When triggered, some people will either give in to the feelings and beat themselves up or go into drivenness and performance to earn righteousness. This performance-based behavior relies on ourselves and does not operate by God’s leading. As the enemy programs a person, they cannot accept and receive Christ Jesus’ free gift from the cross. The enemy torments by shooting fiery darts repeatedly to put a person into bondage and oppression repeatedly in their thoughts to get them to react to fear. Our thoughts affect our behavior.
Overcoming guilt can be a challenging process.
We need to see what Jesus did on the Cross. When we gave our lives to the Lord, He took our past sins from us. He has forgotten your past sins, failures, etc. But the enemy will not let a person fail. The enemy wants you to earn it, which is impossible since it is already done.
Let’s look at Romans 8. This a powerful example of the difference between walking in righteousness or a spirit of bondage to the law through works.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:1-6 KJV
Christ Jesus came to represent the truth and destroy the enemy's works in our lives. The question is, who are you going to believe? God’s Word or your voice or conscience – may be the enemy reminding you of your past failures and mistakes, driving you to do good works. Is it working? Do you end up in anxiety, stress, or continued guilt?
The Lord put the keys in our hands so we could choose to walk away from the bondage of guilt and fear. The Lord desires to lead us to the spirit of freedom, but we have a choice to follow Him. It is trust and submission to the Lord’s Word of Truth.
The Holy Spirit is also the power of God living in us, giving us the authority in Jesus Christ’s name to destroy the devil's work in our lives and on the earth.
Steps to overcome Guilt, Shame, Fear, etc.
First, we need to discern our thoughts. Is it love or not love we hear between our ears?
Second, once we discern it is not love but accusation and guilt, we need to cast it down once we discern the thought. It means not receiving it.
Third, stand on God’s Word of truth to put out the fiery darts meaning reframing your thoughts.
Didn’t Jesus, when tempted in the wilderness, come back to the enemy three times with the Word of truth? Didn’t Satan flee? Yes, he left. That is spiritual warfare. We fight through negative thoughts, called fiery darts, with God’s Word of truth to win against the enemy's lies.
We are not immune to a spirit of fear or guilt or anything else that attacks our identity in Christ. It is what we do with it. Let’s make that decision not to receive the evil thoughts that sound like your voice but become skilled in the Word of God.
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