#CHURCHTALK 41: How Christianity necessitates healthy thinking — Pastor Mark Desmond

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When your hunger is to know and study about the devil or demons, you cannot grow spiritually. Every innocent cat will be a witch to you, while a cockroach will be a monitoring spirit. You cannot know rest.

Mature Sons learn Christ in a mirror, until they become what they see of the image in the mirror. Till, they become knowledgeable about who they are, what they have, and where they are in Christ. At this point, the devil becomes so irrelevant in their lives as he truly is.

Babies cannot pray without mentioning devils, demons, witches or Satan. They've been saved, but have yet to learn Christ. And anyone who advises them otherwise may be seen as an agent of the devil or as being ignorant about "demonic operations". They appear to be so full of the devil that they see him in all things, yet see so less of Christ who is over all and in us all. 

Titus 1:15 

To the pure [in heart and conscience] all things are pure, but to the defiled and corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled and polluted.

When anything happens to them, they see the devil at work; but we see what Christ is doing concerning us in every situation. They may hardly even see their own possible deficiencies when something they do doesn't work out right. 

But we see that we are not alone, despite the unfavourable occurrence. We know that we cannot be put to shame. We are unmoved and unshakable because the Greater One lives in us.

Some even go to the extent of dwelling on and singing songs like: "When l look at my right, I see Satan is falling. When l look at my left, l see Satan is falling...". 

But, my questions are: What is Satan doing by your sides, and why are you always seeing Satan? Do you ever see Christ in and with you, and why do you not dwell on that instead? 

We see differently. We see Jesus and His victory for us always. Alleluia!

Seeing the devil won't grow you, but will make you live in unhealthy suspicion and fear. But seeing Christ builds your faith, and is what matures you as a believer! 

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A believer is a product of the kind of messages they listen to.

When an individual learns to attribute all that goes wrong in his life to the devil, when they are always quick to ask questions such as, "Who did l offend?", "Who could be behind my calamities?" Does it not seem that I am cursed?" "Am l being monitored?" Does it not seem that I have bad luck?", these are signs of an unhealthy consciousness—and Christ does not promote such. 

You ought to always be focused and conscious of He that is IN you, WITH you and FOR you—no matter what things look like! For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he! A man who thinks wrongly wallow in corruption down the drain.

Such persons need to renew their minds by learning more about Christ and what He has done for them. They need to re-channel their focus on Jesus by listening to teachings where Christ is taught, and not where they just mention Jesus and use His name to fight demons! 

If you change the messages you listen to, the movies you watch, and the people you hang around, to the ones that show you Christ, you will likely stop seeing devils.

As Sons of God, we see Christ, and not the devil! We see what Christ has done over whatever the devil may be trying to do. We see Christ's victory for us, and His defeat for us over Satan. We choose daily to walk (dwell) in that healthy consciousness only, for it is health to our lives. 

I pray for you: May whatever is not found in Christ, be far from you! Walk in constant victory. Experience uncommon testimonies. Triumph in areas that seem stagnant, and experience support for all that concerns you, in Jesus name!

Pastor Mark Desmond is the Senior Pastor of The Embassy of Zion Ministries, Nigeria. He is also the proprietor of Bismac Model Schools, Ifo, Ogun State, from where he writes, and can be reached via his Facebook page @Mark Desmond

Chukwubuikem Paul Anunaso contributed to this article. 

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