The Battle Is For Your Mind – {Part 1}

The first and greatest commend is “Love the LORD your God with all your…MIND.”- Matthew 22:37

The mind is the battle ground for the believer. God’s ultimate purpose is to love Him with our…MIND… The evil one attacks our thought life. Just as we do not have to allow a bird to nest in our head. God has transferred us from the cruel authority of satan into the Kingdom of His Son. We are free to love God with our mind. the evil one shoots, “fiery darts.” such as

• Anxiety
• Fear
• Discouragement
• Doubts
• Condemnation

We have the power in this newness of life God has given us where we do not have to yield to these and allow as it were to let them build a nest on our head! We are not helpless, defenseless, we are Christ’s and He has given us the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit to enable us to do battle for our thought life. If we yield to anxiety, and by the way the word “anxiety” comes from two words, which mean To “Divide the mind.” Anxiety’s goal is to divide the mind from devotion to loving God. A thought of anxiety comes to our mind, usually in the “what if’s…” the fears of the future and we literally choose to embrace it and worry ourselves to death, The word “worry,” comes from an old German root word which speaks of mental strangulation. Why would you want to say, bring it on! Yet when we CHOOSE to be ANXIOUS WE CHOOSE TO SAY, “I NEED TO BE ANXIOUS. “Anxiety in the heart weighs it down {causes depression}, … “-{Prov 12:25}

So choosing to yield to thoughts of anxiety leads and leaves you depressed. Who in their right mind would say, “Yes! Bring it on!” But we do.

We choose to yield to anxiety as if we have to, as if we are powerless and God is impotent to help us. He has given us everything we need for life and Godliness {2 Peter 1:3}. He has given us “precious and magnificent promises” to be used  – {2 Peter 1:3-4 }. The story is told of an elderly couple in California whom the paper reported were found in their apartment dead. They had died of malnutrition. They had starved to death. How sad, tragic. What makes it all the more so is when investigators searched their apartment they found two brown paper bags in a closet that contained 40,000 dollars in cash! They failed to use the resources at their disposal! God has given us Power to live, Promises to use. Now we have to choose

 

The PROBLEM’S;

We choose not to RENEW OUR MIND {Romans 12:2} There is a story about a cub that was put into a cage. The cage dimensions were 12 foot by 12 foot. The cub would walk back and forth, as he grew people would throw things into the cage thinking it was funny, but they were abusing and hurting him. A wealthy man bought him and had the bear transferred to another location. There were vast amounts of luscious land for the bear to roam in and be safe in. They gathered around the cage when it arrived. The door was opened. The bear who had been at the back of the page walked 12 feet forward and as they waited for him to walk free from his confinements, he turned and walked 12 feet to the back of the cage and continued doing the twelve foot shuffle. They decided to break the bars and so they did. With the bars broken and removed the bear began to walk, twelve feet forward and then did something amazing, he turned and walked twelve feet back. There were no bars but he continued to live as though they were! He was doing the twelve foot shuffle, needlessly. Why? He had done it for so long it was ingrained in him. It was a pattern. He was still a prisoner in his mind!

The story is told of a  soldier who worked for a cruel Sargent, who would bark orders and the soldier would respond to do what he said. The soldier left and one day while in town he passed by a store and at the moment the Sargent came and shouted at him to come and load his jeep. Immediately the former soldier did what he was told. He feared the sergeant. As he was loading the jeep and the sergeant shouting abuse at him he realized… he was not in the army any more. The Sargent had no rights to rule over him! He was no longer in the army! He had responded to fear, yield and obeyed the sergeant, but he realized he was not in the army and did not have to obey…he was not under the authority of the sergeant any more. He was not a soldier who had to take orders from the sergeant. He was free from submission to the Sergeant or anyone else. He was no longer under the control of another! He was free!

God through the Lord Jesus, has broken the power of the evil one, of sin to control, keep you under its authority. It does not mean that sin does not exist but it does mean it no longer has power to reign, control, and master you or me. Just thinking of that truth is so encouraging. We have been freed. We do not have to do the twelve foot shuffle, we do not have to submit the evil one or allow sin to reign through EMBRACING THOUGHTS of ANXIETY, FEAR, DISCOURAGEMENT, DOUBTS, CONDEMNATION! We are free! It does not mean those thoughts do not come to us, but the LORD JESUS defeated the  foe, He has broken the power as king to rule over us and has transferred us to His Kingdom where we have   Power, Promises to enable us to FIGHT THE FIGHT OF FAITH!

The Battle is for your mind, why?

Because the ultimate purpose of our mind is to love God with it. The enemy, our flesh, the world’s system devoid of God seeks to distract us, captivate us from THINKING ON HIS TRUTH, HIS CHARACTER, HIS PROMISES.

 

WHEN AND THEN; 

We so soften want to live in the “WHEN and THEN.”

“WHEN” my circumstances change “THEN,” It goes like this, “WHEN my circumstances change, THEN I will share the Gospel…. THEN I will give… THEN I will…” What happens if your circumstances don’t change? You end up “wishing” your life away living in the “WHEN and THEN.”

Paul in prisons was chained to a guard, every six hours a new guard chained to him. What if he had said, “WHEN I get out of prison THEN,” I will share the Gospel with the lost, then I will encourage God’s people to speak the Word of God without fear. THEN I will pray.  “What if” I share with the guard and he does not like it, and he hits me… yes, I think I will wait till “WHEN and THEN.” We read Paul Prayed in PHILIPPIANS 1:3-6, 9-11. He communicated with the people he was praying for them through writing a letter. He said, “My circumstances have worked out to advance the Gospel.” The word, “advance” or sometimes it is translated, “furtherance,” was used of “wood-choppers,” who went ahead of the regular army and cut through woods, removed any obstacle that would hinder the regular army from marching through to a place. Paul said that instead of his circumstances impeding the Gospel they had worked out to advance the Gospel.{Phil 1:12.} in verse 13-  he advanced the Gospel through EVANGELIZING THE LOST. In verse 14 he advanced the Gospel through ENCOURAGEMENT of fellow believers. “Most of the brothers are encouraged to speak the Word of God without fear because of his imprisonment, FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST.”

Paul was not waiting till the “WHEN and THEN.” Paul was living in the NOW. Now is the time to seek to PRAY. NOW is the time to ADVANCE the Gospel through EVANGELIZING the people in the difficult place you find yourself in. NOW is the time to advance the Gospel through ENCOURAGING God’s people to speak the Word of God in the difficult circumstances they find themselves in. They found courage because Paul was in those circumstances with them. God may seek to use you where you are to EVANGELIZE others, to encourage others and they find strength to speak out for the LORD because you are in those circumstances! We have to choose to live in – THE NOW! Buy up the opportunity God has before you NOW. Evangelize how? PRAY FOR THE HARVEST- Jesus saw, the multitudes and felt compassion and told the disciple to pray to the LORD of the Harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest. The ones He told to pray in Matthew 9 He sent out in chapter 10! PRAYER IS PRIORITY IN EVANGELISM.

Ask God for favor with people. Seek to turn the conversations towards Him. Seek help- Jesus asked the woman at the well to help Him, get a drink of water from the well, He had no bucket to lower, she did! She helped Him and He turned the conversation around to sin, the LIVING WATER. He had to go through Samaria to get to her! He “went out of his way” for her soul! It’s not a matter of is it convenient, but the soul of an individual! He shows us one way to evangelize- Ask someone to help you. Your need maybe their opportunity to help and in turn you help them with their eternal soul! Share the good News. You are in a difficult circumstance, others are there with you seek to evangelize or encourage! There is purpose in you been in your present circumstances NOW!

Don’t be DIVERTED with the “WHEN and THEN,” mentality. The enemy injects thoughts, the flesh screams against the life of faith in the faithfulness of God. Why? Self always wants to be in control. It’s like telling God you are the conductor of life, He can take a seat and prosper you and help you avoid all of life’s difficulties but you ultimately are in charge! No, GOD IS GOD. HE IS KING! Don’t wait till “WHEN and THEN.” Live in the Now. You may think my job is a dead end job. Be thankful you have a job. It may not be what you would choose, it does not mean you may not be able to change it, But in those circumstances is the Gospel being advanced? Are you praying for people? Are you seeking God to give you favor to evangelize people in your circumstances? Are you Encouraging God’s people to continue to speak the Word of GOD boldly. You are in your present circumstances and may we be able to say, “My circumstances are working out to advance the Gospel…”

 

THE PROBLEMS INCLUDE

1. WE CHOOSE NOT TO RENEW OUR MIND

2. WE ACT ON OLD HABITS-  AS IF THEY ARE MASTER .

3.  WE BELIEVE LIES ABOUT GOD.

4. WE DO NOT LIVE IN THE NOW-

5. WE DO NOT SEE GOD’S WORD AS RELEVANT TO OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

The enemy  seeks to inject…

Anxious thoughts.  YOU DO NO HAVE TO EMBRACE them when they come. CHOOSE to use the SHIELD OF FAITH and the SWORD of the Spirit. He shoots the fiery dart of anxiety to divide your mind. You take the thought prisoner or it will take you prisoner.- {That does not mean you can lose your salvation, but you lose your focus…. preoccupied with anxieties when Christ died to free you from being enslaved again to sin.}

THINK ON THE TRUTH. GOD IS FAITHFUL… PRAY… don’t Be anxious instead choose to Worship God and His peace- His promise if by faith you will follow His way. His peace will guard your heart and MIND, in Christ {Phil 4:6-7

Condemnation? God says there is therefore NOW no condemnation for those who are In Christ.{Romans 8:1 } NOW- “But I feel…” condemned. Why is that? The evil one is the accuser of the brethren night and day, the Bible teaches. He injects condemnation because he knows you will embrace it. In doing so he has occupied your thinking and diverted your mind from DEVOTION TO LOVING GOD AND THE GOSPEL ADVANCEMENT IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

TAKE A 3 BY 5 CARD. WRITE OUT THE VERSE- Matthew 22:37; . The verse speaks the purpose of your MIND is to Love God. Ephesian 6:10 speaks about the Armor God has given you for the battle for your mind which includes the shield of faith to extinguish the fiery darts and the “sword of the spirit.” The word, “sword” as used here is not of a long sword but a short dagger. It speaks of the weapon and the closeness of the CONFLICT FOR YOUR THOUGHT LIFE!. The evil one uses THOUGHTS to seek to inject ANXIETIES, FEARS, DISCOURAGEMENT, CONDEMNATION, DOUBTS… all to get you to quit { See Nehemiah 6:9}.

You are NOT under the authority of  satan, YOU DO NOT have to do the 12 foot shuffle because your cage has been BROKEN!

“But now that YOU HAVE BEEN set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” – Romans 6:23

YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY FREE TO LOVE GOD…TO LOVE OTHERS. The conflict, the battle for the mind at times rages worse than others. We must learn to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. “WHATEVER IS TRUE…LET YOUR MIND DWELL on TRUTH ” – Phil 4:8- v 9 -“PRACTICE….” the TRUTH.” – “Let the Word of Christ dwell on you RICHLY.”

“THE BLESSED MAN…WHOSE DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD AND IN IT HE MEDITATES DAY AND NIGHT!“- Psalm 1:1-2

USE THE WEAPONS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU- HIS SPIRIT, HIS WORD! YOU ARE FREE- NOT FROM CONFLICT,  BUT TO THOUGH THE CONFLICT CONTINUE TO LOVE GOD, ADVANCE THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES YOU FIND YOURSELF IN!

FREE  FROM ENSLAVEMENT to sin as your master, the evil one …you are no longer under his jurisdiction- YOU ARE FREE IN CHRIST…. NEW POSITION BEFORE GOD- “having been declared right you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus. You STAND IN GRACE- In Full acceptance before God… based wholly on the Lord Jesus!

 

APPLICATION;

1. KNOW YOUR POSITION- YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY “FREE IN CHRIST.”
2. KNOW THE TRUTH- Get a 3 by 5 card write out Matthew 22:37, Ephesians 6:10. Romans 6:23 Put it in your bag, or pocket. When you have time read it. THINK one each word, phrase. PRAY for yourself. Pray THEM for others. Memorize one verse a week. NOTE the word”FREE,” in each verse. Note your position of freedom!
3. KNOW THE PURPOSE OF YOUR MIND
4. HIDE HIS PROMISES IN YOUR MIND
5. When the thoughts come to distract you, REMEMBER YOU DO NOT HAVE TO YIELD IMMEDIATELY REJECT IT BY REPLACING IT WITH A TRUTH OF HIS PROMISE … AND WALK ON LOVING GOD AMIDST THE CONFLICT SEEKING TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES YOU FIND YOURSELF IN!

 

FREEDOM!

“But now that YOU HAVE BEEN set FREE from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life…It was for freedom Christ set you FREE… whom the Sons sets FREE is free indeed!”-  This is terrific news! {Romans 6:23 ;Galatians 5:1, John 8:32 }.