Quit Daydreaming: How to Wake Up & Break Free (Part 2)Sample

Weapons of the Enemy We’ve already established that God has given us His armor to withstand the enemy's attacks, but it is also important to be aware of Satan's schemes so we are never caught off guard. In the war of the mind, the devil often uses several weapons to wear us down so we can give up and return to a life of bondage. When battling addictive behaviors, two common attacks Satan often deploy: shame and guilt. With that being so, we must ask ourselves what does the Bible say about these oppressive agents? After all, these are two emotions that, if not adequately addressed, can rob a person of the strength they need to fight. The first thing anybody battling guilt and shame should understand is God already defeated them. You read that right. The anguish of shame and gnawing feeling of guilt have already been conquered. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, He bore all of our rejection, shame and sin. And even though He was raised from the dead three days later, sin, death, and the grave remained lifeless. This means since all our sins - that is, our mistakes, mishaps, and wrongdoing– have been wiped away, then we have nothing to be ashamed of once we confess, ask for forgiveness, and make the decision to turn from our sin and come back to God. When God heals us from addiction and breaks our mental bondages, our human nature will try to fill us with shame and guilt over our past actions that were driven by selfishness, trauma, and oppression. But God sees things differently. He is not a God of second chances, but the Lord of extensive mercy who is willing to forgive and accept us when we humble ourselves and turn back to him –no matter how many times we mess up. The best part is when we do fall down, He doesn’t keep a record of our mistakes. On the contrary, He disregards our controversial histories and disappointing pasts and gives us a clean slate to start from. When we come to Him, He tells us to forget about the former things simply because He is doing a new thing in our lives that will make the impossible possible –just like He promised to make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.