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BOOT CAMP BRIDE

FROM BOOT CAMP TO MIGHTY

WARRIORS FOR CHRIST

DON RANDOLPH

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COPYRIGHT © DON RANDOLPH 2019

Unless otherwise stated all scriptures in this book were taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places

Ephesians 6:12

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CONTENTS

Ch 1 In the Beginning…………………….10 Ch 2 The Boot Camp Bride……………..17 Ch 3 War is Hell…………………………….23 Ch 4 The Fallen Soldier………………….28 Ch 5 The Battlefield of the Mind……..36 Ch 6 The Art of Deception……………..43 Ch 7 Taking Thoughts Captive……….49 Ch 8 Strongholds…………………………..56 Ch 9 Breaking the Yoke………………….61 Ch 10 The Commander and Chief……..67 Ch 11 Occupying the High Ground……73 Ch 12 The Spirit of the Mind…………….80 Ch 13 Our Ascendency to Mount Zion.85 Ch 14 The World At War………………….91 Ch 15 World War III…………………..……97 Ch 16 The Melting Pot…………………..104 Ch 17 Natural and Supernatural…...111 Ch 18 Piercing the Darkness………….118 Ch 19 The Warrior Bride……………….125 C. 20 Power and Authority……………131

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INTRODUCTION

Several years ago I read a book titled The Art of War which was written in the 6th Century BC by a Chinese military strategist and general named Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu is considered to be one of the most brilliant military minds in history. Many of the battlefield strategies, tactics, and maneuvers he wrote about in his book are still being taught today in military academies around the world.

Soldiers must be trained in the art of warfare in order to understand battlefield techniques and the proper use of weaponry among other things. They must learn to think like their enemy thinks and be able to predict what moves their enemy is going to make on the battlefield.

I have taught on the topic of spiritual warfare for many years and have written 4 books regarding spiritual warfare. At times I have used some of the tactics Sun Tzu wrote about in his book when teaching. Spiritual warfare is much like natural warfare. There is a battlefield, strategies, powerful weapons and an enemy to fight to name a few. In spiritual warfare we use tactics and strategies that are similar at times to the strategies and tactics used on natural battlefields. When there is an enemy present trying to kill or destroy us, war is war, no matter what type of battle we are fighting.

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The Bible tells us that the Devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy. In other words, the Bible is telling us we are at war with the Devil. Because the war we are fighting is not a natural war, we cannot use natural weapons.

According to what the Bible tells us, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. One of the battlegrounds we fight upon is in our minds. The mind is where thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God remain or become strongholds of the enemy. In casting down these strongholds we are partaking in spiritual warfare.

We are fighting an enemy that tries to establish strongholds in our minds. The Forces of Darkness are continually trying to enforce their will upon us by tempting us to sin and/or deny our faith in Christ through the many tests and trials we experience on the Battlefield of Life.

Raw recruits in any army must go through a period of training in order to become effective warriors on the battlefield. Without the proper training in weaponry and battlefield tactics an army does not stand a chance against a well trained, well equipped, battle hardened enemy.

As Christians we have all been “drafted” into the Army of God. We fight the Devil daily on the Battlefield of Life. Whether we like it or not, we are at war with the unseen Forces of Darkness. If Christians do not know how to battle the Forces of Darkness and

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stand against the enemy of their souls, they will surely lose the daily battles they are fighting.

Boot Camp is where raw recruits are trained to become mighty warriors. It is the place where soldiers learn discipline and the proper use of their weapons. Boot Camp is where soldiers learn the “art of warfare” and the strategies that will eventually help them defeat their enemies. It is a place where raw recruits learn to fight together in unity as a team.

Christian Boot Camp is where Soldiers of Christ get their “basic training” in spiritual warfare. It is a place where Christians learn the “disciplines of the faith” in order to rule and reign with Christ in the heavenlies here on earth.

I have said for many years that churches should be “training centers.” Unfortunately, many churches are just social clubs and “fanciful factories” teaching cunning fables that are sending Christians out into a world that overwhelms and devours them.

The Bible tells us that we do not war against flesh and blood and that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but “mighty” through God to the pulling down of strongholds. As Christians we have an enemy we cannot see with the natural eye. We have an enemy that is continually trying to force his will upon us. We have an enemy that attempts to establish “strongholds” of doubt, fear, and unbelief in our hearts and minds. Fortunately we have been given “spiritual weapons” and “heavenly armor” from the Lord that can enable us to defeat the enemy of our souls.

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Our spiritual enemies are the most devious, conniving, deceitful, beguiling, wicked, and unpredictable entities on earth. They have thousands of years of experience in waging war against the unsuspecting masses, nations, and individuals on the planet. The Forces of Darkness are responsible for all the wars, trouble, turmoil, heartache, death, and destruction that has been visited upon the people of this earth.

The disciplines of spiritual warfare should be taught wherever Christians assemble together in order to learn about the Lord and study the word of God. Jesus began His ministry fighting the Devil and continued to battle him until His “victory” at Calvary. He fought for the souls of mankind that had been oppressed and possessed by the Devil. He won the victory over death, Hell, and the grave and became the “firstborn” of many who would follow in His victorious footsteps.

Jesus said “I give you the keys to the kingdom and whatsoever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatsoever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18). Jesus has given us the “Keys to the Kingdom.” Binding and loosing is about spiritual warfare. Among other things, the Keys to the Kingdom are used to wage spiritual warfare against our spiritual enemies.

We cannot expect to win spiritual battles if we are not properly trained in the art of spiritual warfare. Our battle with the unseen Forces of Darkness will be unsuccessful if we do not learn how to “bind and loose.”

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The Boot Camp Bride is the Bride of Christ. With the proper training she becomes proficient at waging spiritual warfare against the unseen Forces of Darkness. In Boot Camp she is taught the disciplines of spiritual warfare and is given the most powerful weapons in the universe to defeat her spiritual enemies. Because she sits with Christ in heavenly places she has the power and authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and all the power the enemy of her soul possesses.

In Boot Camp the Bride of Christ becomes proficient in the art of warfare. The “training for reigning” with Christ she receives will be more than enough to expel the thoughts and imaginations in her mind that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. When her obedience is fulfilled, she will be able to take the battle for spiritual supremacy into the enemy’s territory in order to free those that have been taken captive by the wiles and schemes of the Devil.

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Chapter 1

IN THE BEGINNING

IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH. AND THE EARTH WAS WITHOUT FORM, AND VOID; AND DARKNESS WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP. AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVED UPON THE FACE OF THE WATERS. AND GOD SAID LET THERE BE LIGHT: AND THERE WAS LIGHT. AND GOD SAW THE LIGHT THAT IT WAS GOOD: AND GOD DIVIDED THE LIGHT FROM THE DARKNESS. Genesis 1:1-4.

The story of Creation is a spiritual paradigm of a soul without Christ. For the unsaved soul life is spiritually barren and void of the Life and Light of Christ. Darkness permeates the “deepest dungeons” in the soul that is bound by sin and under the spell of Spiritual Babylon. Babylon means “City of Confusion.” Souls that do not possess the “Light of Christ” dwell in darkness and are “confused.” They lack the “spiritual understanding” that Light of Christ produces.

The soul without Christ will continue to remain “confused” and in spiritual darkness until and unless the Light of Christ finds its way into the wayward vagabond soul. When the “seed of righteousness” which is the Spirit of Christ, is planted into the vagabond soul and “germinates” the Life of Christ is imparted to them. In the Bible this process is called being “born again.”

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At the moment the soul becomes “born again,” the Life and Light of Christ enters into the heart of the individual. The Kingdom of God which in the Bible is also called the “Kingdom of Light” formulates a “New Creation” in the heart of the individual. Old things have passed away, and all things become new in the individual through the “born again” experience. (2 Corinthians 5:17).

IN THE BEGINNING God said “let there be light,” and the Bride of Christ was conceived in the matrix of Creation. She had been envisioned in the heart and mind of God in eternity long before her conception. Creation would “bring forth” a man child that would “rule the nations.” (Revelation 12:5). That man child was Christ who is our Redeemer. His future Bride would be those He redeemed by His blood from every tongue and nation.

THE WOMAN CALLED THE PITTS

One night I had a dream about a woman called “The Pitts.” I was in a building where a few people had gathered together and were talking with one another. The Lord walked up to me and told me He was sending me to minister to a beautiful woman. He pointed to a woman on the other side of the room and told me “that is the woman.” I asked the Lord what was the woman’s name, and He said to me “THEY call her “the pitts.” I walked over to the other side of the room where the woman stood and introduced myself to her. I told her the Lord had sent me to minister to her. The woman was not very attractive. Both her clothing and her hair were very unkempt and disheveled, and she did not look

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beautiful to me at all. Her dress was wrinkled and somewhat soiled. In some ways she looked rather homely, and was unpleasant to look at. However, looking closer at the woman I saw that in a way she did seem to have a somewhat “pleasing beauty” in her countenance. She wore a pleasant smile and was very friendly and amiable as I talked with her.

I decided to ask the Lord what the word “pitts” meant. The phrase “it is the pitts” is an idiom which means to be “unpleasant and offensive.” The “pitts” is a reference to the “armpits” which can be offensive and unpleasant at times, especially when people sweat a lot and do not use an antiperspirant or deodorant. I knew what the term “the pitts” meant, but I did not understand why the Lord said this woman was called “the pitts.” Although at first she was unpleasant to look at, I did not see her as offensive and repulsive.

I saw the Lord talking with some people on the other side of the room. I walked over and asked the Lord what the definition of “the pitts” was. He looked at me very sternly and said “it means pleasant and beautiful.” At first I was a little set back and confused about the Lord’s definition of “the pitts.” However, I knew the Lord was trying to convey a message to me about how He desired the woman to look. In other words, He was saying she may not look much to you right now, but to Me she is pleasant and beautiful. She just needs some changing and re-arranging. The Lord was giving me the task of helping to change the woman into His Beautiful Bride.

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The Lord does not always look at us the way we are, but the way He wishes us to be. He looks at “Christ in us” the hope of glory for us, and pictures us as a Bride which will become without “spot or wrinkle.” In other words, He looks at us through the eyes of faith, not at us in our present condition. The Lord sees the “potential” in us to become without spot or blemish through the Spirit of Christ which dwells within us. The “old man” is dead, and the “new man” within us is Christ.

The Lord clothes us with His “garment of grace” and places upon our hearts a “mantle of mercy.” He washes and cleanses our hearts with His blood and the washing of water by His word. The Lord “irons” out the wrinkles in our garments with His “rod of iron.”

The Lord sees the potential within His Bride to become Christ-like. When He sees Christ in us He sees something worthwhile and pleasant to His eyes. Christ sees within us the “beauty of holiness” that He imparted to us with the power of His blood which He shed at Calvary.

Before the Church became what she is today, there was darkness upon the “deep dungeons” of her soul. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and the “Living Water” cleansed her heart. God said “let there be Light, understanding was imparted to her soul, and the Church became a “New Creation.” The New Creation was washed in “living waters” and exposed to the Light of “spiritual understanding.” The Light (Christ) that shined in the dark dungeons of her soul can never and will never be extinguished. The fire

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that burns within her heart to “give her light” now will remain ablaze throughout eternity.

A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR

FOR WE ARE UNTO GOD A SWEET SMELLING SAVOUR OF CHRIST, IN THEM THAT ARE SAVED, AND IN THEM THAT PERISH, TO THE ONE WE ARE THE SAVOUR OF DEATH. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16.

AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR THROUGH CHRIST OUR SAVIOR. To most of the world today the Church is unpleasant and offensive, especially in her present state. To the Lord the Church is a “sweet smelling savor” in Christ. She has been bought and paid for with the precious blood of Christ which He shed at Calvary in order to cleanse her and make her “pleasantly and perfectly whole.”

When we are born again it is the blood of Christ that cleanses us from all unrighteousness at the moment of the “rebirth. It is the “living water” which is the word of God that transforms us into the image of Christ. It is the truth that makes us free and sets us apart from the rest of the world. It is the fullness of Christ in His Bride that gives us the power to become the Sons of God. Creation is patiently but earnestly awaiting to embrace the manifestation of the Sons of God.

The Bride of Christ is the object of Christ’s deepest affections. It is for the Bride Christ suffered, bled, and died. The Bride is the apple of His eye. Next to the Father the Bride is the love of His life. He bought and paid for her with His life. She belongs to Him now. She

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will never love another. She does not love this world or the things in this world. Being with the Groom is all she thinks about. The Groom paid a “great ransom” to redeem her from those who kept her in captivity since she was first imprisoned in the Garden of Eden.

The Bride found that the Groom was offering her more than just “eternal life.” She realized that the treasures He offered her if they were to become “united together” in Holy Matrimony” were more than she could ever dream. In her “wildest dreams” she could have never imagined the feelings she could have toward the One who stole her heart.

The Groom offered His Bride His greatest virtues. He demonstrated to her His amazing love which was “truthfully” and “sincerely” rooted and grounded in His “amazing grace.” He poured His grace and mercy out upon her at Calvary as He shed His blood to redeem her from her captivity. The Groom embellishes His Bride with all the treasures of Heaven as He washes her with the water of His word.

The Groom pours out the fragrance of His love into the heart of the Bride. He “wisely” embellishes her heart with spiritual gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The gold represents the divine nature of Christ. The frankincense represents the oil of the Holy Spirit, and the myrrh represents the sweet smelling fragrance of His undying love.

When the Groom said “it is finished” as He was dying upon the cross, the womb of Creation opened up once again to receive the “seed of promise.” Darkness no longer permeated the face of the deep, and the living

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waters brought forth “new life” for all who would drink of the “Living Water.”

A Roman soldier pierced the side of the Groom with a spear as He hung upon the cross. Water and blood flowed out of the Groom to wash and cleanse His future Bride of her sins and make her holy just as He is holy. The water and the blood which flowed from the side of the Groom became the Bride’s salvation. He continues to wash and cleanse her with the water of His word and the power of His “precious blood.”

The Bible says “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). When we dwell and worship together in unity as one in Christ, we become a “pleasant sweet smelling savor” to our Lord. As the Bride we dwell together in unity to form a “perfect union” with Christ.

The Bride is a “sweet smelling savor” to our Sweet Savior.” He cleanses her with the washing of the water of His word. The Groom teaches and trains her to fight against the Forces of Darkness with His word which He wrote upon her heart. His word becomes more powerful than a “two-edged sword” when the Bride receives, believes, and exercises her authority over her spiritual enemies.

At present the Bride is a “Boot Camp Bride” because many in the Army of the Groom are in a “spiritual boot camp” learning the art of “spiritual warfare” in order to defeat her “spiritual enemies.” The Boot Camp Bride must put on the “whole armor of God” in order to stand against ALL the wiles and schemes of the Devil she is currently fighting.

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Chapter 2

THE BOOT CAMP BRIDE

As Christians we are all called to be “Warriors for Christ.” We have been inducted into the Armed Forces of Heaven. We did not join the Army of God. We were drafted into the Army when we were “born again.” Like any army, new recruits in the Army of God must be taught and trained in the “art of warfare” and the proper use of their weapons. In a natural army before being sent into battle “new recruits” must go through a period of what is called “basic training” in military “boot camps” in order to learn the “art of warfare.”

The Forces of Darkness today are fighting a “psychological war” against mankind. They use the weapons of doubt, unbelief, mind control, temptation, hopelessness, debauchery, and fear to name a few in order to conquer and enslave the hearts and minds of individuals. If they can take their “thoughts captive,” the Forces of Darkness can enslave and control men and women wherever they “treacherously tread.”

Psychologically speaking, training a “spiritual army” is much like the training men and women receive today in a natural boot camp. In a natural army men and women must “learn” how to fight effectively against their enemies. Education is the key to understanding how to fight and win battles. In a natural army physical and mental strength and stamina are needed in order to successfully wage war against an enemy.

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In spiritual warfare knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are more import than physical strength. Education is the key to success when fighting a spiritual war. However, being physically fit is also important. Being physically healthy enables us to take the battle into the enemy’s territory where he takes advantage of others who lack spiritual understanding and wisdom.

If we are not physically healthy we cannot take the battle directly to the enemy in the field. However, there are many “prayer warriors” in the Army of God who are called to “stand in the gap” for others with their prayers. Whether we are called to attack the enemy in the field or at home with our prayers, we are all called to “fight together” in unity to defeat the onslaught of the enemy who desires to take and “keep” souls captive.

There is no room for cowards in the Army of God. The Bible admonishes us to be “made perfect in love and that perfect love casts out all fear.” When Christians are afraid of the Devil they are not made perfect in love, and Christ cannot dwell richly within their hearts. Battle hardened soldiers in the Army of God are those who have learned to love and have cast out all fear.

Since we belong to a heavenly army, our “arms” are spiritual weapons not natural weapons. The Bible tells us we are fighting a “spiritual war.” That war has been and is increasing in intensity as time as we know it winds down. If Christians do not know how to “wage war” against the Forces of Darkness” that are continually “assaulting them, they will unfortunately “lose many battles.”

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

As Warriors for Christ we must have a good understand of how to wage the spiritual war we are “fighting together” against our spiritual enemies. We must understand how to utilize the “weapons of our warfare” which have been provided to us by General Jesus. General Jesus is the Head of the Church, as well as the Head of the Army of God. All instructions on who, how, when, and where to fight our spiritual battles will always originate from “General Headquarters.”

As Warriors for Christ, we must have a good understanding of how our enemy operates and wages war against mankind. As I said, “knowledge” is the key to understanding. We have to obtain knowledge before we can understand how to fight our enemy. Knowledge is the key to preparation. I read somewhere that in warfare “failing to prepare” is preparing to fail.

In a natural boot camp a warrior must learn how to “wage war” against their natural enemies. Without knowledge and understanding of how to fight and how to use the weapons they possess, an army cannot and will not defeat their enemies. Learning how to use their weapons properly and effectively will ensure them they have an opportunity to be successful on the battlefield. These principles work the same in training a warrior of Christ regarding “spiritual warfare.” Educating “Warriors of Christ” regarding the principles of spiritual warfare are of utmost importance if the Bride of Christ is going to become triumphant on the “Battlefield of Life.”

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Knowledge alone does not give us victory over our spiritual enemies. It is faith in God and the promises of God that empowers us to become victorious on the Battlefield of the Mind. Knowing how to wage spiritual warfare is just the beginning of the conflict. The victory comes when our faith overcomes our fears and the thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. When we come to the knowledge of the truth and the truth becomes our buckler and shield, we will experience the victory that overcomes the world and the god of this world.

THE RENEWING OF THE MIND

BUT BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD, AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD. Romans 12:2.

Once the Life and Light of Christ enters into the heart of an individual, the process of “re-education” and “spiritual enlightenment” must renew and transform the mind of the individual. In other words, the new recruit must change the way they think as well as what they believe regarding “spiritual issues.” Understanding and spiritually absorbing the “precepts and principles” that govern the Kingdom of God within the soul is of utmost importance for the “new recruit.” It is also important for those in churches today who have never had any “basic training.”

The new recruit must learn how to become transformed into a Mighty Warrior for Christ. The Bible tells us that “though we walk in the flesh we do

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not war after the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” (See 2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

As Christians, we are “all” part of the Army of God. We are at war with the unseen Forces of Darkness which try to establish, re-establish, and/or “reaffirm” the principles which govern the Kingdom of Darkness in our hearts and minds. Although our “spiritual battles” are not waged against mankind, we do wrestle against our “flesh man” and the thoughts we have which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

The reaffirmation of the principles which govern the Kingdom of Confusion in the hearts and minds of “new recruits” in the Kingdom of God will plague them until and unless their minds are renewed and enlightened “by” the truth. It is the truth that is able to free people from darkness and carnal thoughts which continue to hold them in bondage. When men and women are “enlightened” by the truth, the truth will set them free from their carnal mindedness.

FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKNESS IN HIGH PLACES. Ephesians 6:12.

New recruits in the Kingdom of God must be transformed into a “viable fighting machine” in order to defeat the Forces of Darkness which are continually trying to reinforce their will and dominion over their

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souls. In the Army of God Warriors of Christ must learn to work together as a team in order to overcome the enemy’s wiles and schemes.

As Church leaders we must equip warriors of Christ with the “Whole Armor of God.” The Lord has given us all the “spiritual weapons” we need in order to defeat the Forces of Darkness that are continually trying to invade and take territory in the hearts and minds of believers. Understanding the “basic fundamentals” of spiritual warfare will ensure the Army of God success on each battlefield we fight upon.

Basic training for a natural army can be “extremely intense” and effectual for those who work and train hard. There are no short cuts in education and training if a “new recruit” is going to become a “successful warrior” in order to become a “successful warrior.” Shortcuts do not work when you are battling an army that has had thousands of years of experience in enslaving the hearts and minds of men and women.

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Chapter 3

WAR IS HELL

During the American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman coined the phrase “War is Hell.” As terrible as war is, war is nothing like Hell. I have never been to Hell. However, we all know that Hell is a place of great pain and suffering, as well as emotional and spiritual torment and conflict. As terrible as war can be it could never be as bad as Hell.

According to Christ, Hell is a place where the “worm never dies” and the fires are never abated. (See Mark 9:48). A dead body will be eaten by worms until the body no longer exists. On the other hand, the unregenerated spirit will be continually consumed by “spiritual worms” forever. In the end it will be cast into the Lake of fire where it will burn forever.

We cannot “sugarcoat” the message of Hell to make it sound less agonizing, unbearable, horrifying and/or repulsive. People must be warned of the seriousness of the daily choices they make. We choose where we will spend eternity. Those who reject Christ are choosing an eternity of torment, agony, misery, pain, and emotional distress. Those who reject Christ are eternally doomed to embrace “eternal death.” Eternal death is eternal separation from the life of Christ.

As bad as war is, it is nothing compared to Hell. At least after natural wars are over, the killing ends and those who are still alive can go about the business of rebuilding their lives however hard and unpleasant that

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may be. For the living there is still hope. For those who die without Christ there is no hope, only the eternal suffering and the damnation of their souls. Life is serious business. Death is even more serious because in death we will either receive heavenly rewards or eternal punishment.

As far as we know the first war that took place in history took place in Heaven. Lucifer tried to usurp the Throne of God and was cast out of Heaven along with one-third of the angels. War has been on the heart of Satan since his unsuccessful attempt to “be in control” of the Kingdom of Heaven.

War is inevitable. Jesus said that before His return to earth there will be wars and rumors of wars. Wars and rumors of wars will be one of the signs of His soon return. Conflict between Satan and man has existed since the debacle in the Garden of Eden. Conflict between men has existed since Cain slew Abel. War has catastrophic and calamitous consequences. War is always followed by death, Hell, and the grave. When soldiers march into battle they go forth to kill, and destroy. There is “no promise” they will survive the battles they are facing unless their faith is in Christ, not in their comrades gathered around them.

THE CAUSE OF MOST WARS

I have read that the most common cause of war is based upon differences in ideologies. Differences in political, social, and religious ideologies are the cause of most of the wars that have occurred since the beginning of time. Times have not changed, and the differences in

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the way people think and believe are still the catalyst for most wars.

The second most common cause of war is the desire for independence. The desire to be free from a totalitarian government or tyrannical despot has been the catalyst for many wars. The desire to be free from oppression and tyranny is a great motivator. For many, the desire for freedom is greater than their fear of death.

Our own American Revolution was fought on the premise that all men were created equal and they were endowed by their Creator with certain inherent rights. According to our Constitution, those rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I apologize to my British friends, and “comrades in arms” as Warriors for Christ. However, King George was a tyrannical ruler and his oppressive rule over the American Colonies had to be successfully dealt with.

I believe the American Revolution was a “just war.” Many will no doubt disagree with me. Many men died on both sides and went to Hell. Unfortunately, war is sometimes the only solution to obtain peace and freedom from oppression and tyranny. The Lord led Israel into war on many occasions to defeat their enemies that were summarily and viciously attacking and/or oppressing them.

The third most common cause of war is the desire to own the “resources” of others. The desire for the “resources” of others has led many soldiers to their deaths on the battlefields of life. Many wars have been fought over natural resources such as precious metals,

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oil, food, and water to name a few. Not sufficient “natural resources” has been the cause of many wars and disputes throughout history.

REFORMATION AND REVOLUTION

As Christians our warfare is against the oppression of a tyrannical sovereign who rules this current world without conscience or the ability to feel remorse, regret, or shame. Jesus called him the god of this world. (John 14:30). The Bible also calls him the Prince and Power of the Air, the Serpent, the Dragon, the Devil, and Satan. He is called by many names, and his names all invoke a sense of gloom, doom, destruction, death, and depravity.

If the Church is going to prosper in the coming days, there must be and will be a “new reformation.” According to most historians, the first Protestant Reformation started in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 99 theses on the door of a Church in Wittenberg Germany.

In reality, the first Protestant Reformation took place in 1477 among the Moravians who lived in what is today called the “Chez Republic”. The Moravian Reformation has had a greater impact upon the Church than that of Luther.

There can be no “new reformation” without a “new revolution.” The “god of this world” is not going to sit ideally, ideologically, and idly by while the Church decides to become free from the oppression and depression of his tyrannical rule. He will fight against the “new reformation” with all the weapons he has at

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his disposal, including bitterness, compromise, confusion, persecution, and fear to name a few.

Satan’s weapons are deadly and lethal. Compromise leaves an open door for Satan to stealthfully enter into the lives of individuals, as well as churches with deadly consequences. Along with compromise come confusion, lethargy, and every other evil work. An army that is lethargic and compromises its strategic goals is an army that will lose battles. The battlefield is no place for lazy soldiers who compromise their ideological beliefs and convictions.

If Christians are going to be successful on the Battlefield of Life, they must rebel against the principles and standards which occupy the hearts and minds of unbelievers. They must also rebel against the “status quo” in the Church and fight for the right to become completely free from the ordinances that govern this present world. Christians must rebel against the Forces of Darkness that have entered into churches today bringing division, schisms, and emotionally and spiritual instability.

Spiritually speaking, we must occupy the “high ground” in order to see where and when the enemy is planning to attack us. Like the “Minutemen” in the American Revolution, we must be ready at all times to take the fight to the invading Forces of Darkness. We can know without a shadow of a doubt that the enemy will try to strike at our most vulnerable defenses. If we are not prepared to fight at a moment’s notice, we can be assured we will be “blindsided” and/or deceived by the enemy when he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

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Chapter 4

THE PARABLE OF THE FALLEN SOLDIER

During World War II a young man from Kansas who had graduated from high school two months earlier joined the Marines. The young man’s name was Calvin. I will call him Cal for short. Cal had recently read about the Normandy invasion on D-Day, and his heart leaped inside his chest when he heard about the allied victory against the German Forces in Northern France. He had read many books about “the glory of war” and his heart was filled with “patriotic pride.” Cal’s heart’s greatest desire was to become a Marine. Cal had watched many war movies at the movie theater in the small Kansas town where he grew up. In the war movies he saw soldiers in their colorful uniforms fighting against their enemies. Many soldiers in the movies were carrying beautiful red, white, and blue flags, as well as many other banners that were blowing in the wind as they marched to the tune of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” onto battlefields during depictions of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Cal would intently watch the movie screen as wave after wave of brave men would go into battle to fight against their enemies. During intermission one day Cal watched a newsreel about the Normandy invasion and decided to join the Marines. Cal watched the newsreel showing American Army troops as they disembarked and hit the beaches at Normandy dressed in their khaki uniforms carrying their “government issued” M-1 Garand rifles. The American soldiers had been

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through military training in Boot Camp, and had learned the “Art of Warfare.” They were taught how to fight and kill their enemies and they understood they might die on the beach while engaging the enemy forces they had been sent to destroy. After joining the Marines Cal was sent to Camp Lejeune in Jackson, North Carolina where he would train for battle and learn the basic principles of warfare. Cal would become a “disciplined soldier” in the greatest military force on earth—the United States Marines. In Boot Camp at Camp Legeune Cal was transformed into a “man of war.” He worked and trained hard to become one of the “best of the best” soldiers in his unit. Cal was strong. He was intelligent and brave. Cal could not wait to hit the beach somewhere in the “Pacific Theater” of the war where the Marines were fighting against the Japanese who had carried out a surprise attack on American Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor three years earlier. Cal had daydreams of killing many Japanese soldiers and becoming a “hero” among his comrades. He had trained and studied hard at Camp Legeune and was as tough as any Marine in his unit. The day finally came when Cal and his unit were ready to be “shipped out” to fight in the Pacific Theater of the War. The Marines were loaded onto transport ships and headed toward the Islands of Japan. A few weeks later the ships carrying the Marines dropped anchor off the coast of Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is a small volcanic island in the Japanese archipelago. Resting in his bunk on the troop transport Cal was plagued with many mixed emotions. He was excited about finally having the opportunity to serve his country and face his enemies in mortal combat. Cal also wondered what “real war” would be like. He pondered the thought of being killed or wounded. On the long journey across the Pacific Ocean Cal had many thoughts

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about the coming battles that were ahead of him. The ship Cal was sailing on would not only carry him to war, but to his destiny as a Marine. The Marines sat on the troop ships at their destination near the shores of Iwo Jima preparing to disembark and head for the beach. Finally, it was time for the Marines to go into battle on the small but ominous looking island. In the landing craft Cal had many thoughts about what would transpire once they hit the beach on Iwo Jima. His thoughts went back to basic training at Camp Legeune. He wondered if there was more he could have learned that would help him survive the coming battle. After all, there are many surprises in battle, and no one is promised they will survive the hazards of battle. Many negative thoughts and emotions plagued Cal’s mind. What would happen on the beach? Would he be brave? Would he be killed? Would he survive? Would he live long enough to kill any of the enemy he was about to face? Would he help save the lives of his fellow “brothers in arms?” How many of his friends would die beside him today? His destiny waited just a few meters in front of him on the beach at Iwo Jima. Finally the landing craft came close to the shore and the gate of the landing craft was lowered. Cal, along with the other Marines in the landing craft jumped into the clear blue shallow water and ran swiftly onto the beach. Cal had never before seen a Japanese soldier in person. He had seen videos of his enemies on the newsreels at the movie theater in his hometown in Kansas and in basic training classes at Camp Legeune. U. S. warships and planes had bombed the island for three days to soften Japanese defenses and kill as many of the enemy they could before the Marines were sent in to take the island from the Japanese. Unfortunately for the Marines, the Japanese were hiding underground in caves

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and bunkers during the three day bombardment, and there were few Japanese casualties. Cal hit the beach running as fast as he could. He did not see there were many Japanese soldiers hiding in the bushes in the hills and ridges above them. Cal took two steps on the dark ash-like sand on the beach and he heard the crack of machine gun fire. He immediately felt an excruciatingly painful sensation in his chest. Bullets from a Japanese heavy machine gun were ripping his body to shreds. Cal was dead before his body hit the ground. He never had a chance to fire his gun at the enemy. His blood seeped into the black ash-like sand on the beach beneath him. Cal never had a chance to see the enemy he was sent to fight and kill. He had trained to be the best of the best. But now he was dead without seeing his enemy or firing a shot at him. Cal never saw a Japanese soldier. He never had the chance to use any of the training he acquired at Camp Legeune. There were many good Marines that died that day on the beach at Iwo Jima without firing a shot or seeing an enemy soldier. Did they die in vain? Did their lives and their deaths mean anything? Were they sacrificed so others might live in freedom in a country that was not experiencing or seeking war? A country that was ruthlessly and calculatingly attacked by an enemy that desired to destroy their lives and take their freedoms away from them? When Cal joined the Marines his life no longer belonged to him, but to the nation and the people he swore to protect. There have been many casualties on battlefields throughout the centuries. There will always be evil men trying to kill others and/or take their freedoms from them and bind them with chains of oppression. Cal was trained to fight and kill his enemy, but never even got to see them because his enemy had a strategic advantage over him. Cal’s enemy had plans of

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their own to defeat him and the other Marines that hit the beach at Iwo Jima that fateful day. Iwo Jima was a hard fought battle that lasted five weeks. The Marines finally defeated the Japanese who suffered an astounding number of casualties during the battle. The U. S. Military had misjudged the Japanese and were surprised at the strategy the Japanese used to defend the island of Iwo Jima. The Marines suffered many more casualties than they would have if they had known what the Japanese strategy was. Iwo Jima was of no strategic value to the war effort in the Pacific, although it became one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Pacific War. The many men who died and/or were wounded there could have been used in other areas of the Pacific. However, the brave men who fought and died on Iwo Jima did not die in vain. The battle did help the war effort and helped to stop the aggression of the deadly Japanese war machine.

There are many casualties on the natural battlefields of life. There are many casualties daily on the spiritual battlefields of life as well. Many die without ever seeing the enemy or understanding that they are fighting an enemy that is trying to destroy them. Many in churches today do not know how to fight spiritual battles because they are not taught and trained how to “defeat” the enemies that are daily taking them captive at their will.

There are many non-combatants in churches today who do not even know there is an enemy “hiding in the bushes” waiting to attack them. Even if they did know there were devils infiltrating their homes and other areas of their lives, they would not know what to do if they could see them approaching with their weapons “locked and loaded.”

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If many Christians could see their spiritual enemies they would retreat in fear. Fear has surrounded, captured, and now occupies the hearts and minds of many Christians on the Battlefield of Life. Many prospective “warriors” sit in pews every Sunday listening to false teachers and pastors telling them how good they are and how fortunate they are to be alive. They hear the false rhetoric of “greasy grace” and how God wants to make them rich. They never hear one “word” about how they can defeat the Army of Darkness that is trying to destroy them.

Sunday after Sunday parishioners eat a meal in the Church Fellowship Hall not understanding that the meal they just received in the Sanctuary was poisoned with the fruit that grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. False prophets and teachers sermonize and demonize the gospel by watering it down with “carnally toxic pollutants” that oppose the pure “water of the word.”

Until and unless the teachers who are vomiting “cunningly factitious fables” change their “battle tactics,” their congregations will continue to be bound and controlled by the enemy in their midst. Like the young Marine from Kansas, the people in their congregations will become casualties on the Battlefield of Life, never getting to see or fire a shot at the enemy.

Several years ago I met an ex-Marine who fought at the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II. Guadalcanal was also an island in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Guadalcanal was a six months campaign that turned out to be an overwhelming

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victory for the U S. Marines on the island. The ex-Marine told me at one point during the battle they ran short on much needed supplies. He said there were plenty of supplies on ships anchored just off the coast of Guadalcanal, but General Douglas MacArthur, the General in charge of all American Forces in the Pacific would not release them.

General MacArthur thought the supplies on the ships might be needed later on in the war against the Japanese during future battles in the Pacific. Unlike the Marines that would later fight at the Battle of Iwo Jima, the first Marines on Guadalcanal were raw recruits. They had not yet been through basic training at Camp Leguene before they were deployed because they were needed as soon as possible to thwart the Japanese push toward Australia in the Pacific. Many of the Marines on Guadalcanal had to learn the basics of warfare on the battlefield. On top of that they had to fight the enemy being short of valuable supplies including at times food and ammunition.

Many Church leaders send their “congregational warriors” onto the Battlefield of Life with little or no training in spiritual warfare. They do not always supply them with the much needed “spiritual food and ammunition” they need to successfully fight and be victorious over their “spiritual enemies.” Many Church leaders today do not know how to fight “spiritual battles” themselves. They were not trained in the “art” of spiritual warfare. They cannot teach others principles they do not know or understand themselves.

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As Church leaders it is our responsibility to teach and train those God has placed in our care everything we can about the Devil and his strategies. Jesus taught His disciples many things about the Devil, and He gave them power over all the works of the Devil. The Apostle Paul understood the significance and importance of teaching principles of spiritual warfare to the Church and wrote about them in his epistles.

Withholding “spiritual food” and weapons that can enable God’s people to obtain victory over their spiritual enemies is an abomination. Church leaders that labor to produce congregations that are powerless and faithless labor in vain.

Many well-meaning godly Christians are wounded, and fall by the wayside because they lack knowledge and understanding regarding the enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. They are devoured by the enemy because they lack spiritual growth and understanding regarding the weapons of our warfare. Unless and until many Church leaders understand the importance of the “whole armor of God,” their congregations will surely suffer and die prematurely. They will never detect the enemy hiding in the bushes waiting to destroy them or take a shot at them with the weapons of their warfare.

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Chapter 5

THE BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND

It has been said that “the mind is the battleground of the soul.” All spiritual and natural battles begin in the mind. Natural battles originate first in the minds of individuals who wish to conquer territory, dominate, control, and/or interfere in the affairs of others. As stated earlier, most wars begin over differences in ideologies. Many “religious wars” have also been fought over differences in religious ideologies.

Spiritual battles are no different than natural ones in the sense that they are usually fought over ideologies and the “territory of the mind.” The Devil tries to impose his will upon individuals, factions, and nations by promoting his “devilish agendas.” Just as God desires His will to be accomplished in our lives, Satan “tries to impose” his will upon the lives of individuals.

The second most common cause of natural war is over territory. In the “territory of the mind” this cause of war is also found. By establishing devilish strongholds in the minds of individuals Satan can control and/or influence “the territory of their mind.” For many the Devil does not have to “establish” strongholds in their minds because he already “occupies” their minds. The more territory he possesses or influences in the minds of individuals the more he can control and/or manipulate their thoughts, actions, and reactions.

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The third most common cause of natural war is over resources. On the battlefield of the mind resources are also important to the believer as well as the Devil. The Devil wants “our thoughts” in order to promote his agenda on this earth. Our thoughts are resources he can “use to confuse” divide, and conquer the souls of others. He uses the thoughts of individuals, as well as factions and nations to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan desires to steal our peace, destroy our faith, and kill the word of Life within our hearts.

The battle over our spiritual resources is one of the greatest battles we will ever fight on the battlefield of our mind. Our godly thoughts are our strongholds. Our righteousness, joy, and peace depend upon our ability to retain godly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The enemy’s main targets on the battlefield of the mind will always be our godly thoughts, as well as our resolve to stand against the onslaught of “devilish deliberation.”

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

FOR THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH WE DO NOT WAR AFTER THE FLESH: FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS, CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS, AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND BRINGING INTO CAPTIVTY EVERY THOUGH TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

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Although we live in a natural world our warfare is not against natural men, therefore our weapons are not natural weapons. As Christians we are not at war with mankind but with the unseen Forces of Darkness that are trying to impose their will upon our lives and their “devilish ideologies” and thoughts in our minds. Devilish strongholds exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Satan desires to establish carnal thoughts and religious ideologies in the minds of individuals, factions, and nations in order to impose his will upon them. These thoughts and ideologies are “devilish strongholds” which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

The strongholds that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God are planted as “seed thoughts” by the enemy in the “high places” of the minds of individuals. The enemy waters them with the “polluted water” of “his word.” In many churches today Satan waters the strongholds (false doctrines) he establishes with what Paul called “another gospel.” A “watered down gospel” creates a Church with a “form of godliness” that is void of power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The knowledge of God is where we find godly wisdom and understanding. Carnal thoughts exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and impede and war against the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. We cannot and will not grow spiritually without godly wisdom and revelation. We cannot cast down the strongholds which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God without understanding how to do so. We certainly cannot take “thoughts captive” without the knowledge of God and “resurrection power.”

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The weapons of our warfare are not carnal weapons. They are “spiritual weapons” that are designed to be used on the “Battlefield of the Mind.” They are weapons that we can only obtain and utilize through the knowledge of God. The weapons in our “spiritual arsenal” are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.

Our spiritual weapons are powerful enough to stop our enemies on a natural battlefield. Through prayer we can stop our enemies without lifting a “natural sword” against them. There are many stories in the Bible where Israel’s enemies were defeated without having to “lift up” a sword against them.

Solomon said there is a time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:8). There is a time “to fight” and there is a time to “let go” and “let God” fight our battles both spiritually and naturally. There is a time for “natural war” and a time to let God fight our natural battles. Just as “natural war” is inevitable, “spiritual war” is also inevitable.

Wherever natural battles and wars are raging we know demonic entities are “fighting feverishly” behind the scenes. Death and destruction is the bread of the unseen Forces of Darkness. They feed off the death and destruction of mankind. This principle is also true regarding spiritual warfare. Although the thoughts and imaginations we cast down are not always spiritual entities, they certainly have their origins in demonic thought. Carnal thinking entered into the hearts and minds of Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God in

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the Garden of Eden and ate of the fruit which grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

THE CARNAL MIND

The Bible tells us that the “carnal mind” is the enemy of God. (See Romans 8:7). The carnal mind feeds off of and is nourished by the fruit that grows on Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It opposes the “fruit” which grows on the Tree of Life. The fruit which grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is the “bread of the carnal mind.”

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil produces the fruit of confusion, doubt, unbelief, fear, and unrighteousness to name a few. The fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil opposes and conflicts with godly knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. In other words, the fruit from the “Evil Tree” continues to war against the “sanctified soul.”

The carnal mind can only produce carnal thoughts and imaginations which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. For Christians casting down and eliminating those thoughts is, if you will pardon my expression, “a no-brainer.”

The carnal mind is not only the enemy of God it is the enemy of every individual. Mankind’s greatest enemy is not the Devil, but the “carnal mind.” If we can eliminate “carnal thinking,” we will have no problem defeating the Devil when he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. However, for many Christians, until then they will continue to remain in subjection to the wiles and schemes of the Devil.

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AND HAVING IN A READINESS TO REVENGE ALL DISOBEDIENCE, WHEN YOUR OBEDIENCE IS FULFILLED. 2 Corinthians 10:6.

When Christians learn how to occupy the “high places” in the realm of the Spirit, they will have no problem dealing with the disobedience of the enemy. However, we will only be able to occupy the “high places” if and when we are sitting in heavenly places “in” Christ Jesus. We cannot “cast down” carnal thoughts and imaginations if our thoughts and imaginations continue to exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

Our ability to destroy strongholds depends fully upon our obedience to Christ and the word of God. We cannot align ourselves with the enemy and expect the strongholds we are demanding to fall if we are being disobedient to the thoughts which establish godly strongholds in our minds.

The Bible tells us that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” Rebellion is another word for disobedience. Rebellious thoughts and attitudes are fruit which grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. All strongholds and thoughts which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God are engendered by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

When we are obedient to the commandments of God, we will have no problem eliminating the strongholds which hinder us from loving and serving God with a pure heart. When our obedience is fulfilled, we will be ready and able to demand and exact revenge against the

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enemy and the “works of darkness” which permeate this present world.

Rebellion is the “deadly fruit” which the wisdom of this world produces. The fruit that grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is sensuous and devilish. Rebellion is concealed and hidden in the strongholds that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Following orders from “heavenly headquarters” will assure us we will continually “eat” from the Tree of Life and drink from the River of Life where sin and rebellion do not exist.

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Chapter 6

THE ART OF DECEPTION

The Art of Deception has been used on battlefields ever since Eve was first deceived in the Garden of Eden. Eve’s mind was the first “battlefield” on earth where the deceptive tactics of the Serpent were utilized. In the “heavenlies” Lucifer used the “art of deception” deceiving himself into thinking He could usurp the Throne of God.

All deception is psychological. Webster defines deception as “the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.” Another definition for deception is “those measures designed to mislead the enemy by manipulation, distortion or falsification of evidence in order to induce the enemy to react in a manner prejudicial to the enemy’s interests.

Deception plays a big role in everyday life. It is an “art form” used in advertising, buying, selling, construction, invoicing, in relationships, on battlefields and is used at times in almost every aspect of life. Everywhere there are demon spirits the art of deception will be practiced. Everywhere there are human beings yielding to the will of demon spirits and/or carnal mindedness the art of deception will be present.

Every aspect of human life can be “infected” with deception and manipulative strategies because “above all things” the human heart without Christ can be and usually is “desperately wicked.” What you see is not always what you get. What you hear is not always the

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truth. What you don’t know won’t hurt you until the trap which has been set to deceive you has been sprung and then it is too late.

Every day, somewhere, some way, husbands deceive wives and/or wives deceive husbands. Bosses deceive employees—employees deceive bosses. Everyday salesmen, entrepreneurs, and other “greed or lust driven” people somewhere are using the art of deception to manipulate others. What you hear in the news can be biased and/or untrue, and usually is depending on who you listen to. Fake news is a multimillion dollar business. Governments are filled with politicians who lie and deceive others because of their lust for power and wealth.

When you watch a movie what you are seeing is not real. You are watching actors pretending to do something that is not actually happening in reality. Yet, you can become emotionally charged and even cry when your favorite star dies on the screen. You can get angry at an actor who is just pretending to hurt your favorite movie or television character.

Emotions can be easily manipulated by what we see on movie screens as well as in real life. A sad movie can make you cry even though what you are watching is not actually happening. A glad movie can make you feel good even though what you are watching is not really happening. The rehearsed scenes you are watching are manipulating your emotions. Music is added to effectuate different scenes in the movie to put you in diverse modes during different scenes.

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Send me nineteen dollars a month and I will feed all these poor hungry people you see on the television screen in front of you. I promise to send each of them five dollars worth of food each month after I buy a 2 million dollar mansion, a Porsche, and a Lamborghini. The ability to change and or manipulate one’s emotions and attitudes are utilized in every aspect of life at home, on the job, or anywhere and everywhere people may congregate.

Even many church services are not immune to false advertising and false doctrines. I have seen ministers manipulate congregants to give for the wrong reasons and/or out of the wrong spirit. Sermons are not always “Spirit led” but “at times” demonically inspired “rhetoric.”

False doctrines are deceptive in nature and are designed by the Devil to keep Christians in bondage in certain areas of their lives. A “watered down” gospel is just as deceptive and injurious to the soul as any doctrine of demons.

Deception always obscures the truth in order to manipulate and/or control the soul of its intended victims. If you can control how people think and what people believe, you can manipulate them into doing about anything and everything you desire them to do.

Truth informs and transforms. Deception deforms and demonically conforms. Truth makes people free. Godly understanding helps people see. Deception always seeks to control and manipulate the soul. The word of truth sanctifies, cleanses, and makes people whole.

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When people know and acknowledge the truth, the truth always sets them free. Deception keeps people in bondage to the false imaginations and thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. When the truth sets you free, you will indeed “truly be free.”

Confuse the mind, and godly reason and wisdom will be left behind. The deceptive looking fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil can only produce envy, strife, and every other evil work. It cannot and will not ever produce anything that is “truly” holy and valuable in life.

THE OPIATE OF THE MASSES

A few years ago I wrote a Book titled “Deception---The Opiate of the Masses.” Carl Marx, who is regarded as the father of socialism, called religion “the opiate of the masses.” In a sense much of what Marx said about religion is true. All false religions are engendered by and propagated by deceiving evil spirits. The Devil uses deception as an “opioid” to lead many religious minded masses into “mass confusion.” Marx was just as deceived and confused by the evils spirits as those poor souls he wrote about. His socialistic ideologies would end up being the cause of over “one hundred million deaths” thru war, famine, despotic suppression, and subjugation of the masses.

Opiating the masses goes beyond just confusing and deceiving the religious. It reaches into every area of human thought, and enslaves the hearts and minds of billions of people on earth. No one is immune to the deceptive tactics and strategies of the Devil. Everyone’s thoughts are subject to “being taken captive” by the

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enemy if they have not been renewed in the “spirit of their minds.”

At times “captive thoughts” can, and do manipulate the desires, attitudes, and emotions” of many individuals.” The Bible tells us that the carnal mind is the enemy of God. “Every thought” that exalts itself against the knowledge of God is the enemy of God. For Christians to experience perfect love and perfect peace, ALL thoughts which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God must be “cast down.” Our thoughts must become thoughts that agree and “align” themselves with the knowledge of God.

Today we are inundated with fake news, lying politicians, false advertising, and false doctrines in many churches to name a few. The intolerant preach tolerance as long as it fits their agenda. Christians are being persecuted and martyred around the world today because the tolerant only tolerate their own brand of religion and/or political views. The deceivers deceive themselves into thinking they are right and everybody else is wrong if they do not think or act like they themselves do.

Today churches have been deceived into believing everything is ok as long as it feels good. If it feels good, there must not be anything wrong with doing it. If your heart does not condemn you, neither will God. Unfortunately, many churches have become “flesh driven” instead of Spirit led. Deception is the “opiate” that leads the “churchy masses” into mass confusion and sin.

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The Bible tells us that “if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” Unfortunately, we do not see many who are walking in the Spirit, but we do see many in churches fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. When will all the confusion in the churches end? Will it all end? Unfortunately, the Bible tells us that in the last days evil men will grow more and more wicked deceiving themselves and being deceived.

The greatest tragedy is when the spirit of deception has taken over the podiums which once produced “holy fire” and the “call to repentance” for those who practiced dead and evil works. The greatest deception is found in the hearts of those who were once on fire for God, but the fire that once burned brightly within them has gone out. There can be no greater delusion than the delusion that comes and steals the fire of God that is burning deep within the soul of an individual.

Deception is truly the “opiate of the masses.” Many have fallen under the spell of Satan’s sensuous version of wisdom and understanding. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil cannot produce any “godly fruit.” The fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil has been used to deceive the masses since the beginning of time. Our battle is against the “deceptive tactics” that are rooted and grounded in the “cursed tree.” The strongholds the “Evil Tree” produces must be cast down in order for godly order, character, and purpose to rule and reign in our hearts and minds.

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Chapter 7

TAKING THOUGHTS CAPTIVE

AND TAKING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST. 2 Corinthians 10:5.

My “thoughts” on “taking thoughts captive” are different than most. The Bible tells us to “cast down all thoughts and imaginations (reason) that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and take into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” If we are going to “cast thoughts and imaginations down,” why would we want to take them into captivity? If I take the thoughts which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God into captivity, am I not retaining them?

I think the verse of scripture in question above can be confusing if we do not look at it in the right perspective. Paul tells us to first “cast down” imaginations or thoughts. Then he says “and” take into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. I think the key word we need to look at is the word “and.” The word “and” suggests that we add to something Paul told us to do. “And” in the above scripture is an “after word.” “And” taking thoughts into captivity suggests we are taking thoughts into captivity “after” we have cast down imaginations. You cannot take thoughts into captivity if you have already disposed of them.

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When we cast down “carnal imaginations” we must replace them with godly thoughts. Casting down “imaginations” without replacing them with godly strongholds is futile. Thoughts that are “subservient” to the will and purpose of God must replace the “carnal thoughts” that once occupied the “high places” in our minds.

Our thoughts must become thoughts that magnify God’s word and glorify God. Thoughts that glorify God are thoughts that establish godly strongholds within the “upper chambers” of our minds. We must let the mind which was in Christ Jesus permeate our thinking in order for Christ to richly dwell within us.

The Bible tells us to “put on Christ. When we are putting on Christ we are putting on, among other things the “whole armor of God.” When we take captive the “godly thoughts” that exalt the knowledge of God, we are putting on Christ. It is the knowledge of God that builds strongholds of faith, hope, peace, and assurance in our hearts and minds.

In Christ we live, and move, and have our being. Our obedience to Christ is the catalyst that opens the door to God’s grace and mercy. Our obedience to Christ is the doorway that leads to godly knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. When we take thoughts captive that exalt the knowledge of God, we are establishing strongholds of faith and power in our hearts and minds. By faith we gain the “knowledge” as well as the “power of God” in order to destroy the works of the Devil. Knowledge tells us how we can

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defeat the enemy. Faith gives us the power to defeat the enemy.

REPITITION

STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH. 2 Timothy 2:15.

Repetition is the key to “retaining knowledge.” To “study” does not mean to just “read one time.” If we are going to study something, we must read it over and over again until we understand it. If we need to, we can find a good Bible Commentary and find out what others are saying about the scripture we are trying to understand, or ask somebody who really knows. However, a Bible Commentary or “know it all” is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the best teacher I know. He is the only real “know it all” here on earth.

Education is the key to knowledge. Revelation is the key to understanding the knowledge we receive. Knowledge and revelation leads to understanding and wisdom. Following wisdom is the key to success. Using godly wisdom assures us we will be successful on the Battlefield of Life. The Bible tells us “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” In other words, wisdom is established upon the fear of the Lord. If we do not fear the Lord, we cannot and will not possess any godly wisdom.

It is the Spirit of Wisdom that produces godly fruit in our lives. It is the Spirit of Wisdom that gives us the

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ability to choose to follow after righteousness. It is the Spirit of Wisdom that leads us down the Highway of Holiness. It is the Spirit of Wisdom that admonishes us to “study to show ourselves approved of God, and to be a workman that is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”

Repeatedly and “repetitively” studying to show ourselves approved of God is wisdom. Obtaining godly knowledge and understanding establishes godly foundations in the hearts and minds of believers. Understanding the word of God which is truth leads us down the pathway to freedom and liberty in Christ. It is the truth we know that makes us free.

GODLY WISDOM

Biblical wisdom can be defined as “the ability to use godly knowledge and understanding appropriately.” Godly wisdom provides us with “godly insight.” Godly insight can and will give us “godly foresight.” Godly foresight can give us the “knowledge” we need to prepare for the future. Godly foresight can help us to look into the future to prepare for the wiles and schemes of the enemy and the hard times which are ahead of us.

Many have wisdom but do not always walk in the “paths of wisdom.” This is called “stupidity.” The Bible tells us that Christ is our Wisdom. If we are not walking with Christ, we are not walking “with Wisdom.” A man who walks the “pathway of life” without Christ is not very wise.

Solomon was a man of great wisdom. However, he did not always use the wisdom God had placed within

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his heart. The Bible tells us Solomon sinned against God by worshipping the false gods of his many wives.

Solomon was not only wise, he was extremely intelligent. He possessed the knowledge and wisdom of God. He understood what it meant to sin against God and fall from grace. He wrote three books of the Old Testament. His writings were filled with godly wisdom, however he failed to follow the same principles he admonished others to pursue. Solomon fell prey to the “wisdom of this world” and became despondent and pessimistic in his latter years.

The wisdom of this world is devilish and sensuous. The wisdom of this world is found in the fruit that grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is deceptive in nature. It offers a sense of false security, self-dependence, and self-reliance. However, it is unreliable, unpredictable, and untrustworthy to say the least. The wisdom of this world leads fools down the pathway to destruction. Adam and Eve found this to be true when they ate of the “forbidden fruit” in the Garden of Eden.

When we are fighting the “good fight of faith” we must never forget that the wisdom the enemy offers us is desperately devilish and deadly. The wisdom of the world exalts itself against the knowledge and the wisdom of God. Adam and Eve found this truth out in the Garden of Eden, however it was too late once they partook of the forbidden fruit. We must not only understand what the Bible tells us, we must follow the precepts which lead to freedom from sin and in the end to eternal life.

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We do not war against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Sometimes those “high places” are “chambers” within our minds which “embrace and entertain” the wisdom of this world.

The principalities and powers of this present world are continually warring against the souls of mankind. They are continually offering the fruit which grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to the unsuspecting, unknowledgeable, and “unlearned.” They “take into captivity” the thoughts of those who lack spiritual guidance, godly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

PREPARING FOR WAR

As Christians we must be prepared for battle at any moment. Our enemy is continually seeking to devour those who are vulnerable to his wiles and schemes. His wiles and schemes can result in his captive’s frantic “wild screams.” We need to understand that we are in a constant state of war and the enemies attacks are not going to subside just because we have won a battle or two.

Boot Camp is a place where soldiers are trained in the “art of warfare.” Since we are fighting a “spiritual war,” we must learn and understand how our spiritual enemies wage war. We must understand there are no short-cuts to victory and that the “whole (entire) armor of God” is our only hope of victory against a determined foe.

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Once “trainees” have learned the proper way to wage war against their enemies, the battles will become easier and easier to win. Trainees must learn how to recognize an attack from the enemy. The enemy will not always meet you on the battlefield dressed in a different uniform than yours. At times he will come dressed as an angel of light bearing “pleasurable sounding pleasantries” to lure you into sin.

The enemy will come to you dressed in a uniform which is similar to yours. They will come bearing gifts as they “travel afar” following their leader the “fallen star.” They will travel through field, and fountain, moor, and mountain to find you wherever you are. They follow the “star of wonder,” the star of night: the star that deceives with his imperfect light. We must continually watch and pray or we could possibly fall for a “tempting temptation” shining through a “false light.”

If a Warrior of Christ is not prepared spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, they will be unable to recognize the “pure from the profane.” They will be unable to discern between what is right and what is wrong when the enemy comes bearing gifts that look good but instead they are filled with “deadly poisons.” Warriors of Christ must always possess “spiritual discernment” and be ready to fight when the enemy stealthfully attempts to steal, kill, and destroy.

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Chapter 8

STRONGHOLDS

FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS; CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTEH ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

Satanic strongholds are thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. They are commonly established in “lofty locations” in the minds of individuals who lack godly knowledge and spiritual understanding. In reality they are all “fortifications” that have been established by the enemy of the soul in the minds of individuals.

Many satanic strongholds in the minds of individuals are rooted and grounded in perversion, confusion, corruption, and compromise. All satanic strongholds exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and war against the soul. Every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God was conceived by the fruit that grows on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Adam and Eve lost the first “spiritual battle” on earth when they “partook” of the “forbidden fruit” which grew on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Mankind has lost many spiritual battles since “the

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fruit” from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil became part of their spiritual sustenance.

Beguilement and deception are among the Devil’s greatest weapons. The fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is tempting and appealing to the flesh. However, it is filled with deadly poisons. Death, fear, and torment are among the consequences people suffer from eating the forbidden fruit.

FIGHTING SPIRITUAL BATTLES

Everyone on earth in one way or another will fight spiritual battles. Everyone may not always understand they are being attacked by the Forces of Darkness that are assailing them spiritually, physically and emotionally. However, all will suffer attacks from the enemy of their souls at times.

We hear such terms as fighting addictions, fighting cancer, fighting depression, and/or other physical or emotional problems. All these “attacks” are satanically engendered and promoted. The Bible tells us that the Devil walks about as a “roaring lion” seeking whom he may devour. No one on earth is exempt from the “attacks,” schemes, and wiles of the enemy. If you are breathing, sooner or later you will be a target of the Devil and his angels.

Without knowledge and understanding people do not have a “prayer” of defeating the enemy of their souls. Without proper education and training regarding “spiritual warfare,” no one can be victorious over their spiritual enemies. Those who do not know Christ most

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often do not even know they have a “spiritual enemy” trying to destroy them or tempt them to sin.

KNOWLEDEGE IS POWER. Knowing that we have an enemy is the first step in finding peace and freedom from oppression. If we realize there are “spiritual forces” at work in our lives trying to hinder our peace and keep us in bondage, we can research ways to defeat them. Casting down imaginations and every “lofty thought” that exalts itself above the knowledge of God is imperative if Christians are going to live in peace and walk harmoniously with God.

GODLY POWER

BEHOLD I GIVE YOU POWER TO TREAD ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY: AND NOTHING BY ANY MEANS SHALL HURT YOU. Luke 19:21.

Godly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding produce GODLY POWER. The Bible tells us that the word of God is alive and more powerful than any two-edged sword. Our spiritual weapons are weapons of Light and Life. The Bible tells us that “the word of God is alive.” The word of God is a weapon. The word of God is like a “consuming fire” that vanquishes our spiritual enemies.

Spiritual darkness has no recourse against LIGHT AND LIFE. No weapon that is used against Light and Life can or will ever prosper. The Light and Life of Christ within us is the divine power that enables us to defeat the Forces of Darkness. It is the Light and Life

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of Christ that enables us to tread upon and defeat the Forces of Darkness.

Darkness cannot prevail against Light. When the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep God declared “Let there be Light” and the Light dispelled the darkness. Nothing is more powerful than the Light of the word of God. Nothing is this world is more powerful than Light.

Jesus said “I am the Light of the world.” It is Christ in us that dispels the darkness of this world. It is Christ in us that gives us “Life” more abundantly. It is the Life of Christ within us that gives us power over all the works of the enemy.

It is the Light of Christ that enables us to “cast down imaginations and every high thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” We demolish and cast down imaginations with the word of God. Our words are our most powerful weapons. There is power in the “spoken word” of God. There is power in the name of Jesus who, according to the Bible, is the Word of God. There is power in the blood of Jesus which He shed at Calvary to wash away our sins and give entrance to the Light and Life of Christ into our lives.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty “through God” to the pulling down of strongholds. Satanic strongholds are edifices of darkness built upon, among other things, suppositions, confusion, perversion, and deception. Satanic strongholds oppose and exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. They continue to keep in captivity

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the hearts and minds of individuals who lack and/or reject godly knowledge,