THE MAIN BATTLEFIELD

Where is the main battlefield where the war against Satan and his principalities must be fought and won? Satan’s objective is to attack at the very center of man’s existence — within his innermost being — his heart and his mind. Mark 7:15-23

Jesus, in explaining to His disciples the source from which man is defiled and sin is conceived, said:

For from within, (that is) out of the heart of man, come base and wicked thoughts: sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, Coveting (a greedy desire to have more wealth), dangerous and destructive wickedness, deceit; unrestrained (indecent) conduct; an evil eye (envy), slander (evil speaking, malicious misrepresentation, abusiveness); pride — (that is) the sin of an uplifted heart against God and man; foolishness (folly, lack of sense, recklessness, thoughtlessness). All these evil (purposes and desires) come from within, and they make the man unclean and render him unhallowed. (Mark 7:21-23, TAB)

He told the Pharisees:

0 generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (Matthew 12:34-35)

In these verses, we see that man’s heart is his innermost being where either good or evil thoughts reside. A man’s words and actions are determined by what is in his heart. If there are thoughts of hatred, anger, jealousy, or pride in an individual’s heart, they will be manifested in the words that come out of his mouth. Whatever is stored in a man’s heart within his innermost being will eventually be manifested in his actions.

If you allow your heart to be filled with thoughts of doubt, fear, and unbelief regarding the circumstances you are facing, it will be manifested through the words you speak and you will not be able to receive what you need from God because of the unbelief in your heart.

The heart is the center of man’s existence. It is in the heart man receives the Word, is convicted by the Holy Spirit, and is saved (Romans 10:8-10). It is in the heart — within man’s innermost being — where he has faith to believe God’s Word and His promises or harbors doubt and unbelief that hinders him from receiving from God what he needs. Jesus said,

“Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen and it shall be granted him” (Mark 11:23,23, NAS).