Just as the Avengers were getting the upper-hand on Ultron, the metal monster unleashes the Scarlet Witch, which would beat them all.
The first encounter that the Avengers would have with Ultron would be in a warehouse. The team had battled him through Tony’s peace-keepers at a private gathering and had dispatched the mindless automatons quickly. What would be different in this case would be Quick Silver and The Scarlet Witch. This time, the Avengers would be beaten not by force but by their own fears in the form of mind-control.
But let’s back up a bit. Let’s see how Ultron would get the Maximoff twins to join his cause.
Through this, the twins would be set against the Avengers at the beginning of the movie and during the warehouse scene, the Scarlet Witch would use a power to show the team their greatest fear, which would paralyze them…
…and send others on a rampage.
The power of the Scarlet Witch, from the standpoint of the MCU, places thoughts in the minds of her enemy, in this case, the Avengers. Our true enemy does about the same thing.
Believe it or not, our true enemy (Ephesians 6:12) utilizes a type of tactic similar to this and it can be just as deadly and debilitating. The Avengers were beaten because they had not utilized the most powerful weapon (Ephesians 6:17), the sword.
When our true enemy comes at us through our mind, we can have 100% control over this battleground. We can control our environment, our friends, our family to some degree, but stuff happens, but the mind, well, that’s a different story.
This is the cycle of war that we are now engaged in:
No matter who you are, how much you have, what job/career you do, the age you are, geography, etc, you are bound by this cycle. You can’t escape this as it is the road we are all on.
Most people try to make a change around the “Action” step, just as the Avengers did, but it’s three steps too late. Where they (and us) should have started is the “Thoughts” portion. This is where we engage our enemy, the devil, who wants to destroy every aspect of our lives (John 10:10) and take us down with him. If we attack him on the battlefront of our mind with the sword of the Word, we will change things.
But we can’t just “think” scripture at our enemy because he can’t hear what’s going on in our minds (1 Kings 8:39), we have to say them aloud, which is like a magician memorizing spells, then speaking aloud to make it take effect.
We Christians have to do the same with scripture, to speak it aloud.
Satan’s network is vast:
We will encounter his foot soldiers in every aspect of our lives, so we must be armed.
So, how do I fight?
First, you have to memorize scripture/arm yourselves. When you come to a spot in your life where you are going onto the battlefield and you are being beaten, take one of your swords that will directly work against a specific enemy. In the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series, swords had names and did a specific thing to an enemy. Scripture is the same way, it has a particular purpose against a specific enemy.
Listed below are weapons I’ve collected over the years which have beat every enemy every time. A note: these weapons can only be handled by Christians as they would be ineffective in the hands of non-believers. When I come up against an adversary, I speak these swords aloud and keep speaking until the battle is won (James 4:7). You can’t just “think ’em”, because the devils that are battling you can’t hear them. Make the swords a part of you, in other words, don’t just recite them (which will work) but make them a part of a conversation/battle cry against your enemy. For example, if I’m afraid of something, my battling will go something like this:
“I’m not afraid of you or this because my God didn’t give me a spirit of fear! I’ve got a mind that is strong, has love and is not crazy!”
This is adapted to fit the 2 Timothy 1:7 passage, but I’ve made it my own. Words verbatim will work, but it becomes far more effective when you make the words your own, not straying from the words, but making them a part of your speech. Speak them with authority, not necessarily yelling, but with a commanding tone.
Pornography:
Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!”
I Corinthians 6:13-15 NKJV
Fear:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
Lack of confidence:
“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:12-13 NKJV
When you’re angry:
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
James 1:19-20 NKJV
When my mind is thinking about garbage:
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 NKJV
When I feel anxious or nervous:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
Whenever I feel like I want to do something bad:
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
James 1:14-15 NKJV
Worrying:
““Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV
When tempted to do good for others to see:
““Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
Matthew 6:1, 3-4 NKJV
When I feel alone:
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.””
Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
When I feel like my works/efforts will not make me prosperous:
“He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
Proverbs 10:4 NKJV
When I feel like my prayers are not being answered:
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
I John 5:14-15 NKJV
When I am impatient:
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.”
Proverbs 21:5 NKJV
