When Satan sees you making positive steps in life – toward wholeness, toward healing, toward a life that’s more centered on Jesus – that’s when he attacks. 

So really, I wasn’t surprised that right after I decided to do some major work on my thought life that he threw some hard things my way.

But just because I wasn’t surprised didn’t make it less painful.

Without going into all the details, suffice it to say that the core of my identity – all of those insecurities I keep bottled up and try to hide – came rushing to the surface of my mind as a result of some conflict.

I’m not good enough.
I’m such a failure.
Nothing I do is ever enough. 

Have you ever had thoughts like these? 

The Greatest Battle (It’s probably not what you think it is…)

As I felt my thoughts begin to spiral, I remembered my plan to transform my mindset – to say to myself, “I get to choose” anytime a negative thought pops into my mind.

I am not a victim to my thoughts. I can stop this before it spirals out of control.

So that’s what I did.

And no, it didn’t fix everything. The situation was still painful. The week was still very, very hard. (Did I mention I really don’t like conflict, and I really, really don’t like knowing that someone is upset?)

BUT…

My mind didn’t spiral like it normally would have. 

That weapon – the simple sentence “I get to choose”  that Jennie Allen’s book Get Out of Your Head gave me – stopped the spiral.

But there was also something else that stopped the spiral.

Jennie says in her book that one of the enemies of our thought life is isolation.

Because when we’re isolated, it’s just us and our thoughts.

No one is there to talk us out of a negative thought pattern.

So, one weapon we can use to fight negativity is community. 

I saw just how effective this weapon can be last week when I was struggling. I reached out to a few friends and asked them to pray for my mind. I didn’t share specifics (because I really didn’t need to) but simply asked for prayer that my thoughts wouldn’t spiral.

And so they prayed.

And I fought the battle of my mind.

And friends, Satan lost that battle.

My thoughts were FAR from perfect. I was on the verge of a negative spiral for about a week.

But it was progress.

And progress is a win!

There were 2 things that helped me when negativity threatened my mind: 

1. Reminding myself that I get to choose – that I’m NOT a victim of my thoughts.

2. The prayers of my community.

Jennie says, “The greatest battle of our generation is fought between our ears.” 

Satan wants us to fight this battle alone. 

This week, as you fight YOUR battle, can I challenge you to reach out when things get too big for you. Ask your friends to pray for you when your mind begins to spiral.

Because when we fight – and when others pray – that’s when battles are won!