For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.1
The center of all spiritual warfare is the knowledge of God. The enemy wants to do everything he can to stop the revealing of Jesus to the entire earth. Once the nations see Him…it’s over.
The enemy’s primary tactic is subtle lies that sound like our own voice. He works by numbing our minds with entertainment, worries, and distractions to prime our internal lives for his lies to stick. Over time, the lies we agree with begin to take form in a structure (stronghold) inside us. These continual thoughts form false patterns of thinking that we live from. Soon we minister, work, and manage our relationships out of this false view of God and ourselves. It is a dangerous spiral when we drift from the Word of God and listen to these plaguing lies instead.
The enemy wants to lock us in a cage from the Spirit of revelation.2 The enemy knows Jesus is the truth that sets us free.
WHO AM I
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.3
Our outlook of God determines our outlook of ourselves. The understanding of ourselves flows from our understanding of God. If we have a wrong view of God, we will have a wrong view of ourselves.
Our carnal minds want to invest all we can into discovering who are. But in reality, we will never discover who we are or who God created us to be apart from knowing Jesus. This life was never meant to be about us—it was always designed to discover God and share in a close relationship with our Creator. We will never be satisfied with ourselves until we become satisfied in God.
Sin makes everything about us. It makes us look inward to work harder, be a better person, and get the answers we need. It makes us consumed with self-awareness and insecurity until all we can do is retreat to mind-numbing and isolation to escape the voices within.
The best news is this: we don’t have to climb a mountain to become satisfied in God. We don’t have to embark on a laborious journey to get to God. That mountain was already climbed. Its peak is a place called Golgotha, where our Lord was crucified.
Jesus already traveled that long road to Calvary. You were worth the anguish of lashes and mockery because Jesus wanted to save you and draw near to you. Sin would have always stood in the way, but Jesus made a way to come close.
We don’t have to go up to God because God already came down to us. All that is left is for us to believe Him.4
WEDDING PREPARATION
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.5
Jesus defeated death, but we still live in a war zone. Every born-again believer is enlisted to fight this war against darkness until God’s kingdom (fully) comes and His will is done. The knowledge of God is made known through Jesus in written Scripture. It is also made known by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit teaches us through conviction. He brings conviction concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.6 We can discern the will of God through understanding God’s definition in those 3 areas. Conviction is more than the bad feeling we get when we do something we aren’t supposed to do. It is the revealing of God’s will for our lives. Simultaneously, this tension produces the fear of the Lord that helps us navigate the narrow way.
Conviction is the outworking of our salvation. It is evidence of walking out our faith. At the moment, no discipline is fun. But one day we will look back and realize—it’s working. God is changing us! When we obey the Word of God by partnering with the Holy Spirit, we become more like Jesus.7
TREASURE HUNTING
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.8
Day by day, we break away from the snares of sin and despair of this world and learn more about our adoption in Christ. It is a process to destroy the strongholds in our minds and grow in knowing who Jesus is. The fear of the Lord has to be understood. The knowledge of God has to be found.9 In this long journey, we have a promise: when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
There is a day when the glory of Jesus will cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea.10 There is no greater joy than finding ourselves as we find Him. This is eternal life. This is the treasure we lay hold of.
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. — John 17:3
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Ephesians 1:17
John 17:24
John 14:8-9
Romans 12:2
John 16:7-11
Romans 8:29, Colossians 3:10
1 John 3:1-2
Proverbs 2:5
Habakkuk 2:14