The Battle of the Mind

Most conflicts, if not all, begin with a single thought. (Wow, you might be saying, she sure is brilliant... or not. :) Well, let me continue.) Ofttimes the temptations we face and the internal battles we fight are brought on by a single train of thought. If this train is allowed to continue to roll around in our brains, it becomes longer and longer and may lead to a temptation in a certain area and then to sin. Where does the thought come from? Contrary to some beliefs, thoughts themselves are not sin, but it is what we do with those thoughts that can lead to sin.

Let me explain what I mean a little more. Satan knows his first battle ground in fighting for a soul is in the person's mind. Thus he sometimes plants thoughts in our brain, perhaps by whispering them in our ear or by having someone else bring the thought to our attention. (Hint: this is why it is sooo important to watch out for what we are putting in our minds with books, magazines, radio, other audio/visual media, and what we talk about with others! Sometimes it is better to be thought "dumb" about certain things, than to know things that are going to negatively affect your walk with Christ.)

Here is an example, maybe a little far fetched, but hopefully will get the point across: You are at the bank cashing the check your grandma sent for your birthday. Some thought enters your mind, "Rob the bank and you will be rich!" You think Where did that come from? but you continue to dwell on the thought as you wait in line. Maybe you don't do it this time, but as the days pass, you continue to allow your mind to go back to that train of though. Boy, I sure could use the money right now! My cell phone bill is due next week - all those texts sure do add up! So by the next time you go to the bank, you have decided to get rich quick! You rob the bank, the surveillance cameras record you, your picture is all over the news, you are arrested that evening for theft, and you spend the next twenty years paying for your crime! And all this would have been avoided, had you not dwelt on that first single thought!

So, really, you probably aren't going to be tempted to rob a bank, right? But Satan doesn't tempt us in things that have no appeal for us. He probably keeps a card file of everyone's personalities and is sure to tempt them in something that will have a chance of causing them to fall! So how do we fight this?? By starting where it all begins... thus, the battle of the mind!

Battle Strategy
I believe that every person fights this battle of the mind in one way or another. Here is a Scripture that God gave me this verse in 2 Corinthians 10, "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;" Personally, I visualize myself binding up the thought and casting it out of my mind. And the guideline for inappropriate thoughts is does it go against God's laws? and of course it is pure, lovely, true, etc.... (Philippians 4:8) Not only do you need to bind up the thought and cast it out, but when it comes back to mind, because Satan doesn't always give up after one try, to remember that you have cast out that thought and make a conscience decision to not dwell on it and PRAY, for only with Christ can you truly win. This battle of the mind is fought over many different issues such as modesty, purity, life choices, and just fill in the blank for the battle that you are fighting! God has promised His help when we ask and also that He would never give us more than we can bear - 1 Corinthians 10:13.


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