THE SPIRIT OF UNBELIEF

HEBREWS 3:7-19

I. ILLUSTRATIONS OF UNBELIEF: ISRAEL'S ISSUE (v. 7-11)

A. Numbers 14

B. Exodus 17

1. "to test" (Heb 3:9)

2. "to treat with contempt"(Num 14:11,23)

3. to "provoke" (Heb 3:16)

4. TO US! (applic)

II. INSTRUCTION RE: UNBELIEF ( v. 12-14)

A. Don't fall away

B. Encourage one another daily

C. Hold firmly to the end

III. IMPLICATIONS OF UNBELIEF (v. 15-19)

A. Hardened heart ("the deceitfulness of sin")

B. No REST (God's judgment/anger)

STRONGHOLDS/IDOLATRY

Primary Battlefield: MIND

· 2 Main Weapons: The WORD and PRAYER(*)-i.e., PRAYING SCRIPTURE is best!

· Key Verse:

"For we have Divine Power (Gr: dunamis!) to demolish strongholds, and to take captive every argument & pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, to take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ."

II COR 10:5

· (1)Stronghold (def:) great areas of temptation/struggle/failure..(yes, for believers, too!)

from GR: "echo" meaning 'to hold fast,' or anything we hold onto that ends up holding us!

"anything that steals, kills, or destroys the abundant life for the believer is a stronghold of the enemy"

"Virtually every stronghold involves the worship of some kind of idol"

* an idol is anything/idea/practice/person that fills a place in your life that God intends that He will fill

* anything you "cannot live without"

· (2) arguments: 'logismos,' "reflection preceding & determining conduct," i.e., excuses for our strongholds!

· (3) pretension: 'hupsoma,' fig., of a proud adversary, a lofty tower built up by the enemy-i.e., PRIDE as a root! & humility req'd to break a stronghold

· (4) that sets itself up: ' to lift up the eyes' that is, Satan's goal is to be worshiped!!

· (5)Taking thoughts captive-'to subdue': Choosing to think GOD'S THOUGHTS about any situation/struggle

"we will not be free until we adopt the mind of Christ in the matter that enslaves usthe process of applying God's truth to the matter is what brings the cross between the captive and her thoughtsonce the mind of Christ has taken over, the power of the stronghold is broken"

"Either our thoughts have control over us through the power of the enemy, or we have control over them by the power of God.when we do not make a deliberate choice to think after the Spirit, we 'default' to the flesh"

Beth Moore, BREAKING FREE, Broadman & Holman (TN), 2000.