Treasures New and Old

Treasures New and Old

Spiritual Warfare: Action Elements

This article will look at the Seventh Mind Warfare Principle that have been shared over the last many months. Here are our reference verses for this article:

Romans 7:22-25: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Ezekiel 11:5: (bold added): “And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.”

Review of the Seven Principles:

  1. First: A key component or weapon, if you please, is to not love the world, but to love the Lord Jesus Christ!
  2. Second: A key component or weapon is to take on the humble mind of Christ! You can’t do it by yourself, you must do so with His help.
  3. Third: A single focus on the Master is required.
  4. Fourth: Where are our minds drawn, and on what do we think about? How do we renew our mind?
  5. Fifth: Think on these things: thought management
  6. Sixth: Praise and prayer
  7. Seventh: The Armor and Resistance

A Review of the Law of Delight

  • Delight: (Wordsearch’s H2656): hepes: pleasure; hence (abstract) desire; concrete a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind):- acceptable, delight (-some), desire, things desired, matter, pleasant (-ure), purpose, willingly. Occurs thirty-nine times.
  1. A delight can be good or bad.
  2. What we delight in, we will spend capital on.
  3. The higher the delight, the bigger the expenditure.
  4. When pursuing a delight, we exclude other things.
  5. Delights have, by virtue of being a delight, some intrinsic value.
  6. Delights that are high value to us demand to be repeated.
  7. We become defined by others by what we delight in.

Psalm 1:1-3: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever be doeth shall prosper.”

Matthew 6:19-22 (bold added): “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

Psalm 37:3-6: (bold added): “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”

Mind Warfare Is an Act of Love for God

Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:25-28: “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.“

1 Corinthians 16:22: “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”

2 Thessalonians 3:5: “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Mind Warfare Is an Act of Faith

Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Romans 1:17: “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith.”

Hebrews 11:33: “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,”

1 Peter 1:3-9:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Jude 1:20-21: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Mind Warfare Victory Is Found in Clinging to Christ

John 15:1-8:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them unto the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:”

Mind Warfare Needs a Single Master Focus

Luke 11:34-36: “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.“

Remember the Mind Warfare Weapons of Praise and Prayer

Remember to praise and pray: two important tools in our weapon box for fighting the mind battle

  • Praise occurs 248 times in the Bible – must be pretty important! (Strong’s)

Psalm 7:17: “I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.”

Psalm 9:1: “To the chief Musician upon Muth-labben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works.”

  • Pray and Prayer occurs 894 times in the Bible – must be pretty important! (Strong’s)
    • Pray 313 times; Seek 244 times
    • Prayer 114 times; Ask 109 times
    • Cry out 15 times; Supplication(s) 60 times
    • Praying 20 times; Request 19 times

1 Thessalonians 5:16-23: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

    • “Rejoice evermore”
    • “Pray without ceasing”
    • Give thanks in everything
    • “Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good.”
    • Abstain from evil and evil thoughts
    • Set ambushes for the enemy of your soul

Matthew 6:6-14 (emphasis added): “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; . . .

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, . . .

After this manner therefore pray ye: [The Disciple’s Prayer also called the Lord’s Prayer:]

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

. . . forgive men their trespasses,“

2 Timothy 3:8: (bold added): “Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Mind Warfare Means Mind Renewing and Mind Management

1 Corinthians 13:4-5: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh not evil;”

Proverbs 23:7a: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”

Proverbs 4:20-23: “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Mind Warfare Armor and Resistance

Ephesians 6:10-18:

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 wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against power, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Mind Warfare Victory or Defeat – Choose You This Day

Joshua 24:15: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Matthew 12:33-35: “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.“

Summarizing Mind Warfare:

  1. Mind warfare is an act of love for God
  2. Mind warfare is an act of faith
  3. Mind warfare victory is found in clinging to Christ
  4. Mind warfare needs a single master focus
  5. Remember the mind warfare weapons of praise and prayer
  6. Mind warfare uses praise and prayer: two important tools in our weapon box for fighting the mind battle
  7. Mind warfare means mind renewing and mind management
  8. Mind warfare armor and resistance
  9. Mind warfare victory of defeat – choose you this day

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation

Strong, J. Strong’s Talking Greek_Hebrew Dictionary. Wordsearch. (2020). Wordsearch Bible. [computer software] . Nashville, TN: LifeWay Christian Resources. (Original work published 1890).

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