How to Win the War in Your Mind
Take Every Thought Captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)
We Are Born on a Battlefield
Have you ever had thoughts that consume your mind? You can’t get rid of them no matter how hard you try. Maybe it’s a critical inner voice toward yourself or others; maybe it’s a loop of lustful thoughts on repeat in your mind; or maybe it’s a painful memory that you can’t get free from.
This is war, but it’s not a battle against flesh and blood. It’s spiritual — a battle against the devil and his forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). The Bible describes Satan as an accuser and the father of lies (Revelation 12:10, John 8:44). He speaks half-truths, presses on our insecurities, convinces us our fears are real, and uses our doubts, past pain, and worries against us.
Your mind is a garden, and God desires to fill it with fruit. Every lie of the enemy is a weed. They seem small at first, but over time, weeds choke out life-giving plants and destroy the garden.
3 Toxic Thought Habits (Weeds) From the Enemy
Sin
Some examples of sinful thoughts are lust, anger (sometimes), revenge, bitterness, jealousy, envy, pride, greed, obsession, and coveting (always needing more). The more we dwell on those sinful thoughts, the more they consume our minds and determine our actions.
Lies
“I’m not good enough.” “No one could ever love me.” “I always fail.” “I’m shy.” “That’s not my personality.” “I’m not ______ , so I can’t _______ .” Satan uses our insecurities to make us give up and become apathetic. He tries to magnify our insecurities and failures until we can no longer see the truth.
Past
Painful experiences (abuse, grief, heartbreak, trauma) leave wounds, and wounds must be dealt with. Don’t mistake dormant for resolved. If wounds remain unresolved, they will hinder your future health. Those wounds lead to unforgiveness, feelings of worthlessness, inability to trust, self-deprecation, addictions, depression, and shame.
Can We Win?
Satan would love to use lies to build strongholds in our minds to steal our hope and joy. The Good News is that Jesus has given us weapons for warfare (Ephesians 6:10–18).
“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).
Jesus declared that He came “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19). In Jesus’ name, we can have freedom from the thoughts, insecurities, and past fears that plague us. We can learn to surrender our minds to Christ. Instead of believing Satan’s lies and giving them control over us, we can learn to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
How to Fight Back
1. Announce
Recognize who or what is behind your wrong way of thinking (John 8:43–45). 2 Corinthians 4 says that the enemy blinds us from seeing the light of God. Ask the Lord to reveal any incorrect thinking and to open your eyes to lies, sin, and unhealthy thought patterns. Then, announce or confess those lies to God and a trusted friend.
- Action: Write a list of specific lies, sins, and thoughts you’ve been struggling with. If you are feeling doubt that this process will help bring freedom, include that in your list too.
2. Renounce
Renounce the power of the lies you’ve been believing. Repent of giving more weight to lies than God’s Word. By renouncing lies and sin, we stand in agreement and unity with God. If you are dealing with past pain and insecurities, invite God into those areas. Ask Him for healing and peace.
- Action: Now, take your list of lies, and uproot each “weed” by doing what 2 Corinthians 10:5 says. Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. Read the lie aloud, renounce its power over you, and ask God to be the Lord over that area of your life. If there is sin connected with the lie, repent.
3. Pronounce
You cannot overcome Satan by willpower alone. You cannot just block out His lies. The enemy would love to come back and fill your mind and heart with more lies (Matthew 12:44–45). Before He can do that, you must plant God’s truth where the weeds once were (2 Corinthians 3:17). Be careful not to focus too much on your struggle, thus giving Satan undue attention. Turn your eyes to Jesus.
- Action: When Jesus was tempted in the desert, he answered each temptation with specific verses from Scripture (Luke 4). Search the Bible for truths and promises relevant to the lies previously planted in your mind and heart. Now, write a new list of God’s truths to plant in the place of Satan’s lies. This helps you to focus on Jesus and His promises instead of Satan and His lies or your past sins.
Win The War
Know where you are vulnerable. What are the triggers that tempt you or lead you into toxic thoughts (lust/insecurity/old memories/etc.)? How can you make a lifestyle change to avoid those triggers? You must make the deliberate choice to deny the flesh and feed the spirit.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14–15; ESV)
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
Satan will try to reintroduce old lies and thought patterns, but you are no longer a slave to those. Your flesh will tempt you, but you can conquer. Recognize the lies and temptations, rebuke them, and set your mind on righteous things.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7; ESV).
The more you do battle in your mind by taking lies captive and making them obedient to Christ, the more your mind will begin to look like Christ. You will also get quicker at recognizing lies and replacing them with truth (1 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Pray for freedom; fight for freedom; believe for freedom. That’s God’s promise (Isaiah 30:18, Psalm 18, Jeremiah 33:3, 1 Peter 5:10). Hold Him to it.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Questions for Discussion
- Which of the three “weeds” do you most struggle with? In what type of situation or atmosphere do you most struggle with those thoughts? Try to identify a trigger.
- Which of the three steps feels the scariest/hardest to you?
- Explain why it’s important to replace lies with truths from Scripture.
- How do you feel after walking through these steps? What do you think God wants to say to you about those feelings?
- What is one thing you will commit to doing this week to resist the enemy and walk in the freedom of Jesus?
