Day 2 ~ Head Games

Head games, it's you and me baby
Head games, and I can't take it anymore
Head games, I don't wanna play the...
Head games

Years ago, a rock group named Foreigner came out with a song called, "Head Games". Obviously it was about the head games that go on in a relationship between a guy and a girl, but today I want to talk about the Head Games we play with ourselves. Yes, you know the games your mind plays and the justifications it uses to stop you from doing what is not only right but good for your body, mind, and soul. The moment you open your eyes in the morning your brain tries to seduce you into backing off or better yet, your mind has inundated you with every reason why you WON'T make it, do well, or even lose weight, so what's the use. You know the Word of the Lord has already warned us of satan's devices and his subtle means and ways. The Lord told us, the moment we try to do good, will be the moment we feel the pressure to stay put or pursue evil. Galatians 5:17 very clearly states, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." The flesh basically has its own will and appetite. Just like we feel hunger or thirst, the flesh produces a myriad of appetites and it by no means wants anything to do with being under subjection or ordered around. The flesh is CONTRARY to doing right. Lets take a few minutes to define and discern the true meaning of the word contrary. As a noun the word contrary means - exact opposition of a relation of direct opposition. As an adjective the word contrary means - resistant to guidance or discipline or very opposed in nature or character or purpose. Now read the list of synonyms or words that have similar meaning to the word, contrary...adverse, antonymous, different, disobedient, obstinate, opposite, perverse, reverse, unfavorable, unfavourable, wayward. We need to set the facts straight and lay it all down on the line. All the flesh knows how to do is play HEAD GAMES! The flesh is CONTRARY (adverse, antonymous, different, disobedient, obstinate, opposite, perverse, reverse, unfavorable, unfavourable, wayward) to eating right, both naturally and spiritually. The flesh is CONTRARY (adverse, antonymous, different, disobedient, obstinate, opposite, perverse, reverse, unfavorable, unfavourable, wayward) to exercising. The flesh is CONTRARY (adverse, antonymous, different, disobedient, obstinate, opposite, perverse, reverse, unfavorable, unfavourable, wayward)to living holy. The flesh doesn't want you to be healthy! If that were true, you wouldn't be where you are right now. The flesh doesn't want you to live right, eat right, talk right! This old carnal nature wants a handout. It wants to live in the world of self pity. The carnal nature enjoys basking in the idea of martyrdom...'oh look at poor pitiful me and my situation'. The carnal mind, which is say your flesh, is a grand stander who is truly a miserable comforter. If your carnal nature were your friend, then why are you even in this contest? If your carnal nature was your friend, then why did he allow you to eat all those donuts, fried foods, fast foods, and tubs of ice cream?

We must quit thinking our carnal mind is our friend. "Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (James 4:5-6) Think about he head games that were played on the Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness! Luke 4:1-14 "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about." No wonder the word devil has the word 'evil' in it, because this ole nature is enmity, evil, and contrary! He is subtle and plays with words and uses semantics to 'trick' us and/or justify doing wrong. The devil twists scripture to justify to do evil or stay uncommitted! Come on...you know exactly what I am talking about it! The devil has already duped a few people who said they would play the game and now they have 'decided' to not play the game. Why? Because their carnal nature has subtly duped them into quitting before they even began. The flesh wants NO ACCOUNTABILITY whatsoever! It would rather kill you first than have to submit itself to any authority. For those of you that made it through the weigh in, the carnal nature is working 24/7 to get you to quit. His tactics are subtle. "I won't ever win anyway. How embarrassing that was to let someone see how 'fat' I am. Why start something you know you won't finish. You'll never make the entire eighteen weeks. You know...this is ridiculous...the scripture SAYS...bodily exercise profiteth little, so what's the sense?" When one commits to change, and especially change which means dying out to one's flesh, then the flesh removes all barriers and unleashes a barrage of imaginative forces you never thought you had in you! I can imagine what some of you could write in this blog concerning the subtle measures the carnal nature has used against you. And just think about it, we aren't even a full week into this thing yet!

Today, it is time to resist his taunts like never before. Look closely at the scripture in Luke chapter 4. When he first started he was full of the Holy Ghost, but when he resisted the haughty proud and subtle serpent, Jesus returned in the POWER of the Spirit! Something happens when you resist the temptations of the flesh. When you say "NO" to all the voices of rebellion against going right. When you perceive and refuse the head games of the old man, a transformation...like an earthly caterpillar turning into a butterfly, a metamorphosis of epic proportion takes place within you! Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." So herein lies the victory. Stand against the contrariness of the flesh and the appetites that have so long had you bound. Resist his subtle head games, because that's the ONLY game the serpent knows how to play! If you do this...for eighteen weeks...I really don't think you will care if you win or not, because you will be returning in the POWER of the SPIRIT and life will no longer be viewed from an earthly perspective but you will be sitting in heavenly places, walking in the power of His MIGHT!