“In righteousness you shall be established: you will be far from oppression; fear and terror will not come near you” (Isa. 54:14 KJV, Paraphrased).
Far from fear and oppression, what a wonderful and reassuring word. This promise guarantees us peace of mind. No mental hassle. No mental fatigue. No mental oppression or depression. But we must appropriate that peace to ourselves.
Active within the Christian is a real battle for the mind. Thoughts can originate from the Holy Spirit, the evil spirit or the human spirit. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is that of the discerning of spirits. This discernment is the ability to isolate each thought to determine its origin or source and the proper response to it:
The Holy Spirit always exalts Jesus; the evil spirit discredits Jesus; the human spirit attempts to exalt man and his cleverness, knowledge, ability and achievements.
This verse tells us that our thoughts do not have to annoy us. Stabilized by the righteousness of God, we need not be plagued by oppressive mental impulses. No longer must we be victimized or dominated by fearful, terrifying or traumatic suggestions, memories or imaginings.
Now that we are in Christ, we have His mind. We can literally dismiss from our thinking any oppressive or depressive thoughts, replacing them with positive affirmations and images.
Whenever any wrong thought comes to your mind you need to verbally speak a word of refusal to it. Say: “I do not accept that thought. Jesus does not think that way, and neither do I.” If you will do that, you will soon be far from oppression.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Dick Mills was ordained at The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in 1949. He and his wife Betty traveled as evangelists all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. Dick and Betty are now home in heaven.
In 1966 Dick and Betty became a part of the then-emerging Charismatic Renewal. Passing through all denominational barriers, Dick has had the opportunity to speak in thousands of churches of varied backgrounds all over the world.
He ministered within several Christian organizations, including the Full Gospel Business Men, Women's Aglow, Inter-church Renewal Catholic Pentecostals, mainline Charismatic groups, CBN and TBN television networks, and many other independent Christian TV stations.
Dick appeared on numerous radio talk shows, written several magazine articles, and spoke at many Bible conferences and universities. He served as an adjunct professor at six Schools of the Bible and Seminaries.
In addition, Dick authored and co-authored several books and tapes. Dick's ministry was characterized by the unique gifts God has blessed him with. His services informed, enlightened, and motivated people to a higher level of commitment to God.