10. THE STEADFAST MIND

10. THE STEADFAST MIND

Isaiah 26:3

When our minds are stayed on God we can have peace through any situation.

2 Corinthians 10:5

We take the mind captive to the things of Christ. It is the mind that is continually caught up in truth and what discerns deception. That is what God desires to work in us.

 2 Timothy 3:1-7; 12-13

We have to grow in the truth, instead of growing in head knowledge.

The Latter Days

• Humanism does not equal humanitarianism.

• Satan’s brand of humanism is nothing more than self-worship (Luke 4:14-21).

You can go through the toughest times of temptation in your life, and come out of it, if you have remained with God; with the power of the Spirit upon you, unlike anything you’ve ever known. Christ was a humanitarian – he came for humans. Humanism is self-worship, with which the serpent came to tempt Adam and Eve from the very beginning, when he said “You can worship yourself as God.”

1 Timothy 4:1

• The latter days are characterized by escalating spirituality of a deceptive and demonic nature.

Satan’s game is to look like he is taking the truth; something good and noble, but serves a little more of that self-interest, and then he twists and turns it. Any twist of truth makes it a lie, and that is where a dangerous stronghold comes in. In this generation, we better be more alert than ever before, because Satan is very cunning and deceptive (Isaiah 32:5-6). Errors are being spread concerning the LORD.

The Latter War

Why will warfare intensify in the latter days?

• The enemy knows Scripture and can read the signs of the times fluently.

The distortion of the Word of God has been Satan’s way from the beginning – to twist and turn it.

• The enemy is desperately trying to offset the outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:17-21

In an immediate sense and of that time, this Scripture was being fulfilled, in sort of an earnest or deposit, but it is talking about the Second Coming of Christ. The fulfillment of it will be before the return of Christ back to this earth. Satan is doing everything he can, because he knows as we get to the last days, there will be an outpouring of the Spirit like we have never seen in all the history of redeemed man on this earth, all over the globe. When you get to know God well enough in Scripture, you can count on seeing things out of His personality.

Revelation 14:9-10

When you want to get to know God’s heart and His practices; God characteristically from Genesis to Revelation always reaches out His hand of mercy before He brings judgment. He does not want anyone to perish.

Matthew 24:1-14

We have got to live in truth, because there will be a growing temptation. God says “before the end comes, I will make sure my Word (this Gospel Message) will reach every single nation on the globe (Revelation 7:9).

Acts 2:17-18

God is putting the Sword in the hands of the people, because it is an all-out war; so that we can know what we are talking about in the Word of God, and we can disciple other people in the truth. This is God’s plan and we are part of that.

 Isaiah 32:9-15

Beat your breasts – hitting on their heart from where all sin or wrongdoing would come from.

Thorns and briers – symbol of sin.

Complacent women open your eyes to see how sin is taking our generation.

Houses of merriment – mourn for them in prayer.

Complacent women rise up, and look at the thorns, how they are growing over our land. It is time for women to take their places in prayer and Bible study; not positions of authority. If women are in God’s Word, and they are seeking His face; you are going to know what you are supposed to do with that. You are to do it with an attitude of submission under God; of meekness and gentleness.

• The enemy knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12).

The shorter the time gets, the more furious the Devil will become, until he gets to the ultimate battle with Christ, and is overcome.

I’m not sure it’s raining yet, but I think maybe there is a distant thunder, and it is beginning to sprinkle. It’s going to splash on those with knees to the ground and face to the sky.

The Latter Warrior

• Realize the trust (Acts 17:26-28).

Warrior, it is time to rise up! You are important in this generation, and you have a job to do here. We have got to get in God’s Word, be in God’s face, so that we know what our part is in this generation.

• Recognize both the personal and corporate attack.

The only thing is Scripture that can fortify us against the evil one, and do battle with him aggressively. In this latter war we are going to have to reach across denominational and racial lines, and begin playing in harmony, joining together as warriors.

• Recall the weapon of Satan’s warfare: deception (2 Corinthians 4:1-2).

Satan’s Fingerprints

1. Secrecy

2. Shame

3. Deception

4. Distortion

Watch for it every single day for the rest of your life and renounce it. If you will start walking with God in His truth on a daily basis, you will get more and more discerning.

• Recall the weapon of our warfare: truth.  

Isaiah 50:7-9

We have to set our face like flint in the face of Jesus Christ. That is what it is going to take.

 Isaiah 25:6-8