- Deal with yourself first before you pray for others
- Keep doing this. This is crucifying the flesh
Take Charge. If your heart gets affected then you cannot worship or feel the presence of God. Without worship, there is no rain and the devil is looking for waterless places.
Obedience is the key to every success. Then – I am what I am by the grace of God, according to the predestined image.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain, but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
We must labor for our breakthroughs so that our hearts and minds are not contaminated.
We are destined for greatness. We will not short circuit what God has deposited in our lives.
What Grace did Paul have?
Divine Life operating by the power of God was flowing through Paul. We must become better and better. Word is already given. Power of the Holy Spirit is given. Strength to obey is given. The Divine Life of God should be flowing out from us.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age
Titus 2:11-12
The Grace of God
- Is the gift of God
- Brought us salvation
- Brought us Redemption
- His kindness allows us to come to Him
- When grace is combined with faith, then with God we can do all things. We can live sensibly, righteously and Godly in the present age
This is our race – Pressing on – correcting our attitudes, lifestyles and focusing on the goal through the sanctifying Grace of God. Holy Spirit is the helper and leader in everything for us. He is perfecting us and purifying us, moving us more into the life of Christ.
Let us move into the deeper things that accompany our salvation. Breakthrough is our portion. This is just the beginning. There is more! There is more! There are better things that accompany our salvation.
Remember – All are called but few are chosen. Why?
God will choose those who by persistence obey His Word and enter into His glory!
to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
Romans 2:7
Perseverance – A determined Spirit breaks all barriers.
But what about those who are called but not chosen?
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
Matthew 7:23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
1 Corinthians 8:3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
Those that are lukewarm towards God are not known by Him. God never knew them intimately. They just left their minds to get attacked by the devil and lived a life governed and dictated by the flesh.
Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”
2 Timothy 2:19
God only wants to see His son in us. The Son of God must manifest in the sons of God. God must know us intimately. We must become sons of God. God must know us intimately.
The way is open for us to enter into the presence of God and receive grace.
Today if you hear His voice do not harden your heart. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Your words become actions. The actions become habits. Habits form character. Character determines your eternal destiny.
Let us move from being Born again to be Born of God.
Rehoboth 