Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee.
4 Trust in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.
In order for the Christian in our day to stave off the multiple and sustained assaults of both internal and external foes, we will have to keep Jesus ever before our faces.
The battle for our minds as pertains to the invisible forces of good and evil, could be summed up in one short sentence: Get persons to choose the good or the evil. It always comes down to choice so we must be aware of the various agencies that are involved in altering or swaying our decision making, and the ways and means that are employed in doing so.
On the good side of the fence, methods such as the presentation of truth, God’s love for us, persuasions, and promises are used to encourage us to choose to do right.
God is a God of truth, and therefore He will use only those ways and means that are in harmony with His perfection. Thus, God tries to persuade persons to choose the right through the presentation of the Gospel. Let’s read:
Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, you almost persuade me to be a Christian.
2nd Corinthians 5: 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world, to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
However, on the dark side of the fence the following techniques, ways and means are employed to get us to choose evil. Deception, disguise, applause, force, censure, intimidation, heckling, persuasion, certain drugs, fear, enticement, certain movies, popularity, and indoctrination through philosophical idols that speak things contrary to the word of God.
After persuasion did not work with Joseph, our arch nemesis resorted to the use of force to try and get the young man to buckle. Day by day, as Joseph went to work, he had to endure sustained assaults, until in sheer desperation, devils moved upon Mrs. Potiphar to pull out all the stops, and try to force young Joseph into submission.
Revelation chapter 13, refers to efforts that will be made to try and starve persons into submission, if they, like Joseph, and the three Hebrew boys, refuse to buckle under pressure. But Jesus Christ who has trod this way before us, has already proven that the severe pangs of hunger will not force one saint into doing the unthinkable.
However, for the time being there are several other ways and means that are employed to sway choices, and all these must now be fully unmasked for what they really are. Since the day our first parents ate of the forbidden tree, everything that pertains to the human experience has been tainted with good and evil. That’s an undeniable fact.
We should understand, that in the overwhelming majority of instances, evil is advertised as having some type of benefit. When in the garden of Eden, the cunning serpent sought to enlist Eve in his ranks, he touted those supposed benefits that will accrue to her and Adam if they would turn aside from the instructions given them by God.
And thus, it has ever been throughout the history of mankind. A lot of new illnesses have been plaguing humanity of late, and science seems to be at a loss for the ways and means to effectively keep up with the emerging crisis.
Those mitigation efforts put in place to stave off the use of dangerous drugs in our day, have been met with stiff resistance from our invisible foes. And very often, such efforts deal with the symptoms, and not the main underlying cause of the problems.
Persons get depressed for various reasons, including bereavement, divorce, financial loss, guilt, the loss of one’s job, and inflationary pressures. But in too many instances, the mitigation efforts are made to address symptoms, and not the real cause.
Issues pertaining to one’s weight could cause some persons to become depressed, but in some cases, a quick fad diet, or temporary fix is sought after while the lifestyle change, with the formation of healthy habits is left off the table.
Persistent loneliness can also trigger depression, yet in many instances, drugs are employed, to address the depressed state of mind, and not the underlying issue. If one is lonely what they may need is a friend or a spouse, not necessarily a drug to improve the mood.
There are times, when for some unknown reason a person might suffer from low self-esteem, or mood, and in other cases, some persons may not be able to find joy or pleasure in activities that once perked their interest.
Now, it is to be understood that science as we know it might do its best to mitigate adverse conditions of the mind, such as depression, but we must also bear in mind that such efforts, through the use of certain drugs, may have adverse, and long-lasting effects on the choices persons may make.
This is especially true of mind-altering drugs which have the ability to produce suicidal thoughts. As it is with the knowledge of good and evil, some benefits may be realized, but the harmful side effects could steer a person to do things that they otherwise may never choose to do.
We are not going to recommend this or that for this is not our area of expertise; we’re just going to deal with the ways and means employed that can affect decision making, because that’s where the battle for the mind comes into play.
Because of the constraints of time, we are going to address two main areas that can directly affect our decision making, as it pertains to the battle for our minds: [1] The use of harmful drugs. [2] What we see.
Let’s begin with [1] The use of harmful drugs.
The opioid epidemic is far from over, because thus far it has taken the lives of about 932,000 people in America, with one death being recorded every five minutes across the land. Many persons do struggle with chronic pain, and to get relief, some turn to the use of opioids in different forms.
It is indeed difficult to live with chronic pain, and by all means the cause of such adverse conditions must be ascertained by professionals in the field. But we should know that certain drugs which are dispensed can play an adverse role in the battle for our minds, especially those drugs which are able to modify and interfere with mood, thoughts, and desires.
These agents often open the floodgates of addiction which can become increasingly difficult to close with each and every additional use. Whatever might be a person’s one’s situation, drugs which trigger suicidal thoughts and those which tend to influence persons to erratic or violent behaviors must be handled with great care.
We must remember that in the battle for our minds, the goal of evil agencies is to procure the adverse outcome through the choices folks make, and thus, any drug that will compromise the rational thinking processes of a person, must be handled prudently.
One of the problems with drug abuse, as it pertains to the battle for our minds, is that something that might actually produce some level of benefit where warranted is used for recreational purposes in some instances, and once the problem of addiction kicks in, you would have a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy on your hands.
Persons never plan to get addicted to drugs; they do in many instances, become overly dependent on the use thereof, and with each additional use, it can be very hard to break the cycle. Thus, because chronic pain is one of the main drivers of opioid and weed abuse, we would address this issue squarely.
Question: Should persons seek for relief from pain at all costs, even if doing so would compromise the decision-making processes of the mind? Or, should there be a threshold point beyond which it is not safe to go?
When Marijuana was being introduced to the nation it was touted as a blessing for persons suffering with long term pain and certain mental illnesses, and yes, just like in the garden of Eden its benefits were then advertised as valid reasons for the use thereof.
But God would have us understand that satan is not a fool for he has been in business much longer than we have been alive, and he’s learned by experience that, in order to have evil entrenched, it will have to first be introduced with some good benefits.
And thus, armed with stratagem and many years of experience, he succeeded in getting Ganja to move from an illegal substance, to being medicinal and on to being recreational, and from there, it can now be found in candies, ice creams, drinks, chewables, and basically in any form one can dream or think of.
How did it make such a quick transition from having medicinal benefit, to being distributed in candies or milk shakes? The answer is to be found in strategies employed by the forces of darkness in the battle for our minds.
Amongst devils, it is a well-documented and proven fact, that if something has good and evil intertwined in it, the human agent will inevitably, and eventually gravitate more toward the evil, rather than the good and hence the reason why, in order to get his foot in the door the good is most often trumpeted up front.
This particular strategy is clearly outlined in the holy scriptures, so that none be deceived concerning the multitude of benefits that are advertised in the use of harmful drugs, especially those that produce the adverse effects on the mind, we referred to earlier.
And persons who become hooked on harmful mind- altering drugs, in different forms will suffer adverse effects sooner or later, because in many instances, the bad effects are not realized immediately. In fact, one of the main problems associated with addiction is that human minds become trained to recognize certain drugs as bringing relief or pleasure.
Thus, the body and mind are trained to recognize or interpret such substances as being something good, not bad, and after a while, the cravings can become so strong that it reaches a tipping point, where it is extremely difficult to live without them.
And in some unfortunate cases, by the time correct intervention is sought, it is already too late. So, let’s now address squarely, the pros and cons of using marijuana and harmful opioids as pain killers.
As was with the tree of knowledge of good and evil, ganga may have some level of tangible benefit, but it also produces some harmful side effects that can play a definitive role in the battle for our minds, as far as decision-making goes.
One of the adverse side effects of weed is psychosis, which is a severe mental disorder in which persons’ thoughts and emotions could become so impaired, that they can lose touch with reality. So, we ask the question again:
Should persons seek for relief from pain at all costs, even if it might compromise one’s decision-making process? Or is there a threshold point beyond which it is not safe to go?
When Jesus was hung upon the cross, He was given a pain-killer, a concentrated mixture of vinegar and gall to deaden the severe pain He was experiencing. He tasted it, but soon recognized that it potentially could compromise clear His thought, and decision- making processes, and thus, to protect His mind, He determined that He would bear the pain instead. Let’s read:
Matthew 27: 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
[The Desire of Ages pp 746] To those who suffered death by the cross, it was permitted to give a stupefying potion, to deaden the sense of pain. This was offered to Jesus; but when He had tasted it, He refused it. He would receive nothing that could becloud His mind. His faith must keep fast hold upon God. This was His only strength. To becloud His senses would give Satan an advantage.
The belief that there are certain problems that only mortals can handle is not grounded in the scriptures for God can handle every problem that plagues the human family. It is true that God often uses human agencies in doing so, but God can handle every, and any problem, all by Himself.
In the scripture we find His proven track record, and even though great advances have been made in the use of various medicines, we must declare the truth that God is able to fix whatsoever goes wrong with the human family. Would He? is another question, but He absolutely can.
There were persons who dealt with chronic pain for many years, who came to Jesus and found healing through faith in Him. There were others who had a mental disorder, who were healed.
And there were others, who on account of a wrong course of action had brought adverse consequences upon themselves, yet Christ was able to remedy the situations all by Himself. Let’s read:
Matthew 4: 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with different diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
This is not to say that folks should utterly dispense with the advances made in medicine. We shouldn’t. But if in the treatment of chronic pain, persons find themselves crossing that threshold point where the mind is being affected too adversely, then it may be time to go have a talk with God.
The way in which God usually works with those who trust in Him, is that He requires that wherever it is possible, all God-ordained products, way and means at our disposal be exhausted first, and then, if we hit a brick wall, we ask for Divine intervention as per His will.
But this requires that we not limit Him to only finite ideas and concepts, because God has a thousand different ways at His disposal to solve the very same problem.
The results that accompany prayer are often tied to our capacity to believe and receive and thus, a good perspective is to cultivate a no-limit, or open-ended approach when it comes to believing in what God can do. Let’s read:
Isaiah 55: 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Mark 9: 23 Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Matthew 21: 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
And now we turn to the second factor pertaining to the battle for our minds: [2] What we see.
When Eve found herself at the forbidden tree in the garden of Eden, her five senses were engaged in the following order: Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell, and Taste. The avenues to the soul are our five senses by which we communicate with the outside world, and therefore, what we see can affect the choices folks make.
At Bed, Bath and Beyond as well as at Target, Costco and Walmart, items are arranged and displayed in a strategic manner so as to have the maximum effect in fueling purchases. In fact, the strategy is so time- proven and effective, that in many instances, folks leave the store with things they never intended to buy.
The same is true in the spiritual realm, because the things that we see are arranged, and presented in such a way as to have the maximum magnetic pull on our decision-making processes. It is the purpose of both good and evil angels to have their products so readily available, that they are now literally at our fingertips.
This is not a new concept, for there is nothing new under the sun. It is just the development of an age old principle that has proven track records. It began in the garden of Eden, and has morphed into one of the most successful strategies that can be employed in swaying minds, this way or that. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs and Prophets pp 55] The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve.
In other words satan made it readily available at her fingertips, even though she was initially hesitant. It is a strategy that must be studied closely, for it has been replicated a million times and with remarkable success.
There was a time when persons would have to go to the movies, in order to see their favorite shows. But with the advent of a plethora of streaming services, such as Netflix, Direct TV, Sling and Disney channels the movies are literally at our fingertips for they are just one click away.
Question: So how does that strategy of readily available content play into the battle for our minds?
Remember, as was stated before, the single purpose of each and every strategy employed, is to affect our decision-making processes. This fact is emphasized in the scripture, especially in the context of the final conflict which will engage the issue of choice to the maximum. Let’s read:
Joel 3: 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
We will take one example to illustrate how what we see, coupled together with readily available content can and does affect the mind to produce the desired outcome in one’s decision-making.
In the movies, whether it be in theaters or on Netflix one theme is most often portrayed, and it is done so often, and with such surgical precision that we can conclude that ingesting the concept is equivalent to going to school to be taught by invisible tutors.
Here it is: The good guy hunts down the bad guy and brings him to justice. From Avatar, to Spiderman to Lion King, to Clint Eastwood, to Bruce Lee and the renowned Silver Fox, Starwars, Black Panther, Harry Potter, The last duel, Ghost Busters, The Harder they fall, Lord of the rings, and even Finding Nemo. One theme keeps resurfacing over and over again: The good guy goes after the bad guy and brings him to justice, or wreaks vengeance on him.
And it does not stop at the movies, for as we stated before, the strategy is to make the products readily available at your fingertips, and therefore, it is now to be found in our living rooms and online, just one click away, in the likes of Judge Judy, Judge Alex, You be the judge, Divorce court, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Faith, Judge Hatchet, and the list goes on and on.
It never has and would never be God’s will for family and friends to go into the public square to tear each other apart. Exposing the misdeeds of another for the sake of personal retribution, and compensation, retaliation, and justification, is a strategy that is not endorsed, nor instructed in Christ’s kingdom.
Somehow, we seem to be obsessed with a sense of strict justice and as persons go to school in the form of movies, theaters, and online streaming, we come away pregnant with justice, and the enemy of souls waits, invisibly in the wings for the inevitable results of his teaching to be made manifest.
After being thus indoctrinated with justice, it could become quite difficult to appreciate, or implement the concept of mercy, because by imbibing so much justice, mercy seems like a foreign principle to folks, and then inevitably the natural default setting in the mind is one of justice, whenever someone does us wrong.
Thus, strict justice becomes second nature, while a disposition to show mercy is relegated to being an afterthought. But in God’s kingdom, the default setting is mercy, and as such He desires that we think and act along that specific mode of thought.
In the ancient sanctuary system the Mercy seat was strategically and intentionally positioned above the justice that the law calls for, and were it not for this perspective, none of us judges would be alive today.
But when we go to school in the university of the movies, to be infiltrated with such concepts that are foreign to God’s kingdom, it could become very difficult to forgive, because the reflex action when wrong is done to us is to get even. And thus, the decisions along those lines often follow as clockwork. But this mode of thought is contrary to the kingdom of Christ. Let’s read:
Ephesians 4: 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Matthew 5: 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there you remember that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
Romans 12: 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
The principles and instructions we mentioned above are not exactly what you would find on Netflix, or in the movies, for they are, for the most part foreign to the kingdom of darkness.
In the battle for our minds The Lord seeks to have us think and act like Himself, whereas devils seek to imbue us with the thoughts and sentiments that are entirely contrary to the kingdom of light. When God instructs us to forgive, He is not merely referring to several instances in our life experience where it may become warranted.
He is referring to us adopting forgiveness as a way of life, not something we have to grind our teeth to think about and then hand it over reluctantly. When Christ was on Calvary, He offered to forgive not only those who had trespassed against Him, but those also who did not ask for forgiveness.
But it is a mortal conflict that we are engaged in, the results of which would tell for time and for eternity, depending on the choices and decisions we make. Therefore, we beseech everyone, by the mercies of God that, we all choose life.
Let us then submit our minds to Jesus so that right principles, right concepts, ways, and means may be indelibly etched into our consciences, for when this is done by the grace of God, choosing good and the right would become second nature, not merely an afterthought.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages to think and act along godly lines, being careful at all times to guard the avenues to our souls so that in the battle for the mind, we may emerge as conquerors by God’s grace. Let’s read:
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.
God Bless!