Living With a Peace Filled Heart

What does it mean to walk in the Holy Spirit?

Giving control over to God and trusting He works all things for your good. Living according to His word, which requires surrender of your wants. And working towards His purpose for your life with the gifts He gave you.

What does that look like?

Change! To quote Mary in The Chosen. "I was one way and now I'm completely different and the thing that happened in between was Him" Your old ways fall away. Your old plans disappear. All your worldly wants and desires that your heart craved before are gone. Sure you have things. But the value they held before is gone. Your eyes can now SEE. You are born again with new sight.

How do you fill your heart with the Holy Spirit?

It requires reading and studying His word. His message for us. Written for us to live our best lives. Listening to sermons. Praying. Understanding how the world operates and who has "control" while we are here. I put that in quotes for a reason. I'll get back to it. Making a conscious effort to be guided by Him every single day. Doing so can give us the ultimate peace. A heart filled with Spirit is a heart filled with peace. Not just temporary contentment. Or a quick shot of dopamine- what worldly things give us. Actual true full body peace and trust. Why trust? Because evil has free reign on this earth. All the things of this world are controlled by people who can be easily manipulated and "controlled" ( that word again) by the devil. Not Lucifer himself. He has bigger things to do. But his army of influence. When people tell you this is a spiritual battle, its because it is and they have surrendered to God and can SEE reality as it is. Once you can SEE what's going on - all of the influence of spirits that try to disrupt our lives, pulling us away from our purpose, ruining our relationships - we take the power from evil. They no longer can --control-- our behavior. Like a video game where you've leveled up and all the little enemies are a joke to play against. The bigger bosses will still try to mess with you, but you aren't wasting time daily on little battles when you're walking fully in the Holy Spirit. Remember. All things GOOD come from God. So anything negative you hear, doubts, fears, insults, stress. That is NOT God. (That includes things we say as well) We will be affected by others and evil people and spirits, but NO ONE. Repeat that. NO ONE can effect your heart but YOU. Your feelings, actions, happiness, sadness, anger. All come from you. If your heart is constantly connected and strengthening with the Holy Spirit, the power of evil, the power that controls this world, will not harm you. Don't be fooled. This isn't prosperity gospel. We've been warned this world is not for us. We are here to share the message of the kingdom to follow. His Kingdom. We live for our eternity. This world will bring struggles. And the more good you can do, the bigger your influence, the stronger the end bosses that mess with you. It's why preachers fail, and christians who are influencing others in big ways, like celebrities, run into scandal. They take their eyes off the battle for just a moment and smart spirits capitalize and do exactly what they do. Monitoring spirits are real. Our job is to stay educated, stay ready, become knowledgeable in truth and learn to SEE what's going on so you don't get sucked in to battles you can't win. All while depleting your health and derailing your own goals. I don't know why video games are stuck in my head today, but it's true. The longer you play a game, the stronger you get, the more help you can be for Team Jesus. Recognize the enemies moves before they even start playing. And don't forget you have a secret weapon. You have the Creator of the game to guide you and you can call on his help at any point. As you "play" you'll realize there are some battles you can not win. Realizing which battles you can win and which you can't is a level up all on it own. Giving it to God isn't just a catch phrase. It's rooted in truth and will keep you focused and fighting the right battles! 

In a moment of unrest, I asked God for clarity. Because he's awesome and uses what he can for His ways. I almost immediately came across a post that was EYE OPENING. I have heard the name Leviathan before in various sermons. My instafeed is pretty curated with sewing and Jesus. God even uses technology for His good. So what I see doesn't surprise me but timing is key. So I see this post about the Leviathan spirit. As I'm reading it. My imaginary head pops. This wicked spirit lives to cause chaos.  It thrives in darkness and pride.

How to recognize the Leviathan spirit in others-

1. Pride and arrogance: unteachable, resistant to correction, unwilling to admit wrongdoing.
2. Twisting words: misinterpret or twist what you say, causing unnecessary confusion and strife.
3. Division and conflict: relationships and groups around them often experience constant tension or breakdowns.
4. Hard-heartedness: lack empathy, refuse to forgive, or justify behavior, makes reconcilation difficult.

Now I picture this spirit like a creepy puppet master. Pulling strings, planting thoughts, causing chaos. Laughing at the struggles and torment they are causing people. What a revelation. Understanding no one's perfect and we all have some issues. Possibly with Leviathan. Recognizing our own battle is a good start at cutting those puppet strings.

1. Prideful thoughts: you often feel superior to others or find it hard to accept advice or correction.
2. Difficulty praying or worshipping: your relationship with God feels dry or blocked
3. Distorted communication: you feel misunderstood or often find yourself twisting others words unintentionally.
4. Chronic strife: you notice a pattern of broken relationships or constant arguments.

This is about you now. I know people's brains instantly turn to others you can think of and this might be why there's issues. Being honest with yourself is the only way we grow. Fooling other people is easy. God knows. Learning what your issues are is the only thing you CAN change. We all know people who are set in their ways, you know they don't listen. But think of it like this. It's actually not your issue. Aside from your part you play when you get involved. Now some people are in fact to an abusive level and you may need to limit or go no contact. But when you reflect. You'll realize maybe the only reason you have issues with certain people is because #1 you have a little Leviathan pulling your strings - you've said and done things that weren't very Jesus like or  #2  you can recognize this spirit at work and your trying to change another person so they see it too. Or both those things are true! Remember when I said earlier about some battles only God can fight. Sometimes the realization that this is in fact a spiritual battle and only God can deliver that person at this point is enough to give yourself the peace that is deserved. Phew!! Relief!! By working on yourself you are rewarded with a happier healthy heart that is free from these strings. ALL the strings. You may get to a point where you can help other people with this spirit. By self reflecting on your own behavior, however you justify it, could still be Leviathan at work. Jesus flipped tables, but he was perfect. As we grow and seek a full heart we will know when we can speak to others and help cut those strings for them. Until then. We need to remind ourselves we have our own spirits messing with us and all we can do is pray God helps us to SEE clearly and helps us focus back on Him.

How can we do that?

1. Repent for pride and division: humble yourself before God and ask Him to reveal areas where pride has taken root (James 4:6-7)
2. Seek forgiveness: apologize to those you've hurt or wronged and make amends where possible.
3. Pray for discernment: ask God to expose the spirit at work in your life or others
4. Use your authority: declare deliverance through the blood of Jesus and the power of His name (Luke 10:19)

Father God,
I come before You in humility, acknowledge any pride, arrogance, or division in my heart. I renounce all agreements with the Leviathan spirit and command it to leave my life in the name of Jesus.
Expose any areas of my life where this spirit is operating. I ask for your forgiveness and healing Lord, and I declare that You alone are my God.
I take authority over every lie, twisting of words, and confusion caused by this spirit and bind it in the name of Jesus.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, humility, and peace. Restore every relationship damaged by Leviathan and teach me to walk in Your truth.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Jesus did not tell us not to judge. What we are called to do is remove the plank in our own eye, so we can SEE the speck in our brothers. We can't help anyone if we ourselves aren't seeing clearly. Arrogance that you did something vs God did it is a big one people struggle with. God's grace and mercy -nothing we did with our own power or knowledge. You can help plenty of people in your life with issues that you have overcome with God's help.  It's why sober and clean people can help other alcoholics. They understand. It's why people who have been abused and escaped and overcome can help other victims because they have the knowledge and empathy to reach them. Until we have gone through the battles ourselves and put the work in to be free and clear of those issues,  connected fully to God living in the Holy Spirit, we have no business preaching to others about what we don't know or empathize with. I understand the irony of that statement. And yes I'm still a sinner. Always will be. I humble myself before those who read this and hope that my words bring the peace they have now brought me.

Thinking about the people of this world who aren't walking in the spirit, either on purpose, or just because they have baby faith, understand that the work you put in, gives you the peace to live a fulfilled happy life. Regardless of circumstances. Recognizing the grace God has shown me, the mess he delivered me from, the sin he exposed, forgiving me and allowing me to remove it all, change focus and be born again is a gift that I can't ever repay. All I can do is use this grace and mercy shown to me, to try to educate and expose the evil we have around us, and become the warrior God needs in His army. God wants all people to be saved. He loves every child of His.  As the devil gathers his troops, gets bolder and gains more influence, so must God's army rise and be bolder. God promises peace and an eternity of love with no separation from Him. There is no peace of mind when your heart is empty of the Holy Spirit. Just look to the rich and famous. It's cut throat. The love of self and money is destructive. Pride and arrogance ruin people's lives. But that's THEIR life. That's THEIR pain. I am grateful God has shown me and spared me that life. People are in fact....... there own worst enemies. Pray for them. Only God can win that battle. Trust that fact and pray. 

If you find yourself struggling or stressing maybe you have work to do. Self reflect, keep learning, keep praying, and make a heart filled with the Holy Spirit the only true goal! You win, even if others can't see it. God can. And we all want to hear "Well done my good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:23