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Every effort a believer makes to improve their life will result in automatic opposition from the adversary. When God delivers us, the chief deceiver himself will visit us during our dry seasons to try and tempt us and lead us astray. Don’t get me wrong, the Bible clearly states evil spirits cannot dwell in dry places, but at the same time, we need to understand the enemy is persistent and strategic.<h2>How the Devil Tempts</h2>This means when the lower-ranking wicked spirits can no longer oppress or possess a person, they get help from their superiors. I mention rank because similar to the order we see in God’s domain, the kingdom of darkness also has a hierarchy of powers, principalities and spiritual hosts of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12) that are hell-bent on wreaking havoc on the lives of all of God’s creation, whether they are believers or not.&nbsp;It is no secret the devil, the ultimate father of lies, is the head of this wicked empire that is the breeding ground for fear, torment and torture.Because of this, although God may cast various oppressive spirits out of a person, threats of relapse from the highest-ranking demon during their time of trial and tribulation should be expected as it is very much imminent and virtually guaranteed.Remember, the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) and he will stop at nothing to rob a person of obtaining salvation. How can we be so sure, you may ask? Because Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who God sent to set the example for all His children, had to endure the tests of the devil during His wilderness experience.&nbsp;<h2>Jesus in the Wilderness</h2>“…The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”&nbsp; –Matthew 4:1-11 NIVIt was no coincidence that Satan showed up when Jesus was physically at His weakest. Christ had fasted to the point where starvation and severe dehydration would have already begun the process of ransacking His body.So what did the devil do? He offered him a basic necessity that Jesus’ natural body undoubtedly craved. Still, instead of caving into His fleshly desires, Christ harnessed strength from the Holy Spirit and refuted Satan’s temptation with the Word of God.Throughout the entire account, He employed this same strategy to refute Satan when he tried to tempt him. And guess what? The devil was eventually forced to flee.<h3>Resistance in the Midst of Temptation&nbsp;</h3>Casting down vain imaginations and bringing all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ is the ultimate tool God gives us to resist the schemes and plots of the devil (2 Corinthian 10:5).&nbsp;Even if a person feels they have no power to fight against temptation, they should not lose hope. Let me remind you, even the devil in all his destruction will not stay in a dry place; he will only pass through it. So if we, like Jesus, choose to meditate on the truth of God found in the scriptures, Satan, like his inferiors, will also have to keep it moving.&nbsp;Never forget, the enemy is looking for a place to find rest and grows weary too. This means if a person perseveres through prayer, fasting and reading the Bible regardless of their feelings and foreseeable circumstances, oppressive spirits will grow restless and move on.&nbsp;Even if you are in the midst of your dry season and feel like you’re losing the battle, remember God’s Word never lies and all of His promises will come to pass despite what you may be feeling at the moment. That being said, when you stand on His Word, which is Jesus Christ, the enemy will flee.

Resisting The Enemy

<blockquote>&nbsp;Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.–Romans 12:2 NIV</blockquote>When we live for Christ, we are transformed into new creatures, but the story doesn’t end there. After transformation, we are called to make the best of our fresh beginning by trusting God and submitting to His will. That is why He reminds us to guard our hearts, because everything we do is influenced by it (Proverbs 4:23).It is also noteworthy to recognize that the mind is the eyes of the heart. In fact, when the word heart is mentioned in scripture, it is often referring to a person’s thought life, rather than the mass of muscle pumping blood through their body.&nbsp;<h3>You Are What You Think</h3>In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon states: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Technically speaking, a man cannot think with his heart –or in it for that matter. However, the king, in all his Godly wisdom, recognized the intricate link between the heart and mind. He understood our thought-life –that is our will, emotions, intellect and imagination– ultimately dictate our outlook on reality.Hence, from King Solomon’s proverb, we can infer that constantly engaging &nbsp;in negative thinking will lead to a pessimistic worldview that makes it impossible to see the good in anything. &nbsp;The wise king understood if a person internalized negative perceptions, they would transmit the bleak reality they created in their minds to their hearts. This would ultimately harden it, making it difficult for them to express love, extend forgiveness and reach out to others.&nbsp;Of course, negative, fatalistic thinking is the perfect formula for loneliness, resentment and depression, leading a person into mental bondage and the destructive habits that accompany the dismal state.This means in order to “guard our hearts,” we must make a conscious effort to monitor the things we watch and listen to. Simply speaking, what we see and hear impacts how we feel and determines the decisions we make. If the things we expose ourselves to encourage destructive thoughts fueled by envy and strife, we will become miserable people.<h3>Casting Down Vain Imaginations</h3>The Word of God says in the fight for our minds, the weapons of our warfare are not physical. Instead, they are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.This simply means our enemy is not other people. That is why the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, urged believers to cast down arguments, vain imaginations and every high thing that tried to elevate itself against God’s knowledge. Not to mention, believers were also mandated to bring every thought into captivity into the obedience of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).How do we do this? By filtering every thought through the Word of God, which is the undiluted truth. In other words, you may feel ugly, but God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14.)Likewise, you may be convinced that all hope is lost, but the scriptures state God has a plan not to harm you, but to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). This practice won’t come easy at first, but it is crucial in demolishing negative thought patterns and strongholds. &nbsp;

How to Renew Your Mind

<h2>Flirting with Fantasy</h2>Fantasy can be an enjoyable escape from stress, but what happens when the coping mechanism once used to distract from worries becomes an addiction that perpetuates the very issues that prompted withdrawal in the first place? You make a choice to wake up and quit daydreaming! In this blog post we will discuss the dangers of tuning out reality to engage in excessive daydreaming. <h3>Dangers of Addictive Daydreaming</h3><figure id="figure-kbuq7i368glm59y9xw"><img id="kbuq7i368glm59y9xw" src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/2HdXSiseyG8QZgEkVf9RqNwgkbBsWRoAye8BAzeJEktWo5RQb2WyIu001t0xwFrx.jpeg" alt="fantasy books" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="no-rounded" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/shutterstock/2HdXSiseyG8QZgEkVf9RqNwgkbBsWRoAye8BAzeJEktWo5RQb2WyIu001t0xwFrx.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>When I was younger, my number one goal in life was to be famous...literally. As a kid, I loved to sing and dance and I would do so obnoxiously to the annoyance of all my friends and family. We even shared an inside joke where if one of them attempted to tell me off for my random outbursts, I would scoff in fake offense, before telling them they would regret blowing me off after I got famous. The irony of all of this is even though we all laughed about it in the moment; I didn't even realize that somewhere deep inside of me I was dead serious.For a while, living in this dream world I created helped to distract me from my real-world problems. And whenever I found myself bored, or sad with my everyday circumstances, I would slip into the comfort of my subconscious and dream up an elaborate celebrity-filled life. But after some time, I realized in order to get the euphoric feeling I was striving for, I had to completely submerge myself in my fantasy world. This meant I constantly went over every intricate detail of the same thoughts for hours every day, just to ensure my "daydreams" were accurate and held some type of semblance to the public figures they were inspired by. <figure id="figure-22erosp6fllm59ybdl"><img id="22erosp6fllm59ybdl" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1500602517813-4142fef80b29?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyMHx8ZGF5ZHJlYW18ZW58MHx8fHwxNjkzODU0Mzc5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="fantasy movies" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="no-rounded" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1500602517813-4142fef80b29?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyMHx8ZGF5ZHJlYW18ZW58MHx8fHwxNjkzODU0Mzc5fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Maladaptive Daydreaming</h3>If you are a chronic daydreamer like I was and got to the point where you were desperate to get your head out of the clouds, you may have stumbled across these words in your quest searching for solutions. Still, if you are not familiar with the term, but have experienced difficulty tuning into reality when life got tough, it may very well be the name of the thing fueling your incessant daydreaming and absentmindedness.&nbsp;Basically, maladaptive daydreaming is a condition where a person spends more than half of their waking life immersed in a story they have created in their heads. The term was coined by Israeli professor Eli Somer, who defined the disorder as “extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning.” Mental health experts note the condition is characterized by the following symptoms:1. Vivid daydreams with &nbsp;characters and settings&nbsp; 2. Fantasizing that is triggered by real-life events 3. Trouble completing everyday tasks 4. Difficulty falling and staying asleep at night 5. An impulsive urge to disassociate with reality&nbsp; 6. Performing repetitive movements while daydreaming 7. Making facial expressions while daydreaming 8. Whispering and talking while daydreaming 9. Daydreaming for a long period of time&nbsp;<figure id="figure-6jjf8j0bylm59ycg9"><img id="6jjf8j0bylm59ycg9" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1546521677-b3a9b11bee6f?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyN3x8ZmFudGFzeSUyMHZpZGVvJTIwZ2FtZXN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjkzODU1NzA3fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="fantasy video games" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="no-rounded" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1546521677-b3a9b11bee6f?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyN3x8ZmFudGFzeSUyMHZpZGVvJTIwZ2FtZXN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjkzODU1NzA3fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>Escaping Reality</h3>Now if you’re anything like me, your mind may be running at a million miles per hour if you have experienced any of the symptoms above. Still, I want to assure you that regardless of how you may feel:1. You are not crazy &nbsp; 2. There are millions of people that are just like youIn fact, the difference between you actually slipping into insanity and nipping an unhealthy mental habit in the bud really depends on whether you choose to acknowledge that excessive daydreaming is a problem and whether or not you are willing to wake up, open your eyes and change the way you think. After all, the most accepted definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.<figure id="figure-6jjf8j0bylm59ycg9"></figure><figure id="figure-nka0x3joylm59ydqc"><img id="nka0x3joylm59ydqc" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1523293836414-f04e712e1f3b?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyM3x8ZmFudGFzeSUyMGVzY2FwZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE2OTM4NTU3MDl8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="fantasy escape" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="no-rounded" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1523293836414-f04e712e1f3b?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyM3x8ZmFudGFzeSUyMGVzY2FwZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE2OTM4NTU3MDl8MA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3>God's view on Disassociation</h3>While God gives us dreams and vivid imaginations, he did not design us to live in our heads for hours on end –and that's exactly what maladaptive daydreaming is.So what does his word say?Romans 12:2 NIV: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”Proverbs 12:11 NIV: “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.”1 Peter 1:13 NIV: “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.”Isaiah 26:3 ESV: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”<h3>The Takeaway</h3>Let’s set the record straight. Daydreaming is completely normal, but excessive fantasizing is a symptom of a much larger problem. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, there are millions of people all around the world who are dragging through a less than satisfactory life and living out their desired reality through a fantasy they have cultivated in their heads. While this kind of behavior is expected and even tolerated in children up to a certain age, by the time a person grows out of their adolescence, they are expected to put off play-pretend and deal with whatever circumstance life brings their way. The elephant in the room is that a lot of grown adults struggle to do this, and just like some people turn to external substances like drugs and alcohol to fill the voids in their lives, others retract inwardly and use their minds to imagine a world abundant with the things their real life lacks. Both types of coping mechanisms are equally damaging and addictive.&nbsp;<figure id="figure-cy90qts4ulm59yhaz"><img id="cy90qts4ulm59yhaz" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1444703686981-a3abbc4d4fe3?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxmYW50YXN5JTIwd29uZGVyfGVufDB8fHx8MTY5Mzg1NTcxM3ww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" alt="fantasy wonder" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="no-rounded" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="null" data-positiony="null" data-mce-src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1444703686981-a3abbc4d4fe3?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wyNjI5NjF8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHxmYW50YXN5JTIwd29uZGVyfGVufDB8fHx8MTY5Mzg1NTcxM3ww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>

Flirting with Fantasy

<h2>Idolatry Defined</h2>The word “idol” evokes mixed feelings in most people. While some associate it with explicit commands in the scriptures, others have grown indifferent because of how the term has been adopted in mainstream culture.That being said, many believe idolatry only encompasses the worship of a physical monument in the place of God. Still, anything or person we allow to take the place of God in our hearts, minds or souls is an idol. That is why identifying the voids we’re trying to fill when we replace our Creator with a created thing is the first step to mental freedom.<h2>Modern Day Idolatry in Action</h2>You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.&nbsp;–Exodus 20:4 NIVAs a teenager, I would spend all my free time surfing the web and scrolling down the feeds of popular social networking websites. I can recall my dedication to a Twitter account I had made to support my favorite musical act.I can’t begin to explain the amount of time, effort and resources I dedicated to promoting this band whose members did not have the slightest clue that I existed.Not to mention, the group I adored lived half-way across the world, so my chances of ever meeting them was slim to none. Still, that didn’t stop me from waking up every morning and checking my social media feeds to stay updated on the latest news.&nbsp;It also did not deter me from getting into heated online arguments with rival fandoms who posted anything negative about my idols. I use that word because although I would not admit it at the time, that was what they were.While the word idol was used to refer to wooden statues and clay figurines in the Bible, today, the term is used to describe entertainers whose images are marketed to maintain close relationships with fans. Clearly, it is no coincidence popular culture has adopted the word “idol” to define the biggest celebrities of our day. If we’re not careful, we may also become desensitized and end up conforming to customs that will drive us away from the Father.The truth is, if we are not aware of what holds our devotion, we risk walking down a slippery slope that can end in our own destruction. In my case, it started off innocently. I was a 12-year-old girl who, like millions of other young girls, was enthralled by a group of “teenage heartthrobs” that were strategically marketed to appeal to my age group. But by accepting idols into my heart at an early age, I passively accepted several worldly doctrines that gave Satan a foothold in my life for years to come.<h2>Idolatry: A Heart Issue</h2>“Temptation comes from our desires, which entice and drag us away.” –James 1:14 NIVStudies show that most people engage in psychoactive experiences to make themselves “feel good or better.” This is why addiction resides in activities that are closely linked to pleasure seeking and self-medication. The mind disease also revolves around a person’s dedication and devotion to an object, substance or activity. These facts suggest that idolatry lies at the root of addiction.Addictions do not develop overnight. On the contrary, most destructive habits are formed through constant repetition that gradually alter how a person perceives the substance or practice bolstering their compulsive behavior. &nbsp;<h2>How Addiction Develops</h2>Over the years, scientists have broken down the pattern of addiction by outlining distinct stages every addict experiences.This gradual progression typically begins when a person is first exposed to a trigger, and ends by the time the compulsive behavior is fully developed. These six stages are:&nbsp;Initiation: This is the period when an individual tries a substance or destructive activity for the first time.&nbsp;Experimentation: At this stage, a person has graduated past trying a drug or questionable habit and is now engaging in the behavior to see how it impacts their life in terms of alleviating stress, or giving them a euphoric feeling. At this point, there are very few cravings and the individual is making a conscious choice to engage in the behavior or not.Regular Usage: As a person continues to use a substance or engage in a damaging practice, their involvement with the trigger becomes normalized and their usage or involvement increases from sporadic to habitual.Risky Usage: At this point, a person’s regular use of a substance or involvement in a bad practice begins to negatively impact their life. For example, an alcoholic may experience constant hangovers that affect their productivity at work.Dependence: This stage is defined by a person’s reliance on the substance or destructive habit. Here, a person has abused their trigger to the point where their body has adjusted to its presence and has grown to depend on it to function.Addiction: After a person has grown to rely on a drug, they reach the stage where they feel as though they cannot live without it. Thus, at this point, the person’s substance use or involvement in a bad habit is no longer a conscious choice but a compulsive urge.<h3>Idolatry Causes Addiction</h3>You may be wondering, what does addiction have to do with idolatry? But even if you're not strung out on drugs or attached to an alcohol bottle, there if God is not the centre of your life, someone or something holds your devotion.The truth is, most addictions begin with idolatry. Moreover, the majority of the temptations that trigger them are caused by our own desires. Think about it, when a person struggles with addiction, they justify their bad habit by telling themselves it is the only thing that makes them feel better.Not only that, many addicts who relapse will tell you they understand their habit is destructive, but their hearts won’t allow them to let it go. In the book of James, the apostle reminds us that God does not tempt people, nor can He be tempted. Instead, James explained that each person is lured away when they follow the inclinations and desires of their own selfish hearts.&nbsp;Ironically, this theory is based on another mentality that has infiltrated society. In almost everything we listen to or read about, we’re bombarded with content that constantly reminds us to “do what makes us happy.” While the delivery may vary, the message remains the same: “Follow your heart and do whatever it takes to achieve your dreams.” While on the surface this theory may seem logical, God teaches us another way, because He knows a heart that is not governed by His word is inherently selfish.&nbsp;<h2>Conclusion</h2>“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” –Jeremiah 17:9 NIVWhile the world tells us to do whatever feels right, God reminds us as creatures living in a fallen world, we are inclined to sin. If you’re struggling to break free from addiction and negative thinking patterns like I was, accepting this fact is crucial to your deliverance. While continuing to live a life enslaved to destructive habits won’t help you, acknowledging where you went wrong and asking God to free you is the first step in the right direction.