Battle of the Mind

This week has been a particularly challenging one for me.  It’s nothing really visible or tangible that’s happened, but I’ve been in a different kind of battle – the battle of the mind.  What do I mean by this?  It seems that every time I determine to really get involved in working in and for the Kingdom of God, I am under severe attack from the enemy.  According to the Bible, every Christian is in a battle, and especially if we are working in some capacity to bring the Good News of the Gospel to those that are lost (this can be done in many ways and in many stages, however God leads us).  So today I’d like to talk about this battle. 

The first thing we need to do is to recognize the fact that we are under attack.  What are the sure signs?  Thoughts that are directed against another person or God – these are subtle, but very destructive!  Thoughts that berate someone else or even ourselves (we think too lowly of others or self), and these thoughts seem to be justified by past words or deeds.  Thoughts may be prideful (I’m too good or better than someone else).  We may be plotting revenge in some way against someone who has hurt us.  Our thoughts may have something to do with being afraid of something or someone (usually irrational and not based on the truth of God’s Word).  Our thoughts might be completely self-centered and vain (we selfishly want something for ourselves without thought of others or how we could benefit someone else).  Our thoughts might be manipulative – how to get someone else to do something for us to make our life easier, even though the tasks or projects we are working on were either never endorsed by God in the first place, or we are depending on people more than on God to help us to see it to completion.   

Thoughts gestate in darkness and isolation; they go around and around in our head until we start to believe they are true and based on truth.  So we need to bring them to the Cross and let Jesus shed light and truth on those thoughts.   

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

If we take a closer look at verse 5, we have insight into the kind of thoughts that are used in an attack to bring us down – anything that is in opposition to the Word of God.  Some scholars believe that this passage of Scripture applies mainly to those who are unsaved (Satan has already blinded their eyes to the truth of the Gospel [see 2 Cor. 4:4]).  But the unsaved are not the threat to him that Christians are.  Christians carry with them the Holy Spirit and therefore, great power, the power of God which is unleashed through submission, obedience, the Word (stating it and believing it), and especially through prayer.  When the Word of God and prayer are released through faith, miracles happen.  Walls crumble and mighty things happen according to God’s will.  This is our greatest defense against the attacks of the enemy – God’s Word and prayer.  Look at what it says about the Word of God:

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  

The Word of God is the only ACCURATE measure of a person’s heart when it comes to a person’s intentions.  That is why the thoughts we have that are directed against God or another person is never completely accurate unless it can be seen through the looking glass of the Word of God.  We can never judge a person who has hurt us with accuracy, because we do not know another person’s heart unless God reveals it through His Spirit and His Word.  Sometimes we base all of our judgements against a person based on what they did, didn’t do, or said and how it affected our emotions.  Everything (every thought and intention of our heart) must be submitted to God.  Until it is submitted it will have power over us and Satan will have free reign in that area. This will most often mean forgiving the people who have hurt us, in order to be free of Satan’s grip. 

The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy (see John 10:10).  When do thieves strike?  They strike when people are at their most vulnerable (early hours in the morning when people are asleep in their beds).  We are an easy target for Satan when we are tired, stressed or under pressure.  We have fewer resources to deal with (time, patience, strength, etc.).  So this is when we need to shave back our schedules and spend more time in reading the Bible, praying and building ourselves up through prayer and meaningful fellowship.  We need to go to bed earlier, take short breaks and go for a walk – get away from our schedule if at all possible even for a brief time.  And we need to turn to the Captain of the Army – Jesus Christ.  He has already won the war against Satan, sin, and even death.  But the battles we will experience through life are varied and many.  Jesus has equipped us with everything we need to win these battles, but without Him, we can’t hope to win!   

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Do you find yourself in a battle today?  If so, remember you are not alone, and you do not have to fight it alone.  Jesus is with you and He will take the lead if you are willing to follow.