Put On The Full Armor of God

My Heart

Mat 15:19
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

My heart is the problem. An unregenerate heart has its own worldview, it seeks and defines its own wisdom, and it desperately wants veto power over anything it finds disagreeable. As a result, a fleshly heart has open and frequent communication with Darkness; they speak the same language, they have the same goals and the same ambitions; a fleshly heart joins Darkness in its opposition to the inward rule of God.

As Christians, we are a new creation with a new heart; we are created in Christ Jesus and our new identity is in the resurrected Christ. This new creation, in nature, is both a spiritual and moral. Spiritual because we are born again by the Spirit of God, and moral because Salvation is also a sanctifying work. We are born again by the Spirit of God and adopted into the family of God; we are no longer the same person even though we live in the same body and continue to struggle with our human nature. One could say we are a new creation temporarily housed in a physical body.

Even though born-again, we continue to live on earth and we are told to renew our mind and discipline our physical body so that we no longer serve ourselves, but serve God. We are able to stop sinning if we allow the Word of God to rule over our intellect, rule over our will, and rule over our emotions. We are called to live a sanctified life through the power of the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit gives us inward power through the new birth to overcome our old self-centered way of living. The point of salvation is not only to save us, but to change us inwardly by giving us power and victory over the bondage of a self-seeking and a self-centered heart. The words of that old hymn speak of Christ providing a "double cure", meaning that Salvation is both a justifying and a sanctifying work.

Rock of ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee,
Let the water and the blood,
From thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

The Desires of Our Heart

Our problem is the sinfulness of our heart. Our heart prefers and loves it's own way above Gods way. As a result of that self-love, we naturally partner with Darkness against the message and work of the gospel. Sooner or later we realize that our heart is the problem and that our heart is the focus of the gospel; only the gospel has the power to change us inwardly.

The gospel not only saves, but sanctifies. The people of God are in a battle, a ongoing fight, and we are called to work out and walk out, the redemptive victories of Christ. The cross has dealt our sinful flesh a fatal blow. And the Resurrection is our promise of a new life. We are no longer bound by a sinful nature but are raised to new life; our new nature being found in the resurrected Christ. As Christians, by living out the victory of Christ over sin, we show all creation the wisdom of God in sending His Son to redeem a people.

Planet Earth and Our Heart

God has chosen that we walk out His victories in this life, on planet earth. He leaves us in our physical body, and with our mind. On Salvation, He could have translated us to heaven instantly. But He didn't. He chose to leave us on Earth, in the midst of spiritual enemies; enemies that hate God, hate His people, and hate everything good.

In addition to our spiritual enemies, our physical body and our mind must be daily disciplined to serve God. If our mind and body are left to themselves, they will turn us from serving the Lord.

As born-again Christians, this is our battle. We are to daily walk out the redemptive victories of Christ over the world, over our fleshly nature, and over the Devil. This is the life we have been given to live. As we live out Christ's victories, we prove the work of Christ to be more powerfulthan the power of the Devil. We do not despair, we have been given victory over the enemies of our soul!

Spiritual Evil

Spiritual evil is about planned and willful opposition to God, opposition to His Word, opposition to His way of salvation, and opposition to you, a born-again Christian. This system of darkness is intelligent, disciplined, powerful, and according to scripture, exercises influence over the entire world and every unbeliever! Ephesians 2:1-3, 1John 5:19

A Selfish Heart

All Christians have a sinful nature that opposes God. This sinful nature, also called the "flesh", is that selfish, autonomous part of us that wants its own way. The problem is heightened because of a natural partnering of spiritual darkness with our fleshly nature. This dark cooperation forms a powerful influence over our thoughts and emotions, and therefore our behavior. It is at this level of our being that we learn to walk out Christ's victory over evil. If we do not learn how to control our thoughts, emotions, feelings, desires, priorities, ambitions, etc.- then we are truly like a city without walls and defenseless.

Who Is In Control

Proverbs 25:28
He that hath no rule over his spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

The person that cannot contro their behavior has never yielded himself/herself to God; they have never learned to control their heart and it's desires. Someone or something has to be in control of our thoughts and feelings, and if we are not in control, then darkness will gladly influence our heart away from God.

We Learn To Change The Channel

Our minds are like a radio that is always on. The radio has the ability to pick up any transmitted signal; it will play any channel to which it is tuned! Our victory is learning to use God's weapons to change the channel! His Word instructs us to turn our minds, and hearts to His Channel.

Truth Sets Us Free, Lies Make us Sick

Spiritual and emotional chains exist in our lives through lies that reside within our mind and heart. They influence our behavior, our values, our faith, and ultimately our relationship with God. These lies manifest themselves as destructive habits, compulsive living, chronic depression, frustration, anger, apathy, unhappiness, discouragement, bitterness, etc..

Chronic dissatisfaction, chronic unrest, dissatisfaction with with life in general are examples of chains that can and do profoundly affect our lives.

Jesus said the source of these problems is the heart. So what we are saying is this: a system of darkness that relies on lies, and a heart that accepts and acts on those lies, will result in emotional dysfunction and spiritual chains.

Can A Christian be Bound

Can a born-again Christian have spiritual chains? Let me ask you a question-Can a born-again Christian live in chronic fear, depression, or discouragement? Can a born-again Christian lose the joy of serving God? Can a born-again Christian lose interest in life? Can a born-again Christian be bound by habits? Can a born-again Christian be completely unhappy in their relationships with God and man? The answer to all these questions is YES!

All of us, at one time or another, have struggled with fear, depression, anxiety, etc,.. But for some, the struggles are ongoing, chronic. This ministry is dedicated to help that Christian work out, and walk out the victories of Christ, purchased for them by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. God bless you.

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Scripture

Phil 3:17-20
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) 20For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom. 8:5-8
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:12-13
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Rom. 13:12-14
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

2Cor 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Gal 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Gal 5:24-25
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.