Every one of us has faith goals—things God has placed on our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Your imagination was designed by God to help you dream big and pursue those goals.
But anything God gives, Satan tries to imitate or twist. He wants to hijack your imagination and use it to exalt his lies above God's truth. If you’re hearing thoughts like, “You’re not enough,” let me be clear—that’s not the Holy Spirit.
Jesus didn’t mince words when talking to the Pharisees. In John 8:44 (NLT), He said:
“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Satan's goal is to get his lies into your mind and have you expand on them with your imagination—magnify them, replay them, and give them power. But you don’t have to accept that.
In 2 Corinthians 10:5 (AMPC), it says:
“We refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”
Satan lies, plain and simple. So much so, you can almost rejoice in the opposite. If he says you’re a loser, it probably means you’re more than a conqueror. If he tells you you’re weak, it’s because he’s afraid of your potential.
But to walk in victory, you have to feed your mind with the truth of God’s Word. That’s like putting nitrous in your spiritual engine.
If you were set free from fear, depression, or anxiety today, praise God—but now it’s your job to maintain that freedom.
Renew your mind with the Word daily. Make it your foundation. But also be careful what else you let in. Media is a huge influence. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide what you watch and listen to.
I remember a young lady who only listened to true crime podcasts. Over time, that content planted seeds of fear in her heart. She became paranoid—afraid of being attacked, afraid of dying. We prayed for her and the fear lifted, but if she went right back to planting the same seeds, the fear would return.
The news can do the same thing. If all you see is doom and gloom, it’ll start to build anxiety. It doesn't take long before you're in left field, overwhelmed by fear and forgetting everything God said.
Movies, music, even social media—these things shape your thoughts. I’ve had students who were depressed and only listened to emo or death metal. That constant exposure fed their anxiety and kept them in a dark place. And they’d come to church, we’d pray, they’d feel better… but if they didn’t change what they were feeding on, it always came back.
The kingdom of God is based on seed and harvest. And it works whether you're planting truth or lies. Even a harmless thought, if left unchecked, can grow into a big, destructive weed.
I mean, how do we get to the point where someone commits something like a school shooting? It starts with imagination twisted by the enemy—fed on lies until it leads to inhuman action. Romans 8:5-8 (NLT) puts it this way:
“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”
You can’t walk in victory if you keep feeding your mind junk. Even the best soil will grow weeds if that’s what you plant.
Sometimes it’s not the media—it’s the people around you. Maybe a parent once said, “You’ll never amount to anything.” Or maybe someone at school called you ugly, useless, or unlovable.
Those things are lies. They don’t line up with God’s Word, and you don’t have to accept them. But if you let them take root in your mind, they’ll grow just like anything else.
So how do you stay free? Here’s what I recommend:
Ask the Holy Spirit before you watch or listen. If He says “don’t,” then don’t.
My wife Darla, is especially sensitive to this. One night we watched a movie about a man who was wrongly executed. She stayed up the whole night praying for that man. That’s how real these things can be. You have to be picky—especially at first. Cut it all out, then slowly add back what aligns with truth.
Combat them with Scripture. When the enemy lies to you, hit back with the truth. Declare God’s Word out loud. If he says you’re nothing, say: “I’m the head and not the tail. I’m blessed in the city and blessed in the country. I have the mind of Christ.”
It rises up from your spirit. Then when you speak it, you add faith to it. And it comes back through your ears, building you up again. That’s why it works.
Philippians 4:8 (NLT) sums it up beautifully:
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
It’s all about keeping your mind clean and focused on the truth.
If someone says you’re out of your mind, just say, “Amen, thanks for noticing.” I’d rather be out of my mind and into the Word any day.
And if you need a few more verses to keep you going, try 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT):
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
Or Philippians 4:7 (NLT):
“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
God’s peace guards your mind. His Word strengthens your imagination. And the more you lean into that truth, the less power the enemy has.
Let’s keep fighting the good fight.
