Do you realize when we give God thanks in spite of our circumstances that we walk in victory? First Corinthians 15:57 reads, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (NKJV).
When we thank God through Christ our Lord, we have victory!
One way the enemy attempts to get us to surrender our victory is to darken our thoughts. What does that mean?
Our thoughts become darkened when we meditate on things that are contrary to God’s word. It can lead to depression – a spirit of heaviness, anxiety, fears and such.
There may be times that enemy drops thoughts into our minds like…
- God did it for her, but will HE do it for me?
- I’ll never be good enough.
- I never do anything right.
- I’ll always be like this.
- Nothing will ever change.
- I wish I was somewhere else.
- I can’t seem to get things pulled together.
- What’s wrong with me?
- When will I get a break?
- Why can’t someone understand me?
- I always let others down.
Just so you know, God never talks to us like that! Those are lies from the evil one!
Thinking thoughts like that torment us and bring us down. We need to identify thoughts that are contrary to God’s word and take them captive (see 2 Cor 10:4-5).
If we continue to entertain negative thoughts, our thoughts will become futile and our hearts will become darkened. That means depression rests on us like a heavy quilt. Scripture warns us about it.
“because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).
When we fail to give God thanks in spite of our circumstances, our thoughts will be futile, and our hearts become darkened.
In the Greek, the phrase “they became futile” means “to become vain or foolish, be perverted, to render foolish, i.e. wicked or, idolatrous.”
After my son’s sentencing to prison and without knowing it, I fell into this snare of the enemy. I focused on all the things that I thought should of happened at the trial that did not happen. The more I thought about what went awry, the more depressed I became.
But God put a praying friend in my life. This powerful intercessor told me how when she prayed for me she heard the words “vain imagination.” When I searched for a scripture with those words, Romans 1:21 from the King James Version would show up.
I denied that this had anything to do with me and continued in my downward spiral of depression. Then she asked me meet with me in person. Sitting face to face with her, she explained to me that in spite of my dire circumstances, I have something to be grateful for.
The first thing she told me to be thankful about was that when I went to bed at night, I knew where my son was at. Then she proceeded to tell me how for two years she did not know where her daughter was. She had no contact with her and did not know her condition. With tears streaming down my face, I knew the Lord used her to show me how to be thankful.
With a new perspective, I began to thank God for the blessings I do have and for my son’s safety. By giving thanks, the darkness lifted off my life.
Colossians 1:12-14 reads, “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
Giving thanks to the Father delivers us from the darkness and places us in the Kingdom of His Son giving us redemption and the forgiveness of sins!
So whatever situation you find yourself in, find something to be grateful for. When you do, the Lord promises to deliver you from the darkness and into His glorious light!
Give thanks to God today for we have the victory through His Son, Jesus!
Happy Thanksgiving!
