Emergency Exit Plan

…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Every time I fly, the flight attendants share what the plan is for an emergency landing.  I know it by heart and I’m sure many of you do too.  I know where the flotation devices are, I know where the exits are, I know the oxygen mask will come down from the ceiling, I know to place it on myself before others, I know the emergency lights will light up on the floor, and I know to put my head in my lap to prepare for the landing.  Well, what would happen if we had an emergency exit plan in place when the Enemy comes to attack?  The fact is I think we would live a much more effective life for Christ, if we had a strategy in place.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

1.  God’s Flotation Device

The first thing to remember is that God has given you the POWER to demolish every stronghold and every argument.  This is your flotation device.  Use it!  Do not drown in the sea of condemnation, guilt, fear, or a number of things the Enemy wants to feed you.  Save yourself by pulling out the flotation device God has provided!  God has given you the POWER to overcome the Enemy.  You do not have to believe a single word the Enemy speaks to you.  Simply discard every lie, the things that create strongholds in your life, and arguments that stand against God.  There is no room for those things in our lives!  Let’s float in the sea of God’s Grace!

2.  Know Your Exits

I remember being a kid and learning how to exit our home if there were ever a fire.  Guess what!  That exit plan came in handy the day our house burned down.  There were six lives saved on that day; my mom and us five kids.

Well, the lives that we live daily are under fire, as the Enemy comes with his flaming arrows.  So we need to learn how to exit gracefully.  We need to take every lie from the Enemy and replace it with God’s Truth!  Please take time to memorize a verse to battle the very lie that Satan is telling you.  Never dwell on a thought and never let it grow roots!  Roots are dangerous, they tend to corrupt the good thoughts in our minds.  So discard the lies and memorize the Truth.

Here are two examples:

• Lie from the Enemy:  “You’re not lovable!”
  Truth from God’s Word:  “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”  ~Jeremiah 31:3
• Lie from the Enemy:  “You’ll never get it right!”
  Truth from God’s Word:  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  ~Romans 8:1

When the Enemy speaks a lie to you, speak the Truth to him!  Never let him win the thought battle going on in your mind.  You have the power through God to destroy and demolish those arguments.  Simply take captive every single thought that is not obedient to Christ or that doesn’t stands up to God’s Word. If it’s not something God would say about you, don’t believe it.  Find it in God’s Word!  The Truth is what matters and what counts!  Read it, memorize it, and most of all believe it!

3.  God’s Oxygen Mask

We receive oxygen from God through community with other believers, through God’s Word, through prayer, through worship, and even through just enjoying nature.  Allow God to breathe life into you.  Take time to get rid of the things that are plugging your air ways and making it difficult for you to breathe.  If there are negative influences or objects in your life, simply phase them out.  This is where it is very important to put the oxygen mask on yourself first.  You will find that if your not breathing well in God, you will not be able to help others breathe well in God.  You cannot truly help people live life to the full in God, until you’re experiencing life to the full in God.  Step up to God’s oxygen mask and get a good breath of fresh air.  Let the negative thought patterns in your life start slipping away, as you phase into the glorious richness of God’s positive ways for your life.

4.  Follow the Light

The lights light up in the aisle in an emergency landing, so we are told.  Well, with God there is always an eternal light.  He has placed hope inside our hearts to let us know that we have a purpose set aside and a goal to reach.  He lights life up with hope.  We cannot know all that is ahead, but we can know that God has it under control.  Please stop worrying about it.  Worrying about it isn’t going to make it come any faster.  Worry is something that all too often occupies our thought process and leaves little room for God to work.  Let’s replace our worry with hope in all of God’s promises.  If you can look back and find that God has never failed you.  Then trust me He won’t break His perfect record.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Dear Father God, Please help me to follow the Emergency Exit Plan.  May I not dwell on thoughts that do not produce Your goodness, but may I focus on Your Truth.  Please help me to do battle against my Enemy and win.  I offer my thought process to You!

Winning the Thought War,