(02/14/11)
The other day was a day of mental battles. What God has been using for good in the life of a loved one, Satan has been trying to use for bad in my mind. While this person has been given an amazing gift during a difficult time, I’ve been led through a myriad of negative thoughts and emotions mostly based on fear. Now, with God’s help I have made it to the other side and I am grateful; but let me tell you what Satan tried to do. After trying to torture me with the thoughts and feelings themselves, he tried to make me feel guilty for even having them. Isn’t that just like him? First he plants a thought in your mind. It’s just one. Sometimes that’s all he needs. Then that thought leads to another one, and another one, and another one, until you’re traveling down a road you never expected. Then you wonder, “What happened? How did I get here?” Then you take those thoughts to God. Realizing that they don’t line up with His word, you give them over to Him; and if you need His forgiveness, you ask for it. That should do it, right? Shouldn’t it be over? Well, here’s my next question. If it’s over, why do you still feel bad? Why do you still feel like you’re this awful, terrible person when you know that God has forgiven you? I’ll tell you why… it’s called guilt. And after fear, it’s the number one thing Satan tries to use to destroy us. Romans 8:1-2 states, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (NIV) It goes on to say, “… the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6, NIV) So we know that in Christ we have peace instead of condemnation; but how do we battle satan in his attacks? Joyce Meyer, when speaking about fear, states: “God taught me to use what I call the “power twins” to help me defeat the spirit of fear. They are “I pray” and “I say.” (Power Thoughts: p.115) We can use this same formula when dealing with guilt. First we need to pray and ask God to help us rid ourselves of the guilt Satan knows can devastate us. Then we need to speak God’s word into our hearts and minds. (Romans 12:2) Here are a few phrases to help:
- I am forgiven. There is no condemnation for me in Christ Jesus.
- My mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit. I have the peace that transcends all understanding.
- I submit myself to God. I resist the devil, and therefore he must flee from me. (James 4:7)
That’s just a start. There are many different scriptures that we can use if we take the time to find them. And as we take the time to learn more of God’s word, we need to continue to speak it into our daily lives to help us in all the battles that come before us. What we always need to remember, though, is that God is always there to help us down any road we happen to be on, even those little detours built by Satan.
1 Peter 5:8-11
Philippians 4:7
Ephesians 6:10-20
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