“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”
Proverbs 4:23
One thing to realize as we make our way along this journey with Jesus Christ, is that we never stop learning! Depending on what season you are in and what you are learning, this can cause joy, grief, repentance, fortitude, or courage to name a few emotions in the process. Be encouraged! Through these lessons, if you allow Him, the Lord is molding you into the person He has called you to become.
The heart is a multi-faceted organ both in the natural and in the spiritual. In the natural, it determines life to be present or absent in the vessel in which it is contained. In the spiritual, it determines the quality of the life within that vessel.
When we talk about claiming territory, it is not only external such as our homes, our families, regions, governmental bodies, but it is internal as well. As Christians, we have the responsibility to maintain the territory of our hearts and minds. It is an active process! The devil will use any opportunity to take back areas in your heart that you have turned over to Jesus Christ. Maybe you used to deal with anger, pride, jealousy, lust, or gossip. When we submit to the Lordship of Jesus, we get new hearts. But there is more at work than the natural eye can see. The spirit man is renewed, yet the soul man is in the process of sanctification. Glory be to God that as we read in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” We need the word of the Lord! It guides us, protects us, reveals us! It shows the intentions of our hearts. We must read the word of God! We must know the Word of God - Jesus Christ through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. We must seek after fresh manna every day. We cannot be satisfied with yesterdays bread. Do not be deceived saints!
Sometimes the closer you walk with Jesus, the more painful the lessons may be, The reason for this can be the realization that the deception is not external, but internal - there is an area of your heart that you allowed a breach of the enemy to get back in. It may not be intentional, but there is still a process to repair the breach. Be patient with yourself. Do not allow the devil to cause condemnation, but instead, embrace the conviction of the Holy Spirit which corrects your path.
When we walk with the Holy Spirit, there are things that He shows us, in His time for our own good. Embrace the lessons - the joyful ones and the painful ones - for through them, you are taking over the territory that He has determined for you and you are also taking on the likeness of Him who set you free!
