Wednesday, February 22, 2012

What Do I Believe?


Warning! If you think I have it all together, stop reading now!

Over the last year I have been part of several Bible studies regarding taking victory over the lies we believe about ourselves. These lies are often called “strongholds,” and author Joyce Meyer describes a stronghold in this way:
Through careful strategy and cunning deceit, Satan attempts to set up “strongholds” in our mind.  A stronghold is an area in which we are held in bondage (in prison) due to a certain way of thinking.
This week I have been under a cloud of one of these strongholds, something I believe about myself that is not true. Satan is an expert at knowing our weaknesses. You know, those things that can most easily send you spiraling downward. Well, this week I fell into that downward spiral.

Now, I don’t know about you but I have an excellent imagination and this does not always serve me well! I allowed my imagination and dark thoughts to take over. I wanted to break free of them, but a part of me was allowing myself to wallow in a feeling of self-pity.

Because I have walked this path before, my husband knew what was happening and he encouraged (dragged) me outside for a walk, which is always helpful in clearing my mind. When we walked back into the house, I grabbed a book from the bench in our entryway. The book I grabbed was Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer. I sat down and read the first three pages, including this:
The devil is a liar. Jesus called him, “the father of lies and of all that is false.” (John 8:44.) He lies to you and me. He tells us things about ourselves, about other people and about circumstances that are just not true.
After asking my sweet husband to pray for me, I felt such a weight lifted. I have experienced all of this before, but coming out of the darkness has never been so swift or so vivid. Usually, I’m stuck there for several days and emerge gradually.

Please, if you struggle with any stronghold, any lie you believe about yourself, I encourage you to read these books:

Breaking Free by Beth More
Praying God’s Word by Beth More
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer

The truth is Jesus loves me. He loves you. The truth is we are so valuable to him, we are so loved that he came here to show us that in person.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing, Shawna. Our condition of simply being human can sure put us on that slippery slope of self-doubt. I'm sorry this happened to you, and know that you have many, myself included, in your company. Looking to Jesus, letting the warmth of His love just surround us, sometimes is easier said than done. We know that He is Comfort, He is Strength, He is Healing, He is Restoration, on and on. Knowing it and feeling it are two different things, and praise Jesus that He knows our needs even before we ask for His help. I love the 1 Corinthians verse. Thank you so much for sharing, my friend. Hugs, Tammy =)

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    1. Thank you for your sweet and wise words Tammy. Miss you so much!

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  2. What a beautiful and powerful victory. Thank you for sharing it with me!

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