MINDFIELD

The Battle for Your Mind

Key Text

2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We Are Vessels

2 CORINTHIANS 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are vessels. Vessels are containers.

Vessels are useful to put things into, but vessels do not fill themselves.

There are two beings vying to put a knowledge of themselves in us. One is GOD. The other is Satan. The question is which will we allow to fill us?

1 THESSALONIANS 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

We Do Not Generate Thought

“Either the evil angels or the angels of God are controlling the minds of men. Our minds are given to the control of God or to the control of the powers of darkness…” (Mind, Character, and Personality, Volume 1, p. 25).

While we do not generate thoughts, we have the power to choose upon what our minds will dwell.

It is our duty to control our thoughts and our imaginations.

We control our thoughts by what we choose to think about.

“He [GOD] formed man's mind. We do not think one noble thought that does not come from Him” (Sons and Daughters of GOD, p. 105).

Here is what we all need to know:

Every good and noble thought that we have comes to us from GOD only.

Every evil thought that we have comes to us from Satan only.

PROVERBS 23:26 My son, give me thine heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways.

“Let [allow] the glorious conceptions of God possess your mind. Let [allow] your life be knit by hidden links to the life of Jesus. He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness is willing to shine in your heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will take the things of God and show them unto you, conveying them as a living power into the obedient heart. Christ will lead you to the threshold of the Infinite” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 149).

“Satan will work with all his deceptive power to influence the heart and becloud the understanding, to make evil appear good, and good evil..” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 431).

Satan does not directly command anyone to do a particular act. He influences us to do evil actions.

He does not have one noble thought because he has separated himself from the Source of all goodness, which is GOD.

God is the only Being who has direct access to our minds [our hearts].

He does not need our consent to communicate with us.

It is in Him that we live, and move, and have our being.

Satan does not have direct access to our minds.

To get to our minds, he uses our senses, our emotions, and the activities that goes on around us.

EXPLAIN THE DIAGRAM.

“We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God.” (From Heaven with Love, p. 243).

Learn to listen to the voice of GOD.

Remember Elijah and the earthquake, fire, and wind? GOD was in none of those. But when the still, small voice was heard, the LORD was in it.

PSALM 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God...

Recognize the Thought Source

JAMES 1:13–15 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Not Without Our Consent

Unless we voluntarily open the door to our minds and invite Satan in, he cannot control what we think; he cannot control what we say; and he cannot control what we do.

Here is where we have the power.

“Satan cannot touch the mind or intellect unless we yield it to him” (Manuscript 17, 1893).

Remember the diagram? Satan can only stimulate our senses and emotions to generate thoughts. But until we take those thoughts from him and make them our own, he has no control over us.

JAMES 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When his evil thoughts pop up in our minds, we must resist.

Resist them!

Satan Stimulates the Senses

In order to gain access to our minds, Satan stimulates our senses.

He stimulates our senses by the activities around us—through circumstances.

Our senses, thus stimulated, awaken our emotions, which Satan uses to gain control of our minds.

“All should guard the senses, lest Satan gain victory over them; for these are the avenues of the soul.

“You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul” (Adventist Home, p. 401).

That is why we are to guard well the avenues to our minds.

Watch carefully what you allow into your mind.

“Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 518).

Note the word “suggest.”

When we understand how Satan uses suggestion, you will be better able to resist him.

Restrain the Mind

PROVERBS 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

DEFINITION:

Diligence means constant earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken.

1 PETER 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Remember that we are vessels for the knowledge of GOD. Anything that is against that knowledge is not to be welcomed in our minds.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We are not to allow our minds to wander and dwell upon everything little thing that pops into our heads. We are to “gird up the loins of your mind,” according to Peter. That means that we are to control our thoughts. The thoughts may be guarded and controlled by our own determined efforts. Think right thoughts, and you will perform right actions. We must guard the affections and not let our affections to become fastened upon improper things.

How do we cast down imaginations?

As soon as an evil thought pops into your head, say, “Lord, this is not my thought. Please take it away and help me to think Your thoughts.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Virtue means moral excellence.

Praise means laudable, praiseworthy

The more we do this, the less Satan has access to our minds.

Remember that wherever the mind goes, the man follows.

“The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only weaken and defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean....The noble powers of the mind have been given to us by the Lord, that we may employ them in contemplating heavenly things” (Sons and Daughters of GOD, p. 107).

It is GOD who gives us the mind, but our characters are formed by who has control of it–GOD or Satan.

Who will you allow to control your mind?

Distractions

“Satan's influence is constantly exerted upon men to distract the senses, control the mind for evil, and incite to violence and crime” (The Desire of Ages, p. 341).

All things that happens around you affect the mind--in the mind, on the mind, through the mind, for the mind, over the mind. It’s all about the mind.

Waldensians

Albigenses

Huguenots

They taught their children to commit large portions of the Holy Scriptures to memory.

They were dedicated to preserving the truth of GOD’s Word, even at the expense of their lives.

We are called to preserve the veracity of GOD’s Word in these last days. Where is our focus?

To Whom Will You Listen?

GOD commands, while Satan suggests.

And yet, we disobey GOD’s commands and carry out Satan’s suggestions.

Does that make sense?

DEFINITION:

Command means to direct with specific authority or prerogative.

GOD has the exclusive right to give us directions/orders. Satan knows that he does not have that right. That is why he makes suggestions.

DEFINITION:

Suggest means to cause one to think that something exists or is the case.

That is why the devil does not make you do anything. He only suggests, and you do it.

GENESIS 2:16, 17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Two (2) commands given:

Eat freely of every tree, but

Do not eat of this one tree called, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Were those commands clear?

Did GOD have the right to command the man?

GENESIS 3:4, 5 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Do you see any command in these two (2) verses?

What do you see?

You see suggestions.

EXPLAIN THIS.

Question for you: Did Satan tell Eve to eat the fruit?

Satan was in the vicinity

Satan only said aloud…

Satan insinuated…

Eve bought into Satan’s suggestion.

How to Defeat Satan

GET ACQUAINTED WITH GOD:

JOB 22:21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee.

Read the Word of GOD.

Talk to GOD. Tell Him everything– your sorrow, your joys, your trial, your victories.

Tell Him about your life.

Talk about Him to others.

Admire Him.

MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD:

PSALM 119:97 O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

Satan well knows that…

“If the thoughts are not properly employed, religious cannot flourish in the soul.”

Learn to love GOD’s Word.

BE AWARE OF YOUR WEAKNESS:

PSALM 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me.

BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU SEE:

PSALM 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

“A field left uncultivated will soon be filled with unsightly weeds and thistles. The mind left uncultivated will be filled with that which is unsightly, and where seeds of truth are not sown, there will be no fruit of a heavenly order” (Review and Herald, December 24, 1895).

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR LAWLESS DEEDS:

JEREMIAH 3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God…saith the Lord.

Don’t blame people for your actions. You chose to act/react that way.

CONFESS YOUR SINS:

PROVERBS 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall no prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

“Confession is good for the soul."

When you confess your sins, you have taken the handle, and Satan has nothing to hold over your head.

BE FORGIVING:

2 CORINTHIANS 2:10, 11 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

If you refuse to forgive, Satan will have access to your mind.

How is that so?

You will not be able to stop thinking how much you hate the person who did you wrong.

Satan has got you there.

Unforgiveness is one of Satan’s devices to control your thought processes.

SUBMIT YOUR WILL TO GOD:

JAMES 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

“If we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses” (Desire of Ages, p. 668).

Our Weapons

2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Know whose thoughts you are allowing to find a home in your mind.

If the thoughts are from GOD, it will strengthen the knowledge you have of GOD, and your relationship with Him will grow.

If the thoughts are from Satan, your knowledge of GOD will diminish.

The choice is yours whose thoughts you will allow to remain in your mind.

Remember that wherever the mind goes, the man follows.

GOD’s Desire for You

EPHESIANS 3:16–19 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

He = GOD

Inner man – your mind

Your hearts = your minds

Don’t you want to “be filled with all the fullness of GOD”?

PHILIPPIANS 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Brothers and sisters, let us strive to have the mind of Christ.

An Appeal

If you want GOD to have full control of your life, please stand.

If you want GOD to help you control your thoughts, come to the altar.

If you vow to immediately chase Satan’s evil suggestions from your mind when they pop in your mind, kneel with me.

Let us pray