Opening Illustration: The greatest battle ever fought and still continues, is the battle for our minds.
Introduction: All of us fight battles — for some, it is the battle of the bulge; while for others, it is the battle of the wills in child rearing — and then, for some, the battle of the pocketbook. They seem to be with us always. But, did you know there is a battle much more deadly? It is the battle for the mind — a deadly war between God and Satan on the battleground of your mind. And this could be your call to arms.
What does the battle of our mind engage?
1. The WARFARE of Our Foe (vs. 4, 5)
Your enemy is not clothed in flesh (see Ephesians 6:12). The devil has ensconced himself in high places to war against you. And there is a deadly, invisible array of demonic hosts dedicated to the destruction of your thought life.
Satan's desire is to conquer and control your thought life, and then make it a citadel from which he can war against God. But, when God saved you, He gave you the mind of Christ.
Paul talked about this when he wrote: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). The word "simplicity" actually means purity. The devil wants to get your mind because he knows that if he can get your mind, he can pull you away from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Illustration: Our foe has a far-reaching experience (more than 6,000 years) than anyone on earth. He has won the battle with every human so if you think you are smarter than him, have mind strength and can do it on your own, then you are just overconfident and are bound to fall and fail. This battle is a Spiritual battle and so is our foe. You need to be on Christ’s side in order to win it. Whose side are you really on? You might say, “Obviously, I am on Christ side.” Really? Do you want Christ on your side, or you want to be on Christ’s side? That is the real question! In order to be on Christ side, you must love Him and to love Him means you must obey Him. Do you really love Jesus? If so, the test is you must be obedient to His commands. Are you? To get your foe, that is the route.
2. The WEAKNESS of Our Flesh (v. 3)
We live in the flesh. We might as well admit it. All of us have problems, sicknesses, perplexities, sleeplessness, anxiety, fearfulness and we suffer through the mundane things of life. Yet, we do not war against flesh and blood.
Our battle is against the devil himself and none of us can outwit or out war the devil. He mocks at our schemes. He ridicules our organization. The world thinks that education or legislation will win our battles. Or if we had a perfect environment in which to live, all our problems would be over.
We need to all remember that Adam and Eve got in trouble in the most perfect place on earth — the Garden of Eden. You're not going to have a better environment than that! How did it happen? They were deceived. The devil messed with their mind.
Illustration: No excuses about your environment or situation! Your choices are governed by where your mind is. And whatever gets your focus gets you.
3. The WEAPONS of Our Fight (vs. 5-8)
How are we going to pull down strongholds, imaginations, and high things like arrogance, ignorance, despair, bitterness, pride, and anger? Certainly not with carnal weapons!
(i) Instead, he tells us we are going to win because of the SOVEREINGNTY of our Commander. Christ is our Commander and Chief. Friend, the devil has been trying to do all he can to win this war, but when Jesus Christ died at Calvary, he dropped a nuclear bomb on the devil. Jesus said, "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John 12:31).
(ii) Secondly, we are going to win because we have the AUTHORITY of our commission. 2 Corinthians 3:8 tells us that God has given us authority. What is authority? It is the legal right to act on behalf of another. Jesus, Who’s won the war, has given us the power of attorney (see Luke 10:19-20).
(iii) Lastly, there is the certainty of our COURAGE. Paul talks about himself being weak and his speech being contemptible. He says, "I belong to Jesus Christ. He's won the battle for me. He has given me authority, and because of that, I have courage to win this battle." (2 Corinthians 10:8-11)
Now, let me give you one final thought: Not only should you fight the battle and defeat the devil, but also you need to fill your mind with godly thoughts. Philippians 4:8-9 says, "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 be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Illustration: v. 5 Do we keep silent when we are supposed to speak up? OR Do we speak up when we are supposed to be silent? However, this is a default trend in the church today. We are to put down any argument or knowledge that tries to be smarter than our Creator. Do we really do that? OR Are we afraid to speak up and act diplomatic? Think about this … why is the church still suffering when Christ already won the battle on the cross? Why is the church losing the battle in the physical and spiritual realm (every sphere)? What are the weapons that we employ for warfare? Is our battle carnal or spiritual?
Application: Center your Mind upon Jesus
And don't let the devil take away your pure-hearted devotion to God. If we stay in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, there won't be any room for those filthy, dirty, wicked, lascivious, lustful, prideful thoughts that bombard us all. You see, God made us so that we can't think two thoughts at one time. If we're thinking what's right, we can't possibly be thinking what's wrong.
Resisting your thoughts will eventually make you to yield them. Meditating on godly things takes place, when you switch the channel in your mind. One must be proactive in making it happen. Replace your present thoughts with godly ones.
