When you have a negative habit that you are battling, you have mental strongholds that support it.
Conquering these strongholds is critical to winning the mental battle of emotional eating and weight loss.
Imagine this: our minds are like a courtroom. You have 2 lawyers arguing about what is the right choice for you to make at any given moment.
Your emotions are the Judge.
The argument that your emotional self agrees with wins. It can be a weak argument logically, but emotions will trump logic in the end.
Uncovering the Argument
How do you know what your argument is that supports a negative habit?
Well, the next time you want to take an action, ask yourself: ‘Why do I want to do this?’
A ‘Because’… argument will show up. ‘Because’ is your reasoning, the argument.
I always like to separate the word ‘Because’ into ‘Be’ and ‘Cause’.
The ‘Cause’ is the reason that you are using to justify what you are choosing to ‘Be’ at that moment.
So let’s say that you want to get some donuts after having a stressful day at work.
If you ask yourself ‘Why do I want to do this?’ you may answer: ‘Because the donuts will make me feel better.’
Ah-ha! That’s the argument.
So ‘stress’ was the ‘Cause.’
However, the ‘Be’ is even more important because it reveals the person you have chosen to be at that moment.
In that case, you have chosen to ‘Be’ a person who believes that donuts are the cure for stress and act according to that belief.
Once again, the argument will reveal the person you are choosing to ‘Be’ at that moment.
You could just as easily choose to ‘Be’ a person who believes that a prayer walk, praise music, or stretching will relieve her stress.
Do you see what I mean?
Who are you choosing to be at this moment? Think about it.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5Â says,
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
In Biblical times, people built altars to false gods on high places (see 1 Kings 14:22-24 for an example).
Think of any mental arguments that we elevate above obeying God as idols on high places.
‘Casting down arguments’ means dismantling those mental idols and tearing down strongholds.
Casting Down Arguments
This is not about condemnation, but respect of your body as God’s dwelling place.
The first step to overcoming arguments is to eavesdrop on them. You may even journal them.
Then ask God ‘Is this the truth or is this a lie’? To be able to walk in the truth, the first step is to identify what it is.
Once the argument is revealed as a lie, then mentally say ‘Cancel’ or ‘Strike that’ and replace the negative argument with truth from God’s word.
If there is no specific word, then ask God to show you wisdom and the truth He wants you to live by.
Remember, the more you think a certain way, the more you’ll tend to keep on doing it….unless you learn to think differently.
When you think differently, not only does it affect your choices now but you are laying new thinking tracks in your brain for the future.
Who Do you Want to Be?
With your choices, start asking yourself ”What person do I want to be at this moment?”
Then, make choices consistent with the person you want to be.
You can start changing in the next moment.
You don’t want to miss out on any blessing that God has in mind for you.
Good health is a BLESSING. Say that now.
The good habits that lead to good health are a BLESSING, even though it takes time and effort to establish them.
Think about your arguments today. I would love to hear about any specific habits you want to change and what is the argument/reasoning you are using to keep it in place.
Be blessed with health, healing and wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor, Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple program
P.S. Tired of carrying emotional weight?
The value of the Take Back Your Temple program is that you will learn how to think differently through Biblical truth.
You’ll discover how to lay aside emotional weight and walk in freedom.
Join a support community of other empowered Christians discovering how to release weight and keep it off.
Click here to become a Take Back Your Temple program member.
This hits home for me. The debilitating power of mental strongholds has created such a feeling of defeat for me. Each day I wake up wanting to have a healthy eating day, but as soon as a junk food urge/craving hit, I fold and give in. And ultimately give up! I want to go to God during these moments but all I can focus on is what I’m going to eat. It’s truly a horrible cycle that has resulted in me carrying an excess of 100 pounds, financial debt (from going out to eat and spending wrecklessky), depression and constant mental anguish. quite honestly, because it’s been this way for me for so long, I often feel it will never be resolved. Kimberly, what say you?
Hi Jo – I can only answer according to God’s word. It says that it is possible for us to change at any time. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” God would not say to be transformed if it were not possible with His help, right?
Remember this truth, Jo: Just because you feel something does not mean the thought behind it is true! Our thoughts can lie to us. For example, you said that you have been a certain way so long that you feel it will never be resolved. Well, it may be true that you feel that way. But the truth is that you are not alone. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold all things have become new. Do you believe this?
Renewing your mind to God’s truth is up to you because it is only then that you will start to think differently and live differently. I recommend checking this article out for some next steps to begin to turn this around, if you want to change: Do you have the Faith Change: Don’t Believe I Can Change
P.S. You didn’t mention if you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, so I’m sharing this link in case. Click this link to learn how to know God personally.
The habits I want to change are sugary beverages, and the arguments I’m using are that my life is too stressful to deal with breaking the habit right now. The problem is that I’ve been using that argument for years and remain stuck. I agree with Taris P. with the feeling of having my brain hijacked in the midst of an urge/craving. I’d love to hear your advice on how to keep from giving in when I feel so compelled to do it. Thanks!
Hi Ross – Happy to help. Since you’ve been using the argument that your life is too stressful to deal with the sugary beverage habit – and that same argument has been with you for years, then I wouldn’t even address the sugary beverage habit first. I would start looking at my life and ask – what is it about my life that I feel is stressing me out?
Ask the Lord in prayer to open up your eyes and see what is out of balance with your life first. Perhaps you feel the sugary beverages are helping you deal with the stress. If that is your belief and you take the beverages away, then what do you have as a back-up to help you deal with stress?
On a practical level, you also need to determine your baseline of how many beverages you drink per day. Let’s say that you drink 5 beverages a day and it is likely that you drink them around the same times. Once you determine your pattern now, then you can try the ‘step down’ method and strive for replacing 1 of the beverages with water with lemon each day – only drinking 4 sugary beverages rather than 5.
Then perhaps the next week, step down again in which you replace another time you’d drink beverage with water, drinking 3 sugary beverages rather than 5, but drinking water 2 times. Keep on stepping down until the habit is completely replaced with water.
But again, its not going to do much good to just remove the beverage because something in your life or mindset is causing the excessive stress you feel, so that is the part that really needs facing. Trust that God will give you wisdom as to how to re-order your life so that you experience His peace. In that way, you deal with the root of the argument and release its power over you.
May God bless you!
Wow!!! What an awesome article. I admit, when I’m stressed I love candy. Lots and lots of candy. I know this is so destructive yet I feel like something has taken over my body and the real, logical me has left the building. But the way you broke this down, gives me a tool to use when these attacks come.
Praise God, Taris. It may take time to re-wire your brain to a new way of being, but stick with it. The results will be worth it!
This article really hits the hammer on the nail! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write this wonderful explanation of just how the warfare is executed and just how we can learn to use God’s Word as our mighty, powerful, and winning argument! I know the person I want to ‘Be’ and she is like Jesus in character and action ‘Cause’ I love Him who loved me first!
Love it, Donna. Thank you for your feedback!