There is one more heart that is not yet physically part of our family but will be one day. That's the fifth heart. We don't even know if he has been born yet, but we trust God's timing and perfectness in it all.
Notice the two smaller hearts next to the numbers in this picture? I think of those as OUR hearts. We are the parents who shepherd, and although we are bigger in size and appearance, our hearts take the sidelines as we parent.
Maybe that doesn't make sense. What I mean is, since becoming believers in Christ, God has been shaping, teaching, molding and forming OUR hearts to bear his image. As we trust him to do this work (sanctification) we become more like Jesus. The things HE loves; we grow to love. The things HE despises, we grow to despise. It's a slow process. It takes time.
We are shaping, teaching, molding and forming our children's hearts right now. Every word we say can build them up or tear them down. Every act we take can do the same. I have been in a process of sanctification regarding this very thing with my children lately. Seems like I spend more time apologizing for my sins of anger, impatience, ugly tone of voice and general bossy-ness than I do speaking words that build them up. Part of it is parenting, I know. But part of it is also me not allowing God to have control of THAT part of my life. The words part. The talking down to my kids because I'm tired/frustrated/exhausted part.
Don't make excuses for me here. The devil would like me to believe the lies that he has told me for years. "You'll never break this angry cycle." "You're such a mean mom." "You have issues you will never fix." "How can you be so nice in front of strangers and so mean behind closed doors?"
You know what? It times to stop believing the lies of the devil. He doesn't have to work hard, does he?
He always hits us right where we are most vulnerable.
For me, it's the thought life.
So I'm fighting back with the truth of God's Word.
I'm meditating on verses like Ezekiel 11:19, "I'll put a new heart in you. I'll replace your heart of stone with a heart of flesh."
Psalm 86:5 "For you, o Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you."
Isaiah 43:25, "I am he who blots out your transgressions FOR MY OWN SAKE, I will not remember your sins."
And Ephesians 1:7, "In HIM we have redemption through HIS blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE."
So I'm choosing to overpower the tools of the devil with the power of God's Word. For too long I have succumbed to his lies. I've allowed the lies of the devil to convince me that's who I am and those tiny little lies become strongholds and it's not pretty.
Now I'm using the sword of the Spirit to teach my mind what to really think on. And I'm choosing to meditate and let God's PROMISES take over the LIES.
This is a heart issue. Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for out of it flow the SPRINGS OF LIFE."
My mouth has been overflowing with ugliness. Not life.
I've had enough of fighting this battle in secret and pretending it doesn't even exist when in fact, it's eating me alive.
It's time for my kids to see consistency and not hypocrisy.
Praise God for the RICHES OF HIS GRACE which allow me to confess my sin, turn from it, and move forward in GRACE.
This article was very helpful to me as I thought about this today, hopefully it can shed some light on the issue of Spiritual Warfare for you, too!
What is Spiritual Warfare?
Article ID: DW255
By: Hank Hanegraaff
This statement is based on questions frequently asked on the Bible Answer Man radio show hosted by CRI president Hank Hanegraaff. This question first appeared in the Questions and Answers Column of the November 1999 issue of the Christian Research Report. For further information go to: http://www.equip.org
C. S. Lewis cautioned against both imagining a demon behind every tree and believing Satan doesn’t exist. While two kingdoms are indeed in conflict (Matt. 12:22-30), Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross, made a spectacle out of the powers of darkness (Col. 2:15). What this means is that we engage in spiritual warfare by the sheer act of pursuing Christ.
Scripture admonishes us to stand firm against the devil and the evil forces of this world by employing the full armor of God, which is metaphorical language for knowing the truth, exercising faith, and practicing righteousness in our daily lives (Eph. 6:10-18; cf. 2 Cor. 10:4-6). To engage in spiritual warfare is to believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and to lead lives characterized by honesty, purity, prayer, Bible study, evangelism, and so on.
If someone struggles with bad thoughts, for example, rather than addressing demons on the issue, we ought to replace the bad thinking pattern with a good one. First, regardless of the source of the original thought (whether from Satan, another human, or our own sinful flesh), we are responsible for what we do with it. Furthermore, while we cannot directly stop thinking a bad thought (it’s virtually impossible not to think about a pink elephant when told not to!), we can consciously focus on something else in its place ¾ a thought that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and so forth (Phil. 4:8-9). Finally, practicing discipline in one area of our daily lives can affect our ability to overcome bad habits in other areas as well.
The bottom line is that we must submit ourselves to God through faith in Jesus Christ, who by His life, death, and resurrection has defeated Satan (Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). What remains is to simply resist the devil, for then, the Bible says, he will flee (James 4:7).
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