Read
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
- Romans 12:1-2
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
The Message says …(2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way – never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
Romans 12:1-2
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.
The Message says …(Romans 12:1-2)
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit in without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well formed maturity in you.
(i) The BATTLE for YOUR Mind
- What is on your mind?
- How is your thought life?
- Is your mind constantly preoccupied?
- Do you experience disturbing thoughts? Condemning thoughts? Over active mind?
- As a result of this, what difficulties do you face as a Christian, a child of God, at home? At college? At church?
Words of wisdom …(Ps Richard)
‘Watch your thoughts, they become words,
Watch your words, they become actions,
Watch your actions, they become your character,
Watch your character, they become your destiny!’
REMEMBER …
The Battle BEGINS in YOUR mind!
(ii) The Law of Exposure
‘Exposure shapes things; Exposure shapes our minds’
- What are you/college students exposed to?
- What are you most exposed to?
- Who/what is your ‘idol’?
- What is the result of this exposure? Share an experience …
But wait ...
What about those who totally avoid all forms of negative exposure? Legalism? Over protected?
We need to pray for wisdom/discernment!
Hold on …
- Exposure to the RIGHT things?
- What are some of those things?
- Are YOU exposing YOURSELF to these things???
REMEMBER …
- The battle is won/lost in your minds!
- The devil’s footholds can become STRONGHOLDS!
(iii) Divine weapons
What does the Bible tell us?
We are equipped with weapons that can DESTROY STRONGHOLDS! Were you aware of that?
God’s/the believer’s arsenal …
- God the Holy Spirit
- Praying/declaring/believing in Jesus’ Name
- God’s Word (It is written …)
- Prayer
- Healing
- Deliverance
But …
- How do we ‘take captive’ our thoughts?
- … make them obedient to Christ?
- How do we ‘renew’ our minds?
REMEMBER …
- Do NOT conform to the patterns of this world
- Renew your mind …
Small group discussion
- Which of your own thoughts need to be ‘taken captive’ (v 5) to obedience to Christ?
- How to do so practically?
Pray and minister to one another …
