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Casting Down Imaginations
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians, Chapter 10, Verses 3-5.
The Apostle Paul stated that “we are at war.” Although we live in the natural realm, the war we are fighting is not a natural war, but a spiritual one. Paul wrote in the Book of Ephesians that “the war we are waging is against principalities and powers of darkness; and spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Our enemies cannot be seen with the naked eye. Without knowledge we will fail to understand how our enemies plan to entrap us. That is why we must have spiritual discernment and insight into the realm of the spirit and how our enemy operates. Satan’s greatest weapon is his “power to deceive.” Because man was born into sin, the carnal mind is already a candidate for deception. Without the knowledge of God, people will remain in a state of deception under the power and control of the carnal mind and spiritual darkness.
Our mind is the most important physical thing we possess. It is the place where we make decisions based upon what we know, have experienced and what we have learned over the years. The knowledge we possess and how we use that knowledge will determine the outcome of many events which transpire in our lifetime.
When we reject godly knowledge and wisdom, we can be assured we will be facing many problems which we should not have to face in life. When we seek and find the knowledge of God, we can be assured we will be victorious over all the problems we face in life if we apply His truth to our lives.
The mind has been called the “fortress of the soul.” Spiritual battles are continually being fought to retain possession of people’s souls and minds. All spiritual battles are fought on the battlefield of the mind. We cannot win the battle for our soul without Christ. If we are not renewed in the “spirit of our mind,” we will fail to have a proper understanding of how we can defeat our enemies. With knowledge we will be able to use the principles of spiritual warfare which will assure us victory in every area of our life.
Knowledge is the key to understanding how our enemy operates, as well as the ways in which we can defeat him. Without knowledge of how to wage spiritual warfare, we will lose the war. God has given us all the weapons we need in order to defeat the forces of darkness who are continually trying to hinder our walk with Christ.
The Apostle Paul said the weapons of our warfare are “not carnal.” Our weapons are MIGHTY in their ability to pull down strongholds which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Without the knowledge and power of God, we cannot penetrate the darkness which builds and sustains the strongholds which forcibly keep the carnal mind in bondage.
Carnal thoughts are the ENEMY of God. They are strongholds which stand in opposition to the knowledge of God and His Word. Carnal thoughts are always rooted and grounded in the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
Human logic is the enemy of our soul. There is nothing wrong with logic in a natural setting, however, logic is useless on a spiritual battlefield. When we are dealing with spiritual matters we must be spiritually minded, reasonable and responsible. Our enemy is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. We MUST be diligent, sober and constantly on guard bearing the WHOLE armor of God in the presence of our enemy.
In itself, natural logic is not necessarily evil. However, ANY logic which exalts itself against the knowledge of God is evil. Where human logic and reason are all that is relied upon, natural man will be void of faith. Faith always defies and supersedes human logic. Faith says that with God all things are possible; human reason and logic disagrees. Faith says we can; human logic says we cannot. If we are going to
trust and believe God, we must put aside ALL human logic and reason. The faith which gives us an overwhelming advantage over Satan comes from KNOWING, trusting and believing in the power of God as we are fighting spiritual battles.
When men are carnally minded rather than spiritually minded, natural reason and logic supersedes and super-impedes the Law of Faith. Casting down human reason which exalts itself against the knowledge of God will always lead us to victory and freedom in the Holy Spirit.
Natural reason will always reject the supernatural reasoning of God. Faith goes beyond natural reason and takes us into the realm where “all things are possible” and the supernatural triumphs. To natural man spiritual weapons do not make any sense. To Christians our weapons are MIGHTY THROUGH GOD when it comes to casting down and eliminating strongholds which keep the carnal mind in bondage. When the carnal mind has been TRANSFORMED by the renewing of the mind, faith will rule and reign in righteousness.
Many people try to understand the Bible by using human logic and understanding. However, the natural mind will always oppose the truths which are found in the Word of God. Human logic and reason can never UNDERSTAND that the knowledge of God can only be spiritually discerned. Spiritual knowledge cannot and will not be received nor UNDERSTOOD correctly or successfully by the carnal mind.
Doubt and unbelief are enemies of the soul. They are rooted and grounded in the depths of deception. Faith, on the other hand, is rooted and grounded in the concept of spiritual understanding rather than natural logic. The carnal mind will always DOUBT the Word of God. The spiritual mind will always BELIEVE the Word of God. To be carnally minded is DEATH. To be spiritually minded is LIFE. Our righteousness which comes by faith in God depends on us believing what God says, not on what the carnal mind dictates.
If we are going to be successful in winning the battle for our soul, we must realize how beguilement affects and infects our daily life. If we fail to recognize the role beguilement plays in everyday life, we will be unable to recognize the enemy when he comes to deceive us. Deception is a weapon of the enemy which is designed to draw us into sin and depravity through the power of beguilement.
When we understand how our enemy operates, we will be on constant alert if we desire to walk in freedom. Sooner or later the enemy will place before us an opportunity which looks good. In reality, however, it is an attempt to invade and conquer territory within our minds.
Some Christians lose many battles because they fail to have the knowledge and understanding of how they can overcome the enemy. Christians must realize the BATTLE FOR THEIR MIND is also the battle for their soul. If Satan can control the mind he can destroy the soul. Without the knowledge of Truth, people lose the battle for their souls.
One of the greatest weapons a natural army possesses is the weapon of deception. Deception in warfare is taught at military academies around the World. Satan is a master of deception. Through beguilement the serpent in the Garden of Eden convinced Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Adam also ate of the forbidden fruit, thus causing the entire World to fall into sin and chaos.
If we are going to be successful at discerning the deception of the enemy and how we can defeat him, we must use ALL the weapons we have at our disposal.
Our only hope for defeating our enemy lies in the knowledge, wisdom and understanding we find in the Word of God. A good book on spiritual warfare will empower us with the knowledge we need to defeat our spiritual enemies.
The Bible says many people “deceive themselves.” (James, 1:22). Most people cannot grasp the concept of self-deceit. Even the Science of Natural Psychology teaches the reality of self-deception. People subconsciously deceive themselves and usually never become aware of the fact that they have deceived themselves.
Many Christians also deceive themselves. Self- deception is a byproduct of a carnal mind. Many Christians do not need the enemy to deceive them. Their minds are already deceived and open to deception because they are carnally minded. Only the knowledge of God can free someone from the relentless, clinging grip of carnality, spiritual darkness and deception.
The first rule of spiritual warfare deals with strategy. If we are going to win the battle of the mind, we must have a plan to defeat the enemy. Our enemy is out to defeat us as well. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy and he is very good (bad) at what he does.
However, we have the knowledge of God and the weapons of warfare which He has given us. They are more than sufficient to destroy the works of our enemy. We have a bigger stick than he has. In other words, our weapons are much more powerful than our enemy’s weapons. The enemy, and his strategies, weapons and strongholds are no match for the knowledge and power of God when used properly.
Satan has been using the same strategies for millennia, and unfortunately he is very proficient and successful at what he does. However, as born-again Christians, there is no weapon Satan can form against us that will prosper if we possess and utilize the knowledge and wisdom God which has given us.
We must put on the “whole armor of God” for our strategy to work. Strategic weapons only work when they are used and applied correctly. If we do not put on the WHOLE armor of God, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to the deception of the enemy. They will invade and conquer valuable territory in our minds with their fiery darts if we do not use godly wisdom and understanding.
The knowledge of God will give us strategies which we can use to defeat our enemy. Finding, reading and studying a good book on Spiritual Warfare would be a good investment for those who are seeking more information regarding the “Weapons of our Warfare.” God’s power is unlimited. He has given us HIS armor and His weapons in order to free us from the stumbling blocks found entrenched in the carnal mind. There is no weapon our enemy possesses which can match the power God has imparted to us by and through the Holy Spirit.
When we cast down human reason and carnal thoughts, we MUST replace them with GOD THOUGHTS. Our minds must be spiritually transformed and renewed in the “spirit of the mind” in order for us to think like Christ thinks. We cast down imaginations when we choose to believe what God says and REFUSE to accept what the enemy says. When we replace human logic with the knowledge of God, we will find ourselves free from oppressing, depressing and distressing thoughts. Anything contrary to the Word of God has NO PLACE in the mind and/or heart of the believer.
A WISE MAN IS STRONG, YES A MAN OF KNOWLEDGE INCREASES STRENGTH; FOR BY WISE COUNSEL YOU WILL WAGE YOUR OWN WAR, AND IN THE MULTITUDE OF COUNSELORS THERE IS SAFETY. Proverbs, Chapter 24, Verses 5-6.