35 Christian Affirmations

One of the best ways to combat negative thoughts is to fill your mind with Christian affirmations from God’s Word. Do you sometimes struggle with negative thoughts? Do you ever feel bogged down by shame and guilt or find yourself believing lies about yourself that you know are flaming arrows of the enemy?

It’s time to put an end to self-condemning thoughts and attitudes that are not from God, demolish strongholds in our lives and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. We can do this by replacing negative thoughts with uplifting Christian affirmations that remind us of who we are in Christ.

What are Christian Affirmations?

You may have heard of positive affirmations, which are positive phrases and statements that are repeated to encourage positive thinking and to challenge negative thoughts (source). Christian affirmations are more than just helpful, positive phrases–but powerful truths from Scripture that will transform and renew our minds.

When we speak biblical affirmations over our lives, we proclaim the truth of God’s Word and silence the negative lies in our minds that discourage and distract us. Christian affirmations are much more than positive thinking–it is using God’s Word (the Sword of the Spirit) to wage war against the lies of the enemy.

How to Take Every Thought Captive

As a young middle school girl, my friends and I played a game called “Capture the Flag” at summer camp. Each opposing team would hide “flags” (usually just pieces of cloth) in a special place on each team’s territory in the woods. The object of the game was to sneak into the enemy’s territory and capture their flag. The first team to successfully obtain the other team’s flag was the winning team.

Our camp counselors often waited until it was almost dusk to begin the game, adding to the suspense and excitement. The trick was to try to capture the other team’s flag before you were tagged and “captured” yourself.

As I reminisced over those fun-filled camp years, a deep spiritual truth struck me. The enemy of our souls desires to “take ground” in our lives. He comes after our families and loved ones. He is often stealth and unassuming, quietly lurking behind trees and brambles, looking for an opportunity to catch us off guard.

Satan, the father of lies, cunningly masquerades falsehood as truth, using circumstances and trials to discourage our hearts and leave us wallowing in defeat.

But it’s time to put an end to his schemes once and for all.

It’s time to use the divine powers we have through Christ to demolish the strongholds that have kept us in captivity for far too long.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 encourages us to take back our territory with weapons that are not of this world.

The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The word captive here in the Greek means to be led away into captivity, or to subjugate and bring under control (source).

Like in the game “capture the flag”, we must arrest every lie, falsehood, and negative thought and bring them under the authority and power of Christ.

Fluttering lies that say…

“I’m not good enough.”

“Things will never change.”

“God doesn’t love me.”

“I’m too broken to be made whole.”

Through the saving work of Jesus, we have the power to capture and demolish these poisonous thoughts and make them bow the knee to the will and Word of God.

The act of taking the lies of the enemy captive is not a passive activity. It is an aggressive act of war against spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:1 2).

Here are three assertive ways we can gain victory:

1. Silence Negative Thoughts with Praise

Psalm 149:6 says,

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands…

Our victory cry is the praise of God on our lips. The moment lies and negative thoughts enter our minds, we can open our mouths and proclaim the truth of who God is. The next time you feel the shroud of attack come upon you, put on your favorite worship song and lift up a hymn of praise to the Living God!

2. Use the Weapon of God’s Word

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates and pierces through the lies of the enemy with deadly force.

Feeling discouraged?

Speak God’s Word over your situation and obliterate lies with God’s truth.

Use post-it notes and index cards and write Scriptures down and place them in your home and work space. But don’t just use Scripture as decorative wall art that can be easily overlooked as we go about our daily tasks–take a moment to stop and read these verses out loud when you pass by the refrigerator, or before turning the corner in your hallway.

There is great power in the spoken Word.

Meditating on Scripture and then reading it aloud allows us to hear the truth of God’s Word, letting the healing balm of his Word to soothe our hearts and strengthen us to keep fighting.

3. Pray About it

Remember the “stop, drop and roll” technique for putting out fires? We must use the same strategy when putting out the flaming arrows of the enemy. When a lie enters your mind, STOP.

Ask yourself, “Is this a lie I am believing?”

If it is, DROP to your knees, (or figuratively in your heart) and surrender that thought to God. Talk to him about it. Let him know how you are feeling, and ask him to help you think differently about the situation. Oftentimes, prayer will give us renewed perspective regarding the trials and difficulties we face.

No matter the circumstances we encounter in life, let us remember that the enemy is already defeated, and like gum on an old shoe, the God of peace will crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20).

35 Powerful Christian Affirmations

Here are 35 Christian affirmations based on Scripture that you can read and reflect on as you transform your mind and uplift your soul. (You can even download a free printable with these Christian affirmations at the end of this post!)

1. I am a Child of God

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— John 1:12

2. I am Valued

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

3. I am Loved

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

4. I am Wonderfully Made

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

5. I am Chosen

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9

6. I am Courageous

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

7. I am Victorious

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

8. I am Righteous

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

9. I am Worthy

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:11

10. I am Crowned with Glory and Honor

You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. Psalm 8:5

11. I am Strong through Christ

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

12. I am Rescued

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:19

13. I am Redeemed

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Psalm 107:2-3

14. I am not Forsaken

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

15. I am Blessed

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. Psalm 128:1

16. I am Forgiven

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1

17. I am Wise

Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. Psalm 119:98

18. I am not Put to Shame

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:7

19. I Lack no Good Thing

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10

20. I am Radiant

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5

21. I am Delivered

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

22. I am Filled with Kindness

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

23. I am Beautiful

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

24. I am Seated with Christ

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6-7

25. I am Crowned with Splendor

You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3

26. I am Clean

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

27. I am a Friend of God

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

28. I am Clothed with Compassion

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

29. I am not a Slave to Fear

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

30. I am Adopted into God’s Family

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6

31. I am not Condemned

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…Romans 8:1

32. I am Restored

Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3

33. I am Bestowed with Favor and Honor

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11

34. I am Covered

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1

35. I am Heard

Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. Psalm 28:6