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Strategies for Conquering 3 D’s of the devil

” The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” John 10:10

The thief of our joy. The thief of our love. The thief of our peace. The enemy of our souls seek to rob us, to kill us and to destroy us. And if we are not careful, we can find ourselves making the job easy for him. Like leaving a purse or iPad visibly in a vehicle, we can make ourselves targets for his thievery.

And a few times already this week he was nearly successful in ensnaring me. Boy, did he try it. At every turn, it was seeming like I couldn’t catch a break. He was relentless is his pursuit to devour me. I am standing right on the precipice of my kingdom NEXT. I can feel it stirring deep within. Do you know that feeling? The feeling so strong you can literally feel it on your physical person? God is up to something MAJOR! And the enemy is agitated. So he’s stirring strife with my children, planting false evidence, and even literally blindsiding me with objects. BUT GOD! I am determined all the more to KEEP PRESSING!

Here are three ways I’ve seen and experienced the enemy’s tactics. He’s being put on blast so you won’t be caught unaware. Then the next time he comes with some of this tomfoolery, you’ll see it a mile away and you’ll be able to defeat him as he is already a defeated foe. That work was completed on the cross so let’s walk it out. But this is what he tries to do.

DISCOURAGEMENT

Have you lost your enthusiasm, belief, and fervor in something you used to be passionate about? Have you tried at something and tried again with no success so you resigned that you were no good at it and you threw in the towel? Have you made a big mistake and felt like a failure? That was me yesterday. I made a big mistake and a costly one at that. And for a good part of the day I was so discouraged. I began to talk craziness to myself saying, “Why even bother? See you can’t even get this one small detail right. Just forget it! Everything you’ve worked for, just let it go.” One mistake and I was nearly ready to give up everything. That’s how discouraged I was. Then my kind teenage son said to me, “Mommy you got this!”, to which I nearly came undone because in that moment I didn’t feel I had “that” situation or anything else for that matter.

And this is exactly his MO, to get you to look confidence; to lose confidence in yourself and confidence in the God you serve. He wants you to become so disheartened that you lose hope. My friends, be reminded, God is THE GOD of HOPE! The God of hope will FILL you with all joy and peace as you trust Him (Romans 15:13) and He will renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).

So how do you keep from being discouraged?

  • Speak the Word of Truth over your situation
  • Thank the Lord for all that He has taught you, shown you, and for the never-ending loved He has lavished on you
  • Celebrate your wins! Yes you may have had a stumble, but you can get back up again to keep pressing toward the mark

DISSUASION

He starts whispering lies and half truths in your ear in an attempt to persuade you that God isn’t who He says He is and won’t do what He says He will do. Just like he did in the garden with Eve, deception slides off his tongue. He will try his best to scare you off, to convince you otherwise, to advise against and to get you to question what’s actually true.

How do you keep from being dissuaded?

  • Encourage yourself in the Lord
  • Have prayer partners and accountability partners who remind you of the truth and promises God has already declared over you
  • When the deception comes slithering in, be armed by meditating on the word of God. Take the lies captive and replace them with truth. Continually abide in God by communing with Him all day, every day

DISTRACTION

God desires to be the focal point of our attention and affections. He urges us to seek the kingdom first. Let us keep our eyes, our hearts and our minds focused on Him. “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” Proverbs 4:25

But it is oh so easy to get distracted. Every second of the day things are clamoring for our attention. I told you that the enemy was trying me this week right? Just the other day I was heading to shoot the final photo for my upcoming book, 30 Days 30 Ways to Salad Heaven. (For some salad inspo while you wait for the new book, check this post HERE) If you’ve been around for any length of time, you know honoring the temple is near and dear to my heart. So I stayed up late prepping some of the food and rose extra early to head out. And on the way out the door, an item caught my eye that literally changed the trajectory of my entire morning. That one, insignificant item caused a whole ripple of friction with the children. I had to call my husband who was on his way to work. The whole scenario was just a MESS! By the time I headed out the door to go to the shoot, I was completely out of sorts. I was emotionally distraught, agitated and outright distracted. “Holy Spirit intervene! Help me God”, was my cry.

To be distracted is to have become DIS-TRACKED, off track and off the course God intends you to be on. Check out this video HERE as Minister Kevin Winters dives deep into the concept of being dis-tracked. This teaching was a real eye opener.

How do you keep from being distracted?

  • STAY FOCUSED – be tethered to God’s word, not looking to the left or the right but eyes focused on the Father, observing to do all He has commanded (Joshua 1:8)
  • Guard your ear and eye gates. Be very mindful of the type of information, words, and images you allow to enter your person
  • Recognize the little things for what they are and don’t sweat the small stuff. Ask yourself will this matter in a day, in a month, in a year? If it’s insignificant, just chill as my 15 year old would tell me

The devil uses these D’s, discouragement, dissuasion and distraction to get our focus off the kingdom. He tries doubt, depression, deception and a whole host of other D words to try to break us. But my God knows a thing or two about D’s also. He is the God of deliverance, decisiveness, dexterity, diligence, defense, detail, distinction, and dunamis (power). With His Spirit empowering you, the Father loving you and Jesus’ blood covering you, you are duly equipped to conquer the D’s of the devil.

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery

Jesus said He came to set the captives free but what if the jailer is me.

In solitary of my own devising,

Deadbolt locked not fully realizing this 4 x 4 x 4 was built by my own mind.

With the way of escape not easy to find.

For each thought draws me deeper still.

Sitting.

Wondering.

Trying to figure out how I ended up in this place. Thoughts so base.

Fell for the trick. Believed the lie.

You’re too fat.

You’re too thin.

Your teeth are jacked up.

Your lips are too big.

You don’t know enough.

You don’t have enough.

You’ll never be enough.

Says the voice of the enemy.

But inside I hear the whisper.

Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery

Deeper still in the recesses of my mind, deeper still I peer into the dark and find…

LIGHT!

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,” Marley sings.

Be transformed by the renewing of the mind and walk in the freedom Christ brings.

Old things have passed away all things have become new.

In the image of my Maker FREE to be:

Beautiful and flawed

Right and wrong

Stellar today and so/so tomorrow.

Jesus came to set the captives free. He came to liberate you and me.

Allow the light of truth to flood your heart. You are created by the GREAT I AM and as such you ARE AMAZING!

Just the way you are.

No ties that bind the mind.

Come on out.

BE

FREE

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound”Isaiah 61:1

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Chasing Community, Grace & Truth

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The Battlefield of The Mind

“Do you really think you’ll EVER be able to do that?”

 

“Do you really think that will be successful?”

 

“You ALWAYS keep messing up!”

 

“You’re not qualified.”

 

“Hmm, maybe you should scale that idea back. It won’t work anyway.”

 

The battlefield of the mind

 

It’s Wellness Wednesday here at Inspired Life and most Wednesdays I share something related to physical wellness, but my friends today it is heavy on my heart to talk about the war we wage in the MIND. Total wellness requires nurturing the spirit, body and the mind. We cannot achieve optimal wellness without embracing mental wellness. To neglect one area is to neglect the others so let’s put on our armor and commence to wage war.

 

The battlefield is indeed in the mind.

 

I tend to think of myself as someone who does what the scripture says:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Phil 4:8

 

But somewhere, somehow, the enemy wormed his way into my mind with some of the lies stated above. I realize when feel hard pressed on every side, I’ve prone to believe these lies and accept them as truth. And that fool has been kind of slick with it too, he knows he cannot attack me with ridiculous, outlandish lies so he’s planted these little ones which I’ve come to accept.

 

 

As a young child, week after week I expected my father to rescue me from a home and community filled with drug abuse, violence, and poverty but that didn’t happen. Elementary school and middle school I expected my mother to show up at my graduations but that didn’t happen. These and many other disappointments caused me to “expect nothing”. That was really a defense mechanism to shield myself from further hurt. I came to see that I was projecting that same small thinking on God, “expect little to nothing so you won’t be hurt or disappointed”.

 

But God says:

I am able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think.

My plans are to give you a future and a hope.

You will not be put to shame.

 

When God has wired you to be a cautious person then couple that with uncontrollable life circumstances thrust on you during childhood, one can become overly cautious as a means of self-preservation. And that has continued but the enemy uses it against me and distorts it. And I’ve come to accept his lie that I have to tread cautiously, calculate every move, wear a life vest, diving suit, and scuba gear for a swim on the shore.

 

But God says:

Blessed is the man that trusts in me.

Trust in the name of the Lord.

I will never leave nor forsake you.

Be strong and of good courage for I am with you where ever you go.

Believe in me.

Come to me.

 

Again in my small expectation thinking, I’m afraid to ask for much. And the much I’m talking about is NOT, “God give me a fly ride and new clothes”. I’m talking about basic needs like food and shelter and an opportunity to grow in ministry for His namesake. But that part of me that’s afraid of disappointment, of the potential of it NOT happening is afraid to ask because if what I ask for doesn’t come to pass, then what will I believe about MY GOD?

 

 

But God says:

I am able to make all grace abound toward you so that you have all sufficiency for every good work.

Your expectation is from Me not from people.

If you obey and heed my commands you will prosper and have good success.

Give and it will be given to you pressed down, shaken together, running over.

 

I had accepted these lies, but no more! I do not desire to be double minded for the doubled minded person is unstable. I find stability in Christ. He is the stable, strong rock and fortress around which I erect my thoughts. And I urge you friends to take your thoughts captive to obey Christ. By the power of the Spirit at work in you, take back your mind.

 

It is so critical to manage our thought life because what we think is what we become.

 

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7

 

So how do we nourish a healthy thought life? How do we renew our minds?

 

Helmet

Put on the mind of Christ. Put on the helmet of salvation; deflecting any blows to the confidence we have in Christ.

 

Confession

Confess the truth of what God says about you, your family, or any situation you may encounter. Meditate on the things mentioned in Philippians 4:8

 

Give Thanks

God’s grace abounds towards me and towards you. Every second we are presented with an abundance of gifts from Him. He is constantly showing me how much He loves me and for that I give thanks. From the beauty of the sunrise to the squinty-eyed grin of my two year old, I am presented with gift after gift. The onus is on me to recognize the gift, accept the gift, be grateful for the gift and treasure the gift.

 

Embrace the Now Moment

Continuously redirect your attention to all that is real and truthful in THIS MOMENT. Take your eyes off what could have, should have, might have happened and focus on what is. At present my lungs expand and contract as I breathe in the breath of life, my children are safely nestled in their beds, my belly is full, I have the peace of God, His love fills my heart, I am safe, I am warm.

 

This quote has been attributed to several different people. I’m not sure who truly ought to get the credit, but it’s a good one,

 

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

 

Your destiny hinges on the every thought you are thinking right now. Surrender your thought life to Him. Give room for His thoughts to become your thoughts. By the power of the spirit at work in you, you are more than a conqueror. You are the victor on the battlefield of the mind.

 

You have the mind of Christ!

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

Photo Credit

Happy to connect with friends at Purposeful Faith Dance With Jesus Equipping Godly Women Life Giving Linkup

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