A Battle for Your Mind

2 Corinthians 11:1–6 NASB95

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.

INTRO: Have you ever considered the content of your thoughts throughout the day? Oh, sure, we have thoughts about family, obligations, work tasks, school work, meals, etc.- But have you noticed that there seems to constantly be an effort for your attention to other things?

For example- Did you know that the average person sees between 4,000 - 10,000 advertisements every single day? These can be product ads, political ads, ads for movies, etc. Corporations and politicians are actively battling for your attention regularly. But these are not the only things battling for our minds- addictions to drugs and pornography are rooted in our minds. Lusts for power and wealth are seated in our thinking and supported by so much of the daily patterns of our lives.

And still, there is the truth that as Christians, we are called to

Luke 10:27 NASB95

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

There is a battle raging. And it turns out that this is no new battle for our minds. Times have changed, but the bottom line has not.

Today, we enter into the season of Thanksgiving and Advent. A time of the year when anxiety seems to peak for many, but a time when we, as Christians, should be intentional to take a pause and acknowledge God’s blessings and re-evaluate how we are interacting in this world. After all, this world is not our home, we are simply passing through.

So, as we continue our study through 2 Corinthians, I want to urge you to look at your life and ask “How am I faring in the Battle for my mind?”

First, allow me to set the context: In Corinth, there arose false teachers- they called themselves “Super-Apostles” claiming a higher knowledge than Paul and the other Christian apostles. From the world’s standards, they looked like people we’d want to listen to- they were sharp-dressed, had a whimsical tone in their rhetoric, and were sharing a message that made sense… Yet, their message was not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They may have used his name, but they were certainly not sharing His truth.

>This is still happening today. It wasn’t too long ago that two sharply dressed young men came up to me and wanted to talk about Jesus… I know who they represent, and it’s not Jesus Christ. Indeed there are many who use our vocabulary, but not our dictionary.

So we find Paul sounding the alarm in this 11th chapter. Throughout the chapter, Paul places himself against these false teachers, drawing out his love for the Corinthians, his sincerity in the Gospel, and his suffering for the cause of Christ. We will draw from parts of the whole chapter, but will spend most of our time in the first 6 verses.

My hope is that we will be built up in the Lord as we examine the Battle for Your Mind. If you picked up a bulletin, you can follow along and take notes with the provided sermon guide.

We begin with a reminder:

You Are Betrothed to Christ (2)

Look at v. 2 with me (READ)

Here, Paul paints a picture. Now, I know this isn’t popular to talk about in modern times, but the picture is that fathers had a responsibility to see that their daughters remained pure until their marriage was consummated.

When a lady got engaged, she was devoted to her fiance’. When she married, it was intended that she has reserved herself for her husband (this goes the other way too, fellas). This isn’t just a tradition, it has a purpose. You see, sex was intended by God not only for procreation, but also for intimacy. There is a trust and vulnerability in the marriage union that is destroyed by infidelity.

The OT Prophet Hosea gives us this picture as well. God used him to demonstrate to Israel that those who called themselves “God’s People” had been unfaithful to God. They played the harlot and gave into their lusts.

When Paul tells the Corinthians that he betrothed them to one husband, he is pointing us to the return of Christ and the marriage or union between Christ and His church. (Rev. 19:7-8)

Friends, if you have truly come to the place in your life where you recognized your sin, where you understood that Jesus is God and He paid the price for your sin, and you turned from your sin and surrendered your life to Christ, then You are spoken for!

This echoes back to Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians in his first letter where he wrote:

1 Corinthians 6:20 NASB95

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

ILL: Ladies, when you got engaged, did you get a ring?

I remember buying a ring to put on Samantha’s hand… I couldn’t afford a big ring, but I was so excited to have her wear it. Not because it looked pretty, but because that ring is a symbol. It tells others that she is off the market. It is a reminder to her that she promised herself in faithfulness to one man (ME!).

Christian brothers and sisters, when you gave your life to Christ, one of the first things you did was get baptized. That baptism symbolizes our death to a life of sin and our new life in devotion to Christ. All those who witnessed your baptism knew that you were off the market for Satan… it’s like an engagement ring.

This morning, I want to remind you WHO you are. You, Christian, are betrothed to Christ.

Discuss: Describe how your betrothal to Christ shapes your identity.

Next, I want to draw your attention to a clear and present danger:

Satan is a Liar (3-4)

Look with me to v. 3 -4 (READ)

Paul understands that just as Satan deceived Eve in the garden, folks who lack roots in their faith can be led astray. In Eden, Satan began by causing Eve to doubt God’s Word and His intentions, then he supplanted God’s truth with a lie.

False teachers in Corinth used the same playbook. They were going around telling the Corinthians that they had a ‘better gospel’ than what Paul had preached. They may have claimed to have new information or to have a greater understanding. Further, they were confident orators- they knew how to work a crowd.

They likely used the same lies Satan used in the garden- “Paul doesn’t care about you and doesn’t want you to have this happiness that you can have through following our direction. See, Paul doesn’t ask you to help support him because he is trying to deceive you.” (7-11)

These false teachers masquerade as Christians, but they are wolves in sheep’s clothing! (16-21)

They offer freedom, but enslave their followers!

They offer prosperity, but rob their listeners blind!

They offer power and prestige, but deliver injury and distress.

By the time those being deceived figure it out, it’s too late- they’ve been devoured.

ILL: I was reading about a minister who ended up having a one night stand and ruined his marriage and ministry. He said this: “adultery isn’t something that happens with the act – it happens months beforehand. It’s an attitude. You disconnect yourself from the person you’ve said you’re spending the rest of your life with.” (Dean Guptill )

The reality is that most affairs happen because one person or another has been led astray from what marriage is. They began listening to the voice of Satan, telling them that they’d be happy if they just gave into their lusts; Deception packaged and sold as deliverance.

These lies that wreck marriages are the same lies that wreck our relationship with God.

You can hear Paul’s heartbeat as he expressed the concern for them; his fear that they may be led astray… look at v. 28-29 (READ)

Is this not the indictment that Jesus pronounced on the Ephesian church in

Revelation 2:4 NASB95

‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Having been reminded that You are betrothed to Christ, and warned that Satan is a Liar, let us now turn to our exhortation:

Discuss: Do you know someone who has been led astray from the Gospel? How can you encourage them?

Reignite Your Devotion to Christ (3,6)

In verse 3, Paul warned about some who would be led astray. Let us read v. 3 again as he underlines the proper attitude of a Christian which prevents our infidelity. (READ v. 3)

There is an emphasis here- not on fulfilling a set of rules or on acting a part. The emphasis is own our singular (simple), undefiled devotion to Jesus Christ.

In other words, our commitment to Him as Lord is such that we can recognize the lies of the enemy.

Here’s the thing- this is not a one-time ceremony or prayer.

ILL: I remember talking to an older couple one time. The wife complained that her husband never told her that he loved her. His response was, “I told you I loved you when I married you.”

Yep… that went over like a lead balloon.

We cannot maintain our marriage if our devotion and commitment is not renewed on a regular basis. And we cannot expect that we can be a follower of Christ if we are not actually and actively following Him. Here is how Paul instructed the Roman church in this regard:

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

In order to reignite our devotion to Christ, we must live our lives in surrender- as a living sacrifice, resisting the temptations of Satan by renewing our minds.

How do we do this?

Psalm 119:11 NASB95

Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

Our singular, undefiled devotion to Christ is ignited as we hide His word in our hearts. Just as we devote time to our spouse in order to know them, so too with Jesus.

This morning, I want to give you the opportunity to reignite your devotion to Christ. As your baptism was a testimony of your surrender to Jesus as Lord, the Lord’s Supper testifies of our ongoing devotion as those betrothed to Him.

Will those serving please come forward.

We welcome all believers who have been baptized to take part in this ordinance. However, if you are not a Christian, please allow the plate to pass - there will be no criticism or judgment passed by us. Fellow believers, I encourage you to ensure that you have no unconfessed sin in your life nor any unforgiveness in your heart.

Let us take a moment in reflection and prayer. As we pray, I invite you to ask the Lord to reignite the fire of devotion in your life.

Psalm 139:23–24 NASB95

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Let us pray.

Discuss: Read Luke 10:27. Does your life reflect that kind of sincere devotion to Christ?