Developing a Warfare Mentality – II Timothy 2:4
DEVELOPING A WARFARE MENTALITY
DATE:
TEXT: II Timothy 2:4
INTRODUCTION:
To be effective in spiritual warfare against an invisible foe, one must understand what it means to have a “Warfare Mentality”
There are some basic principles and personal disciplines that we, as believers in Christ, can develop and operate with, that will secure the victory for our own lives, our families and others that God would bring into our life.
Matthew 17:14-21
Hosea 4:6a – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:”
We must come back to the belief that God is able to salvage any life, anywhere, under any circumstances.
Our Lord desires to perform deliverance through His Church.
The Enemy is not going to give up territory in peoples lives without some type of conflict.
We Must Develop a Warfare Mentality!
I Timothy 1:18 says – “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;”
No man can enter into spiritual warfare, and fight well, if he does not have the right mind set.
I would like to give you several points that will help us have the Warfare Mentality.
I. We Need to be “Committed as a Soldier”
John 15:13; Acts 20:24; Revelation 12:11
To be a good soldier, one must understand that there will be no effective warfare if we are not willing to dedicate our lives to the cause of seeing people set free.
What mattered to the early church was not what was
convenient or comfortable or what they wanted to do but that they would give themselves for others.
Acts 15:26
The greatest need in this late hour is for men and women to give themselves for cause of Christ and to help others.
Colossians 3:3; Galatians 2:20
II. We Need to “Lead our Families”
There are far too many people who have set out with a cause in their heart, but did not prepare their family for it.
Joshua 24:15
We need to let our families see the power of God at work in people lives.
Make them excited about what the Lord can do and will do if we will only be willing to surrender our lives to Him.
Deuteronomy 6:6-8
III. We Need to be “Continually Reminded”
]Who the Enemy is
]How He Fights
Ephesians 6:10-13
We are not fighting a visible foe, but are in a spiritual war.
II Corinthians 10:3-5
It is very clear that we are not dealing with things that are flesh and blood.
Therefore our weapons can not be earthly, but heavenly.
God as made them available to each of us.
Our real enemy doesn’t want us to realize that he is the one that we are battling.
Our Enemy is the only one who does not want credit for what he does nor does he care if he gets the credit.
So who is our Enemy? Why of course it’s the Devil.
And we need to remind ourselves daily of this truth.
How does he fight? With stealth
IV. We Need to “Learn to Truly Submit”
Submission is the key to victory!
James 4:6-7
To often we misquote this verse, leaving off the first part of
v. 7.
The priority is not in resisting the devil, but in submitting unto God! How?
By submission to the God-given authorities in our life.
óThe Enemy will not and does not have to back off when there is obvious rebellion against those who we know are our God-given authorities.
I Samuel 15:23
The enemy understands the power of authority in our lives.
He understands when we operate under God-given authority, he does not have a right to our person.
There several levels of authority.
]There is parental authority (Parents & Children)
When a child or teenager operates in rebellion or disobeys their parents, they give territory over to the Devil.
]There is marital authority (Husband & Wife)
]There is institutional authority (Employer & Employees)
]There is congregational authority (Pastor & Members)
]There is governmental authority (Magistrates & citizens)
]There spiritual authority (Holy Spirit & Us)
When dealing with the Enemy, we must bring ourselves under submission to authority.
The power to resist will then be there and the response of the Enemy will be to flee.
V. We Need to “Prioritize Our God-Given Responsibilities”
II Timothy 2:4
God’s people have cluttered their lives with matters that are of no eternal value.
Hebrews 11:13; I Peter 2:11
We must decide to de-clutter our lives from things that distract us from the things of God.
Romans 14:23; Matthew 13:7, 22
In Jesus parable of the Sower and the Seed, He said the seed, which is the Word of God will be choked out if the cares of the world are of greater priority in our lives.
VI. We Need to “Reclaim Ground”
Ephesians 4:27
We think that if we are doing some of what God wants us to do and are being some of what God wants us to be, He will understand.
We must clear our consciences of any guilt so we will not hinder the desire and power of God’s grace.
I Timothy 1:18, 19
There are so many of God’s people operating on a daily basis with:
Bitterness, unforgiveness and having odds against one another
It may be found in the fact that we are harboring unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, lust and greed in our hearts.
That territory or ground is either in the control of the Enemy or under God’s control.
You thinking you are in control is control given over to the Enemy.
If we are ever going to help others, then we must be living in victory ourselves.
We lose our authority with him when we have ground that is not under God’s control.
Go to God in prayer and be transparent with Him.
We must let Him know that we want to be pure, making sure there is nothing between Him and us.
VII. We Need to “Take Seriously Our Prayer Life”
I Timothy 2:1-2a; Isaiah 56:7b
Paul gives young Timothy a powerful admonition to pray.
I Timothy 2:3-4; Psalm 2:8a
Think about it, the enemy is working day and night on the hearts and minds of the lost.
It should be that our hearts are broken for their lost estate and we need to give ourselves in prayer for their soul’s salvation.
I Corinthians 2:5
I Timothy 2:8
What would happen if men and women in our churches would take this as a personal call from God.
Matthew 26:40b-41a
The truth is we are “of little faith”
We need a prayer closet – Luke 11:1a; Matthew 6:6
It is in our closets:
]That we Dress ourselves spiritually
]That we put off the old man and put on the new man
]That we put on the Whole Armor of God
]That we learn how to stand against the wiles of the devil
Be prepared for the Enemy to bring hindrances to keep us from praying because he knows that his kingdom is in danger when God’s people pray.
They are untouchable, invincible and too close to Heaven to touch.
Isaiah 58:6
We all have the tendencies to do and not to pray.
I John 5:14 -15; Luke 11:2
God is looking for folks who will position themselves in a place where they can hear from God and what His will is, and then pray that His will be done.
Where are the prayer warriors?
II Chronicles 16:9; Ezekiel 22:30; Isaiah 59:16
God’s Word speaks loud and clear – James 4:2 – “yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”
He continues in James 5:16b – “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
There is so much more of the Lord then what we are experiencing today.
VIII. We Need to “See Everything We Do Involves Warfare”
Psalms 18:34a; Psalms 144:1
Spiritual warfare is not just a prayer prayed or a demon rebuked, it is a lifestyle.
It is not just a once-in-a-while whim we have, but a life lived.
If and when we develop the mindset that everything involves warfare, we will then begin to see that everything we do is under attack.
Everything we do is warfare!
IX. We Need to “Yield Ourselves”
Romans 6:11-13, 16.
As we yield our “members” – our minds, emotions, wills, hands, feet eyes, and legs our entire soul and body becomes as weapons in the hands of a Mighty God who uses them against the Enemy.
Matthew 16:18b
We have wasted far too much time trying to get a name for ourselves, when we should be trying to get our names known in the realms of darkness.
Acts 19:13-15
It is through His church that He wants to manifest the victory over the Devil in this world.
I John 3:8b
Jesus destroyed and put to death the works of the Devil, but victory is to be appropriated through the child of God, His soldiers.
CONCLUSION:
Welcome to the Warfare Mentality!
So are you ready to engage to do battle.
For if God be for us, who can be against us?
Never forget, Greater is He that is in you, then he that is in the world.
We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus, thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.
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