Different Strokes For Different Folks

When I went about this quest for freedom, I met with some negative responses. “Why can’t you just try a different diet?”, “There are plenty of diets out there that change your way of eating and help you lose weight!”, “ What’s with all this demon talk? Maybe you just haven’t found the right diet yet!” There were more, but you get the idea.
Different people like or need different things, and this quest I am on is no different. Sure, there are some excellent diets out there, and a lot of them really work well. There are a lot of great eating plans out there, rich in information, and full of life giving foods. But this is not about diets. If I could successfully follow a diet plan, or healthy eating program, I would not be in this position today. I do believe, however, that once this yoke is broken, it is important to care for my body, God’s temple. This includes eating well & exercising.
That, however, is for another time.

Following excerpts from Joyce Myers book, Battlefield Of The Mind
http://www.enotalone.com/article/3682.html(see link on side bar), I’ve responded to some questions, by making the scenarios she used my own. In writing it, it makes perfect sense.
Anything said by Joyce, and my inclusions of the insertion of my own name, have been highlighted in green, so I do not get the credit for what she said. I tried to mark clearly what was referenced by Joyce, so hopefully no one will mistake it for copyright infringement.

Joyce uses the examples of 2 people having a struggle in their marriage. They are Mary & John. When I read their stories, it was amazing how similar their scenarios were to my own. It was clear to me that Satan uses so many similar devices to enslave all of God’s children. On the flip side, God allows this, and in our similarities we can uplift, support & encourage one another. We can acknowledge the enemy’s lies & expose the truth.

I know that what I’m doing is wrong. I know that my gluttonous behavior has really gotten out of control. I DO want things to be different. I DO want to be free from this bondage. I’ve asked for prayer over & over again but I still see no changes in my life.
Why not? Joyce points out that the answer is found in Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
Like Mary, of whom Joyce uses as an example, I, too, have strongholds in my mind. They have been there for years. Unlike Mary, however, I understand how they got there. I know I should not partake in gluttony, but like Mary, I can't control my actions. Likewise, I can't control my actions because I don’t control my thoughts. I don’t control my thoughts because there are strongholds in my mind that the devil set up early in my life.
Satan begins to initiate his well-laid plans and to sow his deliberate deception at a very young age. In my case, as in Mary’s, and many others, the problems started long ago, in childhood.
My childhood was a lot like Mary’s. As children, we both had an extremely domineering father who often spanked us just because he was in a bad mood. If we made one wrong move, he would vent his anger on us. For years, we suffered helplessly as our father’s mistreated us and our mother‘s. He was disrespectful in all his ways toward his wife and daughter. Both of our brothers, however, could do no wrong. It seemed as if they were favored just because they were boys.
When I read Mary’s story, it was so strange to me how similar our lives were. I’m sure there are many of you out there reading this right now who are identifying with the very same thing. In addition to the issues I share with Mary, I also share issues with John. The three of us have “mindsets” that open the door for the devil to hold us captive. Like Mary & John, I was verbally abused in childhood. My father also had a sharp tongue and frequently said hurtful things to me, things like: “Michelle, you're such a mess; you'll never amount to anything.”
My father & my grandfather never missed the chance at reminding me of how “fat” I was. I looked back at pictures of myself recently of when I was a child. It saddens me to think that they could have considered me fat. It didn’t help that most of my cousins were extra thin, but in no way should I have been considered fat. It just wasn’t so! But hearing it consistently made me believe it.
Like John, I tried hard to please my father because I craved his approval (as all children do); but the harder I tried, the more mistakes I made.

All of the efforts I put into losing weight failed, so, like John, I decided it really wasn’t worth the effort. I’d believe that I was going to gain the weight in the end anyway, so why keep trying to fight this? On top of all of this, I was a victim of sexual molestation, and like Mary, by the time I was sixteen, I, too, had been brain-washed for years by Satan who had told lies that went something like this: “Men really think they are something. They are all alike; you can't trust them. They will hurt you and take advantage of you. If you're a man, you've got it made in life. You can do anything you want. You can order people around, be the boss, treat people any way you please and nobody (especially not wives or daughters) can do anything about it.” Between the thoughts I shared with Mary & the thoughts I shared with John, my mind was completely filled with attitude & anger. Satan had been raging war on the battlefield of my mind. Like Mary and John, I played those thoughts over & over for years in my mind. Is it any wonder that now, at 42 years old, I cannot move forward? I live in those lies in my mind, and though I want them to go away, they just don’t. We are supposed to love ourselves. How can we love something we believe is so ugly? And if we can’t love ourselves, how can we love others? What a great tactic of the enemy! Not only does he use us against ourselves, but he uses us against others.
Joyce answers the question, “What can any of us do in such a situation?”
…If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.
And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
John 8:31,32
The following are excerpts from her book, Battlefield Of The Mind….
“ Here (referring to the scripture just mentioned) Jesus tells us how we are to win the victory over the lies of Satan. We must get the knowledge of God's truth in us, renew our minds with His Word, then use the weapons of 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 to tear down strongholds and every high and lofty thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
These “weapons” are the Word received through preaching, teaching, books, tapes, seminars and private Bible study. But we must “abide” (continue) in the Word until it becomes revelation given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Continuing is important. In Mark 4:24 Jesus says, ...The measure [of thought and study! you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you.... I repeat, we must continue using the weapon of the Word.
Two other spiritual weapons available to us are praise and prayer. Praise defeats the devil quicker than any other battle plan, but it must be genuine heart praise, not just lip service or a method being tried to see if it works. Also, praise and prayer both involve the Word. We praise God according to His Word and His goodness.
Prayer is relationship with the Godhead. It is coming and asking for help or talking to God about something that bothers us.
If you want to have an effective prayer life, develop a good personal relationship with the Father. Know that He loves you, that He is full of mercy, that He will help you. Get to know Jesus. He is your Friend. He died for you. Get to know the Holy Spirit. He is with you all the time as your Helper. Let Him help you.
Learn to fill your prayers with the Word of God. God's Word and our need is the basis on which we come to Him.
So, our weapons are the Word used in various ways. As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, our weapons are not carnal (fleshly) weapons; they are spiritual. We need spiritual weapons because we are fighting master spirits, yes, even the devil himself. Even Jesus used the weapon of the Word in the wilderness to defeat the devil. (Luke 4:1-13.) Each time the devil lied to Him, Jesus responded with, “It is written,” and quoted him the Word. “

As we learn to use our weapons, we, like Mary, will begin to tear down the strongholds that have been built in our minds. We will know the truth & the truth will set us free.

As Joyce says,
“Our past may explain why we're suffering, but we must not use it as an excuse to stay in bondage.
Everyone is without excuse because Jesus always stands ready to fulfill His promise to set the captives free. He will walk us across the finish line of victory in any area if we are willing to go all the way through it with Him.”
THE WAY OUT
For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin, no matter how it comes or where it leads) has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.
1 Corinthians 10:13
I hope you see from this parable-type example how Satan takes our circumstances and builds strongholds in our lives-how he wages war on the battlefield of the mind. But, thank God, we have weapons to tear down the strongholds. God doesn't abandon us and leave us helpless. First Corinthians 10:13 promises us that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, but with every temptation He will also provide the way out, the escape.
Any one of us may be Mary or John. I am sure that most of us relate in some way to the scenario. Their problems are internal-in their thoughts and attitudes. Their outward behavior is only a result of their inner life. Satan knows well that if he can control our thoughts, he can control our actions.
You may have some major strongholds in your life that need to be broken. Let me encourage you by saying, “God is on your side.” There is a war going on, and your mind is the battlefield. But the good news is that God is fighting on your side.”

If you haven’t read Joyce’s book yet, you might want to get it. Click on the link on the sidebar that says, “The Mind Is The Battlefield” and it will take you to the site. Most of this post was taken from her article on the web, and I added my own thoughts in here & there. I sincerely hope it has challenged you as it has me!
Remember…there is a devil…there is an enemy of God…he DOES want to destroy us, and we CAN be free! Different strokes for different folks for sure, and for me, it’s not just about a diet that will help me to lose weight. It’s about my quest for freedom from the bondage I have allowed the enemy to place me in!

God bless!