"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in
his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God
so that you can take your stand against the
devil's schemes. 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. Therefore put
on the full armor of God, so that when the day
of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything,
to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist…"
(Ephesians 6:10-14)
An important way to stay healthy is to have
a healthy mindset. Our thoughts contribute
greatly to our physical health. We always have
a battle going on regarding our thoughts. We do
not struggle against flesh and blood. If you struggle
with your self-worth, fears, anger, and a number
of other negative emotions and thoughts, it will
greatly affect your physical health. These false
thoughts that we struggle with are called false
beliefs or strongholds. We believe these thoughts
on a heart level. We may say we believe God loves
us, but do we really believe it in our heart?
We all must battle to maintain truth in our souls.
The battles that we face, as the days grow darker,
are intense and downright vicious.
How do we hear? Jesus said to His disciples,
"The prince of this world is coming but
he has nothing in Me" (John 14).
We see it as a hand-held remote for any electronic
device or toy. There is no actual physical connection
between the remote and the device, but there is
something in the device that corresponds to something
in the remote. A signal is sent which finds a
receiver in the device and a response happens.
When Jesus said that the prince of this world
had nothing in Him, it meant that the devil could
begin to hurtle every imaginable signal in evil
speaking, abuse, rejection, danger, worry and
unimaginable fears, and they would find no place
to rest in Jesus. If anyone ever had a reason
for hopelessness, dejection, fear, anxiety, anger
or bitterness, Jesus did. He was mocked, beaten,
misunderstood, falsely accused and more. Yet Scripture
says that for the joy that was before Him, He
endured the cross and despised the shame.
Ways to Win the Battle
"Finally, brothers, whatever is
true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever
is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
- think about such things" (Philippians
4:8).
How can we win this battle that goes on in
our mind that causes sickness and disease?
We can be like Jesus if we put into use what He
has provided for us. Below are some ways to do
this:
- Realize that you will be under constant
attack in your thoughts - There will not
be a day in which you can take off your armor
and take it easy. Understand that there is a
battlefield in your mind. Ask God to help you
be aware of your thought life.
"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).
- Realize that your emotions are a barometer
of spiritual fortitude - If you are defeated
by depression, anxiety, anger, bitterness or
having any emotion contrary to the peace and
joy that comes from your well-being in Christ,
then you are under attack. You are not taking
you stand against the devil's schemes in your
life.
"Put on the full armor of God so
that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes" (Ephesians 6:10-11).
- Realize that your weapons have divine power
- Think about the fact that we can be strong
in God's mighty power with His armor. It would
not be too much to say that spiritually speaking
we are coming against an anthill with a nuclear
bomb. We have the responsibility to raise the
weapons and use them.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and
in his mighty power" (Ephesians 6:10).
- Realize that your thoughts are behind
every emotion - We must identify what we
are thinking at the time of a spiritual attack
and compare it with what the Word of God (the
sword of the Spirit) says. The thought that
we have allowed to have access is what we are
to confess as sin. 1 John 1:9 can be applied.
"Take the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God" (Ephesians 6:17).
- Realize that the truth will set you free
- We must know God's truth in our hearts,
and we must say "no" to the enemy's
lies. We must learn to stand firm with the belt
of truth in the day of evil attack. Think of
who God is, what Christ has done, and who you
are in Him, and this truth will set you free.
"Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist" (Ephesians
6:14).
Imagine a father holding his newborn son in
his arms saying, "Son, I love you and
I will always be here for you." And
the next day he takes the son and says the same
thing, "Son, I love you and I will always
be here for you." The next day he says
the same. Time passes and every day the same.
Into the second year, third, and up to the fifth
on into the child's teen years, "Son,
I love you and I will always be here for you."
But one day the young man looks at his aging father
and says, "Father, every day of my life
you have said, 'Son, I love you and I will always
be here for you. But I was told that you can not
be trusted.'" How would the father feel?
Our Father in heaven has spoken to us at many
times and in many ways. He speaks to us through
creation, through the Word and through the death
of Jesus. He says, "I love you, I love
you. I am with you always. Do not fear."
But in times of spiritual struggle, we allow the
thought that contradicts His Word. That is offensive
and a transgression. When we confess it as sin,
Christ' blood immediately cleanses and sets us
free.
We are in a battle, but we can be victors.
We do not have to believe the lies of the enemy.
We can win this battle that goes on in our hearts
and minds. We can believe the truth about what
God says about us. We can stand firm with the
belt of truth buckled around our waist.
Your physical health matters greatly to God.
He does not want you to entertain negative thoughts
that bring negative emotions that then wear down
and destroy your physical body. He wants you to
live a healthy life and have healthy thoughts
and emotions. We must all be aware of our negative
thinking patterns and bring them to the Cross.
Jesus will give you the victory as you stand firm
in His Word. Let's together stand strong with
healthy thinking and eating.
"But
thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear
brothers,
stand firm. Let nothing move you."
I Corinthians 15:57-58
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