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ATTAINING VICTORY OVER STRONGHOLDS IN OUR LIVES--PART 2

VARIOUS SCRIPTURES

Introduction

I mentioned last week that, Lord willing, we are planning on beginning a new ministry here at our Church to help those who have strongholds in their lives and that this series of messages is designed to help get us ready toward that end.

I said that when I refer to “strongholds” that I am talking about habits or patterns of behavior that are destructive in our lives. These things may be destructive to us and/or others around us. 

We might also refer to these “strongholds” as addictive behavior of any sort.

We said that we all have areas in our lives where we need help in overcoming addictive behavior. So, this series is also designed to help us with the strongholds in our own lives.

We said that people can be addicted to?–Alcohol, Drugs, Pornography, Cigarettes, Food

But we said also mentioned some other areas that we don’t normally think about in this connection–things such as anger, gossip, filthy communication, stealing, evil thoughts, covetousness, lying.

We began to give you some principles that are necessary for attaining victory over these strongholds. There are a total of ten that we will give you. We gave you three last week.

I.         WE MUST TAKE GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD SIN.

            (i.e. If God is against it, so are we.)

            A.        We Are To Abhor And Hate Evil

             B.        We Are To Depart From Evil.

II.        WE MUST KNOW WHERE SIN ORIGINATES.

            (i.e. Every sin has its origin in the heart.)

            Satan’s Sin Originated In His Heart.

            Mankind’s Sin Originates In His Heart.

            A.        The Bible Says That Our Hearts Are Deceitful And Desperately Wicked. 

            B.        The Bible Says That Our Hearts Are To Be Guarded With Diligence. 

            C.        The Bible Says That Our Hearts Are To Be Guided In The Way.

III.       WE MUST KNOW THAT IT IS EASER TO KEEP THE HEART CLEAN THAN IT IS TO CLEAN IT AFTER IT HAS BEEN DEFILED.

            Allowing sin a foothold in our life brings consequences along with it.

IV.      WE MUST KNOW THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO FIGHT A FLESHLY APPETITE BY INDULGING IN IT.

James 1:14-15–“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

            Does that make sense to you?

Think about it for a minute on this level. If you are not suppose to eat something, let’s say like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups–which, by the way, I am not suppose to have.

            Is it going to help me or hurt me to sneak around and eat one? The answer is, hurt me.

            Is it going to increase my desire or decrease my desire to sneak around and eat one?

            The answer for that is two-fold.

            1.        For the immediate short term it may increase my desire to indulge in another and another and another and another immediately! That is until my flesh has had its fill for the moment.

            2.         For the long-term, I have “fertilized” my urge so to speak. That taste that I love so much has been firmly embedded in my mind once again in a greater way than it was before because of my indulgence.

            The same thing is true with fighting any fleshly appetite.

Ecclesiastes 5:10–“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.”

We could replace the word “silver” with any thing that is tied to a fleshly appetite and it would be just as true.

            He that loveth alcohol shall not be satisfied with alcohol.

            He that loveth drugs shall not be satisfied with drugs.

            He that loveth cigarettes shall not be satisfied with cigarettes.

            He that loveth pornography shall not be satisfied with pornography.

V.        WE MUST KNOW THAT SMALL COMPROMISES CAN LEAD TO GREAT DISASTERS.

            (And we might also say along with this that , “Little sins can lead to big sins.”)

Luke 16:10–“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

Romans 6:16–“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

            Petty theft can lead to grand theft.

            Smoking the first cigarette can lead to a two or three pack a day habit.

            Drinking a few beers can lead to drinking a case.

            Drinking beer can lead to drinking hard liquor.

            Drinking alcohol can lead to experimenting with other drugs.

            Experimenting with drugs can lead to doing harder drugs.

            Viewing pornography can lead to physical immorality and adultery.

            Uncontrolled anger can lead to murder. (Cain killed Able, but it started with anger.)            

            Covetousness can lead to lying, cheating, and stealing. (Achan’s sin was that way.)

            Evil thoughts can lead to evil deeds.

Lot began with covetousness over a well watered plain which eventually led to his vexing his righteous soul with the immorality that surrounded Him in Sodom.

            David probably never envisioned that his adulterous affair would lead to a murder plot.

Herod that ruled at the birth of Christ started out with jealousy and pride that eventually turned to mass murder of infants.

Herod that ruled at the beginning of Christ’s ministry started out with adultery with his brother Philip’s wife and wound up killing John the Baptist because of it.

Judas started out with petty theft out of the bag he then took bribes to deliver Jesus to the chief priests and elders and wound up committing suicide.

            You see, small compromises can lead to great disasters and small sins to bigger ones.

VI.      WE MUST KNOW THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT LOVE THE LORD WILL NOT HELP US SERVE THE LORD. 

In Judges 16, Samson let his lust for beautiful women get the best of him. He lay his head in the lap of Delilah who deceived him with her “love.” He lost his power with God, found himself blinded and in bondage and eventually paid for his indiscretions with his very life.

Young people need to understand that there is more to look for in a mate than physical beauty.

In 2 Samuel 13:3 it says these words, “But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtle man.”

You read the whole story and you will find that Jonadab told Amnon a plan for fulfilling his lust for his sister Tamar. Amnon raped Tamar and wound up being killed by Absalom’s command.

            You need to be careful of the company you keep and those you befriend.

Proverbs 28:7–“Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.”

Proverbs 13:20–“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”

            Who makes a good friend? How about someone who is a God’s friend, not the world’s.

James 4:4-5"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Psalm 119:63–“I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.”

Each of us are followers in some respect. Therefore it is imperative to have the right kind of companions.

VII.     WE MUST KNOW THAT OUR SINFUL HABITS HURT THOSE WHO ARE FOLLOWING US.   

Just as each of us are followers in some respects, each of us are also leaders in some respect.

            Romans 14:7–“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.”

            You’ve probably heard the expression, “No man is an island.” That is true.

Each of us exacts a degree of influence on some of the people we come into contact with in this life.

            Spouses can have an influence on each other.

            Parents can have an influence on their children.

            Children can have an influence on their siblings.

            Workers can have an influence on their co-workers.

            Students can have an influence on their fellow students.

            We could go on. The fact is we all have circle of influence.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24–“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”

Conclusion

Listen friend, you will never get victory over something by continuing indulgences in it.

Don’t think you can stop a habit a little at a time. You’ve got to go “cold turkey,” because it is impossible to fight a fleshly appetite by indulging in it.

Don’t be deceived, small compromises can lead to great disasters and little sins can lead to big sins. Satan will convince you that you are not hurting anyone with those evil thoughts.

You had better look out, because it can lead to a great disaster in your life.

What kind of friend are you keeping. Are they really your friends? If they don’t love the Lord they aren’t His friend and they will lead you away from Him if you are not careful.

Who else are you hurting by the sinful habits that you cling to? Don’t think that you are only hurting yourself. Remember we all have a circle of influence. Are you a Christian?

Are you living like a Christian. Your talk talks and your walk talks but your talk doesn’t talk like walk talks? Your walk speaks a lot louder than your talk does.

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!