Back to ManTalk

ManTalk

From Condemnation to Approval

Written By

Min. Irene Mbithe - School of Ministry

Published On

February 19, 2026

"“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1"

You Are Not Condemned

CONDEMNATION is a heavy word. It means strong disapproval, rejection, or judgment. It carries the sense of being declared guilty without hope of restoration.

Many people live under this weight daily.

They replay past mistakes.
They hear internal voices of criticism.
They feel disqualified, unworthy, or spiritually inadequate.

Even after accepting Christ, some believers continue to live as though they are still on trial.

But Romans 8:1 makes a bold declaration:
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Notice the word now.
Not later.
Not after perfection.
Not after proving yourself.

Now.

The moment you accept Jesus as your personal Savior, your legal status changes. You move from condemnation to acceptance. From guilt to approval. From judgment to grace.

What It Means to Be “In Christ”

Being “in Christ” is more than attending church or identifying as a Christian. It means you have placed your trust fully in Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

When Jesus died, He carried your sin.
When He rose, He secured your righteousness.

Your standing before God is no longer based on your performance. It is based on Christ’s perfection.

God does not see you through the lens of your past. He sees you through the righteousness of His Son.

This is the foundation of freedom.

Why Do Believers Still Feel Condemned?

If Scripture is clear, why do so many Christians still struggle with self-condemnation?

There are several reasons:

1. Unrenewed Mind

Though your spirit is made new, your mind must be renewed by truth (Romans 12:2). Old thought patterns don’t disappear automatically.

2. Partnership with Lies

The enemy accuses. Revelation calls him “the accuser of the brethren.” He whispers:

“You’ll never change.”
“You’re a failure.”
“God is disappointed in you.”
“You’ve gone too far.”

If those lies are believed, they become internal narratives.

3. Confusing Conviction with Condemnation

The Holy Spirit convicts to restore.
Condemnation criticizes to paralyze.

Conviction says: “This behavior is not who you are. Come higher.”
Condemnation says: “This is who you are. You’ll never change.”

One leads to repentance and growth.
The other leads to shame and stagnation.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

When you accepted Christ, you did not just receive forgiveness. You received the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is:

Your constant companion
Your helper
Your guide
Your teacher

He does not live inside you to condemn you.
He lives inside you to empower you.

Romans 8 continues by explaining that those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires.

This means:

You are not left alone to fight sin.
You are not expected to transform yourself.
You are not abandoned in weakness.

The Spirit guides you into obedience and alignment.

Do You Condemn Yourself?

Sometimes the loudest voice of condemnation is our own.

We replay conversations.
We dwell on failures.
We compare ourselves to others.
We criticize our shortcomings.

Self-condemnation often feels spiritual, but it is not humility — it is agreement with accusation.

Ask yourself honestly:

Do I speak harshly about myself?
Do I believe I am always falling short?
Do I struggle to accept God’s forgiveness fully?

If so, it is time to confront the lie.

Declare War on Condemning Voices

God approves of you in Christ.

Not because you never fail.
But because Jesus never failed.

It is time to silence the voices of constant criticism.

You do this by:

1. Confession and Repentance

“Lord, forgive me for partnering with the lie that I am condemned.”

Repentance breaks agreement with false beliefs.

2. Rebuke the Lie

“I reject the lie that I am condemned. I break all agreement with it in Jesus’ name.”

Truth must replace lies.

3. Command Oppression to Leave

If condemnation has been spiritually oppressive, pray with authority:
“I command every spirit of self-criticism, self-disapproval, and self-condemnation to leave in the name of Jesus.”

You are not powerless. You are positioned in Christ.

4. Thanksgiving

Gratitude reinforces truth.
“Father, thank You for approving me. Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice. Holy Spirit, thank You for guiding and helping me daily.”

Thanksgiving shifts focus from guilt to grace.

God’s Approval Is Secure

Approval is something many strive for:

Approval from parents
Approval from leaders
Approval from society

But divine approval is already settled.

Because you are in Christ:

You belong.
You are accepted.
You are justified.
You are adopted.
You are empowered.

God’s approval is not fragile. It does not fluctuate with your emotions.

You may feel weak, but you are not condemned.
You may stumble, but you are not rejected.

There is correction — but no condemnation.

Setting Your Mind on the Spirit

Living free from condemnation requires intentional focus.

Romans 8 teaches that the mind governed by the Spirit leads to life and peace.

This means:

Meditating on Scripture.
Listening for the Spirit’s guidance.
Rejecting negative thought patterns.
Speaking truth over yourself.
Submitting daily to God’s leadership.

Freedom is maintained by alignment.

Powerful Declarations

Speak these aloud and allow them to reshape your thinking:

🔥 I belong to Jesus Christ.

🔥 I am not condemned, for I am in Christ Jesus.

🔥 Father God approves of me.

🔥 My mind is set on what the Spirit desires.

🔥 I submit to God’s laws and walk in obedience.

🔥 I have the Holy Spirit — my constant companion and helper living in me.

Let these truths drown out every accusing voice.

Walk Boldly

You are not on trial.
You are not under probation.
You are not spiritually disqualified.

You are redeemed.

Condemnation was nailed to the cross.
Shame was buried in the tomb.
Approval rose with Christ.

Today, choose to believe what God says over what your emotions say.

Silence the accusations.
Reject the lies.
Submit to the Spirit’s guidance.

And walk boldly in the freedom of knowing:

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

Spread the Word

Empowering you to live victoriously by identifying and breaking invisible barriers in your life

Galatians 3:13

Books School of Ministry Partner With Us

Need Deliverance?

God has answers for you through the work of Jesus on the cross. Start to walk in freedom today and discover what He has already done for you.

Need Prayer?

We would be honoured to stand with you in prayer and believe God for the strength, healing and breakthrough you need in every area of your life.

Join BBI Family

Become part of a family of faith and encouragement. We welcome you into a circle of strength, love and support as we grow together in Christ.

Common Questions

Being born again secures your salvation—your sins are forgiven, and you belong to Christ. You don’t need deliverance to be saved.

However, even as a believer, you can still struggle with patterns, strongholds, or spiritual oppression from the past. Deliverance isn’t about salvation; it’s about applying Jesus’ freedom to those areas. If you experience ongoing struggles, prayer, renunciation, and pastoral support can help you walk fully in the liberty Christ has already won for you.
Breaking a generational curse, in a religious sense, is seen as a spiritual journey of repentance, faith, and deliberate action. It begins with acknowledging sin—both one’s own and, in some beliefs, the lingering effects of ancestors’ wrongdoing—and turning away from it through heartfelt repentance and prayer. This recognition is often accompanied by a conscious renunciation of the curse, verbally declaring that one no longer accepts the negative patterns or misfortunes that may have been passed down through the family line.

Faith plays a central role in this process. Believers rely on the power of God to intervene, heal, and restore, trusting that divine authority can break spiritual strongholds that have persisted for generations. Prayer, sometimes accompanied by fasting, Scripture reading, or intercession from spiritual leaders, is used to call on God’s guidance and protection.
When we receive salvation, our spirit is redeemed immediately. Our sins are forgiven, we are justified, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 1:13–14). Salvation restores our relationship with God and secures eternal life.

However, the curses or effects of sin in the world—sickness, generational patterns, fear, poverty, or emotional wounds—are not always broken automatically. The reason is that while our spirit is saved, our body, mind, and circumstances still exist in a fallen world under the consequences of sin (Romans 8:20–22).
If you struggle with something but generally overcome it, it is not necessarily a spirit. The Bible shows that even faithful believers wrestle with sin and weakness—Paul himself admitted in Romans 7:15–20 that he struggled to do what was right even as he desired to obey God. A true “spirit” or demonic stronghold is usually characterized by persistent, overpowering opposition that cannot be resisted through prayer, Scripture, and obedience.

If you are able to resist, repent, and grow despite the struggle, it is more likely an area God is using to refine your character and strengthen your faith. Struggles can reveal patterns in our lives that need God’s grace, teaching us dependence on Him, humility, and perseverance. Victory is not about perfection; it is about continuing to walk in obedience, relying on God’s Word, and trusting His Spirit to lead you forward.
Yes, according to Scripture, the human spirit can be influenced, but it’s important to be precise about what that means. The Bible teaches that we are spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The “spirit man” is the part of us that connects with God, discerns spiritual truths, and communes with Him (John 4:24; Romans 8:16).

A demonic spirit cannot possess the spirit of a born-again believer because the Holy Spirit indwells them (1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 John 4:4). The Spirit of God protects and fills the spirit man, so it cannot be taken over. However, the spirit man can be influenced or oppressed by external spiritual forces if there is neglect, unrepented sin, or agreement with lies, which can affect our thoughts, emotions, and will.

Satan and his spirits can tempt, deceive, and oppress, but they cannot inhabit the spirit of someone truly born again. That’s why Scripture emphasizes guarding your heart and mind, staying in God’s Word, and walking in obedience—this keeps your spirit man aligned with God and resistant to attack (Ephesians 6:10–18; James 4:7).
consequences of sin, wrongdoing, or negative behavior can extend beyond an individual and affect their descendants. In this context, a generational curse is not merely about inherited traits or family patterns in a psychological sense, but rather a spiritual or moral consequence passed down through family lines.

For example, the Bible mentions in several passages, such as Exodus 20:5 and Numbers 14:18, that the sins of the parents can affect their children “to the third and fourth generation.” This is often interpreted to mean that unrepented sin or disobedience to God can create spiritual or circumstantial burdens like poverty, addiction, illness, or relational strife that may continue to manifest in subsequent generations.

Religious teachings often emphasize that generational curses are not inevitable. Through repentance, prayer, faith, and obedience to God, it is believed that individuals can break these curses and restore spiritual blessings to themselves and their descendants. In Christian practice, this might involve confession, seeking deliverance through prayer, or living a life aligned with God’s commandments to end the cycle of negative spiritual influence.
Feeling anger is not automatically a “spirit.” Anger is a natural emotion that God Himself expresses in certain circumstances (Exodus 32:10; Psalm 7:11). What matters is how you handle it. If you feel angry but do not act in sin, controlling your words, thoughts, and actions, this is not a demonic spirit—it is a natural human response being managed in obedience to God.

A spirit of anger in Scripture refers to a persistent, controlling, or destructive force that dominates a person’s behavior (Ephesians 4:26–27 warns against letting anger give the devil a foothold). If your anger arises but you remain calm, forgive, and do not allow it to control you, it is simply an emotion, not a spirit.
When faced with temptation, there are times to run and times to resist, and Scripture gives clear guidance.

You run from sin when it is dangerous, seductive, or beyond your natural ability to resist. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee fornication.” You remove yourself from the source of temptation—whether it’s a place, a person, or an opportunity—because staying there puts your soul at risk. Running is not cowardice; it is obedience and wisdom.

You resist when you are confronted with pressure or attack that you can face through God’s power. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resisting means standing firm in faith, speaking Scripture, and relying on the Holy Spirit. This is active confrontation, not passive endurance.

Calendar

Verse of the Week

"“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”"

— Deuteronomy 31:6

The Christ Commission

ABS