The battle for the mind is a battle that God has intended us to win.

1. The warfare of our foe

Your enemy is not flesh and blood. See Ephesians 6:12. There is a deadly array of demonic hosts who are out to upset your thought life. The war is against Satan and the battleground is the mind. Satan wants your mind. There is a difference between the mind and the brain. The mind does the thinking and the brain is the thing which you use to do the thinking. The fact that you have the mind of Christ does not mean that the war is over for you. See 2 Corinthians 11:3. Your mind can be corrupted from single-minded devotion to Christ. God is jealous over his children. A loving father wants to bring his daughter to the marriage alter as a pure virgin. What we need today is a pure church. We live in a world that has gone wild with its thought life. See Genesis 6 – God destroyed the wicked because of their thought life.

Paul wants to protect the church. He wants them to have single-mindedness for Christ. Young people today are listening for many hours to rock music. What effect is that having on their minds? See Ephesians 4:17-18, 23. God communicates through the mind not extreme emotions. See Romans 12:2. God can transform your thought life.

2. The weakness of our flesh

In our own flesh we are weak. Our flesh does not have what it takes to have the right thought process. When will we realise that our battle is against the devil? It is not political parties or the mother-in-law. Laws will not control thought processes. No carnal methods will succeed. Adam and Eve had a perfect environment but they lost the battle in their minds. As a man thinks – so he is.

3. The weapons of our fight

Paul was up against the evil of the Roman Empire. Paul wins the fight. Not by carnal weapons. Paul came against strongholds (fortresses) in the mind. There were walls and towers in the mind. There are captives. Paul is bringing down the walls and towers and setting captives free. It is thoughts that Paul is fighting for and against. Jesus is the commander-in-chief of our army. (vs. 6) We have the authority of our commission (vs. 8). We have been given the power of attorney. Jesus has given us authority. There is the certainty of our courage. (vs. 8-13). Paul knows that Jesus has won the battle and has given him authority, so Paul has great courage. As you think so you will be. Think on what is good. Then you will not be able to think on what is evil.

Categories: 2 Corinthians