{"id":262,"date":"2017-03-22T19:04:40","date_gmt":"2017-03-22T19:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.estherdorotik.net\/blog\/?p=262"},"modified":"2021-07-27T15:10:52","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T20:10:52","slug":"spiritual-warfare-where-battles-begin-learning-to-discern-the-enemy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.estherdorotik.net\/blog\/spiritual-warfare-where-battles-begin-learning-to-discern-the-enemy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Battle for the Christian’s Heart Begins in The Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the battle for the Christian’s heart begins with the\u00a0spiritual warfare of the mind, the casualties of war are felt throughout the body. Lost peace, patience, trust, and desire leave behind a war zone ravished by grief, hopelessness, and despair.<\/p>\n

In his attempts to get us to doubt God, the enemy flickers images of past failures, discouraging us so we focus on our shortcomings rather than the finished work of Christ. His sole desire is to defeat us so we no longer have the desire to do the good work God planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10).<\/p>\n

Satan loves to use doubt, discontentment, dismay, distractions or deters to derail us. He wants us to be unhappy and discontent with life so that we are distracted from the purpose of our lives. Satan also uses these things to make you believe in your own limitations rather than our limitless Maker.<\/p>\n

I have watched his master plot unfold in my life and the lives of loved ones enough to see that patterns do exist<\/em>. Although he is crafty, Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:9; there is nothing new under the sun, so his ways are predictable.<\/p>\n

If we can recognize the patterns, we can beat him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We must recognize and acknowledge that his primary offense is against our mind, so it’s in this area where he attacks most aggressively. That means instead of marching forward in confidence towards a goal or assignment for God; we hesitate because the enemy has planted seeds of doubt about God, what He thinks of us, or His purpose for our lives. Once the seed of doubt is planted, it grows like a weed, quickly choking out any fruit the enemy has not already destroyed. These are\u00a05 main ways Satan attacks your mind in an attempt to derail you from your destiny as children of God. This is\u00a0spiritual warfare of the mind.<\/p>\n

\"5-wasys-the-spiritual-warfare-for-the-Christian-heart-begins-in-mind\"<\/p>\n

1 | DOUBT IS THE PRIMARY TACTIC OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE MIND<\/h2>\n

The enemy\u2019s number one tactic to sway God\u2019s children is confusion. If he can persuade us to discredit God\u2019s Word, distrust His goodness, and waver in our faith, he is well on his way to winning. Doubt leaves you teetering the fence of faith and vulnerable to the tug of temptation. In our day, Satan\u2019s most effective tactic is as old as time and new at the same time: doubt.<\/p>\n

Satan is crafty; he knows how you work and<\/strong> how to use God\u2019s word. He knows what will incite your anger, make you act rashly, or provoke you to sin. He has his finger on the pulse of humanity and can use any weakness he finds in your life against you. Doubt whispers, \u201cHe doesn\u2019t care about you.”<\/p>\n

\u201cDid God really say\u2026\u201d Genesis 3:1
\n\u201cYou will not surely die\u2026.\u201d Genesis 3:4
\n\u201cIf you are the Son of God\u2026.\u201d Matthew 4:3<\/p>\n

The Bible tells us that we wrestle against\u00a0principalities,\u00a0powers, rulers of darkness,\u00a0and wicked spirits in heavenly places. But our ultimate foe is Satan\u2014the prince of the power of the air. He\u2019s a master at deception! Worse still, he keeps trying to get you to believe lies and give up!<\/p>\n

Never doubt the plan, character, or promises of God!<\/h4>\n

2 | DISCONTENTMENT BATTLES THE BELIEVER’S MIND<\/h2>\n

By entertaining all God has \u201cNOT\u201d given you and all He is keeping from you, the Seducer stirs up dissatisfaction. Most often, dissatisfaction leads to comparison, complaining, and conceit. By enticing Eve with the one thing she could not have<\/em><\/strong>, Satan could undermine her contentment and alter the world for all time. He tried to set up God as an unjust and unfair Father\u2014\u201dGod keeps good things from you!\u201d The devil presented God as something other than He really is.<\/p>\n

Or, what about the nation of Israel? As they traveled throughout the desert, a constant complaining spirit settled as they longed to return to what was \u201cbetter\u201d in Egypt. It ended up costing them 40 years in the desert. Slowly, discontentment opens the door for an ungrateful, rebellious heart towards God, and the consequences follow.<\/p>\n

When we allow our ancient foe to lead us down a path of unfulfilled desires, we become Eve who took that first bite, or like Israel, pouting and pleading with God to change His plans rather than adjusting our own expectations. We must learn to recognize and defeat this tactic of spiritual warfare in the mind.<\/p>\n