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YOUR NUMBER ONE BATTLE

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Satan knows that if he can capture your thought life, he has won a great victory.
Mark Hankins

I heard a story once about a man who asked a well- known evangelist to pray for him that he would never have another bad thought. The evangelist said, “If I could do that for you, I would do it for myself!”
You must realize that as long as you are in this world, Satan has access to you, and he can bring thoughts and suggestions to your mind. This does not mean you are not saved. As a matter of fact, Satan knows if he can capture your thought life, he has won a great victory.
The devil will tell you that if you thought something, you ought to say it or do it. However, you decide what you will do with those thoughts. I like the way Dad Hagin said it: “Just because Satan brings thoughts to your mind doesn’t mean they are sin. Thoughts may come and thoughts may persist, but thoughts that are not acted upon die unborn.”

Confession: I cast down every imagination and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God. I am bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ!

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MIND RENEWAL

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think.
(Romans 12:2 Living Bible)

Identification with Christ allows God to attack your intellect from your inner man.
Mark Hankins

Simply attacking them with a few scriptures cannot solve problems in life that require mind renewal. You have to get right to the power source of Christianity and start to declare your identification and union with Christ.

P.C. Nelson, in Bible Doctrines, wrote, “Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union.”

Identification with Christ allows God to attack your intellect from your inner man. Christ rises up on the inside of you and doubt, fear, confusion, shame, poverty, and sickness are thrown out!

Confession: I am who God says I am. I have what God says I have. I can do what God says I can do. He is the Champion. I am blessed because I am in Him!

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IT HAPPENS ON THE INSIDE

And 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)

Your identification with Christ is the center of the power of the Gospel.
Mark Hankins

Mind renewal begins with understanding your identification with Christ. Some problems in your mind or soul can be so severe that they can only be dealt with at their roots by this part of the Gospel. You will never be normal and you will never fulfill the potential God has for your life unless those problems are dealt with.

Your identification with Christ is the center of the power of the Gospel. It will rise up inside you and will hit the root of mental, emotional, or behavioral issues. No matter what has happened to you — abuse, shame, what ever it is — you can say, “I am a new creature in Christ. Christ lives in me. I forget what I used to be.”

There is miracle-working power in Christ. The world may say you will never recover. But in Christ, you can be restored. It cannot happen from the outside, but it can happen on the inside!

Confession: I am being transformed from the inside out by the renewing of my mind! I was crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!

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A LIVING SACRIFICE

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Anyone who has ever won an Olympic gold medal will tell you he did something about his body.
Mark Hankins

Paul said for you to present your body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. People often go to the altar because they want God to take cigarettes or some other habit away from them. God doesn’t smoke, so He is not going to take those things from you. God does not chew tobacco, so He is not going to take it from you. Your body can become addicted to things that will destroy it. The Bible calls these habits “sin” because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Anyone who has ever won an Olympic gold medal will tell you he did something about his body. When his body did not want to run, he kept on running. When his body said, “I want to go eat this,” he said, “No, you are not eating that.” I am not referring to people who run every once in a while; I am talking about gold medal winners. They have to do something about their bodies.

Confession: Body, I am doing something about you right now. I am presenting you as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.

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BLESSED TO SERVE

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. (Psalm 34:2)

A servant has access to every place the master does because he is serving the master.
Mark Hankins

When you are serving the Master, He gives you the keys to everything because He trusts your heart. That is how you got that close to Him to start with. He has watched you time and time again as you humbled yourself and said, “I am just here to serve. I am not here to promote myself.”

In 1 Peter 5:5-6, Peter said to put on the clothes of a servant. When you dress like a servant, you know you are a child of God. The more you wear the clothes of humility, the more Jesus says to you, “Let Me give you more keys for other rooms. I want to show you some other things that are in My house.” As a servant, you enter the Master’s room. He grants you access.

True humility boasts in the Lord and not in anything I have done or can do. I like to boast about who Jesus is and who I am in Him!

Confession: I make my boast in the Lord! It is not anything I have done or can do. It is who Jesus is and who I am in Him! I am dressing as a servant and humbling myself to be a blessing by serving!

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