Destructive, vexing, and disturbing thoughts can be one of the worse struggles in a person’s life. For some, they seem uncontrollable; seemingly popping in your head out of nowhere and doing so at the most inconvenient time. Your mind is a big part of who you are, and everyone desires to feel as though they are in control of their minds, but these troubling thoughts that come out of nowhere can cause extreme levels of anxiety, sadness, and paranoia. They can make us feel very much out of control. This is spiritual warfare in the mind, and because many people don’t believe it is a spiritual problem, they don’t seek a spiritual solution. They suffer in silence, and this isn’t God’s Will. It’s not what He wants for His children.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) states, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” God has told us that He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear and intimation. Whenever we experience these emotions, immediately we should know they do not come from Heavenly Father. He doesn’t want us to be afraid of anything. He has given us the spirit of power, love, and self-control. It is our right to live our lives operating by, with, in and through the spirits God has provided. He is our Creator and has given us the right to His blessings. If we find our ability to operate with power, love, and self-control that comes from God is hindered in any way, we should seek His help to remove the thing that is hindering us.
In Genesis 1:26, Heavenly Father blessed humanity with the ability to have dominion and authority over their lives. Adam and Eve lost this dominion and authority, but God had a plan to redeem it for us. This plan was carried out by Jesus Christ. He redeemed us from the curse that the devil set in motion through Adam and Eve. Jesus Christ restored us to the rightful place that God had intended for us all along, but what if someone doesn’t know or trust in what God has done through Christ?
We can’t conquer what we refuse to confront, and we can’t rise above what we don’t know or refuse to believe. Our refusal to believe and trust God’s Word gives the devil the opportunity that he seeks, which is to mess with our minds. 2Corinthians 4:4(NLT) says, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
Negative thoughts can become entrenched and our minds can become breeding ground for darkness if we do not introduce them to the light of Christ. God tells us in Colossians 3:2 to set our minds on things that are above and not on things that are worldly. To set our minds is to fix them upon something with focus and concentration. In Romans 12:2, God tells us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by renewing our minds to His Word. To renew is to make new again. When Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, he responded to the temptation by telling the devil that humanity cannot live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The Word of God is alive, and it will make our minds like fertile soil, aligning them with the mind of Christ.
Once we become born-again, 2Corinithans 5:17 tells us that we are a new creation. Our spirits are made brand new, but our minds and hearts are not. God gave us free-will choice, and He will not violate it or overstep our free-will in any way. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made us in His image and blessed us with dominion and authority. Like Him, we self-govern. We are in charge of what we let into our hearts and minds, and we are responsible for what flows out of them.
God wants the best for us always. He informed us that His Will is for us to control our thoughts by renewing them to His Word. Some of us have spent years cultivating negative thoughts patterns, and yes, it will take time to change them. But the important thing is to know is that change is very possible, and God has given us the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us. God knew that we would need internal spiritual help. He doesn’t expect us to transform on our own. We couldn’t save ourselves, that’s why He sent His Son to do it for us. Becoming born-again begins our spiritual work, and God has given us His Spirit to help us continue it. Trust in God! Ask Him to do a work in your heart and mind. He’ll help you through the Holy Spirit to walk in victory in your thought life with power, love, and self-control. ■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“Taking Control of Your Thoughts” by JMack. 4theChristianMan.Com© 2018. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.