All of us have experienced nightmares at some point in our lives. Some more than others. Let's take our imaginations back a few thousand years to the Sinai Desert. It's late at night and there are 600,000 men (not including any women or children) laying in their tents or on the dry, hard ground tossing and turning in their attempt to sleep. Visions of whips cracking and sounds of wheels turning infiltrate their minds as they relive building pyramids. They break out into a sweat and begin having rapid heart rate until the point they wake up screaming “NO!”. On any given night within the 40 years the Israelites roamed the desert, there could have been somewhere around half a million nightmares taking place; that's a lot of involuntary reminiscing about slavery.
How about you? Do you ever experience involuntary reminiscing about your past or who you use to be? Maybe you’re an alcoholic or drug addict who woke up with feelings of guilt and remorse because you enjoyed using in your sleep. Maybe your past was filled with sexual immorality and you woke up feeling dirty because of thoughts that took place during the night. Maybe you were someone who struggled very deeply with anger and you woke up feeling defeated because you hurt or even killed someone while you lay in bed that night. Still yet, you may struggle deeply with co-dependency and you may have encountered heart break because another person left you stranded while you slept. Regardless of which scenario tends to “eat our lunch”, the truth is that these experiences can seem so real to us that they can literally set the course for our day ahead, if not properly dealt with.
It almost seems as if a trap was laid beside our bed during the night, ready for us to step into as soon as our eyes open. Please understand that is exactly what it is – a trap! Why is this so important to understand? It's important because of what God’s Word says about us and about our enemies.
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:13-15 NIV
This good news reveals to us that Satan, our flesh, this world, and the power of sin no longer have power over us; they have been disarmed. The enemy knows this all too well; therefore, his tactics are very limited but very effective if we are ignorant of them. Though the enemy has no power, our thinking and our beliefs hold the keys to our future. What better way to simulate control over us than by attacking our minds while we are defenseless; pretty cowardly one might say.
For several hours the enemy can drop thoughts or images into our head and allow them to marinate just right for morning time. Sadly, if not dealt with immediately upon awakening, it can alter the rest of that day in various ways. So, what’s the answer? How do we properly diffuse the trap that has been set beside our bed? The answer is simple; by having a ready supply of God's truth in our arsenal and using it to defend our minds against the lies. It may take a few minutes to do and it definitely is a principle that requires practice. However, it makes the difference between setting your feet upon the sinking sand or the solid rock. You find these truths in God’s Word. Here are a few to cling on during those times.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” [2 Corinthians 5:17] NIV
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” [Romans 6:6-7] NIV
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” [Romans 6:11] NIV
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” [Romans 8:1-2] NIV
“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” [Ephesians 6:13-17] NLT
Take encouragement from this that there is a mighty working power, full of hope, available to help you grow into full maturity of following Christ. This power is found through the seeking and applying of God’s Word in our life. It's extremely vital to remember this because one of our greatest battles will always be between who we use to be and who God says we are now. So celebrate each morning with truth that sets you free!
Whether during the night or during the day, our Enemy the Devil seeks to confuse about who we are in Christ by planting various lies in our minds. At Crossway, we love helping people to realize the truth that really does set them free. Give us a call at 864-225-5557 or click on the Counseling button below. We would love to hear from you!