The Battlefield of the Mind
There is a battle going on that affects us all. I am not referring to wars fought with weapons or those against crime or drugs. I am speaking of the war we fight every day. The war within – the battlefield of the mind. The struggle with negative thoughts such as fear, doubt, worry leads can keep us struggling and stuck for years. There is hope! This post gives insights, tools, and strategies for breaking free.
“Some of the greatest battles will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul.” Ezra Taft Benson
2000 years ago Paul of Tarsus described the battlefield of the mind and the solution!
“The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,” – 1 Cor. 10:4-5 AMP
The battle is against the sophisticated arguments (stories in our head) that set themselves up against the truth. They become strongholds or fortresses.
THE VOICE OF TRUTH
The lyrics of the song by Casting Crowns describe the battlefield of the mind so very well
“Oh what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He’s holding out his hand
But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again, “Boy, you’ll never win!”
“You’ll never win”
CHORUS:
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
And the voice of truth says, “This is for My glory!
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth”
The solution is found in our God-given ability to choose!
Moment by moment we have the God-given power to choose our thoughts, our words, our beliefs, and our actions.
But how do we know which ones?
The Litmus Test
Here are 5 questions to ask yourself to help you discern the voices that wage war in the battlefield of our mind
Is it true?
Can I absolutely know it is true?
This is a question Byron Katie uses in “the work”. If we honestly look at some of the stories we tell ourselves we will discover the majority of our thoughts are not even true.“I’ll never be successful!”“I’ll never find love!”[tweetshare tweet=”The lie-based thoughts we attach to our identity are the most dangerous of all – Brenda Byers” username=”@prosperinall”]“I AM a failure”“I AM unlovable”
Does it exaggerate?
The lie and fear-based thoughts usually make things larger than they really are. Notice words like “always” and “never”. An example is “You will never succeed.”
Is this thought love-based or fear-based?
Scripture teaches that“Love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear.” 1 John 4:8
When something is fear-based it usually is not only not true and exaggerated, but it does not come from God! These thoughts can cause unnecessary suffering and most of them never even happen!
“I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” – Mark Twain
- What is the fruit of this thought?
Every seed has a fruit. Our thoughts are seeds. When you believe the thought, what harvest does it produce? If it is low-frequency belief or feeling such as “I feel depressed, hopeless, angry, worthless” etc. then it is likely lie-based and fear-based.
Is this thought grounded in the PRESENT?
So much of what we fret over is either us dragging the past into the present which usually results in shame, guilt, disappointment or unrealistic nostalgia. Or projecting into the future which causes fear and anxiety. At THIS MOMENT are you in danger or starving? Usually when we come back to the present and evaluate we will find there is no present danger.
Is this thought mine?
So often the thoughts and beliefs causing us suffering are not even our own. We absorbed them from parents, society, or others without even examining them to see if they are true.
Why it matters…
When we don’t capture our thoughts it often leads to suffering. Joyce Meyers sums it up..
“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.”
― Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind
I love this quote by Byron Katie
“When we believe in our thoughts, when we tell ourselves a story, we suffer. ‘My husband doesn’t respect me.’ ‘I should be thinner.’ Those are stories. When there’s no story, there’s no suffering.” – Byron Katie
What to do…
Awareness
is the first step for transformation. Become aware of your thoughts. Ask God to show reveal to you areas your thoughts are causing suffering.
Say in the present
. Most fear happens when we speculate and project what might happen in the future. Take a few moments to be still. One way to do this is being aware of your breathing. Taking a minute to focus on your breath and take slow deep breaths. This will ground you back in the present and open your mind to think more clearly. It changes our physiology.
Prayer and meditation.
Nothing can renew our minds or give peace like prayer!
- Learn to take every thought captive.
Many of us were not taught to think about our thinking. We may have believed that thoughts are just something that just happens to us. Taking our thoughts captive begins by learning to be the observer. Pay attention to your thoughts. Ask yourself where did this thought come from? Is it even mine? Often we absorb the thoughts of those around us or the general public. Take back your God-given power to choose.
You can always choose another thought, belief, attitude, and action. If needed you can choose again. Scripture tells us to think continually (some translations say fix your mind on) that which is good. (Phil 4:8)
7. Find someone who will speak truth into your life.
Scripture tells us having someone who loves you enough to tell you the truth is a real gift.
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend [who corrects out of love and concern],
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [because they serve his hidden agenda].” – Prov 27:6 AMP
Final thoughts…
My brother who is active in A.A. tells me his sponsors continuously “right-size” him. Surrounding ourselves with men and women who have wisdom is one of the most important gifts we can give ourselves.
Find a skilled coach that possesses wisdom and discernment who can identify the lies that are keeping you from the greatness God has for you. They will equip and empower you to replace the lies with truth.
Adopt a grandparent! I have two women friends in their 80’s. One is 88! I pick her up and take her to church. The wisdom I glean from those rides is priceless.
Precious brother and sister, I know our minds can be cunning but you CAN get the victory over negative and fear-based thinking. You can be victories in the battlefield of the mind! Remember you have access to the mind of Christ! (Phil 2:5-8)
Praying YOU prosper in ALL things!
Brenda
Highly Recommended!
When it comes to waging war in the battlefield of our mind, Think, Feel and Speak your way to Health & Prosperity is a must listen! Learn how to harness the physiology behind your words, emotions, and actions to get results. Filled with powerful biblical and scientific truths, you will be inspired, equipped &, empowered. Leave with practical, scientifically proven strategies to eliminate the lies that have kept you playing small. Put a stop to the fear, doubt, and worry that have kept you stuck. This three-part audio series was recorded at a live event. It brings together the best of scripture and science to produce life-changing results. Includes a bonus “I AM” meditation done by Brenda. You will want to listen over and over.”
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