Victory over Negative Discouraging Words

Shellie shares the following:

Negative Impact of Careless Words

For most of my life, I allowed myself to be discouraged by the words spoken over my life by other people – careless, insincere, inconsiderate word, outright lies and half-truths. Even 20 years later, I felt these words as a sharp physical pain in my heart.

There was always a part of me that felt condemned, accused, guilty, ashamed, inadequate, incomplete, hurt, in pain, and in mourning due to the words people spoke over me, leading to different struggles and being bound in oppression, including depression. These words came from people both outside the church and unfortunately, much of the time, within the church. I couldn’t cope with how people would speak to one another this way, including myself, against one another and not for one another.  

Eyes Opening to the Truth in God’s Word

Even though I grew up going to church, I only began reading the Bible consistently about five years ago. As my eyes started opening up to the truth about God in His Word, I began to taste and see His goodness and to hunger and thirst for more of Him and His words. There was still something, however, that was missing. It was like I was looking at God and His Word as a spectator. He still seemed far away and someone to experience from the past or perhaps in the future, yet not so much in the here and now.  

Activating God’s Word

About a year ago, I found Camarillo Healing Rooms (CHR) while I was searching online for prophecy and prayer for healing. After coming weekly for a few months to their online ministry, I heard one of the prophecy ministers tell me that I needed to activate God’s Word, speaking it into my heart. Unfortunately, I did not know what that meant or how to do it.

A couple of months later, Sue, the Director of CHR started teaching an online class entitled, “Activating the Word of God.”  As I attended this teaching series, I began to get an idea of what this prayer minister meant, but I still wasn’t fully getting it.   

Declaring “Jesus is King and LORD over My Life” 

I came to CHR again for prayer and one of the prayer ministers proclaimed “The King of Glory coming in.” (See Psalm 24:7) This declaration awakened something within me.  Shortly thereafter, things began to change in my life.   

One morning, I got down on my knees and acknowledged and proclaimed “Jesus is King and LORD over my life.” This reality began to impact my heart deeply, despite having sung and said these words many times from childhood. As I continued to declare this daily, I started to deeply encounter Jesus as my personal King and Savior over my whole life. Moreover, His words started coming alive to me in the here and now. The Words of eternal life started to counsel me personally and to heal me by the power of Holy Spirit. Putting myself truly under His authority, power, and dominion has reshaped my heart and life, for I know I have put myself under the best care – under  the lover of my eternal soul.  

Taking Every Thought Captive to Obey Christ 

One day, I had this thought that I needed to take every thought captive to obey Christ, so I started listening to what was being said internally in my heart and mind. I had never deliberately done this before and I realized that I had so many thoughts that were negative and awful – against myself and against others. At first, I tried to force myself to simply stop thinking these thoughts, but they kept coming back and I did not have much success.

During this time, I was watching YouTube videos from pastors who happened to be talking about “self-deliverance” or leading people through the process of being delivered. I realized that this was what I needed and that Holy Spirit was leading me to follow this process. In retrospect, I truly did not understand the level of bondage I was in and that I was actually having oppressive tormenting thoughts that originated from the evil one. Going through this “self-deliverance” coupled with taking every thought captive to obey Christ, which involved exchanging the negative lying thoughts for the truth in God’s Word, were key aspects for my freedom. The Holy Spirit helped me through it all. 

Like James 4:7 instructed, I had to submit to God, resist the devil, and then he would flee from me. There were a lot of ups and downs during this difficult journey. But, by the grace of God, He got me through the toughest battles, as I held fast to Him as my anchor and He held fast to me, never letting me go.  

I was able to gradually turn off the external sounds – the videos, music, podcasts, articles, even sermons online. You see, for the last 20 years or more, I was self-medicating my depression with these external sounds. I was trying to fill a void with endless sounds that kept me from looking at the root of the problem and being set free and healed.  

Keys to Gaining Victory

The more I surrendered to God and the more I declared and meditated on His Words and not the enemy’s words, the more victory I would have. Using the spiritual weapons God has given to me – of all kinds of prayer including praying in tongues; submission; memorization, meditation, and declaration of the Word of God; repentance; praise and worship; taking communion; declaring what Jesus’ blood had accomplished, and other means of grace, I started to have victory in the battles that waged war against my mind and my life – battles that had previously defeated me.

Community of Believers

Another important aspect of walking in Christ’s victory for my life was being part of the CHR community. As I was gaining victory, I asked the Camarillo Healing Rooms if there was anything that I could help out with and they invited me to help out with their online ministry. As a result, I have been able to join their weekly Tuesday prayer and worship, as well as their team training courses. I have never been around Christians like this who understand and operate in the Spirit and the Word. I am growing so much and I am so  thankful for them.

Not Giving Up –  Rejecting and Renouncing the Spirit of Depression

There were so many times I just wanted to give up and looking back, all I can say is that Holy Spirit walked with me through it all, giving me the strength that I needed to keep asking Him for help and to not give up.

I will never forget one of my greatest breakthrough moments. At a certain point in one of my struggles, I remember crying uncontrollably. Instead of giving in to these depressive and discouraging thoughts like I had so often done in my past, I began to reject and renounce the spirit of depression. As I did this, the heaviness completely and immediately lifted off of me. It was tangible and I immediately stopped crying! It was like a faucet that was turned on was now turned off! At that moment, I knew without a doubt that I was indeed dealing with evil spiritual forces. 

For a while, every single time I did this, I could tangibly feel the evil presence lift off. Since then, I have had many battles, but for the most part, it has gotten easier. Now, I realize that it is not just the spirit of depression that I need to reject and renounce, but it’s everything NOT of God’s kingdom nor of the likeness of Jesus Christ. Right now, I am contending for the full benefits of my full inheritance in Christ.

Powerful Truths from God’s Word that have helped me and that I hope will help you.

Spiritual Battle – Realize that the main battle in your life is taking place in the unseen realm and not just what you are experiencing in the natural realm.

Ephesians 6:12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Spiritual Weapons – Use the superior weapons of warfare God has given to you, occupying your heart and mind with His Word. (See “Keys to Gaining Victory” aforementioned.)

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have DIVINE POWER to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword

The Matchless Power of Christ  – Realize that the powers of darkness are completely matchless against the power of Christ, Who is living within you. 

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us

1 John 4:4  He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Romans 8:31 If God is for us, who can be against us.

Authority Over the Enemy – Walk in the authority Christ has given to you.

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

God’s Word Defines Me

I no longer have to allow careless and inconsiderate words of others to define me and control me, for now I know that these words are not from God, but from the enemy himself, the father of lies.   Who I truly am is who I am in Christ, as revealed through the Word of God and by His Spirit. Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, is my eternal reality now and for all eternity, for billions of years and beyond. My desire now is to seek to know Him and HIs glorious Words of Truth more and more.