Take steps forward in taking back your life. This 5-day devotional is based on Levi Lusko’s book Take Back Your Life. You’ll explore how the power of the Holy Spirit can help you recognize what’s weighing you down or holding you back, and equip you to embrace it head-on as you become the best version of yourself.
HarperCollins/Zondervan/Thomas Nelson
Day 1
Scripture: Ephesians 3:16
Look in the Mirror
Looks can be deceiving. We can look at something but not see what’s there. And that means we cannot trust what we see with the naked eye. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:18, says you can’t trust your physical vision. You can’t trust what you see and the decisions you make based on it. You need more.
There is a whole spiritual realm around us where all-out war is going on for our hearts, lives, and souls. When you look through the lens of faith, you can see what’s coming against you and you can see what’s working for you. Eternity becomes visible and you can see that God has a plan. You may not be happy with your story right now, but with faith as your lens, you can reach out and take back your life from whatever is sucking it away behind the scenes.
As we open our eyes to the war we’re in, let’s start with a look in the mirror—the battle taking place inside us. Yes, there are outside components to this: the devil and the world. But we have enough to deal with inside us that makes us more than capable of becoming our own worst enemy. We need to pray with Paul that we will be strengthened in our inner being with the power of the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 3:16). The Holy Spirit will walk with us as we battle to take back ground from the Enemy.
The Bible says that when we become Christians, our identity shifts and we are placed under the umbrella of grace and are covered by Christ. God sees you as loved, chosen, called and equipped. Every day, even on your worst day, God’s love and view of you doesn’t change. This new way of looking at yourself means acknowledging yourself as made in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27). God made you. You’re no accident. You bear His image, He gave you an immortal soul, and you have such value that He would sacrifice His Son to redeem you.
As a child of God, you have power through the Holy Spirit to rise up and do all God wants you to do. Think about what you choose to say to the person you see in the mirror? If you’re going to take back your life, you’re going to need to alter how you feel through changing the way you speak. Taking back your life isn’t one size fits all; it’s a custom job for a tailor-made, one-of-a-kind masterpiece, because that’s who you are and what your life is. You need to figure out what it takes for you to suit up so you can be your best when you show up.
Victory comes when we get real with what’s going on inside our heads and start living our true identity. It takes vulnerability to be ourselves and to be who God made us to be. It takes risk to be vulnerable. It takes bravery, but that’s the only way to victory and freedom. The Holy Spirit gives you the courage you need to stand against any fear that keeps you from taking your life back. He gives you “power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). He gives you resurrection power; He gives you life!
Respond
When you look at your life through the lens of faith, what do you see God doing? How does faith in God help you persevere when life is difficult?
How does becoming a child of God, change how you see yourself and your purpose in life? What will help you see yourself as God sees you?
Where do you need the courage the Holy Spirit provides to be vulnerable and deal with the enemy in your head?
Day 2
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 2:14
Turn Off the Dark
When we say, “turn on the light,” we generally don’t think about darkness being deactivated. Jesus turns off the darkness of loneliness, guilt, despair, and fear, but He also turns off the darkness of death—our last and greatest enemy. Death punched our family in the gut when our second-born daughter, Lenya Avery Lusko, had an asthma attack that stopped her breathing and then her heart. We couldn’t bring her back; the ER doctors couldn’t bring her back. Holding her in my arms, Lenya went from our lives to the arms of her heavenly Father.
It hurt like hell. It was scary. It was sad. It was dark, but we weren’t alone in that darkness. God was there. He gave us peace. He gave us hope. He gave us strength. And He continues to give us strength as we move forward, one day at a time. We learned that Jesus came to turn off the darkness of death so we can live with hope and die without fear. As He turns off the dark all around us, what we see in the light changes everything.
Now hurting with hope still hurts. I’ve learned that God hurts and grieves alongside me (see John 11:1–44). He is furious about death—angry enough to do something about it. Jesus defeated death, Satan’s most powerful weapon, in the most unlikely way ever—by dying (see Hebrews 2:14). But the power wasn’t just in dying; anyone can do that. Jesus didn’t just die—His soul reentered His decaying body and He got up! Unbelievably, He offers this same casket-exploding power to anyone who believes.
This is the gospel. Jesus has come and death has been stripped of its power. The dark has been switched off forever (see Colossians 2:15). Instead of being terrified, we can actually look at death victoriously. But, you ask, why do we still have to die? For something that’s been abolished, it seems as though business is booming. True, but remember this: God’s not finished yet. The final destruction of death hasn’t happened yet, but it will. I will see and hold Lenya again. Our faith works in the fire, not just when life is fun, because we trust in the one who said that He is the resurrection and the life. He took the keys from death and hell, was dead, and now lives forever. His name is Jesus, and He always leads us in triumph!
God wants you to have forgiveness, a relationship with Him, and heaven. The Bible promises that if you declare that Jesus is Lord and believe that He rose from the dead, you will be saved (see Romans 10:9). A prayer that basic, if prayed in faith, has the power to change your heart and save your soul forever. In fact, you could say something like that to God right now as you’re reading and be transformed from the inside out. If you never have, I pray that you will! Jesus can turn off the dark in your heart as you trust Him and place your hope, day by day, in Him.
Respond
In what ways does darkness encroach on your life?
What does it mean to you that Jesus has defeated darkness and death? How have you responded to what Jesus, God in the flesh, has done for you?
What can the light of hope in Jesus transform in your life?
Day 3
Scripture: 1 Chronicles 28:20
Cross the Barbed Wire
Think of barbed wire as the separation between who you are and who you know you need to be. You need to approach that separation and battle to cross the barbed wire. There is incredible power in setting all that is within you in this singular direction. So much of the time we defensively react to what comes our way. Instead, meet the enemy on your terms, even if that enemy is you. Go on the offensive.
There are three parts to this battle: how you think, how you speak, and how you act. The first part of the battle happens in your mind. Our moods and thoughts can hold us hostage, turning us into a version of ourselves we don’t want to be. When this state of mind tries to take over, claim the help that God offers you now and start over on the spot. You can’t live right if you won’t think right. Your spirit is the part of your being that responds to God and receives His power. Learning how to steer your spirit by managing your thoughts is key to advancing in this war.
Positive thinking isn’t a replacement for God, but it is a response to God. If you let negativity in the door, it will want a seat at the table, it will want to sleep in your bed, and soon it becomes your default mode. This means you can change the way you feel by changing the way you think. Focus on the goodness of God and His plans (see Psalm 27:13 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).
Now let’s focus on what happens when your thoughts hit your mouth. The book of Proverbs says that the tongue contains the power of both life and death (see 18:21). It’s like a tiny nuclear reactor capable of being both an energy plant that lights up a town and a bomb that can destroy a city. When we speak words of faith in the midst of crisis, suddenly we have more to give and joy where there shouldn’t be any. The impossible can happen because of how you speak. Believe that God is going to bring good out of the worst times, and speak it. The devil is not getting the last word.
Lastly, let’s talk about why the habits and decisions you repeat are a really big deal. Bad habits put you at a decided disadvantage, regardless of what you do the rest of the time. On the other hand, healthy habits help the right choices become automatic. The right ones need to stay, and the wrong ones need to go. Determine what new habits you need and write them down. You’ll need them to break the bad ones. The battle for change might not feel good at the moment, but fighting for good thoughts, words, and actions today will, over time, turn into lifelong strengths.
It is critical you take seriously the battles you are facing. It’s the small things—attitudes, actions, words—that matter. You need to learn to feel your feelings. Lean into them. Diagnose them. And then do what is needed to move through them. You can’t go back and change the past, but what you can do is fight with God’s help for good behavior right now. The prize is waiting for you on the other side of the barbed wire.
Respond
How does the person you are today compare to the person God wants you to become?
What would it mean for you to consciously face the battle to become the version of you God sees?
What resources has God provided to help you take control of your thoughts, words, and actions? Make a list of people who can support you in this effort.
Day 4
Scripture: 1 John 3:8
Run Toward the Roar
When you run from things that scare you, you move toward danger, not away from it. When you feel that panicky fight-or-flight sensation and you want to run away, do the opposite. Run toward the roar. You have come into the kingdom for just “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 NASB).
When Jennie and I lost our daughter, we decided that we would go through it running toward the roar. It is excruciating to go through the process of grief, but as we faced it all, we then pushed on into the future. I pray you never have to go through what we have, but like it or not, we are all going to have to confront our fears or abandon our destinies.
The only path to the life you are meant to reach is to launch out into the deep and sail through things that are scary. God calls us to go to places that frighten us so that we will fully trust Him. The only way for you to do the kinds of things He desires is to run toward the roar again and again and again.
Often what keeps us in the shallows of life is our fear of failure. The only way to get to victory is to be willing to make mistakes on the way there. Enduring something you are afraid of, and still exhibit bravery, has everything to do with your attitude and outlook. God isn’t scared of what you’re scared of, but you don’t have to pretend like you’re not frightened. Naming your fear is part of getting through it. It’s also important to remember that Jesus is always with you. He gives you the strength to face your fears.
Strength also comes from getting people to pray for you. You can have people around you to be your backup as you face your fears and purge those things that keep you from God’s purpose for your life. Spend time in God’s Word, honestly talk to God throughout the day, listen to worship music, allow others to disciple you, and serve in your local body of believers. Each of these strategies opens the door for God to doHis cleansing work in your heart.
As a child of God, you have an arsenal of power at your beck and call. The power that leads to victory is not in us or from us; it is with God and comes to us from His hand. But having it and using it are two completely different things. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to try to do God’s work without God’s power. There is power in using the name of Jesus as you pray, and that power is completely available to you; all you have to do is use it.
Run toward the roar! When the Enemy tries to come at you to smother you, rise up in faith, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. When you’re full of anxious thoughts and worry, and spiritual warfare and peer pressure from the world come, don’t back down; double down. In Christ you can do this. It won’t be easy or fast or pain-free, but you can do this. Do not give up. We have a living hope, because we have a living Lord.
Respond
What fears, anxieties, discouragements, or losses do you need to confront in your life? How can God and His people support you in doing this?
How have you seen the Enemy try to smother your forward progress of faith? How have you used the resource of prayer to face challenges?
What strategies can you use to open the door for God’s cleansing power and victory over the Enemy?
Day 5
Scripture: James 1:12
Embrace the Struggle
You are destined for impact. You’re beloved, you are unspeakably valuable, and you were made by God for His joy and for His grand purpose. You may be struggling with this, but as you listen to God and make decisions, you are developing the muscles of faith. Embrace the struggle.
We treat the subject of God’s will as though it were this crazy, exotic, mysterious thing, but in truth, it’s far less cryptic. Discerning God’s calling is about who you are becoming more than where you are going. Perhaps it’s less about what you do and more about how well you do whatever you do. It’s here and it’s ready, if you would just open your eyes.
We get hung up on the particulars of God’s concealed will, but—assuming you are walking with Him and obeying His revealed will—you can do what you want or go where you want and trust that He is the one leading and guiding through your thoughts and desires. Step out in faith knowing God goes before you and sets things up, guiding you in His providence and preparing things for you to discover.
If you’re discouraged by the difference between who you are now and who you want to be, between the now and the not yet, rest in the fact that we have a living Savior so we have a living hope. Jesus will come back and what the Enemy has destroyed will be restored. There is more life in front of us than behind us. That day isn’t here yet, and sometimes it seems as if it will never come, but it is guaranteed (see Romans 8:19–25). We can live in expectation, full of anticipation. This is what will keep you going when you feel like quitting.
Set your mind on things above, not on things of this earth (see Colossians 3:2). The future is where you must focus, not the past. When your heart is properly focused on the things that are to come instead of paralyzed by the hard and the horrible things you have had to handle, you are postured to be effective in the present. With God’s help, you can turn up the excitement for all the joy and glory that await and combat the deadly hypnotizing pull of this world.
With the future in mind, keep showing up to the fight today and every day. You will face failure. You will think of quitting, of giving up. You will begin to lose faith in your dream. But the truth is, this is a fight and it’s not over. A fight includes getting knocked down and getting back up again. It can be a difficult, bloody battle.
As you continue to fight the good fight and keep living, it’s not just for yourself you must fight to take back your life. God wants to save lives through you. Who knows what your legacy will be if you keep getting up and showing up. Who knows who God will inspire by how you face your struggles with faith and hope in Jesus.
Respond
What have you learned from your struggles, both in your mind and in your circumstances?
How does your perspective on failure affect your ability to face your struggles?
How does showing up every day allow God to use you? Why is showing up worth the cost?