Have you ever had a thought come to mind that wasn’t necessarily a positive thought, however you sort of believed it? Did that thought influence you to seek out further signs confirming whether that thought was true or not, sending you down a rabbit whole of believing a lie?

If you’ve experienced this, then anxiety was definitely trying to attack you. 

You can be having a lovely day with your hair blowing in the wind, then all of sudden a thought comes to mind and tries to steal your peace and joy. I’m learning to recognize how the enemy attacks me when I’m in the will of God, so I can better prepare myself to fight back.

Anxiety creates a fear, which is unreal to begin with, that I can’t enjoy something good because I’m constantly worrying that something bad will happen. Like, who said we can’t enjoy God’s rewards, or a harvest in peace? This could come from having multiple attacks back to back that it feels unreal to even enjoy a good moment for a while, or it could simply be a habit of fear, which should be confronted.

The enemy wants us to live in fear, paranoid over our safety and worried about the future, but Jesus wants us to live in peace as a result of putting our trust in him. Anxiety deceives us and provokes us to put our trust in ourselves.

'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ' Philippians 4:6-7 https://my.bible.com/bible/111/PHP.4.6-7

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalms 56:3 NIV https://my.bible.com/bible/111/PSA.56.3.NIV

Scriptures tell us that God created everything good, so if God gives it to you, then it’s good— therefore you can enjoy his goodness without fear or worry. There’s so much beauty in life, but often the ugliness can cause us to fear the extinction of good. Evil will never conquer good, so we have no reason to fear, because the victory is already ours.

There are so many moments I’ve definitely realized when I have given the enemy opportunity to attack me. These moments happen if I haven’t been studying the Bible, if I haven’t really spoken to God much or simply if I haven’t spent enough quality time with Jesus. My lack of communion with God opens the door and creates the perfect opportunity for the enemy to try and feed me lies. If I don’t know the truth of God’s word and his promises to me, then I become more susceptible to believing the lies of the enemy. All anxiety is to begin with, is the deception of believing a lie. 

The enemy has no good whatsoever. 'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. ' John 10:10 https://my.bible.com/bible/111/JHN.10.10

Our reality is in what we believe. It’s in our mindset and who we put our faith and trust in. If he can attack our thought process, then he can destroy our world, so we should stay armored daily.

'Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ' Ephesians 6:14

https://my.bible.com/bible/111/EPH.6.14

Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready is a thing spiritually and physically. I’m learning to discipline myself to put on the armor of God daily, so I can recognize and resist the enemy’s attacks. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 NIV https://my.bible.com/bible/111/JAS.4.7.NIV

When I haven’t been intentional with putting on my armor, I give the enemy opportunity to attack me and catch me off guard. We’re not going to always be ready for the attacks, but we can be sure to do our part by staying intentional with guarding our hearts and putting on the full armor of God. 

So, if you have been dealing with anxious thoughts lately or the enemy makes a habit of attacking you with anxiety, I encourage you to talk to God about it and focus your mind on things that are good. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV https://my.bible.com/bible/111/PHP.4.8.NIV

If we can guard our mind from the enemy, we can walk in truth knowing that God's will will prevail. We can confidently believe that God is our protector, that his plans for us are good and that he has a hopeful and promising future for us. Don’t allow the enemy to steal your peace, it’s too precious to give up. When we walk in peace, we walk in truth. So believe the truth today sis and fight against the lies of the enemy. 

Praying for your peace of mind today! Always remember that Jesus and therapy will always be recommended. I hope you have lovely thoughts! Be sure to share any ways that you combat anxiety, and subscribe to stay notified of the latest posts. Stay simply you, enjoy! ✨