The Spirit of the Lord is Life and Peace

When I have anxiety attacks, I feel that I am all alone and fighting the attacks all alone. I feel as though the attacks are designed to make me believe Jesus doesn't love me. But that's not true. One of my favorite verses to repeat when I'm feeling down is this: Isaiah 59:19 "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him." (KJV) I know I have the Holy Spirit in me because I've received Jesus as my Lord and Savior and because I sense His Spirit in me. I can't explain it. I just KNOW. It's a different reigning attitude in me--not the dark, melancholy thinking I've been used to all my life before Jesus stepped in and saved me. Sometimes, He fills me with such joy, I don't know what to do with myself. Usually, it's after I've spent time all alone with Him in prayer and Bible study and after my own personal songs of worship.

And sometimes, He fills me with such gratitude, all I can do is say, "thank you" over and over through my tears. Just today, after walking on my treadmill, the verse came to me, "I consider our present sufferings not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us." Ro. 8:18. I thought how wonderful God's plan of salvation for us. Nothing we go through is for nothing. It's all to draw us to Jesus. To help us lean on and rely on Him instead of ourselves because He loves us so much and is our Champion. He is so much stronger than we are. We cannot fight our battles in the mind and in the world without Him. He alone has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He alone is Victor and makes us victorious. The power for forgiveness of sins is in His blood and He ever lives to intercede for believers. (that's in Hebrews). We fight the good fight of faith with His Spirit in us equipping us to fight and to serve and worship and love our Lord. And one day the greater glory will come into view, as Travis Cottrell sings in Thanks Be To Our God. Keeping my eyes on Jesus, my greater glory, is what makes me victorious, no matter how many anxiety attacks I have. And when I take on this attitude, I have less attacks. No coincidence there. "The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace". (Ro. 8:6)