THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND
Romans 8:31-39
The story was told by Dr. Donald Gary Barnhouse a Presbyterian Ministry & Radio Preacher and Editor of Eternity Magazine and Author. He lived with his family in France while in school. On their dinner table sat a little promise book that held about 200 promises from the Bible which was read each day at mealtime by his family.
One day, as a young man, he was able to lead a young French girl to Christ. Afterwards, she would often come to their house and saw the family reading these verses around the family dinner table and family altar. Not having one she made her own promise book out of slips of paper on her own.
During WWII she found herself in distress with no food available except for some meager potato peeling from a restaurant, her children were emaciated and their clothing mere rags. In desperation, one day, she cried out in despair, “Oh, Lord, is there a promise that I can have in all this? My children are hungry, they have no clothes, its cold, we live from day to day, meal to meal and we could die any day!”
Blinded by her tears she reached for her promise papers, the one she made herself, looking for a promise. As she reached for the promise papers she knocked them down off the counter and spilling them and showering them all over the floor and her lap. Not one paper was left in it’s place in the box. For a few moments she just fell down off the chair on her knees looking for a promise in the midst of her despair. With tears flowing she suddenly realized that it was not just one promise that was hers but all of God’s Promises were hers! Joy & Strength began to return to her life. She was immediately filled with hope and she was able to trust His Sufficiency in the hour of her greatest need!
FOLK, ALL HIS PROMISES ARE OURS!
Believe it or not, we may think & realize that all His Promises are ours but we don’t always have the “MIND-SET” to accept them as “OURS!” That is what I’ve been preaching for some weeks!
WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR MIND-SET IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS HE HAS FOR US!
Turn with me to Romans 8:31-39 and follow along with me. I want you to understand something that will bless you and encourage you!
I said a few moments ago “ALL HIS PROMISES ARE OURS!” That means not some, not a few, not most, not even 99% of them but “ALL OF THEM ARE OURS.” BUT HOW MANY OF US ACT ON ALL OF THEM!
FOR THE MOST PART WE DO NOT! BUT IT IS THOSE WHO “ACT ON ALL OF THEM” THAT SEEM TO HAVE THE MOST VICTORY! THEY WALK IN THE “POWER OF HIS TRUTH & HIS PROMISES!” THEY WALK IN THE “VICTORY” THAT GOD MEANT FOR US TO WALK IN!
There are many who walk in the “POWER OF HIS TRUTH & HIS PROMISES!” John Hagee is a man who walks in the “POWER OF HIS TRUTH & HIS PROMISES!”
He walks in an “UNCOMMON VICTORY” THAT MOST DO NOT KNOW OR EVER WILL KNOW! NOT BECAUSE THEY CAN’T BUT BECAUSE THEY “CHOOSE NOT TO!” I’LL GET TO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT!
I’M DETERMINED TO BECOME A “MAN OF VICTORY” SIMILAR TO WHAT HE IS!
IS IT EASY! ABSOLUTELY NOT! IS IT POSSIBLE! ABSOLUTELY! IT’S NOT EASY BUT IT IS POSSIBLE! SCRIPTURE TELLS US IN PHILIPPIANS 4:13 THAT “WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WHO STRENGTHENS US!”
Romans 8:31-39 has “#7 PROMISES” in it.
1. #31. If God be for us who can be against us?
2. #32. The one who didn’t spare His own son will (graciously) give us all things
3. #33. It is God who justifies
4. #34. Jesus is at the Right Hand of God interceding for us
5. #35. No one shall separate us from the love of God
6. #37. We are more than Conquerors
7. #39. No thing shall separate us from the love of God...
Folk, the enemy of our Lord & souls knows where the Battle really is when it comes to His children! The enemy knows how to wage war on the Children of God and we need to know and understand how he does that and how to effectively win against his tactics!
The enemy knows the scripture! He was there when it was written, he was an insider before his fell from his power and position. He knows the promises I just read to you and he knows that he CANNOT SEPARATE YOU FROM THE POWER & LOVE OF GOD HIMSELF! SCRIPTURE ALREADY TELLS US! I JUST TOLD YOU THAT STRAIGHT FROM ROMANS 8! SO HOW DOES HE ATTACK US!
I. IT’S A BATTLE FOR THE MIND!
Proverbs 23:7 reads
“For as a he thinks in his heart so he is...”
YOUR GREATEST BATTLE IS IN “YOUR MIND” AND THE ENEMY OF YOUR SOUL KNOWS THAT! THAT IS WHY THERE IS AN ALL OUT “ASSAULT ON THE MIND” OF CHRISTIANS!
ATTITUDES INSIDE US ARE LIKE A JACK-IN-THE-BOX! Most likely it’s been a long time since one of you played with one of those. But you remember how it goes. You turn the crank and with every turn you know you come closer and closer to the clown jumping out of the box. With every turn you know its going to happen but you just don’t know when and then all of a sudden it jumps out and even though you were expecting it you’re still surprised.
Your attitude is the same way! When you least expect it, it pops out! And it’s never pretty when it does! It will always make people think different of us or even dislike us!
Romans 12:2 tells us...
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Folk, you cannot let the world squeeze you into it’s mold, but you must let God “RE-MOLD” you from your mind from within, so that you may prove in practice that plan of God for you “IS GOOD!”
Philippians 4:8-9
“Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true...think on these things...and the peace of God shall be with you.”
II. WE ONLY LOSE WHEN WE CHOOSE TO LOSE!
One of the things I’ve tried to teach my boys is to never give up! I’ve given up a few times in my life! And of those times I’ve given up, I paid for them dearly for many, many years! One of the things I learned about those times is to NEVER GIVE UP AGAIN! Am I ever tempted to give up!
ABSOLUTELY! ABSOLUTELY I’M TEMPTED TO GIVE UP! & THERE ARE TIMES I FEEL LIKE GIVING UP, TIMES I THINK ABOUT IT, BUT THEN I REMIND MYSELF OF THE TIMES I DID GIVE UP & I STEELE MYSELF IN THE LORD & HE SETS MY MIND “RIGHT & STRAIGHT” SO I DON’T & WON’T GIVE UP!
Some of the ways we “CHOOSE TO LOOSE” is by what we “FOCUS ON!” What we gaze on. When we gaze to look on anything else other than God, when we focus on things less than a godly nature we put ourselves at risk of “CHOOSING TO LOSE!”
Have you ever heard the saying that “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT?” I remember a group of loving & lovely East Indians that shared our church in Pasadena. They’d come in on Sunday Mornings & take the class that I had my Youth Class in. One day I went back in there after service to get something I’d left & was astonished by the smell. I thought those people didn’t bath but when I told my Pastor he told me, “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!” They didn’t smell or stink! What I smelled was what they ATE! What they ate came out in their sweat glands. He told me most likely we smelled different to them as well.
I told you a few moments ago of Proverbs 23:7 that says...
“For as a he thinks in his heart so he is...”
YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE! If you think you are a loser then you are a loser! If you think you are a nobody then you are a nobody! But if you think you are a child of God THEN YOU ARE AN ALMIGHTY CHILD OF GOD!
WE ARE WHAT WE THINK WE ARE! WE HAVE CONTROL OVER OUR THOUGHTS AS WE PRACTICE CONTROL OVER THOSE THOUGHTS!
Look with me in Joshua 24:15...
“If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you
will serve...but as for me and my house WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”
Joshua made a CHOICE! Joshua made a DECISION! He made a STATEMENT because that is what He thought & what he thought is what he knew & that is what made him who he was! A child of God! He controlled his thoughts! He told them to “CHOOSE” for he had made his “CHOICE!”
The more we chose Christ & the more we allow Him in our lives, our thoughts the more HE HELPS US OVERCOME THE WORLD!
Philippians 4:7 says
“And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and MINDS through Christ Jesus.”
What is on the INSIDE is what we REALLY ARE before God & Man!
After the Iranian Hostage Crisis in late 79-81 the 52 U.S. Diplomats held for 444 days after a group of militants took over the American Embassy one of the hostages gave an interview & said...
“We had no idea the amount of publicity our situation received back home in America. The captors kept us from knowing how our nation felt about it & what was being done to free us. Had we known the captivity would have been more bearable. We were made to think our country had forgotten & written us off.”
III. WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR THINKING!
Often we read our lives as being: DEFEATED, ACCUSED, JUDGED & ABANDONED
NOTE THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL & HOPELESSNESS! THAT IS JUST WHAT THE ENEMY WANTS US TO THINK! IN CAUSING US TO THINK THAT THEN SO ARE WE! THE DEFEAT IS FIRST IN THE MIND THEN IT IS IN THE SPIRIT OF MAN!
OH, BUT LOOK WITH ME AT THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS PUT IN OUR MINDS BY THE ENEMY OF OUR SOULS!
EACH OF THESE ARE ANSWERED BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR ANSWERS IN CHRIST!
DEFEATED
#31. IF GOD BE FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?
ACCUSED
#33. IT IS GOD WHO JUSTIFIES!
JUDGED
#34. JESUS IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD INTERCEDING FOR US!
ABANDONED
#35. NO ONE SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD!
IN VERSE #34 JESUS STANDS IN BETWEEN ALL OF THEM IN BETWEEN ALL THESE ATTITUDES!
REMEMBER VERSE #34:
CHRIST DIED FOR US
CHRIST ROSE FOR US
CHRIST REIGNS IN POWER FOR US
CHRIST PRAYS & INTERCEDES FOR US
VERSE #37 TELLS US....
“WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US.”
OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN RUINED BY OUR THOUGHTS, ACTIONS, & ATTITUDES!
THAT IS WHY JESUS DIED FOR US BUT THOSE SAME THINGS CAN AND STILL DOES HAUNT US IN OUR MINDS. WE NEED TO ALWAYS SURRENDER TO HIM WHO LOVED US & DIED FOR US!
MAYBE YOU’VE FELT THESE THINGS I’VE MENTIONED THIS MORNING! FOLK, IT HAPPENS TO CHRISTIANS ALL THE TIME! ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS CALL ON HIM!
Romans 8:31-39
“What then shall we say in response to this? If God be for us then who can be
against us? He who did not spare His own son, but gave Him up for all of us, how will He not also, along w/Him graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those who God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? Its Christ Jesus who died, more than that, was raised from to life is at the right hand side of the God & is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall trouble, hardship or persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword? As it is written for your sake we face death all day long. We’re considered as sheep for the slaughter. No in all these things we are more than conquerors thru Him who loved us for I am convinced that neither death, nor life, angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation shall be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Altar Call
THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND
Romans 8:31-39
GCC Wed. 2/ 9/11
Romans 8:31-39
Romans 8:31-39 has “#7 PROMISES” in it.
(Please list these one after another as they are stated)
1. #31. If God be for us who can be against us?
2. #32. The one who didn’t spare His own son will graciously give us all things
3. #33. It is God who justifies
4. #34. Jesus is at the Right Hand of God interceding for us
5. #35. No one shall separate us from the love of God
6. #37. We are more than Conquerors
7. #39. No thing shall separate us from the love of God...
I. It’s a battle for the mind!
Proverbs 23:7, Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8-9
II. We only lose when we choose to lose!
Proverbs 23:7, Joshua 24:15, Philippians 4:7
III. We need to change our thinking!
Defeated: Romans 8:31
Accused: Romans 8:33
Judged: Romans 8:34
Abandoned: Romans 8:35,
Romans 8:34, Romans 8:37
