"You're a bad mom!"

Thankfully, my kid didn't say that to me. Instead, it was my own unpredictable mind. These negative words were reverberating through my brain and lugging some serious shame along with them. I had lost my temper with my kid again. I had blown it AGAIN. This is often when the enemy knows he can attack. Our guard is down, and we are already bruised. In a moment of sin, I should remember the gospel for myself and that the blood of Jesus still covers me. It's the perfect time to repent and pray for forgiveness from God as I try to make things right with those effected as well. However, sometimes the shame spiral gets me stuck. I don’t approach God in prayer or remember truth because I am too busy beating myself up.

Whether it’s the lie that you aren’t good enough, or that you will never be forgiven, we all face lies in our mind. So let’s talk about how to fight! In Matthew 4, Jesus is tempted in the desert with all sorts of lies and schemes from the enemy. He responds with scripture. He literally quotes verses that strengthen Him. So let’s fight like Jesus did! These are the verse helping me these days. I try to write them where I will see them often and commit them to memory. If you have verses that help you, please share those too!

1.     “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  2 Corinthians 5:17

When the enemy wants to bring up your past (or even something from last week,) you remind HIM that you are made NEW. You are not defined by your mess ups, but rather by Jesus. He is our identity and His love is our hope. You are not who you used to be, and Jesus sees you as HIS, holy, and blameless.

2.     “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

If anxiety or depression ever come knocking at your door. Let this verse be your prayer and your anthem. When my thoughts start to spiral, then I know I am not trusting God. This verse is a reminder that peace is our birthright. It’s a gift God has given to us. Fear is going to pop up but it does not have to camp out in our minds.

3.     “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10

Notice that what the enemy does is progressive. It starts with stealing something from us. It could be a season of life or even the peace we’ve already talked about that he’s after. Then the enemy kills and destroys. Let’s not let it progress by simply taking notice when things feel like they are being stolen from our hearts and minds. This verse reminds my heart that we are meant to live an abundant life! Obviously, that does not mean things here will be perfect and lovely, but it does mean that we can have joy in the here and now leading to a rich life in Christ.