Winning the Battle of the Mind

We can all relate to the feeling of having to contend for our thoughts; that’s why this truth was so encouraging: Jesus has given us victory at The Cross, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the ability to take every thought captive for his glory in the fight towards winning the battle of the mind. The battle in our minds is real; it’s not something we can push away or ignore.

Victory is not circumstantial. It's about the state of our mind. Therefore the enemy attacks our thought life.

Genesis 3:1-7. What did the enemy do in the Garden of Eden? He planted a seed of doubt in Eve's mind. He didn't come right out and shove fruit in her face and say, "Eat the fruit! Eat the Fruit!" over and over. He kept on her, calling into question God's Authority, convincing her that God was holding out on her. We don't know how long it was between the seed being planted and the actions Eve took, but if we let a thought go unaccounted for...it will always lead to action.

What seed or thought has the enemy planted in your mind?

"You deserve to be angry, bitter, selfish, etc", "You are your failure or addiction", "God is a hoax", and "You deserve all your success, it's all yours" are just a few.

Proverbs 23:7 says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. We become what we think about, and the enemy will wait you out.

Numbers 13:33- the spies went into the land and saw the giants occupying it. They said that they looked like grasshoppers in their own eyes and in the giants' eyes as well. How do they know that? There is no recording of them talking to the giants or threats from them. No, they had a thought, and they followed that seed of doubt.

5 ways that let us know the enemy has planted seeds in our minds.

1. Fear
2. Worry
3. Temptation—to do, say, or think something stupid
4. Lack of value or worth
5. Uncertainty

Your Father does not put uncertainty in your life, devalue you, tempt you, or ask you to worry or fear. That's all the enemy. He wants to shut you down and destroy your life. He's got no mercy and all the time in the world. Jesus, however, came to make a way.

Genesis 3:15 speaks specifically about Jesus and tells how He is victorious. He may be bruised, but the enemy will be crushed.

1 Corinthians 15:57 says God gives us the victory through Jesus Christ. Nikos, the Greek word for victory, means victory through conquest. In the New Testament, His victory always refers to the conquest accomplished for the believer by Christ, who conquered all the powers of darkness and sin. Accordingly, death cannot exert conquest over the believer. You can create a beachhead because Jesus has already paved the way. He frees us to fight.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Take captive every thought. Nothing is free floating through our brains. You have the capacity in Christ to win the battle of your mind, and no one is going to do it for you. If you are living in defeat, it's because you are letting yourself stay there. You have the power of the finished work of Jesus alive and active in you through the Holy Spirit.

How do you take every thought captive?

1.Identify the thought. Stop being so agreeable. Challenge the thought, don't agree with it, and allow it to set up shop in your mind. Ask yourself, "Where did this thought come from?" and "Is it congruent with God's Word?'

2.Bind the thought in the Name of Jesus. It's not crazy to do this? Tell the enemy that he can't pitch a tent in your mind. You have to use the name of Authority and Power of Jesus's name and the truth of God's Word. This is taking authority in taking thoughts captive because you're going to be either bound by it or you are going to bind it. Jesus bound every temptation with Truth when tempted by the enemy. So, you're going to have to learn some Truth.

In Deuteronomy 11, we see that the people of God literally wrapped the Word of God around their arms and heads. Wrap yourself in His Word.

3.Change the narrative. Change what you are thinking about. You control what thoughts you allow to play over and over.

Philippians 4:8 says that whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy...think of THESE things. Have these scriptures running through your mind every day.

• Sunday- Ephesians 1:18-20, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me.
• Monday- Isaiah 43:1, My God knows my name
• Tuesday- Isaiah 42:12, My God goes before me
• Wednesday- Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
• Thursday- Romans 8:18, my present suffering pales in comparison to my future glory
• Friday- Isaiah 54:17, no weapon formed against me is going to prosper
• Saturday- Romans 8:16, I am a child of God

4.Act on the truth. If you are saying, "I am a child of God", then act like a child of God. Agree with the truth.

5.Repeat. Do it over and over. Get involved. Get sick of living in defeat. Do not let the enemy lie to you about who you are, whose you are, what kind of capacity you have in Jesus, or what He has won for you. Do not let the enemy convince you that you cannot when He has already told you that you can. Jesus has stormed the gates of Hell for you.