3 keys to winning the battlefield of the mind
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV
We all know what it’s like to face the battlefield of the mind. Whether it’s fear, anxiety, bitterness, guilt, shame, or other draining types of thoughts - we’re familiar with the battle that takes place in our minds. Especially in 2020 - we’ve got way too many reasons to be stressed out! But God has plenty of reasons for us to be full of peace and has keys for us to win the battlefield of the mind. We can live above the craziness going on in the world today!
I remember not too long after I got saved, I thought I had committed the unpardonable sin. I freaked out...and the enemy used it to make me think I was going to hell. Obviously, it was a lie - but I took it “hook, line, and sinker.”
The weird part was that even though I believed I was going to hell, I still reasoned that I’ll live for Christ since it was the right thing to do!
Condemnation weighed on me like crazy, but I still led worship anyway in this home church I was a part of.
At one meeting, before I could finish the first song in this home church gathering, the power of God came on me and completely set me free. I started weeping, I could literally feel the electric power of God all over me, and all the scriptures I had been meditating on came to life!
Kind of awkward when you’re the worship leader and whole service had to stop...but God set me free!
What’s the point? The enemy is going to try to put barriers in your way to get you to stop the fullness of your potential in Jesus, but by the grace of God, you have what it takes to overcome!
Here’s 3 keys to winning the battlefield of the mind:
1. Don’t overreact
Do you remember when you and your siblings were in the car with your family in the hot summer heat, there was no A/C and irritation was just in the air? Then your sibling pointed their finger an inch away from your face and said, “I’m not touching you! I’m not touching you!”
All they wanted was a reaction!
My friend Prophet Gary Zamora says, “Don’t give the devil what he always wanted in heaven: attention.”
Many times, the enemy wants to shoot over his “flaming arrows” your way because he wants your reaction and attention!
The Greek word for “resist” in the above passage is anthistemi. Sounds a lot like our word for antihistamine!
Antihistamines actually fight an overreaction of histamines in your body (overreactions look like allergic reactions of sneezing, coughing, swelling, etc).
Peter said to resist the devil. In other words, don’t overreact to his tauntings! Don’t give him the attention he is looking for.
Many of us can go into overreaction charismatic mode - binding and loosing, pouring oil everywhere, waving flags and blowing shofars. But what Peter essentially said was - “Don’t overreact. Stand firm in the faith - trust in what God says about you.”
2. Choose what thoughts you take in
I once heard Kris Vallotton say, “Not every thought you think comes from you.”
It was so freeing to hear that! I had so many crazy thoughts going through my mind that I thought something was wrong with me, but I didn’t realize that there were other sources sending thoughts my way.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 speaks of how we are to take every thought captive that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God. In other words, we’re gonna have thoughts that make war against the truth!
One day I was hanging out at my house and I heard the Lord say, “Take no thought.”
I knew it was from the King James Bible in Matthew 6 when Jesus was teaching on not worrying.
He was telling me to “take no thought” that gives me a sense of defeat, or that devalues what Jesus did on the cross, or that perpetuates fear and anxiety in my life, etc.
We have a choice to either receive or reject the thoughts that come through our minds.
Choose life! Choose truth!
Meditate on the scriptures and let God’s truth sink in.
3. Do it anyway!
Fear works to paralyze and immobilize us.
I’ve found one of the keys to defeating dark thoughts is to do what you need to do regardless of how you feel.
In that way, you’re not letting the thoughts and fear dictate your life.
When I was young adult pastor at our church, we used to go up to the University campus next to our church and minister. We had a sign that said “free encouragement” and we invited people to come and receive encouraging words (i.e.prophetic ministry).
We saw many get touched - prophetic words, words of knowledge, healing, and people prayed to receive Jesus. It was powerful!
But about 80% of the time, I wasn’t feeling it. Lol.
Whether it was thoughts that made me feel disqualified, unsettled, not good enough, or not anointed - I had to push past those thoughts (which initiated feelings) and do it anyway!
I’m so glad I didn’t let the contrary thoughts hinder me from what I needed to do. So many lives were touched for Jesus!
As soon as we would begin ministering, the River of the Spirit of God would flow and all the “debris” that was trying to stop me got pushed out of the way! Not only were people getting touched by God, but I was getting free as the River started flowing.
Don’t let dark thoughts immobilize you - live for Christ, love your family, do what you need to do - and watch the River of the Spirit push them out of the way!
Question: What you have you done to win the battlefield of the mind?
Let me know in the comments below!
P.S. These points are from Chapter 8 “Pushing Past Barriers” in my new book “Carriers of the Ark”. Get your copy here! (affiliate links)
I also shared on this topic on my last Facebook live. Catch the re-watch here.
We’re also going live on Facebook every Tuesday this month at 2pm PST. Join us there for fresh revelation, flowing with the Spirit, and free giveaways!