My daughter, Allena, had a favorite shirt of
hers that with time she outgrew. (See the picture below.) That shirt got passed
along to her mother. Today’s quote is what the back of the shirt says. Allena
liked this shirt because it always reminded her who the true Enemy was that
wanted to ruin her life.
How many of us where a spiritual shirt that
says this (via our sinful attitudes) instead: Am I the kind of person
(when my feet hit the floor in the morning) that the Devil says, “Oh good, he’s
up. We can now create chaos together.”
The
Devil wants to destroy every good relationship in your life. He loves to cause conflict,
confusion, stress, hurt feelings, disappointment, and anger anytime He can. You
must allow the Almighty to be in charge. You have to do some defensive action
by resisting the Devil as you realize his tactics. Know how he operates. In the
morning, if you don’t run into the Devil head-on, then you’re already going in
the same direction.
The
Devil plays on wounded pride. He tells us what we want to hear. He whispers in
our ear as he gives us little thoughts, suggestions, and ideas. When you’re in
the middle of an argument, he starts whispering things in your ear, like “You
don’t have to take this kind of stuff. Strike back. Who do they think they are?
Get even. Assert yourself. Don’t put up with this kind of stuff. Show them
whose boss.” He tells you all the things your pride would love to hear.
In
response, you have to say, “Satan, I know that’s you.” Resist him. You resist
the Devil the same way Jesus did: He quoted Scripture. Memorize Proverbs 13:10
(ERV):”Pride causes arguments, but those who
listen to others are wise.” The next time you get
into an argument, the Lord will bring this verse to mind. Stop and ask
yourself, “How am I being prideful here? What am I not willing to admit? Why am
I not willing to compromise? Why am I only thinking of myself and not the other
person’s needs, desires, and attitudes?”
There are ways to be the victor in the spiritual battles with your emotions. As Joyce
Meyer puts it, “When you need to make a
decision, don't let your emotions vote.”
1.
Fill your mind with
scripture:
The more biblical truth you have in your mind when Devil attacks through your
emotions, the more likely it is that you’ll win the battle. So make a habit of
reading the Bible, and meditating on the words you read. Every day, ask God
to renew your mind. God’s truth will come to your mind in any situation where
your emotions are shouting at you to make a certain choice. As the Bible’s powerful words come to you
during emotional moments, they will remind you of what’s really true so you can
make decisions from an accurate perspective.
2.
Give yourself a timeout when
you notice your emotions spiraling out of control: Stop to
reflect, and pray during times when you realize that a feeling is overwhelming
you. Just like parents give children timeouts to teach them how to recognize
and control their emotions, you can take a timeout and check in with your
heavenly parent (God) when strong emotions come to your attention. During those
breaks, consider what you’re really feeling, and why. By forcing yourself to
step out of the situation and study it, you can stop unhealthy impulsive
behavior and gain a wiser perspective on what’s happening.
3.
Deal honestly with the
uncomfortable emotions you feel: You may sometimes deny, ignore, or suppress emotions that
trouble you. So whenever you notice you’re feeling an emotion that makes you
uncomfortable, acknowledge it, and try to check in with God about it in that
moment or soon afterward (through a silent prayer). Keep in mind that it’s
normal to experience lots of uncomfortable emotions in this fallen world, and
that your emotions themselves aren’t necessarily wrong. What’s sinful is
choosing to respond to the emotions you feel in the wrong ways. So if you feel
jealous of another person, you can feel that way and still be right with God.
If you confess how you feel to God, and rely on his help to respond faithfully.
If you don’t intentionally deal with how you feel, your jealousy will make you
vulnerable to temptations from the Devil to say or do something wrong when
relating to the person of whom you’re envious.
4.
Take care of your physical
health, which is connected to your emotional health: If your body isn’t feeling well, your emotions can be
difficult to manage. Just think about the last time you snapped at someone in
anger while you were tired, or when you worried about something while hungry,
but then felt better after eating. Ask God to help you develop healthy physical
habits that will nurture your body, mind, and spirit as they work together
according to God’s design. Do your best to eat nutritious foods, drink plenty
of water, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep on a regular basis. The more
physically stable you are, the more emotionally stable you can be.
5.
Learn lessons God wants to
teach you through your emotions: God often uses emotions as teaching tools. They are His
gifts to you. Emotions constantly change as circumstances change. They may
easily be misinterpreted when you’re not thinking of them from a godly
perspective. So pray for guidance every day, asking God to help you discern the
messages He sends you through your feelings. Think of your emotions as school
bells ringing for you to pay attention. God is your Teacher who communicates
with you once you come to His class. Rather than just react to your emotions
(as the Devil hopes you will do), respond to them with the purpose of learning
and growing closer to God in the process.
“God
doesn’t tell you to do hard things so He can stand back and laugh and watch you
struggle. He tells you to do things the things that He knows are gonna work out
to your good in the end.” (Joyce Meyer)[i]
[i] Sources used:
“5 Ways to Win Spiritual
Battles in Your Emotions” by Whitney Hopler
“Get
Wise to Devil” by Rick Warren
[i] Sources used:
“5 Ways to Win Spiritual
Battles in Your Emotions” by Whitney Hopler
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