Battlefield…

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against

the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make 

it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV

I really contemplated writing this blog. I mean my friend/sister in Christ just wrote a blog about the power of the mind and the struggle with thoughts so in my mind I didn't see a need for it. In my limited thinking I thought to myself, "its already been said, why say it twice." Holy Spirit quickly reminded me that although our stories are similar her story is NOT mine and mine is NOT hers. We both have unique things to add and although we may cross paths at times we both have different struggles and a different story to tell. 

My greatest attacks are on my mind and if you are anything like me, once it starts it seems never ending. I mean I have GREAT days, a lot of great days actually but then there are the other days. The days when the thoughts, negativity, doubt and fear come so frequently that I literally want to curl up in a ball somewhere and hide or cry. LOL(I'm so serious though)! Truth, the word of God, will save your life AND keep your mind sane IF you use it! To not go to the source of peace, joy, comfort and truth in your time of need is like abandoning your way out. Over the course of this blog I will share a very small amount of my most frequent attacks and I will share the truth that voids them out. For every lie the enemy implants there is a powerful truth in God's word that will void that lie out and leave you feeling victorious. 

       "You'r not good enough! You're not qualified, you cannot do that!"

Let me just say that I HATE the enemy, but more than that I hate the power that I have given him. Yes people, we give him power over our minds…the only access he has is that which we grant him. I have battled with these lies for YEARS!!! Everything I have tried to start, every step I wanted to make, every dream I have had is immediately followed by his reminder of who I am not and what I can't do. And although they are lies, I fell for them every time. Not only was he feeding me the lies, my unsaved family was reminding me of these same lies over and over again. So, of course since he had help feeding it to me I began to take it on myself. It went from the enemy feeding them to me, to me owning these lies as my truth. I really began to believe I wasn't good enough and I just couldn't do what I dreamed. BUT…yes there is a but, that is true! We are not good enough, we are not qualified, we are not equipped…OUTSIDE of Christ. In Him however, we are everything. In Him, I am good enough. 

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made

perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about

my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2Corinthians 12:9 NIV

"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!"

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 KJV

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you,

you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NIV

My God this is good stuff! The common thread here is that all we have to do is stay in Christ and the enemy can not tell us that we are not good enough, that we can't do something, that something is impossible. No matter how uneducated I am, degree or no degree, experience or no experience, money or no money, I can do ANYTHING in Christ. Guess what, YOU CAN TOO! We, as God's people, need to rise up and grab hold to these truths. We need to stand up and profess that we are NOT that nobody that the enemy tries to make us out to be!

           "You're not smart enough!"

"If anyone lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously

to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5 NIV

"Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end 

you will be counted among the wise." Proverbs 19:20 NIV

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then 

peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,

impartial and sincere." James 3:17 NIV

Come on man!!!!! Just look in scripture and find your answer! Find the truth to that lie. I'm not smart enough? Are you kidding me? At any point in time I can go to my Father and ask Him the answer to ANYTHING! Our problem is not our lack of intelligence but in fact that we are not even asking Him who knows everything. 

          "To bad you don't have their gift, you'd be able to do so much more!"

Just a heads up, this is probably the one I hate the most!!! To waste so much time comparing myself to another as if God didn't make me unique and with a purpose that only I can fulfill is like a slap in the face to Him. It is like saying He made a mistake! So foolish! 

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There

are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone

it is the same God at work." 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NIV

"Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong

to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to 

the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If

the whole body were and eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the 

whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God

has placed the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them

to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are

many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!"

And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary,

those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts

that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are

unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts

need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater 

honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in 

the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored,

every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ,

and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:15-27 NIV

Can you say BAM!! In your face devil! I was created with such precision and thought. I was made EXACTLY how I was meant to be for the greatest return on investment possible. If we continue to try to be someone we were not graced to be we will be forfeiting our part of the body and in turn throwing the body off. You are made with your purpose for a reason and people are waiting on you. BE YOU!!

          "You'r alone!"

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,

for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

          "Why are you happy, your life sucks! Just give up!"

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials

of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces

perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work os that you may be 

mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 NIV

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice." Philippians 4:4 NIV

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 NIV

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you

and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish

what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20 NIV

There are so so so many answers to life's problems in the word. God gives us every motivation, every answer, every way out we could possibly need. The battlefield of the mind only becomes a lost fight when you don't know how to properly fight. I challenge you to find the answers to the lies he uses on you and meditate on them. Repeat and rehearse the truth of God instead of the lies that have been on repeat for so long. Its time to take control of our minds because we have been given that right. I will end this with a quote just because I liked it and I love quotes ;)

"People tend to be generous when sharing their nonsense, fear, and ignorance.

And while they seem quite eager to feed you their negativity, please remember that

sometimes the diet we need to be on is a spiritual and emotional one. Be cautious with what

you feed your mind and soul. Fuel yourself with positivity and let that fuel propel you

into positive action."-Steve Maraboli

Until next time loves,

Determine to be great and concur this mind!

With love, 

Kaitlyn