Victory!

I am loving victory right now. In the past – self discipline just seemed overwhelming. I let myself say no to time with God so many times in favor of a tv show or a movie that I kind of wanted to watch…I let myself spend money on so many things that I bought – so many times – for the sole reason that the idea was in my head and I just let it sit there and grow there until I just had to have it and I didn’t even remember why, or if that reason even still existed. I let myself convince me SO many times to work so hard to avoid a situation because possibly, maybe, potentially it might be kind of or a lot awkward or uncomfortable. All these things – even when I KNEW it wasn’t what God wanted me to do.
But after all these years of giving in and giving in and losing and failing…God has somehow empowered me to finally silence the voice that says “just do it…you’ll change eventually, you don’t have to right now”(satan) so that I can FINALLY hear the voice saying “you don’t have to. WHY are you doing it? where is this fear-this weakness-coming from? And why are you listening to it???”(God)
And now that I can hear that voice…its like huh…why am i?
And all this time I thought – if I could just have self-discipline…I wouldn’t feel guilty anymore.
But here’s the revelation I didn’t see coming…
After about 3 months of being in process of intensely learning self-discipline, not only do I not feel GUILTY anymore…but I feel FREE. Victorious. Strong. At peace… Do you get the idea? :)
But really, guys – turns out that once you stop giving into satan – you are free! This seems so obvious, and I have heard this so many times, but I guess I always just focused on the “not feeling guilty” part. I had no idea what the “freedom” would be like! Literally like a thousand pounds is lifted off your back, every time you claim victory over satan. Like the weight of the guilt we have been carrying around is finally being removed.
Amazing stuff! And I have no idea how it took me so long to really start fighting.
But it’s a battle…
Satan will never stop trying to whisper, sometimes scream, the lies into your life…and they are SO tempting to listen to…because it seems so much easier.
But he is just trying his best to cover up the truth and love and LIFE that God is constantly speaking into you. so silence the lies! Remind satan that he already lost and while he can make it hard for you to hear your Father’s voice – he can never silence it. Be free.

Galatians 5:1 – For FREEDOM Christ has set us free, so stand FIRM, therefore, and do NOT submit again to a yoke of slavery!

Matthew 16:23 - Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

Lets be free, friends! And decide to listen to God’s voice and follow it…no matter where it leads. :)