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The Battle For Your Soul

Posted on 12 Oct 2014, Pastor: Tolu Makinde

10/12/2014

Text:

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Introduction

This teaching is about how to remain victorious at all times in this journey called life…
You are 3-in-1, similar to the Godhead
1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Man is a spirit. He has a soul. He lives in a body.
The soul controls your intellect, intelligence, behavior, decisions, etc…
- When a child is born, that child is born in the flesh. However, that child has a spirit, a soul, and a body.
- The soul of a baby is yet to be shaped. It is shaped by the environment of the child
- However, the environment of that child determines what the child is exposed to.
- What the child is exposed to will determine the characteristics (type of soul) of that child.
- The type of soul the child has will determine the type of decisions he makes in life about his spirit and his body.
The soul is shaped by what the body is exposed to – if the body is exposed to garbage, the soul will be full of garbage. If the body is exposed to goodness, the soul will be full of goodness.
When you get born again, it is your spirit that is reborn. Not your body or your soul.
When you begin to grow in the Lord (exposing your soul to the things of God), your soul and body will be affected by what you are learning in the Word.
Eventually, your soul and body will change for good as a result of your spirit being born again. For some people, the change is instant, while for some, it takes a little while.
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
It is the Word that saves your soul, but you can’t comprehend the Word unless your spirit is reborn, by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior.

Main Topic

The battle for your soul is not over because you gave your life to Jesus.
Before you gave your life, the battle was lost
After you gave your life, the battle was won.
However, to remain victorious, one must guard their soul

The Two Opposing Plans

God’s Plan is to keep you victorious until the end and end up in Heaven –
- 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any [soul] should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
- Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Devil’s Plan is to make you fall, give up, and end up in hell fire – Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
As a result, the enemy will throw darts (wiles) at you to make you fall, so that he can steal, kill, and destroy
However, there is something called “will” that neither God or the devil can control. You are in control. It is your will.
What you do with your will determines whether God’s or the devil’s plan comes to pass in your life
Your will is based on the decisions you make at every crossroad on a daily basis
You can decide to pray or not pray
You can decide to study the Word or not study the Word
You can decide to worship God or not worship God
You can decide to be a good citizen or a criminal
You can decide to be a faithful husband/wife or unfaithful
YOU make the decision
However, your decisions comes from your soul and your soul is influenced by what you are exposed to….

Window to the Soul

Our physical senses (seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, smelling) are the doors and windows to our soul.
What you see and hear shapes who you become….
Pro 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…

With our eyes, we see:

movies, TV shows, the world (environment)
read books, magazines, newspapers, Internet
In the society, most of what we see with our eyes are inappropriate for our souls
- Pornography is everywhere
- TV shows where two men are kissing each other
- Even going to the mall is no longer fun – women are wearing next to nothing
The society is spiraling out of control into immorality

With our ears, we listen to:

worldly music
- There are music that will tell you to do some crazy things. As you listen, the words are going into your soul.
- They degrade women, they curse, and you wonder why you started cursing. It came from the depth of your soul based on what you fed your soul.
lies, gossips, etc…

Biblical examples

Eve saw the tree – Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Samson saw the prostitute – Jdg 16:1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
David saw Bathsheba – 2Sa 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
Jesus saw the glory of the world, but did not fall for the temptation – Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

Demonic activities can enter through these mediums

There was a little boy that was watching an horror show, all of a sudden, he screamed. From that day, that boy was never the same. He became withdrawn, had nightmares, and psychologists couldn’t help him.
In Washington state some years ago, a young man went to a rock concert, and heard a song about killing people. On his way home, he tried what he heard and killed someone.
A retired police officer who used to investigate child molestation, kept some of the tapes from his investigation and started watching them. He began to molest little kids. He said he did not know what came over him.
A man who walked away from the faith after seeing a naked woman in a window in NY City. A voice told him to go back and look, he went back. That voice told him to go back again, and he went back, until the thought of the naked woman was immersed in his soul, and he committed adultery.

You must guard what you see and what you hear

They determine what you will think about (what enters your soul)
What you think about will determine what you will do
What you will do determines whether you commit sin or not
Jas 1:12-15 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Recognize the Temptation (Battle)

Your spirit, soul, and body must be alert at all times to recognize the temptation of the enemy
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Remember that you have control over your will, to decide
You must always decide against every temptation

What are you to do?

Put rules in place for your senses – they will listen
Filter every thought through this Scripture
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Meditate on the things that are:
1. True (not false, inaccurate, unfaithful)
2. Honest (not dishonest, deceitful)
3. Just (not unjust, unrighteous, immoral, dishonorable)
4. Pure (not impure, adulterated, mixed, contaminated, diluted)
5. Lovely (not hateful) – 1 Cor. 13:4-7
6. Good report (not evil report)
Allow only these things to enter your soul
How do you know what is True, Honest, Just, Pure, Lovely, and Good report?
- Your Helper – The Holy Spirit will tell you

Conclusion

Temptation comes through your senses to influence your soul
What registers in your soul determines what you think about
What you think about determines the decisions you make
The decisions you make determines whether you play into God’s plan or the devil’s plan
God’s plan will take you to heaven
Devil’s plan will take you to hell fire
The battle for your soul is already won. However, it is your decisions that will make you to remain victorious