I never fully realized what role evil plays in our minds.
Last week, I was in Gainesville, Georgia for training camp. The staff at Adventures in Missions put us in different teams throughout the week, gave us challenges in those teams, and would observe us. They did this so they could chose the most healthy team formations possible.
I was asked towards the end of the week to be a team leader. One challenge given to the team in which I was leading was suprisingly frustrating. We were given a scenario in which “we had crashed our spaceship on the moon and had a list of official NASA materials in which we had to priortize the most importent to the least importent, in 10 minutes.” I found myself not knowing what to do or how to lead this activity. Some thoughts I had…..
“You are letting your team down!”
“You cannot meet their expectations!”
“You can’t do this!”
“What a horrible leader you are!”
“Why do you think you can do this?”
“You’ll never measure up!”
“You are letting everyone down”
After the activity was over, a panel of staff debriefed by asking us questions. I declared to my team and the staff observing us the list above, outloud. I cried and felt so unlike myself. I would usually never say these things, and this is ceratinly not the way God speaks to us!! So where did these thoughts come from?
The Enemy.
Evil tries to plant thoughts in our heads, but unlike God, evil cannot read our thoughts, in reaction to what he tells us. Evil sees our reaction. Evil saw me declare the lies he whispered to me. After the activity and debreif was over I went to think and pray about what had just happened.
I had to call Satan out. I had to tell him outloud that he has no place in me, because of who I am in Jesus and I recognize that those lies were him and i do not accept it. We have authority in Christ to tell Satan to go back to Hell and shut up. He left, Satan couldn’t touch me.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God…” Ephesians 6:12,13a
I asked God, to reveal any other lies which had been planted in my thoughts. I kneeled on the ground and asked him what He wants from me. I heard a small whisper in my thoughts, “Alison, you are to be a leader!” I felt peace that transcended understanding. He affirmed what everyone else on staff and on my team saw. I couldn’t see this or believe it. Satan thought he had me, but he was wrong.
“For though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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 10:3-5
I am so very honered to be the leader of team 5 Alive. I love my team and I recognize that God has given me the power and boldness to lead. Satan has no place or authority! Thank you God!!!
