We have all had a thought or fear plague us, gnaw at us. Until we get rid of it, we have no peace. If we do get rid of it, another bad thought usually takes its place. If you are a child of God, you know that fear, condemnation and accusations are not from God. God doesn’t condemn, His Holy Spirit corrects us gently. (Romans 8:1)

Satan gives us these condemning or fearful thoughts to get our eyes off of God and all He has done for us … to keep us from receiving God’s love and following His direction.

When Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, He was immediately tempted by the devil. During this time of testing, He used the Word of God to refute the devil’s lies. We can do the same. (Matthew 4:1-11)

Answer the Devil with God’s Word

When one of these condemning thoughts comes to our mind, we need to refute it by declaring God’s truths, wielding scripture as a sword. Here are some examples.

The fearful thought comes to us… your father died at age 59. You’ll be 59 next year, you’ll probably die too. After all, you have high cholesterol. And besides you never get enough exercise. To such an accusation, you might say, “Devil get lost. I am not listening to your discouraging words. I am a child of God and God has promised me long life. I will have that long life and serve God. I will also get my cholesterol down and get more exercise. (Psalm 91:16)

When the devil tells you that your family will never become Christians, you can say: “As for me and my house (i.e., my family) we will serve the Lord. Devil get lost. Every last one of them will become Christians! You are a liar and the father of lies. (Joshua 24:15, John 8:44)

When the devil fills your mind with fear of someone or something, you tell him “God hasn’t given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. No weapon formed against me will prosper. Jesus tells me not to fear my enemies but to love them and pray for them. Devil, I am not listening to your lies. (2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 54:17, Matthew 5:44)

When the thought of a cigarette, drink or unhealthy food comes to you, answer “Devil, my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I don’t need these things to make me feel good. God will take away these addictions that are destroying me. I trust Him and soon I’ll be completely free! Hallellujah!” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

As you practice rebuking these thoughts with the Word of God, the thoughts and desires will come back less often. As you persist, they will disappear completely.

Lies from Childhood

By the time we become Christians, Satan has usually fed us many lies about ourselves, especially during childhood and often through our parents.

When parents tell us continually “You’re no good, you’ll never amount to anything, they are planting evil seeds in our minds. If we accept those seeds and believe them, we will never amount to anything!

In a recent Portland Press Herald article, a man was convicted of breaking into people’s homes and secretly videotaping them. He received a sentence of 22-1/2 years. Unlike many criminals who appear so hardened, this man broke into tears and apologized for terrorizing people. What caught my attention was that the man said “My mother told me many times I would never accomplish anything. I believed her. My whole life has been a failure.” How sad. I pray that this poor man finds redemption, peace and comfort through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Achieving God’s Best

Our parents’ condemning words may not drive us into crime but they usually keep us from achieving God’s best for our lives. Armed with scripture and determination, we can overcome the hurts and discouragement of a difficult childhood and become all that God has planned for us.

When the words of your parents or others come back to you, say, “Devil you’re a liar! I am a child of God and He has great plans for me. I will become what God wants me to be. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I will be the best father, mother, son or daughter. Watch me! (John 8:44, Philippians 4:13)

The key is to recognize the source of your thoughts. If they are good thoughts, kind thoughts, strengthening thoughts, they come from God. If they are hurtful, condemning or fearful, they are from the evil one and need to be cut out of our minds.

Another key to freedom is to get busy; do something, especially something nice for someone else. When we feel fearful or condemned, we usually become very self protective and closed minded. Getting our thoughts off ourselves and onto others is a vital part of mind renewal.

When we learn to recognize the devil’s deceptions and learn to wield God’s Word as a weapon, we will see victory in our lives. God loves us and wants us to succeed. He has given us many powerful weapons. The Word of God is one of the most powerful. Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father –

Reveal the source of my thoughts.
Show me when I am being deceived.
Give me the right scripture truth to defeat
each lying thought and bring me Your peace.

I am a new creature in Christ,
old things have passed away.
I want the new me that looks like You!
Clean me up, Lord, so I can serve You with my whole heart!  

AMEN!

DLH  – July 2, 2000
Upper Room Fellowship
Long Island, ME