Abiding in the Prince of Peace | How to Win Your Mental War

Scriptures: Job 42:1-6, Philippians 1:6

“What do you want from me?” The tone of this question I passionately asked the Lord during this season comes from a place of broken humility and sincere desire. I was in the middle of a mental battle that was full of anxiety and chaos. I was crying out to God in earnest prayer during my pain. There was no fancy theology attached to my petition. Only vulnerable cries for deliverance from this physical and emotional anguish. 

Have you been in a difficult season like I was? Do you ever dream of having more peace in your life? Do you consistently relate to words like anxiety, fear, stress, mental unrest, disorder, or hostility? If so, there is hope for you in Christ, and I pray this devotion will direct you to abide in the Prince of peace. 

I have never been an anxious person or even struggled with mental battles outside of the ordinary day-to-day things we all experience. I live in optimism and have a spiritual gift of encouragement. As a pastor, I have had a front-row seat to hundreds of people as they find peace and rest in Christ, especially during difficult seasons. I have walked with my wife through the hell of chronic depression and watched God miraculously deliver her. I have personally lived a life abiding in the peace of Christ. I was perplexed about what was happening. 

In this recent season, I went through some mental warfare that I can only describe as anxiety attacks or mental anguish. The characteristics of these episodes were both psychological and physical and left me worn out, ashamed, and struggling to make sense of it all. Was it all in my head, a neurological or psychological issue, or maybe demonic oppression? I was indeed at a loss and spending a lot of time in prayer and meditation with God. 

As I shared my story with trusted friends and accountable leaders in my life, I began to hear similar stories from others who had comparable experiences. God began to open my eyes to see that He was doing a deep work in me. 

One of my mentors makes a statement often that I have repeated over and over. I have preached on this and used biblical context to unpack this statement many times. However, in this season this became a reality kick in my pants. That statement is “experience trumps theory.” I began to see how spiritually immature I was. I had an intellectual knowledge of God’s Word but in many areas, had yet to experience it for myself. Knowing and experiencing have completely contrasting results, and I am walking away with an entirely different perspective. 

During this season, I spent a lot of time studying Job and others from scripture that experienced much suffering in their lives. My theories about many of these stories had scriptural understanding but lacked experiential context. Now they are taking on a whole new meaning because I have walked some of them out myself. My experience is tempering me. My speech and how I look at others have been seasoned, and God’s grace has taken on new depths. 

In Job 42, Job is coming to the end of his horrible season and understands things differently than when it all started. I relate so much to this and the statements he made. 

• He was embarrassed at the way he questioned this infinite God with pride and presumption. 

• He admitted that he had an intellectual understanding of God by what he had heard, but now, at the end of his suffering, he has the experience with God that he never had before. This experience is priceless. You cannot buy it.  

• He repented of the way his faith faltered when circumstances did not align with his theology. 

• He recognized a lack of trust and surrender to God. Was his faith simply in all the blessings of God or the person of God? 

Maybe God has invited you into an intentional season of growth that will require some intense mental and spiritual wrestling. Whatever is happening, God has a purpose, and the way to peace is to abide in Him. 

Take Away: 

1. Why did you start this devotion and what do you hope to gain by completing it? 

2. What words describe your current mental struggles? (Do you consistently relate to words like anxiety, fear, stress, mental unrest, disorder, or hostility?)

3. Prayerfully, ask God to help you surrender anything that would hinder peace with Him. 

Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1:7, John 10:10, Psalms 40:2

This devotion includes much of our story of how God has brought us through a rough journey with depression and how we have been able to help so many others with His powerful tools. I want to start by reminding you that 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds you today that God is not the author of fear or confusion but of the soundness of mind for you. Part of this journey is allowing your mind to be renewed to how God thinks about you and how He created you to live. This will be a revelation journey of a new identity in Him. 

Monica says: 

Mental illness ain’t no joke, y’all, and if ever there was an illness from the pit of hell, mental illness is it. I have no doubt in my mind it is the work of an enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John.10:10) It is an invisible cancer.

I can’t possibly cover this part of my testimony in one devotion, but I am one who suffered for years with depression and anxiety. One day God miraculously delivered me from it! The next part of John 10:10 says “but I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL!” God pulled me from a pit and He set my feet on a rock. He established my steps and He put a new song in my mouth. (Psalm 40:2)

The devil is a liar and he still comes creeping around my house. Rattling the doors and windows, looking for a way in. Some days it feels like he’s going to find a crack big enough to squeeze through. So, I do all I know to do. I cling to Jesus with all my might! I take practical steps with diet and exercise and being honest with my accountable people about where I am. But more than anything I run to my Father. Like Peter, I say “Lord, to whom shall I go? You alone have the words of LIFE!” John 6:68. The word tells us to “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

The fact is, some days are still hard. Sometimes I allow circumstances to knock me backward. It takes a bit of stumbling for me to realize what’s happening. Sometimes I realize that I have been putting my hope in the wrong things; I haven’t been abiding in Christ. I’ve tried to do things my way, etc. That’s the facts. 

But here is the truth. When I wake up with that heaviness, when the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of my God will raise up a standard against him! There is strength for every day and His mercies are new every morning. His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path! I stand in victory. The battle has been won and I refuse to give back even an inch of territory! He has been CRUSHED by the cross of my Jesus. 

If you know someone who struggles with mental illness, support them like you would someone who told you they have cancer. Pray as you pray for physical healing. Our goal as believers in Christ should be to seek the health of all we are involved with mentally, physically, and spiritually. 

Take away: 

1. Write down some areas in your mind that you need victory over. These could include addictions, depression, oppression. 

2. Present to God the things you wrote down and commit to allowing Him to be the loudest voice you listen to in this next season as you process through this devotion. 

3. Do you have an unhealthy picture of people who struggle with mental issues? How can you show compassion and enter into someone’s world with these struggles? 

Scripture: John 15:1-15

Abide in Christ

I’ve met many Christians who hold God at arm’s length, afraid to let Him get too close. They attend church, read their Bibles, and pray when something important comes up. Either they have a skewed vision of who God is, which makes them afraid of Him, or they are sure that God will make uncomfortable demands on their lives. Either way, they are distant and not abiding in Him. 

To abide means to continue to remain connected. In Luke 10, Jesus was abiding at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. While Martha clattered around in the kitchen, Mary sat down at Jesus’ feet and soaked up all that He was saying. Mary wanted to be completely connected with Christ while she was in His presence. What better place to remain connected to Christ than sitting at His feet and learning from Him as He articulates the foundations of His kingdom and the specific purpose He has for you? John 15 paints a beautiful picture of a life that is connected to the vine of Christ. As you read, think of how this passage connects to our relationship and growth in Christ: 

The following are some key thoughts about John 15:1–17 you may have noticed: 

• This passage emphasizes the intimacy between Christ and the Father, as well as the intimacy Christ wants with us, just like He has with the Father. 

• Christ spoke about the importance of bearing fruit and the consequences for those who do not bear fruit. Did you see how the Father was glorified when we bear kingdom fruit?

• We must depend totally on Christ. Our prayer life changes when we abide in Him and have His heart. 

• Notice the importance of love in this passage and how walking in His love is connected to obeying His commands and loving others. 

Jesus does not want you to put Him at the top of your list of things to do for the day. He does not want you to check off your time with Him like you would check off items on a grocery list or a list of household chores. Jesus wants to be the center of your life. He wants everything else in your life to flow through your relationship with Him. This is totally different from just being part of a to-do list. If you were to view your spouse or friend as only a checkmark on your list, the relationship would not last for long. Your relationship with Jesus is no different.

What does it look like when you are abiding with Christ? 

• You develop a hunger for God’s Word and spend time really digging into the Bible, reflecting on what is being said, and applying it to your life. 

• Throughout your day, you assume a posture that allows you to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying. 

• You don’t look at what people will do for you; rather, you seek out ways to show God’s love to others. 

• Throughout the day, you find your heart seeking to draw closer to Jesus no matter what is going on around you. 

• You see godly fruit all around you, not because of your efforts, but because you are in tune with what the Holy Spirit is doing in and through you. 

In moving forward, the most important thing is that you’re abiding in Him. This abiding should never be overlooked in your pursuit of knowledge about God. There is a significant difference between the two, and it is easy to fall into this trap. 

Ask God to teach you how to abide in Him. Ask Him to reveal to you the fellowship and love that is spoken of in John 15. Ask Him to show you areas in your life that need to be cut off and removed, as well as other areas that need to be pruned, so the fruit can grow. Give God permission to discipline and prune you in ways that will make you grow more. As you abide and grow in Christ, you will become a better disciple for Christ and will encourage others along the way. 

Use the STAR Journal exercise to write down some thoughts around John 15 that we read at the beginning. 

#1 Scripture Read/Promise Given/Question Asked

Read the verse and/or question. Pause and prayerfully meditate on what is being said, read, or asked.

#2 Thought Conveyed

Write down what this means to you to clearly understand the question, Scripture thought, or promise. Make it personal to get the most out of it.

#3 Application Made

How does this teaching apply to me right now? How does this apply to my leadership context?

#4 Response Given

What can I do to immediately apply this to my life? How should I respond/react to this promise or instruction now and long term? 

Scriptures: 3 John 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:23

How is Your Soul?

“Research tells us that as go our emotional self-awareness, emotional self-control and empathy skills so goes the quality of our leadership, our relationships and the quality of our life.” Dr. Gary Oliver

How is your soul? This question may seem odd. I know the first time it was asked to me, I thought it was strange. The person who asked me this has become a mentor and spiritual father to me. Every time we get together, he will ask me this same question. It has become so much a part of me that I now lead out many conversations with those I disciple with that same question. What exactly is meant by this question? 

Most people ask you questions like, “How are you doing?” “Or how are you?” We tend to answer a very surface question with a vague response. “I am fine” seems to be a typical response. We all know that we are not all right all the time, yet we respond this way mainly because it is socially acceptable. Do people want to know all the chaos that is going on in my mind? I don’t think so. I think people are usually being polite and making small talk. 

When someone asks you about your soul, that makes things much more profound. That is a direct question that takes a thoughtful, transparent, self-aware, and vulnerable individual to answer accurately. It’s much more difficult to gloss over that question. 

What is my soul? God created us in His image as spirit beings. We have a soul which makes up our mind, will, and emotions. All of this is housed in a physical body. The Bible teaches us that our spirit and soul are intimately connected and will exist forever. Our bodies are dying and will pass away, and our spirit and soul will pass on to our eternal home in God’s presence or separate from Him. When someone asks about the state of your soul, they are concerned for the inner person. This includes your emotional and mental health. When you don’t have peace in your soul, you are robbed of so many other things in life.

Years ago, many educational systems relied heavily upon the I.Q. of an individual when determining their life pursuits. In today’s day and age, it seems intelligence has been replaced with emotional health when determining people’s abilities in life. Many of the most intelligent people in our world do not have healthy emotional makeup, which holds them back from success. 

 At some point in our lives, I think all of us wrestle with questions like; am I loved? Am I liked? Am I accepted? These are valid questions, and in the sometimes dark world we live in, we can find brutal answers to these questions. Life is often not pleasant to us, and we find ourselves rejected by people, which leaves us hurt and damaged in our emotional makeup. This affects every area of our life, including our soul, a massive part of our being. 

 However, when we look to the Bible and see what God says about us, we can find healing and restoration from these hurts. Just because people have chosen to treat us a certain way does not validate their words and behavior. We want to take a look at the Bible and the keys to emotional health. When we use God’s way, we will see emotional healing in our lives. Once we are healed, we can join God and empathize with others who have been emotionally hurt. 

Here are a few conditions of the soul we find in scripture.

• My soul waits for you (Psalm 130:5-6)

• Downcast soul (Psalm 42:11)

• Anxious soul (Philippians 4:6-7)

• Prospering soul (3 John 1:2)

• Rest for the soul (Psalm 62:1)

• Praise to God (Psalm 103:1-5)

• Expresses love to God (Matthew 22:37) 

• Refreshes soul (Psalm 23:3)

• Reviving the soul (Psalm 19:7) 

It’s important to note how much the Bible speaks about the condition and significance of our soul. I glossed over these scriptures for most of my life because I did not have the emotional health to see it for what it is. If God addresses these conditions in scripture, then I think it’s worth taking a closer look. How would you define the state of your soul in this season? As you read through this book, take notice of the overwhelming biblical evidence that God cares about your emotional makeup and soul health. 

Take Away:

1. What would you say is the condition of your soul currently? 

2. From the list mentioned earlier, what words would you use to describe your soul health? 

3. Prayerfully ask God to show you areas of your soul that need to be addressed for you to abide in His peace. 

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Prince of Peace

If you are not healthy in your emotions, I don’t see how you can walk in the peace of God. He created your feelings as much as He did your Spirit and body, and He has a purpose in them. That means we have a personal responsibility to grow in our emotions in God’s way. When we don’t, we are left with the carnage of emotional dysfunction in our relationships with people and God. 

Some think peace is simply the absence of conflict. Others understand peace as living in harmony with nature and humanity. Still, others would say that ultimate peace is not attainable on this side of heaven. 

I want to start the conversation about peace by saying there is always hope in Christ, and I have discovered that in Him is the only place you can find real peace in this life. It starts with Him and is always about Him. When we approach any topic from His vantage point, we gain eternal perspective from a God who is beyond anything we can imagine. What if you could find total peace in the person of Jesus? What if the hopeless situations in your life could be infused with eternal hope? What if God would turn your sorrow into joy and then use your story to help others? Would it be worth the time to pursue Him? 

Before defining what peace I am talking about, let’s introduce some antonyms or opposites of peace. Anxiety, fear, stress, mental unrest, disturbance, disorder, hostility, hopelessness, and worry are a few words that fight against peace in our lives.  As you read through this list, which of those words do you relate to in your current circumstances? Maybe you are at a breaking point and are struggling? Perhaps you have related well to this list and are looking for hope. Maybe your current season does not find you in a struggle defined by those words, but many do, and at some point, you will as well. I want to encourage you to continue reading and ask God to invade your unrest with His peace. He is able and willing to do just that. 

Advent changed it all

Advent in definition simply means arrival. The advent I am referring to is that of Jesus Christ. His arrival, death, and resurrection produced an open door for us to have restored fellowship with God. The verse above calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. The Hebrew word that we translate as a prince is defined as commander, chief, ruler, leader. The Hebrew word we translate peace means prosperity, success, welfare, deliverance, salvation, completeness, soundness, peace. If you put this together, we can say that Jesus Christ is the commander and chief of my prosperity, success, welfare, deliverance, salvation, completeness, soundness, and peace. WOW! Did you catch all of that? When I abide in Christ, I have access to a peace that the world simply cannot offer. Jesus is the ruler of my peace if I will humbly submit to Him. 

When I have peace with God, it will produce the peace of God. This peace we are discussing is a fruit of abiding in Christ. It does not come any other way.  

Take Away: 

1. Have you made Jesus Lord of your life and invited Him to be your Prince of Peace?

2. Anxiety, fear, stress, mental unrest, disturbance, disorder, hostility, hopelessness, and worry are a few words that fight against peace in our lives.  As you read through this list, which of those words do you relate to in your current circumstances?

3. How would you describe the word peace? What are some differences between worldly peace and the peace we read about in the Bible?

Scriptures: James 1:12-15, John 10:10

Where does lack of peace come from? 

During my recent unrest, I asked many questions about where this was coming from and narrowed it down to four broad options. This has helped me identify the source so that I can begin to deal with it. I cannot work on something I am not aware of, cannot identify, or understand. Discovering the source of your fear and anxiety will be a great starting point to find that peace. 

1. Spiritual attack of the enemy

It does not take a long read into the Bible to discover Satan himself has a plan of destruction and chaos for your life. We should not be surprised at all when the enemy of our soul attacks our lives. We see many verses that show us his intention is death for us. If you are under spiritual attack and deceived into believing the enemy’s lies, it can draw you out of that intimate, abiding fellowship with Christ and rob you of your peace. 

Be encouraged if you are under an attack of the enemy because he is a defeated foe in Christ. Christ promised us that he has given to us power, love, and soundness of mind. The enemy will send attacks and form weapons against you, but they will not prosper when you abide in the Prince of Peace. 

2. Physical, neurological, psychological

The more I study the emotional makeup of humanity, I am amazed at how our emotions are so intimately related to the physical. For instance, your brain processes physical and emotional pain through the same area. It’s all connected. If you are dealing with some physical issues, it may be causing just as many or more emotional problems. And visa versa. If you are having some mental struggles, there most likely will be a physical response. I have heard Dr. Gary Oliver talk about many studies that found out that people’s physical issues were not physical at all. They were emotional and mental struggles that produced a physical response. 

I believe the heart of God is that you walk in health in each part of our being. This includes Spirit, soul, and body. I also think that God gives us natural and supernatural means to accomplish this. 

I believe God uses doctors, medicine, supplements, and a whole host of other natural means to help us walk in health. We are always supportive and encourage people to walk in their knowledge and utilize the tools at your disposal. If you have a professionally trained voice in your life, like a doctor or therapist who encourages natural or medical means, I always encourage that. If it helps you, then I consider that a win and God blessed. The goal, in the end, is health. 

Our lack of peace can often be easily remedied if we discover the physical, neurological, or psychological roots and utilize the available health options. My own story was a combination of points one, two, and three. God was so gracious to help me discover this and get the help I needed. I believe the content in this book can give you a starting point to find your sources of a lack of peace.  

3. Anchoring my peace into shakable things and not Christ

It can be easy to get our eyes off the eternal Christ and anchor our hope into temporary things. When those things are removed or shaken, we can fall into an emotional tailspin, become anxious, depressed, and hopeless. 

Be careful what you allow to have a voice in your peace. Where am I getting my information from? What information am I allowing into the gateway of my soul? What lies am I believing? What truth from God’s Word am I replacing those lies with? Do I have accountability outside my brain? 

People will fail you. Governments will come and go. If you quit your job tomorrow, they will replace you within a short period. Money does not produce peace.  This is a considerable point in living that out. Ask yourself, “what is my peace anchored to” and see if your answer is a shakable thing. 

4. My own sinful desires 

When we look at the verses from James, it was not Satan or God who were causing the issues, but our enticement unto sin. Part of living in a fallen world is that all of us are tempted towards sin. Sometimes we blame God or Satan, but, in the end, it was our choice to pursue the temptation and be enticed toward sin. Sin has an earthly consequence and often opens the gateway for physical and emotional issues, including stealing your peace. 

Many times, we give Satan too much credit. Sure, he comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Sure, he has some power and can cause a lot of sorrow in this world. But we already saw in the previous point that he is defeated, and as long as we abide in Christ, He will protect us from the enemy’s attack. 

Other times we give God too much blame. We blame Him for things that He is not responsible for. As Children of God, we should reflect the light of Christ that is in us. Instead, we reflect the circumstances of our lives. We may question why a good God would allow particular pain or events and yet never ask why we make daily choices that invite sinful consequences and deny God’s truths. Processing through the Take Away questions can be very illuminating and will take humble self-reflection. 

Take Away: 

1. Are you able to use the four examples above and find out where your peace is being disrupted? 

2. What influences that you identify are you able to make changes to not allow them to have a voice in your life that hinders your peace?

3. When you look at your life, where do you tend to anchor your peace? (ex. relationships, job, politics, social media, money?)

Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 3:1, Ecclesiastes 9:11

Seasons or Patterns? 

In studying the book of Ecclesiastes recently, I was reminded that God’s seasons have purpose and significance. One of my greatest life lessons, which has been a constant in all seasons, has been to ask God questions like: 

• “What is the purpose you have for this season?”

• “What are you doing in this season? 

• “What are the enemy, circumstance, and other people responsible for in this season?”

• “What am I to learn in this season that you are teaching me?”

• “What changes need to occur for me to grow into my next season?”

Ecclesiastes speaks of seasons and that God has a purpose for every season you are in. No matter the season you are in, let God be God during this time. Most seasons will require that we change in some way. Change can be challenging for most of us. I heard a person say one time, “If nothing changes, everything stays the same.”  God needs us to be open to change if we continue to be transformed into His image and likeness.  Change is a part of our discipleship journey. Nothing new can come without the catalyst of change. Fall reminds us that change can be beautiful. Winter reminds us that some things need to die to be born again. Spring reminds us that there is life on the other side of death. Summer reminds us that the new life of spring produces an abundant harvest. 

There are times that God initiates or allows some uncomfortable changes in our lives to propel or lead us into the next season. Change is not always bad. There are necessary endings and new beginnings that God may initiate for our good and His glory. I want to remind you to honor your current season. If you are in an abiding relationship with Christ, you will learn to embrace whatever season comes your way, knowing that He has a determined purpose for you in it. Most of the time, in my experience, I don’t see the fullness of the meaning during the season.  It is often years later that I can comprehend the fullness of what God was doing during different seasons of my life. However, I have learned that when I abide in Him, no matter the season, I will have His peace to guard my heart and mind. 

I would not have done things the way God did in scripture in my finite understanding and human compassion. For example, I would have rescued Joseph from the nasty journey he was on, which would have removed him from God’s very place to deliver the known world from famine. I would have removed some of the obstacles that David had in his life, but that would have negated the process God was using to develop the King He needed him to be. I would have intervened in the first century where Israel was under Roman oppression. However, it was this system that God used to deliver the Messiah to the cross to die for our sins. I would have removed Jesus from the cross and tried to minimize His pain and, in the same action, would have removed the very thing God used as the reconciliation of humanity to Himself. 

The point is, God is the author and finisher of your faith. He knows the beginning from the end. In his sovereignty, He has a plan, and He is good. Learning to trust this will produce in you a peace that you cannot have any other way. Knowing to ask God for His perspective on the trials and suffering in this life makes your journey purposeful. You may still not get the answers to your questions as to why God allows and does what He does. However, walking in absolute trust in Him is the most peaceful place I know. Abiding in the Prince of peace is what He desires for you. 

When I look back over my life, I am learning to see if there are unhealthy patterns that I need to address before God? Or is this simply one season that I need to trust God to gain insight into the larger picture? If you seem to repeatedly live in the same patterns, then it is worth examining your life to see if there are deeper issues at the root producing the same harmful fruit. 

An example would be the children of Israel in the Old Testament. We see what many scholars call cycles of apostasy. These were patterns that seemed to plague this group over many generations. They would turn away from God. God would bring judgment to them. They would turn back to Him. He would restore them. Then they would go back and turn away from Him again to idols. These patterns were more than a simple season. There was a root issue of the hardness of heart that the scripture gives us as the reason why.

Take Away: 

1. As you examine your life, what do you see? Ask yourself if the things in your life are seasons or patterns?

2. Are you able to acknowledge God working in all the seasons of your life? 

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Win the battlefield of the mind 

Your spirit is transformed into a new person when you are born again, but your soul will be in a consistent renewal until you cross over into eternity with Christ? If you don’t understand your mind’s significance on your peace or lack thereof, it will be difficult to abide in the Prince of Peace. 

Subconscious Glacier 

“We are addicted to protecting ourselves, but the notion that we can achieve anything of substance from our self-protection is an illusion. The illusion grows because we hold so much inside, secretly wrangling to control all that happens to us. If we will release control and let loose, the illusions won’t have anywhere to work.” Francois Fenelon

Some time ago, I met with my counselor, and he introduced the topic of subconsciousness into my long-term soul health picture. I have learned that our subconscious refers to thoughts existing or operating in the mind beneath or beyond consciousness. This means that the individual is not aware of many mental processes and unreportable mental activity. 

The best way I have heard it is described as like a glacier out in the ocean. Above the surface of the water, you can see a large mass of ice. Sometimes it’s incredible the size and scope of what is seen. Years ago, I took a trip to Alaska and made a float trip on some glacier water. I was amazed at the size of some of the glaciers I saw. The truly unique thing is that most of the time, what you see is only a tiny portion of the mass of ice there. Typically, the largest part of the glacier cannot be seen because it’s underwater or under the surface. 

This picture of a glacier is like our subconscious. We see and can deal with only a tiny portion of what is happening in our minds. From a psychology perspective, learning to surface those deep-rooted thoughts is how we can deal with them. I am not equipped to address the psychological side of this and encourage you to pursue that help as needed by trained professionals. From a theological perspective, we can see a similar pattern defined as renewal of the mind. 

Learning to renew your mind with God’s Word will sanctify your decisions and will produce God’s purpose and peace in your life. This section is about taking the word of God that you have read and digesting it into your soul, which cleanses and renews your mind. Many scriptures talk about how the word of God cleanses, washes, purifies, renews, transforms, and sanctifies your soul when you apply it to your life. 

One weapon is the ability to recognize the unhealthy confirmation to the patterns of this fallen, sinful world. This takes intentional discipline and the removal of certain things that will cause your mind to move away from God’s truth. A sense that only conforms to this world’s patterns cannot abide in the Prince of Peace. Romans 8 tells us that the mind that sets its focus on the worldly way of doing things is at enmity with God, and it will not be subject to the law of God. This, in turn, repels the fruits of the Spirit in this person’s life, one of which is peace. 

The renewal of your mind comes with a transformation that changes your mental desires and focuses. This removes the patterns of the world and replaces them with the life-giving word of God that brings peace and joy. Your mind will find that soundness when it is transformed by the word of God. 

Take Away:

1. What does it mean—both spiritually and practically—to renew your mind? How can you do this on a daily, ongoing basis?

2. What is the battleground in the fight for faith? What distractions keep you from victoriously living in your identity in Christ? Is your mind more set on the eternal or the temporal—and how can a person have their mindset on heavenly things while still taking care of earthly responsibilities?

3. Where are you setting your mind? Make a list of things that distract and keep you from renewing your mind and a list of things that help you in the battle for the mind. Note over the next week how much time you are giving to each significant influence.

Scriptures: Philippians 4:6-9, Psalms 139:1-4, Psalms 139:23-24, Matthew 11:28-29

Be Anxious for Nothing 

The word anxious can be defined as; care, worry, full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried. None of this sounds appealing at all, yet we experience these unhealthy fruits of anxiety as humans. I want to break down these verses and see what God gives us to deal with anxiety. God is not simply commanding us to not be anxious, but the command gives us a clear understanding as to how we do that. James 1:22 reminds us that if we are only hearers of the word and not doers, we will not see the fruit God intends for us from His words. 

First, he directs us to be in prayer, supplication with thanksgiving. Prayer and supplication denote an intimate, abiding fellowship with Christ. That is why early, we introduced the abiding in Christ section. If you are going to have the peace of God, it is dependent on being connected to Him. God did not simply tell you to get over your anxiety and stop it. He invites you to sit with Him and allow His fellowship to subdue the anxiety and produce His peace. He says let your requests be made known to Him. Give Him your anxiety, stress, worry, and fear. 

Jesus did not create you to carry the weight of your cares, stress, worries, and anxiety. When you abide in the Prince of Peace, you learn to let go of what stresses you and give it to Him. In exchange, He gives you rest for your soul. This does not make total sense but is a sweet and precious promise from our savior. Philippians says that when you do the first part, God will give you peace that goes beyond your mental comprehension. This promise includes your heart and mind. The key is in Christ. When you remove Christ from the conversation, you are left right back with your own fear, stress, and anxiety. The key is to remain in Him. 

The next part of this verse involves the focus of your soul. He gives us a brief list of some things to renew our minds away from anxiety and onto. He uses the statement, “meditate on these things.” Rather than allowing your thought life to be consumed with all the things that are a catalyst to the anxiety, he encourages you to set your mental energy on, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy. 

These statements are broad in context and can include a lot of things. Find a way to set your mental affection on things that produce what this verse says. You can’t go wrong when you read the Bible, so that is a great start. Get around some biblical community that can encourage you and help you see areas of your life that these characteristics are. 

I think many people come to Christ when they need things and neglect the invitation to abide in Him. The pattern to do life on my own and then come to Jesus when I have need will not lead to a healthy soul. God wants to be the center of all you do and not just a savior from sin and hell. If you truly want the peace of God, abiding in Him is the only way.

Christ is the only one who can really examine you in the deep areas of your heart and soul. He can graciously and lovingly draw out the subconscious stress and anxiety so that He can help you grow through it into healing and peace. The Psalmist paints a picture of humble and sincere submission to the only one who fully knows me. Learning to set aside intentional time with Jesus to simply wait and listen to what He will show you as He examines you is such a gift. God knows the good, bad, and ugly in your soul and wants to lead you on the path of peace, healing, and joy. 

Take Away:

Pick one of the three passages of scripture from today’s devotional and use the STAR journal method to really dig deep into what is being said. 

#1 Scripture Read/Promise Given/Question Asked

Read the verse and/or question. Pause and prayerfully meditate on what is being said, read, or asked.

#2 Thought Conveyed

Write down what this means to you to clearly understand the question, Scripture thought, or promise. Make it personal to get the most out of it.

#3 Application Made

How does this teaching apply to me right now? How does this apply to my leadership context?

#4 Response Given

What can I do to immediately apply this to my life? How should I respond/react to this promise or instruction now and long term? 

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Renew Your Mind 

Another weapon to win the battle of the mind is what I call sanctifying the imagination for God’s purposes. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, it talks about casting out arguments and any thinking that stands in opposition to the knowledge of God. It tells us that we must captivate or capture our thought process, recognize if it is worldly and fleshly or from God, and then either cast it out or digest it. This looks pretty daunting and overwhelming at first glance. This is contrary to the way you have lived most of your life. However, it will open the floodgates to a healthy, peaceful mind when you learn this simple tool. 

You can minimize a lot of this effort by simply removing specific ungodly influences from your life. If you don’t put clear unhealthy images and influences before your eyes, you have less to try and renew. 

Years ago, I met with a woman who was dealing with crippling fear. She struggled many days a week and was in depression. I asked a lot of questions about what her daily mental consumption consisted of. She was very open that she was a 24-hour news junky. She always had major news networks on in her home, and many times the simple world news was so negative that it caused her stress and anxiety. Added to that, she loved horror movies. She loved the thrill of being scared but did not realize that subconsciously these movies were a running narrative in her mind that was crippling her with fear. When I simply pointed out that a lot of her mental diet consisted of worldly things that the Bible warns us to minimize in our lives, she was surprised. She discovered that what she was consuming mentally was the source of her issues. She could not possibly obey the command to take every thought captive because she was consuming so much at a high rate. She made some simple changes and stopped watching the majority of what she had. She found that her stress and anxiety were almost nonexistent in a short period, and the depression was a distant memory. Although this may not be the quick fix for every situation, I do think it’s a step in the right direction for anyone willing to take this seriously. I know because the Bible says it. 

A simple example to clarify this point is our physical bodies and the food we consume. If you have read my book, Abiding in Physical Health, you have seen how unhealthy the average American diet is. We consume horrible foods for our bodies and ask God to magically bless the food as nourishment. Not only does this not make natural or spiritual sense, but many times we pay a high price with physical sickness and disease. When you put unhealthy foods into your body, the body’s natural processes are hindered, or you will have to work harder to digest and pull out the nutrients needed for health. If you never consume foods with the required nutrients, your body will be malnourished simply because you have not given it what it needs to thrive. 

What if we simply captivated what we allow into our bodies and mostly ate things that we know fuel and give life? Our bodies would struggle less to have to filter out the bad and keep the good. Our bodies would typically respond with health. It’s not that most people don’t know this, but we are undisciplined and don’t want to make the changes. 

It’s the same with the renewing of our minds. We consume large quantities of emotional junk food and then ask God to magically bless it and make it healthy for our souls. We cry out to God for peace and then clog up our mental filter with more junk that only feeds our anxiety and fear. Once you know these truths, putting them into practice is where the difficulty comes. One thing you can start today is not allowing unexamined thoughts or emotions to write your story. Learn to recognize and define the source of your anxiety and fear.  

Take Away:

Here is a list of some simple questions that can help you identify the source of your stress and anxiety that wars against your peace: 

• What information am I allowing into the gateway of my soul?  

• Where am I getting my information from?  

• What lies am I believing?  

• What truth from God’s word am I replacing those lies with?  

• Do I have accountability outside my own brain?

Scriptures: John 14:25-26, 1 Corinthians 2:9-13

Walk empowered by the Spirit

From the beginning to the end of the Bible, the Holy Spirit is at work on behalf of Christ and God the Father. As you grow in your fellowship with God, the Holy Spirit will be there in as much of a role as you allow. He always glorifies God and confirms the Word. He brings conviction, truth, peace, help, strength, guidance, and power for daily living. He helps us in prayer and prays on our behalf. His job description is endless. The Holy Spirit serves to help you experience God. I encourage you to look for the Holy Spirit’s role in your life as you read the Word and pray.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Holy Spirit was an active participant, yet many Christians today have no clue about Him. When Jesus talked about who He was going to send to be another Helper, He meant another one like Him. This person would come alongside believers and fulfill the role that Christ had had in their lives up until that point. This is so very important because he made it clear that He would not leave them orphans or unprepared to fulfill the Great Commission. He gave them everything they needed to abide in Him, mature in their faith, and become successful abiding leaders. It’s not about a destination or goal but a person. 

Don’t you think that Jesus knew what He was doing? He was not making a mistake when He taught the disciples this. If you are going to abide in Christ and encourage others to abide in Christ, you must understand the importance of what Jesus was instituting here.

I love the thought here. Jesus reminded them that there was so much more He could not cram into the brief time He was with them, but that was okay. Jesus was giving them more than an answer book. He was giving them the answer. He was giving them the key to staying connected to the vine. He was giving them the way to abide, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was saying, “You need what I am giving, and you are going to love Him.” The Greek word translated as “power” is dunamis. The definition is “force,” “miraculous power,” “ability,” “abundance,” “might,” “power,” or “strength.” Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to act as a miraculous power in our lives, that we might lean on His strength to help us move forward into a new, abiding relationship with God as an empowered abider in Christ.

In addition to the dunamis power that Jesus promised, we see other places where the Spirit uniquely empowers us with His presence. (Acts 1:8)

Charis: (empowering) grace, favor, gift (Acts 4:33) 

This speaks to another work of God’s grace that is more than unmerited favor. This is God’s empowerment to walk in obedience and holiness. 

Charisma: (empowering) gift of grace, free (spiritual) gift, ability or power the Holy Spirit gives to the church (1 Corinthians 12:4)

This word refers to the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are given to all believers for the edification of the Body of Christ and the glory of God. Without the giver, you have no gifts. 

Charisma: anointing, unction, something smeared like an ointment (1 John 2:20)

This word is the giving of ability by the Holy Spirit in a moment as needed and directed by Him. 

Throughout the New Testament and church history, we see examples of people who yielded their lives to the Holy Spirit, and signs followed them. Are you yielding to the Holy Spirit? Have you understood and walked with Him and experienced the fruits and gifts? Are you experiencing the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your life? 

Take Away

1. Throughout the New Testament and church history, we see examples of people who yielded their lives to the Holy Spirit, and signs followed them. Are you yielding to the Holy Spirit? Have you understood and walked with Him and experienced the fruits and gifts?

2. Write down a couple of practical steps you can do in the next week that you have learned in this book to win the battlefield of your mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct this process. 

Scriptures: Psalms 27:3, Philippians 4:6-7, Psalms 71:14

There’s always hope | living with gratitude thanksgiving and contentment 

“There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing my own heart.”  Alan Redpath

I can’t think of a better way to end this devotion about abiding in the Prince of peace than pointing you vertical in praise to Jesus. There is something powerful about a person who learns to live in a posture of gratitude, thanksgiving, and contentment. These attributes open the floodgates of God’s peace in your life because all three get your eyes off of you, your circumstance, your problems and puts them back on Jesus. 

I have a friend who lost a child who was only five months old. It was a brutal season walking with them through that journey. It has been amazing to watch God make beauty out of ashes in this story. Early in my friend’s journey, she started using the phrase, there’s always hope based on the verse from Psalm 71:14 that says, But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. She understands that no matter what comes her way, there is always hope in Christ. Her statement and story have been an inspiration to many others. Watching her help others navigate pain and sorrow by inviting them to abide in Christ is a sweet thing to see. 

Let’s revisit Philippians Chapter 4 and magnify a few things we did not get earlier in this book. Part of not being anxious is thanksgiving and gratitude. If you want to have peace that is being discussed, your mind needs to renew to this principle. You may be thinking about how dire your circumstances are and wondering why God would want you to be thankful for them. The text does not say to be grateful for the events but to be thankful in everything. There is a vast difference. 

God does not call us to appreciate when bad things happen or when evil persists in attacking your life. As we have seen here, He actually calls us to put our faith in Him despite the circumstance. Gratitude is the quality or feeling of being grateful and thankful, warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received, expressing or actuated by gratitude, pleasing to the mind or senses, refreshing. When you are resting in faith in Christ, your perspective on circumstances changes. You are reminded that He is sovereign over all, and no matter what is happening, you can have joy and peace in the midst of it, and that is what you are grateful for. He is what you are grateful for no matter the road you are on. 

There is a clear biblical theme that life sometimes just stinks. Bad things happen to good people, and tragedy comes to all of us at some point. It’s not a matter of if pain and suffering will come to the life of a believer, but when and how you will respond. Part of experiencing Christ’s peace is contentment. It’s easy to get caught up in the horizontal picture of what we have and don’t have. This quickly opens the door to comparison and discontentment. Rather than focus on all the bad things or the things you don’t have, be grateful because you trust that God has a purpose in each path He leads you down. 

Take some time to process through all that God has done for you. Create a daily discipline to stop and offer thanksgiving and praise to God simply for who He is and secondly for what He has done in your life. Be reminded of His faithfulness and how He has never failed or forsaken you. Intentionally recognize and worship God for the fruit that came from each season. When I live in thanksgiving and gratitude, it is difficult to make myself or my circumstances an idol. Create an altar of worship to God with your words for you and others to see.

Take Away:

1. What are a few easy ways for you to use your words to express gratitude and thanksgiving to God?

2. What was your response to the opening quote from Alan Redpath at the beginning of this chapter? How does this statement challenge your current view on your circumstances and God’s role in them?

3. Take some time to process through all that God has done for you. Create a daily discipline to stop and offer thanksgiving and praise to God simply for who He is and secondly for what He has done in your life. Be reminded of His faithfulness and how He has never failed or forsaken you. Intentionally recognize and worship God for the fruit that came from each season. When I live in thanksgiving and gratitude, it is difficult to make myself or my circumstances an idol. Create an altar of worship to God with your words for you and others to see.