I am winning the battle in my mind

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

We are all in a spiritual battle and the battlefield is our minds. Our thoughts will meander constantly through life, encompassing difficult memories from the past, fears about the future, the opinions of others, messages from the media, the Church and much more. Our enemy’s strategy has not altered since he tempted Jesus in the wilderness – he tries to invade our thoughts and persuade us to doubt God’s word. He has no authority in our lives except that which we give him through our agreement.

Dr Caroline Leaf said this: “75% to 95% of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think about affects us physically and emotionally. It's an epidemic of toxic emotions. The average person has over 30,000 thoughts a day, over 80% of these are negative. Through an uncontrolled thought life, we create the conditions for illness; we make ourselves sick! Research shows that fear, all on its own, triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones. There are INTELLECTUAL and MEDICAL reasons to FORGIVE! Toxic waste generated by toxic thoughts causes the following illnesses: diabetes, cancer, asthma, skin problems and allergies to name just a few. Consciously control your thought life and start to detox your brain!”

The enemy is constantly looking for ways to deceive, so that he can steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He attempts to gain a foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:27) so that he can establish a stronghold (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) – a belief or attitude that is contrary to God’s word and results in behaviour contrary to His will. It begins with the whisper of uncertainty of Eden, “Did God really say…?” or the undermining talk of the wilderness, “If you are a son…”.

Watch out in particular for "The Filthy Five"

Filthy Five #1: Regrets of the Past

Filthy Five #2: Fear of the Future

Filthy Five #3: Unhealthy Comparisons

Filthy Five #4: Self-condemning thoughts

Filthy Five #5: Temptation

Now for the good news. We can defeat the machinations of the kingdom of darkness with spiritual weapons. Ephesians 6 speaks about our spiritual armour. For now, let’s think about just two pieces. We fight armed with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and defend ourselves with the shield of faith. The latter refers to the resolute making up of our minds to trust in God – who He says He is for us, and what He promises to do for us. We take each thought captive and demolish the arguments that contradict God’s word. As Smith Wigglesworth put it “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”

As Steve Backlund has said, “What we believe is ultimately more important than what we do. The course of our lives is set by our deepest core beliefs. These mind-sets are either a stronghold for God’s purposes or a playhouse for the enemy of our souls.”

The more we align ourselves with what God says, the less we will be powerless, tossed about by every wind of doctrine. In the wilderness, Jesus countered every attack of the enemy with, “It is written….”.

Pause to reflect: what do you believe about God? What do you believe God thinks about you? What mind-sets govern your day to day living?

We are transformed as our minds are renewed by the truth of God’s word. Ask Father God to uncover any ungodly beliefs that you hold and replace them with His truth. The truth will instantly begin to set you free. Fix your eyes on Jesus, abide in His word, and declare out loud the truth. The kingdom of God will crash in around you!

This article is an extract from 

GOD HUNGER: MEDITATIONS FROM A LIFE OF LONGING