Life would be rather bland if we didn’t have emotions to bring colour to special moments. What would life be like without joy to feel when something wonderful happens or love and affection to build intimacy and encourage connection and peace for times of quietness?
Emotions are what help us to move from the realm of simply surviving to a place where we are experiencing life and living abundantly. (John 10:10) Emotions are God-given and they are meant to be good. But unfortunately, like all things in this fallen world, emotions have been corrupted.
Negative emotions such as fear, anger, bitterness, lust, envy and sorrow have crept into our lives and have gained dominance. But although they may have more sway over us than positive emotions, these types of feelings are not godly and as Christians we should not entertain them.
As followers of Christ we must fight negative emotions because they are a breeding ground for sin.
Negative Emotions Breed Sin
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is fully-grown brings forth death.
(James 1:14-15 (NKJV))
Negative emotions are what encourage sinful behaviour. How, you might ask?
Let’s say someone does something to offend you and you react by getting angry and upset with them. Once you let the anger and bitterness in the next thing you’ll start doing is meditating and thinking over all the ways that they upset you. From there thoughts of how you want to pay them back for what they did to you will enter in. Before you know it these thoughts will lead to a sinful action of revenge.
This is the case with pretty much any sin; it all starts in your mind and in your emotions just as the Scripture above explains. Your mind informs your actions and what you think you will, eventually, do. This is why it is so important to fight negative emotions.
How to Fight Negative Emotions
Some people believe that their emotions are out of their control. I can’t help it if I’m feeling angry. You’ve just got to feel what you feel, they say. I have no control over the way I feel. Right? Wrong!
You do have control and power over your emotions, especially as Christians.
God has given us authority over every power of the enemy. (Luke 10:19) And guess what? Negative emotions are one of the ways the enemy tries to defeat us.
Negative emotions encourage sin, they also prevent productivity and can keep you from living the life God has planned for you. But as Christians we have authority over that.
God has given us a way to fight negative emotions when they come. And where does this power lie? In the Bible; the Word of God.
Use the Word
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
(Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV))
With the power that is in the Word of God we can fight negative emotions. The Word is sharper than a two edged-sword. (Hebrews 4:12) It searches out our inner being and this includes our thoughts and feelings. The Word creates a divide between the godly and the ungodly and with its spirituall power it separates the two.
God’s Word is what will disperse positive emotions from negative ones. But it will only do this if you make use of it. A sword is of no use if it is sheathed. It’s the same with the Word of God; it remains powerless unless you draw it out.
So when you are plagued by negative emotions and thoughts use the Word to combat them. Open your Bible and turn to Scripture that will speak into your situation.
Read the words out loud with strength and conviction. Confess the truth that is declared in the passages you are reading. Sing them. Meditate over them.
As you do this the power in the Word will be released and it’s this power that will dispel any negative emotions you might be feeling.
Pray in Tongues
But the Word of God is not the only weapon that we have at our disposal.
There is power in the words that come out of our mouths. That power is put to good use when we pray and especially when we pray in tongues.
When you pray in tongues you are praying in the Spirit. Praying in this way edifies you; it builds you up and strengthens you. (1 Corinthians 14:4) The prayer of the Spirit connects you with the Spirit of God and with all the Spirit promises – wisdom, love, joy, peace, understanding etc. (Isaiah 11:2, Galatians 5:22)
So when negative emotions come instead of yielding to them, pray against them. Use the powerful prayer of tongues to fight them.
You will find that as you pray whatever you may be feeling whether it is fear, anger, anxiety or envy, will be changed and replaced with more positive emotions that are in agreement with God.
If you haven’t already, get baptised in the Holy Spirit and receive the wonderful benefits of praying in tongues. Then make use of this great weapon to combat any negative emotions.
You’ve Got the Power
God has given you a spirit of power. (2 Timothy 1:7) This means that you’ve got the power to combat any thoughts or emotions that are not in accordance with God.
Don’t be the devil’s helper by opening the door to sin through negative emotions. Resist him (James 4:7) and fight him with the weapons God has given you.
You do not need to fall into the trap of believing that you are powerless to stop what you are feeling. In Jesus Christ you are a not a slave to sin or to your emotions. Jesus died to take you out of bondage and out of the house of slavery. Remember that you are a child of God. You are a victor and in all things you are more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37) Live in the light of this truth and do not let negative emotions get the best of you.
