3 Steps to Victory
If there are areas of your life where you are not seeing victory, it’s time to stand up for your rights as a child of God. Jesus ultimately defeated our enemy on the cross, but we need to do the work of standing up for that victory every day. Here are 3 basic steps to evicting the enemy from your life.
1. FILTER YOUR THOUGHTS
The average person has at least 50,000 thoughts per day. That means roughly 2 thoughts every second run through your brain. 3,600 every hour. The question is, how many originate from you, and how many from your enemy? Scripture tells us to guard our minds (Phillipians 4:7), and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Our enemy, the devil, is the father of lies. He spends a lot of time and energy whispering negative thoughts to us throughout the day, and we need to learn to filter. Filtering requires a standard of measurement. Without a way to measure, all thoughts are fair game. Thankfully, scripture also holds this answer for us! Phillipians 4:8 - whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Let this be your filter - if it doesn’t measure up, it’s not worth keeping. Let it fade away.
If it keeps running through your head like a bad record, stop in your tracks, deny it, and replace it with God’s word. For example, if a thought pops into my head like “I’m an idiot” and it repeats itself throughout the day, I would stop what I’m doing, read some scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit what He says I am. Then every time I would think “I’m an idiot” I would replace it with “I have the mind of Christ. I am wonderfully made”. Once you bring Christ into the picture, it’s like kryptonite for the devil. He doesn’t stick around.
2. FIGHT FOR COMMUNITY
Filtering your thoughts can sometimes be hard to do alone, and that’s one of the reasons we need community. It is much easier for us to see the lie that someone else is believing than to discern the lies that have taken hold in our own hearts. Having people around you who can help you filter, encourage you, and give you a place to serve is vital to seeing victory in your life. The enemy knows this, which is why he makes you fight for it. Be reminded that the blocks to community are not the people around you, but the enemy. Whatever hurts you have received, or dealt, fight to stay in community. Do the hard work of forgiving, reaching out, putting others before yourself. Learn how to serve. The only way to stay in community is to stick with it through the messy parts. Ephesians 6:12 - 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.
3. FIX YOUR EYES ON CHRIST
This one is probably the most vital step. Imagine walking down the sidewalk, fully immersed in a text convo with someone you love. Do you notice the trash on the ground? Did you even see the homeless person sitting on the corner? Chances are you were so focused on your screen that you don’t remember much about the last 3 blocks. When we choose to fix our eyes on Christ, everything else fades to the background. It’s hard for the enemy to get our attention when we’re immersed in Christ. The practice of fixing your gaze is a choice every day, it means prioritizing your relationship with Jesus over the busyness of life. Make time each day to have a conversation, to learn more about Him, to soak in His Presence. When something else fights for your attention, ask Jesus to look at it with you. When crisis hits and you’re knocked off your axis, get Him in your sights again and everything will be in perspective. The enemy is most often subtle, and moves your attention slowly to other things. When you feel a subtle shift, take action to refocus. You’ll find that you’re not even noticing the enemy’s trash anymore.
