Our mind can wage war within us if we let it. Most of us are fully aware of this. But I have experienced a mighty weapon in this battle for our minds…gratitude. Gratitude doesn’t always come easy. It didn’t come naturally to me for a long time. But once you practice and train your mind to be grateful, you unleash a mighty spiritual weapon. And, sister, this weapon yields tremendous power.
Gratitude turns the volume down on the problem. When you are dealing with a difficult person, thank God for them, asking the Holy Spirit to give you a response to them that brings Him glory. When there are overwhelming circumstances, thank God for how He is working on your behalf and ask Him to help you trust Him in the waiting. It is your divine declaration that your God is bigger than your problem.
Gratitude is an expression of our faith, deepening our sensitivity to the holy influence around us. When we read about the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), our shield of faith keeps us from the enemy’s “flaming arrows.” What an important piece of our armor!
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).
Flaming arrows are the temptations, doubts, fears, and lies the enemy fires at us, with our minds as the target. If you consider an arrow on fire, when it hits its target, it is likely to set it ablaze. Satan wants to make a mess of your thoughts, hoping that with one well-aimed lie, he can cause you to spiral downward, keeping you from living in freedom and from doing the important work God has for you. Arming yourself with an attitude of gratitude can help keep those thoughts from catching fire.
The shield of faith is the one piece of armor we don’t come into battle already wearing. We have to “take it up.” If gratitude is influential in this protection, how do we arm ourselves with it?
➡ Be intentional when your feet hit the floor in the morning that you are choosing gratitude, with every person and in every situation.
➡ If gratitude doesn’t come naturally for you, ask the Holy Spirit to help you keep it at the forefront of your mind.
➡ Practice. Train your mind to default to gratitude when the “flaming arrows” come your way.
What “flaming arrows” are coming at you right now? Unleash your powerful weapon of gratitude against every arrow and refuse to allow it any power in the battle for your mind.
– Mel Anderson