We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
We’ve all had them. The Whispers. You know, that little voice in your head that says things that you shouldn’t or don’t want to hear? The thoughts that sometimes shock you because it popped into your head. Maybe it made you think “Where did that come from?” I get them a lot. I swear that I think someone else has taken up residence in my mind and they interfere at the worst times. Oh wait, there is someone trying to get into my mind. Satan.
He uses all sorts of methods to throw me off balance. He’ll tell me how horrible I am. He’ll tell me that I can’t do anything right or that I am going to fail. He’ll say terrible things about people. He’ll plant the seed of anxiety and worry and try to get it to grow. If those things don’t work, he’ll try to tell me how great I am and that I deserve better and he’ll try to direct me off of God’s path.
I’ve developed some techniques to deal with him. I’ll share them with you but you should really develop your own because he speaks to each one of us differently.
When I’m going through a tough time and he whispers that it’s hopeless and he wants me to believe I am not going to make it through what I am walking through, I ROAR. Out loud and at the top of my lungs. I do this to remind myself that the Lion of Judah has already conquered the lion seeking people to devour. Battle is over. My Lion won.
When I’m being told how great I am and how what I did was amazing and I start thinking that I am all that, I shout “Glory Be!” Out loud at the top of my lungs. This reminds me that all glory and honor go to God, not me.
When I feel I am in a battle and I need to fight, I do a little boxing thing with my hands to signify that I am fighting back with Jesus. The first time I did this was in the car and my husband looked over at me. I said “Sorry, I was…” He said “I knew what you were doing.”
But most of the time I pray. When a judgmental thought about someone pops into my head, I say “That was not nice” and I ask God to forgive me and I pray for me and the person. When negative thoughts about how this is going to work out enter in, I tell God I trust in his plan. When I am not sure which way to go and thoughts of staying in bed all day seem inviting, I ask him for the courage to face the unknown.
Our thoughts are so powerful. They determine so much about how our day, our week, our life is going to go. The Bible says to take them captive. Hold them where you want them. Satan uses them to steal your joy, kill you spirit and destroy your life. Don’t let him. Fight back with the very tool he is using against you. Return the whispers he puts in your heart with an Out Loud Shout!