It's All In Your Head

I simply believe that many Christians have yet to realize that the number one spiritual battleground that we each face is in our minds. That is why the Apostle Paul exhorts us to take every thought into captivity. Each thought is important. Why? Because our thoughts effect our behavior. That’s the whole gist of counseling. When someone’s behavior is off, we often have to go back and see what their thoughts are. Wrong thinking leads to wrong living. And Satan loves to attack our minds. He does so through 3 avenues and he is good at using each one of them.

1. Temptations! If you follow the pattern in Scripture you will see that most sin begins with a thought.

2. Deceptions! Satan is a lair and the father of all lies. He can’t tell the truth. As a result, he loves to fill our minds with lies. Lies like, “How could a loving God do that?” “That’s not what God meant!” If we buy into them, we behave incorrectly.

3. Accusations! Satan is the great accuser. He often fills our minds with accusatory thoughts like, “You’re no good!” “How would God love you?”

And when are we most susceptible to these kinds of wrong thoughts? I believe it is when we are weakest. When we are physically worn down; when we are mentally exhausted; when we are spiritually low; when we have gone through difficult circumstances. In First Peter 5:8, the Devil is likened to a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Have you ever watched one of those National Geographic shows showing the lion or tiger preying on and attacking the gazelle? Let me ask you something. When the lion is stalking the herd of gazelles, which gazelle does he go after? The one out in front? The strongest and fastest one? No. He waits to see which one lags behind from the herd because it is weak or sick. That’s the one it pounces on and has for dinner. To the lion, that is easy prey. So it is with you and me. When we are weak, we become far more vulnerable. Satan’s attacks are far more effective. We believe his thoughts and our behavior often shows it.

So what it is a believer to do, especially when they are in times when they are weak? I believe the answer is to take large doses of the Word of God into your mind. That is how we as Christians renew our mind. David said that he hid God’s Word in his heart so that he would not sin against God. We don’t out power Satan. We out truth him!

When Jesus was on earth and Satan tempted Him three times in the wilderness. How did He respond? Each time He quoted Scripture. Why? Did Jesus have to quote Scripture to resist Satan? I don’t think so. After all, He was God. He could have turned Satan into a toad if He wanted to. So why did He respond that way? I think it was as an example to us! He wanted to show us that the best way to defend ourselves against Satan is with the Word of God. The more Word I take into my mind, the more I can easily identify the temptations, lies and accusations that come from the Evil One. It’s in your head!