Are You A Victim Of The Enemy’s Mind Games?
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:18-20)
When we come to Christ and seek healing, He gives us the strength to stand firm and face our Goliaths, our temptations, strongholds, our addictions. He gives us authority to defend ourselves against all the trials that come our way from our adversary, Satan, who wants to keep us bound and held in captivity as he had for so many years. However, during our years of being held captive to our addictions and problems, we become brainwashed into thinking that we are too weak to become free because we have tried to become free in the past and it didn’t work. This is nothing short of the same tactic used with POWs in an earthly war…mind games.
When one becomes a POW (prisoner of war) during war, the enemy often plays many mind games with their prisoner. He immediately shows the POW who is in control by tormenting them, torturing them, and by breaking their spirit to the point where their captive has no hope of ever being free and simply gives up. If you can get a person convinced of something, you will have control over them. This is how Satan works when we are in the throes of our addictions and struggles, through lies and intimidation. He tries to convince us there is no way out and we are too weak and will never win the battle for freedom. When we try to escape he tries to convince us that he is in control and that we are not strong enough to defeat him. In retrospect this is true when we try to defeat him in our own strength but it’s not true when we stand up to him (facing our addictions and problems) using the authority that Christ has given to us. When we come to Christ, our chains have been broken and that door to freedom has been unlocked. We are then free to walk through it, but many times when we try, we will find that our cravings and temptations become stronger, tormenting us to the point that many times we back down and go back to our old ways because it’s much easier. So we stay within captivity, fearful that if we try to break free, it will be worse for us and that’s exactly what the enemy wants you to think. He wants you to think that if you try to move forward and break free, he will find you and torment you through cravings and temptations. Many either fear this or they lose hope and stay within the confines of their addiction and problems; mainly because every time you venture forward battles arise. So in other words…if we do what the enemy wants us to do and remain where we are, the torment won’t be so bad, but if we try to escape, we will be tormented.
Now for the truth that comes straight from Christ:
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Christ clearly states the enemy is a liar and doesn’t hold to the truth! Christ tells us that He has given us the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm us! In order for our authority to work, however, we must believe we have it. Think of how a bully works…through lies, fear and intimidation and that’s exactly how the enemy works. If you continue backing down from a bully they will continue trying to control you and badgering you many times through taunting. It’s very possible you may get a beating, but if you stand your ground each time, in time they will see you cannot be moved. In spiritual warfare we must do as David did and face our Goliath with the backing of God:
1 Samuel 17:45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
We must submit to God and resist the enemy!
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
He will try to beat us down through problems and struggles making us feel as if there is no hope in ever gaining freedom and joy. What we don’t realize is that these trials prove we are free and are a testing of our faith!
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
If we weren’t free, there would be no reason for the enemy to come after us. When we do what he wants the cravings, addictions and problems can be less especially if we are feeding them willingly, but when we do the opposite of what he wants, the battle begins until we fall right back into our old ways or we stand firm and defeat him by using the authority Christ gave to us!
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
So, do not believe the lies of the enemy that no matter what you do you will never be free. Instead, believe the truth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who gives you the authority over all the power of the enemy and know that nothing will harm you. He is the one who defeated Satan and that means you are already in victory!
Jesus, thank you for your victory at the cross. Lord, there are days that I feel tormented and tortured with thoughts, temptations and cravings. There are days that I feel I will never be free from the battle that is before me. There are days that my Goliath seems to strong for me to defeat. But today, I declare in the name of Jesus Christ that I am free and that I will defeat my Goliath, my addiction, my problem because You have give me the authority to overcome all the power of the enemy and I will not be harmed! I declare in the name of Jesus Christ that I will no longer be held in captivity by my enemy, Satan, and I will execute my authority whenever he tries to lie to me and tell me there is no hope and I will fail. I believe in your words, Jesus, and I believe in the authority You have given to me. Give me strength to stand firm during each battle and to surrender all to You as I wait upon Your rescue. Thank you Jesus for the sacrifice of Your life so that I may live eternity with You. In Jesus name I pray…Amen!