Wonderful Wednesday – Week 3

YLSC.Week3Romans828.

I’ve heard it said before … we have to face our inner demons to really have victory over them in Christ. But what does that mean? Can we really be possessed by a demon in today’s and age?

The Bible has specific definitions of what demons are. They are considered spirit beings of fallen angels and are enemies of God, yet they are defeated enemies. They do have the ability to take possession of a physical body, in biblical times and even today. But this is impossible to happen to a child of God, because the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of a believer in Christ, as promised in 1 John 4:4 which says, But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

But the common dictionary defines demons a little differently. It still defines them as evil spirits or the devil, but it also defines them as “a person, habit, obsession, etc. thought of as evil, cruel or persistently tormenting.” That last part grabbed my attention, because sometimes the ‘demon’ that persistently torments us most is our own thoughts and memories.  Not an actual demon possessing us, since that’s not possible for believers, but an inner demon that can still cause much havoc on our life and our faith walk. 

We all have our own “demons”. For some of us, our demons are those voices inside our head, constantly telling us we are imperfect, not good enough, damaged goods, or beyond repair. Or the voices of other people who made us feel inferior, unloved, rejected or criticized.  For some, our demons are the mistakes and regrets of our past that haunt our memories each day. And for others, those demons might be the limitations life has bestowed upon us, whether it’s illness or a physical handicap, which leave us believing we are useless, not valuable and without any real purpose in life.  

The truth is, regardless of what “demon” we struggle with, it persistently torment our hearts and minds and convince us that God could never really use our past for something good, much less something to glorify Him, and that we could never be valuable and loved by a Sovereign God.

But the greatest and real truth is –  Jesus has already claimed victory over every single demon that exists – every enemy has already been defeated – yet we have to choose to let that truth be a reality in our hearts and choose to live life believing that we are victorious in Him.

During His ministry, Jesus encountered a lot of demons, but NONE of them were a match for His power. For example, let’s consider the man who was healed from demon possession in Luke 8:28-39. Here we see a demented man who had lived in the tombs for many years, naked and alone, cast out of society and the demons would often take control of him. But when he saw Jesus, he, and the demons within him,  fell to his knees and shouted at the top of his voice, begging for mercy from God. Jesus commanded the demons to leave him and then cast them into a herd of pigs who all rushed down the steep bank into a lake and drowned. The man was healed physically, but more importantly, spiritually.

This healed man was so overwhelmed with gratitude for what Jesus had done, he wanted to spend all his time from that moment forward just praising Jesus and sit at His feet and bask in His glory, as we see in the below passage:

Luke 8:36-39 says, Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake.  The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.”

An encounter with Jesus had changed his life entirely, and the man begged to travel with Jesus and stay by His side. I can relate to that feeling, can’t you?  Think back to one of those times, or the only time, when you felt touched and changed by the power of Jesus in your life, and you were so passionate and on fire for Him that you just wanted to praise and worship Him all the day long? He loves our gratitude, yet He wants us to take that gratitude to the next level.

Jesus wants us to do more with His gift of transformation and redemption, which is exactly what he told the formerly possessed man. Jesus told him to home, go and share his story, with everyone he knew. And he did.

What had once been a burden to bear became a powerful story of holy transformation and life change. This man’s past, and the healing he had experienced became the foundation of a purpose in life that he would have never imagined – living out his life as proof of the life changing power of Jesus. He most likely spent the rest of his days telling everyone He knew that Jesus truly is all powerful – even over demons of all kinds.

His story became a testimony when he was willing to share it with others. I can’t help but wonder how many people might have begun believing in Jesus Christ and are now spending eternity with Him in the beauty of heaven right now simply because this former demon-possessed man was willing to allow His terrible past to become a story of redemption and purpose which could help others see and discover Christ for themselves. He didn’t let the shame of his experience keep him from spreading the word about what Jesus is capable of.

I know talking about demons is kind of deep and serious, and not a fun topic. But if our inner demons are what is keeping us from believing we are valuable to God, and from letting Him use our past for a purpose, then it’s a discussion we need to tackle head on.

People can deny Christ, dispute scripture and ignore prophecy, but they cannot deny, dispute or ignore what God has done in your life. (click to tweet this). 

Our stories of pain, adversity and overcoming in Christ are meant to serve as a testimony of God’s faithfulness and power and shining evidence that God really can take what the devil meant for evil and use it for good.

God never wastes our pain – only we do that. He has a plan for great purpose to blossom out of every big and little struggle we’ve overcome, and He has a beautiful future for all who believe this is true.

God has great plans and purposes for every single one of us —not despite our past, but because of it.

Romans 8:28 is not something Jesus meant for “everyone else”. He meant it for every one – including YOU. (click to tweet this)

NEXT STEP

When you have some time alone, pray for God to help you be fully aware of what ‘demons’ have been inhabiting your heart and mind. Those thoughts, hurts, memories or harsh words that are keeping you from embracing how much He adores you and from accepting His truth that He has a special divine purpose for your life. Write in your journal or study guide whatever God brings to mind, even if it’s hard.

Then look at your list. These are the experiences/memories/feelings/emotions/false truths that you need to surrender to God. These are the things persistently tormenting you and possibly keeping you from a deeper relationship with God and possibly from seeing the plans God has destined you for.  Lay these heavy burdens (a.k.a, demons) at the feet of Jesus and let Him make you whole and free from what has been holding you captive.

Lastly, after doing both of the things above, write down how you are feeling and what you are thinking, so that later, you can revisit how your heart felt when you opened the door for Jesus to cast out your inner demons. In time, you can look back and see how He brought victory to your life in more ways than one. And that victory will feel amazing.

WEDNESDAY GIVEAWAY 

I can’t stress enough the importance of journaling throughout this journey of discovering how and why each of us and our life still counts to God. So today, I’m giving away another journal! The beautiful words on the front are so perfect, from Matthew 15:26, reminding us that “With God All Things Are Possible”.

To enter to win, share something you once thought was impossible, but God helped you find victory over. Let’s all inspire each other with our God-moments when we saw proof that all things really ARE possible with God!

DON’T FORGET ABOUT TONIGHT’S FACEBOOK PARTY!!!

IF YOU HAVEN’T SIGNED UP YET, CLICK HERE!!

YLSC FACEBOOK PARTY! (1)

To participate in the Facebook party, just hop over to the Facebook party page , click to join, and be online on that page at 8:00pm EST. I’ll pose some questions for us to answer and talk about, and you’ll answer in the comments. Easy peasy! Plus lots of freebies will be given away!

Hope you can come! 🙂

 

 

 

25 Comments

  1. Leah DiPascal on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 7:15 am

    Praise God that Satan and all of his demons were defeated on the cross! Christ came to set the captives (us) free, so let’s walk in the freedom we’ve already been given through Him.

    Great post, Tracie!! I’m so encouraged and blessed by your words.



  2. Kari on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Praise the Lord for the freedom given us through Christ! I can remember when I first received the Lord I was a very negative and critical person because that is what I was around constantly. But God…when I cried out to Him, asking Him to change my heart…he heard me and I was delivered. Oh it was work because I had to take my thoughts captive and make them obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ, I had to do the work of changing my thoughts and my words and replacing them with the Word! I can say now ….I am free! Many things have come up that He has wanted to change and as long as I surrendered to let Him work in my heart and I worked through my thoughts and mouth….freedom always came and it still is today!



  3. KathrynH on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 8:16 am

    When I was a teen I wrote poetry. Someone very close to me asked me why I bothered wasting my time. I threw it away. Three years ago I started to dive deeper into my walk with God and poetry returned, uninvited. That was gift. But then God whispered share. It is faith based poetry. It is God’s words whispered in my heart. It is my heart open on a page. I argue. With God. Often. But sometimes, I obey. That is so hard. It takes trust. It takes humbleness. It takes faith. It is open heart surgery. But they are His words. And so sometimes I do. Who would have thought?!



  4. Barbara on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 8:31 am

    I was in bondage for 4 years over a situation that was so horrible. I prayed and walked the floors in the middle of the night and I just could not get free from it.
    I met with my pastor and he gave me scriptures to read and a prayer to pray.
    And a prayer for my husband to pray in each room of our house. I prayed and
    prayed and read the scriptures over and over. Then one day Praise God I was
    Free from this bondage.. Thank you Tracie for these powerful words today…
    Such a blessing…..



  5. Trudy Pope on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Thank you for your encouraging words! I once thought God needed my help to take care of my children and grandchildren but He has and continually shows me He does just fine without me but I need to pray daily and sometimes He wakes me in the night to pray for them. Matter of fact, He does MUCH better when I stay out of His way and let Him work alone.



  6. Tiffany Farmer on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 9:03 am

    Thank you for sharing this!

    God Is working ways in my life that I can’t explain. My best friend passed away 7 years ago and I was so angry at God for taking her away from me. It was a friend of mine that helped me understand to seek GOD and listen to him. Once I learned how to “listen” to the voice of God my life is forever changed. I am no longer angry and understand that God put this in my life for a reason and one day I will find that out. 🙂 God is so good and when I hear him speaking to me, it is the best feeling in the world!



  7. Miranda miller on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 9:07 am

    My kids were taken into cps care and I though I had lost my kids forever. My whole life were/is my kids. I had no purpose and felt worthless after they got removed from me and my husbands care. With Gods grace, I now have them back. They are still in the care of cps but I am the caregiver. Please continue to pray for this situation will get better. I know God is working through this very difficult time and has a much greater plan for this trial than I can see, but sometimes I get so discouraged. I haven’t receive full victory over this situation yet but I now know with Gods help I will just got to wait it out.



  8. Michelle V on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 9:24 am

    Thank you for this wonderfully encouraging post! There are so many things in my life that the Lord has brought me through to the other side. Many of them would seem small, but He continues to do a work in me, and looking back, I’m not the same person I was 15 years ago at all! Life this side of heaven is never easy, but He is always right here with us, and we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us.



  9. Suzanne on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 9:28 am

    For a while, I thought that my past mistakes and hurts meant that I messed up so much that I was not intended for God’s great plan in my life. I ended up realizing years later that those voices of rejection were the devil’s broken promises. Now I know that I am a beautiful Masterpiece of God’s great idea. If I am alive and breathing, I have a purpose and one meant to Honor God’s great plan. I am now living in hopeful anticipation for what God will bring me to and through daily. Life is much sweeter and beautiful living in His truth! =)



  10. Christianne McCall on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 9:43 am

    I was offered a job that I love and have been promoted in after a year. My bosses are wonderful, and my schedule is so flexible. Ive had so many crummy jobs and bosses and never expected to find a job like this!



  11. Jenny Rutan on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 10:15 am

    THANK YOU JESUS! He has RELEASED me of my low self-esteem! I LOVE WHO I AM IN CHRIST! : )



  12. Wanda C. on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 10:44 am

    On February 8, 2012 I heard those three words that we fear…You Have Cancer. I had breast cancer. I was afraid. I was mad…Why me Lord! But I put my trust in him and let him take it for me. With friends and family praying for me I over came the cancer and all the treatments and now 3 years later I am still cancer free! Praise The Lord!



  13. Sherri on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 10:52 am

    When I was in my mid thirties My family was a mess… My husband had a full blown drinking problem that was affecting every area of our lives and I came to the end of my own capabilities to handle our situation …but through Gods mercy a friend invited me to church and somehow I heard about a support group called Alonon for family members and loved ones dealing with this isuue. I loved my husband and my family (we had four school age children at the time) I was broken hearted and crushed about what was happening in our lives and found myself powerless to change things even though I tried everything I could think of. As I went to church and Alanon God helped me to see that I couldn’t change my husband or our situation and that I was the one who need to change. It was a long process , but after time slowly but surely I started letting go and letting God with my husbands drinking and as I did I found a new peace in my life that I had never known before. God assured me that he loved me and my family despite our problems and helped me to focus on the blessings of my life and to actually start living my life again instead of feeling hopeless and trapped by my situation. There were a lot of twists and turns that happened in the following years but God was so faithful. By letting go of my husband I gave God a chance to work in his life and it has been ten years now that he has been sober and going to church and serving God. The road hasn’t always been easy but God has been restoring our lives one step at a time. Looking back I see how God has brought about things I would have never thought was possible. When I think about all He has done for us I can hear the bible verse that says .. “He is able to do exceedingly above and beyond all we could ever hope or imagine!” We can’t change other people no matter how much we love them, but with Gods help we can change. I love the bible verse today. It was my favorite verse as I went through all that God brought me through, along with Romans 8:38 (Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord )and Philippians 4:8-9 ( Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are true , whatsoever things are of good report think on these things) I hope this wasn’t too long but wanted to share 🙂



    • D Garrison on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 10:50 pm

      What a wonderful outcome to a terribly difficult conflict. How blessed you are that you leaned on the Lord and allowed Him to change you and also work in your husband’s life. You didn’t merely survive, you and your family thrived with God’s faithfulness and help. I am so happy for you. My divorce was the end result of an alcoholic marriage with a very troubled husband who never accepted help. But God did use those years to bring me to a point of surrendering my life to His leading. For that I will be ever grateful. God is good all the time.



  14. Trish on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 10:57 am

    Almost 6 years have passed since learning if my husband’s infidelity…I’ve been through all tha stages of grief…but still struggle with the demons…memories…what-if’s…daily I’m praying hard & studying God’s word…believing His promises & commitment to heal my scars to use this pain (dull but not gone) for His purpose. I’m at the point of being ready for & OBEDIENT to His plan for sharing with others how God is using this experience to help other women experiencing this pain.
    Praise & Blessings!!



  15. Joy Marsh on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 11:42 am

    God is so good. After my marriage of almost 31 years ended because my husband decided he wanted someone younger,I was devastated and thought my life was over. God became my confidant. He restored me, loved me and let me know that I was not trash to be thrown away. I had no intentions of over marrying again and I told God that if he had someone for me, there would have to be bells and whistles because I certainly was not looking. On Easter Sunday one of the men in our Singles Sunday School class asked me what I was doing for lunch. I did not have any plans so he asked me to join him and his daughter for lunch. We had a nice lunch and great conversation. As we were leaving, I thanked him for lunch and gave him and his daughter a hug. You know Baptist always hug when saying hello or good by. As I started to walk away, he touched my shoulder. I turned my head to see what he wanted and he kissed me ever so slightly. Immediately I felt like I had a million butterflies in my stomach and I was walking on air. That was my God letting me know that this man would be my husband. In July of this year we will celebrate out 15th anniversary. Never give up. God will carry you through the valleys and fire and He will give you a life filled with His love.



  16. Lucy Gomez on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    For me, the most trying thing has been seeing my only child go to prison. My husband and I are in the ministry and that alone will test your faith. How do you explain to your church that your son has chosen to go down the wrong path and is now paying for his mistakes? Or do you opt to keep it a “secret” and hope no ask about him? If there was ever a test of faith this has been it. God has put the hope back in my life when I thought there was none. I stand on the scripture Romans 8:28. If it wasn’t for my faith I know I wouldn’t be able to cope. I trust in the Lord that one day he’ll bring Michael home.



  17. Sharon C. on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    Tracie, I want to thank you for your encouraging words. They always lift me up. Growing up and quite a bit of my adult life I’ve had a low self esteem problem. Always feeling unworthy of everything. When you think you haven’t gone very far in your walk with God all you have to do is take a look and I can see where I was and where I am now. I see the hand of God in all of it. I can’t say I wish I had learned it sooner because God has the perfect plan. I’ve gained so much weight that I haven’t wanted to go anywhere and He’s showing me that He’s with me in all of this too. I want to know where God wants me to be and as the book says, My Life Still Counts.



  18. Theresa Cloe on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    Last year, I wanted to be a part of the Praise Team at church, but I was too shy. I prayed about it for a few months, then, on Mother’s Day, I just joined anyway! And it has been wonderful to help lead the congregation through music! It became easier and easier to stand in front of the church with the rest of the team, and overcome my fears! Now, I don’t even think about me at all, I am only focusing on Him!



  19. SHIRLEY SCHUY on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 5:02 pm

    I gave Jesus my addiction to alcohol several years ago, if He hadn’t forgiven me, I would be dead now or so miserable, I likely would wish I was. he also took my jealousies and insecurities, along with the addiction. He gave me improved relationships with my children and grandchildren. I realize how much I missed with my addiction but Satan was in charge of my thoughts.
    I am blessed to be forgiven, and here on these pages learning so much more about our great God and Savior.



  20. Elaine on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    I am discovering so much about myself thru this study. I am learning that my current situation is temporary and that God will lead me thru it. I can’t wait to see how he uses me….all things are possible even when you think they aren’t.



  21. Bree on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    Shortly after reading today’s blog post, God revealed something to me about a struggle I’ve been experiencing for years. I’m slowing finding victory over this struggle and I’m starting to fully believe that my pain will serve a greater purpose in the future. I’m very thankful for God’s patience and love, and for this book/study.



  22. Shannon on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    I am so grateful to Tracie Miles and this bible study. I am learning so much and it is amazing to see the changes that I have made so far in my life. I realize God does have a purpose for my life and I am so excited to find out what is next to come for me.



  23. D Garrison on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 10:36 pm

    Around 1995 I was given a book called BEAUTY FOR ASHES by Joyce Meyer. It introduced me to a pivotal scripture for my life (Isa. 61), and planted a desire to attend seminary. But I was a single mom with one child starting college, another a sophomore in high school, and my youngest child in eight grade. I was the only breadwinner in my family and a full time teacher. Though my dream of going to seminary still resonatedwithin me, I feared it was impossible. In 1998 the children’s father died though we had been divorced since 1985. I married again in the summer of 1999 to a man who shared my faith. One year later, my new husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. I had to cancel my planned campus visit. Did God really want ME to attend seminary or was it a foolish fantasy? In early 2001, I finally managed a campus visit to Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, but it would be January of 2003 before I ever managed to take a class. In late December of 2004 my husband died after his lung cancer spread to the brain. Three weeks after his funeral, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and missed teaching for the spring semester. After teaching the full school year in 2005-2006, I retired from teaching, moved to Fort Worth, and attended seminary full-time for two years. God gave me the courage and desire to complete the degree I had been working on part-time up until then. In the fall of 2007, my mother died, but I soon resumed my studies. On May 9, 2008, I thrilled to receive my Master of Arts in Christian Education degree from SWBTS. Only God could have brought together all of the resources and determination necessary to enable me to realize that dream.



  24. Julie on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 8:05 am

    For the longest time, I thought that I would not be able to share my faith in my native language. I came to the US at a young age, my motherland was very secular, as were my family. Life as a child of first generation immigrants in a predominantly white community had its ups and downs. I wanted badly to integrate into American culture. Through God’s guidance, I’d even married an American.

    But in the last few years, I’d gotten involved in a student ministry that reaches out to international grads from my homeland. For the first time I realized that I didn’t need to be “fully American” in order to serve God. In fact, my linguistic abilities and cultural knowledge were just what the students needed to transition into America.

    God has plans for my interracial marriage, and our biracial child (who will be due in a few months). In a time of great racial tension in the US, I don’t know what racial reconciliation in the church is supposed to look like. But I have faith that God will guide us into His will.



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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries.  She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.

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