“Armed & Dangerous”
By
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
2nd Corinthians 10:4-6
OPENING: - Stop and think for a moment why is it that one person is able to do as the Bible says and love thy neighbor while another person loathes his neighbor and steals from him. One person sees all men are created equal and that life is a precious gift of God, while another person judge’s people by the color of their skin and hates them for no other reason then they just don’t look like I do. Environment, economics, culture, geographical location, education, religious beliefs, and social status; although each of these factors will play a role in the life of a person each person behaves the way they do based purely upon the mind-set they possess or even better the mind-set that possesses them.
Our thoughts develop our character and determine our destiny. Through the process of time a person can become a Nobel Prize winner for peace or a serial killer that will terrorize an entire nation, simply due to the fact who has control of the mind.
We must understand that thousands upon thousands of thoughts pass through our minds on a daily basis. Some of these thoughts we rebuke and get rid of them as quickly as they come. Other thoughts we store in the capacity of the mind called our memory for consideration at a later time. Then there are the thoughts that embed themselves in our conscience. It is these perverted thoughts that we must get rid of and replace with righteous thoughts for if we don’t it is these thoughts which fashion our character and ultimately determine our destiny.
In order to develop a morally and spiritually successful life that is filled with meaning, direction, purpose, fulfillment and love we must be able to keep the devil from having control of our minds. We must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.
We need to understand regardless of our past life, regardless of our current conditions, regardless of our perception of what the future seems to hold that God is able to change our way of thinking, change our way of acting, create new desires and passions within us, change our incorrect concept of Him, make impure thoughts pure, and give us a brand new outlook on life. However, this requires letting Him have control of our mind.
My job is to preach the Word of God and do as the Bible says in Luke 1:4 preach it so “that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”
MESSAGE: - When I was 18 years old I thought as most 18 yr olds that I was pretty much invincible. I wasn’t the heavy weight champion of the world, but I could handle myself pretty well. I fought when I had to and because I could never run fast enough to normally get away, so if I tried to run I would get caught, then I would be out of breath and have to fight tired; therefore, I would have to stand and fight. In so doing I learned how to handle myself with my fist. Some fights I lost and some I won, it was different then, if you lost a fight you lost you didn’t go and get a gun and kill the person you just tried to beat them the next time, but if you were in a fight with me regardless of the outcome you would know that you had been in a fight.
When I joined the Army and in basic training I had to go through what is called hand to hand combat training. What hand to hand combat training did was it taught me different techniques on how to fight. During this hand to hand combat training the drill instructors would drill into our mind that in a war time situation the person that we were in battle with is in fact the enemy and their mission is to kill you before you kill them. So if you wanted to live then you better use these techniques to defeat him and stay alive – your life depends upon how you use what you are being taught right now.
By teaching me these techniques and literally changing the way I thought they equipped me with something that literally changed me from being an 18 yr old that thought he could handle himself to someone that was now Armed & Dangerous. I was not armed with my M-16, I didn’t have my M-203 grenade launcher with me, my bayonet was attached to my rifle, but I was equipped in my mind with the techniques that gave me the ability to defeat the enemy and most of all to survive.
We are in a war right now that is not being broadcast on the evening news. There are no embedded news reporters giving a detailed description of the days events. Newspapers are not dedicating their front page headlines to this war. It is sad that people are not being informed to the atrocities that are going on in this war.
Thousands upon thousands of casualties result from this war everyday, yet people do not even realize that it is going on. There is uniqueness about this war that is different than any war ever fought. This war is not fought in the desert or on the sea, neither is it being fought in the jungles or the mountain tops, it is not even being fought with bullets, rifles, or bombs, yet it is a war and the battlefield for this war is the mind of every man, woman, boy and girl and the nuclear weapon that is used is mind control.
The victors of this war will inherit everlasting life with the Lord Jesus, while the casualties will suffer hell’s damnation for all eternity. Spiritual Warfare is something we all are involved in. Some of us are soldiers battling the enemy, engaging in hostile missions, wielding the sword of the spirit, and razing hell. Others unfortunately have become prisoners of war, held in a prison crueler than any other in history. Although free from the natural bars and doors, they are still being held captive. Mentally mixed up, emotionally emasculated, and spiritually lost they want to be free, but are unable to escape what seems to be impenetrable bars. They are being held in solitary confinement by the guards of fear, guilt, lies, discouragement, disappointment, and discontentment. They have become casualties and are experiencing the effects of Mind Control the Nuclear Weapon of Spiritual Warfare.
The devil tries to use mind control because he knows that who ever has control of the mind has control of the body. He understands that to have mind control of someone or a group of people can cause mass destruction - look at Jim Jones and David Karesch. If we look at the condition of the world today we see that the devil is using mind control on the people trying to cause mass destruction. We have kids killing parents, parents killing kids, terrorist trying to bomb trains, plane, and automobiles. We have people students killing students and teachers in school. We have courts system passing same sex marriages, which is an abomination to God trying to make it acceptable all because of who has control of the mind and he is trying to cause a mass destruction.
WHAT IS MIND CONTROL: - Mind control is the term used to describe covert behavior modification techniques and the use of neuroinfluencing technology. In its simplest form it is the “loss of control” by an individual over free will or their power of choice. Mind control is achieved by the method of deception – lies are presented as truth. Understand that a half truth is a whole lie. A false show of friendship and acceptance are methods of recruitment into an atmosphere of mind control. Guilt, fear, separation, and isolation are ways that the enemy uses to infiltrate the mind and gain control. He will cause you to believe that the things you have done in your past are being remembered by God even though He said He will remember them no more. He will make you feel as though the people of God are looking upon you with strange eyes and that you will never achieve forgiveness from God or the people. So then you begin to isolate yourself from the people of God and loneliness set in. The door of your mind has become open which allows the devil to come in and take control. That’s why people are in the condition they find themselves in today. Some live a homosexual lifestyle, some are hooked on drugs and alcohol, some go from abusive relationship to abusive relationship, some sell their bodies for a quick fix, some end up in prison, and some just loose their mind, all because the devil has come in and gained control of their mind and placed a stronghold on their mind.
STRONGHOLD: - is a mind-set that is impregnated with the spirit of hopelessness, helplessness, depression, discouragement, and anxiety that causes a person to accept as unchangeable and irrevocable a situation in their lives even-though they know it goes contrary to the Will of God. See the devil knows that when we believe something in our minds it not only alters the way we perceive a certain thing, but how we begin to act and live according to what we believe.
That’s why when someone goes to the doctor and the doctor says I’m sorry, but you have a fatal condition and you only have 1 month to live, but the Bible says “By His stripes we are healed”. WATCH THIS: - It is God’s Will that we are healed, the Bible said so, but because the devil has a stronghold on your mind you believe the report of the doctor. You become discouraged, depression sets in, then anxiety takes hold of you and you become anxious and begin to worry about what is suppose to come. If you don’t break that stronghold on your mind then you will die. But whose report are you gonna believe. If His Word said you are healed and He cannot lie guess what, you are healed, you better break that stronghold and give God praise.
OUR TEXT:- Our text read “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled”
FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL – This means these aren’t guns and bombs. These are not man made weapons of destruction, but they are weapons (techniques) that we are equipped with in our mind (heart) that we can use to defeat the enemy and be victorious. But are mighty through God. The military has missiles that are capable of traveling a great distance with super fast speed and pin-point accuracy, but I have the weapon of prayer that is faster than any missal ever invented and it is mighty through God with so great accuracy that through the Word of God will even divide asunder the marrow from the bone.
In the natural God forbid I may not be able to win every physical fight I had, but in this battle with the devil as long as I use these techniques I will win and can’t loose, because I’m more then a conqueror.
TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS – Those mind-sets that are impregnated with hopelessness and discouragement are destroyed. Those demonic forces are put to flight. I have the weapon of His name. In the name of Jesus I got the victory. In the name of Jesus Demons have to flee. Tell me who can stand before us because in the name of Jesus we got the victory. I’m reminded of a picture that was passed around years ago it said I know I’m somebody because God don’t make no junk. I am pulling down the stronghold on my mind.
THE CASTING DOWN OF IMAGINATIONS – Imaginations are a by product of the mind. The devil uses our imagination to try to defeat us by causing us either to think more highly of oneself then they ought to or to have such an inferiority complex that they believe there’s no reason to live.
Then there are those like the ones in the Days of Noah, their very imagination was evil. They did not do evil through carelessness, but they deliberately and designedly thought how to do evil. In my mind I think about all these organizations and people that go against God. Taking prayer out of schools, trying to take the 10 commandments out of Federal buildings, trying to take In God we Trust off of the back of money. They are trying to take One Nation Under God out of the National Anthem. They are even trying to tell the preacher what they can and cannot say. The very imagination is evil, but we have been Armed & are considered Dangerous.
We cast down & demolish all theories, reasoning’s, ideologies, and any high system of immoral and impure ethics that are contrary to the Will of God. The Bible says I’m more than a conqueror, I’m a royal priesthood, I’m a peculiar people, I’m the son of the King of kings, I’m an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ, I have the victory. So every imagination that is contrary to that I am Armed and Dangerous capable of casting them down through Jesus Christ. I don’t have to take that mess I have been equipped with what I need to be victorious.
BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST - We have the weapons and power to arrest every thought and bring it into subjection. Jealousy, evilness, wickedness, impurity, immorality, and every other facet that goes contrary to the Will of God must be arrested and made to be obedient to God. The old saying the devil made me do it, doesn’t fly, because we have the power to arrest what he tries to do and bring it into the obedience of Jesus Christ.
HAVING IN A READINESS TO REVENGE ALL DISOBEDIENCE- I like this one a lot because it says I have to be ready to fight. Disobedience is anything contrary to the Will of God.
WATCH THIS: - The Bible speaks of Joy in 4 different ways.
1. Joy
2. Great Joy
3. Exceeding Great Joy
4. Joy unspeakable and full of Glory.
If the enemy has stolen your joy that is disobedience so you must revenge what the enemy has stolen from you.
If the enemy has stolen your health and the Bible says by His stripes you are healed then you must revenge what the enemy has stolen from you.
If the Bible says you shall have life and have it more abundantly and the enemy has stolen your abundance then you have to revenge disobedience.
You are Armed & Dangerous. You have been equipped with the techniques needed to defeat the enemy and survive.
You are more than a conqueror.
You are Armed & Dangerous. You can pull down strongholds, cast down imaginations, go to the enemy’s camp and get your stuff back. You are warriors. You are a winner. You are royalty. You are chosen to be victorious. You are destined for greatness.
God said “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end”. That expected end is victorious.
You are Armed & Dangerous, You are victorious all you have to do is see yourself in the future. All you have to do is see yourself with your stuff back.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like David said “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed beg for bread”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Paul said “with every temptation God will make a way of escape”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Pilot said “I find no fault in Him”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Esther “If I perish I perish, but I’m going to see the King”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Job “I know my redeemer liveth”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Job said again “No weapon formed against me shall prosper”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Nehemiah said “I’m doing a great work so that I cannot come down”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Caleb said “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like David said “This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and save him from all his troubles”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say like Jesus said “Get the behind me Satan”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to say “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praise”.
Because - You are Armed & Dangerous. You need to do like the songwriter said and “think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for you and from the depth of your soul cry out Hallelujah”
District Elder M. L. Maughmer, Jr.
