Your greatest asset is your mind. This is why war is waging for the control of your mind. It is an unseen war that many Christians know about. The enemy is determined, insistent, malicious, and cruel as any adversary in a long war can be. The enemy knows that if he wins the battle of the mind of the Christian, he has won over the person.
I am very familiar with what I am writing because the enemy viciously fought me in my mind. The battle feels quite intense when you have a mental illness. I battled a confounding condition for very long. I got my diagnosis of schizophrenia soon after I got born again. I did not know much about the life of a believer. The enemy made the most of my inexperience and had a field day turning my life into his playfield.
It was shocking to learn that I was mentally ill and had a broken brain, as some would see it. I understood that I could have psychological issues, but not mental health issues. I thought mental illnesses run in families, and they were not in ours.
The enemy would attack me all the time telling me that I had no hope, help or a future. I lived with despair, letdowns, shame, guilt, fear, inferiority, and anything else he could find to torment me. On many bad days, I could not bring myself to pray. I opted to listen to soothing music and encouraging sermons.
I found information about the symptoms I was experiencing. I hoped to confirm to myself that I was only sick, and there was nothing else to it. It was a pretty confusing experience. Then, I discovered that a person with my condition could be double-minded.
Thoughts tormented me night and day on how I could not receive from the Lord because I was double-minded. I learned how to stand on the word of God. I would take scriptures that countered the paralyzing thoughts and stand on them. I would win the battle over time.
It felt like a real war as I tried to wrest myself from the paralyzing thoughts that filled my mind. It was a terrible war with an enemy that I could not see but who was becoming more and more determined each day.
Medicine would silence the voices and ease the confusion quite a bit. But the battle continued as fierce as ever in my mind. Only Christ could set me free from the confusion and pain that filled my life.
Strongholds In Our Mind
The battle for our minds can be quite vicious. Christians need to learn and receive teaching on this battle. The enemy wants to embed himself in the mind of a believer and take control through deception and lies.
What is a stronghold? This is an area of a person’s thought life that the enemy has taken control of as much as he can. These are areas where the enemy dominates us and causes us to live in deception.
Strongholds can be one of the following two,
- A personal attitude. Hate can be a stronghold. Worry, anger, fear, guilt, resentment, and insecurity can all be strongholds. These are usually things you turn into idols in your life.
- The different –isms that set a person against the knowledge of God are strongholds. These include communism, hedonism, atheism, relativism, secularism, Darwinism, materialism, and other worldviews.
How does the enemy create strongholds? By filling our minds with planned negative thought patterns. These result in reasonings, fear, doubt, suspicions, and other thoughts that are contrary to the truth of God’s word.
When you have a stronghold in your mind, you believe many things that are not true.
What thoughts are you battling in your life at the moment?
Do you constantly see yourself as a failure whom one cares about?
Do you battle sensual thoughts, or are you questioning the purpose of life?
Do you worry that your life will come to nothing?
Do you see yourself the way the word says you are?
The Good thing is you can do your thinking and bring down the strongholds the enemy has set up in your mind. Many people do not feel that they can reject wrong thinking.
“But I have a chemical imbalance,” you may want to argue.
But you can still reject negativity even with a diagnosis of a mental health problem. One place you can go for help is in the word of God. It is the most powerful thing on earth. As you learn to live God’s word, study it, understand it, and read it, you become transformed from the inside out. This change helps us destroy the strongholds that the enemy has established in our minds.
Destroy Strongholds And Win The Battle Of The Mind
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
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.
Casting Down Imaginations
This is not accepting the enemy’s thoughts, suggestions, or visions. Taking the enemy’s ideas may sometimes be walking according to the flesh. Walking according to the flesh is walking in enmity to God. A carnal person cannot be pleasing to God.
Pulling Down of Strongholds
Faith is denying ourselves and putting our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is our weapon that can quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. It can cast down every lofty thought.
Counter every negative thought with what the word says. For instance, you find that your mood is beginning to sink, and you are beginning to have a bad day. Begin to write down what is in your thoughts, and you will find the cause of the negative thoughts.
Ask yourself questions.
Why am I thinking what I am thinking?
Is it true according to what I see or God’s word?
What can I do to align my thoughts with God’s word?
In answer to the last question, choose what to say to yourself. Encourage yourself in the word of the Lord.
For example, if the enemy lies to you about how small, hated, and unwanted you are, you can remind him of the following,
“I am a child of my heavenly Father and fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). He loves me and cares about every single detail of my life. (Romans 8:38) Before I was conceived in the womb, He chose me (Jeremiah 1:5). His plans for my life are for good and not evil. (Jeremiah 29:11)”
Bringing Every Thought Captive
I have noticed that my mind is very rebellious. It rarely wants to do what I want to do. I want to pray, but my mind wants to wander away. When I want to ponder, my thoughts want to float away. My mind does not mind the negative thoughts that bombard it.
Paul talks about this in (Romans 7:19, 24), and he writes, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. . . . Wretched man that I am!”
To fight the battle for the mind and win is to bring every thought to submission to Christ. This means you think God glorifying thoughts. It means not filling your mind with clutter and the world’s noise. Here is more on this topic.
Winning The Battle For The Mind
Below are four biblical ideas of being a practical Christian by winning the battle of the mind.
1. Question Your Thoughts
Many people do not question their thoughts. They believe that because they thought something, then somehow it must be true. Many thoughts and suggestions can fill the mind all the time. The ideas may be false, but they do not relent most of the time. Not questioning your thoughts can lead you to lose the battle of the mind.
According to Rick Warren, in his book, Thinking. Loving. Doing.: A Call to Glorify God with Heart and Mind, we all have a mental illness to a certain extent. Our minds are broken by sin.
Suggestions from the world also bombard our minds. These suggestions are false, but they, too, are there all the time, and they are everywhere.
Our problem is not only Satan. It goes much deeper to having a mental illness, even when you do not have symptoms that are seen clinical.
Under sin, our minds break. The Bible describes certain conditions of our minds under sin.
- confused (Deuteronomy 28:20)
- a sinful mind (Romans 8:7 NIV)
- a troubled mind (2 Kings 6:11)
- a corrupt mind (2 Timothy 3:8)
- evil, restless (Ecclesiastes 2:21–23)
- a blinded mind (2 Corinthians 4:4
- rash, deluded (Leviticus 5:4; Isaiah 32:4 NIV)
- a depraved mind (1 Timothy 6:5)
- a dull mind (2 Corinthians 3:14 NIV)
- anxious, closed (Job 17:3–4
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9
Our minds are broken; thus, we cannot trust even our thoughts. We lie to ourselves all the time, according to the above passage.
One of the main reasons why we should not believe everything we think is because we see what we want to see. Our brains are always telling us what to see. If you look at something, your brain is telling you more than you are telling it.
If you put four people at a scene, they will have differing accounts of what they saw. This is because they have different brains. We must learn not to believe everything we think. Just thinking it does not make it necessarily accurate.
2. Protect Your Mind From What Poisons It
“A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash” (NLT) Proverbs 15:14.
What you feed your mind on can be nourishing, empty and useless knowledge, or toxic. Nutritious foods make you more Godly, intelligent, and mature. Food with empty calories is junk food. When you fill your mind with junk food, you are stuffing it.
Some things are not wrong by law, but they are not helpful (1 Corinthians 6:12). To be successful in Christian living and be helpful to others, you need to fill your mind with the right things. God expects faithfulness and fruitfulness. We cannot become fruitful if we fill our minds with unfruitful things.
(John 15:16) tells us that fruitfulness is the reason why God chooses us. Fruitfulness is very critical in the Christian walk. The Lord desires that we remain in him to bear much fruit.
Refuse to set your eyes on anything that is worthless (Psalm 101:3). You do this by minding what you let your eyes see.
Do you watch unnecessary shows on television where murder, theft, and deceit are the theme?
Mind what you let into your living room. When you turn on the television, you are inviting over those on your screen. Does adultery entertain you? It is the same as asking a couple to your house to commit such an act in your presence.
If you enjoy a murder series, it is like inviting a killer to your house and letting them murder in your living room. Watch what you watch, as some of the things you watch are lawful but not helpful.
So how do we keep our minds protected from what poisons them? Paul in Philippians 4: 6-8 answers.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things
The scripture states that it is by doing two things:
- In everything, pray to God with thanksgiving. This part of the scripture tells us that we should talk to God about everything. Pray at all times. You might wonder how that is possible. But people worry all the time while doing other things. Instead of worrying, pray to God while doing other things.
- Focusing and fixing our thoughts. Choosing what to think and concentrating only on God-glorifying thoughts. Do not just resist the thoughts of the enemy. Replace them by focusing on the thoughts of God.
3. Dream Bigger With God’s Help And Win The Battle Of The Mind
All the things that we see in life start with a dream. Someone sits and dreams it up. What you want to do – create a church, start a blog, travel the world, help the needy – begins with a dream. It is a blessing from God to imagine and envision something before we see it as a reality. When we focus on our God given vision, we have less time for the enemies lies in our minds. We win the battle for the mind easier.
Do you have any dreams for yourself?
Where do you want to be in the next year?
What about five years from now?
What are your dreams for your children? Your ministry? Your life?
If you are not dreaming and dreaming big, you are not doing well.
“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint.” Proverbs 29:18 says. Cast-off restraint implies out of control. The word vision in this statement refers to a vision or revelation from God.
You need a big dream from God that makes you wake up each day inspired. Without such a dream, our lives get out of control, according to the above scripture. When our lives are out of control, we cannot win the battle for the mind. We all need to dream big for God.
Pray that the following scripture will come true in your life, children, and church. Acts 2:17 “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
Write your dreams down if you have not yet done so. Writing down things gives you clarity. It also shows you are serious about achieving your goals because you have thought about them.
To write down your dreams, do the following; Write down what you want to be different in your life in a given time frame.
What would you attempt for God today if success was sure? Trying such a thing makes you a great doer with a great imagination. Remember that using your imagination to dream big for God is part of winning the battle for the mind.
Whatever field you are in, whether it is science, being a doctor, or starting a business, think big. Dream big for the Kingdom. What you can imagine is limitless, and imagination is a vehicle that can take you anywhere. Logic can only take you between two points.
- Be an innovator by asking the right questions.
- Dream big for God and expect more. Remember, he has promised to top up our wildest dreams. Ephesians 3:20
- God will not bless your vision if it is not his vision for you. He cannot also fulfil your dreams if you have none. He can only help you reach a goal that you have.
- Goals are a statement of faith. According to Hebrews 11:6, you please God when you have faith. Romans 14:23 says that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. As per your faith, it shall be done unto, Mathew 9:29 tells us.
- When you set a goal and write it down, you are telling God to help you do it by a particular time. Seeing His children set BIG goals and trust Him to help them achieve them is pleasing to God.
DREAM BIG DREAMS FOR GOD AND TEACH OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.
- Allow God to increase your imagination. Dream and out-think the world for God’s glory and for others’ good.
4. Never Stop Learning
This is the final thing to know and teach others in winning the battle of the mind. Learn and learn and learn some more. Become a learner for life. Love to learn. Love wisdom and love knowledge. In the scripture below, Jesus said his disciples needed to learn from him.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me” Matthew 11:28–29
When you take on a yoke, you share a burden and lighten the load of another animal. Jesus wants us to do that with him.
Being a disciple means being a learner. To be able to lead others, you must start by being a disciple. It would help if you continued to grow all the time. When you stop growing, whatever you are doing also stops growing. When you stop learning, you stop leading.
- Learn to ask the right questions and learn from everyone. The Bible says, “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Proverbs 20:5 KJV). Everyone has something to teach you if you know how to draw it out.
- Everyone knows something that others do not know. “Iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17), the Bible says, while urging us to learn from one another.
- Humility is necessary if you are to be a learner. The humble are teachable. They do not pretend that they do not need to learn anything. They learn from those better than them and those worse than them. They learn from experts and amateurs. They learn from everyone.
- Learn from people who might never want to understand you. When you learn from critics, you learn from your enemies and haters, you will be brighter than them all. This is because they may only learn from themselves.
- “The mind of an intelligent person is eager to get knowledge, Proverbs 18:15 (ICB). Be smart. Be wise. Listen twice as much as you talk to learn more.
- “Wise men store up knowledge” (NIV), Proverbs 10:14. Jesus forbade storing up money. We are only to store knowledge as we take it with us out of this world.
- Start a family library and read books a lot. Have a lot in the library to pass on to the coming generation.
- Be intentional about whom you meet and what you read. It could determine the impact of your life on earth.
- Read old books as much as you read newer books. Read church history as much as you read modern-day writers. Spread your reading evenly over the last 2000 years of church history.
- There is nothing new under the sun, so read the classics. Truth is discovered, not invented. It does not change at all times.
- Take time to think. Purpose setting aside time to think. If you are more of a doer, think.
Here Are Five Levels Of Learning You Should Know About To Win The Battle Of The Mind
1.Knowledge
Every Christian needs knowledge of the word of God. Without it, the enemy can destroy us. Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
We need to know the Bible as well as church history. It is necessary to read the writings of past saints. God has been working throughout the entire 2000 years of church history.
2. Perspective
In the Bible, perspective and wisdom are considered the same thing. When you know, you know what God does. Wisdom knows why he does it. It is seeing life from God’s perspective.
Psalms 55:8 shows us our need for God’s perspective. In the scripture, he states that He does not think the way we do. According to Ps 103:7, He has made known His ways to us so as not to leave us in the dark.
Do not be like the children of Israel who had knowledge of the word but did not have the mind of God. Moses had the mind of God.
(1 Corinthians 2:14–16; Philippians 2:5–11). The preceding two scriptures show us that it is possible to have the mind of Christ. This is what we need to strive for, for ourselves and others.
3. Conviction
When we have the mind of Christ, we begin to develop convictions. Convictions are things you would die for. History shows that those with the deepest convictions are the ones who have had the most impact the world, for better or worse. Jesus has had the deepest conviction, and he has had the most impact.
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul talks about convictions or being settled in our minds.
Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as the evidence of things not seen. It is a conviction.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15 KJV) is an excellent example of conviction in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we see the conviction in Paul in Rom 8:39 “[Nothing] . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God”.
An opinion is something you argue about. Conviction is not an opinion. You go for the heart of God in conviction. We want to know his feelings and to feel them. His feelings about the world, the church, the lost, everything.
4. Character
After we develop convictions, we develop habits. The total of our habits is our character. Our character can determine how we fight the battle of the mind.
Character is developed by developing the nine qualities described in Galatians 5:22-23. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The qualities are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
These qualities picture the character of Christ. To become more like God in our nature is to seek the fruit of the spirit in our lives.
5. Skill
When we develop Godly qualities, some things become habitual. These are things such as fasting, daily bible reading, praying, and sharing the gospel. As we do these things more often, we get better at them. We develop skills.
“If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success” (NIV), Ecclesiastes 10:10. Skill is what brings success. Sharpening the ax is a waste of time.
This is why you must learn as much as you can. Learn from everyone. Go to conferences and learn.
The only truth that sets us free is the truth we know and apply.
The state of your mind depends on what you focus on. Keep your mind fixed on the right things: God’s word, The mind of Christ, God’s convictions, and God’s skills. Learn every day. It is the surest way to win the battle of the mind.