The Battle for our Minds

Psssst…

It may have come as a surprise to you to learn that not every thought that comes into your mind is your own. Actually, all that Satan and his demons can really do is try to lead you off course by dropping thoughts into your mind. Our success as Christians depends on how well we can spot those thoughts and choose to ignore them.

But this isn’t easy! Satan has been observing people for thousands of years and is very good at sneaking thoughts into our minds that sound very much like our own or that aren’t completely false.

Satan’s main strategies are temptation, accusation, and deception. As the tempter, he will use anything he can to tempt us into sin. And when we fall for it, he follows up immediately with his sucker punch of accusation: “You useless excuse for a Christian – look at you! Fallen for it again. You’re hopeless. You might as well give up”. If he manages to lead us into sin, he gets a “foothold” in our lives – a point of influence where he can confuse your thinking.

But we are usually aware of being tempted and accused, which is why his primary strategy is deception – because by definition, you don’t know if you are being deceived.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.