Hey Garden Fam,
We touched on this a bit in this video, but with today's faith topic, I wanted to also share these specific details for those who are newly saved and/or those who need a reminder of this reality and how to overcome the voice of 'the accuser'. I pray it blesses you and strengthens your walk with Jesus and your resolve in knowing you have been made new in Him!
Love you bunches 💞
Just so you are not caught off guard...
Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the most wonderful decision you can make in life! In doing so, I do want to warn you that unfortunately, not everyone will be happy that you’ve chosen to follow Jesus.
Once you accept Jesus Christ and begin to yield to the Holy Spirit, Satan will inevitably arise with accusations based on who you were or what you’ve done in the past. He will either do this through a person or just in the Spirit. He may even try to misconstrue your current actions now that you are living for the Lord.All of this happened to Jesus and now, with Him living within us, we can expect the same. When this happens, you must know with assurance that you’ve been forgiven, and that by accepting Jesus Christ, you have been made new. The old you is dead!
Psalm 103:12 says that “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” It is the devil who is the accuser of the brethren. Only the devil is upset to see people repent. Only the devil is pressed to hang on to the old man that dies when someone accepts Jesus Christ as Lord. Only the devil wants to continue to recount someone’s sins and dispositions from before they accepted Jesus or before He developed the fruits of His Spirit within them…Woe to the one who is determined to constantly being up what God has thrown far away... But that is the nature of the devil and his demons. 🤷🏾♀️
When the voice of the accuser rises up, either within you or around you, recognize that it is not the voice of God! God would not seek to condemn us for sins we have confessed and He has forgiven. God corrects us and redirects us. He convicts us when we are wrong, but once we have confessed and turned away, He is no longer interested in remembering the old. He focuses on guiding us into the new. When condemnation or accusations are thrown at you, intentionally choose to hide under the shadows of the sacrifice Jesus made for you. You don’t need to justify yourself or try to outdo the old works with “good works.” You simply need to rest in knowing that your sins have been forgiven. You simply need to know that you are in right standing with God because you’ve accepted Jesus Christ. You simply need to continue following the leading of the Holy Spirit. You can also speak Isaiah 54:17 and condemn the voices of accusations against you… you are a child of God now and that is your heritage! Don't allow the enemy to steal or mute the joy of your new life or growth in Christ. Silence him with the Word & continue rejoicing!
Pray for Your Enemies & Rejoice When Others Repent
Jesus desires that none perish, but that all come to repentance — as such, that is what we should want as well. We should all rejoice when we see others repenting and turning back to God. Posture your heart to celebrate when people repent and come to Jesus, even those who once positioned themselves as your enemy. Pray for your enemies & rejoice if you see them repent and escape the wrath & judgment of God. You’ve escaped the eternal judgment of God because of grace by your faith in Jesus Christ. It was literally a free gift to you. Why wouldn’t you want that for someone else?
Calling God up like...
Last week, we talked about the importance of embracing the new you and your new season and being transformed by the renewing of your mind. These are both keys to receiving and walking in the freedom Jesus sacrificed for us to have so that we would be able to serve Him and the Kingdom of God fully. Though we touched on some of these topics a bit last week, I wanted to share the unique experience that often occurs after deliverance (& salvation) specifically, because I recognize that it is similar, but different from the normal process of growth.
Being set free from sin and demonic oppression literally lifts burdens off of you that were never meant to be there, but may have settled in as “normal” over time. As such, being set free will uncover parts of you that were hidden or suppressed, and God will restore parts of you that were cut off or blocked from blooming. As we are delivered, we will likely need to get to know ourselves all over again. This does not mean that we’re starting from scratch, but rather that we will likely need to go through a process with Jesus and ourselves to relearn who we truly are.
Once we’ve been set free, we must come to Jesus and ask Him, who am I, really? What parts of me were really me? What parts weren’t? Some things will naturally go away because they were literally tied to the demonic influence you were under, but there are also nuanced parts of what you’ve thought to be your personality that may not actually be a part of who you are.
In addition to learning your true identity in freedom, there may be a re-creation or reshaping of your interests, likes, dislikes, etc. What does this new you like now that she’s free? How does she spend her time outside of her time with God or working on assignments? How does she dress? You don’t have to attack all of this by just sitting down one time and mapping it out. Instead, allow yourself the freedom to curiously and adventurously find out!
You will most likely find that your destiny changes. To be clear, from God’s perspective, it’s always been the same, but now, your eyes will be opened to see it with more clarity. What you thought you were supposed to be doing with your life may not actually be aligned with God’s true, perfect plan for your life. His plan is likely bigger and definitely better, hence why you needed to be FREE to see, pursue, and walk in it. This may mean dramatic changes if you were far off course before, or could be minor track changes if you just wandered off the path a little. Either way, allow the Holy Spirit to redirect you and be willing to let go of anything He shows you isn’t a part of your destiny. Also, be willing to embrace what He shows you IS a part of God’s plan for your life!
Finally, (though I’m sure there’s more that could be said), you may realize that the relationships you were in only made sense with the you that was in bondage. It doesn’t mean that everyone is bad or you are better, but similar to what we talked about last week, if you chose most of your friends, acquaintances, and even romantic relationship while you were under the influence or oppression of a demonic spirit, it very well may be that the true you, who is now free, has little to nothing in common with those you chose before you were set free. Again, this is not one of those, “I’m moving up in life and leaving y’all behind” points, but rather to say that you may not relate to them anymore, but also, they may not relate to you, the true you, and that is okay. You’re literally a new person, so you may not even be their cup of tea anymore or vice versa, and that’s okay, too. And even if you are being tolerated for history’s sake, there’s a strong possibility that true acceptance and deep connection may not be there anymore, and that’s okay.
This is not a post where I’m here to give you the steps for how to navigate these changes, because tbh, I’m still navigating some of it myself. However, I just want to let someone know that what you are experiencing right now post deliverance, the learning who you are all over again and the reshaping of your life and interests, the shifting of your relationships… it’s normal. Spend time with Jesus and let Him relay to you who you are and also, spend time exploring the new you.
Love you bunches! 💕
P.S. You may also see that you have ‘new’ spiritual gifts. They may have been there all along, but have only had a chance to surface now that the oppression has been lifted. This is another area to discuss and explore with the Holy Spirit and seek His Will for how He wants you to use them! 💛