Notes:

1
 What we think can make all the difference in how we live.

➢ If the enemy can lodge a thought in our heads to direct the way
we think, than sooner or later it can settle into our hearts and if it
goes unchecked, it can take root and determine how we live.
➢ If we are going to “come alive” in Christ, we don’t just need to
consider what we do, we need to pay attention to how and what
we think.

“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed

by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 NIV

“…but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way
you think” Romans 12:2b NLT

“Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds
on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is
now hidden with Christ in God…” Colossians 3:1-3

“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand
therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth… [and take] the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Ephesians 6:13,14 &17

2
4th century monk, Evagrius Ponticus, took the narrative of Jesus
combatting satan in the desert, as a model for how we should stand
firm against the schemes of the devil. He wrote a book called “Talking
back, the Monastic Handbook for Combatting Demons”, a collection of
Scriptures compiled to ‘combat’ lies and negative thought patterns
that satan uses to sabotage us coming alive in Christ.

What are the lies or negative thoughts that assault your mind?

3
God Says . . .
I am created in God’s image (Gen 1:27)
God breathed life into me (Gen 2:7)
I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14)
I am a child of God (John 1:12, Rom 8:16, 1 John 3:2)
I am God’s masterpiece (Eph 2:10)
I have peace with God (Rom 5:1)
The Holy Spirit lives in me (1 Cor 3:16)
I am helped by God (Heb 4:16)
I am reconciled to God (Rom 5:11)
By grace, I am saved (Eph 2:5)
I am redeemed (Eph 1:7)
I am a saint (Eph 1:1)
I am not condemned by God (Rom 8:1)
I have Christ’s righteousness (Rom 5:19, 2 Cor 5:21)
I am Christ’s ambassador (2 Cor 5:20)
I am completely forgiven (Col 1:14)
I am tenderly loved by God (Jer 31:3)
I am blameless and beyond reproach (Col 1:22)
I am the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)
I am the light of the world (Matt 5:14)
I am a branch on Christ’s vine (John 15:1,5)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:5)
I am a child of the light (1 Thess 5:5)
I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Cor 12:27)
I am chosen by Christ to bear fruit (John 15:6)
I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom
8:17)
I am united to the Lord, one with Him in spirit (1 Cor 6:17)
I have been raised with Christ and I am hidden with Christ (Col 3:3)
4
I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength (Phil 4:13)
I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved (Col 3:12)
I am holy and I share in God’s heavenly calling (Heb 3:1)
I am firmly rooted and built up in Christ (Col 2:7)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12)
I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual
house (1 Pet 2:5)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Pet
2:9-10)
I have been rescued from Satan’s domain and transferred into the
kingdom of Christ (Col 1:13)
I have been given great and precious promises by God (1 Pet 1:4)
I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7)
I have been made complete in Christ (Col 2:10)
I am Called (Rev 17:14)
I am blessed by God (Gen 1:28)
I am a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)
I am a citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20)
I am a personal witness of Christ’s (Acts 1:8)
I am God’s co-worker (2 Cor 6:1, 1 Cor 3:0)
God gave His only Son for me (John 3:16)
I am crowned with glory and honour (Ps 8:5)
I am holy and blameless in his sight (Eph 1:4)
His grace is lavished upon me (Eph 1:7-8)
My needs are met by God (Phil 4:19)
God has a plan for me (Jer 29:11)
My calling is holy (2 Tim 1:9)
I am surrounded by God (Ps 139:5)
I have been adopted as God’s child (Eph 1:5)
5
I can rest in Jesus Christ (Matt 11:28)
He has called me by my name and I am His (Is 43:1)
I have been given the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13)
I am God’s temple and his Spirit lives in me (1 Cor 3:16)
I am a part of the body of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
I have every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3)
I am a princess in God’s kingdom (John 1:12, 1 Tim 6:15)
I have been bought with a price, and I belong to God (1 Cor 6:19,20)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18)
I am assured that all things are working together for good (Rom 8:28)
I am free from any condemning charges against me (Rom 8:31)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35)
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21,22)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Eph 2:10)
His love has been poured out into my heart (Rom 5:5)
Jesus is preparing a place for me with Him (John 14:3)
I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me, will be
perfected (Phil 1:6)
I have been given a new heart and a new spirit has been put in me
(Ezek 36:26-27)
God strengthens and helps me (Is 41:10)
He has called me out of darkness, into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9)
I am called, justified, and glorified (Rom 8:30)
He will never leave me nor forsake me (Deut 31:6)
If God is for me, who can be against me? (Rom 8:31)
He has given me the victory through Jesus (1 Cor 15:57)
I have been given a living hope (1 Pet 1:3)
I have a hope and a future (Jer 29:11)

6
God Says . . .

Printable ‘God Says’ resource –

https://www.anewconference.org.au/news/printable-
resources/3595-god-says-handout
7
Resources to use to fashion your own sword of the Spirit, moulded
from the word of God:
www.biblestudytools.com – This site enables you to type in the phrase
you are looking for, select ‘Bible’ and ‘all translations’ and it will find it
and give you the reference.

www.openbible.info – A great tool to search Bible verses by topic.

www.biblegateway.com – A link accessible from previous site to see
verses in other versions of the Bible.
www.biblehub.com – Also available as an app. Great site for deeper
study. It has topical searches as well as commentaries, concordances,
different languages and much more. Generally, all the text that is light
blue, is actually a link to another page leading you deeper into
research.

Other resources and tools:

8
Against the thought of being completely overwhelmed -

I am blessed when I am at the end of my rope. With less of me there is

more of God and his rule. (Matt 5:3 MSG)

And His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in my
weakness. (2 Cor 12:9 NIV)

So, I will not be afraid, for God is with me. I will not be discouraged, for
He is my God. He will strengthen me and help me. He will hold me up
with His victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

So I will choose to Trust in the Lord and He will renew my strength;

(Isaiah 40:3a HCSB)

Against the anxious behaviour of failing to rest in God -

I will cease striving and know that God is [who he says he is]. (Ps 46:10
NASB 1995)
I want to dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow
of the Almighty (Ps 91:1 NIV)
So I am going to choose to, Go to Jesus, when I am weary and carrying
heavy burdens, and he will give me rest. I will take His [easy] yoke upon
me [and choose not to take on anything that is not part of that yoke]...
I will let Him teach me, because He is humble and gentle at heart, and
I will find rest for my soul. (Matt 11:28-29 ESV)

9
Against the thought that I need to continually earn salvation -
I know it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favour drawing
you to Christ] that I have been saved [and given eternal life] through
faith. And this [salvation] is not of myself [not through my own effort],
but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [my]
works, so that I can’t boast or take credit in any way. (Eph 2:8-9 AMP)
Since I have been made right in God’s sight by faith, I have peace with
God because of what Jesus Christ my Lord has done for me. Because of
my faith, Christ has brought me into this place of undeserved privilege
where I now stand, and I confidently and joyfully look forward to
sharing God’s glory. (Rom 5:1-2 NLT)

Against the temptation to seek approval of man instead of God –

I will not try to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing
people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. (Gal 1:10 NLT)
Because Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord
means safety (Proverbs 29:25 NLT)
So, I will listen to God, I will cherish His law in my hearts. I will not be
afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults (Is 51:7 NLT)
Because the Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my
rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves
me, and my place of safety. (Ps 18:2 NLT)

10
Against the thoughts of fear and anxiety -.
God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power and love and sound
mind. (2 Tim 1:7 NKJV)
So, I will not be afraid; I will not be discouraged, for the Lord my God
will be with me wherever I go. (Josh 1:9 NIV)
I will cast all my anxieties on Him, because he cares for me. (1 Peter 5:7
NIV)
And I am choosing not to be anxious about anything, but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

Against the thought of struggling with self-worth -

I am created in God’s image (Gen 1:27)
I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14)
I am God’s masterpiece (Eph 2:10)
I am chosen by God, holy and dearly loved (Col 3:12)
I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1
Pet 2:9-10)
and I am choosing to believe what God says about me because
[His] words are true, and He has promised good things to His servant.
(2 Samuel 7:28)
11
Against the thought that I am an imposter and don’t belong –
I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—
spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works,
which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set],
so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 AMP)
The capacity [I have] comes from God; it is He who made [me]
capable of serving the new covenant… (2 Corinthians 3:4-5 GNTD)
I am chosen (Ephesians 4:5 )
My calling is holy (2 Tim 1:9)
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within [me], will
continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ
Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6)

Against all kinds of temptation –

The temptations in my life are no different from what others
experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be
more than I can stand. When I am tempted, he will show me a way
out so that I can endure. (1 Cor 10:13)
Because Jesus was tempted as we are and suffered as we do, He
understands us and He is able to help us when we are tempted.
(Hebrews 2:18)
So, I am choosing to give myself humbly to God. Resist the devil and
he will flee from me. (James 4:7)
12
Against the habit of speaking without thought –
I will be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry. (James
1:19)
I will endeavour to let everything I say be good and helpful, so that
my words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Eph
4:29)
Because a gentle tongue is a tree of life (Proverbs 15:4)
And saying the right thing at the right time is like apples of gold in
settings of silver. (Prov 25:11)
So, take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. (Psalm
141:4)

Against the toxic thought of being overwhelmed by guilt -

If I confess my sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and
to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus (Romans 8:1 ESV)
Because, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed my
transgressions from me. (Ps 103:12 NIV)

Therefore, since I have been justified by faith, I have peace with God
through my Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 ESV)

13
Against any thought that sabotages us coming alive in Christ –

I will take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

(2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV)

I am choosing to let God transform me into a new person by changing

the way I think. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

I will set my heart on things above, where Christ is … I will Set my mind
on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:1-3 NIV)

Because, [God] is about to do something new; even now it is coming...

Indeed, [He] will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
(Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV)

So, I want God, “to put breath in me so that I may come alive; and I
will know that He is the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:6 AMP)

14
Mapleton - 2021