From Bill – Reading a great book today called Activating the Power of God’s word by Kyle Winkler. I recommend it. In it he describes the mental struggles of a person called Linda. Many of us will resonate with the attack’s of the evil one. It starts with evil Bombarding the mind with lies, doubts, and what-ifs • then Satan offers an object (money, fame, career), a substance (drugs, alcohol), or a person (an unhealthy, codependent relationship) as the means of relief • then When the person succumbs to the pressures, Satan follows up by giving intense guilt & shame. It becomes a cycle reinforced by habit also called a stronghold. This can be quite debilitating. There will be enough truth in these “arguments” to convince you they are true or perhaps they are what God thinks. An obvious example is reminding you of an intentional sin you once committed & telling you that you cannot be forgiven. Or a tragic event that happened that you were involved in. Or when you are once again tempted with a familiar issue, he tells you that you must eventually give in & there is no hope. Starting another cycle of guilt & shame just for the temptation. You can be rendered totally incapacitated and ineffective if you stay in that place. So how do we escape this? Tune in tomorrow. —Just remember, he tempted our Savior too, who overcame all temptations! We too can overcome! It is a war! Prepare to do battle! Love Mel
