Rom 8:13 (NIV) For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if BY the Spirit YOU put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. This is your ultimate goal of resistance. If you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will have closed the door to the input of the world and the devil. They make their influences known through your body, Rom 7:22 (NIV) For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. Your spirit isn’t open to the influence of the world and the devil, just your body.

Rom 10:8 (NIV) But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming. This is the foundational set of tools for getting everything you need as you read and study your Bible. However, your mouth and your heart pose a problem to you.

• YOUR HEART: Jer 17:9 (NIV) The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?


• YOUR TONGUE: James 3:6 (NIV) The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

As you can see, there has to be some work done on your mouth and your heart. Since they are the part of you that uses confession and believing, they need to be healed from their difficulties. Don’t get discouraged by this report; it is just pointing you to the fact that you can’t do anything without Jesus. He alone can tame your tongue and heal your heart. The important thing about the above Scriptures is, they keep you from putting your faith in your mouth and your heart. When you get successful with confession and believing, you are going to know that it was all Jesus.

Rom 10:10 (NIV) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Since your mouth and your heart are typically the most difficult part of you to control, it was a miracle of God for Jesus to use them to save and justify you. But, obviously Jesus worked that miracle and empowered you to believe with your heart and confess with your mouth. Now you need more miracles worked on your mouth and heart.

Mat 6:21 (NIV) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Those things you consider valuable direct your heart. If you consider your career important, then your heart will devote itself to sending you emotions that facilitate you reaching that goal. If you want to make enough money to retire, then your heart will take on that assignment. It will send negative emotions when you are doing things that are keeping you from making the money. And, it will send you positive emotions when you are doing what it takes to retire.

Mat 6:33 (NIV) But seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these THINGS will be given to you as well. If you do this, when you get THINGS, you will use them to help people. If you seek first THINGS, you will use people to get those things. Jesus’ way blesses you and blesses the people around you. The world’s way cheats you and you cheat the people around you. So, one of the first things to apply confessing and believing to is your heart. You need to make righteousness your heart’s priority.

Mat 12:34 (NIV) You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The confessions of your mouth are based on the content of your heart. Whatever you store in your heart is what will come out of your mouth. If you allow Jesus to help you evaluate your conversations, you will get a true picture of the content of your heart. Jesus wants to cleanse your heart and fill it with the right things.

Mat 6:22-23 (NIV) The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole BODY will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole BODY will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Let Jesus help you examine all of those things you look at and listen to. They are pouring things into your heart on a regular basis. You are choosing what you look at and listen to. This tells your heart what you consider valuable. It then stores it up for future guidance in sending you emotional signals.

Mat 12:35 (NIV) The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. What makes you say good or evil things? The things you have been CHOOSING to look at and listen to. They have been stored up in your heart and mind and are now coming out of your mouth. Let Jesus empower you to change your diet of eye and ear input. That will be you resisting anything that is hurting you. Renewal from Jesus will take place through it.