I'm a Christian, but I'm still stuck in the same sin. I'm not smart enough. I'm not a good public speaker. I'm a terrible father and a terrible son.
Those words have crossed my mind various times throughout my walk with God. If we are already set free from guilt, why do we still have condemning thoughts? Can't they all just go right away?
Thoughts can be alluring and overwhelming at times. Thoughts of failure, rejection and hopelessness fill the minds of many people, even Christians. Most especially Christians.
Why? Because we can often forget that there is an enemy who does not want you to be free in God's Spirit. Satan is real and he will do everything in his power to keep you out of the love and forgiveness that God has already given to all mankind.
John 10:10 gives us a weighty warning when it says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." The prince of darkness already stands condemned and judged of sin (John 16:11), and envy has filled His heart knowing you have now been reconciled with God. He had his chance and now he's trying to take yours.
Thoughts are often the greatest weapon that Satan uses against us. It is the enemy's thoughts we hear when we come face to face with condemnation. However, 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands us, "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."
Condemnation will come because it's the biggest weapon the enemy has in his arsenal, but we can stand firm knowing that there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus. And although we will still fall short of His glory, although we will still break God's heart and although we are not yet perfect, God makes it clear that it is not our efforts that have saved us.
When Christ took to the cross the sin of all mankind, He paid the price once and for all and declared that all that needs to be done is to believe that His grace is sufficient and can free us from the consequence of sin.
Moreover, it is also assured that He will give us the grace to break the occurrence of sin in our lives, but it will take progressive surrender to his lordship to be able to do that. Yet as we wait for that day, we stand firm in the promise that as far as the east is from the west, so are our sins far from us.
Salvation comes through faith, and the battle of the mind is already won. We just need to declare and believe that the enemy is defeated and the guilt and shame have already been erased by the blood of Christ.
