Walking in the light while living in a dark world is not easy. God never promised us that we would not face challenges in this world. He said, “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33, TPT).
That is good news! He has conquered the world. Are you fully persuaded that Jesus conquered the world? He gave us an instruction book of how we are to walk in the world as a born-again child of God, and He sent the Holy Spirit to show us the way.
Why then does it get so complicated living in this world? We humans somehow just have a way of making things complicated. The apostle Paul understood this when he wrote, “But I fear that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve through his trickery, so your minds might be led astray from the simplicity that is in Chris” (2 Cor. 11:3, MEV).
As children of God, we have to fully understand what happened to us when we received Jesus. The Word of God tells us that we are “new creations” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). Our spirit was born again and our soul and body were impacted but did not become new. We have to present our bodies to God and renew our minds (soul) (Rom. 12:1-2).
John 3:3 tells us that unless we are born again we cannot “see” the kingdom of God. Conversion gives us the ability to see. That is a miracle! Now we can study the Bible, God’s Word, and grow in the grace and knowledge which teach us how to live as a child of God.
We must also understand how we are created. We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body (1 Thess. 5:23). Your spirit was born again by the grace of God. It is a finished work. Your soul is in a progressive work of grace; it is being transformed, a work in progress. That progress depends on you. God has given us His Word and a helper, the Holy Spirit, to help us understand His Word.
Before we were born again, we were self-centered and selfish. Everything was about us—what we wanted and how we felt. Paul tells us the stumbling block in our new life is our mind. Our minds are corrupted with listening to the world, and we are taught to watch out for No. 1.
Strongholds are formed in our mind. We are told to cast down imaginations and strongholds that war against the Word of God (2 Cor. 10:3-5). The way to get rid of a negative stronghold is to renew your mind, replace the thoughts that built the stronghold into a stronghold of righteousness, thoughts of God. The only reason we lose a battle is because of the condition of our soul, our unrenewed mind.
One danger we face is that we can get so involved in the things about Christ that we fail to pursue our relationship with Him. The pressures of daily living can overwhelm us when we don’t take the time to read the Word and have fellowship with the Lord.
Time is your most valuable asset, and how you choose to use your time will determine your quality of life. Investing a small amount of time over time brings increase in areas that matter most. Investing time consistently in the Word of God brings increase in every area of your life
God is for you, He is not against you. I know sometimes it seems He is so far away, but that is a lie of Satan. He lives in you! The main thing to remember is to keep at the center of your life an awareness of the goodness of God.
Many Christians believe in the supernatural power of God, but don’t experience it in their day-to-day life because they don’t understand how to access it. As a child of God you have access to two realms—the natural and the supernatural, the kingdom of heaven. When your mind is renewed and you are fully committed to God, heaven becomes more than a place you will go to someday. You will bring heaven to earth and walk in righteousness, peace and joy as you walk the runway of life.
The printed Word in the Bible is knowledge; the revealed Word in your heart is life. The Word becomes truth and life as you renew your mind by reading and meditating on the Word of God (Josh. 1:8).
“For the word of God is alive, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
We must learn to value the Word of God. It is life to those who find it and health to their flesh (Prov. 4:20-23).
Eve did not value God’s Word. She believed a lie and empowered the liar. She lost her fellowship with God. Eve allowed her mind to be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ, and it cost her everything.
Joyce Tilney is an author and Bible teacher. In her new book, The Real Woman Grows Roses from the Thorns of Life, Joyce shares how the seed of God’s Word planted in your heart will transform you into the child God created you to be. For more information email: [email protected] and visit her website at wogministries.com. The book is available on Amazon.
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