“We demolish every argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
If you ask me, I’d say that there never was a time when my mind was completely free of impure thoughts. Rather, it’s a constant battle every moment of every day and at times I see myself on the losing end of it.
We are continually bombarded with images, videos, music, happenings, which can bring us to harmful states of mind and we find no simple way to escape them. It’s a fact of life that we must accept and bear.
Sadly, this reality is a precursor for more serious mental conditions like addiction, anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies, and the like. In my life, the fingers in my hands won’t be enough to tick off family members and friends who are afflicted by these or have the leanings towards, myself included.
More and more people are depending on therapy, counseling, medication, to bring them out of the mental rut they find themselves in, unexpectedly and sometimes unknowingly.
These are all good things if they help us and if they can be sustained, but sometimes you want to ask yourself, “Is there an end to this?” Is there a chance to become victors in this raging battle inside our heads?
The good news is, there is a way and it’s no secret at all, only one that we have to seek with our hearts to discover.
Be aware
The greatest lie ever told to mankind is that we are okay just as we are. Who wouldn’t want to believe such a statement when it makes you feel good about yourself? The thing is, we live in a fallen world and we are flawed and imperfect human beings. No one is exempt.
Deep in our psyche is the propensity for wickedness and every act of evil. Have you ever wondered why it’s so much easier to choose the broader path that leads to perdition and where everyone else is going, rather than the narrow and high road?
I know it’s a bitter pill to swallow, a difficult truth to simply accept. But the God who created us says so. We have all sinned and fall short of His glory and no soul is an exception1.
The first step to gaining triumph in our mental battles every day is to be made aware of this reality. As long as you are deceived into thinking that you are sinless, free from temptation and the desire to give in to it, then you remain lost and will continue to be.
Unless our eyes are opened to the truth that we are inherently sinful, and that we need the scales in our eyes to be removed, then we continue to live life blindly with no hope in sight.
Friends, when we admit that we are hopeless, left to our own devices, then we are positioned to get help and we are surely going to get it.
As Jesus said in His Word, He came not for those who are righteous, but for those who are sick and lost2. He came to heal and set free.
Be equipped
As soon as we are made aware of the battle that originates in our minds, we have initiated a huge step in the right direction. If we acknowledge that every day we have to prepare to fight, then we can get ourselves ready.
It’s all in the mind
We must first and foremost realize that the battle is inside our heads. Consequently, unless our minds are set free, we will never be totally free. Any method that will not deal with our state of mind is only bound to fail.
The battle is not ours
The reason for our failure to win over our mental struggles is that we think it is our own battle to face. As a result, we take it upon ourselves, relying on what we have and what we can do to fight.
If we are against a spiritual force, described in the Bible as our enemy, then our physical efforts to triumph over it are useless.
The real battle is not between you and the devil, but between him and our Almighty God. The sooner we accept this fact, the better our journey towards freedom becomes.
At times we find ourselves too burdened by the enormity of the battle that we feel defeated even before we begin the fight. But if we acknowledge that God is for us, then who can be against us?3
We begin fighting from victory instead of for it knowing that our ally is all-powerful and unbeatable.
The weapons are not of this world
Though there are ways offered by the world that can help supplement our war against mental strongholds, it’s the invisible weapons that will prove worthy and successful in the end. However, the power that we can wield using these tools will only work if we use them by faith.
I know that it’s difficult to believe in something that you cannot tangibly interact with, nor handle with your five senses, but that’s the way spiritual battles operate. Our thoughts run ahead of themselves and we lose control because we cannot see them nor hold them with our hands.
The same is true for these tools by which we can win the war, though weapons our eyes cannot see.
Be ready to fight
After being made aware and equipped by the realities of our spiritual battle, we are now ready to wage war against anything that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We are prepared to fight!
The key is to accept that while we are in this world, whether or not we believe it, the spiritual battle will continue in relentless pursuit of anyone susceptible and willing. As we now refuse to be blinded to this truth, we will take all the necessary steps to arm ourselves with the right tools.
In Ephesians 6, the full armour of God is described and laid out for every Christian to fully understand and employ. Like with any other battle in the physical world, we don’t take it off even in victories. In fact, it is when we have triumphed over a single battle when we are most vulnerable to another attack because our guards are down.
It is vital that we remember to put it on every day as we wake up and keep it on for as long as we are in this fallen world where spiritual warfare endlessly exists. We need to be always on guard and ready.
Be set free
It may be disappointing to know that we will spend this life here on earth battling spiritual forces that will not stop. If we think about it, it makes for a burdensome experience, wouldn’t you say? I mean, where is the freedom in that?
However, we shouldn’t forget what we have earlier learned – that the battle is the Lord’s and not ours. Yes, we experience the presence of persistent spiritual forces taking hold of our minds and at times we feel that it is too much to bear.
When you reach this point, it’s the perfect time to go back to the Word and draw closer to the One who will help us overcome seemingly insurmountable foes. After all, 1 John 4:4 in Scripture clearly says that “He who is in you, is greater than the one who is in the world.”
The battle has been won, folks! We know how the story ends. Jesus wins! It’s a mighty good way to gain motivation.
It also says in John 8:32, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” When our minds are filled with the Word of God, it is occupied and is not subject to the enemy’s attacks.
Truly, it is only His Word that completely sets us free.
Final words
I know that what we have talked about may seem heavy and quite difficult to digest. But so are mental strongholds that threaten to paralyze us and hinder us from experiencing the abundant life that is meant for us being God’s children.
Tough challenges in life need combative tools which are just as robust. Remember, Jesus promised in John 6:33b that, “In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Fit stewards, the road to a life as an overcomer of mental strongholds is hinged in the person of Jesus Christ. Victory comes when we surrender to Him, who has already won the battle for us.
Footnotes
1 Romans 3:23
2 Mark 2:17
3 Romans 8:31
The Fit Stewards 