Battle For the Mind - Part 2

Yesterday we looked at these verses that Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the spiritual battle over our life, and especially the battle in the mind. Paul explains that these thoughts may originate from two sources. Firstly, arguments and ideas against God and His ways may have been planted in our minds by others. Secondly we may have had our own proud thoughts that we’ve elevated above God’s truth. These will probably have come from our past sin or wounding, but they’re now entrenched in our thinking, and seem more true to us than God’s truth.

Wherever such ungodly thoughts have originated, if we allow them to dwell and grow in our mind, they can become infected with enemy power and will become an ungodly stronghold. Our thoughts need to be liberated from the enemy and taken captive by us so we can bring them to agree with God’s truth.

Paul explains how to fight in this spiritual battle. He doesn’t tell us to try harder. Clearly this battle isn’t won with our own strength. Many of us have tried to block out those unwanted thoughts by our own mental effort and we know it doesn’t work. No, since our mind has become a spiritual stronghold we need spiritual weapons to defeat each thought that doesn’t agree with God’s truth.

So what are these spiritual weapons? Philippians 2:10 tells us that the name of Jesus is a mighty weapon. As a new believer with almost no Scripture knowledge God led me to use this weapon. When an unwanted thought came to my mind and I couldn’t get rid of it I would shut my eyes, stamp my feet and shout out “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but it proved amazingly successful at pulling down a thought stronghold. Sometimes I called on Jesus’ name many times before the unwanted thought was cleared from my mind, but it always worked, and after time the thoughts were defeated and never came again.

Hebrew 4:12 tells us the Word of God is such a weapon. It’s a living and powerful means of spiritual warfare. Words from Scripture will be an effective weapon against ungodly thoughts that inhabit our minds. Because of my past experience, I suggest the weapon is even more powerful if you speak the Scripture out loud (stamping your feet is optional), repeating it as many times as is necessary to obliterate the unwanted thought. Each person needs to find a suitable verse, or verses, that speak God’s truth in opposition to the particular negative thought they want to fight. If you feel worthless then maybe Psalm 139:14 will be suitable for you to use as your weapon. Whatever the verse is it becomes your own special weapon. But prepare your weapon by learning the verse and ‘sharpening’ it by saying it often to yourself, so it is ready for the moment of intense battle when that thought that doesn’t agree with God comes back to torment you. Remember too that a war isn’t won in one battle, so the process may have to be repeated a few times. With God nothing is impossible.

Prayer: Father God, thank You that Jesus defeated Satan once and for all at Calvary. I praise You for the name of Jesus and the living word of Scripture, which are the weapons by which we can appropriate all of that victory into our lives, and especially into our minds. I pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.