UNPACK This...Renewing Our MindsSample

The Lions’ New Mindset

The Detroit Lions shocked the NFL world when they opened the 2023 season with a 21-20 win over Kansas City, the defending Super Bowl champion.

Though the outcome of the game surprised many, Detroit’s players weren’t stunned by their winning performance.

Lions receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, made this postgame comment regarding a significant shift in the attitude of the team:

“My rookie year, I feel like those games were losses for us every time, just chalk it up, but now I feel like we’re going to win every game…That’s just the mentality I feel like we all have, and I feel like that’s what helps us going into games, that confidence, that swagger that we have.”

The Lions had developed a winning mindset, and it showed on the field.

Similarly, as followers of Jesus, we need to develop a “winning mindset” when it comes to our battle against sin.

The Bible tells us that all believers sin even after being born again. But thankfully, scripture also tells us we shouldn’t think we’ll never have victory over sin in this life.

In Romans 6:6, the Apostle Paul writes, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.”

Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:11, “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”

Just as a winning mindset helps in football, a winning mindset against sin helps as we fight temptation.

This doesn’t mean we think we’ll never sin. But it does mean we have confidence that God has equipped us to resist temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Today, let’s truly believe that God has set us free from the power of sin.

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take care of both the penalty and power of sin. Please help me believe that You’re willing to help me overcome the temptations I face. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.