STRONGHOLDS OF THE CARNAL MIND

 

PROBLEM:

 

ROM 8. 5-8

5  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.

6  For 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.

8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 

            carnally minded        (AMP) "sense and reason apart from the Holy Spiritâ?�

 

            enmity                                    hostile, oppositional, hardened attitudes

 

 

SOURCE:

 

ROM 7. 18-21

18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

 

            law      in this case, a principle based on experience such as gravity

 

 

PROCESS:

 

1 THESS 5. 23-24

23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

 

 

ROM 12. 2

2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

            conformed      Phillips; "pressed into a moldâ?�

 

renewing        ana                   complete reversal

                                    kainosis           something totally new

COL 3. 10

10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

 

renewed                     Gr.       ana           complete reversal

                                                kainoo      something totally new

           

knowledge                 complete, intimate, experiential

 

image of him             integrity, character, motive, attitude;

                                    fruit of the Spirit, not of the flesh

 

 

OBJECTIVE:

 

EPH  4. 22-24

 22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 

renewed                     Gr.       ana          complete reversal

                                                            neoo         fresh, cleansed, regenerated

 

            put off, put on            OUR responsibilities

 

            righteousness                        "he who is righteous, does righteousnessâ?�

 

 

OPPOSITION:

 

MATT  16. 21-23

21  From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22  Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

 

            offense                       Gr. skandalon; literally a baited trap

 

            things of man                        opposed to the things of the Kingdom

                                                "set your affection (focus, desire) on things aboveâ?�

JOHN  8. 44

44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

 

of your father the devil - inherited his ways of thinking, his inclination to sin

 

 

WHY ARE WE BOUND?

 

ROM  8. 14

14    For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

 

led       not just guided but ruled, governed; controlled and directed by Godâ??s will,

for Godâ??s purposes, in Godâ??s timing, in Godâ??s ways, and for Godâ??s glory

 

 

TRUTH:         We are frequently influenced negatively because we are still largely self-

governed, not Spirit-led.  Our mind, will and emotions govern instead of serving. GET YOUR SOUL (mind, will, emotions) OFF THE THRONE!!

 

 

GAL 5. 22-24

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

 

 

GAL 5. 19-21

19  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.

 

witchcraft       fleshly variety; using soul power (mind, will, emotions) to

dominate, control, manipulate, or intimidate others

 

 

GAL 5. 16-17

16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

17  For the flesh lusteth (strives) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

GAL 6. 7-8

7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life

 

corruption      that which is shriveled, withered, wasting away; fig. that which

relates to the process of death 

 

 

BEHAVIORS FROM THE CARNAL MIND

 

1 COR 3. 3-4

3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

 

            desiring other peoples positions          envying

 

            argumentative, contentious                  strife

 

            damages covenant relationships          divisions

 

seeks advantage over others                  competitive

 

focuses on self interests                        not Kingdom first

 

uses deceit, half truths                          deception is inherent

 

practices self exaltation                         seeks preeminence

 

uses religious coverings                         camouflage ( fig leaves) 

 

self-justifying                                        twists scripture for its advantage 

 

claims to be "helping Godâ?�                   interferes to exercise control

 

destructive towards others                   "king of the hillâ?� syndrome

 

derogatory towards others                    judgmental, critical, faultfinding

 

makes alliances for power                     uses people for personal gain

 

retaliates against disagreement              very needful of approval

 

MATT 12. 34-37

34  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 

 

TRUTH:         If you want to know what you are really like, wait until something goes

wrong and listen to what you have to say about it!!

 

 

JAMES 3. 13-16

13  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation (expression of the Life within)his works with meekness of wisdom.

14  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

 

earthly           not heavenly; Adamic (fleshly), not Christlike (spiritual)

 

sensual           having to do with non-spiritual perceptions

 

devilish          subject to demonic invasion and influence

 

            confusion       the evidence of the presence of more than one will

 

 

TESTIMONY:          Feeling oppressive, repressive, opposing pressure from another

person;  The Spirit prays within me, "I will fellowship all of this personâ??s righteousness, but none of his unrighteousness.â?�

 

EPH 5. 8 

8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

 

 

1 JOHN 2. 15-17

15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

 

GAL 5. 13-14

13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 

            KINGDOM OF GOD                       righteousness              peace               joy

 

            kingdom of satan                     competition                 strife                despair

 

 

 

DEMONIC  ALLIANCES THAT INHABIT CARNALITY

 

yoked spirits  -  The spiritual principle of multiplication of power through cooperation is revealed in "one of you will chase a thousand and two of you will put ten thousand to flight.â?�  Satan knows and utilizes this principle by yoking (or joining cooperatively two of his evil spirits together.

 

 

OVERCOMING

 

Using the sword of the Spirit, cut asunder the evil union between the two; bind, make captive, spoil, and drive them out.  Declare  that they are dispossessed and replace them with their righteous opposites.

 

 

HEB 4. 12

12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

            discerner        discriminating and passing judgment on thoughts and feelings

 

 

 

2 COR 10. 3-5

3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5  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;

 

 

TRUTH:         God wants and expects us to take this scripture and to use it

literally, persistently, and with authority to cleanse ourselves from thoughts that are contrary to the will of God for our lives.

 

 

1 COR 5. 7-8

7  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

 

 

2 TIM 2. 19-21

19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

 

            purge himself                        to cleanse out, to cleanse thoroughly

 

 

EPH 4. 29-32

29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 

            corrupt           rotten, poor quality, unfit for use, putrid, defiling speech

 

 

SPECIFIC STRONGHOLDS AND DEMONIC ACTIVITIES

 

NOTE:  The parenthetical insert under the stronghold identifies that expression of the Kingdom of God which is to be the spiritual replacement for the works of the flesh.

 

 

INSECURE  -----------------yoked to  -------------      DEMEANING

 (Liberty)                                                                    (Encouraging)

 

Confusion                                                                   Despising

Intimidation                                                                Mocking

Retaliation                                                                   Accusing

Repression                                                                  Mistrust

Restraint                                                                     Suspicion

Restriction                                                                  Flattery

 

 

 

POLITICAL --------------yoked to--------------------  AMBITIOUS

   (Unity)                                                                        (Humility)

 

Compromising                                                            Status seeking

Man-pleasing                                                              Depressing others

Grasping for power                                                    Envy

Sacrificing others                                                         Competitive

Diversion                                                                    Prideful

Currying public opinion                                             Uses authority unrighteously

 

 

 

DECEITFUL --------------  yoked to  ----------------- DESTRUCTIVE

  (Truthful)                                                                    (Edification)

 

Vagueness                                                                   Instability

Craftiness                                                                    Cruelty

Secretive                                                                      Murder

Exclusive                                                                     Affliction

Entrapment                                                                 Harm

Betrayal                                                                      Maltreatment

 

MINISTRY:   Pray to destroy each stronghold, to dispossess each primary demonic

spirit, and to expel every associated demon and to replace them with the "rightâ?� spirit (attitude, expression).