From Bondage to Freedom
Have you noticed that Satan’s primary way to influence us toward fear is through our thoughts? You THINK something is harmful or dangerous, and you react with fear. The Bible is clear that Satan can deceive people. He is called the father of lies, after all. These lies can become embedded in our thinking and mature into beliefs.
Once we truly believe the lie, it will feel true. Even when reading the Bible, we will be tempted to dismiss God’s truth because our lie is so strong in our thinking. It becomes a stronghold that will wreak havoc in our spiritual lives.
These strongholds don’t have to last forever. We can use the tools God gave us to demolish them. Remember, we don’t have a spirit of fear. God gave us power, love, and a sound mind to take control of our mental situation.
We demolish stronghold lies by capturing the thought, identifying it as a lie, finding the truth in God’s word, and claiming it for ourselves until we begin to believe the truth instead of the lie.
It is possible to renew our minds and break down strongholds, an essential practice for growing to maturity as a follower of Christ.
Philippians 4 urges us to focus our minds on what is true and good and noble. We tend to do the opposite when confronted with fear. We fret about what might happen instead of what is true. We think about the failures of others instead of what God wants us to do. We focus on the mess instead of thinking about what is excellent and praiseworthy – the presence and power of God with us.
There are many scriptures about renewing and controlling our thoughts and minds. If it were not possible, God would not have put it in His Word as instruction for us.
Since the mind is the critical pathway for Satan to trip us up, we must take seriously how we think. Through the Holy Spirit, we have self-control to manage our minds. It is our choice to obey God and do it.
Reflect and Respond
What lies are you continually stumbling over? Ask the Lord to help you see them as lies. Begin keeping a list. Pick your most often repeated mental lie and choose to reverse it. Find the scriptures that direct your thinking toward the truth. Begin repeating the truth daily until you sense less and less of the lie and more and more of the truth.
Pray
Oh, Jesus, thank You that there is a way out of this mental bondage! I know I have lies that I don’t recognize. Help me see them as lies and help me find the truths in Your Word that can begin to renew my mind. With your help, I choose to start today.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
Galatians 5:22-26 NIV
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 NIV