Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim BurtAbout 12 years ago, my daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters answered the call on their lives and moved to Lima, Peru, as missionaries. Prior to that, they owned the house next door to us, had worked with us in ministry for over a decade, and were a part of our daily life. We often had dinner together. Our granddaughters were over all the time. Our lives were interwoven. Suddenly they were gone! On the day we brought them out to the airport to say goodbye, it felt like my heart was ripped right out of my chest! Never had I experienced anything as traumatic to me as this! They would be far away and in another country. I couldn't imagine life without them nearby, and I can honestly say that it was the most difficult time I had ever walked through in my life. When people would ask about them, it took over a year before I could even complete a sentence talking about it. My eyes would well up with tears, and I couldn't choke the words out. It almost felt like a death.
The loss of them being in our lives was that devastating to me!I suddenly found myself under an attack of mental warfare incomparable to anything I had ever experienced. At times, I would stop and pay attention to what was going through my mind. I could see ridiculously irrational thoughts that were exaggerated and fear-producing. I won’t even repeat them here, but they were bad. They were an attack from the enemy meant to knock me off my course in serving God and create life-threatening discouragement and depression. That was Satan’s goal, but it was not going to happen!Fear is a very real thing. 1 John 4:18 (NKJV) says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment…” Torment is a scary word! God doesn't want us to be the victim of fear and torment, but Satan does! Satan would like to control our lives with it. Fear is the strategy of a terrorist—Satan being the world's chief terrorist!2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV) says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” God does not want us to be controlled by fear. He wants us to become overcomers of fear. 1 John 4:4 (NKJV) says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He (Jesus) who is in you is greater than he (Satan and every demonic spirit) who is in the world.”The Bible speaks of strongholds. If you want to understand what that is, try to remember back in your childhood or at some point in your life when someone wrapped and locked their arms around you from behind and you couldn't move. That is what a demonic stronghold works to do—paralyze you in fear in the realm of your imagination. Satan tries to flood your mind with thoughts that produce paralyzing fear. The goal is to lead its victim to every wrong imagination possible with the hope of destroying that person’s faith and getting them to abandon their trust in God. And to help them lose their mind!
God has given us spiritual authority over these strongholds and over our own minds. God wants us to demolish those kinds of strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV) says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” God is saying that we are not going to overcome fear, terror, or depression with drugs, guns, or earthly weapons. The weapons of our warfare are God’s word, believed and spoken in faith. Because of the Holy Spirit within you, you have power over those strongholds. You have the power to demolish them. How do we do that? The next verse tells us “...casting down mental arguments and imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV)This verse says we cast out what is contrary to God’s Word, and we bring every one of our thoughts into captivity. In other words, we take authority over our thought life and bring it under our control!I have learned over the years that when I tear down demonic imaginations ("I rebuke you and these ungodly thoughts in Jesus name! Flee") by taking authority over my own mind—the mind that God gave me for His purposes—not Satan’s, then the devil flees and peace comes back to me! I rebuke and cast out thoughts I know are wrong—whatever they are and whenever they come. As I notice them in my mind, I immediately shout, Get out in Jesus' name! These are familiar words I've spoken a thousand times. I replace those thoughts with the truth and promise of God’s word, saying things like Lord, I thank you that you have given me the mind of Christ. Your thoughts are my thoughts! I thank you that you've given me the comfort of the Holy Spirit as you promised me in your word. And you've promised, "If God be for us, who can be against us?” "Greater is He that is in me than he (every demonic spirit) that is in this world. I resist the devil. Flee now in Jesus' name.These are ways we take authority over those strongholds. When we cast out the fear and lies of the enemy and embrace and proclaim the truth and promises of God, they become the stronghold of a beautiful and peaceful mind! Now, it's God's arms of comfort and peace that are wrapped around us as we think about Psalm 21:1 (NIV), which says, "The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?"
Satan will always try to create fear in our lives, but God has given us His word, His promises, and His authority to demolish it! Your part is having faith and using your authority of God and His Word to do so as God teaches us in His Word, James 4:7 (NKJV) "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Psalm 18:2-3 (NLT) “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, for He saves me from my enemies.”In His love,Pastor Tim BurtIf today's Fresh Manna was a blessing to you, please hit the "LIKE" button below! And if you'd like to tell me why, I'd love to hear from you! Click here: FreshMannaFeedback
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