Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance notes. Satan will hinder or stop our growth as a believer unless we are quick to activate the weapon of repentance. The weapon of repent would be likened to a side arm pistol of a soldier. It should always be easily accessed, and the quicker we are to raise it and fire it, the better we will proceed.
WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
by Delbert Young
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance notes
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, Mark 1:14, Acts 2:37, Acts 17:30, Matthew 9:13, LUK 15:7-10, MAR 1:15
Different translations
King James
[2 Corinthians 10:4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
1. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 from several of the more popular translations
King James
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
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;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
NIV
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Living Bible
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 It is true that I am an ordinary, weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles.
4 I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds.
5 These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ.
6 I will use these weapons against every rebel who remains after I have first used them on you yourselves and you surrender to Christ.
New American Standard
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 {We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. (emphasis added)
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
As we have seen, the war is for possession of the thought process going on between our ears. My soul is my heavenly place. The question is, “Who controls my heavenly place?” The war is about imaginations and arguments (NIV) against God. These imaginations and arguments are walls (TLB) that keep you and I and others from truly “finding him” (TLB). The war is about every high thing (a thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God). The weapons are to capture rebels (TLB) [rebellious] and bring them back to God. The war is to capture the stronghold of thought and make it obedient to Christ. The war is to “change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ” (TLB).
The primary person each of us needs to utilize the weapons of warfare on is ourselves. Notice that I said primary. We can learn to use the weapons on others. We are a corporate army but individual soldiers. However, we first need to activate them in our thoughts. Paul said, “I will use these weapons against every rebel who remains after I have first used them on you” (TLB).
2. The Thought Process Stronghold
The correct thought process must be established by the individual believer. Believers frequently do not process thoughts correctly. Improper thought processes are developed for numerous reasons. Our childhood, our environment, our parenting, our friends, our teachers, our preachers, our spouses, our examples, music, reading material, etc, all affect the way we think. These thoughts develop strongholds for the devil to hide and dig in for war.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Schema (ske’me) is a word used in psychology. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word as “A pattern imposed on complex reality or experience to assist in explaining it, mediate perception, or guide response.” That simply means schema is the way an individual receives information and processes that information. (We get our English word scheme–a secret plan–from the word schema.) Nonbelievers and believers develop strongholds in their thinking for the devil because of their schema–the way they have processed the information they have received.
There is another word we need to look at.
It is the word paradigm (par’e-dim’). The word paradigm means “an example that serves as a pattern or model.” We all have had paradigms–examples or models. We have since we can remember. I can remember as a child, my hero was Roy Rogers, the television western star. I would get my stick horse (Trigger) and ride him in my backyard, and I would tie a scarf around my neck like Roy did and wear long-sleeved shirts in the summer. Also I would strap me two toy pistols on and shoot all the bad guys and save the day. Good always triumphed, and bad was always punished. I am confident that is a stronghold in me today.
In today’s society, a different type of “hero” is portrayed than when I was a child. We see violence not made ugly. Mass murders and drug lord glamor are the norm. Professional athletes are seen as idols even though they are immoral and wicked.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Some politicians are none the better in our society. Some of our national leaders permit, if not do, tremendous immoral and illegal acts. The schema today of these paradigms is something like, “It’s their private lives. It has nothing to do with their office.” The truth is an immoral and lying leader is a paradigm for your child. If he or she hears society or a parent or a hero, say there is nothing wrong with that type of behavior, the child develops a stronghold for the devil.
This is not to say that forty years ago, some television stars, some athletes, some politicians, etc., were not immoral or wicked.
History has proven some were. The difference is schema. The information was processed differently forty years ago concerning this. It was simply not accepted as proper behavior. Today, it is seen as acceptable behavior. When a paradigm is immoral or wicked, the behavior is justified and becomes acceptable by society but not by God. We tend to think that if it is acceptable to us, then it is acceptable to God. We think that if it seems merciful to us then it must be of God. It doesn’t work that way.
Thus, the weapons of warfare are specifically designed to fight with incorrect schemas and thought processes. When proper schema is utilized, the paradigm will shift. Our examples will shift from the violent, immoral, and wicked to Christ and the Word of God.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Unless the child can schema that “Bevas and Butthead” are full of immoral and wicked insinuations, they will accept their actions and statements as correct. They will process that information as acceptable to them. A stronghold is developed. It is doubtful that Bevas and Butthead would be a child’s paradigm (could be).
However, a stronghold of thinking has been developed. That was all the enemy needed Bevas and Butthead to do. When a paradigm of the child does an immoral or wicked act that Bevas and Butthead portrayed as acceptable, the child’s schema tells the child the wicked thing was acceptable. Therefore, it must be acceptable. Subtly through cartoon characters, a stronghold was developed. This is where the weapon of our warfare called repent comes into action.
3. The Weapon Repent
Repentance is the very first weapon we must utilize to come into the kingdom of God. Once understood, we will then continuously utilize that weapon. Satan will hinder or stop our growth as a believer unless we are quick to activate the weapon of repentance. The weapon of repent would be likened to a side arm pistol of a soldier. It should always be easily accessed, and the quicker we are to raise it and fire it, the better we will proceed.
First let me show us that it is the first necessary weapon. After his baptism, Jesus Christ went into the wilderness and was tested by the devil. After that testing, Christ came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. His message was that it was time for the kingdom of God. Then he said, “Repent.”
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Please notice that the instruction was to first repent and then believe the gospel. Without first repenting, it is impossible to believe the gospel properly.
As recorded in Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached to the crowd in the streets of Jerusalem. The crowd was convicted and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter said, “Repent.”
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Please notice that Peter instructed them to first repent, then be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and then receive the Holy Ghost. Unless one repents, baptism cannot actually happen. A person can get wet but not experience baptism, and unless one repents, that person cannot receive the Holy Ghost.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Not understanding repent is like having the side arm weapon but only using it for a hammer. We have the impression that repenting has to do with sadness and crying at an altar. We see it this way–A preacher is giving an altar call. He says, “Get down to this altar and repent before God, or you will go to hell….” We may see someone going to the altar, crying, and being prayed for. The preacher says, “That person has repented.” Well, maybe the person had a time of repenting, and maybe not.
Or perhaps you heard that repent means to change direction. That is better, but it still does not explain repentance. There is a reason a person changes direction.
The word repent means to think differently. In Acts 2:38 the word translated repent is the Greek word metanoeo (Strong’s #3340) and means “to think differently, i.e. reconsider.” We find the word involves the mind in its root words noeo (Strong’s #3539) and nous (Strong’s #3563). The word repent simply involves the thinking and exercise of the mind. Repent means to adjust the mind to receive spiritual truth. As we have seen earlier, it is the schema–receiving information and processing that information.
Jesus said in Mark 1:14 that the kingdom was at hand, “repent ye and believe the gospel.”
He instructs that people think. They must think differently. They must schematize and process the information. They must also adjust their minds to receive spiritual truth. Then, they could experience the second part, which was “believe the gospel.”
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Peter at Pentecost said, “Repent….” The Jews must think differently. Animal sacrifices and Judaism were no longer the way to think. They must schema. They must collect the information and process that information, and they must adjust their minds to receive spiritual truth. Once they did that, they could experience the second part and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
They must receive the spiritual truth of Jesus Christ. If they repented–adjusted their minds to receive spiritual truth–and entered a covenant with Christ through baptism, they shall receive the Holy Ghost.
In the New Testament and especially in today’s society, the Lord will not tolerate ignorance. There is no excuse for ignorance today. The Lord expects us to repent–adjust our thinking to receive spiritual truth. In fact, he commands that we repent.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
a. the weapon works on the greatest sinner
Repentance is a mighty weapon of warfare. When activated, it will bring the greatest sinner into righteousness. Jesus said,
Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
The greatest problem in society today is that people refuse to repent. They refuse to activate the thinking to receive spiritual truth. They refuse to schema. Once a person accumulates information and correctly processes that information, that person will repent. The church today also refuses to repent.
Though Christians see a truth in the accumulation of information, they continue in their doctrine and tradition even though that doctrine is in error. For example, many today will not receive the Holy Ghost because they refuse to repent. The information is there. They simply refuse to adjust their thinking to receive that spiritual truth.
b. this weapon brings joy in heaven
There is great joy in heaven when someone learns to activate this weapon called repent. Once learned and utilized, it becomes nearly impossible for the enemy to deceive us for an extended period. The Lord knows that all he will need to do is get us the correct information. He knows we will accumulate that information and receive it as spiritual truth. That gives him great joy. The Lord said,
Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
c. this weapon is used after salvation
Repentance is not a one-time action. It continues with us constantly. Every time we see or hear a spiritual truth we repent–adjust our thinking to receive spiritual truth. The Lord told the churches in the Revelation to repent (Rev 2:5, 16, 21, 22; 3:3, 19). Churches are not buildings. Churches are people. They had already repented once and received the gospel. They must now repent again and receive the instructions from the Lord given in the Revelation.
The ability to repent is a mighty weapon of our warfare. The person quick to activate and utilize that weapon will never stop growing in the Spirit. The enemy will never stop their growth. They will constantly be adjusting and receiving spiritual truth. The schema will process information correctly. It will be nearly impossible to deceive that person.
The paradigm will shift to Christ and the Word of the Lord. The Word and Christ will be the examples. The person who can quickly repent will easily allow the kingdom of God to possess their heavenly place, and the throne will be established.
Their soul (mind) will be filled with the Spirit, and the enemy will be driven out. Without the mighty weapon of repentance, deception, and tradition that makes the word of none affect, weakness, and thoughts in rebellion to Christ will fill the heavenly place. The enemy will possess the heavenlies. The person will live a defeated life. The person who activates repentance quickly and easily is assured an abundant life (John 10:10). They enter the kingdom and believe.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
Weapon Repent – How to Overcome Strongholds Through Repentance
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