I am in a war, the battle is in my thought life & it’s only winnable through God,
Whether we know it or like it or not we Christians are constantly engaged in warfare and it’s a thought warfare. Unless I know the truth in my heart, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is always good to me, always does the right thing, will always take care of me and can be utterly trusted, then I will be dead meat in the hands of my enemy. I will inevitably fall easy prey to the fiery darts of the character assassinating thoughts he gives me about God. Oh but when I believe in the unchanging goodness of God, turn quickly towards Him in my heart when trouble comes and stay anchored to the truth of His word, then the devil is dead meat and runs away in fear.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (deceiving thoughts) of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (people), but against ...wicked spirits...
Psa. 27:13 I would have lost heart (and given up the fight) unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord...
Psalms 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
When I know who my enemy is, it’s easier to always forgive people, as I should.
Pride, anger and self-pity always come with contention, hostility and resentment towards other people, which will remain as invisible prison bars, with me the prisoner, until I forgive everyone of everything. This forgiveness is made easier when I understand that Christian people (me included) often do and say things contrary to their true nature when their thoughts, words and deeds are to varying degrees under the influence of wicked spirits. Unsaved people, according to the Bible, are unknowingly, by virtue of their being unsaved, much more heavily influenced by demons. It would be foolish of me to expect godly behavior from an unsaved and therefore ungodly person. Yes, as the scripture in Ephesians quoted above says, my fight is really not with people but with the spirits behind the people.
Eph. 2:2-3 ...Following the prince of the power of the air (you were (Amp. Version) obedient to him and under his control) the demon spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience...among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves...
When these realities are combined with the fact that the one who extended mercy towards me and my sins, requires and will enable me to extend the same mercy to others, then granting forgiveness becomes both desirable and achievable. Especially since the alternative, of harboring unforgiveness towards another, forfeits my own forgiveness from God.
Mat. 10:8 ...Freely you have received (forgiveness) freely give
Eph. 4:32 ...Forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Mat. 6:15 But If you do not forgive men (everyone of every thing) their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
The same spirits that may have induced a person to wrong me will endeavor, through thoughts, to induce me to not forgive them. If I am to remain free I must come down on the side of God’s truth, knowing that He will empower me to do so, and, regardless of my feelings or even if the person is sorry, forgive them.
After I’ve blown it and God has restored me,
When I’m restored and learning to live more at peace in the spirit than in the flesh and troubled, it would be wise for me to let God start to strengthen my heart with His word in the area(s) of my weakness. Whether that weakness is anger, self-pity, pride, condemnation or whatever God not only will restore me when I fall but better yet His living words in my heart will literally change me so that I’m no longer vulnerable to falling in the same pit over and over again. Under the New Covenant God no longer requires that I measure up through self-effort and will power to His standard of right behavior, no, He offers to change my nature and actually make me more like Jesus. How, through planting individual scriptures in my heart as living seeds – these words of His in me are alive and very powerful and are the exclusive way God transforms a Christian into the image and likeness of His Son.
Heb. 4:12 The word of God is alive and powerful...
1 Thes.2:13 ...The word of God which works mightily also in you that believe
2Cor 3:18 But we all...are being changed into the same image (of Jesus)
Rom.8:29 ...To be conformed to the image of His Son...
Scriptures, any one of which, if in my heart, will change my nature,
Anger: The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger; and it is to his glory to overlook a transgression. Proverbs 19:11
Self-pity: For consider Him that endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12:3
Pride: Only by pride comes contention (arguing and quarreling).. Prov.13:10
Guilt: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Rom. 8:1
Thank you Father for Your forgiveness!
Whether we know it or like it or not we Christians are constantly engaged in warfare and it’s a thought warfare. Unless I know the truth in my heart, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is always good to me, always does the right thing, will always take care of me and can be utterly trusted, then I will be dead meat in the hands of my enemy. I will inevitably fall easy prey to the fiery darts of the character assassinating thoughts he gives me about God. Oh but when I believe in the unchanging goodness of God, turn quickly towards Him in my heart when trouble comes and stay anchored to the truth of His word, then the devil is dead meat and runs away in fear.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (deceiving thoughts) of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood (people), but against ...wicked spirits...
Psa. 27:13 I would have lost heart (and given up the fight) unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord...
Psalms 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
When I know who my enemy is, it’s easier to always forgive people, as I should.
Pride, anger and self-pity always come with contention, hostility and resentment towards other people, which will remain as invisible prison bars, with me the prisoner, until I forgive everyone of everything. This forgiveness is made easier when I understand that Christian people (me included) often do and say things contrary to their true nature when their thoughts, words and deeds are to varying degrees under the influence of wicked spirits. Unsaved people, according to the Bible, are unknowingly, by virtue of their being unsaved, much more heavily influenced by demons. It would be foolish of me to expect godly behavior from an unsaved and therefore ungodly person. Yes, as the scripture in Ephesians quoted above says, my fight is really not with people but with the spirits behind the people.
Eph. 2:2-3 ...Following the prince of the power of the air (you were (Amp. Version) obedient to him and under his control) the demon spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience...among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves...
When these realities are combined with the fact that the one who extended mercy towards me and my sins, requires and will enable me to extend the same mercy to others, then granting forgiveness becomes both desirable and achievable. Especially since the alternative, of harboring unforgiveness towards another, forfeits my own forgiveness from God.
Mat. 10:8 ...Freely you have received (forgiveness) freely give
Eph. 4:32 ...Forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Mat. 6:15 But If you do not forgive men (everyone of every thing) their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
The same spirits that may have induced a person to wrong me will endeavor, through thoughts, to induce me to not forgive them. If I am to remain free I must come down on the side of God’s truth, knowing that He will empower me to do so, and, regardless of my feelings or even if the person is sorry, forgive them.
After I’ve blown it and God has restored me,
When I’m restored and learning to live more at peace in the spirit than in the flesh and troubled, it would be wise for me to let God start to strengthen my heart with His word in the area(s) of my weakness. Whether that weakness is anger, self-pity, pride, condemnation or whatever God not only will restore me when I fall but better yet His living words in my heart will literally change me so that I’m no longer vulnerable to falling in the same pit over and over again. Under the New Covenant God no longer requires that I measure up through self-effort and will power to His standard of right behavior, no, He offers to change my nature and actually make me more like Jesus. How, through planting individual scriptures in my heart as living seeds – these words of His in me are alive and very powerful and are the exclusive way God transforms a Christian into the image and likeness of His Son.
Heb. 4:12 The word of God is alive and powerful...
1 Thes.2:13 ...The word of God which works mightily also in you that believe
2Cor 3:18 But we all...are being changed into the same image (of Jesus)
Rom.8:29 ...To be conformed to the image of His Son...
Scriptures, any one of which, if in my heart, will change my nature,
Anger: The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger; and it is to his glory to overlook a transgression. Proverbs 19:11
Self-pity: For consider Him that endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12:3
Pride: Only by pride comes contention (arguing and quarreling).. Prov.13:10
Guilt: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Rom. 8:1
Thank you Father for Your forgiveness!
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