With everything we’re coping with in 2020, and the mental and emotional strains of life, it is only reasonable that many people are struggling with a myriad of negative thoughts as they view media and experience the outcome of today’s issues. In addition to these realities, many people struggle with past traumas, pain and negative imagery from things they have been through that impede their ability to embrace the promises and power of Scripture to liberate their minds from negativity.
Most of us, from time to time, struggle with negative thoughts and doubts about the power of faith to grant peace. However, in faith, we must strategically war against these impulses and embrace an intimacy with Christ for healing of the mind. We must be diligent to war against this reality so the forces of evil and its strategy in the spiritual realm do not win the war over our individual confidence in God unless we sacrifice victorious living. The opposing realm seeks to plant seeds of discouragement, depression and doubt to build an incubator within the mind and spirit for harvesting negativity.
A distracted and undisciplined mind that feeds on doubt is the devil’s playground for seeding negative thoughts. He has a plan to hinder faith, breach relationships and tear at our confidence in God. The goal is to rob us from living and thriving in the freedom and victory available through intimacy with Christ. But it is apparent in biblical text that through this relationship with and confidence in the authority of God, we have the power to overcome.
With Christ, we can sustain a healthy mindset that encourages victory over imposing thoughts and attitudes hindering our faith.
To possess the authority made available in Christ, we must claim it by faith, grounding that claim in biblical text and yielding to the power of the restorative healing virtue of God. This proclamation demands faith and equips believers with power by quoting and claiming the promises of biblical texts as authority. This confidence in God’s Word grows our faith in a victorious mindset that no matter what thoughts enter the mind they are sifted and measured by the Word of God and brought subject by faith to the victory promised in Scripture.
Standing on the Word of God despite thoughts contrary to the truth of Scripture requires that we gird up the loins of our mind for possessing a healed mind. This mental behavior is a deliberate, aggressive intentionality to force our thinking system to dwell on wholeness and healing. This attitude of faith pulls into reality the restorative healing power of God and liberates the mind from negativity and doubt, pulling into the freedom of faith. According to Scripture, it is God’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. With this in mind, we know we have access to healing and restoration. The power of a vibrant faith is within the proclamation of the thing that is hoped for. That thing hoped for is made alive by its connectedness to the Word of God and the tenacity of the hopeful.
God always secures those that believe, but demands we acquire it by fighting for it. Maturing the solidarity of the mind of faith is the diligent intention to possess it and sustain it through an intimate relationship with Christ, reading the Bible and practicing devotions. I’m talking about something more than just “name it and claim it.” I’m talking about name it, claim it and possess it. I’m talking about praying for the power of Scripture to bring it to pass. To rid oneself of negative thoughts, utilize the most powerful method: the Word of God. For the Word of God is powerful, and by its power and authority we can speak out the truth and transform negative thinking to a healed mind that lives in the abundant life proclaimed in the Bible.
For more on how to cultivate a “healed mind” in Christ, listen to the full episode of The Power of Intimacy with Christ on the Charisma Podcast Network here. {eoa}
