September 14 Thought for the day...It's a matter of the mind

I have seen people do spectacular things who should never have been able to and I have seen people who should have the ability to be amazing, and they are stuck in a rut and can't get out. What makes one person a success, walking in freedom and another a tragedy walking in bondage? Peter gives us the answer in 1 Peter 5:8

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Have you ever heard a lion roar in person? We have all seen it on television or maybe heard a "harrumph" from one in a zoo. In the wild, a lion's roar can almost be deafening. It can overwhelm your senses. Peter is telling us that is what the devil does. He can overwhelm your senses so you can't think clearly and be the man or woman God has called us to be.

Peter starts out telling us to be "watchful." The Greek meaning here is to be on your guard to be always vigilant aware of any trouble. The tense in which this is written means to be this way constantly. If you are this way, the enemy will not be able to gain any entrance into your mind, your heart, or your life.

Peter calls the devil "your adversary" this is the same as a prosecuting attorney. He will take our failures, our sins, our fears, and insecurities. All of these things are true and accurate, and he will use them to attempt to destroy us. The sad part is we are the ones who give him all the ammunition to use against us. We overspend and don't handle our money properly and become fearful because of it. We don't take care of our physical bodies and become sick and overwhelmed physically. We try to shortcut things on the job and get into trouble, and we like to blame it all on the devil. What is happening is we make these bad choices, but it gives the devil the opportunity to accuse us of our failures and to beat us up.

The devil says stuff to you like...."You're in this mess because of your dumb mistakes!" "You're reaping what you sowed, and there's no way for you to get out of this mess!" "You're paying for your past!" "Your kids are a mess because you failed as a parent!" "You're going to go bankrupt because you spent too much money on worthless things!" While some aspects of these accusations may be true, he knows how to hit you, something completely false would never affect you badly, God is a redeemer of messes.

The devil is roaring loud, and we need to make up our mind to believe God at His word and shut the devil up. Psalm 103: 4 tells us that God redeems us from destruction. Colossians 1:13 tells us that we are taken from darkness into light. While the devil's accusations may be true when we make up our mind to repent, then he has no right, nor power to accuse us any longer. We win!

Stay alert, stay watchful! Recognize, "yes there is truth to the devil's accusations," but you are forgiven of them all. Don't give him the power to say you are a failure or loser. God forgives and forgets and believes in your future. That is what the devil will do and what God has said. You need to make up your mind as to what you are going to choose to believe. Please decide for freedom!