War in our Minds

Joyce Meyer wrote a book titled “The Battlefield of the Mind’. If ever there was truth in a title, this is it! Just so you know- she also has one for teens and kids. We’ve purchased all three over the years because we’ve had all three.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 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 exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

I’ve written before about the ‘filters’ of our minds created by life experiences. These filters are colored by everything we have gone through – the good, the bad and the ugly. You’ve heard of seeing things ‘rose colored glasses’ but they are nothing compared to the colored filters our thoughts pass through. Even as I write this my thoughts have jumped from one past experience to another. It’s as if a video of my life was playing along on a screen in the side of my mind. Always there, ready to remind me of some past hurt or victory. Sadly, we tend to recall the hurts more vividly than we do the victories!

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
What does all that mean? It sounds good and ‘holy’ but what does that mean in our daily lives and just how do we go about it? We are at war spiritually, People. The battle is for our thoughts and the emotions which come from them. The enemy brings up issues from our past. Our failures, regrets, wounds, and traumas all of which are intended to drag us down into doubt, anger, darkness, and despair. Our challenge is not to respond to these memories with old destructive thought patterns. Our victory lies in responding to these thoughts and feelings with the mind of Messiah as new creations in Him.  It is vital that we don’t allow them to control our souls and emotions, but that we take them captive through prayers and declarations inspired by our spiritual mind. For example, when the enemy speaks rejection to me causing me to feel unwanted and unloved I respond that I am ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED and that the Lord has shown His love to me in many ways by His spirit and through His Body. Take that, enemy!

A powerful illustration from the Old Testament is the Lord’s forbidding the levitical priests from entering His Presence if they had touched any dead thing. This is a lesson for us – leave the old, dead mindset behind, the ways that we used to respond to things in the past – instead, enter the Holy of Holies and commune with your Lord!

The battle over past issues is won when the Mind of Messiah in us takes authority over our lives With Jesus on the throne of our hearts and minds, everything in our past is brought under His authority and works together for our good!