When I asked the Lord what to speak on, He simply said, “Romans 8.” We touched on it a few days ago, but He wanted us to go back again because there’s more to pull from it. Before we dive in, let’s set the tone with Luke 4:18 (NLT):
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
That means we’re living in the time of the Lord’s favor. Jesus did miracles, healed the sick, and taught with power because the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Even Jesus said the reason He could do what He did was because He lived by the Spirit.
Romans 8 begins like this:
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” (Romans 8:1–2, NLT)
The Lord wants us to see that this chapter gives us a guideline for what life in the Spirit looks like. The first indicator is no condemnation. When you’re living by the Spirit, your thoughts aren’t filled with guilt, shame, or regret.
Condemning thoughts like “you’re not smart enough” or “remember what you did wrong” get cast down because you’ve learned to live in the freedom of the Spirit.
The second indicator: sin has no power over you. Temptation may come knocking, but when you’re walking by the Spirit, you have authority over it. If sin still seems to rule over you, that’s a sign you’re living by your own power instead of the Spirit’s.
Romans 8:3–4 says:
“God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”
When did God declare that end? Two thousand years ago, at the cross. Sin’s control over your life ended the moment Jesus sacrificed His body for you. You don’t have to wait for heaven to be free. The end has already been declared—you just need to agree with it.
Verse 5 gives us the practical key:
“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.”
How do you live by the Spirit? By changing what you think about. It’s not about trying harder—it’s about thinking differently. When you set your mind on things that please the Spirit, you’ll walk by the Spirit.
Romans 8:6 continues:
“Letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”
Your mind is the battleground. The flesh presents thoughts. The Spirit presents thoughts. You get to choose which ones to dwell on. Every thought you receive is a choice. You can either think, “They meant to hurt me,” or you can let the Spirit remind you, “You misunderstood; go ask what they meant.”
God gave you the power to choose. He said:
“I have set before you life and death... choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19, NLT)
You choose what you think about. Every thought that lingers is one you’ve permitted. When wrong thoughts keep returning—doubt, lust, fear, or worry—the answer is the same: No. Say it as many times as it takes. Scripture says, “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.” (James 4:7, NLT) He can’t outlast someone who stands firm in truth.
Romans 12:2 says:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
That’s how transformation happens. We don’t become new by striving but by letting God renew our minds. Only then can we understand His will for us. Many people say, “I just want to know what God has called me to do.” The answer is simple: Let Him change the way you think, and His will becomes clear.
Second Corinthians 10:5 (TPT) puts it beautifully:
“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God... We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.”
The battlefield is in the mind. When thoughts arise that oppose God’s truth, don’t wrestle with them quietly—speak out loud. Say, “I will not think about that.” There’s power in your spoken word because it carries the authority of God’s Word.
Back in 2020, I became very sick—so sick I thought I might not recover. I could only work thirty minutes at a time before the room started spinning. The Lord gave me a scripture from Psalms: “You will live to enjoy your grandchildren.” Every time symptoms came, I declared that verse out loud: “I will live to enjoy my grandchildren.”
Those thoughts of fear—You’re going to die. You’re leaving your family behind.—were replaced by God’s promise. I spoke that truth thousands of times until the sickness left. It took months, but I didn’t care how long it took. God’s Word never fails.
He’s healed me of many things since then—large and small—because I’ve learned to fix my thoughts on His truth. Even when healing wasn’t instant, I refused to think discouraging thoughts. God’s thoughts don’t produce fear or worry. They produce faith.
Ephesians 4:23 (NLT) says:
“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”
Notice it says let the Spirit. He won’t force His way into your thought life. He’ll do what you allow Him to do. If you let Him renew your thoughts, He will. If you let Him heal you, He will. Don’t worry about when it will happen. Timing questions belong to the flesh. The Spirit isn’t limited by time—He’s right on time.
When we choose to think on things that please the Spirit, everything changes. Healing comes. Peace replaces anxiety. Faith replaces fear. And when we do this together, the possibilities are limitless.
We must live by the Spirit—and that begins by fixing our thoughts on Him at all times.
