Stop blaming the devil
He really has no power
Hello angels!
This week we are diving into Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.”
Nothing compares to the peace and presence of God. It’s given to us freely, yet somehow our minds can feel less like a peaceful sanctuary and more like a battlefield.
Even when there’s no major crisis happened, you can get into a mood, the thoughts start to spiral, and suddenly you’re convinced something is deeply wrong, spiritually, emotionally, physically.
NOT EVERYTHING IS A SPIRITUAL ATTACK
Not gonna lie, some of us, myself included, tend to overspiritualize everything.
Blaming the devil can feel easier than taking some loving accountability.
But when it comes to your thoughts, we need to remember that the devil doesn’t have power, or even access. He’s not omniscient, and he’s not omnipresent.
Yes, you could be experiencing temptation or fear from the devil, but he doesn’t control the thoughts that react to him, that’s on us!
Sometimes you’re just tired, hungry, overwhelmed, and we can loving look at ourselves and acknowledge that maybe we let our thoughts and emotions spiral just a smidge.
If we don’t look at ourselves first, we end up blaming the devil, blaming people, situations, hormones, all things outside our control, but God is so much bigger than it all!
1 John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
But here’s the real question: are you upset because you feel like you can’t access God’s peace, or are you upset because you can’t control how the situation plays out?
YOU CAN’T CREATE PEACE IN YOUR MIND USING THE SAME MIND THAT CREATED THE CHAOS
You can take accountability for your thoughts, but that doesn’t mean you can fully control them...and that’s good news, because there’s someone who can, and he will do a way better job!
But, you need to surrender first.
You’ve probably heard the scripture about taking every thought captive, 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
But what does that actually look like in practice?
First, notice the thought before you agree with it. You don’t have to act on every thought that shows up. Just because it’s in your head doesn’t mean it’s true or from God.
Second, submit it and repent of it. Don’ try and control it, just confess it to God, tell him you believed a lie for a hot minute and declare you’re turning away from it, and are ready to make your mind obedient to Christ.
Third, replace the thought with what God actually says. speak truth from scripture over it, out loud. There’s something about saying it with your mouth that shifts the atmosphere in your own head. Your ears need to hear what your spirit already knows.
That’s a promise and a how-to. The steadfast mind isn’t the mind that has it all together. It’s the mind that keeps bringing itself back to God’s truth.
PROTECTING YOUR THOUGHTS: THE ANALOGY THAT CHANGED THE WAY I THINK
Okay, this isn’t scripture, but it blew my mind when I heard it. “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from building a nest in your hair.”
The second you see it bringing a twig down, you swat it away. Your mind is the same way. You’re not responsible for every thought that shows up uninvited, but you are responsible for what you do when it knocks.
And this goes beyond what’s happening in your head. You also have to protect what you’re letting in through your eyes and your ears, what you’re watching, who you’re listening to, what you’re consuming before bed and first thing in the morning.
Then let God handle the rest...
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
ALL THE FRUIT IS ALREADY YOURS
God already gave you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit.)
You don’t earn them, you don’t convince yourself into them, they are your natural state in Him.
It actually takes more effort and energy to fight against them by staying in a state of unrest than it does to just let them be what they already are.
You’re not going to feel good all the time. You’re not going to feel God all the time either, but if you spiral every time your thoughts feel out of control, you’re not settling into the peace that’s already yours.
Romans 8:6, “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
It’s not something you’re working toward. It’s already in you. You need to believe you’re saved, have hope, and trust that God is moving even when you can’t feel it.
Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
What would your day look like if you woke up knowing God was already working on your behalf, whether you felt it or not?
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK:
Heavenly Father, I walk in the full authority You’ve given me over my mind. My thoughts are not my master. You are.
And because You are in me, peace is already mine. Love is already mine. Joy is already mine. I don’t have to chase these things or convince myself I have them. They are already my nature in You.
So today, when a thought shows up that doesn’t belong, I’m swatting it away because I know what I carry.
I know Who lives in me. I trust that You’re moving even when I can’t feel it.
I trust that Your peace, which goes beyond anything I can understand, is guarding my heart and mind right now. I don’t need to figure it all out.
I just need to trust You. Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you so much for being here. I genuinely appreciate you all so much and I pray this lands exactly where you need it today.
With love,
Amber-Lee & God’s Favorite
P.S. The Promise Pinky Ring was designed as a reminder that God keeps every promise He’s ever made to you, including the ones about your peace.
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Wear it as a reminder that His peace is already yours. Shop the Promise Pinky Ring or shop all of our scripture inspired pieces.
