When you speak what God says, meditating on the verses and allowing the Lord to write them on your heart, the power of His Word works in you and through you to push out the wrong thinking habits of the old man. Eventually there’s no old man left, and you’re living and walking in the real, New Creation you!

If you are a follower of Christ, then you have His life in you and everything included with it. You have His model of supernatural life, His expectation of answered prayer, His righteous stand before God without shame, guilt, or sin, His heart for lost humanity, His call to give away His free life to others, His victory over the devil, sickness, inferiority and lack. Anything of the curse, you have dominion over!

Because you have the Spirit of God in you—you’re in Christ and He’s in you—you are now the light of the world. You have the dominion and are called to decree the gospel of the kingdom—what Jesus accomplished—and are to speak it so captives are set free, and people are healed and made whole!

You’ll never rise above the view you have of yourself. That little movie screen in your mind that keeps showing your mistakes and weaknesses of the past has to go, because that’s NOT who you are anymore! When you were born again and became a New Creation IN CHRIST, the old you in Adam ceased to be, and Jesus came to live in you with all His power and ability. Start finding yourself in the scriptures, then stand up and be who you really are!

The reason some fail to receive what God has already given to them is because they’re believing what they see, hear and feel, instead of believing what God has told them in His Word. The sense realm is where the devil operates. God’s Word is spirit and TRUTH! “So, we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18 HCSB).

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is justice, our freedom, our redemption, our justification, our salvation and our restoration. He proclaimed it and then He spoke it when He said to the sick, be healed! Blind eyes open! Deaf ears open! He declared for all time that we don’t have to live under the authority of darkness anymore!

The Apostle Paul said in Phil. 4:6-8 not to be anxious about anything, but that when we thankfully commit those things to the Lord, He will guard our hearts and minds with peace. He follows that up by telling us what to think on instead—whatever is true, good, virtuous, pure, loving and commendable. In other words, don’t let your thoughts keep you slogging through the gutter of worry, fear and anxiety about what MIGHT happen. Remember, the future is a phantom—it hasn’t happened! Keep your thoughts and thanksgiving in the NOW, trusting God to take care of those things you have placed in His care. Let HIM take care of the future!

The attempts the devil makes to frighten and/or oppress you are, in reality, like a toothless lion pretending he has a roar. YOU ARE IN CHRIST! The Lion of Judah lives in you, and the devil can’t touch you, no matter what your situation may look like to the contrary. This New Year, prioritize the time to get the Word of God rooted and grounded inside you, letting Jesus teach you. When you do, your understanding will be renewed and changed, and the devil will flee when YOU roar!

What is the fight of faith that all believers are called to? The fight of faith is continually choosing to think like scripture says rather than what the world is saying. It is holding onto a word from God when all else looks otherwise. It’s not getting on my knees and struggling with devils, but is rather keeping my mind and emotions focused on truth, and my words in agreement with God’s Word. It is believing what God says is the truth over what my body, my bank account or my friends may say!

When the Apostle Peter was put in prison, a group of Christians met to pray for his release. Later, when they were told that Peter was knocking at the door, they didn’t believe it. They were praying, but obviously not really expecting much to happen! Expect an answer! Jesus wants to show the world that He is alive and unlimited in His ability to answer prayer. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).