Kris Vallotton • August 16, 2019

3 Things You Can Do Today to Win Tomorrow’s Spiritual Battles

Many Believers are concerned with being spiritually defensive that they forget the practice of offensive spiritual warfare! Sometimes the enemy can create circumstances that promote storms in our lives, so it is vital that we keep ourselves prepared for action and do not fall prey to deceptive mind games that can war against our souls. Let me be clear, I’m not talking about looking for demons behind every corner. Rather, we must proactively prepare our minds for action so we do not get caught off guard and fall for his evil devices (see 1 Peter 1:13).



If you struggle with living a lifestyle of warfare where you can’t ever catch a break and constantly feel defeated and worn out my demonic torment, then I want to tell you that there is another way to live! Yes, we may have seasons of spiritual battles when we advance the kingdom of God and take new ground. However, Jesus never intended for us to live in constant spiritual defensive mode. So how can you break out of a cycle of non-stop warring against the enemy? I’d like to propose that much of your victory in tomorrow’s spiritual battles is directly proportional to the way you manage your soul today.




WHAT I LEARNED FROM AN EXPERIENCE WITH A FORTUNETELLER




I learned this lesson the hard way when I was a young man. One day in my freshman year of high school, we had a substitute teacher in history class. Instead of teaching history, this substitute decided to read the palms of all the students in the room. I was young and did not understand the significance of what was released through the practice of divination (modern-day witchcraft), so I stood in line to get my palm read with the rest of my fellow students. When it was my turn, the teacher looked at my palm, sighed deeply and refused to read it.




I left the class distraught. My head was spinning. All I could do was think, “Why wouldn’t she read my palm?” At the end of the day, I went back and begged her to read my palm. She reluctantly grabbed my hand and began to tell me what she saw in the lines and wrinkles on my palm. “Your lifeline ends early. That means you will die very young,” she said in a timid voice.




My face turned pale, and my body shook uncontrollably as my thoughts swirled around in my head. I hurried out of her class and ran most of the way home. Her words haunted me for years.




I gestated her destructive seeds, and they finally germinated when I crashed and had a nervous breakdown the year after I was married. Bad words are like eating fruit from a poison tree. The deadly fruit of destructive words encompasses us every day. It is up to us not to consume and assimilate these words by allowing them to take root in our minds and hearts.




GUARDING YOUR HEART PRODUCES VICTORY IN WARFARE




Our eyes and ears are two of the main gateways to our hearts. It is vital that we steward what we hear and see so that seeds of deception do not get planted in the soil of our souls.




Paul put it this way, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8–9)




Bill Johnson says, “We can’t afford to have a thought in our mind that isn’t in His!” We must set up guards at the entrance of our hearts and minds to protect the Kingdom of God within ourselves. Meditating on negative words is like opening up our heart gates and allowing enemy armies to invade the peaceful palace of our souls.




TESTIMONIES OPEN YOUR EYES




On the other hand, testimonies of God’s supernatural acts are like planting God’s seeds in our hearts. (I guess you could say God’s deeds are heart seeds). In Bill Johnson’s best-selling book “Strengthen Yourself in the Lord” (Destiny Image, 2007), Bill reminds us that testimonies become highways to our divine calling. In fact, the book of Revelation says, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). What I’m getting at is that what God did for someone else, He will do for you. When we forget the works of God, we lose sight of His supernatural ability to rescue us from any situation no matter how desperate the circumstances.




Testimonies not only remind us of the miracles of God, but they are also meant to open our eyes to another realm of Kingdom provision, which is imperative to hold fast to in the storms of life. This principle was brought to light so clearly when the disciples forgot to bring bread on a boat trip (see Matthew 16:5–12). Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (verse 6).




The disciples were convinced that He was scolding them for being irresponsible with their provision. Jesus reminded them that He fed five thousand people with five loaves, and He fed four thousand people with seven loaves and He still had many baskets of bread left over. Therefore, He said, “How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (verse 11).




YOUR TESTIMONIES ARE YOUR WEAPONS IN WARFARE




In other words, when they witnessed the miracle of Jesus multiplying the loaves (He multiplied fish also, but they were only arguing about bread), it was supposed to unveil another dimension of provision for them so that they never had to worry about being short of bread again. The testimony of the supernatural provision was to give them faith to see God in a new way. Yet they forgot the miracle of multiplication, which ultimately opened a door for worry, fear and anxiety to take root in their lives.




In the same way, the testimonies that you proactively fill your heart and mind with can protect you against doubt, confusion and fear!




HOW TO PRACTICALLY STEWARD YOUR HEART




The sons of Ephraim are a great example of what happens when you spend all your energy preparing for battle in the visible realm but ignore the unseen dimension of the spirit. “The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows, yet they turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in His law; They forgot His deeds and His miracles that He had shown them” (Psalms 78:9–11). These famous warriors forgot the miracles that God had accomplished in their lives and retreated in battle.




Like the sons of Ephraim, we should enter spiritual battles fully equipped with weapons of warfare. But we must not forget God’s past victories in our lives, or we will lose heart and retreat in the heat of the battle.




For years I have kept a journal to help me remember past victories. I am not very disciplined about writing in it every day, but in tough seasons I always record my struggles. In hard times, I go back and read the notes I made about my past fears and God’s deliverance's in my life. Lamentations 3:21 says, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.” Recalling the work the Lord has done in our past really helps bring peace to us in our present stormy seasons.




As a reminder, here are three ways you can manage your soul into a posture of victory before your next battle:


1. Meditate on Scripture — Continually cultivate the garden of your heart by feeding the soil of your mind with truth.


2. Say no to lies — Refuse to believe lies about yourself that sow weed seed into your being that destroy your confidence and undermine your destiny.


3. Remember who God says you are — Water the orchard of your heart with words that build, edify and comfort you, realizing that you are the beloved of God!




How do you cultivate a mindset of peace and victory in your life? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments! And if you need more help navigating the spiritual realm, I encourage you to check out my book, Spirit Wars .



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4 Lessons After 50 Years of Marriage

By Kris Vallotton • February 12, 2025
Kathy and I are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, and we’ve been together for 54. We’ve experienced highs and lows together and built a life I never imagined possible! Over the past 50+ years, we’ve learned a few things that I want to share with you to help your marriage thrive!  Know when to sacrifice pleasure for the pursuit of joy. Kathy and I have learned when to sacrifice pleasure for the pursuit of joy; this is the discipline of laying down your life for another. A practical example of this is when people find out we have horses. They say, “Oh wow, Kris, you have horses!” My response to them goes something like this, “No, I don’t have horses. Kathy has horses. I only pay for the horses.” Their next question for me usually is, “Don’t you like horses?” To which I respond, “No, I don’t like horses, but I like Kathy.” You see, I get a lot of joy out of doing what Kathy wants to do. I am willing to sacrifice my own pleasure to pursue what develops joy in our marriage. It’s not one-sided, Kathy does the same for me. 2. Forgiveness restores the standard. If you’ve been in a relationship for any length of time, then you know the honeymoon phase doesn't last forever. The person that you love and cherish at the deepest level is the same person that will stretch, challenge, and offend you. I learned this lesson years ago when my kids were teenagers. I became angry with Kathy in front of them and treated her disrespectfully. An hour later, I apologized, and she forgave me. Colossians 3:13 tells us that “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive". The truth is, forgiveness restores the standard of holiness in us and through us. 3. It’s not bad if your spouse thinks differently than you. Men and women think differently, and this is metaphorically demonstrated in the way they were created. Please understand what I am trying to communicate here. I am not at all trying to dishonor either gender. I know that women and men are equally intelligent. When Kathy and I got married, I didn’t understand marriage or women at all. I was so ignorant that it wasn’t even funny. I just had no value for Kathy’s opinion, while we were making decisions, when she refused to produce the facts for her conclusions. She often prefaced her statements with phrases like, “I feel like...,” “It troubles me that...,” “I don’t feel good about that...,” and so on. But what I learned over time, as many of my great decisions began to turn into mistakes, was that her “It feels like” or “This troubles me” were often a lot more accurate than the so-called facts! As the years have rolled on, I have learned to invite the rest of me, and my other half, my wife, into all of my decisions. And she has learned the same thing. We were made to be together. We are one flesh, a mystery that continues to unfold with time. 4. Vision gives pain a purpose. It is my conviction that we are living in a generation perishing for lack of vision. This is evident in many different areas of life, but I also see it in marriages. Having a vision for your marriage will help you persevere through the harder seasons that you’ll face together. Many years ago I had a vision where I was standing next to this elderly gentleman and could see him perfectly, but the man could not see me. The older man was surrounded by children and grandchildren telling stories about the family's history, lineage, and favor with God. In the vision he said, “And all of this began with your great-great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather.” I looked up and above the mantle of the fireplace and there was a huge portrait of Kathy and me! The Lord spoke to me and said: “You are no longer to live for a ministry—you are to live to leave a legacy! Your children’s children’s children are depending on you leaving them a world in revival. From this day forward, you will live for a generation that you will never see. You are to have a one-hundred-year vision so that you can build from the future.” This vision of our future helped us in developing a strategy to apprehend God’s goals for our lives, and it was the fuel that kept us going in the harder seasons. Consequently, from that day on, we began to build from the future, as the Lord had said. Let me be clear: you don't have to have a literal vision like I did, but you should have a vision and a direction for the future! ​​Your marriage isn’t just about you, it’s about the generations that will follow. The truth is, the way you love, lead, and fight for your marriage today is building a legacy for your children and their children. So take time with your spouse, dream with God, and dream with each other. Get a vision for your family’s future! The breakthrough you experience now will impact the generations to come.

4 Spiritual Disciplines to Propel Your Growth in the New Year

By Kris Vallotton • January 1, 2025
As we step into 2025, people are often thinking about engaging in the time-honored yet unspoken custom of setting New Year’s Resolutions. Many people jump on the opportunity to develop new healthier habits and pursue positive change with the start of a brand new year. Most New Year's Resolutions revolve around diet and exercise, finances, relationships, and hobbies or personal interests. New Year's Resolutions help by giving people a vision for when they endure the challenges that come with change. Losing 100 pounds or being more diligent with saving money isn't always easy and vision gives pain a purpose! All of these areas are important to focus on, but oftentimes we neglect spiritual topics when forming our resolutions. As we focus on building our physical lives and pursuing health and wholeness with the New Year, it’s crucial not to overlook our spiritual growth and well-being. I’m going to share four spiritual disciplines you can grow in this New Year, along with practical tips to help you follow through. Some of these may appear simple, but when practiced consistently over a long period of time, they can lead to deep transformation! 1. Bible Reading This should come as no surprise, but it can be very difficult to find time on a busy day to sit down and read the Scriptures. Some people have a hard time sitting and being still to read while others are bombarded by the busyness of their lives. I want to encourage you to prioritize your time in the Word this year - I make sure to read at least one chapter each day. It might mean having to sacrifice something. Perhaps it’s waking up earlier to have an extra 30 minutes in your routine. Try leaving your Bible open on your kitchen counter the night before, so you see it in the morning. Maybe you can bring your Bible during your lunch break and have a meal with Jesus. You can even listen to the Bible on audio for your morning commute! My encouragement is to start small and build the habit. 2. Prayer Personal prayer can look different to everyone. Some people have no problem praying for over an hour a day, other people have a hard time finding a moment in an entire week! The goal here is to make sure that we are staying in communion with God. There may be sometimes where you only have two minutes to pray in-between meetings or running errands. There may be other times where you have to go into your room, lock your door and pray in secret for an extended period of time like the Bible says. Let me be clear: the goal is consistent communion with the Father. Try setting reminders or alarms on your phone to go off at certain parts of the day. It doesn't have to be long. These reminders can be specific like, “Pray for my family member” or “Pray for healing for this coworker.” You can write them down on pieces of paper and stick them to the walls in your house. 3. Community This may not feel like a discipline, but one of the most challenging things that a person's spiritual growth could face is solitude. When God created Adam he said that it was not good for man to be alone. We were created for community and Jesus was often found doing ministry and life around a group of people except for the times where he went alone to pray. Stepping out into community can be challenging. Maybe you struggle with fear of rejection, not fitting in, or you're scared of how people will respond when they really begin to know you. If you find yourself being isolated, reach out to some people. Text a friend that you know and trust and share that you want to spend more time around people. If you're part of a local church see what kind of small groups they have to offer. Community is a key for growth in 2025. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” 4. Serving When Jesus was on earth he said in Matthew 20:28 that, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Serving was at the center of Jesus’ ministry. He met the physical needs of people by providing food miraculously as well as the spiritual needs of people by offering salvation to everyone who would believe. When we serve people we are like Christ. There may be people coming to your mind already who have a need. They could be in your church family, or a friend from school or work. It doesn’t have to be someone you know! Try paying for someone’s coffee in line and leaving them with some encouragement. There are so many ways that we can serve people and make them feel seen and loved. When they feel seen and loved, they are often very receptive to the Gospel. The power in these disciplines isn’t just doing them once, but in repeating them over a long period of time. As Zechariah 4:10 reminds us, we should not despise small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin. My prayer for you is that what would start as spiritual disciplines would grow into spiritual devotion. That you would find joy in these things and that they would draw you closer to the Father!

3 Ways to Think Differently About Gratitude

By Kris Vallotton • November 27, 2024
During Christmas of 2012 Kathy and I learned a very valuable lesson about gratitude and entitlement… In years past leading up to Christmas we had always gotten a “Christmas want list” from each of our grandkids. Kathy would go through all the lists and pick out only a few items to buy for each of our grandkids. But that year Kathy decided to get them everything on their list! As we bought gifts our Christmas tree soon began to disappear behind a wall of wrapped presents. Christmas morning came and we gathered as a family as I shared the story of baby Jesus. I finished the story of our savior's birth and started handing out the presents. Over the course of 2 hours lights and ornaments began to emerge as our tree slowly became visible again. Suddenly I heard a whimpering cry to my left. I looked over to see my daughter giving a strong correction to one of her children. I went over to investigate and learned that the child was upset because, “Grandma missed one gift.” Kathy has overseen the administration for our businesses for our entire marriage. She’s looked over hundreds of spreadsheets, time cards, and other documents. I had a hard time believing that she would miss a gift on a Christmas list. Kathy went to our office and came back a moment later with a somber look on her face. “I did forget one gift,” she said with compassion. “I’m so sorry,” she explained while choking back tears. Trying to smooth the situation over, she added, “I’ll go tomorrow and buy the gift I missed.” In our quest to bless our family, we had unknowingly sown seeds of entitlement into the soil of their little hearts. Something that was a great sacrifice for us was disregarded in a child's expectation for more. We live in a world where entitlement runs rampant. It doesn’t always look like throwing a temper tantrum over a forgotten gift. Sometimes it can be the anger that comes when your coffee order takes too long, or it can be the person who is driving in front of you who's not driving your preferred speed limit. These small seeds of entitlement can take root in our heart and if we’re not careful they can lead to a life led by pride. Gratitude is what breaks entitlement in your life. I’m going to share 3 ways to think differently about gratitude this season. 1. Gratitude is a discipline. Gratitude is not merely a fleeting emotion but a discipline that aligns our hearts with God’s truth and His will. Gratitude requires intentionality, often going against the grain of our natural tendencies to complain or focus on what we lack. Scripture commands us to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18), not because life is always easy, but because gratitude acknowledges God’s sovereignty and goodness regardless of our situation. Cultivating gratitude as a discipline trains our souls to see life through the lens of God’s faithfulness, fostering a spirit of humility and trust. It shifts our focus from temporal struggles to eternal promises, rooting our joy in the unchanging nature of God rather than the shifting sands of circumstance. 2. Gratitude changes your attitude about situations Gratitude has the power to transform our perspective on even the most challenging situations. From a biblical standpoint, it shifts our focus from what we lack to what God has already provided, reminding us of His faithfulness and provision. When we choose gratitude, we realign our hearts to trust in God's sovereignty and His ability to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28). This perspective doesn't necessarily change the situation itself, but it changes us —replacing fear, frustration, or bitterness with peace, hope, and contentment. Gratitude reframes trials as opportunities for growth and deepens our awareness of God's presence, enabling us to face life's difficulties with a renewed attitude of faith and trust. 3. Gratitude Cures Entitlement Gratitude is the antidote to entitlement. It shifts our hearts from demanding what we believe we deserve to recognizing every blessing as an unmerited gift from God. Entitlement breeds discontentment, rooted in the false belief that we are owed something, while gratitude humbles us, reminding us that all we have comes from God's grace. As James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above," and acknowledging this truth uproots the pride that fuels entitlement. Instead of fixating on unmet expectations, gratitude cultivates a spirit of thanksgiving, teaching us to celebrate God’s goodness and approach life with humility and joy. In this posture, we find freedom from the restless pursuit of "more" and learn the richness of contentment in Christ. As we reflect on the story of that Christmas morning and the lessons it taught us, it’s clear that gratitude is more than a seasonal sentiment—it’s a heart posture that can reshape our lives. Entitlement may creep in subtly, disguised as disappointment or frustration, but gratitude stands as its cure, redirecting our hearts toward humility and joy. This season, let’s commit to cultivating gratitude—not just for the blessings we see, but for the ways God works in every circumstance. May we remember that every good gift comes from Him, and may our hearts overflow with thanksgiving, transforming how we live, love, and give. What are you grateful for? Share in the comments below!
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