I was talking to a friend yesterday. She was telling me she was trying to get control of her thoughts. I think most people struggle with this -especially today.
There is spiritual warfare going on every day. We are in the middle of a spiritual war right now in our minds. There is a tug-of-war going on. I don’t care how strong you think you are it is happening. To world calls it a conscience. It’s the battle between good and evil.
The Holy Spirit is leading us one way and the devil is misleading you in another. Even if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior the devil isn’t going to leave us alone. He will do everything in His power to stop you. Yes, he’s already lost the war, but he will fight to the end.
He wants us to deny God, to turn our backs on Him. (if you look at the world he’s fighting with everything he has). He will try to get inside of our heads and make us believe the lies he is spewing. He will make them seem like reality, like it’s true.
Our thoughts are one of the most precious gifts God gives us. It is a part of the free will that God has granted us. God gave us a mind, a brain to think for ourselves. And we need to pray every day that our thoughts and actions are guided by the Holy Spirit. Pray every day that he protects your thoughts. Pray every day that he guides your path. The ultimate decision is ours, to follow the path that God wants us on or go down one that is false and fake and full of lies.
Proverbs 4:26 says, “Give careful thought to the paths of your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”
God had given us the gift of thinking. God didn’t create the vehicle. We did. God gave us the materials. We cannot create anything if we don’t think. We can control our thoughts.
I remember when I first heard someone say to me, “If you don’t like your thoughts you have the right to change them.”
I know it doesn’t seem that way but we can. How? How can we fight this spiritual war going on inside our brains? This tossing and turning from good to evil.
Here are a few tips:
1. Replace worry with faith
Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-8, “Do not be anxious (worried) about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
When we worry we have doubt. We have doubt in God. We get upset when things don’t go our way. We think “why is this happening?” We cast doubt on the almighty God, which gives the devil a playing field to work on. He thrives on our doubt, he wants us to doubt that God -that God isn’t in control. He wants us to feel abandoned by God. Worrying is nothing but the devil. Worrying is nothing but a lack of confidence in God.
2. Replace despair with hope
In Psalm 33:17-18, King David wrote “The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love.”
We can change the odds when we quit putting our hope in others. Hope in God instead of others or your circumstances. Sometimes we put all our eggs in one basket. And that basket isn’t God. What happens? Life gets shattered. Dreams fall apart. If you are doing everything you can to follow God’s desire He will protect you. Circumstances happen. People will always let you down. But if you have hope in the Lord, you will never be broken. I’m not saying God won’t throw you a curveball, but I would rather have God coach me than the world. God gives us troubles to strengthen and test our faith.
“I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than stand with the world and be judged by God” – Grace Wesley
3. Replace anger with love
In Jonah 4:2 it says. “I know you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. God does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth.
Anger is something the devil can take and make grow like a chia pet. There’s an old saying that goes, “Give the devil an inch and he will be your ruler.” God’s love for you enables you to love others rather than show anger and resentment. Angry can control your thoughts. And satan will ride it like a wave in a hurricane. Give your anger to God. Harboring anger will do nothing but give the devil more stomping ground.
Replace suspicion with trust
Trust in God will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. The devil is the king of suspicion. Trust is not even in his vocabulary.
Last week I had made plans to go out of town with a person who needed to go to the doctor. When I arrived at her house she was gone. And with a half a thought of she left without me, and with that, there was satan putting suspicion in my head, “She double-crossed you” and on and on. I called her and she had an emergency and had to leave. A simple explanation that could have led to anger and the devil ran with that thought.
4. Replace skepticism with belief
We live in a cynical and skeptical world. God keeps His promises and being persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised strengthens our faith. Let faith give you victory. Let your faith in God give you the firepower you need to stand up in this world. Let your faith in God be your shield, your sword, and your armor. Know that God is still God, even though the world is crashing around you.