TBP - The Helmet of Salvation

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

Our purpose is to first prepare our minds for action. (gird up the loins of our minds)

God has a job for you to do. Spiritual gifts.

God has things he wants you to learn. To better understand His love.

God has things he wants you to experience. His presence.

Secondly, our purpose is to be obedient to Jesus. To do the will of God and not our own.

Our purpose is to intentionally and proactively move away from our BC days.

spiritual growth and maturity

Our purpose is to not be ignorant but to learn more about who God is and what He has done for us.

Our purpose is to strive to live a holy life, by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Why? Because ultimately our purpose is to live this life for the glory of God.

Mindlessness (knowledge)

1 Peter 3:15 NASB95

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

Always being ready - preparedness.

Defense - apologia - to answer their questions.

To give an account - logos - to give an intelligent word in regards to the hope that is in you.

This is one reason I love our Sunday School curriculum.

Meandering (focus)

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Be watchful, be alert.

Don’t let Satan dupe you!

Ephesians 6:11 (NASB95)

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Methodeia (schemes) – an orderly and technical procedure

Satan does it with frequency and great skill

We can never let our guard down.

2 Corinthians 2:11 (NASB95)

so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Νοήματα (noēmata) here has the pejorative sense of “schemes,” “designs,” “plots,” or “wiles”, but Paul also uses it later in the sense of the mind.

so Satan’s plots against us are primarily one’s within our mind.

2 Corinthians 3:14 NASB95

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:4 NASB95

in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 11:3 NASB95

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Satan’s schemes harden our minds, blinds our minds, and deceives our minds.

The first 2 are about the unbeliever.

The third is about a believer. But I think He still tries to harden and blind our minds as well.

Harden - stubborn, prideful, especially in doctrinal issues that are not essential.

Blind - Ignore the harder teachings in the Bible, or ignore the inconvenient teachings.

Why? He’s trying to make you ineffective.

Meander after the wrong things, or unimportant things, or anything that keeps you from pursuing God’s purposes for your life.

Mark 4:19 NASB95

but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

2 Peter 1:8 ESV

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Manipulation: (Freedom)

Strongholds Being Allowed In Our Lives

Ephesians 4:27 NASB95

and do not give the devil an opportunity.

Literally a place. Music, Movies, Media

Worry, fear, doubt.

Speculations/arguments – logismos – Advice, counsel, philosophical and logical reasonings from man’s perspective.

Instead of taking in the philosophies of the world, we should put God’s perspectives into our mind.

Worldview. Again, another reason I love our Sunday School curriculum.

Philippians 4:8 (NASB95)

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

The word for dwell is logizomai is the same as speculations above. To put together with one’s mind and occupy oneself with calculations.

on what are you dwelling?

Lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God

Any proud or arrogant thing that tries to rise above who God is, against the true teachings or doctrines about God.

The word for knowledge here is gnosis- It is that which comes against the partial and fragmentary understanding of God.

People will argue about that which they do not know.

They will attack something that is just a piece of the whole thing, when that piece is taken out of context.

If that piece was in place with the rest, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Satan likes to take the fragmentary pieces and twist them to confuse and deceive us.

Lofty thing can be a high place or where one would worship and sacrifice to idols.

It was a symbol of power and authority of a god.

Where have we allowed high places in our lives? Goes back to strongholds...

2 Timothy 4:3–4 NASB95

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Smyrna/Philadelphia – There was a synagogue of Satan infiltrating and attacking the Christians. They called themselves Jews but were not.

Thyatira – Some were holding to some deep things of Satan, teachings of. Jezebel, Balaam

Pergamum – Satan’s throne, Satan dwells. The teachings of Balaam. Teachings of the Nicolaitans.

Mastered by: (control)

Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ

Word for thought is the same word for scheme (noema) and same word for mind earlier.

We take every noema, scheme, of Satan that plays in our minds captive.

Captive carries the understanding of POW.

We bring every noema, thought, into the obedience of Christ.

Obedience carries the nuance of being submitted to or under the control of.

So we have to bring our thoughts into submission and under the control of Jesus.

When that stinking thinking comes into your head. Just say, “No!”

When the devil says that you have no purpose, just say, “No!” God created me and gifted me to play a role in His Kingdom.

When the deceiver says that you’re ignorant and stupid for believing in this Jesus stuff, just say, “No!” God is teaching me how much He loves me and has given me a living hope which I am learning how to share with others.

When Satan tries to distract you and get you to lose focus, just say, “No!” God wants me to be watchful and alert. I will not let you detour me from loving and serving Him.

When Lucifer tries to play word games and doctrinal gymnastics with your mind so as to confuse and discourage you, just say, “No!” God’s Word is clear. Holy Spirit help me to understand what you want me to understand.

When the serpent of old tries to trick you in believing the philosophies of man, just say, “No!” I will hold onto and live out a biblical worldview.

When the god of this world says, just give me a little spot in your life, you say, “No!” You have no power and no authority here. I will not be mastered by you and I will bring all of these thoughts and surrender them to Christ who has defeated you on the cross!

Now get thee behind me, Satan, for you do not have in mind the things of God. Now slither away you serpent of forked tongue.

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