Be In Peace & Rest
[original text in italics]
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We saw in the previous section that fear produces doubt (wavering) and doubt negates faith. We also saw how to defeat fear and other carnal emotions and put them under our feet so as to eliminate wavering and walk in victory (see section Have Unwavering Faith).
The practical way to rule over emotions, sentiments, and feelings is being in the constant state and process of peace and rest. As the scriptures will show at the end of this section, entering and being in God’s peace and rest settles down our soul so that we may believe without doubting and lay hold of the promises of God.
3 JOHN 1:2 shows that our health is directly proportional to how our soul (emotions, will, mind) is prospering and JAMES 1:8 shows that we cannot lay hold of God’s blessings if we doubt (see section Prosper In Your Soul). Therefore, unrestrained carnal emotions lead to doubting and empowers the devil to lie and deceive the believer even more.
Consider the following situation. A believer can be held captive by grief, disappointment, anger, shame, pride, and more. These are a result of old mindsets and demonic spirits influencing the believer. When spirits are given control by a believer, they often bring in other spirits with them. These can include spirits of infirmity, witchcraft, bitterness, etc. This works both ways. For example, a spirit of infirmity can bring in a spirit of anger just like a spirit of anger can bring in a spirit of infirmity.
To deal with emotional issues, some people talk about them and may be encouraged to do so. They talk about their past hurts regularly and often learn to package the experience with a testimony of how God turned it into good. But if someone is constantly talking about the past and focusing on what the devil has done, even though it is packaged as a testimony, it is a demonic stronghold. The other way some people deal with emotional issues is to suppress them and may be encouraged to do so to help them forget the past. This is also ineffective as it does not break the demonic hold on the person.
So what is the proper response? According to scripture, we are transformed [metamorphosize] to God’s nature by renewing our mind. The key is to realize we are not trying to be conformed [molded outwardly] to God’s nature, but to be transformed [metamorphosized] into God’s nature (see section Renewing Your Mind).
Therefore, we do not want to relive nor do we want to suppress bad events and emotions. Retelling and therefore reliving these events invites and gives the demonic spirits connected to these carnal emotions more power over the believer. Suppressing or conforming emotions means the use of personal strength and willpower or the use of sources other than God to deal with the emotional pain of those events. This may be in the form of medical or recreational drugs, alcohol, pornography, food, transcendental meditation and exercises, and any other vice. Any of these pseudo-solutions is idolatry, which temporarily desensitizes the believer and separates him from God’s true freedom. It’s like covering up a wound that is not treated nor healing. Just as reliving the events brings more demonic stronghold, so does covering up feelings. Both scenarios can easily bring other spirits that will encroach in other areas of life.
The proper response is to eliminate or destroy, not manage, negative emotions by using mind renewal principles. For example, scripture tells us to eliminate carnal emotions and be free by actively bringing our soul into a state of peace and rest. Peace in our soul means peace in our body and everyday life. Rest in our soul means rest in our body and everyday life.
Below are the biblical definitions of peace and its opponent anxiety or care. Also included are the definitions of rest and its opponents weary and burdened:
Peace: when all essential parts are joined together into a whole
Anxious: to divide into parts and drawn in opposite directions
Anxieties/cares: what divides into parts and draws in opposite directions
Rest: (n.) state of rest (n.), (v.) cause to cease
Weary: exhausted from labor
Burdened: overloaded and weighted-down
The following scriptures are activated by faith. Believe them, meditate on them, and walk in their truths. They will set you free from past trauma, painful emotions, and demonic influence:
PHILIPPIANS 4:4,6-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice… do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests [petition, demand] be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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1 PETER 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares [to be object of concern, interest] for you.
MATTHEW 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world [this age] and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
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MATTHEW 11:28-30 Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke [unites two elements to work as one unit] upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy [good and serviceable], and my burden is light.
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HEBREWS 4:9-11 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience [not persuaded, willful unbelief].
Therefore, if carnal emotions arise, cast them on the Lord. With an act of your will, by faith, walk in God’s peace and rest by acknowledging the following:
Lord, I cast all my anxieties on you because you care for me. I rejoice in you and I am not anxious. Lord, with thanksgiving I voice my petitions and demands. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Lord, if I am weary and burdened, I go to you and take your yoke, consciously joining myself with you. It’s easy and light because you have done all the hard work. I learn from you and find rest for my soul. I am diligent to enter your rest and cease from my works as you did.
The key is to not allow feelings to rule over you or you will be led and influenced by them. Be emotionally detached. You have to “not care” and be carefree as it relates to negative emotions. It’s not that you are disinterested or complacent about the issues at hand, but you are compassionate and collected because of faith in the name of Jesus. You rejoice with thanksgiving and have rest and peace because you are guaranteed success if you persist. Be disciplined, steadfast, at rest, and in peace like Jesus, knowing that:
ROMANS 16:20 The God of peace will soon [quickly] crush [shatter in pieces] Satan under your feet.
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