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 10:5
What causes professing Christians to act so directly contrary to the revealed Word of God? Two words: wrong thinking. Somewhere in that person’s past, a fleeting disobedient thought was not brought into obedience to Jesus Christ. When entertained over a period of time, that fleeting thought became a focused thought, which ultimately became a mindset. Once the mind was convinced, all that was left was for the will to give its consent, which it soon did—especially if it was wooed along by inflamed emotions! And in the process, lives and relationships were devastated.
Lucifer tempted Eve with the same wrong thinking that had caused his own fall. He became intoxicated with a prideful and rebellious thought. Rather than continue to submit to God, Lucifer tried to usurp His throne. Once Satan got Eve mentally questioning the intentions and goodness of God, it was just a matter of time until that wrong thought produced a whole pattern of wrong thinking, which ultimately resulted in wrong action. As a result, Adam and Eve lost the Garden of Eden. Likewise, we all lose things that can never be restored or replaced by our wrong thinking and wrong acting!
That’s why the only hope for man’s wrong thinking is repentance! Interestingly, the word repent basically means to change your mind. We must change our minds about God, about ourselves, about our sin, and about Jesus Christ. Then and only then can we receive the mind of Christ.
We receive His mind at conversion as a part of our new birth, new heart, and new nature. But we must then feed our new spiritual mind with the Word of God. We do that through the process of reading, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word. When we fail to do that, we easily lapse back into our old way of thinking and behaving. We become what the Bible calls “double minded” (James 1:5–8; 4:8).
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, the Apostle Paul instructs us how to win in the secret battlefield of the mind long before the disobedient thought becomes a hostile mental stronghold against the truth of God’s Word. If we do not use the Word of God through the Spirit of God to demolish those unbiblical thoughts at conception, they will surely grow and develop to the degree that they express themselves in unrighteous behavior.
Christian worship and fellowship are also essential to the process of renewing our minds. As we meet together as the Body of Christ in a church where the Word is faithfully taught and practiced, we nurture the process of mental renewal.
Let me give one more biblical prescription for spiritual and mental health: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” What will be the result of such biblical thinking? “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7–8). And in the process, you will strengthen your marriage, secure the emotional well-being of your children, and confirm your example as a truly spiritual man or woman. God wants you to have victory in the secret battlefield of the mind!