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The
Battlefield in your Mind
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by
Tom Caballes
Be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern
what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans
12:2
What goes on in our minds is something even the greatest
scientists, with all the technological
advancements, cannot explain. In our minds are
past emotions, our memories of both good times and bad, pleasure and hurts,
and so on. But the mind is also where we form and choose our values, principles,
and priorities in life. Anything can come to our minds and we need to process
them – either accept them or reject them. Like in the cartoons, we have
two voices within us – the good [represented by an angel] and the bad [represented
by the devil]. How do we know which side is saying which? We are bombarded
with moral choices we face daily, and sometimes we make mistakes in our
choices and sometimes we choose the right decision. There is a spiritual
warfare always happening 24/7 between our ears.
So how do we win
in the battlefield in our minds?
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We need to grow in knowing the mind of God. The first
way is to read the Bible daily and live out the teachings that it says.
We need to know the ways of Jesus, the mind of Jesus, and the character
of Jesus. What would Jesus do in that situation?
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We need to be careful what thoughts captivate us
– are they righteous and wholesome, orunholy and self-seeking? If they
are in the secondary group, we need to decide to keep the‘garbage out.’
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We need to look at the media that we let our minds
be influenced with. Are they coming from people who desire to love and
serve God, or not? That is why it is good to read and learn from the lives
of saints and their teachings.
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Aside from the media, people greatly influence us.
Without thinking, we absorb the values and the character of those who we
hang around with. Are those closest to us want to love God? Would Jesus
be happy with my friends’ choice of words?
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Many of us believe in lies, and these lies prevent
us from drawing close to God and living in peace. We need someone who we
can share our life with who can mentor us and help us identify and uproot
those lies from our lives.
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Lastly, choose to forgive rather than to keep the
hurts and grudges inside. Choosing to behurt and re-live those hurts
makes us live in the past. We need to let go, surrender those grudges and
let God deal with them, so we can move on in peace in our lives.
Other Scripture References
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We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised
against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…
[2 Corinthians 10:5]
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...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever
is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think
about these things. [Philippians 4:8]
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Other references: Proverbs 3:7; Proverbs 13:20; Matthew
22:37; Romans 8:6-7; Romans12:19-21.
For Personal Reflection
and Group Sharing:
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Am I careful with what captivates my mind?
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Who is winning in the daily battle in my mind? Am
I growing in the wisdom and knowledge of God every day?
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Tom Caballes is the National
Senior Administrator and a National Coordinator of the Lamb
of God, a community of the Sword of the Spirit with 7 branches located
throughout New Zealand. Tom also leads Kairos
New Zealand, an outreach program for high school, university, and post-university
aged people.
Tom and his wife Mhel and
their two daughters live in Wellington, New Zealand.
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