How To OVERCOME The STRONGHOLDS In Your Life

Happy Mother’s Day! 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Selected Scriptures By D.Z. Cofield, Th.M., D. Min. May 14, 2023 Responsive Reading – Galatians 5:16-25 (ESV) Leader: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Congregation: For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Leader: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Congregation: Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, Leader: idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, Congregation: envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Leader: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Congregation: gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Leader: And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Everyone: If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Intro: Sun Tzu said if you know the enemy and know yourself in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril. TODAY I WANT TO TALK TO YOU FROM THE THOUGHT: How To OVERCOME The STRONGHOLDS In Your Life Colossians 1:13 (ESV) – He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, Galatians 1:4 (ESV) – who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 1. You need to realize you are in a SPIRITUAL battle EVERYDAY of your life with your STRONGHOLDS. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV) – For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, Strongholds – Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV) – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. A. You are in a spiritual battle with the devil. 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Devil – B. You are in a spiritual battle with your FLESH. Romans 7:21-25 (ESV) – So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. 2. You need to realize you must depend upon the POWER of GOD to be VICTORIOUS over your strongholds. Romans 8:11 (ESV) – If the...