Spiritual Warfare's 3 BattlesSample

DAY TWO

BATTLE #2 “The Mind”

One of our biggest battles is the battle for the mind. Our minds can play tricks on us, and the devil can turn our minds into a playground if they are not submitted to the lordship of the Holy Spirit and God's Word. A moment of vulnerability can cause our minds to wander to places we didn't anticipate. Here’s the sequence: It starts with the eyes, moves to the mind, then to the heart, and finally leads to action. The enemy knows the power of the mind. It doesn’t matter who we are; if he can grasp and hold our minds, he will lead us into very dangerous territory.

Matthew 4:1-11 tells the story of Satan trying to tempt Jesus in the wilderness while Jesus was on a 40-day fast. Satan’s goal was to make Jesus fail through a series of temptations. There were three specific temptations posed by Satan. First, he said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Second, he tempted, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down...” Third, he offered, “All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.” Satan’s goal was to attack Jesus’ person, His position, and His purpose.

In the same way, the devil still uses these mental temptations on us! He wants us to forget who we are in Christ, to negate our position in Christ, and to rebel against our purpose in Christ. He does this through the battle of the mind! If he can get us to take our thoughts off the Lord and focus on other things, he wins. Colossians 3:1-2 reminds us, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

The greatest way to overcome the battle of the mind is by keeping our minds submitted to the promises of God’s Word, focusing on worship, and rejecting anything the enemy brings that is contrary to what God has said. Defeat the temptations of the mind the way Jesus did in the wilderness—by speaking and proclaiming the Scriptures! Today, make it your goal to have your mind daily renewed through God’s Word!

WARFARE PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Father God, Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I commit to hiding Your Word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. Keep my mind submitted to Your Word and to Your Holy Spirit. Forgive me for allowing my mind to drift off focus. Today, I choose to reject the enemy and say yes to You! Thank You, Holy Spirit, for empowering me to overcome mental temptations through the power of God’s promises. In Jesus' name, amen!