The BATTLE

 

This section of the Tool Box focuses on the battle for your mind.  You will notice this immediately follows the Tools of Lust section and you may ask, why is this important?  Patterns in our lives are interesting.  I've learned that it is common to go through a cycle or season where everything is hitting on all 8 cylinders.  There is growth, joy, peace, light heartedness and you feel as if you're walking on the clouds.  However, sin is always crouching at the door waiting to devour us.  When the right conditions are set, our mind overpowers our spirit and we fall down the hole.  Our desire is to be transformed, right?  We must submit and renew our minds so that we are always on guard and so that our minds are in sync with our spirits.  In other words the mind of our body must be controlled by the Holy Spirit within us.  1 Corinthians has a wealth of wisdom on this subject.  Paul says to run our race in such a way that we may win.  So, how do we apply “such a way” to our own race?  We have a target and a laser like focus in knowing that we are running for the imperishable wealth that belongs to the children of the King!  We must discipline our bodies, as Paul did, at every turn so that we may not do the things our mind is telling us to do but so that we may bring the mind into subjection under the Spirit of Christ in us.

 

Our mind tends to lead our bodies according to the desires of the flesh.  You know this to be true because the natural tendency of people is to do what makes us feel good in the moment.  It is typically easy to be negative, to gossip, to indulge, and to lust if we are not submitting our bodies under the Holy Spirits influence.  This is an ongoing daily battle.  We simply need to practice the self discipline of prayer, apply the life of His word in our lives and live in a lifestyle of simply seeking Him and allowing His song to birth a worship of transformation within us.

 

Feed on life

Proverbs 15:14

The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

Psalm 101:3

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes........It shall not fasten its grip on me.

 

Reset & Redirect

James 1:15

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

 

**(This is what happens when we do not discipline our minds and bodies to be under the command and influence of the Spirit.  This MUST be inter-woven into the very fabric of the practical aspects of our everyday lives.  Be on guard, this happens in the blink of an eye. As we “whip” and discipline our bodies we are prepared to overcome and to walk in victory.  In the moment of decision we allow the weight of the Spirit to reset and redirect to a place of health and life before we veer from the narrow path of righteousness.  Once we veer, the heaviness of decay begins to overtake us.  Friends, this is no way to live!)

Learn

Psalm 143:10

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

1 John 2:27

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Psalm 25:5

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day.

Matthew 11:29-30

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

 

**(As two oxen are yoked together with a bar, it causes them to move in the same direction and performing the same task in unison.  The Lord invites us to join him in unison as we run our race.  In doing so, He will always equip us to handle anything that comes our way.  We rest in being yoked with Him because the nature of His presence brings joy, peace and encouragement.  He is all the hope we need to win the battle)

 

Pride before a fall

Proverbs 16:17-20

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life.  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.  It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.  He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

 

**(Now, I know how easy it is to blow through words of scripture.  It is one thing to know the words; it is quite another to let it sink in deep and relish in the life it brings. As I use the tool box, I will read the scripture and breathe it back to the Lord through prayer with an attitude of humility and worship....as the Spirit leads.  With the above, I might begin to thank the Lord for setting me upon a path of life where I can joyfully choose good over evil.  As appreciation for His love and grace wells up within me I thank Him for eyes that truly see so that I may continue on daily and preserve the life He has given to me through the wonderful work of Jesus Christ.  I might pause and be soberly reminded of my propensity for pride in the sense that I'm in control and realize that this path leads to stumbling and the opportunity for sin to overcome.  I would thank Him from the depths of my spirit for His transformative life in me.  I might then thank Him for the beauty and discipline that comes from His word and how His abiding life keeps me on the path He has for me.  Finally, I would confess how fortunate I am to know the true blessing that only He can offer as I seek Him and His ways.)

1 Peter 5:5

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Conviction of belief

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Romans 8: 8-13

and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

 

**(Friends, the overwhelming truth in the words above should have you jumping out of your seats and shouting from the rooftops!  We are under obligation to put to death the deeds of the body so that we may live.  This is the battle in which we are engaged.  Fear not, because the Spirit of the Father who raised Jesus from the dead is alive and powerfully at work within you.  Do you realize how difficult it is to not put multiple exclamation points after each one of these magnificent truths?)

 

Godly Character

Galations 5:16-25

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Daily Habits

Ecclesiastes 10:10

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength.  Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

**(Psalm 103:7 says He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.  It is profitable to know the Word of God.  As it's been expressed in other areas, what good is knowledge alone?  Yearn to know the heart of God.  Long to know His ways.  Our desires should be to walk according to the character of our heavenly Father and then to develop the skills and daily habits to actually make it happen.  Sharpen the edge of the axe.)

1 Corinthians 2:9-16

but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”  For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,  which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.  But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.  For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

**(Now I would like to point out that this says a “natural man” does not accept OR understand the things of God but what about a spiritual man?  He DOES accept the things of God, right?  However, even for a spiritual man,  he still needs to understand because it says the things of God are spiritually appraised.  This means our mind must be subject to our spirit man and not the other way around.  We must constantly seek the Lord and submit our mind to the direction of the Holy Spirit abiding within us.  When the thoughts of our mind try to influence our body, we are well conditioned and prepared to recognize it, bring it into the light of our spirit man and continue on.  We practice and grow in this way from now on.  The mind cannot be allowed to bypass the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit within us. )

 

In His Presence

2 Peter 1:21

for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Acts 19:5-6

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.

 

1 Corinthians 13:9-10

For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

 

**(In His presence, while we pray and worship with other brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, the Lord will impress things upon our spirits and lead us according to His will.  Learn to receive what He is laying upon you and voice it out to those around you as you all remain in the flow of His presence.  He will present Himself to us in these ways.  Let your imagination be full of Him and His direction and embrace what He wants to do with you.  May your imaginations, dreams, visions and prophecies be totally led by Him and completely for the glory of His kingdom.)

 

 SELF CONTROL

 

At the time of this writing, I have lost about 20 lbs.  The goal was to get from 180 to 160 in order to relieve pressure on my joints and improve overall health.  The good news is it has really made a difference and I feel better all around!  I accomplished this by cutting calories to about 1000 daily with moderate exercise.  I've learned quite a bit about self control during this process.  The flesh wants what it wants and once you let it have that chip it's very likely 20 more will follow.  As I feed that desire, I just tend to keep heading down that path, eating unhealthy and struggling to gain control again.  I won't say that I've gained perfect control but instead of having days of this type behavior, I've learned to give myself a little room, only occasionally, to have a little something for my sweet tooth or to have a small cheat session without going overboard.  This is  difficult to maintain and really requires that I monitor my weight and watch to make sure I'm consuming healthy calories a majority of the time.  I have no doubt, the struggle is worth it and it does become easier as  I fight to have healthy  eating patterns in my life and slowly make lasting changes that lead to real transformation.

There are other areas in life that we fight through this same process.  The common thread seems to be boil down to self control.  The frustrating part is fighting the crazy strong urges of the flesh.  It's an all out war!  It can easily leave us feeling defeated and wondering how you can possibly ever win to be the person God is calling us to be in every area of life.  Just like in eating, I've discovered it requires true lifestyle changes and it is work.  When we get busy, it's easy to slack off and just live off the work we've done up to a certain point but that way of living quickly leads you to defeat again.  It must be an ongoing process and time must be made to invest into a new way of living and doing things.  That typically means giving up TV time, and other time wasting activities in order to make time to feed the life of our spirit in a way that leads to change in how we live and true transformation.  Feed the life of these scriptures into your spirit.  My prayer and hope is  that we do not give up and press on toward the prize that is the life of Christ Jesus in and through us.

 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Proverbs 25:28

Like a city that is broken into and without walls
Is a man who has no control over his spirit.

Isaiah 55: 10-11

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

1 Peter 4:7

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Peter 5: 6-8

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Corinthians 9: 24-27

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

 

(---Running is running.....right?  If so then how do we run in such a way to win?  If everyone is  running but only one can win then what is happening or what are they doing differently to achieve that goal?  There is physical, mental and spiritual discipline and self-control that plays a critical part in our running.  There is a also a very strong determination, focus, and concentration that are common among top performers.  There certainly is not a “ho-hum” easy come – easy go attitude if you want to win the prize.  Never forget, we run and live as ambassadors of Christ Jesus.  He IS the prize and we run with these characteristics so that His life in and through us may shine brightly to bear fruit and so that we ourselves may not fall short and be overcome by sin.  ---)

2 Peter 1: 3-11

seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.  Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

Ephesians 6: 10-20

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Galatians 5: 13-26

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Titus 2:

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.  Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

James 3:

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.  For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.  Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.  Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.  So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.  For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.  But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.  Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?  Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Wisdom from Above

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

 

Promises of God

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

The MSG 29-31:

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind.

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 54:10

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My loving kindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says the Lord who has compassion on you.

2 Chronicles 7:14

and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Mark 11:24

Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

Philippians 4:19

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

MSG:

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity.

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?

Psalm 34:17

The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Psalm 37:4-6

Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

Revelation 3:5

He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

MSG: 26-28

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Romans 10: 9-13

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Psalm 9: 9-10

The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,

A stronghold in times of trouble;

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,

For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm 119:68

You are good and do good; Teach me your statutes.

Philippians 4: 6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.   And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6: 31-33

Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 7: 9-11

Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Psalm 103: 2-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

John 14: 13-16

Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.   I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Matthew 11: 28-29

Come to Me, all  who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Romans 8: 37-39

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Proverbs 1:33

But he who listens to me shall live securely

And will be at ease from the dread of evil.

MSG:

First pay attention to me, and then relax.

Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

MSG:

I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.

John 1:12  (MSG)

But whoever did want him,

who believed he was who he claimed

and would do what he said,

He made to be their true selves,

their child-of-God selves.

These are the God-begotten,

not blood-begotten,

not flesh-begotten,

not sex-begotten.

Romans 8: 1-2

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

MSG:

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

Romans 6:14

For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

2 Corinthians 3: 17-18

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

MSG: 17-18

Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Colossians 1: 13-14

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Jude 1:24

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy

Jeremiah 29: 12-14

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.

Genesis 50:20

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

Jeremiah 32: 38-41

They shall be My people, and I will be their God;  and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them.  I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.  I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

Deuteronomy 30:9

Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers

MSG:  (8-9)

And you will make a new start, listening obediently to God, keeping all his commandments that I’m commanding you today. God, your God, will outdo himself in making things go well for you: you’ll have babies, get calves, grow crops, and enjoy an all-around good life. Yes, God will start enjoying you again, making things go well for you just as he enjoyed doing it for your ancestors.

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.

MSG:

God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help. Now you’re in trouble—one round of war after another.