How can demonic strongholds be overcome?

Before demonic strongholds can be overcome, it must be understood exactly what demonic strongholds are. The word “stronghold” appears only once in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 10:4) and the Greek word translated “stronghold” means a fortification such as a castle. In this passage, the Apostle Paul is instructing the church at Corinth on how to fight against and “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” (v. 5). They do this, not by using the weapons of the world, but by “divine power.” Lofty arguments and opinions are the result of pride and evil and vain imaginations, the very strongholds in which demons reside. This, then, is the essence of demonic warfare—the power of God to overcome the strongholds of demons.

In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul describes the resources that God makes available to His followers—the armor of God. Here we are told how, in an attitude of humility and dependence, we are to avail ourselves of God's resources. Note that we are to be strong “in the Lord” and “in the power of His might.” We do not take on demonic strongholds in our own strength. We protect ourselves with the first five pieces of defensive armor and wield the one offensive weapon—the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. In verses 12 and 13 of Ephesians 6, Paul continues, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." 

One of the habits that every believer needs to develop is to focus on Ephesians 6:10-18and commit themselves to "get dressed” spiritually every day. It would go a long way to giving victory over the devil and his schemes. Here he states that while we walk in the flesh (we are living and breathing in this human body), we do not war according to the flesh (we can't fight spiritual battles with fleshly weapons). Instead, as we focus on the resources and weapons of spiritual strength, we can see God give us specific and real victory. No demonic stronghold can withstand Christians wearing the full armor of God, battling with the Word of God, and empowered by His Spirit.

Dethroning Idols

In this way the Lord’s message flourished and prevailed.—Acts 19:20

Paul's world worshiped idols. No idol was more revered in Ephesus than the goddess Diana. The great statue was housed in a magnificent temple and was recognized as one of the wonders of the world. An idol-making industry, providing a livelihood for many people, developed in Ephesus to support the widespread idolatry of the day.

Paul did not go to Ephesus to condemn those worshiping idols but to unashamedly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. As Paul shared the truths of God, and as people were set free from sin's bondage, idol worship began to decline. The contrast between stone carvings and God's power to change lives became obvious. The righteous lives of the Christians stood in stark contrast to the hedonistic practices of the idol worshipers. The victorious Christian witness was so compelling that the economy of the entire city was thrown into upheaval as idolatry diminished in favor of Christianity.

An idol is anything that diverts our devotion from God. Our society is as idolatrous as Paul's was. Rather than worshiping statues, we choose possessions, pleasures, or careers as our gods and pour our time, finances, and energy into these things.

Each of us is called, as Paul was, to live a victorious, joyful, and purposeful Christian life in the midst of an idolatrous society. We do not have to seek out and condemn today's idols. Rather, as we live out our Christianity, enjoying the abundant life God gives, our lives will discredit the idols around us. We may face opposition and hostility from those who are angered at the contrast between our God and theirs. People do not like to have their idols dethroned! Yet as we uphold Christ, others will see a difference and be drawn to Him and the life that He offers.

YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS

In 1897, Francis P. Church wrote a now-famous editorial in which he told little Virginia O'Hanlon that indeed there was a Santa Claus. Church wrote in the Sun:

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist... No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever."

St. Nicholas:
About AD 260 there was born a certain man named Nicholas who became well known for his generosity and his love of children. Raised in the city of Patara on the coast of what is now Turkey, Nicholas traveled to Palestine as a young man.  He later became bishop of the nearby town of Myra. When Emperor Diocletian focused on persecuting Christians, Nicholas was tortured and imprisoned for his faith in Christ. According to tradition, Nicholas was released by Emperor Constantine and later attended the First Council of Nicea in AD 325.

Stories of Nicholas' generosity and kindness continued to spread long after his death. During the Middle Ages, Nicholas became patron saint of charitable fraternities and children, and legends sprouted about his feats of good will. After the Reformation, the legend of St. Nicholas died out everywhere except in Holland. When the Dutch Reformed Christians immigrated to the United States, they brought the traditions of "Sinterklaas" with them. St. Nicholas still rides into Dutch towns every November, dressed in his bishop's garb.

Later in Germany, St. Nicholas would traditionally arrive on his Feast Day, December 6^th. A man dressed as St. Nick would go door to door loaded with a giant sack.  He gave presents to those children who had been good during the year, but a lump of coal was the lot of bad children.

The visual image and personality of St. Nicholas changed during the years.  His red outfit was derived from the red colors bishops wore, but he was often portrayed as tall and thin. The modern version of St. Nick as a plump cheery man originated in a series of Thomas Nast engravings in Harper'' Weekly during and after the American Civil War.

Living Forever
This is a season during which we remember that God sent His Son to earth to be born as a little human baby. The Creator of the Universe was made subject to all the troubles and difficulties of this life  and ultimately died for our sins. Because God gave us His Son, we all have access to eternal life with Him.  There is no greater gift.

While Santa is often seen as a diversion that takes the focus off of Jesus (and rightly so) the real St. Nicholas was no distraction.  He was a man who served Jesus with his whole life. 

Mr. Church was correct in his letter to little Virginia, though perhaps not in the way he intended.  The original St. Nicholas, the man who loved children and cared for the poor, that man was real. That Nicholas does live and live forever - for he was a follower of Jesus Christ. 

"What does the Bible say about pornography?"

By far, the most searched for terms on the internet are related to pornography. Pornography is rampant in the world today. Perhaps more than anything else, Satan has succeeded in twisting and perverting sex. He has taken what is good and right (loving sex between a husband and wife) and replaced it with lust, pornography, adultery, rape, and homosexuality. Pornography can be the first step on a very slippery slope of ever-increasing wickedness and immorality (Romans 6:19). The addictive nature of pornography is well documented. Just as a drug user must consume greater and more powerful quantities of drugs to achieve the same “high,” pornography drags a person deeper and deeper into hard-core sexual addictions and ungodly desires. 

The three main categories of sin are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Pornography definitely causes us to lust after flesh, and it is undeniably a lust of the eyes. Pornography definitely does not qualify as one of the things we are to think about, according to Philippians 4:8. Pornography is addictive (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19), and destructive (Proverbs 6:25-28; Ezekiel 20:30; Ephesians 4:19). Lusting after other people in our minds, which is the essence of pornography, is offensive to God (Matthew 5:28). When habitual devotion to pornography characterizes a person’s life, it demonstrates the person is not saved (1 Corinthians 6:9).

For those involved in pornography, God can and will give the victory. Are you involved with pornography and desire freedom from it? Here are some steps to victory: 

•  Confess your sin to God (1 John 1:9). 
•  Ask God to cleanse, renew, and transform your mind (Romans 12:2). 
•  Ask God to fill your mind with Philippians 4:8. 
•  Learn to possess your body in holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). 
•  Understand the proper meaning of sex and rely on your spouse alone to meet that need (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). 
•  Realize that if you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). 
•  Take practical steps to reduce your exposure to graphic images. Install pornography blockers on your computer, limit television and video usage, and find another Christian who will pray for you and help keep you accountable.

God can and will deliver you from your addiction if you will trust Him to do so.

Porn Ruining the Sex Lives of an Entire Generation

This article  is not for young children but the sad fact is very true. Addiction takes many forms.

Young men in their 20s apparently have no groove in bed — and it's all because they're addicted to pornography, according to a report in Psychology Today.

But the problem is much more serious than simply either being good or bad in the sack, it's a physiological issue causing a new generation of men to lose their libidos 30 years sooner than expected.

How did this happen?

According to the report, overexposure to sexually explicit images and video have caused men to lose interest in ordinary sexual encounters — including experiences with a real woman:

Today's users can force [their] release by watching porn in multiple windows, searching endlessly, fast-forwarding to the bits they find hottest, switching to live sex chat, viewing constant novelty, firing up their mirror neurons with video action and cam-2-cam, or escalating to extreme genres and anxiety-producing material. It's all free, easy to access, available within seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

After a period of time, excessive porn watchers overstimulate a neurochemical in their bodies called dopamine — the drive behind every "want" and "desire" that humans feel we need to "overcome." But with your libido in constant drive mode, your dopamine reaction will become numb and, eventually, you won't be aroused by the same experiences as before.

This occurrence is similar to veteran drug-users describing their need for stronger mind-inducing chemicals in order to receive the same "high" they once had. In the same way, porn-addicted men will need more extreme sexual experiences to feel the same kind of arousal. 

It's an endless cycle and if you think Viagra will help, you're wrong.

Sexual-enhancement drugs work by breaking down a blood vessel dilator called cGMP and this is what causes an erection. If your libido is over worked, the drugs can only cause a physical erection, but a pleasurable sensation cannot be achieved.

The only cure is to avoid internet erotica at all costs, but this will be "one of the most difficult things you've ever done," says the study.

In order to have "normal" sex again, a "reboot" period — six to 12 weeks — is needed by completely letting go of your pornographic nature. Addicts can experience a temporary loss of libido altogether as well as "insomnia, irritability, panic, despair, concentration problems, and even flu-like symptoms."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/porn-ruining-sex-life-2011-10#ixzz1caGGyAng

Halloween: This Trick is NO Treat! By Eric Barger & David Benoit

When we were kids growing up, we always looked forward to Halloween. We knew nothing about how it began, or what the meanings were behind it. All we knew was that we could get dressed up funny and go through the neighborhood and people would give us candy.

The information you are about to receive is to help you understand the seriousness of Halloween. It is not to spoil your fun, but to ask the question: Should we, as Christians, join in a festival whose history and practices are for the dead? Today, with Halloween being a billion dollar business second only to Christmas in retailing, few understand the true nature and historic foundations of this occult celebration.

Origin of Halloween
The word "Halloween" actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from the words "All Hallows Eve," "All Hallows Day," or "All Saints Day." This day was set aside to honor saints. The holiday was founded to try to divert attention away from the pagan practices taking place on this day each October. Though perhaps well intentioned, trying to "Christianize" pagan practices can never be pleasing to God, and Halloween may be the most vivid example of this. Some believe Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine may have brought its origins to America in the 1840s.

To Read More -http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs018/1102797716062/archive/1108269366016.html

Holy Living in the Reality of Salvation

1 Peter 1:13-21

As you read through the first chapter of 1 Peter, we see a transition from description to prescription, from extolling the wonders of God’s work of salvation to telling us what to do with it. To be truthful, it isn't  so much a shift as it is a foundation on which to build—Peter is saying, “because all these things I’ve just told you are true, live this way.”

The first part of the chapter is dealing with the the story of their salvation, the “things into which angels long to look” (v. 12). Here, he tells them, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘you shall be holy, for I am holy’” (vv. 13-16).

This series contains both positive and negative commands, a reminder that holiness (in God’s sight) is something much larger than simply avoiding conspicuous sins. Peter begins here by telling us to be vigilant, preparing our minds for action. The King James Version translates this phrase word-for-word from the Greek, rendering it as “gird up the loins of your mind”—the picture is that of a soldier in ancient times who would have to gather up his robes and tie them around his waist in order to run or do battle. Coupled with the next phrase, “keep sober in spirit,” the message is clearly that we are to be ready, mentally and emotionally, for whatever comes, a theme that is echoed later in the book when Peter urges believers to, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

You have to remember who Peter was writing to as he turns from the talking about God’s great salvation to a warning to be ready for battle. He was writing to believers in Asia Minor who were enduring fierce persecution for their faith. He first reassures them of God’s mercy and their secure, imperishable inheritance of salvation and then reminds them to stand firm on that promise. We are, he says, to “fix [our] hope completely on the grace to be brought to [us] at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” In other words, preparing our hearts and minds for action means keeping them clear of any vain hope. If we are trusting in anything other than Christ to rescue us from persecution, we are in danger of being overtaken by despair.

More than that, however, our “fixed hope” here is in more than the completed work of salvation or the present indwelling of Christ in us, but in His final victory and coming reign, “the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” With Christ as our anchor, we are given both the reason and the ability to flee from sin and pursue the righteousness of God—when we hope in Him, why would we desire otherwise?

In that spirit, Peter likens his readers to “obedient children”, calling to mind their relationship with God as their Father through Christ. In obedience, they were to be modeling their lives after the Father’s will and no longer conforming to their “former lusts” of their pre-redemption “ignorance.” Peter, like Paul, draws a clear distinction between former deeds of the flesh and life in Christ, imploring believers to “put off” the old nature and “put on” the new (cf. Eph. 4:22-24). Our behavior should reflect our change of allegiance, flowing from our identity as children of God.

Peter then makes his first of many appeals to Scripture, quoting Leviticus 11:44, “Be holy, for I am holy.” His understanding of holiness from the Old Testament combines both righteousness and anointing. In the context of this passage, he is reminds us that a holy God demands and desires righteousness from His followers—we cannot call ourselves His if we are still living according to the world’s way. Through the rest of the book, he portrays believers as set apart for God for His work on earth, just as Israel was called, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light” (2:9). Holiness is the primary characteristic of God seen in Scripture, and it is, for Peter, the primary marker of the Church in the world.

Extending his appeal to his readers for holiness, Peter continues, “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth” (v. 17). He brings another dimension, the fear of the Lord, to his readers’ reasons to pursue holiness. He builds on the “family layer” of our status as those “set apart”—if we are in the family of God (calling Him our father), we should strive to “uphold the family name,” living in the reverent, respectful fear children have of their fathers.

Thematically, he reaches a deeper level than just that family metaphor, echoing Jesus’ words of Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Peter understood that his readers lived in constant fear under the shadow of persecution, and probably faced a pervasive temptation to hide their faith to preserve their lives. He pleads with them to correctly place their fear, forsaking earthly safety and comfort for the sake of the Gospel of the kingdom.

Peter then further restates the sheer glory of our salvation and directly ties that to our lives as believers. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (vv. 18-19). We have been redeemed from the “dead end” of life without God that has plagued generations of men. That is the inheritance of the world to which we are born, and contrasts the “imperishable and undefiled” inheritance of Christ (v. 4). Our purchase price is infinite—the blood of our very Lord—and is worth every measure of our devotion.

Peter completes this section by reiterating the “cosmic significance” of Christ’s coming, “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (vv. 20-21). As Christians, we are the heirs and beneficiaries of God’s eternal plan for fellowship with mankind, the culmination of millennia of expectation. Christ was born, crucified, and raised from the dead so that we might fix our hope in Him to the glory of God the Father.

This multifaceted plea for holiness should stir us to take great pains to “give feet” to our salvation, rejoicing with our whole lives in the power and mercy of God. Peter’s argument is quite clear—because of the work of Christ, it behooves us to pour out our all in pursuit of His glory. For his original audience of persecuted believers, it sets the tone for his whole letter by calling them to devotion to God above all others and against all opposition. He implicitly reminds them here (elsewhere in this book, much more explicitly) that true holiness is both attitude and action and will be actively opposed by Satan and the world. For us, we should be reminded that a holiness that doesn’t demand sober spirits and hearts prepared for action may simply be a cloak of moralism. In light of what the Lord has done for us, can we possibly be content with anything less than absolute commitment to His purposes for us? The grace of God is too great a gift to be squandered for a “futile way of life.”

Spiritual Warfare

When it comes to spiritual warfare, there are two errors—over-emphasis and under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on demons that need to be cast out. Others completely ignore the spiritual realm and the fact that the Bible tells us our battle is against spiritual powers. The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding the biblical balance. Jesus sometimes cast demons out of people and sometimes healed people with no mention of the demonic. The apostle Paul instructs Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6) and to wage war against the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Ephesians 6:10-12 (KJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

One thing is certain, we can only be strong in the Lord’s power, it is God’s armor that protects us, and our battle is against spiritual forces of evil in the world.

A powerful example of someone strong in the Lord’s power is Michael, the archangel, in Jude 9. Michael, likely the most powerful of all of God’s angels, did not rebuke Satan in his own power, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Revelation 12:7-8 records that in the end times Michael will defeat Satan. Still, when it came to his conflict with Satan, Michael rebuked Satan in God’s name and authority, not his own. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that Christians have any authority over Satan and his demons. It is only in His Name that our rebuke has any power.

Ephesians 6:13-18 gives a description of the spiritual armor God gives us. We are to stand firm with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and by praying in the Spirit.

The following are what the spiritual armor represent sin spiritual warfare.

• We are to speak the truth against Satan’s lies. 
• We are to rest in the fact that we are declared righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. We are to proclaim the gospel no matter how much resistance we receive. 
• We are not to waver in our faith, no matter how strongly we are attacked. 
• Our ultimate defense is the assurance we have of our salvation, an assurance that no spiritual force can take away. 
• Our offensive weapon is the Word of God, not our own opinions and feelings. 
• We are to follow Jesus’ example in recognizing that some spiritual victories are only possible through prayer. 

Jesus is our ultimate example for spiritual warfare. Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks from Satan when He was tempted by him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Each temptation was answered the same way—with the words “It is written.” Jesus knew the Word of the living God is the most powerful weapon against the temptations of the devil. If Jesus Himself used the Word to counter the devil, do we dare to use anything less?

There are several keys to success in spiritual warfare?

• First, we rely on God’s power, not our own. 
• Second, we rebuke in Jesus’ Name, not our own. 
• Third, we protect ourselves with the full armor of God. 
• Fourth, we wage warfare with the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God. 
• Finally, we remember that while we wage spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons, not every sin or problem is a demon that needs to be rebuked.

Are You Being Delievered

Deliverance is defined as ‘a rescue from bondage or danger.’ Deliverance in the Bible is the acts of God whereby He rescues His people from peril. In the Old Testament, deliverance is focused primarily on God’s removal of those who are in the midst of trouble or danger. He rescues His people 

• from their enemies (1 Samuel 17:37; 2 Kings 20:6), and 
• from the hand of the wicked (Psalm 7:2, 17:13, 18:16-19,59:2). 
• He preserves them from famine (Psalm 33:19), 
• death (Psalm 22:19-21), and 
• the grave (Psalm 56:13, 86:13; Hosea 13:14). 

The most striking example of deliverance is the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 3:8, 6:6, 8:10). Here is God defined as the Deliverer of Israel who rescues His people, not because they deserve to be rescued, but as an expression of His mercy and love (Psalm 51:1, 71:2, 86:13). 

In the New Testament, God is always the subject—and His people are always the object—of deliverance. The descriptions of temporal deliverance in the Old Testament serve as symbolic representations of the spiritual deliverance from sin which is available only through Christ. He offers deliverance from mankind’s greatest peril—sin, evil, death and judgment. By God’s power, believers are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4) and from the power of Satan’s reign (Colossians 1:13). All aspects of deliverance are available only through the person and work of Jesus Christ, who was Himself delivered up for us (Romans 4:25) so that we would be delivered from eternal punishment for sin. Only Jesus rescues us from the “wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). 

Another aspect of deliverance concerns the temporal. While believers are delivered once for all time from eternal punishment, we are also delivered from the trials of this life (2 Peter 2:9). Sometimes that deliverance is God simply walking through the trials by our side, comforting and encouraging us through them as He uses them to mature us in the faith. Paul assured the Corinthian believers that “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). In these cases, rescue is not immediate, but in due time, after patience has had its perfect work (James 1:2-4, 12). God makes the way of escape simultaneously with the temptation which, in His perfect will and timing, He permissively arranges or allows for His people.

Deliverance is often sought from evil spirits or the spirit of lust, jealousy, etc. It’s important to understand that, as believers, we already have eternal victory over Satan and demons. But we can be delivered from their influence in our lives by using two weapons God has given us as part of our spiritual armor with which we battle “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12-17). The believer defends himself with the shield of faith and uses the offensive weapon of the Word of God. Against these two, no spirit can prevail. By holding up the shield of faith, we extinguish the flaming spiritual arrows they send against us, arrows of lust, doubt, guilt, jealousy, evil speech, and all manner of temptations. With the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, we overcome the evil one by proving his temptations to be lies because he is the father of lies (John 8:44). John’s second letter commends the young Christians whose spiritual strength came from the Word of God living in them. By the offensive weapon of the Truth, we overcome the evil one (1 John 2:14). 

Deliverance from sin, rescue from trials, and escape from the influence of a world in the control of the evil one come only through Christ, the Son of God who has come and “has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:19-20).


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Powerless

Then she cried, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” When he awoke from his sleep, he said, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.—Judges 16:20

One of the signs of a heart that has shifted from God is the absence of spiritual power. If you are like Samson, you will not be immediately aware that God's power has left you. Only after he tried to defeat his enemies did Samson recognize that something was wrong. He went against the Philistines as before, expecting their swift defeat. But this time the Philistines easily prevailed over him.

Many, who profess the name of Christ or Christian, are living like Samson. Tyring to walk between Christ and satan, bringing glory to satan and causing damage to the church.

If you allow sin to creep into your life, if you refuse to obey your Lord, if you do not reconcile with those who have hurt you, or who you have hurt, your spiritual vitality is waning. You only go to church when you want to make an impression, or you need something, possibly in the material / money realm. You're conatantly telling everyone you don't understand why God isn't blessing you. You're all the time saying that Christians shoild be more loving and forgiving, yet you are unloving and unforgiving when a Christian trys to point out what you are doing is wrong.

You assume everything is fine, but when you pray, answers do not come as they once did. You once had a positive effect on those around you, but now your influence is negligible or even harmful. Your life once brought reconciliation, but now you experience problems in your relationships. Those around you who have relied upon your strength are discovering that you are not as helpful to them as you once were. They, themselves, lack the fortitude to be open and honest with you as well. Your lack of spiritual power is not crying out for attention; but you are constantly tryin to make excuses for the reason you are like you are in your relationship with God.

The reason you have lost your power in prayer is that there is "sin" in your life, and sin in a believers life always seperates us from God.

How can you stop this spiritual decline? You must regularly repent of any sin. You must invite God to search your life to see if there are attitudes, relationships, or activities that need to be removed. You must fervently obey His will. If you walk with God in this manner, you will grow in spiritual strength and be used mightily by Him.

It is also time, that as Christians, we walk like we are suppose to, and quit making excuses for ourselves, and call sin what it is, "SIN."

Blinded by the God of This Age

2 Corinthians 4:1-7 (KJV)
1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 
2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 


When you are blinded, you cannot see things as they really are, even though others around you see them clearly. You cannot experience the full reality of all that is around you. You may feel you are experiencing all that there is to life, yet you may be unaware that you are missing what God desires for you. You may even be in danger because of your blindness and not know it.

Paul warned that the “god of this age” can blind you to the reality of Jesus Christ. Christ's presence can make a significant difference in your life. However, if Satan convinces you to doubt that Christ can do what He promised, he will have blinded you to the reality of what your life is really like and to what it could become. Others may see what your unbelief causes you to miss, but you will be unaware of it. Your life may be steadily moving toward disaster, but you will be oblivious to it.

Allow me to give you a quotation from Sir Isaac Newton. Certainly no one could say that he was not an intellectual or that he was not a man of remarkable ability. One day someone said this to him: "Sir Isaac, I do not understand. You seem to be able to believe the Bible like a little child. I have tried but I cannot. So many of its statements mean nothing to me. I cannot believe; I cannot understand."

This was the reply of Sir Isaac Newton: "Sometimes I come into my study and in my absentmindedness I attempt to light my candle when the extinguisher is over it, and I fumble about trying to light it and cannot; but when I remove the extinguisher then I am able to light the candle. I am afraid the extinguisher in your case is the love of your sins; it is deliberate unbelief that is in you. Turn to God in repentance; be prepared to let the Spirit of God reveal His truth to you, and it will be His joy to show the glory of the grace of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ."

Why don't people believe? Because Satan has blinded their eyes "lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." It is a glorious gospel, but it is glorious because it reveals the glory of Christ. Apparently that is what men do not want to see.

Christ comes to you as light (John 1:4, 5, 9). He illuminates your sin so that you see its ugliness and destructiveness. He reveals Himself so that you can appreciate the glory of His person and the marvelous riches He brings. His presence lights your path so that you can see impending danger. Don't let the god of this age distort your spiritual vision. Don't be fooled into thinking that everything is as it should be when, in fact, you are missing out on so much that God wants to do in your life. Ask Christ to illuminate your life and let you clearly see your spiritual condition.

Our Delight Is In The Lord

Psalm 37:4 has been a verse I have been trying to fashion my life on. The Psalmist says,"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires."

My relationship with God, if my heart is right, will bring me more joy, satisfaction, and pleasure than any other relationship, activity, or material possession that I have. Scripture exhorts us to delight ourselves in the Lord, finding our greatest pleasure in God and the things dear to His heart.

The way you find this pleasure is to spend time with Him. As you spend intimate time with God and allow Him to show you your situation from His perspective, you will begin to see things as God sees them. As you adjust yourself to God, your heart will begin to desire the same things God's heart desires. When you pray, you will find yourself asking for the very things God desires. Matters foremost on God's heart will be preeminent in yours. Your first request in prayer will not be for yourself, but for "God's name to be exalted and His kingdom to be extended" (Matt. 6:9–10).

I cannot ask God to give me the desires of my heart without first seeking to understand what is on His, and making them my own. This great qualifier prevents us from asking out of selfishness. As we find joy in the Lord, we will see what is truly important, and we will long for these things as the Father does.

Oh, by the way, others will notice this as well.

What is The Biblical View of Strongholds

The word “strongholds” is found once in the New Testament, used metaphorically by Paul in a description of the Christian’s spiritual battle: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses [strongholds]” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4, NASB). This passage reveals the following facts about our warfare:

• 1) Our battle is not planned according to the way this world fights; earthly stratagems are not our concern.
• 2) Our weapons are not physical, for our warfare is spiritual in nature. Rather than guns and tanks, our weapons are those of the “full armor of God” and consist of “the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14-17).
• 3) Our power comes from God alone.
• 4) God’s plan is to demolish spiritual strongholds.

What are these “strongholds” or “fortifications” we face? In the very next verse, Paul interprets the metaphor: “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” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The “arguments” are the philosophies, reasonings, and schemes of the world. The “pretensions” have to do with anything proud, man-centered, and self-confident.

Here’s the picture: the Christian, wearing his spiritual armor and bearing his spiritual weapons, sets out to “conquer” the world for Christ, but he soon finds obstacles. The enemy has erected strongly fortified garrisons to resist the Truth and attempt to thwart God’s plan of redemption. There is the fortress of human reasoning, reinforced with many subtle arguments and the pretense of logic. There is the castle of passion, with flaming battlements defended by lust, pleasure, and greed. And there is the pinnacle of pride, in which the human heart sits enthroned and revels in thoughts of its own excellence and sufficiency.

The enemy is firmly entrenched; these strongholds have been guarded for thousands of years, presenting a great wall of resistance to the Truth. None of this deters the Christian warrior, however. Using the weapons of God’s choosing, he attacks the strongholds, and by the miraculous power of Christ, the walls are breached, and the bastions of sin and error are battered down. The victorious Christian enters the ruins and leads captive, as it were, every false theory and every human philosophy that had once proudly asserted its independence from God.

If this sounds a lot like Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho, you’re right. What a great illustration of spiritual truth that story is (Joshua 6)!

Sharing the Gospel is not the only time we see resistance. We can also face demonic strongholds in our own lives, in our families, and even in our churches. Anyone who has fought an addiction, struggled with pride, or had to “flee youthful lusts” knows that sin, a lack of faith, and a worldly outlook on life are indeed “strongholds.”

The Lord is building His Church, and the “gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). What we need are Christian soldiers, totally surrendered to the will of the Lord of Hosts, who will use the spiritual weapons He provides. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).

How To Walk Wisely

Once you have come to accept Christ as your personal savior, and you are seriously wanted to let Him give you victory from your "strongholds", there are seven elements to a consistent Christ-cenetered lifestyle.

Determination: Walking in wisdom is not something that happens automatically. We must decide ahead of time to pursue godly living wholeheartedly.

Focus; To stay on the path of God's will in our lives, we must fix our attention on His Word. As we mediate on Scripture and let it's truth be absorbed into our minds, we will align ourselves with Christ, and our choices will be in tune with biblical principles.

Spirit Sensitivity: As we develop a determination to live a holy life style and as we pay close attention to the Scriptures, we become more sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and He will show us direction that we are to take in our daily walk with Him.

Trust: There are times that in our thinking, the Lord's choices for us are not sensible; in other words, they may seem foolish or require a sacrifice. trusting in His perfect wisdom is necessary if we are to walk according to His divine plan for our lives.

Courage: Sometimes, the things that God requires of us may make us fearful. But, as our faith and trust in Him grows and deepens, our courage will grow also, and we will discover the wonderful joy of embracing His choice for us.

Perseverance: It is one thing to start out on the right path, but maintaining the course is a different matter. We can only choose and stay constant over a long period of time by depending on God, and God alone. Nothing else will work.

Wisdom: Walking with God requires that we constantly practice a few basics:

• know God,
• trust Him,
• listen to Him.
• and obey Him.

Is this your desire and pattern for your life?

REMEMBER, a lifetime of godliness develops one choice at a time.

A Way That Seems Right

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it is the way of death.—Proverbs 16:25

Things are not always what they seem. Proverbs warns that we can be deceived into believing we are going down the right path and yet be heading toward death, the opposite direction from God's will. People do not naturally seek God or pursue righteousness (Rom. 3:10–18). Only as the Spirit awakens our hearts to the Person of Christ are we able to desire God's will. If we make decisions apart from the guidance of the Spirit of God, we will be like a ship trying to sail without a compass. We will do what makes the most sense, based on our own wisdom. But what looks attractive may actually lead to sin, ultimately destroying what is precious to us, for our most profound human thinking is mere foolishness to God (1 Cor. 1:18–20). Only God knows the way that leads to life, and He wants to lead us to walk in it (Matt. 7:13–14).

Don't assume every opportunity that arises is from God. Satan will disguise himself as an “angel of light,” and his invitations will seem to be in your best interest (2 Cor. 11:14). Yet his way leads only to death (John 8:44). The word of God will be like a light to your path, guiding you in the ways of righteousness (Ps. 119:105).

It can be perilous to follow a path that seems right without first consulting the Holy Spirit for guidance (John 16:13). Take time to seek the Holy Spirit's direction when you face decisions. He knows the full ramifications of your choices. The Holy Spirit will assist you to understand truth and to experience abundant life. Trust Him as He leads you.

Spiritual Strongholds

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV) 

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 

The word “strongholds” is found only once in the New Testament, and is used metaphorically by Paul to give us a description of the Christian’s spiritual battle. This passage gives us several facts about our warfare:

• Our battle is not planned according to the way this world fights.
• Our weapons are not physical, for our warfare is spiritual in nature. 
• Our power comes from God alone.
• God’s plan is to demolish spiritual strongholds.

Spiritual warfare means that we have a spiritual enemy, and a spiritual enemy requires spiritual weapons. We are told that we have some weapons and they are mighty. They are effective. 

Our first weapon is the Word of God. We need to have confidence in the Word of God. It is the sword of the Spirit. Paul could come to Corinth, that citadel of philosophy and religion, with the weapon of the Word of God. That is exactly the weapon that he used. Paul writes in Ephesians:

• "And take the helmet of salvation;
• and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17). Paul drew his trusty sword, and he depended upon the naked blade of it. He wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

The second weapon is the presence of the Holy Spirit. Paul recognized his own human weakness. He knew that he was sealed by the Holy Spirit and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Another weapon of our warfare is prayer. Now it is true that there is very little about prayer in either of the Corinthian epistles. However, Paul certainly believed in prayer. In the Book of Ephesians he lists this as one of the offensive weapons. "... Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Eph. 6:17-18).

What are these “strongholds” or “fortifications” we face? In verse 5, Paul interprets the metaphor: 

• Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

 The “arguments” are the philosophies, reasonings, and schemes of the world. The “pretensions” have to do with anything proud, man-centered, and self-confident.

The enemy has erected strongly fortified garrisons to resist the Truth and attempt to thwart God’s plan of redemption. There is the fortress of human reasoning, reinforced with many subtle arguments and the pretense of logic. There is the castle of passion, with flaming battlements defended by lust, pleasure, and greed. And there is the pinnacle of pride, in which the human heart sits enthroned and revels in thoughts of its own excellence and sufficiency.

The enemy is firmly entrenched; these strongholds have been guarded for thousands of years, presenting a great wall of resistance to the Truth. None of this deters the Christian warrior, however. Using the weapons of God’s choosing, he attacks the strongholds, and by the miraculous power of Christ, the walls are breached, and the bastions of sin and error are battered down. The victorious Christian enters the ruins and leads captive, as it were, every false theory and every human philosophy that had once proudly asserted its independence from God.

Anyone who has fought an addiction, struggled with pride, or had to “flee youthful lusts” knows that sin, a lack of faith, and a worldly outlook on life are indeed “strongholds.”

What we need are Christian soldiers, totally surrendered to the will of the Lord of Hosts, who will use the spiritual weapons He provides. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).