The Battle in Our Mind is a Spiritual Battle, and so we must become familiar with Spiritual Warfare

“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” (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV).

Before our feet even touch the floor in the morning, our mind is bombarded with thoughts, this is where the daily spiritual battle begins . . .

It’s been proven that upon the first moments of waking our mind is highly impressionable and easy to influence. What we begin our day thinking about, sets in motion the path we will take for that day. This is where our spiritual warfare begins. Satan knows that if he can inject negative, ungodly, or self-righteous (I can do it myself) thoughts into our mind first thing in the morning, then he’s got a head start in defeating us. Where our mind goes our life follows, and this is why bringing our thoughts into the obedience of Christ is important.

So, how can we get the upper hand on what we think about from the get go, and keep that momentum rolling through the rest of the day . . .

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

It begins by intentionally guarding our heart, which is our mind. When I wake up I like to say, “Good morning God! Thank you for this day that You have made, I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). It’s my go to tag line and something that’s easy to remember. By doing this, the day immediately begins by including God, being thankful, claiming that I will rejoice today, and quoting scripture. Starting off like this helps to put a greater perspective and higher purpose on the day. It helps us realize that God has created the day, and He gave it to all of us to enjoy and be glad in Him! We can choose to remind ourselves that even if today is filled with troubles, it’s still a GOOD day because God made it! Starting the day off by giving glory to God changes our perspective. Be intentional!

We must be careful about what we are filling our minds with, in order to win this battle . . .

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

Everything that we allow into our mind through what we watch, read, and listen to influences our thoughts. Satan knows this. He has a vested interest in controlling and manipulating our thoughts, so that he can distract us from God and His good will for our lives. Satan uses entertainment to create an alluring deception, and music that captivates and seduces our eyes and ears. He used this same tactic back in the Garden of Eden with Eve, as he seduced her with his lies. He took something that Eve thought she desired, then he twisted the truth about it to make it enticing and assured her that it would give her pleasure. When our minds are being entertained, they are highly vulnerable to suggestion. Entertainment provides a subtle attack on our mind, that can completely lure us away from God altogether if we are not careful. Not all entertainment is bad, but we should ask ourselves if it fits the mold of what God desires for our life. We should put boundaries around what we allow into our mind if we are to be successful in winning this battle.

What should we be filling our minds with in order to be victorious?

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” ( Philippians 4:8 NIV).

All throughout the day it’s important to guard our heart and meditate on the truth of God’s word. If we focus on God and not our problems we begin to see our thoughts changing. To do this, we need to know what the Bible says about our problem and the areas we wrestle with in our mind. Each of us experience different areas where we struggle. Try looking up scriptures which pertain to these specific areas, and study what God has to say about them. Then, write down those verses and commit them to memory. I like to write down scripture on 3 x 5 cards and put them around the house, in my pockets, my purse, or just laying on a table. Anywhere I can see them and be reminded of God’s truth. By doing this we enable ourselves to focus on God’s truth, rather than the lies the enemy is trying to get us entangled in. Pray, and think about what God says. When we fill our mind with His word of truth and focus on Him, then we have the ammunition we need to defeat the lies of the enemy.

To win any battle a person must be sober and have a clear thinking mind . . .

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

If our mind is under the influence of a something else we simply can not think right, period. Any time we use alcohol or a substance which affects our clear thinking, we leave an open door for Satan to work in our thoughts. God specifically tells us to be sober, so that Satan does not get the upper hand and over take us (1 Peter 5:8). We may try to come up with scripture to back up our reasoning on this or to interject our own opinions, but the truth is God tells us to be sober and with good reason. God always wants the best for us! I think anyone who has had even a little bit to drink knows that a small amount immediately affects how we think and feel. When we are under the influence of a substance we become lead by our emotions, and this gives Satan an open door to wreak havoc in our mind. It’s like handing over the keys to the car and letting him drive wherever he wants to take us. Dangerous! We can not be victorious unless we are sober and have a clear thinking mind. If it were not true God would not have asked us to be sober.

Note: Some people struggle with mental illness and need medication which helps to regulate the chemicals in their brain, allowing them to think clearly. If you have a chemical imbalance, or think that you might, please get the proper help from a medical professional.

Some of us experience crippling battles in our mind everyday. There is hope, there is healing, there is victory and His name is called Jesus. If you don’t know Jesus or aren’t sure that you have salvation, please feel free to email me at: malinda@truthforreallife.com I am happy to answer any questions you may have, or pray with you and for you. In the Love of Christ, Malinda