THE BATTLE IN THE MIND
• Write the Key Verses from memory. •
Identify the main battleground of spiritual warfare. • Explain what is meant by
the "fiery darts" of Satan. • Recognize mental strategies used by
Satan to attack the mind. • Use spiritual counter strategies to quench these
"fiery darts" of Satan.
KEY VERSES FROM THE ARTICLES OF WAR:
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 exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (II Corinthians 10:3-5)
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans
8:6-7)
Satan wants to make your mind carnal (sinful,
worldly, fleshly). God wants you to be spiritually minded.
WHY SATAN ATTACKS THE MIND
The greatest commandment includes loving God
with all your mind. This is one of the main reasons why Satan battles for your
mind:
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy MIND; This
is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)
Satan battles for your mind because it is
closely tied spiritually to your heart and mouth:
But those things which proceed out of the
mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
For out of the heart proceed evil
thoughts...(Matthew 15:18-19)
Satan battles for the mind because the way
you think affects the way you act:
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is
he...(Proverbs 23:7)
Satan knows if he can control your mind, he
can control your body, your actions, and, if left unchallenged, your spirit.
FIERY DARTS FROM THE ENEMY
In Old Testament times, fiery darts were used
as weapons of warfare. They were hollow reeds filled with material which would
burn easily. They were set on fire and then shot from bows. They were excellent
weapons against the walled cities of the time because they could be shot over
the walls to ignite the thatched roofs of the houses within.
In Ephesians 6:11-17 Paul discusses the
spiritual battle with Satan. He speaks of "the fiery darts of the
wicked." The enemy continuously hurls "fiery darts" at you in
the spirit world. Most of
these "darts" are aimed at the
mind.
The Apostle Paul warns that you should not be
"soon shaken in mind" (II Thessalonians 2:2). In the Greek
translation, "shake" means to "agitate, disturb, topple, (by
implied) to destroy." If you can take hold of something and shake it, you
have control over it. Satan wants to "shake" or exert control over
your mind.
SATAN'S STRATEGY: BATTLES IN THE MIND
The mind is one of the most complex and least
understood parts of the human body. Because it is so complex, Satan has many
subtle methods of attacking the mind. Though it would be impossible to list
them all, the following list summarizes the main strategies of attack Satan
uses in the battle for the mind:
QUESTIONING THE AUTHORITY OF GOD:
The first temptation of man started in the
mind. It started with this strategy: Questioning the authority of God. Satan
said to Eve, "Yea, hath God said?..." Did God really say that you
could not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Questioning God and
His Word leads to doubt, unbelief, and skepticism.
DECEPTION AND SEDUCTION: Deception was also
part of the enemy's strategy. When Satan confronted Eve, he was disguised as a
beautiful serpent. Satan uses lies, cults, and "religious spirits" to
deceive millions in our world today. Some of the deceptions Satan advances
include the following appeals:
• "You can become a god." •
"You can know the future." • "You future, including eternity, is
predestined. There is nothing you can do about it." • "Everyone is a
child of God." • "There are more ways to Heaven than by Jesus."
• "God is too good to send anyone to Hell." • "All God expects
you to do is live a good life and do the best you can." • "The Bible
should not be taken literally." • "The Bible contains many
errors."
Seducing spirits of Satan attack the mind to
distort the truth of God's Word:
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in
the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits and doctrines of devils. (I Timothy 4:1)
Satan used this attack on Jesus in Luke
4:9-12. He tried to get Jesus to throw himself off a high point of the temple
since God had promised to...
...give His angels charge over thee, to keep
thee, And in their hands they shall bear thee up...(Luke 4:10-11)
THE FLESH:
You previously studied about the flesh as a
spiritual force of evil. Satan uses the flesh to war against the mind:
But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
which is in my members. (Romans 7:23)
Satan uses your own mouth, your eyes, ears,
and even your senses of touch and smell to foster wicked thoughts in your mind.
BLINDING MINDS OF UNBELIEVERS:
Satan works in the minds of unbelievers to
blind them to the truth of the Gospel:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (II Corinthians 4:4)
DEPRESSION:
To be depressed is to be downcast, sad,
discouraged, or in low spirit. It includes feelings of despair, despondency,
and dejection. Depression can lead to suicidal thoughts or actual suicide
because of the hopeless feelings which produces uncontrollable mental grief,
sorrow, heartache, and crying.
Sometimes Satan uses circumstances of life to
lead to depression. For examples, a great loss or fear of loss, suppressed
anger, a low self concept, unfulfilled expectations, and a negative attitude
can all be used to cause depression. In Proverbs 24:10 we are warned about
"fainting in the day of adversity" (troubled or distressed
circumstances).
Sometimes depression is caused by the negative
attitudes of those around us through which Satan works. In Deuteronomy 1:28
God's people admitted, "our brethren have discouraged our hearts."
We read in Numbers 21:4 that the soul of
God's people was much discouraged. King David
often reflected discouragement in his Psalms
(see Psalms 69 for an example). The Apostle Paul also had times of deep
depression:
For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant
of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure,
above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life... (II Corinthians 1:8)
If you do not conquer depression it can also
lead to oppression by Satanic spirits. This is a deeper form of depression
where Satan gains more restrictive power over the mind.
DISCOURAGEMENT:
Discouragement means to be "without
courage." Satan wants to discourage you because if you are "without
courage," you are ineffective in warfare.
WITHDRAWAL:
Another way Satan attacks the mind is through
withdrawal. The purpose of this strategy is to isolate you from the rest of the
Body of Christ. Since believers function together in ministry as a body,
withdrawal makes you non-functional. Examples of men of God who were attacked
mentally by Satan and withdrew are Elijah (I Kings 19) and Jonah (Jonah
4:5-11).
IMPROPER MOTIVES:
A motive is your reason for doing something.
Motives are important because although man looks on the outward appearance
(actions), God looks on the heart:
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on
his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him;
for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looketh on the heart. (I Samuel 16:7)
But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them,
because He knew all men.
And needed not that any should testify of
man; for He knew what was in man. (John 2:24-25)
Many people enter Christian ministry for the
wrong reasons. God is more concerned with motive than ministry. This is where
you should place your concern also, for when motives are proper then ministry
will naturally follow. Your motives for ministry must be right:
Feed the flock of God which is among you,
taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy
lucre, but of a ready mind;
Neither as being lords over God's heritage,
but being ensamples to the
flock. (I Peter 5:2-3)
You must enter the ministry willingly, not
because of the advantages and benefits of the office, not as a dictator but as
an example. Satan will try to create wrong motives for Christian service by
putting them subtly in your mind. Satan causes wrong motives for desiring God's
power. You can find an example of this in Acts 8:18-23 in the story of a man
named Simon.
You can have vindictive motives for your
actions. (Vindictive means that you want to get even with someone who has done
you wrong or who you do not like). Biblical examples include the disciples
wanting to call down fire from heaven (Luke 9:54) and Jonah wanting Ninevah
destroyed (Jonah 4).
David also had a wrong motive in the numbering
of the people:
Satan (an adversary) stood up against Israel,
and stirred up David to number Israel. (I Chronicles 21:1 The Amplified
Version)
WRONG ATTITUDES AND EMOTIONS:
Satan causes wrong attitudes towards others.
He inserts fiery darts of envy, jealousy, suspicion, unforgiveness, distrust,
anger, hatred, intolerance, prejudice, competition, impatience, judging,
criticism, covetousness, and selfishness.
He also tries to cause wrong attitudes of
greed, discontent, pride, vanity, ego, importance, arrogance, intellectualism,
and self-righteousness. Wrong attitudes lead to wrong emotions and both stem
from your thoughts.
These attitudes and emotions render you
ineffective in spiritual warfare. For example, James 4:6 indicates that
"God resisteth the proud." When you are filled with pride, you are
actually arrayed in battle against God.
REBELLION:
Satan also inserts rebellious thoughts into
your mind. Rebellion is willful disobedience against God's authority. Rebellion
includes self-will, stubbornness, and disobedience. Remember that rebellion was
the original sin of Satan. His five statements of "I will"
demonstrated his rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-14). The "I will" spirit is
a way to recognize the operation of Satan through rebellion.
ACCUSATION AND CONDEMNATION:
Satan is called "the accuser of the
brethren" (Revelation 12:10). He sends fiery darts of accusation into your
mind, makes you feel inferior, and condemns you. He will give you guilty
feelings of shame, unworthiness, and embarrassment.
One good way to tell the difference between
the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the condemnation of Satan is to remember
that Satan always generalizes. For example, he speaks into your mind like
these: "You are no good," "You can never live a Christian
life," "God couldn't love you because you are too great of a
sinner."
When the Holy Spirit is convicting you, it is
specific. For example, He brings to you attention that you have a problem with
anger or dishonesty, etc.
SEXUAL IMPURITY:
Satan will insert thoughts of sexual
impurity, lust, and mental sexual fantasies. Jesus said:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on
a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his
heart. (Matthew 5:28)
CONFUSION:
Satan also causes indecision, confusion, and
frustration in your mind. When you are confused, indecisive, and frustrated,
you obviously cannot be a good Christian soldier.
TORMENTING THOUGHTS:
There is a whole category of tormenting
thoughts Satan sends into your mind including worry, anxiety, dread,
apprehension, and nervousness. Mental torment can also come through an
overactive mind that will not "shut off" or an under active mind that
cannot function properly. Tormenting thoughts also include fear. Paul speaks of
the "spirit of fear" in II Timothy 1:7 and the "fear of
death" in Hebrews 2:15. Tormenting thoughts also include bitter memories
of events that should be forgiven and forgotten.
COMPROMISE:
To "compromise" is to settle
conflicting principles by adjustment. The principles of God and Satan are in
opposition. Satan tries to get you to compromise and lower your spiritual
principles. For example, he will tell you it is not necessary to be so holy, to
believe the Bible literally, etc.
WRONG MENTAL FOCUS:
Satan will constantly try to get your focus
on things of the world rather than things of eternal nature:
Do not love or cherish the world or the
things that are in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father
is not in him. (I John 2:15 The Amplified Version)
The cares of the world can actually cause the
Word of God to be ineffective in your life. (See the
parable of the sower in Matthew 13, Mark 4,
and Luke 8). Cares of the world can make you unaware of the short time before
the return of Jesus:
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time
your hearts be overcharged with...cares of this life, and so that day come upon
you unawares. (Luke 21:34)
Satan will occupy your thoughts with
materialism rather than with eternal values. Read the parable of the rich fool
in Luke 12:16-21:
For the love of money is the root of all
evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (I Timothy 6:10)
Paul warns there are many who "mind
worldly things" (Philippians 3:18-19).
MENTAL CONDITIONS:
If you allow Satan to persist with thoughts
of depression, suicide, torment, accusation, etc., it can lead to mental
illness. This could include a nervous or mental breakdown and various medically
recognized mental conditions. Satan can actually possess the mind of
unbelievers and backsliders; those who have once known God, then turned away
from Him. (You will learn more about this Chapter Twenty-One.)
SPIRITUAL COUNTER STRATEGIES: VICTORY IN THE
MIND
What an arsenal of weapons Satan has targeted
for the mind! Left unconquered, these thoughts lead to sinful actions. For
example, hatred can lead to murder. Adulterous thoughts can lead to the act of
adultery. Divorce starts in the mind. Covetousness can lead to stealing.
There is no doubt...the greatest arena of
spiritual warfare is the mind. But do not fear! God has given some tremendous
counter strategies for overcoming attacks of Satan on the mind:
LET THE HOLY SPIRIT SEARCH YOUR MIND:
First, ask God to search your mind and reveal
to you any wrong attitudes, motives, and thinking which has been inserted by
the enemy:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me,
and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in
the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24)
As the Holy Spirit reveals things to you, act
upon the revelation. Ask forgiveness for wrongthought patterns and use the Word
of God to develop new thought patterns.
USE YOUR SPIRITUAL ARMOR:
Two pieces of spiritual armor defend you from
attacks in the mind. These are listed in Ephesians 6:16-17. One piece of armor
is the helmet of the hope of salvation. A helmet is worn on the head and
implies protection to the mind.
Paul is not only speaking of your present
salvation in Jesus Christ which can cleanse your mind, he is speaking of the
future salvation:
...for now is our salvation nearer than when
we believed. (Romans 13:11)
Salvation is also your hope for the future.
The believer who has the "helmet of salvation" in place understands
God is working out His eternal purpose of salvation. He is not disturbed by the
attacks of the enemy. He has hope not only for the present, but for the future.
The other piece of armor for mental
protection is the shield of faith. As you learned when you studied about your
weapons, a shield was a piece of heavy material which a soldier held in front
of himself to keep arrows from hitting him. The arrows bounced off the shield
and fell harmlessly to the ground.
The shield for the Christian soldier is
called the "shield of faith." The word "faith" not only
refers to the basic truths of the Christian Gospel but to your confidence in
God. Another piece of spiritual armor is the girdle of truth (Ephesians 6:14).
The truth of God's Word will defeat any false accusations the enemy brings to
your mind.
USE GOD'S WORD:
In the temptation of Jesus when Satan misused
God's Word, Jesus met the attack with the Word of God. When Satan comes with
accusations of guilt, use this Scripture:
There is therefore now no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. (Romans 8:1)
When Satan comes with tormenting feelings
such as fear, use these Scriptures:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love. (I John 4:18)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7)
When Satan tries to discourage you, use this
verse:
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a
good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is
with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)
When Satan brings false guilt to your mind,
remember...
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I
John 1:9)
...and use all the other verses about the
mind given in this lesson to war against the attacks of Satan in your mind.
CLAIM A SOUND MIND:
Claim a sound mind as God's will for you. To
eliminate tormenting thoughts, claim the peace that is rightfully yours:
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. LET NOT your heart be troubled,
NEITHER LET IT be afraid. (John 14:27)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and MINDS through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
These are examples of how you can develop a
whole "arsenal" of Scriptures applicable to the various mental
attacks of Satan. As you study God's Word, continue to identify specific verses
to defend your mind against the invasion of the enemy.
LET CHRIST'S MIND BE IN YOU:
Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
The word "let" means to permit or
embrace. You are to let your mind become like the mind of Jesus. What was the
mind of Jesus like? A project for study of this question is provided in the
"Tactical Maneuvers" section of this chapter. It is possible to
achieve this, because Paul wrote...
...But we have the mind of Christ. (II
Corinthians 2:16)
GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND:
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind...
(I Peter 1:13)
In the natural body, the loins are the
central portion of the body below the waist. The loins are the strongest parts
of the body. Peter is saying you should prepare your mind to be strong. Again,
it is something YOU do.
TAKE WRONG THOUGHTS CAPTIVE:
We are told to bring "into captivity
every thought to the obedience to Christ" (II Corinthians 10:5). If thoughts
were not enemies, then there would be no need to take them captive. Think about
how a soldier takes an enemy captive in the natural world. Apply these ideas
spiritually as you "take captive" every thought.
CAST DOWN WRONG THOUGHTS:
One of the main defensive counter strategies
to protect the mind is that of casting down. To cast something means to hurl it
with great force. Paul said:
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 exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (II Corinthians 10:3-5)
You are to cast down evil imaginations Satan
puts into your mind. You are to cast down thoughts that exalt themselves
against God. You are to bring every thought into captivity and obedience to the
Lord.
You "cast down" by consciously
taking control of your mind and refusing to dwell on the thoughts Satan
inserts. Note that YOU are told to cast down...It is not something God does for
you.
THINK ON THESE THINGS:
One way to "gird" up the loins of
your mind is to think on proper subject matter. Paul said:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there by any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
(Philippians 4:8)
RENEW YOUR MIND:
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
(Ephesians 4:23)
And be not conformed to this world; but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind... (Romans 12:2)
You renew your mind by prayer and meditation
on God's Word.
ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD:
David encouraged himself in the Lord:
And David was greatly distressed; ...but
David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. (I Samuel 30:6)
Again, YOU must take action. You must
encourage yourself in God. Do not wait for others to do it. Do it yourself with
God's help!
RECOGNIZE THE SOURCE OF CONFUSION:
Recognize that confusion is not of God:
For God is not the author of confusion, but
of peace...(I Corinthians 14:33)
Since confusion is not of God, refuse to
accept the spirit of confusion in your mind.
CONTROL THE GATES:
In Old Testament times cities were surrounded
by walls for defense against enemy forces. The walls had gates where guards
controlled the entrance. Whoever controlled the gates of the city controlled
the city.
A similar situation exists in terms of
controlling the mind. The "gates" to your innermost being are the
five senses. It is important that you do not allow anything to enter that has
the ability to destroy from within. This means you must control your fleshly
nature.
Avoid things that would open the gates to
your mind. These include things like drugs and alcohol which reduce your
ability to think and respond. Pornography inspires sinful relationships and sex
crimes. Certain kinds of music, witchcraft, cultist activity, and mind control
all open the "gates" to your mind.
Put off all the works of the flesh and let
God develop in you the fruit of the Holy Spirit (See Galatians 5:19-26). NEVER
GIVE IN to the mental attacks of the enemy. If you give in, God may give you
up. See Romans l...God sometimes gives people up to what they have given in to.
Ask Jesus to help you. Remember that one of the Old Testament prophecies
concerning Jesus said He would "control the gates of His enemy." Let
Him exert this control over your spiritual "gates."
KEEP YOUR MIND STAYED ON GOD:
Keep your mind "stayed" or centered
on God:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
This is a great promise! If you keep your
mind centered on God, you can have peace despite every attack of the enemy.
1. In the battle for the mind, Satan tries
attempts to cause: • A carnal mind: Romans 8:6-7 • A mind alienated from God by
wicked works: Colossians 1:21 • A defiled mind: Titus 1:15 • A fleshly mind:
Ephesians 2:3 • A hardened mind: Daniel 5:20 • A doubtful mind: Luke 12:29 • A
vain mind: Ephesians 4:17 • A blinded mind: II Corinthians 3:14 • A seared mind
and conscience: Titus 1:15 • A despiteful mind: Ezekiel 36:5 • An evil mind:
Acts 14:2 • An unbelieving mind: II Corinthians 4:4 • A fainting mind: Hebrews
12:3 • A reprobate mind: II Timothy 3:8 • Double mindedness: James 1:8; 4:8 • A
corrupt mind: I Timothy 6:5; II Timothy 3:8; II Corinthians 11:3
2. Positive mental qualities you should
develop: • A ready mind: II Corinthians 8:19; I Peter 5:2; Acts 17:11 • A pure
mind: II Peter 3:1 • A stayed mind: Isaiah 26:3 • A renewed mind: Ephesians
4:23; Romans 12:2 • A humble mind: Colossians 3:12; Acts 20:19 • A sober mind:
Titus 2:6 • A sound mind: II Timothy 1:7 • A mind of love: Matthew 22:37 • A
serving mind: Romans 7:25 • A fully persuaded mind: Romans 14:5 • A fervent
mind: II Corinthians 7:7 • A willing mind: II Corinthians 8:12
3. Because of continued sin, men can be
turned over to a reprobate mind. See Romans 1:28- 32. A reprobate mind is the
most evil kind of mind you can imagine.
4. As you learned in this chapter, one of the
strategies for victory in the mind is to let the same mind that was in Jesus be
in you. Study the New Testament further to discover just what the mind of Jesus
was like. What mental attitudes were reflected in His actions? How did His
ministry reflect His thought life? How did His words reflect His thoughts?
5. Jesus knows even the thoughts of your mind:
See Luke 5:22; 6:8; 11:17.
6. Compare II Samuel 13:28 with Joshua 1:9.
Note that the passage in Samuel is similar to that in Joshua where God is
speaking. But the Samuel passage is misapplied. Absalom spoke these words to
the assassins of his brother, Amnon. The Devil echoes some of the greatest
Biblical words as he misuses and misapplies Scripture. Satan is never more
dangerous than when he is quoting the Bible. This is a chief strategy he uses
in attacking the mind.
THE BATTLE IN THE MIND
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