Gay Christians who choose celibacy.....

[MorningGlory]

How are you guys reconciling James 1:15-16 in this discussion? Sin comes from our evil desires. Not a demon.

 

 

True.  But I believe that satan and his minions are behind all evil that affects mankind. 

[~candice~]

I still don't see a specific answer. Lots of "I think" and "I feel" but. No scripture saying that continued struggle against that sin indicates demonic activity.

[Fez]

 

 

 

How are you guys reconciling James 1:15-16 in this discussion? Sin comes from our evil desires. Not a demon.

 

Demons come from allowing evil a toe-hold.

 

So if we let down our defenses for one second the demons rush in? Can you point me in the direction of that specific scripture? Where does grace fit into this scenario?

 

 

That's a silly conclusion. We are talking about homosexuality and the lies that people believe about it.

 

Demons come from allowing evil a toe-hold.

Then how does your comment above apply? And where is it's base found in scripture? The demon part coming in from toe holds I mean. And in every case of sin? Please enlighten me as to your comment.

[Floatingaxe]

I still don't see a specific answer. Lots of "I think" and "I feel" but. No scripture saying that continued struggle against that sin indicates demonic activity.

 

If a person cannot simply renounce a sin in their lives, there is most definitely a stronghold there. Strongholds are demonic fortresses. If you aren't free, you are bound, and need to be delivered.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would say if you are a believer and have come to know the Lord and believe His words are true, then you would also grasp the dire nature of the situation and realize that its a life or death battle. the seriousness of overcoming such a sin is paramount in entering the kingdom of heaven

 

Okay.....obviously you are a believer, Johnny.  Are YOU able to control sinful thoughts? Are YOU able to simply not think about certain things?  I'd be willing to bet you are not because, if you were able to do that, you would be head and shoulders above the rest of humanity.  It's unproductive to expect others to do what we cannot do ourselves.  God is in control of this and, as I said before, His will be done.

 

 

Of course we can control sinful thoughts, IF we want to.

 

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 strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

(2Co 10:3-5)

 

So yes we can control our thoughts.   If we can't control our sinful thoughts, then why would Jesus command us not to lust or to hate?   The very existence of those commandments tells us that we can control what we entertain in our mind.

 

James tells us that each man is tempted when by his own evil desires he dragged away and inticed.   We are to avoid temptation, but if we entertain it, we end up tempting ourselves.  We can say yes or no to evil thoughts.   Just because a thought pops in your head doesn't mean you have accept it.  You have the choice to not accept it.  You have a great amount of control.  Jesus showed us how to control our thoughts and how to respond to evil thoughts and temptations in Matt.4 when He was tempted in wilderness.  We are commanded to renew our minds in Rom. 12:1-2.  

 

Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, told us not to worry, which implies that we can control what we think.   So I would rethink this notion that we have no control over sinful thoughts.  That doesn't measure up to the standard of Scripture.

 

What about my weakness is His strength?

The Bible doesn't say that our weakness is his strength.  It says that his strength is made perfect in our weakness and it wasn't talking about sin.  It was talking about physical infirmity (weakness). 

 

 

 

God said "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness"

 

so your saying God's grace is only sufficient in infirmity weakness alone?

 

what does Paul say "therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong

 

Shiloh wherever we are weak, in Christ we are made strong

 

Why are you adding to what I said?   I was responding  to a specific question. I did not make an exclusionary statement regarding other forms of weakness we experience.  Please stop reading into mhy words things I didn't say.

[~candice~]

 

I still don't see a specific answer. Lots of "I think" and "I feel" but. No scripture saying that continued struggle against that sin indicates demonic activity.

 

If a person cannot simply renounce a sin in their lives, there is most definitely a stronghold there. Strongholds are demonic fortresses. If you aren't free, you are bound, and need to be delivered.

 

 

But the question asked is... where is this in the bible?

[Floatingaxe]

 

 

I still don't see a specific answer. Lots of "I think" and "I feel" but. No scripture saying that continued struggle against that sin indicates demonic activity.

 

If a person cannot simply renounce a sin in their lives, there is most definitely a stronghold there. Strongholds are demonic fortresses. If you aren't free, you are bound, and need to be delivered.

 

 

But the question asked is... where is this in the bible?

 

 

A spiritual stronghold is in the mind and it is the fruit of believing and holding fast to a lie. It is overcome by the truth of the word.

 

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. ⁵ We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

 

 

A stronghold is an area of darkness within our mind or personality that causes ongoing spiritual, emotional and\or behavioral problems. We can be genuinely born-again, and sincere in our faith, but have an ongoing struggle with thoughts, emotions, and habits that wage war against our relationship with Christ. We pray, we study, and we attempt to discipline ourselves, but often find our “problem” is resistant to real change.

 

A Stronghold is the Fruit of an Inward Lie

A stronghold is a lie which we have allowed to distort or confuse our thinking. A lie, with our permission, can gain control over our emotions and our behavior. If we allow a lie to reside within, then that lie, like a seed, will produce its fruit which will distort the way we see and think.

 

The fruit of an inward lie will ultimately affect our faith and interfere with our ability to possess the truths of the Gospel. The Scriptures tell us the devil is the Father of Lies, so we know that every lie is in someway rooted in spiritual Darkness. Because every lie is rooted in Darkness the fruit of every lie will eventually reflect the nature of Darkness.

 

Truth Overcomes Every Lie

As Christians, the spiritual armor we first put on is the Belt of Truth. We are told to put on the full (complete) Armor of God that we might stand against the all the devices and all of the strategies of the Devil, and we begin with truth.

 

Light Overcomes Darkness

Our battle with Darkness, i.e. the Devil. It a battle with lies and our victory is Truth. Our fleshly nature willingly opens the door to Darkness for it find its message pleasant. The Word of God brings a message of death to Self and life to God.

 

Lies Seek Control

These lies then seek a place of control within our personality; they want control over our emotions, ambitions, motivations, priorities, and over our desires. Every Christian's heart and mind is the focus and target of lies.

 

Lies Produce Fruit

Once the lies of Darkness have found a secure place within our personality then like seed, they produce fruit. But the fruit of lies is rotten - it will affect our values, our thinking, our behavior, and our relationship with the Lord. Our battle with evil is not theoretical but real. The battle is inward, it is intellectual, it is emotional, it is spiritual, it is intense, and it is relentless. The weapons of our warfare are provided by Christ and we win as we bring our life under the power of His Word. Remember, Darkness must be confronted with the Word of God, for when we confront Darkness with the Word, we are confronting Darkness with the power of God, and Darkness must obey.  http://www.gospelfreedom.com/spiritual-warfare/spiritual-strongholds.html

[Fez]

A stronghold is an area of darkness within our mind or personality that causes ongoing spiritual, emotional and\or behavioral problems. We can be genuinely born-again, and sincere in our faith, but have an ongoing struggle with thoughts, emotions, and habits that wage war against our relationship with Christ. We pray, we study, and we attempt to discipline ourselves, but often find our “problem” is resistant to real change.

Axe, even your own post (quoted above), shoots down your assertion that :-

 

If a person cannot simply renounce a sin in their lives, there is most definitely a stronghold there. Strongholds are demonic fortresses. If you aren't free, you are bound, and need to be delivered.

Nowhere in the bible is there scripture pointing to your assertion. Sometimes sin is just sin and the stronghold is something we build because of factors like a weak faith, pride, etc.

[Floatingaxe]

 

A stronghold is an area of darkness within our mind or personality that causes ongoing spiritual, emotional and\or behavioral problems. We can be genuinely born-again, and sincere in our faith, but have an ongoing struggle with thoughts, emotions, and habits that wage war against our relationship with Christ. We pray, we study, and we attempt to discipline ourselves, but often find our “problem” is resistant to real change.

Axe, even your own post (quoted above), shoots down your assertion that :-

 

If a person cannot simply renounce a sin in their lives, there is most definitely a stronghold there. Strongholds are demonic fortresses. If you aren't free, you are bound, and need to be delivered.

Nowhere in the bible is there scripture pointing to your assertion. Sometimes sin is just sin and the stronghold is something we build because of factors like a weak faith, pride, etc.

 

 

No it doesn't.

 

 

Satan builds strongholds. They are areas where he has made inroads into people's lives. Scripture teaches us not to give a foothold to the devil. Sometimes these strongholds are areas of fear or lies that we don't even know are there because we have suffered a trauma, or physical violence or have been victimized in some way.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

I am not adding anything, I'm pointing out that what you believe you corrected me on was incorrect

 

 

Yes you are adding  to what I said.  You assigned more to my comments than I intended.  I did not say that say that God's strength is only made perfect in infirmity weakness.  But that was a value that you asigned to me and you ran with it.   My intitial comment was to Gerioke not you. I was addressing a Scripture that Gerioke raised earlier and I was correcting him, not you. You were refuting an argument I did't raise.