Fighting in the Mind

In the previous post, Importance of Holiness, I said that next I would talk about how to live it out and fight the mental battle of purity.  But I’ve realized since then that I really don’t have many original ideas, I just have the testimony that it works!

The best thing in the battle for my mind has been to pray in the Spirit as much as possible.  Praying constantly for a week has brought up so many issues in my life that I’m now dealing with, and freed me to love God more fully.  I’m so in love with Holy Spirit!  He is the very person of God living inside of me.  He is always near, always loving, always encouraging, and always leading me back to God’s heart.

So the testimony I want to share happened about a week ago.  Basically I had an argument with my dad, yelled, and went away feeling worthless.  So many painful memories had been triggered and my heart felt broken.  I was consumed with anger, half at my dad and half at myself just for feeling angry.  My world was spinning and I had nothing to cling to.  After half an hour of trying to calm down and crying out to God for help, I remembered a blog I had recently read about saying no to entertaining thoughts that lead to sin.  I recognized at that moment that I had the choice to meditate on my anger, or surrender it to God.  The blog had said in that moment of decision to say the name of Jesus out loud, then pray in tongues.  I knew that turning to God in that very moment was my only choice.

When I began saying the name Jesus, it was like light shining on the darkness of my heart and exposing the filth.  My anger was so strong and I could tangibly feel it clash with the name Jesus.  I’m not sure if I have ever felt such a battle rage within me, but I forced myself to keep saying His name.  Then I prayed in tongues.  In tuning myself with the Spirit of God, I could feel how I had quenched Him.  But I could also feel Him weeping with me.  Some how, His tears led me back to the Father’s tender heart of love.  He touched my heart and healed my pain.  God’s faithfulness proved stronger than the anger which had held me bound moments before.

That is the faithfulness of Holy Spirit, to be near even when we have defiled ourselves.  In those times, He comes in tenderness and leads us back to God.  The only suggestions I have that will help win the battle in your mind is to turn to God in prayer during the moment of temptation.  He will be there, even if you feel filthy and separated from Him by your sins.  He is faithful.  He is near.  Say His name for there is power in the name of Jesus!