Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Spiritual Warfare Pt.5

Let's turn to First Peter five. We want to continue our study on spiritual warfare, and realize that there is a battle going on in the heavenlies for each one of our souls. How many of you know your life is still in jeopardy? You haven't made it yet. There is no guarantee that anybody in this room will finish that race; but we're all given the same opportunity. We're all given the same promises; and the guarantee is that if you continue in Him you'll finish, but, there is no guarantee that you'll chose to remain in Him. That is your decision, and there are a lot of steps necessary for us to remain in that covenant promise and the sealing of the Holy Spirit of our salvation. That is what we are talking about, because that's the war that's going on. The enemy is wanting you to move outside of that covenant. To move outside of that seal and get back into relying upon yourself, your own self-righteousness, your works, your tenure, whatever it might be. We have to guard ourselves, in these days, against that onslaught. We remind ourselves continually that verse 6 of this fifth chapter says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." Now the key to all this, and we're going to emphasize this a little more this evening again, is our reliance upon Father. We're going to see Satan--It says we're to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" Because Satan is going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he way devour; because of the mandate to sobriety, the sobriety is a humbling of ourselves. There is no soberness if we think we stand. There is no soberness if we're unaware of the hour that we're in and the jeopardy of this dispensation and this environment that each one of us live in. The Scripture says we can't be ignorant of his devices. And, of course, we know that in the last days one of the things that is going to cause the spirit of Antichrist to be prominent, it says, he will destroy them through their [what?] prosperity.

We've just continued to sound the trumpet on that environment that we live in, and to be aware of the tactics of the enemy. It says, "...resist [verse 9] steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you [patient], stablish, strengthen, settle you." So we realize that this is nothing that is uncommon. It is common to man, these trials, the solicitations, the seductions of Satan. It's common. Everybody that has gone before us has had to go through this; and thank God they have finished their course, and henceforth there was laid up for them a crown of righteousness. Are you ready tonight to finish the race? Do you understand that you have not crossed the line yet? Do you realize how strong and capable your adversary is? What are you doing to prepare yourself? Are you aware of what's at hand and the cost of not preparing? What does he say? Humble yourselves. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. You see, anything that is less than a humble spirit is assuming that there is power and might in ourselves, an ability that is within ourselves. The moment you go up against Satan outside the protection of the mighty hand of God--don't you like that phrase? The mighty hand of God. Be under that. The strength of the right arm of God that wars for us. That if he's for us, nobody can be against us, the Scripture says. What is it that causes us to walk in the solace, in that protection; whether it was the mighty hand of God, the cloud in the wilderness, the fire by night? The mighty hand of God that provided the manna. The mighty hand of God that was evidenced in the blast of his nostrils and the sea divides? Humility. We realize, then, that we're really being solicited by the enemy. The war, we said, is our minds. Beloved, we must come into that place where we don't think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but soberly and discretely.

So, the battle is for the mind. I think that it's interesting in Romans. Turn over to Romans, chapter one, for a moment. It's very interesting as we look at the apostles instruction to us in Romans One, the pervert chapter. You realize that in reality everybody who is not regenerated is perverted. Amen? It manifests itself in many different ways. Some are socially acceptable, others that are not. It's all perversion in the eyes of a holy God.

It's interesting to see that the Scripture goes down and makes this conclusive statement in verse 28. Look at it. It says, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind...." That word "reprobate" is interesting. It means trialess or disapproved, ineffectual. To do those things that are not convenient. Being filled, being filled, a perfect representation of what happens when you oppose the wisdom of God. "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of [damnation, hell's fire, eternal separation from God,] not only do [them], but have pleasure in them that [company with] them." How can we fall into that kind of a condition? One thought at a time! One self-willed decision at a time. One decision to trust in your ability, and not God's, at a time. As heinous and horrific as these subjects are that we mentioned, they really just fall under one category, don't they? Reprobate. What we have to do is to ask ourselves tonight then, what is the reprobate mind? The reprobate mind can manifest itself in a lot of different ways. Look at this. In the same list with fornication, wickedness, is whisperer. A whisperer, (psst, psst, psst) secrets. Likes the dark places, gossips, tattling. It's in the same list. So, we're realizing, then, that there is a great war going on. Ephesians tells us that in this spiritual warfare we're to put on this whole armor of God that we might be able to stand. The first aspect of the armor is what? Put on the helmet of salvation.

The helmet of salvation is the renewed mind. "Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). The helmet of salvation is the effectual working of the spiritual mind. To be spiritual-minded is life and peace. Let's go back a little further into this and give some thought to the origin of sin. This just keeps going over and over in my spirit. I'm thinking about maybe putting something together. Maybe some kind of a little booklet or something on the forbidden fruit of independent thinking; because that is really what the Garden of Eden is all about. There is some fruit in the midst of the Garden, and I don't want you to partake of that. You can eat of everything else, but not that one fruit. The moment you eat of it, you're going to die. The devil says, "You won't surely die, but your eyes will be opened and you'll be as gods able to discern good and evil." You see, what the devil told her was not incorrect; because that was exactly what happened. You say the devil is a liar, he can't tell us the truth. Listen! This is how the devil works. He always works in half-truths, doesn't he? The fact that your eyes would be opened and you would know, as God, good and evil was correct. Where he was incorrect was saying, "You won't die." He didn't say you couldn't be as God. God realized that man, when he was able to come together, unification--God himself stated, that there was nothing that was impossible too him. Tragic how many Christians today, or professed Christians, are running around whose lives are relatively successful, not only materially and socially, but also apparently spiritually through natural disciplines, through Biblical principles that are misapplied, through the law of self-will and the law of the world. Understand exactly what is at stake here. It is very important for us to grab this if we are going to be successful in the spiritual warfare.

The battle for your mind. Every temptation that you face is to get you to think or act independently from God. Okay? One form or another, but the whole purpose, whatever the temptation is, to get you to act independently from God. Independently from God is acting outside of authority: Acting outside of your husbands oversight, acting in rebellion to your parents, acting outside of God's order of how we can relate physically and all of these different things that has to do with physical appetites. Everything that God has set standards, Satan solicits and seduces to try to move us into an independence from God. So we realize, then, part of what's taking place here is Satan wanting us to no longer, 1:28 of Romans, retain God in our knowledge. No longer retaining God in our knowledge. We're thinking independently now. We have another standard, the standard of the world. There is a wisdom that is in this world, but it's not from above. It's what? Earthly, sensual, and demonic. It's a wisdom that works. It produces great results, but it's not God.

What we have to understand--look over a couple chapters to Romans 8:7. What we have to understand is this. The carnal mind, chapter eight, verse seven. We're all aware of this passage. "...the carnal mind is enmity against God:" "...the carnal mind is enmity against God:" In opposition to God. Enmity doesn't just mean that it's doing its own thing. Its root, its source, is to be in opposition to; because the author of the carnal mind said, "I will ascend above the throne, I will silence the Most High," is what Isaiah tells us. We realize the warfare and the hatred of Satan, the god of this world's system. The hatred of the kingdom of darkness for the kingdom of light. It is not static. It is offensive. There is an ongoing hatred. There is an eternal diabolical plan--eternal is the wrong word--a spiritual diabolical plan to oppose and destroy God and His inheritance. So, when we realize then what is being said here in this eighth chapter, "...the carnal mind is enmity...for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." You're never going to make a right decision in the carnal realm; or, lets say it another way, in the world's wisdom. Every decision you make by the world's wisdom is spiritually and ultimately eternally wrong. Because the carnal mind is not only opposed to or at enmity with God, but it cannot be subject, ever, to God's wisdom or God's will. So then, they that are carnally minded or in the flesh, or think with the world's mind, or use the world's wisdom, or the world's methods, verse eight, say the last three words with me. What does it say? "...cannot please God." Okay! You can't please Him. You can't please Him. Those who come to God must believe that He is. He is a rewarder of those who diligent seek Him. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Without reliance on Him it's impossible to please Him. With the carnal mind you cannot please God. You can't do anything good in the natural. To be carnally minded is death, we see.

So what we're looking at here then, is that battle for the mind, the spiritual war that is going on. Now, let me ask you a question. If you were the devil, how you go after you? Would you come in full-blown, "Bow down and worship me." "Trade in your Bible for a Ouija Board." How many of you would fall for that one if the devil appeared to you right now and said, "Here's a Ouija Board, the ultimate source of truth." (Sound effects) "There ain't no way, man!" He isn't coming against us with that kind of thing. He's not going to come against you and I and try to get us to go off on some kind of a binge on drugs and these particular things. He's not going to do that. It starts with him wanting to take your thought processes and independently defend whatever those besetting sins are in your life, to begin to make excuses in your life for those things that are carnal, and those things that you are not wanting to surrender to God; or, the things that you might be wanting to, but in the defeats that you encounter, instead of being broken you begin to justify and live separate in that one area. Instead of coming to the light you now take a step back and become a little more sensitive in those areas. The thing that you used to look to brothers and sisters to speak into your life, you just want them to stay their distance. Already a root has been established in there. A tare has been sown. So we begin to realize that the danger for each one of us is Satan appearing as an angel of light with good words and fair speeches deceiving the simple. You see, what's happening--everything the devil does--everything that Satan does diminishes God's glory and increases man's. It diminishes God's worth and increases man's. Not his own. You see, he's not going to ask you to bow down until the image is erected and he calls himself god. Right now, what the devil is wanting us to worship--The devil is not trying to get us to worship him, right now; he is trying to get us to worship ourselves, or our children, a spouse, a relationship. We call it, in our society, secular humanism, the worship of the natural mind, the worship of the genius of science; whether it be physical science or political science, or whatever it might be. That worship of what man has been able to accomplish through the use of this fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. It all looks so good and it's "for the sake of humanity; and after all, isn't humanity the preservation of humanity?" The whole ecological thing is about worshiping man. It's not worshiping earth. It's leaving earth for another generation. The worship of the primordial slime and ooze. It's very interesting how man's thought processes evidence themselves.

In Romans, we begin to see that this is where the real war is. We have to put on the helmet of salvation. The saved mind, souzo, the whole mind. The mind of Christ is one, then, that thinks solely according to the kingdom of light, the word of God. We saw in Romans One that they did not want to retain God. We see in Romans Eight that they cannot be subject to what? The law of God. You see, the spiritual mind always embraces the law of God as truth. Yeah! That's true. I'm wrong, they're wrong, this is true. Do you approach the word of God that way? Or, do you go through here trying to find loop-holes to get your flesh out of trouble. Some kind of loop-hole that lets you sow to the flesh instead of walking in the spirit. How do you read the word of God? Do you go to what James says is the mirror that you can remain therein, so you don't forget what manner of man you really are?

You see, beloved, if we're warring for our souls, and Satan is going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, we said the one he is going to devour is the independent one, the one who is out there on his own. "I'm just an independent thinker." You're a dead man! I want to run with the crowd, the great cloud of witnesses. Those who have gone on before. Those who through faith and patience inherited the promises. I want to be a follower of them. I don't want to think independently. I want my mind renewed. I want to be able to humble myself and not think I have a better way; but to look at 2,000 years of biblical history, and do it way God has recorded it to be done. Satan solicits us and says, "You're the exception. You're smarter than everybody else. Nobody has ever endured what you do. Nobody has been mistreated like you. Oh, you poor little thing, you should have this exception clause written into the word of God;" and he begins to seduce you into thinking that somehow this doesn't apply to you. Spiritual warfare, seeking whom he may devour. Who is that person? The one who is not humbled. The one who is not under the protection of the mighty hand of God through the humility, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Understanding who we are, understanding that in me that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing. Left to myself, I'm no good. There is not a good thing in me but the presence of the Holy Spirit and his representation of the lordship of Jesus Christ and the Father who has come to take residence in us. The moment I become independent in my mind and begin to choose contrary to that lordship and that presence, there is nothing good in me. Left to myself I will always do wrong.

Now "wrong" doesn't mean something heinous. It doesn't mean something bizarre. It's just independent. Not wanting to retain God-what did He do? He gave them over to what? A reprobate mind. "I don't want to think that way, God!" He says, "Fine. I'll give you over." God doesn't mess with this. This is not something we play games with. We want to be able to hide these little things and keep these things back. To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God. The natural mind, the carnal mind, is enmity with God. It's not just another way of doing it. I'll tell you another thing: you'll not remain independent in your course, because the moment you think independently and chose a course that you say is right, you will begin to solicit disciples and justify your way. God says it's better for you that a millstone would be tied around your neck, than to solicit somebody away from the pure truth of God's word and dependence upon Him.

Put on the armor of God. Put on the helmet of salvation. Your mind saved, whole. To think independently from God is insanity in its greatest expression. It's kind of interesting to see how this works. Look over for just a second to Corinthians, as Paul is writing to the insane in Corinth. To be carnally minded is insanity. You see, Paul said in Ephesians, chapter four--Stop there at Corinthians; we're going there is just a second into chapters two and three. But in chapter four of Ephesians, Paul as he is speaking, he says, "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other gentiles walk, in the vanity of their minds," Now he is speaking here toward the natural thought processes. He calls it vanity-void of purpose. There is nothing in the natural that's going to be worth anything.

You know all the empires that are being built by natural man. I understand that the Microsoft guy now says, "We're Number 2." He's not the richest guy anymore. A guy selling nickel and dime stuff is. What was the Wal-Mart guy's name? Sam Walton. I knew he was one of the Walton kids, Sam or John Boy-one of them. His son is now the richest guy in the world. The Wal-Mart guy. You know all that money you're saving when you go to Wal-Mart? They love it! It seems to me that they're making a profit. As low as they are selling that to you, that good deal, they're still making a dime, aren't they? So, we realize that in the natural there are all these great accomplishments that people boast in; but I think it's interesting that we understand what Paul says here in the letter to the Corinthians. Remember where this church was, Corinth. What was it that Athens and Corinth boasted in? The Greeks were known for their philosophy, their wisdom, their understanding of the cosmos and all of these different sciences that men have perfected today. The perfectors of modern day astrology and the different philosophers of their day, Socrates and Mickey Mouse's dog, Pluto. I remember that one guy commented--this guy is carrying a big book of Plato and said, "Have you ever seen this?" The guy looked at it and said, "I didn't know they wrote a book that big about Mickey Mouse's dog." He was not real well read.

The different philosophers of that day, they would stand around, the Scripture told us, just to hear some new thing. Paul went into their midst and began to bring them a message they never heard, the message of the resurrection. They said, "We have to hear this guy again. This is interesting;" but their whole life was taken up with the philosophical thought processes. Paul began to bring them revelation and truth that was outside of their scope of understanding. They thought he was a fool; but some wanted to hear more. Paul said, "Here's the real issue that is at hand;" and this is the issue that it at hand for your mind and mine: this spiritual war that we're talking about.

1 Corinthians 1:18. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us that are saved it is the power of God." What is the preaching of the cross? The preaching of the cross is more than the death of Jesus, the sacrifice of God for us. It's far more inclusive than that; because for salvation to affect you and I individually, what has to happen? We have to be what? Crucified with Him. If we don't die with Him, he says we can't be raised with Him. What you're going to see is Paul's argument in this chapter, in just a moment, and it's one that you and I have to come to grips with is this: If you and I are still thinking independently, we haven't been crucified with Christ. We've accepted religion. I made the comment the other day--I don't know where the guy is at this time, I'd be interested in knowing. I made the comment about our President. Someone I understand just was asked--one of the correspondents was asked recently, What is it that stand out about this President in his 100 days? There is a big deal about the first 100 days in office. The gentleman commented and said, "You know, this guy is different from anybody we had ever seen here. He said, He genially prays before he makes decisions. He reads his Bible every morning. He looks to the Bible for wisdom, and he prays about the decisions that he is making." That sounds real good, except, as I shared with you that I heard him out of his own mouth say a few months ago, that he didn't believe that the Bible was infallible, the inspired word of God. He believed that it contained the truth of God, but not in the infallibility of Scripture. So what we do is we have now, if that's his stand, then what we have is a religious man, but not a regenerated man. You can't be regenerated and reject the truth. "Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Tragically, that is where so many professed Christians are today. I'm using him as an illustration to say that in some of our lives in this particular room, if you and I are still thinking independently--you see, he has no right to make that kind of a decision because the apostles and the prophets, the foundation on which this is all built said this is the word of God. Holy men of God spoke, as they were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. No Scripture is of private interpretation. So, we understand, then, that it's possible to pray every day, pray about decisions, read the Bible, and be carnally minded. Making determinations independent from God's revelation, because, you see, the cross becomes foolishness; but we need to humble ourselves. We need to become the fools so we might be wise.

Paul continues here with the Corinthians, verse 19, "...I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." I will destroy the wisdom of the wise. Let's say it another way, "the wisdom of the world." Your wisdom, you! Followers of Plato and Socrates. I'm going to bring to nothing the foundation, for "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? Hath God not made foolish the wisdom of this world? "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God..." That is one of the great statements. By the wisdom of God the world by wisdom new not God. In other words, God said, I'm going to use their new found knowledge against them. They've rebelled, they have become independent, I'm going to turn them over to a reprobate mind. That doesn't mean totally depraved in the fact that it's insane and raving irrational mind; or the perverted mind of lasciviousness and debauchery that we think of so many times. It's just, again, that independent mind, that mind that is separate from God, that mind that has confidence in its own ability to create and set course. Who would have ever thought, even a decade ago, that it would have come to the place where it is today in the areas of genetic engineering, cloning, all of the submolecular tampering? Here we are to where God, by wisdom, allowed them to perfect their wisdom that they would what? Listen to what he said, That they wouldn't know Him. It pleased God however, verse 21 "...by the foolishness of preaching..." the cross to save those that would deny their independence. The world, by wisdom, knew not God. The more you know and use the world's methods, the less you know God. The greater you become in the world, the less effective you become in the kingdom. That is what Paul is saying. The more you trust in the methods of the world's system, the world's wisdom, the more independent you become, the less godly, the weaker you are because you are no longer under the mighty hand of God, and how great is the fall of that house. The world by wisdom knew not God.

Here is what the world wants, he says, "The Jews require a sign, the Greeks look for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified. Don't you understand (verse 27) that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world..." Those that the world rejects. Now, this doesn't mean that we're necessarily the rejects of humanity, because frankly, in their world, playing their game, if we wanted to play it their way, many of us are capable of whipping them at their game; but we've chosen to be foolish in their eyes and weak in their eyes because of our dependence upon God. There are many of us in here that have proven ourselves in their system successful, but we were crucified and we don't live for their god any more. We don't seek their treasures any more. God has chosen the foolish things of the world, the weak things of the world, the base things of the world, the things that are despised of the world, God has chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are. Bottom line, to be spiritually minded, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. What's it all about? Look at verse 29. "That no flesh should glory in his presence." You see, every independent decision you make is glorying in God's presence. "I can do it without you. I don't need you, Father." Oh, but of Him are in you in Christ Jesus, who has been made unto wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption that accordingly that is written He that glorieth, let him [say it] glory in the Lord.

Where is your boast tonight? Where is your trust? I'm not talking about going out and doing something in the flesh, and saying, "God gave me the ability." That's not glorying in the Lord. Glorying in the Lord is going out and doing what He sent you to do, not what you chose to do, then try to give Him the glory for it. Go in this, the power of thy might. Remember Gideon? "...have not I sent thee?" (Judges 6:14) We're only strong when God sends us.

I was sharing with one of the Pastors yesterday in our meeting. I said, as plans were being made. I was talking to Pastor Jim, and he was talking about the congregation and what they are looking to do to build this building. They bought the new land and these different areas. We were just encouraging him and looking at some of the plans. I just reminded him of this principal. I said, "Be very careful that what you're doing is not just going after a neat plan. This is a good plan. This seems feasible. Make sure that you're not going in natural ambition, because what you're trying to accomplish with this Gideon's army that you have is impossible, unless God sends you." You can't just go! You must be sent.

This is part of what Paul is saying to us here as we are being renewed. We can't just go out and choose to do something for God and expect Him to endorse it; because without Him we can do nothing. So as Paul continues his admonition to the Corinthian Church, who was trusting in their own wisdom and their own strength, Paul says, "Brethren, when I came to you (chapter two) I didn't come in excellency of speech or of wisdom." See that's what they were in to. You have to remember, this church, there within Athens and Corinth, they had the greatest orators in the world. That was one of their forms of entertainment. The great theaters of Greece, that we've been able to go and sit in. Phenomenal to go to Ephesus and Turkey and see these theaters, to go into Corinth and see that they would fill these with thousands and thousands of people just to listen to different orators, and to see part of the theater and the different things that were taking place. Many were judged not on the content of their message, but on their oratorical ability, like we do today. Not how well somebody says something; it's what they have to say that we need to listen to. So I didn't come with excellency of speech or of a natural wisdom, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, [except] Jesus Christ, and him crucified." I came to you in weakness; I came in a dependence upon God. I humbled myself. My speech and my preaching, verse four, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in a life of dependence and recognition of the spirit. Why? So that your faith would not stand in the wisdom of men; but in the power of God. We speak a wisdom, he says in verse seven, that he refers to as the wisdom of God in a mystery. The hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world, which none of the demonic powers knew. For if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. There is a hidden wisdom. Have you tapped it yet? Have you tapped into that wisdom that always makes you succeed? Have you tapped into that wisdom that, regardless of the environment and the circumstances, you are at perfect peace? Have you tapped into that wisdom that when everyone else does forsake Him you're not found having boasted and now apostatized; but in all humility you stood faithful? What is that hidden wisdom? It's the wisdom of obedience. It's the wisdom of dependence. It's the wisdom that realizes before you make any decisions you have to justify that decision by the word of God. "I will not choose against the word of God."

When you look at what Paul is saying here, you have to realize that there is the wisdom of the world that keeps saying, "You can do it, man. This isn't that big of a deal. You don't have to seek God about this. This isn't that far off course. Everybody else is doing it. It's going to benefit in the long run, the family, it's going to be for good." The good of who?! Who's being increased and who's being decreased? Who is the object of worship? Who is the one that is receiving the honor and the glory? Where is the boasting in this decision that is being made? That is what is at hand every time we make a choice. That's why you have to have the helmet on: the saved mind. That is why it is so important, you young people who are in the Bible memorization course, you have to hide the word in your heart that you don't sin against Him. You have to know what God says about every situation so we can make those choices. We speak the wisdom in mystery, the hidden wisdom, that which God has revealed to us in these last days, verse 10 says. That which is known by the inward man, the hidden man of the heart, the spirit man, verse 11 says.

Then verse 12 and we'll start winding up with this for tonight. "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." In other words, when you're regenerated, when the Holy Spirit live in you, you know the difference of the world's wisdom. If you're a child of God, His sheep know his voice. You know when it's God talking and when it's the world. How many times have you made this statement and this was your motive? "I've got to pray about it." In other words, I have to see if I can get out of doing God's will and doing my own. "I have to pray about it." Pray about what? If the word is already revealed, if the wisdom of God is already spoken, what are you going to pray about? You see what he says to us here? Very clear. The spirit, which is of God, knows the things that are freely given to us of God. I know what God wants me to do. I know the will of God. Do you know the will of God tonight? Sure you do! If the Holy Spirit dwells in you and you read the word of God, you know what God wants you to do! It's you're flesh that is rising up trying to justify another avenue. It's the enemy soliciting and seducing your minds, the wiles of the devil, causing you to think that somehow you can move in independence and God still accept you. The carnal mind is opposed to the word of God. It cannot receive the spirit of God. They are foolishness, we go on to see in this chapter, to Him. Compare spiritual things with spiritual. For the natural mind (verse 14) receives not the things of the spirit. They are foolishness, and they are only spiritually discerned.

Whenever you are receiving counsel, or you're giving counsel to somebody else, and you're watching them and they re going (blank stare), you might as well save your breath. They want to know every reason why, "How come, why can't I do this, what if this happens, they did this, whatever else." It is absolutely the carnal mind. It is foolishness. The natural mind cannot receive the things of the spirit. If you are speaking spiritual truths and they cannot hear you, they are not born again. What do you do in this situation? Let's say it's a child and we're speaking to the child. They are not regenerated. Have you gotten concerned? You're talking to your child, speaking biblical principles and the kids in the "outer limits" somewhere? What do you do? The only recourse you have at a moment like that is to apply the law. You just say, "Okay, you can't hear the spiritual principal, there is no life or ability working in you to obey, so therefore I will cause you to obey. Here are the guidelines. Here is the law, and I will see to it that you will follow the law." It's the only recourse; but many of use just want to just say, "Well, you know, I just believe that they will make the right decision. They've been taught and they can quote a Bible verse." That doesn't mean anything. To be independent from God, to not obey in these things, is to be at enmity with God. The natural mind can't receive them. Not only can't he receive them, they are foolishness. "But he that is spiritual [verse 15] judges all things..." Is able to make judgement of his own heart and his own motives, and he hears what the word of God is saying and can apply them properly to himself. He doesn't need the judgement of men, verse 15 says. I don't need to you put me under the law, I can judge these things and I know the truth, and I'm going to do it. So we see, then, the natural mind receives not the things of the Spirit of God. The war is for your mind. He wants you to move independently in the small things. Just the secular things. "Hey, this is job, this is church." "This is my social life, this is my spiritual life." No! If we're going to live by the wisdom of God, the world is going to hate us. They're going to count us weak, and base, and fools. Where are you going to receive your prominence? Is it going to be like the three Hebrew children? Are you going to be ten times wiser than the world, not because you're beating them at their game, but because you're eating the pulse and believing God, and not the dainties of the king's table. If we're going to walk in the supernatural, if our weapons are not going to be carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, we're going to have to move in a realm that the world calls foolish, and God says, "It's wise, and you'll confound them in it."

Father, we thank You for the word of God, and we just ask that You would cause us now to understand clearly these principles, not intellectually but practically, that we would apply these things in our everyday lives. There is a wisdom. There is a wisdom and it's foolishness. How would you get you off track? That is what the enemy is going to do. We're not ignorant of his devices. I would encourage you to get this tape and listen to it again. We covered some good principles, a lot of ground, some basics that you can't hear too much. This is the foundation, beloved, of winning the victory in this spiritual war. This is the foundation of putting on the whole armor of God that we might stand. You have to understand where the battleground is and the tactics that are going to be used against you: independent thought. Natural wisdom, natural methods. Lie, cheat, con, deceive. Those are harsh sounding words, but we just so often put ourselves off as something we're really not to get a job or to be accepted. That's not the kingdom of light. What do you do? You go up and there is this job application, and you go up and say, "I'm an idiot and I don't how to do anything." Is that how you apply for the job? I've got to put myself off to sell that thing. Why not reckon who you are and settle for a lesser position as who you really are. What's motivating you to think you have to go in at a certain level and perform at a certain socially acceptable job? You're to good to get your hands dirty. Who did God make you and who is He wanting you to minister to? How is He going to be glorified in you so your boast is in the Lord? Beloved, there are so many subtle things that war for our minds. Be prayerful that we might be able to stand. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, recognizing who you are and how He made you and not thinking you have to be something else. Let the world call you base and weak and God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Let's stand before the Lord tonight.

As we pray, we want to continue to pray. Some of you know that Terry went into the hospital today. She is doing well. The surgery was successful and Richard and she are doing real well. Continue to pray and lift their hands up. Pray peace upon them and believe God for a quick recovery that we might be able to continue to give Him glory for all that is going to be affected in their lives through their obedience and their ministry in the kingdom. We rejoice that Father has preserved them and will continue to strengthen them. Make that a matter of prayer in the week to come. It will be a real comfort to them. We're so thankful for that.

As Janet plays for us, we're going to allow the Spirit of God to take some of these principles and cause us to say, "Lord help me to humbly rely upon you. It's so natural to be independent; but we live in the supernatural. Everything in my flesh tends toward the natural; but I want to be spiritually minded and think upon these things. I want to retain God in my mind at every juncture, so I'm not turned over to a reprobate mind. I long for the simplicity of the mind of Christ that humble spirit." Make it real, Father, that we would know the might hand of God. We do worship You, Lord. We give You praise, for You are our righteous. Received our worship, Lord, and be glorified. Let's sing this together and worship Him. Hallelujah!

"I Worship You, Almighty God." Glory to God. Lets just worship Him.

Father, we do worship You. We thank You for Your strength. We thank You for the mighty hand of God that covers us and protects us. We thank You, Lord, for Your power and Your Spirit that has gone before us, and Your glory, which is our rear guard. As we boast in You, we've done nothing in ourselves. We boast in You. We didn't seek You, You sought us. We ask, Lord, that we would boast in You alone and that everything we would do, we would do for Your glory. It's for Your glory if You've initiated it. Order our steps, Father. Confirm Your word, and let us glory in You. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen! Hallelujah!

Before you go, turn to somebody and say, "Keep your helmet on!" Go in peace, God's love go with you.

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