Good sports teams “spy” out their upcoming opponents. They will send a scout to observe those teams' tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. This is an important aspect of increasing the likelihood of victory. 

Moses sent out twelve spies to survey the Promised Land that God said He was giving to them (see Numbers 13).  Their assignment was to understand their enemies' tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. Unfortunately, ten of the spies did not discern this and came back instead with a conclusion that they could not defeat them. This caused the Children of Israel to spendforty years missing the victory planned for them. 

What do New Covenant believers discover as they spy and scout out the enemies they are to defeat to live in the promises of God? Is it the devil? Yes, but what are his tactics? What specific weapons is he using? What fortresses and strongholds is he hiding behind?

I spent the first half of my walk with Jesus not knowing what my real enemies were. I had this nebulous idea it was the devil. I was rebuking until my rebuker was worn out. I was binding everything that moved. There was some victory, but I knew there was more. I wish someone had told me what my real fight was against. 

In the New Covenant, our enemies are not literal giant-beings, but they are mindsets (strongholds) that want to keep us out of our “Promised Land”. They are created and strengthened by regularly renewing our minds with lies. The devil is the father of all lies (John 8:44) and he can only defeat us if we believe his falsehoods. He tempts us to believe what he is saying rather than what God is saying. 

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind” (1 Corinthians 10:13). We all hear the same lies, therefore we will all battle against the same mindsets like: 

• Disappointment
• Discouragement
• Victimhood
• Unworthiness 
• Regret
• Shame
• Insecurity
• Inferiority

Nobody told me that everyone has the opportunity and is empowered to kill giants like disappointment. I was not told that my feelings of disappointment were almost always a bigger enemy than what I felt disappointed about. I was not told that the feelings of discouragement, victimhood, unworthiness, and inferiority were almost always a bigger issue than the circumstances generating those emotions. And, because I did not know this, I started to believe the lie that there was something uniquely wrong with me. I did not realize this was then deception of the enemy. 

“Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). This is our only offensive weapon. We advance by fighting lies with God’s truth about Him, our identity, and that we have already been given our Promised Land. Paul reinforces this by what he says to a young leader named Timothy. “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18). The battle was in Timothy’s mind, as it is in ours. He was to use what God had spoken (prophecies) to “wage the good warfare”. Good warfare is one in which we are winning. 

I wish I had been told earlier who was in the game against me. I would have had much more victory. 

Hey! Wait a minute! My feelings of regret are a bigger problem than what I feel regret about! Woo hoo! I get to war a good warfare against regret again. And I get to implement 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 - “. . .  pulling down strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high thing exalting itself against the knowledge of God. Taking every thought captive . . . .” ( 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). The stronghold of regret is being pulled down. The arguments of feelings and past experiences are being demolished. 

Mark your calendars for some upcoming happenings:

• January - Wendy’s online Academy of the Unseen Realm
• January - Steve’s online four-month Leadership Mentoring
• February 14 - Annual 40-Day Positivity Feast and Negativity Fast
• April - Online Transformation Mind Renewal Course starts again
• May ? - Abounding Hope and Joy Conference in Redding, CA