Transforming Our Souls

​Battles are part of maturing in Christ.  The battlefield is our minds.  While our spirits were totally revived and renewed on the day of our salvation, our souls (mind, will, emotions) must be transformed.  Demons target our minds, planting thoughts in them to catch us off-guard.  Anytime we agree with the kingdom of darkness we open a gate for demons to enter and give them permission to operate in our lives.  It is important for us to continually evaluate our belief system and the behaviors that accompany it to see if we are building a protected place for them from which they can operate.  This is called a stronghold.  Any belief that we have that does not agree with God's truth can become a stronghold for the enemy. Consider some of the ways that we may come into agreement with the demonic:  sin, fear, anxiety, pride, lying, unbelief, self-condemning thoughts.  It is with human agreement that the devil is empowered.  By participating with the kingdom of darkness in our thought systems, we are building a stronghold or fortified place for the enemy of our souls to hide and attack us.
 
The good news is that Jesus came to earth to demonstrate the will of God, which is to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)  He instructed us to pray for the Kingdom of heaven to come to earth. (Matthew 6:10) He modeled the essence of Romans 12:2.  "Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will."  In his book The Three Battlegrounds, Francis Frangipane tells us that God made us to be overcomers.  The principle for success is this:  "Victory begins with the name of Jesus on your lips, but it will not be consummated until the nature of Jesus is in your heart...God's only answer is to become Christlike .  As you begin to appropriate not just the name of Jesus, but His nature as well, the adversary will withdraw."
 
How do we fight this battle?  Francis tells us we must "allow the Spirit of Christ full access into our souls."  Our goal is to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. (Romans 8:29)  We must make our minds strongholds for the Lord instead of the enemy by renewing it.  Our bodies are temples for the Lord to dwell in and need to come into agreement with heaven.  This is confirmed in Scripture:  "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  (Matthew 16:19)
 
Possessing humility or lack of it can have a major impact on one's life. Should we be accused of wrong-doing or failing, we must humbly repent and confess our sins and then appropriate what Jesus did for us at the Cross.  Confess like this:  "Jesus is my righteousness and through His blood I am forgiven and cleansed."  In doing this, we break down the stronghold of the enemy.  Then we can build a stronghold for the Lord by living like Him and obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
 
Keeping a record of what God has done for us and others and reviewing it regularly can bring hope and inspiration.  Hearing and reading testimonies of God's goodness will stir us to believe that all things are possible with Christ.  Along with this, we should use the tool of declaration.  "Declare a thing, and it shall be established for you." (Job 22:28 - NKJV)
 
"The Word of God is living and active.  It is sharper than any double-edge sword." (Hebrews 4:12)  It also pulls down enemy strongholds and renews our minds.  We cannot allow our minds to stray to the thoughts of the enemy but must meditate on God's Word regularly.  Past experiences can make us doubt the goodness of God.  We must declare God's goodness and faithfulness in the midst of trials.  Praise and worship position us in the presence of God.  Bill Johnson, lead pastor at Bethel Church, says, "When we worship in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties we build a gate where the King of Glory can invade our situations.  Rise above your circumstances and declare the goodness of God."
 
It is a life-long task—perfecting our souls.  Our souls find rest in God alone. (Psalm 62:1) It would be helpful for us to declare Psalm 146:1-2 over ourselves.  "Praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord, O my soul.  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." He is worthy of praise and honor!