We Have the Spirit of God

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Crippling Lies

I have depression. I’m poor. I have bad luck. I’m stupid. I am alone. I’m worthless. I am such a loser. I’m not loved. I am an addict. I’m going to get sick. I am just a dirty sinner. I can’t forgive. These are some of the crippling lies that Christians can become overwhelmed with when they live from the earthly realm instead of the realm of God’s Spirit. The lies of the devil bring death, but God’s Spirit gives us life and peace if we allow Him to govern our minds!

Led by the Spirit

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. Romans 8:5-15 NIV

The Mind Governed by the Spirit is Life & Peace

The Bible tells us that we will face difficulties and trials in this life (John 16:33) but God never tells us to live defeated and hopeless lives. One of the worst things we can do is to believe the devil’s lies. We can and must renew our minds in the truth. (Romans 12:2) Then we can rise above the world’s environment into the atmosphere of heaven– simply said: Learning to pay close attention to the Holy Spirit. We can live free from wrong mindsets that steal our victory and our joy! The Holy Spirit gives life! (John 6:63) He lives in us to empower us to change our wrong beliefs into life-giving faith!

I’m not referring to thinking positively from an earthly standpoint. Some worldly “positive thinking” can lead you away from God’s truth into a sinful lifestyle. But the power of the Holy Spirit in us makes it possible for us to be transformed in the way we think so that our lives are changed! There is hope for the believer who is struggling. That hope is in reconnecting with the Holy Spirit in the heavenly realms.

Know Who Your God Is

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 NLT

It doesn’t do us much good to know we are seated with God if we think that our God is uncaring, judgmental and withholding good things from us. We have to believe what the Word of God says about His nature and character. In the passage above we see that:

• God is rich in mercy.
• He loves us.
• We were spiritually dead but Jesus gave life to us by dying on the cross and coming back to life three days later!
• God poured out His grace (kindness, favor and blessing) so extravagantly to save us from the punishment of sin we deserved.
• God through His Holy Spirit raised us up out of death to life with Jesus and has seated us with God.
• We have everything we need because we have been made right with God.
• Now we are one with Jesus Christ!

That is truly incredible and there’s so much more! God’s goodness is overwhelming!

We Are Seated With God

When we were born again in Christ, God redesigned us to live by the Spirit. Many Christians don’t understand this so they live feeling defeated and worthless, trying to manage their lives on their own power and with their own human reasoning. They focus on the natural realm instead of the place they have been seated– with God!

God gave me an astounding dream I affectionately refer to as The Beautiful Dream. In that dream the Holy Spirit told me to be seated with God in the heavenly realms. One of the clear messages in the dream was that I needed to listen to the Holy Spirit and believe what the Word of God says about who I am in Christ.

The only way we can be seated with a holy God is to be holy, right? Absolutely! We are clean and perfect through the blood of Jesus. We are now holy in Christ! So we can’t allow our circumstances, feelings, or what others think about us to become more important than who God says we are. We are not who we used to be. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) God’s Spirit has made us brand new through Jesus Christ!

Choose to Follow the Spirit

Being a Christian is following the Spirit’s lead! God is love, and His pure love doesn’t manipulate or overpower us. He invites us to receive everything He has for us by being one with Him. It is a choice we make every day to have a real loving relationship with Him and follow His lead into eternal life!

We Have the Spirit of God

Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. 1 John 4:4 AMP

There are demons in this world. But the good news is that Jesus defeated the devil’s power over us! (Revelation 1:18) He did that when He took our sin on the cross and rose from the dead three days later! We have the same Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead– living in us!

Putting yourself down and accepting a defeated, inferior mindset is not following the Holy Spirit. It’s giving in to the temptation of a wrong spirit. God’s Word tells us to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. (James 4:7)

God is love. God loves us so much that He doesn’t want us to keep living in a defeated mindset. That is why God gave us Holy Spirit– so we can live in victory regardless of our difficult circumstances here on earth. (Philippians 4:11-13) Many times even our circumstances will change if we allow the Holy Spirit to help us change our hearts and minds! God is so patient with us so stay in the journey with Him and do not give up!

An Anchor Scripture

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

There are so many wonderful translations of this scripture that it’s hard to pick just one! What I do like about this one is the emphasis on the fact that God has given us His Spirit— not a demonic spirit. This truth is so important to remember when fear, doubt, shame, condemnation, defeat etc. try to lie to us. We have the Spirit of God! Hallelujah! God is on our side and He has given us a better Word (Hebrews 12:22-25) than the discouraging words we have been tempted to hold on to!

2 Timothy 1:7 is a foundational truth because it reminds us that we have the Holy Spirit! Let’s look at it in another translation.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Put God’s Word into Practice

So, if you are tempted to feel depressed, remember the truth and say it aloud in your own words: God has not given me a spirit of depression! He has given me His Holy Spirit! I have God’s power, His love and a sound mind!

If you feel lonely, say in your own words: God has not given me a spirit of loneliness! Holy Spirit lives in me and loves me. God’s children love me too! The Holy Spirit is in me and has filled me with His power, love and a sound mind!

Maybe you struggle with an addiction of some kind. Speak the truth over your life: God has not given me a spirit of addiction. He has given me the Holy Spirit of power, love and self-control!

Submit to God & Resist the Devil

You may need to renounce some things. For instance, if you are addicted to something renounce the addiction and command the spirit of addiction to leave you in the name of Jesus. The same goes for depression or any stronghold of the enemy. But do it from the atmosphere of Heaven. Sit down with God and believe that He loves you! Be willing to do whatever it takes to receive everything Jesus has for you. (Matthew 16:25)

Find a good church that follows the Holy Spirit and cares about people. Connect with other believers through small groups that will help you grow spiritually.

When our spiritual eyes can see and understand God’s truth from our hearts, darkness will have to leave (Matthew 6:22)! Getting filled with God’s light is all about a steady relationship with Jesus. No matter what happens, do not give up! He will never give up on you! Keep getting closer to the One who loves you beyond words. Obey Him because He is your Lord. By faith in His grace you are taking back what the enemy stole from you. It may take some time for you to “feel” the change. But if you persist to know Jesus more intimately regardless of the cost, you are moving into the light of life. (John 8:12) The power of the Spirit of life will deliver you.

Living in the Spirit of Truth

Someone might say that I am taking 2 Timothy 1:7 out of context by inserting a different word. But when you think about it, every lie from the enemy that you believe eventually leads to fear and intimidation. God has not given us fear or intimidation and He doesn’t want us to tolerate the enemy’s lies. When you choose to believe God’s truth so that it becomes a part of who you are, the Spirit will set you free.

No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 NLT

God’s Spirit Lives in You

Find out what God’s Word says. You will discover that God loves you beyond words! He has great plans for you and has provided the best for you through Jesus. The Spirit will help you and fill you with God’s love, joy and peace. Your life will become rich and satisfying (John 10:10) because you have the Spirit of God!

But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. John 16:13 AMP