Reclaiming Surrendered Ground

Reclaiming Surrendered Ground

I have surrendered a lot of ground in my life as a result of poor choices that I have made. As soon as we make choices based on our current state mind or emotions and not on God's truth we are surrendering ground to the enemy. The next time we are tempted in that area we will be more prone to fall to the temptation because there has already been a precedent set previously. Each time, we become weaker and weaker against the temptation but never without help or hope.
At some point in our lives that ground that we have surrendered needs to be reclaimed. Believe me, it is much easier to keep what is rightfully ours in Jesus Christ than to try to reclaim that which we have surrendered.
Let me illustrate this with an example from my own life. When I was 19 or 20 my younger sister and I flew to Atlanta to visit Aunt Jerry and Uncle Prunes (don't ask). We were having a great flight when a sense of anxiety and fear started to creep in around the perimeter of my mind. It didn't take long before it wasn't creeping in it was stomping all over my space. To calm myself down, I convinced myself that if necessary, the pilot would land the plane and let me off (hey, it worked). That experience practically ruined my vacation. Multiple times during that week, the return flight came to mind and anxiety with it. Right then and there I surrendered ground to the enemy. From that point forward, for many years, I made choices when possible to work around having to fly. I allowed my anxiety to dictate my choices. About 10 years ago, preparing for a family vacation to the west coast, my fear of flying (I am not afraid of flying - I just don't like having to be in an airplane to do it)-started to consume my life for two weeks before having to go and several after. Over the years I had surrendered bits and pieces of ground to the point that it added up to something akin to the size of Texas.
In the past few years I decided to reclaim the ground I surrendered. It has not been easy, but I am making progress by choosing faith over fear. God brings the victory already won at the cross. I wish I had known then what I know now!
Perhaps your struggle is not with flying, maybe it is some other area that you are tempted to make choices based on your emotional state rather than faith in the Word of God. Just remember, whatever ground you surrender now will be exponentially more difficult to reclaim later. I know that from personal experience.

Diane