How to Avoid the Trap of Forcing Christian Victory

How to Avoid the Trap of Forcing Christian Victory and Learn to Align Your Heart Instead

Trying to Force Victory is the Most Common of Traps Christians fall into.

All movement must have an energy source. Consider if our combustion is the clean fuel of the Holy Spirit working through an aligned heart, or is it a fleshly, unclean source of performance. When we cook on an unclean fuel, the food will have a bad or even toxic flavor. In discovering this, our approach is usually to force out the wrong flavor or add enough other spices to cover it.

Often we have a present-tense mindset and approach to healing in the Body of Christ. We are taught to cast something out, resist wrong thoughts, deny pain and claim victory.

Consider the message of some of the top leaders in the church. Joyce Meyer and her best selling “Battlefield of the Mind.” John Bevere’s message to sufficiently “Fear God” in order to be blessed rather than cursed. Even the very grace oriented Joseph Prince will talk about “not accepting” condemnation. These aren’t necessarily bad as long as they’re not a singular answer.

As long as my heart and head are in agreement, choosing to stand on God’s word is wonderful and right. Yet, what if I try to walk in obedience in my finances for example, and I’m overcome with doubt; or what if I try to walk in rest, and anxiety rears its ugly head? Now it takes great effort and striving to keep going; it becomes difficult to simply just stand on His word.

Denial
The teaching is that if we deny what we feel long enough, eventually it will die, and the new feeling will win. However there are at least two problems with this. One, I don’t know hardly anyone with the discipline to consistently walk this out. Two, it’s a denial of what is actually happening in my heart.

Heart Kindness
This doubt or anxiety is telling me something. There’s an issue in my heart that needs to be dealt with. So instead of fighting these feelings, it is much better to use them as the indicators they are to find the wrong belief they are exposing in my heart. As I can acknowledge my problem to the Lord and hold it before Him, He resolves it. Now my heart and head are back in agreement and I am able to wholeheartedly stand on His word.

Restful Freedom
God has true freedom for us and not just controlled behavior. The fruit of the spirit flows naturally when the Holy Spirit works through an aligned heart. The energy source is clean and healthy underneath. This leads to maintenance free victory, living Romans 6-8 without striving to resist or deny anything.