One of the greatest challenges believers face is reconciling the physical reality of sickness with the spiritual truth of healing. When we claim healing, we often still feel the symptoms of illness, which can create confusion and doubt. This is where the distinction between facts and truth becomes essential. The Bible teaches that while facts are observable and temporary, the truth is eternal and unchanging—and the only ultimate truth is found in God’s Word.
- Truth vs. Facts: Understanding the Difference
- First, know the Truth
- Second, Align yourself to the Truth
- Third, Identify mental strongholds and overcome
- Fourth, Approaching from Victory
- Live it out!
Truth vs. Facts: Understanding the Difference
Truth, according to Scripture, is different from facts. While facts are based on our current reality and can be seen by anyone, truth is what God’s Word declares, regardless of the circumstances. Jesus affirmed this in John 17:17, where He prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth” (NKJV). For example, a doctor might present the fact that a person is sick, but the truth of God’s Word declares that by Jesus’ stripes, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
A powerful biblical example is Abraham, who “did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb” (Romans 4:19, NKJV). The fact was that Abraham and Sarah were beyond childbearing age, but the truth was God’s promise that they would have a son. Faith doesn’t ignore the facts; it sees them but decides to trust what God says over everything else.
First, know the Truth
The first step in renewing our minds is to know the truth. If healing is part of the atonement—Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross—then it is always God’s will for us to be healed. 1 Peter 2:24 states, “…by whose stripes you were healed” (NKJV), using the past tense to indicate that our healing was already accomplished through Christ’s work. So the truth is that we have been healed.
As believers, our role is not to ask for healing as though it hasn’t been provided but to stand firm in the truth that it has already been done.
Just as salvation was secured 2,000 years ago, so was our healing. Faith in this truth is what manifests healing in our lives. The key is to accept the Word of God as the final authority and begin to see the facts of our lives in the light of this truth.
Second, Align yourself to the Truth
Once we recognize that God’s Word is the only truth, our response should be to align our lives with it. In healing, once we know the Truth, it should change everything in your life, and this happens through mind renewal.
Mind renewal is the process of restoring our mental faculties to operate as God originally intended. It involves the removal of worldly mindsets and the adoption of the mind of Christ. Total immersion in God’s Word and fellowship with like-minded believers are key to this process. When our thoughts are consistently aligned with Scripture, our actions naturally follow, and we begin to live out the fullness of our identity in Christ.
The Bible teaches that our minds must be renewed to think in line with God’s will. Romans 12:2 urges believers to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, which involves systematically studying the Bible, forming confessions that align with Scripture, and replacing any thoughts that contradict God’s Word. This renewal process allows us to live out our identity in Christ, as those who possess the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16, KJV).
Joshua’s success, as described in Joshua 1:8, was rooted in his meditation on God’s Word. The Hebrew word for “meditate” in this context means to “growl” or “declare,” indicating that meditation involves actively speaking and thinking about God’s promises. This proactive approach to renewing the mind is essential for overcoming the challenges we face and living in the victory that Jesus has already secured for us.
Third, Identify mental strongholds and overcome
Many think that strongholds are the devil coming and chaining us and all that, but more accurately strongholds are deeply ingrained thought patterns that contradict the Word of God. These can be mental habits formed by past experiences, failures, or even cultural influences. 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”, highlighting the need to actively combat thoughts that oppose God’s truth.
For example, the Israelites struggled in the wilderness because their minds were still conditioned by their years in Egypt. Similarly, believers today may struggle with sickness or other issues because their minds are conditioned by past experiences or failures. Mind renewal is about reprogramming our thoughts to align with God’s Word, allowing His truth to override any negative or destructive patterns.
Sometimes a TV show that we watch might have comments that are rooted in the system of death. Let’s say you are watching a TV program where the doctor tells the patient that they have cancer, more often than not you see the emotional trauma that the patient and his family goes through on TV, stemming from the “world accepted fact” that cancer is hard to cure. People are upset, crying and overwhelmed because it is incurable. So, next time, when YOU hear a report, how will your reaction be? It will be similar to what you have been conditioned- which is in fear. However, our truth has nothing to do with what the doctor can and cannot do? But when we have been fed with death-system all our life, how can we expect us to react in faith with Truth? This is why need to identify the strongholds that are forcing us to react through the flesh.
Fourth, Approaching from Victory
Isaiah 53:12 speaks of Jesus’ victory and the spoils He shares with the strong. We are not fighting for victory but from a position of victory, as the kingdom of darkness has already been defeated. The key to living in this victory is to believe the report of the Lord, not the lies of the enemy. John 10:10 reminds us that while the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus came to give us abundant life.
The only power the enemy has over us is what we allow him to have through our thoughts. By renewing our minds with God’s truth, we dismantle the strongholds that keep us in bondage and step into the freedom and healing that Jesus provided.
So this means our attitude to the whole problem becomes a key factor here. Let’s say you bought a house, and you have the complete legal documentation that you own it. After a few months, say a homeless man walks in and says “this is my house”, will you panic, and get worried if this is your house? No! Because you have the documentation to prove it. All you have to do is to resist. That’s all we need to do against a negative report when they come at you. Resist! Because you are already victorious! You are not fighting to be victorious, but YOU ARE VICTORIOUS!
Live it out!
If a negative report comes your way, take it as Goliath in disguise, don’t react like mere humans do, but respond as Christ did- know that it is a plan of the devil to wreck your life. Stand against it! Hold your ground!
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