As you begin to claim your mind back from the enemy, he will not want to give up the place that he has had. You will have to do battle with his lies and confusion.
Your first step is to declare out loud that you will not allow any outside force to do your thinking–no man and no spirit. There are spiritual laws that demons must obey. They cannot stay where a man wills them not to stay. Your power is in the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, and the Word of God. Ask God to give you discernment of the lies of the devil.
Think about what you are thinking about. As you recognize a lie to your mind, always defend yourself out loud. That means speaking to Satan and the evil forces out loud, binding them in the Name of Jesus, and forbidding them to lie to you and to use your mind.
When you catch a lie to your mind, use this prescription regularly–and you will regain peace, your memory, restful nights, and the ability to concentrate and comprehend.
You are in a battle–you are not alone–for all of God’s people fight this same fight (Ephesians 6:12). Make up your mind not to give up! According to Colossians 3:2, set your mind on things above and keep it set! As you begin this battle, it will seem worse than ever. The reason is that the demonic powers are fighting to keep their place in your mind (and in your thinking). Call upon God’s grace in the Name of Jesus, and He will give you the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome every evil tendency fully.
Remember, regaining your mind is a process. We all fail at one time or another. God knows our weakness; that is why He gave us 1 John 1:9. Just ask for forgiveness and see the Blood of Jesus washing away your sin. Don’t give up! Continue claiming what belongs to you (your mind and your thinking belong to you), and Jesus will help you overcome.
Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind!”
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Think About What You're Thinking About
Thoughts are powerful, and according to the writer of the book of Proverbs, they have creative ability. See Proverbs 23:7.
In fact, you cannot have a positive, exciting life and a negative mind.
Maybe you've spent years thinking wrong thoughts based on a warped, dysfunctional past, but that can change today. If you struggle with negative thinking, it's important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life won't change until your thinking does.
The Bible says that God loves us, but have you ever struggled to believe this? I have learned that if we never meditate on God's Word, we will never experience the depth of His love for us. The love of God is meant to be a powerful force in our lives, one that will take us through even the most difficult trials into victory.
The Bible presents a lot of detailed instruction on what kinds of things we should think about. Philippians 4:8 alone tells us to think about things that build us up, not tear us down.
If you're a believer, you probably think some Scripture-based thoughts throughout each day, but think about this. Are you mixing them with negative thoughts or just any random thoughts that come into your mind? For most of my life, I simply thought whatever fell into my head. Much of what was in my head was either lies Satan was telling me or just plain nonsense. The devil was controlling my life because he was controlling my thoughts.
Read Mark 4:24. It tells us the more time we spend thinking about the Word, the more power and ability we will have to walk in it. It also says the more we read and listen to the Word, the more revelation we will receive to understand it.
In the flesh we are lazy and want to receive from God without any effort on our own part, but that's not the way it works. You will only get out of the Word what you are willing to put into it. I encourage you to make a decision to meditate on God's Word every day because every moment you spend absorbing it, the more virtue and knowledge you will receive from God.
In fact, you cannot have a positive, exciting life and a negative mind.
Maybe you've spent years thinking wrong thoughts based on a warped, dysfunctional past, but that can change today. If you struggle with negative thinking, it's important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life won't change until your thinking does.
The Bible says that God loves us, but have you ever struggled to believe this? I have learned that if we never meditate on God's Word, we will never experience the depth of His love for us. The love of God is meant to be a powerful force in our lives, one that will take us through even the most difficult trials into victory.
The Bible presents a lot of detailed instruction on what kinds of things we should think about. Philippians 4:8 alone tells us to think about things that build us up, not tear us down.
If you're a believer, you probably think some Scripture-based thoughts throughout each day, but think about this. Are you mixing them with negative thoughts or just any random thoughts that come into your mind? For most of my life, I simply thought whatever fell into my head. Much of what was in my head was either lies Satan was telling me or just plain nonsense. The devil was controlling my life because he was controlling my thoughts.
Read Mark 4:24. It tells us the more time we spend thinking about the Word, the more power and ability we will have to walk in it. It also says the more we read and listen to the Word, the more revelation we will receive to understand it.
In the flesh we are lazy and want to receive from God without any effort on our own part, but that's not the way it works. You will only get out of the Word what you are willing to put into it. I encourage you to make a decision to meditate on God's Word every day because every moment you spend absorbing it, the more virtue and knowledge you will receive from God.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Walking In The Light And Conquering The Works of Darkness
Satan is the prince of the kingdom of darkness. (See Revelation 16:10.) He wins his battles in the dark. It was when the simple young man was lured by his lust to the harlot’s house “in the black and dark night” that she accosted him and led him as an ox to his slaughter (see Proverbs 7:6–10). Paul warns us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11). On the other hand, God promises that:
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin [including lust]” (I John 1:7).
The most powerful way to conquer lust with light is to expose our deeds to the light as explained in the following testimony given by a man named Paul.
“At the age of 8 I was introduced to pornography. By age 18, I was controlled by lust. Two weeks before marriage I shared all my past failures with my fiancée, except for a recent defeat. This set me up for years of failure.
“I knew it was wrong to hide my periodic defeat, but guilt, fear, and shame kept me bound. The more I hid the more I failed. No longer was it once a year, but many, many times. I was also having huge financial problems. I could not lead my family in any way. I was disconnecting from my wife, and our home life was in shambles. Yet, I wouldn’t believe it had anything to do with my secret lust.
“After several years, I purposed to confess my hidden sins. My wife was shocked and devastated. We set out to bring everything to light with no minimizing. For the next week, we slept very little and allowed the Lord to reveal every sin. We would confess it as sin to the Lord and each other and ask for forgiveness. Then we would renounce it and ask God to take back the ground we had given to the enemy.
“During these seven days, I also went to my children and confessed my sin and asked for their forgiveness. At that time I broke emotionally and wept like a baby. It was then that I learned that each of my children was also struggling with sexual temptations. We went through the same steps with them and there is now incredible freedom.”
The reason a man must tell his wife about his sins is that at marriage she is given authority over his body. (See I Corinthians 7:4.)
Paul’s testimony is one of many similar reports of how God is releasing men from deep-seated lust when they openly confess it. Scripture promises, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Let’s purpose now to conquer lust with light and ask God for grace, wisdom, and courage to do it.
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin [including lust]” (I John 1:7).
The most powerful way to conquer lust with light is to expose our deeds to the light as explained in the following testimony given by a man named Paul.
“At the age of 8 I was introduced to pornography. By age 18, I was controlled by lust. Two weeks before marriage I shared all my past failures with my fiancée, except for a recent defeat. This set me up for years of failure.
“I knew it was wrong to hide my periodic defeat, but guilt, fear, and shame kept me bound. The more I hid the more I failed. No longer was it once a year, but many, many times. I was also having huge financial problems. I could not lead my family in any way. I was disconnecting from my wife, and our home life was in shambles. Yet, I wouldn’t believe it had anything to do with my secret lust.
“After several years, I purposed to confess my hidden sins. My wife was shocked and devastated. We set out to bring everything to light with no minimizing. For the next week, we slept very little and allowed the Lord to reveal every sin. We would confess it as sin to the Lord and each other and ask for forgiveness. Then we would renounce it and ask God to take back the ground we had given to the enemy.
“During these seven days, I also went to my children and confessed my sin and asked for their forgiveness. At that time I broke emotionally and wept like a baby. It was then that I learned that each of my children was also struggling with sexual temptations. We went through the same steps with them and there is now incredible freedom.”
The reason a man must tell his wife about his sins is that at marriage she is given authority over his body. (See I Corinthians 7:4.)
Paul’s testimony is one of many similar reports of how God is releasing men from deep-seated lust when they openly confess it. Scripture promises, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Let’s purpose now to conquer lust with light and ask God for grace, wisdom, and courage to do it.
Conquering Lust
Conquering lust is one of the most serious matters a man will undertake. The wisest man who ever lived was defeated by lust. The world’s strongest man was also defeated by lust, as well as David, who was a “man after God’s own heart.” (See I Kings 11:1–4, Judges 16:1–4, and II Samuel 11:1–5.)
Paul’s description of the battle with sin, including lust, is painfully true to life. “The things that I want to do, I don’t do, and the things that I hate, I keep doing!” (See Romans 7:15.) Yet, standing out in Scripture like a victorious banner is this promise:
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God uses the Law to expose the sinfulness of our lust, yet the Law does not give us the power to overcome it. (See Romans 7:7.) The power to overcome lust comes by exercising the gift of God’s grace through righteousness by yielding the members of our body. Thus, we are not to yield our members to unrighteousness, but “yield [surrender] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments [weapons] of righteousness unto God. For [then] sin shall not have dominion over you …” (Romans 6:13–14).
This is explained in Romans 5:20–21, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosune, which in the broader sense means “the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11).
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Scripture promises that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16). This means asking the Holy Spirit to forgive us for grieving Him by our lust and quenching His power in us. Then, it means surrendering ourselves to God and the members of our body as instruments of righteousness to overcome lust.
Paul’s description of the battle with sin, including lust, is painfully true to life. “The things that I want to do, I don’t do, and the things that I hate, I keep doing!” (See Romans 7:15.) Yet, standing out in Scripture like a victorious banner is this promise:
“Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
God uses the Law to expose the sinfulness of our lust, yet the Law does not give us the power to overcome it. (See Romans 7:7.) The power to overcome lust comes by exercising the gift of God’s grace through righteousness by yielding the members of our body. Thus, we are not to yield our members to unrighteousness, but “yield [surrender] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments [weapons] of righteousness unto God. For [then] sin shall not have dominion over you …” (Romans 6:13–14).
This is explained in Romans 5:20–21, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosune, which in the broader sense means “the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11).
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Scripture promises that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16). This means asking the Holy Spirit to forgive us for grieving Him by our lust and quenching His power in us. Then, it means surrendering ourselves to God and the members of our body as instruments of righteousness to overcome lust.
The Disciple And His Attitude Toward Lust
The story is told of an ancient wrestling match that was particularly gruesome. Adrenaline flowed, because each man knew that if he lost the contest, his opponent would put his foot on his neck and call for a sword. He would then poke that sharpened sword into the eyes of his conquered foe.
Thereafter, the weaker wrestler would grope in blindness throughout the city as a public display of his defeat. This is a sobering introduction to the tremendous importance of Christ’s next command.
“Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out …” (Matthew 5:28–29).
It is unthinkable that a man would rip out his own eye. The intent of this command is that we make it equally unthinkable to lust after a woman. Satan would have us believe that what we secretly lust after in our hearts will have no real consequence to us or to anyone else. Yet, God Who created us is telling us that secret lust is so desperately serious that we must declare war on every lustful thought and take it captive.
Peter speaks of this war when he writes, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11).
James explains the seriousness of this war as he asks, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1). Paul describes the war within our members in very understandable terms:
“I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).
After explaining the war, Paul exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Then he praises God because there is a way to victory through Jesus Christ. (See Romans 7:25.)
Peter also relates lust to eyesight when he gives a list of qualities that, if developed, will conquer lust, but if missing, will cause us to be spiritually blind. (See II Peter 1:1–9.) The tragedy of Samson’s lust after women is also a sobering testimony. He lost the war on lust, his freedom, his leadership, and then he had his eyes gouged out! (See Judges 16:20–21.)
The wrestler in our story may have been on his back, but as long as he had at least one shoulder above the mat the fight was not over. If we are prone to surrender to lustful thoughts, now is the time to declare war against the giant of lust. He is one of our greatest adversaries against daily success!
Thereafter, the weaker wrestler would grope in blindness throughout the city as a public display of his defeat. This is a sobering introduction to the tremendous importance of Christ’s next command.
“Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out …” (Matthew 5:28–29).
It is unthinkable that a man would rip out his own eye. The intent of this command is that we make it equally unthinkable to lust after a woman. Satan would have us believe that what we secretly lust after in our hearts will have no real consequence to us or to anyone else. Yet, God Who created us is telling us that secret lust is so desperately serious that we must declare war on every lustful thought and take it captive.
Peter speaks of this war when he writes, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11).
James explains the seriousness of this war as he asks, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1). Paul describes the war within our members in very understandable terms:
“I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).
After explaining the war, Paul exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Then he praises God because there is a way to victory through Jesus Christ. (See Romans 7:25.)
Peter also relates lust to eyesight when he gives a list of qualities that, if developed, will conquer lust, but if missing, will cause us to be spiritually blind. (See II Peter 1:1–9.) The tragedy of Samson’s lust after women is also a sobering testimony. He lost the war on lust, his freedom, his leadership, and then he had his eyes gouged out! (See Judges 16:20–21.)
The wrestler in our story may have been on his back, but as long as he had at least one shoulder above the mat the fight was not over. If we are prone to surrender to lustful thoughts, now is the time to declare war against the giant of lust. He is one of our greatest adversaries against daily success!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Authority Of The Disciple
As Believers, we are involved in spiritual warfare on a daily basis. Now, you may be thinking, “Brother Murphy, I am not fighting anything.” But the reason many of us do not realize that we are in battle is because we are only seeing things from a natural perspective.
However, I want to challenge your thinking regarding this matter. Even if we think the topic of spiritual warfare is too “deep,” that type of thinking will not stop our enemy from attacking us. Just as Heaven and Hell are real places, Satan, demons, and God’s angels also exist. Therefore, it is time that we recognize these facts and begin to gird ourselves up with the armor and weapons that we receive from the Word of God so that we can effectively fight— and win— the battle of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10).
The battles we fight against evil manifest through things we can see and feel in this natural realm. For instance, spiritual warfare shows up in the form of frustrations that we deal with in life, as well as through conversations with people whose negative words affect our thoughts.
The secret battles we fight may come in the form of addictive behaviors, causing uncontrolled emotional responses such as anger, or other negative emotions. Whatever the battle is, we should recognize that we are not really fighting against people. We are fighting against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, New Living Translation).
The good news is, we can always win these battles when we know who we are, whom we are fighting, and how to fight.
Satanic and demonic forces have a primary goal — to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). But Jesus came to this Earth and died for us so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Although we experience spiritual attacks, Jesus has given us authority over all the power and ability of Satan (Luke 10:19). However the problem is that many times we try to deal with the onslaughts of the enemy through natural means only.
This type of thinking opens the door to defeat. We cannot fight spiritual battles using our natural abilities. Although there are things we must do in the natural, we must also do the spiritual things, like spending time in prayer, and reading, studying, and confessing the Word of God.
We do not have to tolerate the attacks of the enemy because we have been given authority over the works of Satan in our lives. It is because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that we have been given the authority.
Therefore, as Believers, we can open our mouths and declare our authority by faith. We can boldly say, By the authority of Jesus Christ, and through and by His blood, I command you Satan to stop this attack! I command you to stop your maneuvers through this person or this situation.
When we know and use our authority, we are acknowledging and establishing our faith in who we are in Christ. You do not have to tolerate trouble. Choose, instead, to exercise your authority by speaking faith-filled words. When you boldly declare what you have a right to, demons and satanic forces will flee. This is the way we fight and win.
However, I want to challenge your thinking regarding this matter. Even if we think the topic of spiritual warfare is too “deep,” that type of thinking will not stop our enemy from attacking us. Just as Heaven and Hell are real places, Satan, demons, and God’s angels also exist. Therefore, it is time that we recognize these facts and begin to gird ourselves up with the armor and weapons that we receive from the Word of God so that we can effectively fight— and win— the battle of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10).
The battles we fight against evil manifest through things we can see and feel in this natural realm. For instance, spiritual warfare shows up in the form of frustrations that we deal with in life, as well as through conversations with people whose negative words affect our thoughts.
The secret battles we fight may come in the form of addictive behaviors, causing uncontrolled emotional responses such as anger, or other negative emotions. Whatever the battle is, we should recognize that we are not really fighting against people. We are fighting against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, New Living Translation).
The good news is, we can always win these battles when we know who we are, whom we are fighting, and how to fight.
Satanic and demonic forces have a primary goal — to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). But Jesus came to this Earth and died for us so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Although we experience spiritual attacks, Jesus has given us authority over all the power and ability of Satan (Luke 10:19). However the problem is that many times we try to deal with the onslaughts of the enemy through natural means only.
This type of thinking opens the door to defeat. We cannot fight spiritual battles using our natural abilities. Although there are things we must do in the natural, we must also do the spiritual things, like spending time in prayer, and reading, studying, and confessing the Word of God.
We do not have to tolerate the attacks of the enemy because we have been given authority over the works of Satan in our lives. It is because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that we have been given the authority.
Therefore, as Believers, we can open our mouths and declare our authority by faith. We can boldly say, By the authority of Jesus Christ, and through and by His blood, I command you Satan to stop this attack! I command you to stop your maneuvers through this person or this situation.
When we know and use our authority, we are acknowledging and establishing our faith in who we are in Christ. You do not have to tolerate trouble. Choose, instead, to exercise your authority by speaking faith-filled words. When you boldly declare what you have a right to, demons and satanic forces will flee. This is the way we fight and win.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Right And Wrong Thinking: The Disciples Thought Life
What we believe is a result of our thinking. If we think wrong, we will believe wrong. If our believing is wrong, our confession will be wrong. In other words, what we say will be wrong. It all hinges on our thinking!
Our thinking must be in line with the Word of God, because we cannot believe beyond the actual knowledge we have of the Word of God.
People who have been involved in the past with metaphysical, mind-science religions often get this teaching about right and wrong thinking confused with those religious teachings, because they still think that man is just a mental and a physical being.
But man is far more than that: He is also a spiritual being! Advocates of metaphysics have taught so much about the mind that Full Gospel people are almost afraid to say a word about it—yet the Bible has a great deal to say about the mind.
For example, the Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own UNDERSTANDING [mind]" (Prov. 3:5). The Bible says, "Casting down IMAGINATIONS [reasonings], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every THOUGHT [thinking] to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). The Bible also says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2). We renew our minds by studying the Word of God. The Bible teaches us to have "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16). The only way we can have the mind of Christ is to study His Word, believe it in our heart, and act upon it. The Word of God also teaches us to think on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, or whatever has virtue or praise (Phil. 4:8). So the Word of God does have much to say about the mind!
However, we need to realize that thoughts can come into our minds from two different sources. In other words, the thoughts that come into our minds do not always originate in our minds. The devil puts many thoughts into our minds from outside ourselves. That's one source. Then, of course, thoughts from God come from within us. They come through our spirits into our minds.
Our confession is the result of our believing, and our believing is the result of our right or wrong thinking.
First, it is necessary that we know what God has wrought for us in Christ, and that we believe it and confess it. It is our confession of it that creates the reality, and then it becomes real in our lives.
Second, it is necessary for us to know what God through the Word and through the Holy Spirit has wrought in us.
Third, it is necessary for us to know what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing for us now in His present-day ministry at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.
Fourth, it is necessary for us to know what the Word of God will do for us through our lips, or what God can do through us. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." God works in us. God works through us. God does not work apart from us. God gave the Church the authority and the commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
If our thinking is not right along these lines, our believing will be wrong. Then our talking will be wrong, and we will be confused and defeated. We need to realize what the Word of God can do through our lips because, as we have seen, the Holy Spirit is sent to help us.
We should all become God-minded—and the only way we can achieve this is to think God's thoughts after Him. In other words, think on what God says in His Word, and confess that it is true!
Our thinking must be in line with the Word of God, because we cannot believe beyond the actual knowledge we have of the Word of God.
People who have been involved in the past with metaphysical, mind-science religions often get this teaching about right and wrong thinking confused with those religious teachings, because they still think that man is just a mental and a physical being.
But man is far more than that: He is also a spiritual being! Advocates of metaphysics have taught so much about the mind that Full Gospel people are almost afraid to say a word about it—yet the Bible has a great deal to say about the mind.
For example, the Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own UNDERSTANDING [mind]" (Prov. 3:5). The Bible says, "Casting down IMAGINATIONS [reasonings], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every THOUGHT [thinking] to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). The Bible also says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2). We renew our minds by studying the Word of God. The Bible teaches us to have "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16). The only way we can have the mind of Christ is to study His Word, believe it in our heart, and act upon it. The Word of God also teaches us to think on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, or whatever has virtue or praise (Phil. 4:8). So the Word of God does have much to say about the mind!
However, we need to realize that thoughts can come into our minds from two different sources. In other words, the thoughts that come into our minds do not always originate in our minds. The devil puts many thoughts into our minds from outside ourselves. That's one source. Then, of course, thoughts from God come from within us. They come through our spirits into our minds.
Our confession is the result of our believing, and our believing is the result of our right or wrong thinking.
First, it is necessary that we know what God has wrought for us in Christ, and that we believe it and confess it. It is our confession of it that creates the reality, and then it becomes real in our lives.
Second, it is necessary for us to know what God through the Word and through the Holy Spirit has wrought in us.
Third, it is necessary for us to know what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing for us now in His present-day ministry at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.
Fourth, it is necessary for us to know what the Word of God will do for us through our lips, or what God can do through us. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." God works in us. God works through us. God does not work apart from us. God gave the Church the authority and the commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
If our thinking is not right along these lines, our believing will be wrong. Then our talking will be wrong, and we will be confused and defeated. We need to realize what the Word of God can do through our lips because, as we have seen, the Holy Spirit is sent to help us.
We should all become God-minded—and the only way we can achieve this is to think God's thoughts after Him. In other words, think on what God says in His Word, and confess that it is true!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Disciple's Thought Life
Have you ever noticed the day you decided not to do a certain thing is the day you couldn't stop thinking about it? Maybe you decided to go on a diet, but all you could think about was food. Or perhaps you've been upset over something someone said about you. You chose to forgive him for what he said, but the very day you made that decision all you can think about is what he said.
Thoughts are powerful because they are precursors to actions. Everything you've ever done in your life was first conceived in your mind. That's why learning to control our minds and replace bad thoughts with something good is important.
Think of your mind as a battle ground but not as a playground. Your mind is something you should take very seriously because it's the place where victories are either won or lost. If you treat your mind as just a place to play and have fun, you'll open the door to the enemy and he'll take advantage you leading you into defeat, discouragement, and ultimately into disobedience. The devil is like the park "bully" who go's around picking on other kids.
You may not be able to control what comes into your mind, but you can control what stay there! God considers your thoughts so important He actually made a list for you to compare them with so that you don't go off in the ditch on either side of the road. (See Phil. 4:8).
Be assured that you can control your thoughts. How do I know this? The Bible instructs us to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" 2 Cor. 10:5. Yes, sometimes this is easier said than done, but it's not impossible and it's absolutely necessary if you really want victory.
The questions becomes, what do you use to combat thoughts? The answer: WORDS! Words are stronger than thought. If you start talking, your mind will shut up to hear what it is you're saying. If you don't believe it, try counting money while someone yells different numbers. You'll soon lose track and before long you have to start over.
Personally there are several things I do when when I need to bring my thoughts into captivity.
First, I speak to the thought and inform it that it's not welcome. I might say something like, "discouragement you were not invited and you're certainly not welcome, so in the name of Jesus be gone now!"
Second, I will use the scripture as a weapon against particular thoughts. If thoughts of fear attempt to enter my mind I will say something like this. "Fear, I take authority over you in Jesus name! According to the Word, I've not be given a spirit of fear so I resist you and command you to go now."
The bottom line is: you believe what you say more than you believe what anybody says! If this is true, then the most important thing you could say is what God says. If you'll say what God says, your faith will increase and develop making a huge difference in your life. Faith only develops one way. "Faith comes by hearing the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
Jesus defeated the devil with words. In fact, He used the Word of God and cut the him to pieces. (See Matt. 4).
QUESTION: Can you relate a circumstance when you spoke the Word of God and gained victory over your thoughts?
Thoughts are powerful because they are precursors to actions. Everything you've ever done in your life was first conceived in your mind. That's why learning to control our minds and replace bad thoughts with something good is important.
Think of your mind as a battle ground but not as a playground. Your mind is something you should take very seriously because it's the place where victories are either won or lost. If you treat your mind as just a place to play and have fun, you'll open the door to the enemy and he'll take advantage you leading you into defeat, discouragement, and ultimately into disobedience. The devil is like the park "bully" who go's around picking on other kids.
You may not be able to control what comes into your mind, but you can control what stay there! God considers your thoughts so important He actually made a list for you to compare them with so that you don't go off in the ditch on either side of the road. (See Phil. 4:8).
Be assured that you can control your thoughts. How do I know this? The Bible instructs us to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" 2 Cor. 10:5. Yes, sometimes this is easier said than done, but it's not impossible and it's absolutely necessary if you really want victory.
The questions becomes, what do you use to combat thoughts? The answer: WORDS! Words are stronger than thought. If you start talking, your mind will shut up to hear what it is you're saying. If you don't believe it, try counting money while someone yells different numbers. You'll soon lose track and before long you have to start over.
Personally there are several things I do when when I need to bring my thoughts into captivity.
First, I speak to the thought and inform it that it's not welcome. I might say something like, "discouragement you were not invited and you're certainly not welcome, so in the name of Jesus be gone now!"
Second, I will use the scripture as a weapon against particular thoughts. If thoughts of fear attempt to enter my mind I will say something like this. "Fear, I take authority over you in Jesus name! According to the Word, I've not be given a spirit of fear so I resist you and command you to go now."
The bottom line is: you believe what you say more than you believe what anybody says! If this is true, then the most important thing you could say is what God says. If you'll say what God says, your faith will increase and develop making a huge difference in your life. Faith only develops one way. "Faith comes by hearing the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
Jesus defeated the devil with words. In fact, He used the Word of God and cut the him to pieces. (See Matt. 4).
QUESTION: Can you relate a circumstance when you spoke the Word of God and gained victory over your thoughts?
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