Change the Narrative
I recently had a conversation with a brother who shared how bad he felt whenever he found himself near a situation he used to struggle with.
But as we talked, I realized something:
He was condemning himself when he should have been recognizing what Christ had done in him.
The temptation may have looked familiar, but his response wasn’t.
In the past, he would have acted on it. This time, he walked away.
Sometimes we need to change the narrative.
Freedom in Christ doesn’t mean temptation will never show up again. Being freed from your chains doesn’t mean you’ll never hear them rattle.
It means they don’t own you anymore.
So instead of saying, “I can’t believe I was tempted by that again,” maybe the testimony is:
“Thank You, Jesus. That used to control me, and today, through Your strength, I walked away.”
Scripture tells us:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1 CSB
Don’t confuse temptation with failure.
Jesus Himself was tempted, yet without sin. Temptation is not the same as surrendering to it.
If something that once enslaved you comes knocking again and, through the strength of Christ, you refuse to open the door—don’t condemn yourself. Recognize the victory.
Change the narrative.
You’re not standing there as the person you used to be.
You’re standing there as someone Christ has set free.
“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
— Galatians 5:1 CSB
Rev. Carlos Figueroa
TheFreeBible.org
