FREEDOM THE BATTLE FOR THE MIND
FOR THE past few weeks, we have been learning how the enemy of humanity, Satan, traps us into self-destructive habits and behaviours, using his evil network. I hope that throughout the past weeks many of you have been finding freedom, having learnt how to be delivered from the traps of Satan and his demons. If we apply what we have been learning, God can use it to set us free. Freedom is available to everyone but not everyone is experiencing freedom. Some persons have been set free and are living lives of victory. Some are still feeling stuck and asking, “Why can’t I get free?” Your process of freedom starts in your mind first. The scripture says: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 NIV. Satan works doubly hard to control our minds. If he can control the way we think, he rules our lives. But once you start to accept and believe the truth, it breaks the hold darkness has on your life, enabling you to begin to walk in victory. To be set free, start believing the truth of God’s words.
There is a difference between the truth that sets us free and what is true. In the Bible, what was true about Abraham and Sarah is that they were too old to have a child. But God’s truth was that Sarah, whose womb was dead, would have a son, and she did. Acts helps us to understand this when it says, “He (Abraham) was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” Acts 4:21 NLT. When Abraham believed, he received the promise of God.
How you think is key to your freedom. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he ...” Proverbs 23:7 KJV. We’ve all heard or used this popular maxim and it is true. Whether you know it or not there is a battle being waged to control your mind. Whoever controls your mind controls you.
Satan wants to control your mind, but before he can defeat you, he has to disarm you. Adam and Eve had authority over him, but he disarmed them by tempting them to believe a lie about God and His Word. Once we start to believe and live by a lie, we are defeated. But Jesus died on a cross to reinstate our authority. You know the truth and the truth will set us free. John 8:32 NIV.
The truth is, Satan affects our minds in two ways: I. PROJECTED THOUGHTS Makes us believe thoughts are ours when they are not. These thoughts entice us to live in a way that opposes God’s truth: a. Live independent of God – ‘this God thing is not for you’, ‘it’s too hard’, ‘it doesn’t make sense.’ b. Disobey God – “take that thing, nobody else will know”. c. Disbelieve what God says about me – God say, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.” Satan says, “You are nothing and will never be anything; you are worthless, of no value.” II. DIABOLICAL STRONGHOLDS
Growing up we all learned to cope with life in a variety of ways; some of our coping mechanism were not always healthy emotionally or spiritually. Psychologists refer to these unhealthy patterns of thinking as defence mechanisms, and none of them are consistent with the thinking God wants us to have as Christians. Defence mechanisms come in all shapes and sizes ... for example: a. DISHONESTY – telling a lie to hide the truth about oneself. b. DENIAL – a conscious or subconscious refusal to accept the world the way it really is. c. EMOTIONAL INSULATION – withdrawing from others to avoid rejection. d. PROJECTION – blaming other people for your problems. e. RATIONALISATION – making excuses for what you say or do.
These defence mechanisms are the strongholds the enemy will use to control our life.
The problem is that even when you become a Christian, you can still live a life of mental bondage. The good news is that Jesus has already triumphed over Satan. He came to set our minds free. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Galatians 5:1 NIV. That is why the Apostle Paul penned these words: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments 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 10:3-5 NIV.
So why do we still battle with the same thoughts and feelings that we had before we became Christians? Verse three in the NLT reads, “We are humans, but we don’t wage war as humans do” 2 Corinthians 10:3 NLT. Some of us are carrying the wrong tools to the battle. The battle for our mind cannot be won using the same thinking we had before we accepted Christ. We can free our minds from thoughts of suicide, condemnation, not being good enough, nobody cares or being a failure. We just need to learn how to fight for our minds.
Next week we will provide some great tools to win the war for our minds.