Who has power in your life? Who influences your decisions? Many people would say that their teachers, parents, or spouses have power over their lives. A person with the power to affect your life also has the authority to influence you. But you still must submit to their influence and authority. Do you think you have power over your life? What if I told you another power influences the choices you make?
Did you know that you either yield to the power of Satan or God? Jesus spoke to the Apostle Paul and said this in Acts 26:18: I am sending you “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” We can take these same instructions for our own lives.
How do you know you are under Satan’s power?
If sin controls your life, then you are under the power of Satan. Ephesians 2:1-3 states, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
If you struggle with your sinful nature, where are you setting your mind? Your behavior follows your thoughts. If your mind is not submitted to the Spirit of God, then you will follow the course of this world and the prince of the power of the air, who is Satan. Romans 8:5-8 explains, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6) For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
7) For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
8) Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
How do you know you are under God’s control?
Are you experiencing life and peace? Isaiah 26:3 states, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Do you trust God and pray about everything? Praying keeps your mind stayed on Him. Thankfulness changes negative thoughts into positive, happy ones. Focusing on God’s truths as you memorize Scripture helps you trust God and be hopeful.
Psalm 16:11 also explains, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The only way to be in God’s presence is to pray, praise, and ponder God’s Word. Are you experiencing joy?
You can be a Christian and give power to the devil in your life, and the evidence is anger, worry, despair, complaining, and so on. To experience life, peace, and joy, you need to turn from the power of Satan to God. To turn from Satan’s power to God, follow these steps.
- Seek God’s forgiveness and repent of all your sins (Acts 3:19, Acts 17:30, Acts 26:20). Sin separates you from God’s presence.
- Put off your old way of thinking that leads to bad behavior, and put on a new way of thinking, like Christ’s. (Rom. 12:2, Eph. 4:22-24, Col. 3:5-15). Changing your thinking leads to Christian maturity and a sanctified life.
- After renewing your mind, set it on the things of God (Is. 26:3, Matt. 16:23, Rom. 12:2, Col. 3:1-3) so you know His will.
- Humble yourself, submit to God, and resist the devil (James 4:6-7). God’s authority is good, kind, loving, faithful, and not burdensome. Satan wants to keep you in bondage and hopelessness. Galatians 5:1 states, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” The devil wants you to be a slave to your fleshly desires and feelings. Jesus Christ set you free and wants you to grow in maturity, faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2Peter 1:5-7).
When you take these steps, God’s divine power will help you live a godly life and “escape from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4). When you love and obey God, He will do immeasurably more than you think or ask. Read my last post to learn more.
Conclusion
Whose power are you submitting to? Satan or God? It is easy for the devil to influence us through our thoughts because he is a deceiver. I have written a lot about controlling thoughts on the “Posts on Thoughts” page. You know your thoughts are being influenced by the devil when you lose your peace, joy, and hope. You have the power to put off the wrong thinking and put on God’s truth and right thinking. Remember, your thoughts determine beliefs, which drive your feelings, which influence your behavior. When you dwell on the things of God, then you will have right beliefs and sanctified behavior.
“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love (2John 1:3).”
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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.
If you find this website helpful, you may like Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.
Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles. My post is called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.
Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name so I know you are a real person making the request.
