Negative Thoughts: Part 1
Breaking the Cycle of Lies
The most dangerous battlefield you will ever face is not out there in the world; it’s in your mind. Long before defeat shows up in our actions, it begins with a whisper in our thoughts. The voice that says, “You’re not good enough. You’re a failure. You’ll never change.” For many, this voice is so constant it feels like their own. But Scripture tells us something different: those are not neutral thoughts; they are lies straight from the enemy—the father of lies (John 8:44).
Every day, the enemy launches subtle attacks, not always with temptation or visible warfare, but with quiet lies. Lies that keep us stuck. Lies that replay our failures, magnify our weaknesses, and bind us in shame. John 10:10 reminds us of the contrast: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Negative self-talk is not harmless; it’s part of the thief's plan to steal your joy, kill your purpose, and destroy your confidence. The good news is, Jesus came to break that cycle and replace lies with truth.
During a recent V1 Church panel, moderated by Pastor Jocelyn Perez featuring Pastor Randall Duperval, Alison Busching, and Christy Gomez, they pulled back the curtain on the spiritual and mental battle of negative self-talk, showing us how awareness, truth, and surrender lead to freedom.
Negative Self-Talk Is a Spiritual Battle
Negative self-talk isn’t just bad thinking; it’s spiritual warfare. Those inner voices saying, “You’re not worthy. You’re not lovable. Nobody likes you. You’re not talented. You’re stupid,” that’s not just psychology at work. That’s the enemy whispering lies and waiting for us to come into agreement with them.
As Christy Gomez explained, “the enemy is called the father of lies, and he lies to us. He whispers into our minds different lies and then we accept them and come into agreement with them.” And the danger is, once you agree with a lie, you begin to live from it.
Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Truth breaks the power of lies. Healing begins when we drag those hidden lies into the light and confront them with the Word of God.
We need to be aware, because we can’t heal what we don’t reveal! One of the first keys to freedom is awareness. The panel emphasized that you have to name the lie.
Psalm 139 gives us the courage to pray: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” When you allow the Holy Spirit to expose your hidden thought patterns, He will reveal where lies have taken root.
When Lies Are Replaced with Truth
All members of the panels shared testimonies of how they overcame the lies of the enemy that were trying to destroy their identities in Christ.
Christy Gomez shared how, as a new mother, her mind was plagued with the thought, “I’m not good at this. My kids would be better off without me.” But she came to realize that motherhood isn’t something to master; it’s something to surrender. Healing came when she understood her identity in Christ and discovered that, “God covers me where I fail.”
V1 Church New Jersey campus pastor Randall Duperval confessed that after longing for a daughter but having a fourth son, his thoughts spiraled into shame, linking it back to his past struggles with pornography. He had believed the lie that he was cursed because he “spilled all my X chromosomes” due to his past addiction. But the truth came through his wife, who said, “Randall, you have four boys because God knew you would raise amazing men.” Randall realized that God redeems every part of his story, even his failures, for good.
Allison Bushing likewise revealed she wrestled with anxiety and crushing self-expectations. When she couldn’t meet her own standards of hospitality, she felt like “a failure.” But in her vulnerability with a friend, she discovered a powerful reality: “Our own struggle releases somebody else.” Her openness allowed her friend to experience freedom also, showing that what we bring into the light can become a weapon of healing for others.
Common Lies We Believe
The enemy’s lies are recycled, but they’re effective because they hit where it hurts most:
Identity-based lies: “I’m not worthy. I’m not lovable. I’ll never be good enough.”
Performance-based lies: “I failed, so I am a failure. I didn’t meet expectations, so I’m worthless.”
Past-based lies: “Because of what I did (or what was spoken over me), I’ll never change.”
These lies may feel like truth because they’re tied to past experiences or the words of others. But agreement with a lie gives it power. Agreement with God’s Word breaks it. Christians must name the lie, expose it, and replace it.
The first step in freedom is awareness. Ask yourself: What lie have I believed? Write it down, confess it to God, bring it into the light, and then replace it with God’s truth. If the lie says, “You’re a failure,” combat that by declaring Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
If the lie says, “You’re not lovable,” proclaim Romans 8:38-39: “Nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” If the lie says, “You’ll never change,” cling to 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
You don’t fight thoughts with thoughts; you fight lies with the Word of God. The truth is the enemy wants you trapped in an endless cycle of shame, but Jesus came to break every cycle with truth. Freedom doesn’t come by pretending the lies don’t exist; it comes by exposing them and replacing them with the voice of your Father.
Today, take this time to name the lie, expose it, and replace it! As a result, watch as the truth of God sets you free!
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
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