Worry, reasoning, and insecurity were some of the enemy’s most effective devices against me. What are his greatest devices against you?
The way to get rid of darkness is to turn on the light, and the only way to destroy a stronghold of lies is to dispel them in the light of truth. The greatest weapon you and I have is the truth of God’s Word. Second Corinthians 10:5 says we must lead every thought away “captive into the obedience of Christ.” I can assure you, if we don’t lead wrong thoughts away captive, the wrong thoughts will lead us away captive.
During the days when Jesus lived on earth, Pilate asked Him a question that has been raised down through the centuries and is still being asked today: “What is Truth?” (John 18:38). Jesus had already answered this question plainly and simply: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). When praying to God in John 17:17, Jesus also said, “Your Word is Truth.” He not only knew the truth but when His own mind was being attacked by Satan, He spoke the truth of God’s Word out loud (see Luke 4:1–13). This is one of the most effective ways to “cast down” wrong thoughts, reasons, theories, and imaginations. I look at it as interrupting the devil in the midst of his temptation.
That is what God taught me to do when the thoughts of worry and reasoning arose. And that is what He wants you to do with the wrong thoughts the enemy uses against you. When your mind is being bombarded with wrong thoughts, simply speak out loud the portion of God’s Word that opposes the lie in your mind.
For example: if you find yourself thinking that you are useless and always fail at what you try to do, then say out loud, “God has a purpose for my life and He causes me to triumph and succeed.” We are partners with God. Our part is to trust Him, to know His Word and believe it, and His part is to do whatever needs to be done in every situation. We cannot know the Word of God unless we dedicate ourselves to diligent reading and study. Nobody would expect to be a successful doctor without studying and I don’t know why people expect to be strong in their faith without doing the same thing.
Jesus clearly stated in Matthew 6:25-34 that we are not to worry about anything because God is faithful to provide all we need, when we need it. Proverbs 3:5, 6 says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.”
As God opened my eyes to the truth of His Word, I began to trust what the Scripture said over what the enemy said. The more I meditated on Scriptures like the ones just mentioned and others, the more my thinking changed and my freedom and joy increased. Little by little, as the truth of God’s Word became rooted in my mind, the enemy lost ground in my thinking.
Having my mind renewed didn’t happen overnight. Satan had very patiently and diligently built wrong thought patterns in my mind. He had been working since I was born and intended to continue until I died. We must have the same tenacity as he does and be willing to spend the rest of our lives working with God to undo the damage the devil did. God wants to restore everything the devil has stolen from us, and cultivate the character of Christ in us (see Isaiah 61:7 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24). Make a decision now that you won’t ever give up until you experience victory in all areas of your life. I also encourage you to be patient and determined even if you don’t get instant results. God is working in you and in your life and you will see results in due time.
God’s Word, the Bible, is truth. It teaches the truth; it teaches us a way to live that produces life. God’s Word has stood the test of time and been proven in millions of people’s lives over thousands of years. It works, if followed; I know this from years of personal experience and from countless times I have seen other people’s lives change in amazing ways simply because they believed and obeyed God’s truth.
Break Free and Stay Free
Once we learn how to break free from the enemy’s influence in our minds by believing and applying God’s truth to our lives, then we need to learn how to stay free. It’s not enough to just lead wrong thoughts away captive; we also have to choose to think the right thoughts in the future. I found this to be true in my battle against worry and reasoning. As soon as I learned that God didn’t want me to worry or try to figure everything out, I made every effort not to do so. When wrong thoughts came into my head, I did my best to take them captive. I would say, “No, I am not going to think that!” For a moment, my mind would find freedom. But before long, the old thoughts came back. Again, I would say, “No, I’m not going to think that!” But sooner or later, the same thought, or one just like it, would return. This cycle went on and on, and sometimes, by the end of the day I was completely exhausted.
One day I remember praying, “God, I can’t go on like this day after day. As soon as I capture these wrong thoughts, they come back. What am I supposed to do?” As you fight the battle in your mind, you may find yourself praying the same prayer, so I want to share with you the simple answer God gave me. He said that all I needed to do was to think about something else! When you think about something good, there is no room for wrong thoughts to get into your mind. Concentrating on not trying to think wrong thoughts can actually increase them, but simply filling your mind with good things leaves no room for bad things to get in. The Bible says that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (see Galatians 5:16), and this simply means that if we concentrate on the thing God desires, then we will not have room in our lives for what the devil desires.
This was a life-changing revelation for me. I realized I couldn’t wait for something good to just fall into my mind. I had to choose my thoughts on purpose. I needed to fix my mind on “whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious” (Philippians 4:8). The Bible says in Deuteronomy 30:19 that God sets before us life and death, blessings and curses. If you and I do not choose thoughts that lead to life, the enemy will make the choice for us-and he will choose thoughts for us that lead to death. But when we choose thoughts that lead to life, our lives will be blessed.
Once again I want to remind you that “You can choose your own thoughts” and should do so very carefully. I encourage you to have what I call “Think Sessions.” Take time to roll good thoughts over and over in your mind and this will help you form the habit of thinking good things. You must believe you can do a thing or you won’t even try. So I repeat: “You can choose your own thoughts!” You can “overcome (master) evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
Write It Down
Writing things down seems to really help me learn. For example, I have found that writing a list of all the positive points about a situation or a person, along with writing down related Scriptures, helps me remain joyful and avoid seeing things out of proportion. After I make such a list, I sometimes carry it with me so I can refer to it, or I go over it each morning. This helps me when I’m tempted to give place to wrong thinking. I call it “fighting the good fight of faith.” God has used this method to renew my mind in many areas. I have learned that the more I magnify and meditate on what’s good, the smaller my problems become. The same can happen for you. Just give it a try. Doing these exercises will help you form new thinking habits that eventually become very natural for you rather than something you have to work at.
Think about It
Think about a person or situation that is difficult for you and make a list of positive elements about it. Keep it with you and read it (aloud, if possible) when you are tempted to give in to wrong thinking.
Character or Reputation?
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden (1910–2010) believed that character is far more important than reputation. “Your reputation is what you’re perceived to be by others,” Coach Wooden often told his players, “but your character is what you really are. You’re the only one that knows your character. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself.”
In the book of Revelation, we find the words of the risen Christ to seven churches in Asia. To the church in Sardis, Jesus said, “I know your works, that you have a name [reputation] that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1). The Lord knew the truth about them, and no doubt deep down they knew it too. Jesus told them to wake up and strengthen the spiritual life inside them that was about to die (v.2). He urged them to remember the truth they had received, obey it, then turn around and start moving in a new direction (v.3).
When the Lord shows us what’s wrong in our lives, He always provides a remedy for change. When we turn from our sins, He forgives and strengthens us to start over.
How liberating to exchange a false spiritual reputation for the true, life-giving character that comes from knowing Christ our Lord!
Men talk too much of gold and fame,
And not enough about a name;
And yet a good name’s better far
Than all earth’s glistening jewels are.
-Guest
The true test of our character is what we do when no one is watching.
Insight
Today’s reading takes the spiritual temperature of the Christian church in Sardis. This city contained devotees of many pagan gods and goddesses. This might have been a contributing factor to the spiritual lethargy in some of the members of the church (vv.1-3), yet a remnant had a vital spiritual walk (vv.4-5). A worldly environment does not need to determine the way a believer lives. Spiritual vitality is an individual choice of yielding to God’s transforming work.
