Guarding the Mind

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

There is a battle that starts the moment you reach the point where you can begin to think on your own. Once that battle starts, it is never over until you take your last breath. It is the battle for mind control. Your mind is like a castle…like a stronghold or a fort, which is constantly under attack. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, certain words like war, weapons, fight, stronghold, and captives leap off the page. Indeed, you are in a war; and it is against the assault on your mind.

Why is the mind the bull’s eye of this war? Why is it so powerful? The answer is quite simple. Whatever controls your mind controls you. Your mind is the control center of who you are. Our belief determines our behavior. We live what we truly believe…the rest is just talk. The mind is the key that unlocks your heart, your hands, and your habits.

The world, the flesh, and Satan want to put any barrier they can between your mind and the knowledge of God. This is why we must be extremely discerning and careful about what we see, hear, and where we go. Be careful what you see at the movie theater. Be careful what you allow to come through your television screen. Be careful to the kind of music you listen to. Be careful about the places you go. In your mind, you ought to have a guard that stands at the door of your brain 24 hours a day…who lets nothing go into that brain except what God would approve and what you know will bring you closer to Him.

Dear Lord, I want to be intentional about guarding my mind so that I am not allowing unholy thoughts and ideas to take root. Please give me the wisdom and the discipline to do so, so that even my thoughts bring honor and glory to you. In Jesus' name, amen.