Winning the war in your mind. Pastor Craig Groeschel preached this sermon on Feb 14, 2021
Your mind is a battleground!
It will be difficult to be victorious in life if you're not able to win the battles going on in your mind. That's why the scripture is empathic about the heart (mind) when it says, "Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life" (Prov 4:23). You must therefore win these mind battles before your victory can become evidently real for all to see.
A lot of times, you notice your mind telling you why you can't live your dreams, why no one will listen to you because you're not that good. Why you're not worthy of loving, but until you silence such voices, you may not be able to live your best life. Needless to say, Satan is the one putting those thoughts in your mind.
Do you have battles going on in your mind?
If you notice these battles in your mind tend to tilt towards faith and towards fear. Most times, you feel like handing over the wheel of your life to God and, at the same time, being the driver. You know it will take you longer than necessary to arrive at your destination when you don't completely hand over the wheel to God.
Paul is a good example of someone who continuously had an ongoing war in his mind. He said, "I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate" (Rom 7:15). Paul was all along fighting battles in his mind and needed to win. No one is exempt from mind battles.You see Satan putting these thoughts in your mind in order to defeat you;
"You're not going to make any difference in life".
"You'll never succeed".
"You're always going to be broke."
"God will not hear your prayers".
"You're not going to matter to anyone and in life".
Listen, let me tell you your life moves in the direction of your most dominant thought. That's why God is so concerned about your mind and the things that go on in your mind. God said, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov 23:7). Meaning that a man becomes what he thinks and meditates about.
The thoughts you have in your mind are a reflection of who you truly are or eventually become.
Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your character, and your character determines your destiny.
For instance, if you begin to think and say, "I can't pass that interview", "I can't do this". You probably won't because your mind will communicate to your brain that, "He can't do that", so let's help him not to. Then your entire system will work together to accomplish that prompt. If you always think and see yourself as a victim, you'll eventually become a victim.
Knowing that God wants you to become the best version of yourself, live your best life, and achieve your dreams, He gave a prescription on the kind of things you should think about. Things are true; things are honest, things are pure, things are lovely, things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Phil 4:8). Remember, your life moves in the direction of your most dominant thought.
Have you ever taken your time to think about what you're thinking about? You can call this process "Thought analysis".
In auditing your thoughts, you'll have to weigh your thoughts on a scale of 1-10 to check its direction, whether it is characterized by fear and panic or characterized by being peaceful. Do your thoughts drift toward the negative or the positive? Are your thoughts worldly or eternal?
Two important factors are crucial to overcoming the battles going on in your mind;
1. Discover the strongholds holding you back.
Whatever you cannot properly identify and define, you cannot effectively overcome. So, start by identifying those biggest negative thoughts that you constantly have to deal with in your mind. Know exactly what they are. Are they thoughts of insecurity? Thoughts of lack and insufficiency? Thoughts of death? Thoughts of being a victim of terminal diseases? After you would have successfully identified the biggest strongholds in your mind, then locate an antidote for that stronghold.
2. Find and declare the truth of God's word that effectively tackles that stronghold.
God's word is the antidote to all negative thoughts and battles going on in your mind. He gave us a strategy with which we can deploy to deal with these thoughts, as said in 2Cor 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing (negative thoughts) that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every negative thought to the obedience of Christ". If Satan is telling you, "Nobody is going to like you", cast that thought out in the name of Jesus Christ and remind him that you're fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14).
Therefore, a relationship with Jesus will empower you to utterly destroy every stronghold and battles going on in your mind. Give him a chance and forever become victorious.
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