2 John 1:6

And this is love: that we walk in accordance with His commandments and are guided continually by His precepts. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning that you should walk in love.  

When we love God and walk in His commandments, we show love back to God. We show we understand the word and the benefits of the life instruction found in the word. We then can regulate our behavior according to His word and avoid pitfalls. Love is essential to our lives and essential to God.   

1 John 1:5

This is the message (of God’s promised revelation) which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all (no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection).

God is light in the darkness and hope when we can see none. God can make things happen for us in ways we never imagined because God created all things. God’s love for us is pure because there is no darkness in Him.  Therefore, God’s plans for our lives are for us to be fruitful and abundant. God is all that is good.

1 Peter 1:3

Blessed (gratefully praised and adored) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 

God, our Father, sent Jesus to this earth so we could have the opportunity to change the course of our lives for all eternity. No longer are we saddled with the burden of sin and no way to redemption but received salvation through belief in Jesus Christ. God deserves to be gratefully praised and worshiped for our second chance.

2 Corinthians 10:3

For though we walk in the flesh (as mortal men), we are not carrying on our (spiritual) warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. 

We have the advantage when it comes to warfare in the Spirit. Jesus came to this earth so that we could have the comforter the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us and teaches us how to cast down our imaginations, remove strongholds and move mountains. We are not helpless, nor are we alone when we take a stand on the word of God. 

2 Corinthians 10:5

We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ. 

As we develop in the faith, we build our stand on the word and our ability to stop destructive thoughts. We can recognize the wrong path and beliefs going in the wrong direction. We no longer are bystanders to the flesh and accept everything that comes to our mind but destroy those arguments. 

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast (that is, committed and focused on You-in both inclination and character), because he trusts and takes refuge in You (with hope and confident expectation).

Stress and worry focus more on the problem than the solution. When we focus on Jesus as our provider and answer, we remove ourselves from the situation. We shift the problem to Jesus in faith that He will help us, and as we use our faith, peace will come to our hearts and minds. 

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

Our thought life can be a battleground if we let it. The focus of our day can either be productive or destructive based on what we focus our mind. When we stand on the word of God, we stand on the power to control our thoughts by replacing them with the word. Our thoughts are the battle we must win daily to walk in peace and love towards ourselves and others. 

Mathew 3:1-2

In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea and saying. Repent (change your inner self- your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

The message hasn’t changed of turning from sin and turning to God. Many generations of people have come and gone, and still, God through Jesus reaches out with the message of salvation. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and when we live a life of repentance, we find God’s purpose for our life.  

1 Corinthians 14:14-15

For if I pray in a tongue, my Spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive. Then what am I to do? I will pray with the Spirit (by the Holy Spirit that is within me) and I will pray with my mind (using words I understand); I will sing with the Spirit (by the Holy Spirit that is within me) and I will sing with the mind (using words I understand).

We want to be productive in prayer and pray prayers that are a blessing to others. We also want to tap into the Spirit and pray according to God’s word coming to our Spirit. When we pray with our minds, we must be specific in prayer based on scripture and find backing for our needs in the Bible. 

Ephesians 1:14

The Spirit is the guarantee (the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste) of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own (purchased) possession (His believers), to the praise of His glory.

The Spirit provides the guarantee of our inheritance.   The blood of Jesus bought our salvation, and we bare the mark through the Holy Spirit living inside. The Spirit is our connection to God and our first taste of what our relationship to God will be in heaven.