Mind Games

The health of my mind hasn’t always been ideal. Childhood abuse set the stage for an insecure and fearful demeanor that intensified when I became a mother in my early twenties and was hit with severe postpartum depression.

Despite the many counseling sessions I attended to overcome the haunting reality of my mental afflictions, they never seemed to stick. I became convinced that the things in my head were permanent installations, defining who I would always be.

Things spiraled downward further as my marriage ended and I faced additional thoughts of inadequacy and anxiety. It seemed like I was always wrestling with self confidence. I eventually tried to mitigate it all with sex and alcohol which soon became addictions but never soothed the sting of how low I viewed myself.

However, when I became a Christian, Jesus’s love called me into a sacred space where He began peeling away the damaged exterior of my heart and speaking gently to my mind, healing its wounds. It’s there that He revealed my priceless value along with something I had fallen prey to – deceit from the father of lies himself, Satan.

Throughout Scripture, Satan holds many titles including master deceiver, dating back to Eve in the Garden of Eden as we see in today's verse. She and Adam were the first humans to experience Satan's deceptive evil. In their naivety, they were no match for his mind games, and neither are we – as long as we rely on our own knowledge and abilities.

The enemy taunts God's children with his untruths, creating great mental pain and suffering. While I have broken free from the devil’s hold on my mind, my prayer list grows every month with the names of those who have fallen victim to Satan's ploys. But there is incredible hope.

We, as followers of Christ, have the weapon of God's Word (called the sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6:17) to fight against the great mental battle Satan determines to wage in us. Holy Scripture holds the truth and promises to overcome every single lie of the devil. Period.

Run to God's Word, my brother and sister, for rescue and protection from all that the serpent attempts to use as deceit against us.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the power of your Word and its ability to destroy every stronghold that Satan tries to keep us in. I pray for every brother and sister who is currently trapped in the devil’s lies. Draw them to the rescue of your promises and set them free from the enemy’s falsehoods. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Enter the sacred space with God and his Word, allowing it to save you from and strengthen you against Satan’s deception.

Additional Resource: You can read more of Melissa's story here.