FROM THE PULPIT 16 APRIL 2023 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition “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” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). “All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. Agirl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have to fight in my own house. She let out her breath. I loves Harpo, she say. God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead before I let him beat me.” - Alice Walker, “The Color Purple” Mrs. Walker’s passage is a powerful appraisal of a women’s personal assault, abuse and adversity as well as a dynamic and determined declaration in opposition to spousal abuse in the life of Sophia a character in the movie “The Color Purple” (1985). I respectfully suggest that we consider and examine her excerpt with the flaming eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because with his eyes we can arrive at an accurate assessment of application. And that assessment is that we are recipients of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, and subsequently, we will be in a fight all our lives on this side of eternity with the enemy of God and man, Satan, the anointed Cherub that changed into an abominable adversary. In the book of Revelation 1:14, we find that His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire. When John saw the Lord, he described our Lord’s eyes as flames of fire. That is eyes that are purging, piercing and penetrating. Eyes that can powerfully probe the very heads and hearts of men. Therefore, with the Spirit of God and the word of God we should see things fromHis flaming eyes, which in turn will give us the capacity to judge the spiritual influences inciting and perpetrating the pattern of abuse. We will also discern that all maltreatment and manipulation and maladies of sin are inseparable from a spiritual source. And I propose to you that it is a salacious and satanical source that sets up and solidify strong holds. Spiritual strongholds The term strongholds are found once in the New Testament and are used figuratively by the Apostle Paul in his comprehensive characterization of the Christian’s warfare: 2 Corinthians 10:4. Often these strong holds are spiritual and fleshly. The conquering Christian must move into the clash of cinders and confines of spiritual conflict, knowing that every false assumption and every human philosophy always arrogantly asserts its autonomy against God. Beloved our battle is not targeted according to the way this world fights. In addition, our weapons are not physical, for our warfare is spiritual in nature. And our power comes from God alone. And God’s grand and glorious goal is to demolish spiritual strongholds. So, what are these “strongholds” that we consistently confront. In the very next verse, Paul places it on a shelf of comprehension so we can grab it. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God…” So, we biblically bulldoze the bamboozlement of all arguments and dispositions that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, as well as enslaved every thought to make it compliant to Christ” The “arguments” are the philosophies, interpretations and ideas of the world. Therefore, here is what it looks like. the Christian, dressed in his divine spiritual armor and carrying his spiritual weapons, heads out to wage and win the war with the world, the flesh, and Satan for Christ. It’s part in parcel for the soldier of Christ to instantly find himself facing robust resistance due to the dynamic that the enemy is not docile but determined to defeat and dethrone the Lord’s authority in your life. Human reasoning The enemy has also established strong holds to defy the Truth and obstruct God’s plan of redemption. One such strong hold is the strong hold of human reasoning, which is basically leaning to one’s own understanding- and an establishment of emotions that are unscrutinized and unsupervised by the Spirit of God. God calls us to interpret and come to conclusions related to our life experiences with the Spirit of God and the word of God. In addition, strong holds are reinforced with rebellion, passions, lust, fear, and hardened by a will poisoned and powered by pride. When we wage our war against Satan, the flesh and the world with the weapons from Heaven, we will wage a valiant war and deconstruct and destroy every stronghold. Pastor Bernard King Sr. The Lords Under shepherd at Cornerstone Bible Fellowship. For more information, please visit our website at Cbfdelray.org. FROMTHE PULPIT is a newmonthly column that will feature the writings of a different pastor serving in South Florida each month. Waging a Valiant War and Destroying Strongholds Bernard King Sr. Pastor, Cornerstone Bible Fellowship
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