We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

-2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) 

 

I have an honest question for you.

One that I want you to think about before answering.

Are you living transformed?

For most, we answer this from a place of head knowledge and quickly say yes because it’s the adopted language of Christians.

We are new creations in Christ.

The old is gone — the new is here!

Right?

But let’s stop and evaluate…are we living fully changed?

What I mean is, do we look, sound, and act like Jesus?

Do our thoughts reflect His nature?

Do we respond to hard situations with peace and patience?

Is the fruit of the Spirit flowing effortlessly from our lives?

Do we feel light and free throughout our daily lives?

For many of us, the change we’ve experienced is found in what we do outwardly. Things like, going to church, attending a Bible study, tithing our 10%, serving in a few ministries…having fellowship with our church communities. These are all really good acts and valuable, but is this the change and true transformation that unlocks our new life in Christ?

The answer is no.

I’ve been a part of church culture my entire life. I grew up in church. I raised my kids in church. I’ve served since I was twelve years old. I’ve helped establish two church plants in two different states, and I’ve served as a life coach to the body of Christ for over fifteen years, one thing I can attest to is that we passionately love Jesus, but most are not living transformed.

Most are living with stress knots in their bellies. Thoughts that weigh them down. Secret fears keep them in bondage, insecurities that hold them back, and while some may be excellent at responding the “Jesus way” outwardly, wearing the plastic Christian smile, inside, there is a war between the flesh and the spirit that leaves many with an inner turmoil they wear daily.

Friend — this is not the new, transformed, spirit-led, light, and free life that Jesus paid for.

And no, you don’t need more prayer.

You don’t need more conferences, podcasts, or ministries to plug into.

You don’t need more deliverance because it’s not the devil who’s blocking your transformation…

You need to deal with the thought patterns and belief systems that are subconsciously ruling you and get your thinking lined up with Truth — the truth that sets you completely free!

Romans 12:2, the NIV version says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Let me explain what “the pattern of this world” is before we unpack this concept. The pattern of this world is any thought or behavior that you can’t imagine Jesus thinking or doing.

Seriously.

Anything in opposition to the way of Jesus is a pattern of this world — it’s the old that needs to go, and it all begins with the renewal of our minds. If we don’t get our thinking lined up with the kingdom of Heaven, we will not be able to test and approve what God’s perfect will is, and we stay stuck.

It’s right there in our Bibles.

Transformation comes from the renewal of our minds.

Living transformed is not complicated.

But we’ve made it seem that way by buying into belief systems that justify thoughts that argue with truth instead of capturing them and coming out of agreement with them.

These anti-God thought patterns are called strongholds.

Strongholds are thought patterns in our minds that are in opposition to God’s Word.

Strongholds can be very subtle and sometimes very hard to detect. They can range from thoughts of unbelief, insecurity, inner fear, worry, bitterness toward life or people, unforgiveness, jealousy, criticism toward others, and even thoughts of justifying behavior that doesn’t display the fruit of the Spirit.

Any thought that causes us to think, act, or behave in a way that does not think, sound, or act like Jesus stems from a stronghold.

When we allow these strongholds to remain, the enemy doesn’t have to work very hard to keep us in bondage to the flesh, our sinful nature, blocking us from living out our new natures, to be like Christ, empowered by the Spirit, to live by the Spirit.

When I say empowered to live by the Spirit, I mean His fruit is BURSTING from our lives, and we’re not even trying.

Love—

Joy—

(Inner) Peace—

Goodness—

Kindness—

Faithfulness—

And SELF-CONTROL.

All of a sudden, we aren’t trying to look like a Christian, our minds have been renewed; we’re becoming like Christ, glorifying our Father in Heaven, shining His glory to the world around us.

We’re transformed.

It’s time to uproot and cast down every thought that comes into our mind that wants to argue with God’s Truth, cut off any access the enemy has through wrong and ungodly thoughts, and live in the fullness of new life that Jesus paid for!

Pray with me: Father, I live with an inner turmoil in the pit of my belly and don’t even realize how much that turmoil is connected to wrong thoughts that are keeping me from living transformed. Holy Spirit, help me identify the thought patterns I’m subconsciously living from so I can consciously come out of agreement with every idea, belief and thought that is not lined up with my new life in Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. 

Application:

When confronting a thought, if we find ourselves saying phrases like, “Well you don’t understand,” or “Yeah but…” and we instantly rationalize our belief systems, we cut off the ability to potentially uproot and cast out a stronghold that is keeping us locked into our old nature. And let me tell you, that old self is a prison that blocks us from living in the fullness of peace and joy that Jesus came to bring us!

Here’s a quick self-evaluation I have used in my own life for many years:

Am I filled with joy and peace like the Bible says is mine?

I can trace those feelings to thoughts that are consuming my mind, and from there, I can check to see if those thoughts are in agreement with the Word. If I can’t picture Jesus thinking it or saying it, with no justifying — no reasoning — no excuses, it’s a wrong thought that leads me to rebel against God, and it needs to GO!

All unloving, critical, fearful, or worrisome thoughts get cast down immediately, and from there, I renew my mind by lining my thoughts up with the Word of God.

Period.

If you are doing all the Christian things but find yourself still living with an inner push and pull between your old nature and your new spirit and power life, my book, Ripple Effect, was written for you! 

Grab your SIGNED COPY HERE or CLICK HERE FOR AMAZON. 

Much love, J