Steps to Victory

The idea for this post came from the first book of the 40 Days of Prayer Series

1. Turn your mind to healthier thoughts

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

2. Believe in the Holy Spirit's power to break the power of sin

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

3. Believe Jesus is in you through the Holy Spirit

1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

4. Ask Jesus to manifest His victory over specific temptation, pointing to specific promises from God's word that reveal His will about said temptations.

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
1 Corinthians 1:30 ....Christ Jesus... became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption

5. Believe Jesus will manifest His victory over the temptation, rest in that belief by leaving it in His hands. The only real “struggle” is to keep resting in that belief (Hebrews 4:11). Jesus promises rest to those who come to Him (Matthew 11:28).

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

6. Don’t obsess over the temptation, resist the urge to fight it in your own strength (you left the burden in His hands, leave it there). Turn your attention away from self to Jesus by faith, and let Him fight and give you the victory. Your faith is to be founded on Him, not yourself (faith itself is a gift from God)

2 Chronicles 20:15 ....Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

When God speaks, it's done, His word doesn't come back empty. (Psalm 33:9, Isaiah 55:11). He "calls those things which do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17). God literally puts faith inside of you by "hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17.

7. Thank God for the victory you have in Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Related posts: 
Overcoming sinful habits
The Holy Spirit breaks the power of sin
Resisting Temptation

Victory is found in surrender

How to pray for the lost

A helpful list of bible promises to use when praying for the lost

Pray for them to be drawn to God
John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Pray for them to have a heart to seek and know God
Jeremiah 29:13
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart
Jeremiah 24:7 Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.
Pray for them to have faith in God's word
1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
Pray to push back Satan from trying to blind them
2 Corinthians 4:3-4  But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Pray that strongholds be broken

2 Corinthians 10:4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
Pray that they be convicted and guided by God's Spirit
John 16:8-13  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Pray that they turn away from sin
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Pray that they believe in Jesus has their savior
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
Pray that they obey Jesus as Lord
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Pray that they be rooted and grow in Christ
Colossians 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Pray that they may complete and satisfied in Christ

Colossians 2:10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

Biblical Insights On Prayer

The following comes from the first half of the 40 Days of Prayer book

God gives us the desire to pray
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
Have a time and place for prayer
Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
Pray for God's will to be done
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
The Holy Spirit helps us pray
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Unite with others in prayer
Matthew 18:19-20 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Persevere in prayer
Luke 18:7-8 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Intercede for others in prayer
1 Timothy 2:1-3 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
Ask, believe, and claim God's promises
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Also see, Science of Prayer

Jesus' Circles of Relationship

A summary of a presentation at ARISE by Nicole Parker

When Jesus came down here and became a human being, he was limited in the ability to invest deeply in everyone during His ministry, even though He loved everyone. Inevitably, that would mean prioritizing some relationships over others.

Jesus had three circles of relationships: The outer circle, the second circle, and the inner circle. His outer circle included enemies and people who were curious but had no interest in believing in Him. His outer circle also included people He invested in for a brief time and then moved on, like with the Samaritan woman and the demoniacs. Your outer circle consists of casual acquaintances we may interact with in public settings.

In Jesus' second circle, He had the 70 and the 12 disciples. Like Jesus, your second circle consists of people who you can reach out to, share God's love, and disciple so that they can share God's love with others. This circle consists of people who you decide to invest in for God's kingdom. Then there's your inner circle, which consists of people you can trust enough to lean on for support. For Jesus, this included Peter, James, John, Mary Magdalene, Martha, Lazarus, and Mary (Jesus' mother). It takes time to develop trust and because of limited time, you can't have too many people in your inner circle.

Your outer circle challenges you to get out of your comfort zone. Your second circle is about investing in others intentionally, it involves dealing with their personal issues, and it helps you grow. The inner circle is where people can confront you and encourage you to believe what God says about you instead of worrying what other people think. We need inner circle people to help keep our eyes on Jesus.

Jesus provides us with an example of what to do when people fail us. He kept Peter in His inner circle even though He knew that he would deny Him three times. When we are loving even to those who fail us, we show them what God is like: Loving others without expecting love in return. But sometimes people don't want you to invest in them, so you'll have to let them go. This doesn't mean you don't love them, but if you don't let them go and let them reap what they sow, you prevent them from being able to repent.

Also see, Setting Healthy Boundaries
Also see, Overcoming the fear of man

The Holy Spirit Breaks The Power of Sin

Sinful habits (addictions) are an attempt to find joy without any relation to God. Sinful habits are essentially false worship, the worship of God's gifts instead of the Giver. To yield to these habits is to hew "broken cisterns that can hold no water". Jeremiah 2:13. The pleasures of sin are only for a season (Hebrews 11:24-26). The only joy that will ever last comes from the indwelling presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, also referred to as rivers of living waters (Psalm 16:11, John 7:37-39).

The Holy Spirit draws us away from false worship and leads us to true worship, thus breaking the power of sin (John 4:23, Romans 8:13). True worship plays a very important role in overcoming sin. When we don't glorify God or give Him thanks, our minds become dark, foolish, and idolatrous, thus leading to immoral behavior (Romans 1).

The Holy Spirit breaks the power of sin and produces fruit: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance" Galatians 5:22-23. The sinful thoughts that lead to sinful actions can be overcome by having God's agape love in our hearts (as described in 1 Corinthians 13).

Take notice of how one of the attributes of love is that it isn't proud and it's pride that leads to our own defeat (Proverbs 16:18). Thus, we see that humility before God also plays a very important role in overcoming sin (James 4:7). When we remain humble, temperate in all things, and keep occupied serving God and reaching out to others around us who are in need, we avoid getting caught up in sinful behavior (Ezekiel 16:49-50).

Let us be like the wise virgins who bought oil for their lamps, ask God in prayer for the oil of His Holy Spirit. (Matthew 25:8-9). Let us keep ourselves occupied in the Lord's work till He comes, lest we find ourselves doing wrong to one another (Luke 19:13, Matthew 24:48-49). Let us be found helping others in need, for whatever we do to others, we are doing to Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:35-40). To have it in our hearts to do this is only possible through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).

Also see Learn of Him, Know Him, Abide in Him

Put On God's Armor

Put On Christ (The Armor of Light)

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 13:12-14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Put On The New Man, renewed in knowledge

Colossians 3:8-10 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him

Ephesians 4:21-24 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Put On The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:11-13 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Waist Girded with Truth

Ephesians 6:14a Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth...'

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Breastplate of Righteousness, faith and love

Ephesians 6:14b Stand therefore... having put on the breastplate of righteousness

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love...

Philippians 3:8-9 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith

Feet prepared with the Gospel of Peace

Ephesians 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 

Psalm 18:30 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Psalm 91:4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Helmet (of the Hope) of Salvation

Ephesians 6:17a And take the helmet of salvation....

1 Thessalonians 5:8 putting on... the helmet the hope of salvation.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Spirit's Sword: God's Word

Ephesians 6:17b And take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and is harper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Guard Mind and Heart Through Prayer

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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Gird Up The Loins of Your Mind

1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

The Mind of Christ
1 Peter 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Clothed with humility.. stand firm in faith

1 Peter 5:5-9 (ESV) Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Put on love, the bond of perfection

Colossians 3:12-15 Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

AndrewCarroll · Change Your Mind