🩸 Matthew 5:44

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you

🔹 Dwelling on the past is a Spiritual attack from Satan himself, which is why Scripture tells us to, “take our thoughts captive and obedient to Christ”. This means we are to judge whether these thoughts are of God, or the devil. The devil is always seeking someone to devour, especially Christians— 1 Peter 5:8.

🙋‍♂️ How do we judge these thoughts?

🔑 If our thoughts aren’t rooted in the fruit of the Spirit, then we can know they are from Satan. The Scripture below shows fruits of the flesh, and fruits of the Holy Spirit. 

📖 Galatians 5:19-26

19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,

20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),

21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,

23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [[a]that can bring a charge].

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.

25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit [b]we have our life in God, let us go forward [c]walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

26 Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.

🔹 Again, this is why Scripture tells us to take our thoughts captive and obedient to Christ, meaning, stay focused on operating in the Spirit, rather than the flesh. (We are at continual war with the flesh, until receiving our new bodies at the Resurrection.)

Spiritual warfare involves changing our mindset and freeing ourselves from the enemy. The devil wants to remind us of our past, but that belongs in the rear view. Begin taking steps towards forgiveness. Stop carrying this load on your shoulders. It’s time to set yourself free. 🕊

📖 2 Corinthians 10:5

5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),

📖 Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

32 And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.