The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. Psalm 34:19 (NIV) Too many people just trust in their own strength to change. They want to deal with bad habits, or want to accomplish something with their life, so they set out in their own strength to do and be what God has called them to. When they struggle and it becomes hard, those dreams slowly begin to die on the inside. Eventually, they stop dreaming entirely. They stop expecting a good outcome because they’ve tried and failed before. Instead, they stay stuck in a rut, just going through the motions of daily life. The best they hope for is a few little minutes of fun or distraction on …

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NKJV) Over the past couple of days we’ve been talking about how important it is to know that you are a new creation. It’s a key to having faith and walking in your authority in Christ. You need to remind yourself daily that you’re a child in God’s family. You’re a son or daughter of the King and you’re destined to do awesome things for God! Believe in who God says you are. Only then will your faith kick into gear because faith works by love. Faith does not work by fear; it doesn’t work by a …

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. Galatians 6:15 (NKJV) To walk in the authority you have in Christ, you need to realize that you are a new creation! Believers often look at their struggles the wrong way. If they have trouble being patient, they think, “I’m always so impatient! I need to change.” While that sounds right, it’s actually the wrong way to think. Focusing on the fact that you’re not patient just brings more doubt. You become very problem- and sin-conscious. As a result, the changes you make are only external. Because these changes are initiated by negative pressure, you don’t access God’s power. You begin to look down on yourself because you are trying to …

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) You aren’t just forgiven; you’re a new creation. It’s so important to realize this if you want to walk in the authority you have in Christ. In many people’s lives, Christianity has been narrowed down to this one point: I gave my life to Jesus and now I am forgiven. Actually, giving your life to Christ does so much more than that! Yes, when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for the sin of mankind. So when you make the decision to follow Him, you are no longer a “sinner.” You’re now a “saint” because you belong to …

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (NKJV) For generations, people have tried to get right with God in their own strength, and this trend continues today. People try following the rules. They try sacrificing and doing good works. They try begging and pleading. Meanwhile, there’s a mystery out there that holds the key to being right with God. That mystery is Christ in us, and it’s our hope for moving on to every new level of glory. The mystery of the gospel is not a new system or structure. It’s not a new way of thinking either. While these are …