"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2)
In the above scripture, we have been given a directive. The directive is to, "not be conformed to this world." This means that there is a part that we must play in making sure that we do not conform! We can do this by seeking God and allowing Him to direct our steps. But how many of you know that sometimes; "life" seems to get in the way!
Many of us have bad habits, negative lifestyle patterns, or even destructive ways that can lead to our abusing something or someone; before you know it, we have conformed. Well, fortunately for us; negative and destructive actions can be changed, transformed, or even canceled!
Being conformed is nothing more than being "stuck" in a pattern. But what happens when we get "stuck?" We can start believing that we are what our behaviors and patterns say that we are!
I recently heard part of a message by Pastor Steve Furtick on how we are falling prey to the patterns of our lives. I heard him say, "If you'll change the pattern, God can change the product. You don't have to be stuck like this; you can get a new pattern!"
Needless to say, I never made it through the rest of his sermon because I didn't hear anything else after he said, "you can get a new pattern!"As I pondered those words, God began to speak. (Never got to hear another word out of Steve!) However, I heard the word, "PATENT!" So, I went to the computer and began to look up the word patent to see what God was wanting to show me.
A patent according to Merriam, is having exclusive control or possession of a thing; or making an exclusive "claim" on something.
As I sat there trying to make sense of the word, I began to think about the different areas in my life that seem to keep me bound. It's as if the enemy has some kind of stronghold or "claim" on certain areas in my life! Could that be what God was trying to show me? That there are areas in my life that He still does not have control over? Is this what the enemy does with us! Does he watch us carefully; Studying our habits and those things that tend to keep us defeated? Does he track our destructive patterns, in an effort to find the perfect time to place a patent or a stronghold upon certain areas of our lives, making him the exclusive "claim" holder of our failures? Have I given the enemy "rights" over things that I am not ready to get rid of? Things that have become regular patterns in my life. Things that have become a part of who I am.
Satan doesn't have to work hard to find the areas in our lives that are defeated. We tend to flaunt our defeats in his face daily. When we don't pray about them; we're flaunting them. When we don't apply the Word to them; we're flaunting them. When we don't fight against them, and continue to hold on to them...we flaunt them. Our defeats after a while become so second nature that we begin to walk in them. Believing that this is just who we are; it's just what we do! It is what it is! ....and our newest slogan for those trouble areas as we declare that, "the struggle is real!" ...We simply begin to "conform" to the pattern that the enemy has set before us!
See, a patent assigns or gives ownership to something, and that's what the enemy does with our bad patterns; He attempts to form a partnership with us; but how many of you know that if you give him the wheel, he will become the driver! So, I'm sitting here thinking about how we can come from under these patterns or patents that Satan has placed on our lives in hopes to keep exclusive control over our thoughts and actions. Those things that seem to keep us bound; keep us distracted; keep us defeated!
Well, unfortunately for the enemy, but fortunately for us, I have done a little research on patents. I have found that there is something called a patent transfer! And just as it sounds, I found out that in certain instances patents can transfer hands or ownership in the event that (3) things take place: "a merger, an inheritance, or a bankruptcy! I'm thinking that would be great, but Lord, how do our strongholds qualify for this patent transfer? How can we be protected from these patents (strongholds) that have been placed on our lives by the enemy?
He took me to this scripture found in 1 Samuel 24:15, that says,
"The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand."
As I began to listen closer, I could hear the Lord saying, If you trust me to deliver you, I can get you out of this mess! "Let's take a good look at those things that you need to qualify your strongholds for a patent transfer, starting with the "merger!"
- Because you accepted me as your personal Savior, a merger took place that made you a part of my Kingdom, so that makes any and all of your strongholds; eligible for a patent transfer;
- And because of that merger, I have adopted you as my own; not only giving you an inheritance, but making you joint heir with my Son...and that makes you double eligible for a patent transfer;
- and as for that bankruptcy clause? Well, when I died on the cross; every sin, every bad habit, every stronghold, and every destructive pattern...along with their consequences were nailed to the cross, bankrupting the enemy and every claim that he thought he had on you! So, you inform the enemy that you are no longer bound by his patents or his strongholds because you are changing authority!
Today! you can make up in your mind that your strongholds, your hard places, and your bad patterns are changing hands! You are changing ownership! You are eligible by default to be patent free from the patterns that the enemy has tried to place on your life! You are NOT the patterns that you have walked in!
Let God break those patterns for you! Let God give you a new way of walking; a new way of believing; and a new way of trusting! You are patent free!
Now give God some Glory and begin to walk in the newness of your life!!!
I think often of a statement that was made to me during a conversation about a year ago; at which time someone looked at me and said these words, "I will never change the way that I think!" My first reaction was one of surprise, because who wants to live a life of no change. I mean, if there is no change in thinking, how can it bring about a change in being? After a while, it dawned on me that that statement was one of the saddest statements I had ever heard! I immediately though of a prison cell. Only a prison cell would yield such a statement. A place of no return; of no hope; of no promises! This person had been sentenced to life, by one statement! "I will never...!" This person is still captive of negativity and thoughts of their past. A prisoner of lies, that the enemy has surrounded with prison bars!
Although God gave us the ability to think; He also gave our minds the ability to receive thoughts. Good AND bad! However, He also gave us plenty of scriptures that cover what we should do with those thoughts in the event that they are not of Him. Unfortunately, the enemy does most of his dirty work at the level of the thought process. Our thoughts can be persuaded and influenced by the enemy to bring plenty of pain and confusion! It can take you from a place of laughter to a place of depression; It can take you from a place of winning to a place of losing; It can take you from a place of fulfilling your purpose to becoming a prison of your past!
Ever been plagued by thoughts of your past? Where the thoughts of what used to be, what used to happen, what didn't happen, what should've happened, and what could've happened, all rush in like a flood and seem to drown out everything in you that wants to succeed? When thoughts of your past bogart into your mind like a thief, with no warning? and no respecter of scriptures such as Romans 12:2 that tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, OR Philippians 4:8 that tells us to think of true, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable things? Thoughts that seem to tear down
2 Corinthians 10:5, that tells us to take captive every single thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God! Have you been there? We don't even see them coming; the negative thoughts just lets themselves in...and we find ourselves locked in battle!
I don't know who I'm writing about, other than myself, but I'm supposed to tell you that those thoughts of your past are the enemy's last resort to try and keep you on the wrong side of your purpose! You keep waiting for your past to bid you farewell; but the thoughts of your past will never bid you farewell because they want to keep your mind from changing locations! Listen, the enemy knows that you're getting close to your season, ...I'm sure he can feel the atmosphere around you changing! Problem is...he's not in control of your atmosphere! God is! I'm sure that he can feel the change in the ground that you are standing upon...how it used to be shaky, but now it's solid! but he can't do anything about that! He's not in control of the ground in which you stand...God is!
Let the devil know that he is too late! Let him know that when Jesus died on the Cross, your past sins and mistakes were put to death with Him! And that on the 3rd day He got up and sealed your future!
Final thoughts:
We have got to start reminding the enemy of his fate! Every time he attacks our thoughts, we need to remind him of his future! There is nothing that can slow up our future like, holding on to our past! We can't enjoy the change that is taking place in our atmosphere because we are buying into Satan's lies about who we are and where we are going! We have got to stop giving life to thoughts that God is trying to put to death! The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy...and he's starting with the minds of the saints! We need to pray every scripture that we can on that which comes against our right thinking!
Satan can only speak to your past! He has no authority over your future! That is God's territory! He only knows about your past, that's why he uses it against you! He lacks in fresh new material! It's the same song that he plays in hopes to discourage us away from our faith walk! Even if there is truth to what he throws at you; you keep reminding him of your future that is secured by God's plan for your life...and then remind him of his future and God's plan for him!
2 Peter 1-3, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Psalm 144:1, Blessed be the Lord, my rock who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.
In the spirit of Resurrection Sunday I am reminded of a Savior who came and conquered sin and death completely so that you and I could live victorious lives that bring him glory.
Victorious means achieving victory by way of winning a battle or a struggle, so what I had to ask myself is this: Am I winning the battles that I am faced with? Have I been victorious in the struggles that I face daily? If God calls me to the front lines, am I prepared? Am I ready?
We carry our Bibles, we wear our nice crosses, we have all kinds of visual keepsakes that Pastors have passed out during sermons so that we can be reminded of who we are. I have a huge nail as a reminder of the fact that Jesus died for my sins; I have a bag of rocks to remind me that I can slay, not one giant; but many giants. I have blessed oil and I have a stick that represents the problems that I need to throw down so that I can trust Jesus. I have books and I have bible apps...all for the intention of helping me fight the good fight! Am I prepared if Jesus calls me to the front line?
In this race, I have been instructed in Ephesians 6:13 to put on the whole armor of God, but why is that? It is because I can be summoned to battle at any time. I know what you're thinking! God will fight our battles right? Well that is true. However, there is something that we must do. There is a part that I must play. God has my back defensively, but I have been called to an offensive battle, therefore I must prepare to fight. I have my armor but am I ready to use it? Whenever you suit up for any type of battle, you better be ready to fight. A person whose suited for battle and cannot fight is ineffective.
Let's check to be sure that we are ready!
Have we checked to see that we have on each piece of armor that we were instructed to have on. (the pieces aren't free. We must do something to earn those pieces) For example: I cannot have my feet shod with the Gospel if I never open my Bible. I cannot put on a breastplate of righteousness if I don't care about the type of lifestyle I'm living. Do you have all of your pieces?
Have we received clear battle instructions? Are we listening for God's orders when trying to do battle?
Are you well rested? Or has God stamped you with a sticker that says "Marked Drowsiness can occur?" "Wake up, oh thou that sleepeth" God can't count on you in battle if your are not alert and energized.
How is your eyesight? Are your eyes on God, so he can help you with the blind spots and attacks from behind? Satan doesn't fight fair! And he knows when you are partially suited. He knows when you have weapons that you don't know how to use! What good is a weapon in your possession right now? How can you take something by force if you have no strength or power?
What if God calls you to the front line?
We must do better at preparing to do battle. We make a lot of claims that we can't back up and Satan will always be there to remind you of your empty words and your careless attack attempts.
Did you really mean it when you said that you wanted to "get your stuff back" from the Enemy??? What is your strategy? Do you have a reputation for winning battles? How would Satan describe your reputation? How would he describe your battle plans? Would he say that you're a tough cookie? Or would he describe you as being inconsistent and never totally and fully dressed in your armor? Will he laugh at your failure to trust in your own God?
If God put you on the front line could you draw your weapon when required to? The front line requires confidence...it requires fearless-ness...Wisdom, and commitment...Do you have it?
Are you ready to fight! ...WHEN you are called to the front line?
