Battlefield of the Mind (3 page)

Remember Proverbs 23:7 and allow it to have an impact on your life: for as you think in your heart, so you.

Chapter 3

3
Don't Give Up!

Chapter

Don't Give Up!

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.

GALATIANS 6:9

No matter how bad the condition of your life and your mind, don't give up! Regain the territory the devil has stolen from you. If necessary, regain it one inch at a time, always leaning on God's grace and not on your own ability to get the desired results.

In Galatians 6:9 the Apostle Paul simply encourages us to keep on keeping on! Don't be a quitter! Don't have that old "give-up" spirit. God is looking for people who will go all the way through with Him.

GO THROUGH

When yon pass through the waters, I will be with you, and
through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk
through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame
kindle upon you. Isaiah 43:2

Whatever you may be facing or experiencing right now in your life, I am encouraging you to go through it and not give up!

Habakkuk 3:19 says that the way we develop hind's feet (a hind is an animal that can climb mountains swiftly) is . . to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!

The way God helps us make spiritual progress is by being with us to strengthen and encourage us to "keep on keeping on" in rough times.

It's easy to quit; it takes faith to go through.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have
 
set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore
choose life, that you and your descendants may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

There are thousands upon thousands of thoughts presented to us every day. The mind has to be renewed to follow after the Spirit and not the flesh. Our carnal (worldly, fleshly) minds have had so much practice operating freely that we surely don't have to use any effort to think wrong thoughts.

On the other hand, we have to purposely choose right thinking. After we have finally decided to be like-minded with God, then we will need to
choose
and to
continue to choose
right thoughts.

When we begin to feel that the battle of the mind is just too difficult and that we aren't going to make it, then we must be able to cast down that kind of thinking and choose to think that we are going to make it!

Not only must we choose to think that we are going to make it, but we must also decide not to quit. Bombarded with doubts and fears, we must take a stand and say: "I will never give up! God is on my side, He loves me, and He is helping me!"

You and I will have many choices to make throughout our lives. In Deuteronomy 30:19 the Lord told His people that He had set before them life and death and urged them to choose life. And in Proverbs 18:21 we are told, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it. .

Our thoughts become our words. Therefore, it is vitally important that we choose life-generating thoughts. When we do, right words will follow.

DON'T GIVE UP!

When the battle seems endless and you think you'll never make it, remember that you are reprogramming a very carnal, fleshly, worldly mind to think as God thinks.

Impossible?
No!

Difficult?
Yes!

But, just think, you have God on your team. I believe He is the best"computer programmer" around. (Your mind is like a computer that has had a lifetime of garbage programmed into it.) God is working even on you; at least, He is if you have invited Him to have control of your thoughts. He is reprogramming your mind. Just keep cooperating with Him—
and don't give up!

It will definitely take time, and it won't all be easy, but you are going in the right direction if you choose God's way of thinking. You will spend your time doing something, so it may as well be going forward and not staying in the same mess for the rest of your life.

TURN AND TAKE POSSESSION!

The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, You have dwelt long
enough on this mountain.

Turn and take up your journey and go to the hill country of the
Amorites....

Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession
of the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac,
and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them. Deuteronomy 1:6-8

In Deuteronomy 1:2, Moses pointed out to the Israelites that it was only an eleven-day journey to the border of Canaan (the Promised Land), yet it had taken them forty years to get there. Then in verse 6, he told them, "The Lord God says to us, 'You have dwelt long enough on this mountain.'"

Have you dwelt long enough on the same mountain? Have you spent forty years trying to make an eleven-day trip?

In my own life, I finally had to wake up and realize that I was going nowhere. I was
a Christian without victory.
Like Mary and John, I had many wrong mindsets and many mental strongholds that had been built up over years and years. The devil had lied to me, and I had believed him. Therefore, I had been living in deception.

I had been at the same mountain long enough. I had spent forty years making what could have been a much shorter journey had I known the truth of God's Word.

God showed me that the Israelites stayed in the wilderness because they had a "wilderness mentality"—certain types of wrong thinking that kept them in bondage. We will deal with this subject in a future chapter, but for now, let me urge you to make a quality decision that you are going to get your mind renewed and learn to choose your thoughts carefully. Make up your mind that you will not quit and give up until victory is complete and you have taken possession of your rightful inheritance.

Chapter 4

Little by Little

And the Lord your God will clear out those nations before you, little by little; you may not consume them quickly, lest the beasts of the field increase among you.

DEUTERONOMY 7:22

he renewing of your mind will take place little by little, so don't be discouraged if progress seems slow.T

Just before they entered the Promised Land, the Lord told the Israelites that He would drive out their enemies before them little by little lest "the beasts of the field" increase among them.

I believe pride is the "beast" that will consume us if we receive too much freedom too quickly. It is actually better to be set at liberty in one area at a time. That way, we appreciate our freedom more; we realize it is truly a gift from God and not something we can make happen in our own strength.

SUFFERING PRECEDES LIBERATION

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you
what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and
strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

Why do we need to suffer "a little while"? I believe that from the time we actually realize we have a problem until Jesus delivers us, we endure a type of suffering, but we rejoice even more when freedom comes. When we try to do something on our own, fail and then realize that we must wait on Him, our hearts overflow with thanksgiving and praise as He rises up and does what we cannot do ourselves.

NO CONDEMNATION

Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation...for those who are in
 
Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but
after the dictates of the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Don't receive condemnation when you have setbacks or bad days. Just get back up, dust yourself off and start again. When a baby is learning to walk, he falls many, many times before he enjoys confidence in walking.

However, one thing in a baby's favor is the fact that, even though he may cry a while after he has fallen, he always gets right back up and tries again.

The devil will try his hardest to stop you in this area of renewing the mind. He knows that his control over you is finished once you have learned to choose right thoughts and reject wrong ones. He will attempt to stop you through discouragement and condemnation.

When condemnation comes, use your "Word weapon." Quote Romans 8:1, reminding Satan and yourself that you do not walk after the flesh but after the Spirit. Walking after the flesh is depending on yourself; walking after the Spirit is depending on God.

When you fail (which you will), that doesn't rnean that you are a failure. It simply means that you don't do everything right. We all have to accept the fact that along with strengths we also have weaknesses. Just let Christ be strong in your weaknesses; let Him be your strength on your weak days.

I repeat: don't
receive condemnation.
Your total victory will come, but it will take time because it will come "little by little."

DON'T GET DISCOURAGED

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you
moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait
expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and My God. Psalm 42:5

Discouragement destroys hope, so naturally the devil always tries to discourage us. Without hope we give up, which is what the devil wants us to do. The Bible repeatedly tells us not to be discouraged or dismayed.

God knows that we will not come through to victory if we get discouraged, so He always encourages us as we start out on a project by saying to us. "Don't get discouraged." God wants us to be encouraged, not discouraged.

When discouragement or condemnation tries to overtake you, examine your thought life. What kind of thoughts have you been thinking? Have they sounded something like this?

"I'm not going to make it; this is too hard. I always fail, it has always been the same, nothing ever changes. I'm sure other people don't have this much trouble getting their minds renewed. I may as well give up. I'm tired of trying. I pray, but it seems as if God doesn't hear. He probably doesn't answer my prayers because He is so disappointed in the way I act."

If this example represents your thoughts, it is no wonder you get discouraged or come under condemnation. Remember, you become what you think. Think discouraging thoughts, and you'll get discouraged.

Think condemning thoughts, and you'll come under condemnation.

Change your thinking and be set free!

Instead of thinking negatively, think like this:

"Well, things are going a little slow; but, thank God, I'm making some progress. I'm sure glad I'm on the right path that will lead me to freedom.

I had a rough day yesterday. I chose wrong thinking all day long. Father, forgive me, and help me to 'keep on keeping on.' I made a mistake, but at least that is one mistake I won't have to make again. This is a new day.

You love me, Lord. Your mercy is new every morning.

"I refuse to be discouraged. I refuse to be condemned. Father, the Bible says that You don't condemn me. You sent Jesus to die for me. I'll be fine—today will be a great day. You help me choose right thoughts today."

I'm sure you can already feel the victory in this type of cheerful, positive, God-like thinking.

We like everything instantaneous. We have the fruit of patience inside, but it is being worked to the outside. Sometimes God takes His time about bringing us our full deliverance. He uses the difficult period of waiting to stretch our faith and to let patience have her perfect work.

(James 1:4
KJV
.) God's timing is perfect. He is never late.

Here is another good thought to think: "I believe God. I believe He is working in me no matter what I may feel or how the situation may look.

The Lord has begun a good work in me, and He will bring it to full completion." (Philippians 1:6; 2:13.)

It is in this manner that you can effectively use your weapon of the Word to tear down strongholds. I recommend that you not only purposely think right thoughts, but that you go the extra mile and speak them aloud as your confession.

Remember, God is delivering you,
little by little,
so don't be discouraged and don't feel condemned if you make a mistake.

Be patient with yourself!

Chapter 5

Be Positive

...it shall be done for you as you have believed....

MATTHEW 8:13

Positive minds produce positive lives. Negative minds produce negative lives. Positive thoughts are always full of faith and hope. Negative thoughts are always full of fear and doubt.

Some people are afraid to hope because they have been hurt so much in life. They have had so many disappointments, they don't think they can face the pain of another one. Therefore, they refuse to hope so they won't be disappointed.

This avoidance of hope is a type of protection against being hurt.

Disappointment hurts! So rather than be hurt again, many people simply refuse to hope or to believe that anything good will ever happen to them.

This type of behavior sets up a negative lifestyle. Everything becomes negative because the thoughts are negative. Remember Proverbs 23:7: For as he (a person) thinks in his heart, so is he. .