BECOME A WINNER

By Jemima Rayan

We all are eternal beings. We have an eternal spirit, we live in a mortal body and we have a soul that is made up of mind, will and emotions. The only doorway for the enemy into your soul is through your mind. Everything starts with a thought. Before you attempt to do anything, you think about it first. Your mind is the doorway to your deeds.

Proverbs 23:7 says, 'As a man thinks in his heart, so is he'. You cannot have a happy life if you have a sad mind. You need a healthy mind to start with. Our mind is the one that makes us the person God made us to be. Ephesians 6:12 says, ' We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the evil rulers of this dark world'.

It is so important to guard our thought life. Isaiah 26:3 says, 'If you will keep your mind stayed on Me, I will hold you in perfect peace'. The situations and the circumstances change all the time. If our minds stay on the things that are changing day to day, our life will be like a boat in a storm. That is why it is so important we have an anchor. You will never wage a successful battle unless you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Know your enemy:

2 Corinthians 4:4 says, '…the god of this ages has blinded the eyes of their understanding'. The Bible calls him adversary, devourer, thief, destroyer and so on. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. The devil is bad. The Bible says, He goes about seeking whom he may devour. Behind every evil thing, there is the devil. He is the author of evil.

We, the body of Christ need to be sober and vigilant. We need to put on the whole armor of God. The weapon Satan uses is lies. John 8:44 says, '…father of lies'. He works in such a subtle way to bring doubt in us. The enemy has specialized in lies and it is the very nature of the enemy. Satan lies to you. He tells you the things that are not in the Bible and makes you believe them.

Be renewed:

Renewal of mind is a non- stop, continuous process. Paul says in Ephesians 4:23 says, 'Be renewed in the spirit of your mind'. We need to work our way through with our minds. The new man always contrasts the old life style therefore we must make every effort to renew our minds. We should make sure our minds think the way it is written in the Word of God. Or else, we need to work on it.

Romans 12:2 says, 'Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind'. It is a commandment. Whenever the Bible says "be", it is a commandment rather than a suggestion. We do not have a choice.

The word "conform" means to assume an outward expression that does not comes from an inward being. In other words, when you conform to something you feel so much influencing that you begin to change the way you act. When you begin to conform to this world system, you are not being faithful to who you really are on the inside. Behind the world system, there is the evil one.

"Transform" means to assume an outward expression that comes from the inward being. This transformation needs to take place in our minds. The Bible cautions us that the carnal mind in itself is enmity against God. The transformation comes from the word of God.

When we get the word of God out of the pages of your Bible, read it and ponder over it, it gets into your mind and goes down into your spirit. When we keep doing this, you can see your mind lining up to your spirit. This is the key. Otherwise, there is this constant battle that goes on between your mind and your spirit.

The weapons of our warfare:

2 Cor 10:4 says, ' the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are mighty in God". We as the children of God have the 4 mighty weapons: Word of the living God, the name of Jesus which is the name above every name, the power of prayer and the power of praise and worship.

Every believer can become a winner. We are not fighting a losing battle. There is no temptation that comes against us that we cannot overcome. We need not be intimidated by what others would think but on the contrary, be concerned about what God will think.

Read Joshua 6: 1-5. When Joshua led the people to march around the city of Jericho, they had to be silent. They had to refuse to speak negative things of doubt and fear. They were in an attitude of 'waiting on God'. This is what we need to learn to do when we wage war against the enemy. We should quit talking words of fear and anxiety. The Lord taught them patience too. They had to do it seven days. This is so important because we cannot hurry God into anything. Finally, they shouted with a great shout. That is praise!

Some battles are won by Prayer, Patience and Praise. The Lord has promised us the victory. What is the battle you are going through? It may be your family or finances or your health. Trust in the Lord! He will honor your faith. He will come through. Never give up. The battle belongs to the Lord and the victory belongs to you. You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. Greater is He that is in you then he that is in this world! Amen

May you be the winner in Jesus' name.