The Battlefield is Your Mind

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

(2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

One of my favorite authors wrote, "You must fight for your life." 

No, not fight physically, though, it may one day come to that. But rather, to fight spiritually; in your thoughts. 

The prize your Enemy wants to capture is your heart—but the battlefield is your mind.

Your Enemy is an unseen enemy who is very good at what he does. He's had at least 6,000 years to perfect his schemes.  And he is an enemy who never sleeps, who constantly comes against us 24/7, with one goal: to steal, to kill and to destroy.

Most of us will never correctly discern what we are going through and what we see happening in the world, until we see it in the context of war—a war against our minds and our hearts. 

When really bad things happen in this world, or, closer to home, sometimes people can think some really horrible things about God. "A loving God would never allow that to happen!" 

But the truth is, we all have the ability to freely choose how we live.  And there are consequences for our choices.  We are accountable.  All of us.  Call it what you will; "Karma," or, "You reap what you sow," or, "What comes around goes around."

So, before you blame God for the evils you see people committing every day, remember that we all are free to choose our own path. We are not programmed robots.  Your conscience tells you that what you are doing or thinking, is either right, or wrong. 

Don't blame someone else for the poor choices you've made—or are still making.

For followers of Christ, we have been told in advance, "We who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."  That unseen enemy that many of us act like does not even exist, is out to persecute and attack us continuously.  When you walk by faith and seek to be obedient to whatever God calls you to do, you paint a big bulls eye on your back.  You are now a target for a barrage of fiery arrows from the dark side.  You can count on it. 

We are at war. 

Those fiery arrows—or darts, are aimed at our minds, sent to capture our hearts. And they most often come in the form of lies, division, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, suspicion, or accusation against someone in your life.  They take other forms too; lust, envy, idolatry, hatred, or complaining.  When we complain about our life or circumstances, we are basically telling God, "I can't trust You to manage my life!"

Be careful.

Your unseen enemy’s number one objective is to get you to believe his lying accusations against God in your mind and thoughts.  He wants you to think that God is not really for you, but that He is actually against you.  He wants you to think that God does not keep His promise to, "Cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose."  He wants you to think that God didn't mean it when He said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

Our Enemy was a liar from the beginning and he is the father of lies. He only comes to steal, kill and destroy.  He wants to kill your peace and your joy.  He wants to steal your hope.  He wants to destroy your heart and your faith.  He wants to isolate you and get you to think horrible things about God.  

Don't believe his lies.

Paul writes of how to win this epic battle in the sixth chapter of his letter to the church in Ephesus:

”Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not war against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Stay close to Jesus fellow soldier. 

Putting on the whole armor of God is to put on Christ.  Abide in Him. Draw close to Him.  Seek Him and ask Him in your times of prayer to draw you ever closer to Him, and to change your heart. Taking up the shield of faith is to place all of our trust in Christ for His strength, provision and protection.

The battle is for your heart, through your mind. Therefore, you have to change or renew  your thinking. And test every bad or wrong thought by the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and prove what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

The bottom line is: we must take captive every thought and make it obedient to the mind of Christ.

Therefore, have the mind of Christ, and surrender every space in your heart to God, that He may reign supreme there, always.

—As a close friend of mine often reminds me... "This is life or death!"

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.