Photo by HMCC-AA Publications Team
All throughout the One Desire fast and even with the weeks following after the fast, there has been a lot of spiritual warfare. People started to struggle with sins from the past, which started to have strongholds in their lives.
This is one of the reasons why we started the “Battleground” sermon series on Sundays. It is my hope and prayer that we will keep on fighting the good fight. Too often we get focused on our behavior and get so discouraged, but the most important part in life transformation comes down to our thought life. This is why I have been challenging people as a practical application of this past Sunday’s message to commit to memorizing Scripture.
Rick Warren gives some insight to the importance of the mind. He writes,
“The Bible says our thoughts influence our lives. For instance, my interpretation influences my situation. It’s not what happens to me that matters as much as how I choose to see it. The way I react will determine whether the circumstance makes me better or bitter. I can view everything as an obstacle or an opportunity for growth – a stumbling block or a stepping stone. My beliefs influence my behavior – we always act according to our beliefs, even when those ideas are false. For instance, as a child, if you believed a shadow in your bedroom at night was a monster, your body reacted in fear (adrenaline and jitters) even though it wasn’t true. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you are operating on true information! Your convictions about yourself, about life, and about God influence your conduct. My self-talk influences my self-esteem – we constantly talk to ourselves. Do you run yourself down with your self-talk? Stop doing that: ‘As he thinks in his heart, so is he’ (Pr 23:7, NKJV).”
We will continue to struggle to find the victory in our lives, unless we win this battle for our minds. We must win this battle!