Mind Games.
PART 1.
Our mind is being attacked daily, how do we handle it?
This powerful teaching will show you the keys that will transform your understanding of the power of the mind. Let’s lay a foundation on which we can build.
Imagine computer hacking and firewall. Let’s define the meaning of these terms.
Hacking: to break up the surface of (the ground); to damage or injure by crude, harsh, or insensitive treatment; cut ruthlessly; to gain unauthorized access to a computer system; to modify (a computer program); to circumvent security and break into (a network, computer, file, etc.), usually with malicious intent; to make rough cuts or notches; deal cutting blows; a piece of code that modifies a computer program in a skillful or clever way. Wow, what a picture. Bad thoughts definitely fit in into this description. Our mind needs protection. Agree?
Let’s define a firewall:
A firewall is a security system, that uses rules to control incoming and outgoing network traffic. A firewall acts as a barrier between a trusted network and and an untrusted network. A firewall controls access to the resources of a network through a positive control model. This means that the only traffic allowed onto the network is defined in the firewall policy; all other traffic is denied.
Can we allow everything that comes to our mind in?
We need to build a firewall to filter and protect our mind from attacks. As we grow from childhood to adulthood there are things that are said to us and shown to us. How do we process these things?
- Romans 12:2 (NKJV) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; 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;
KEY: Stronghold – a prison or a fortress
Stronghold is neutral: can be positive or negative.
KEY: Renewing your mind gives traction to your Christian walk.
Definition of traction=
- The act of drawing or pulling. A pulling force.
- The power that is used to pull something.
- Medical : a way of treating broken bones in which a device gently pulls the bones back into place.
REVELATION:
God’s word applied to bad thoughts replaces them with the right thoughts. Also we use God’s word to pull the bad thoughts down and put the right ones in the right place. God’s word is like a device that’s needed to perform this action, without it the thoughts can’t be put into the right place and become right. When device is used to pull bones back into place it is very painful, we would want to avoid it but it’s necessary to go through the pain. Same is with our thinking. We’ve used to a pattern of thinking and allowing wrong thoughts in so replacing them with the right ones is a painful process. God’s word is a force that makes our thoughts right.
We are going to use an illustration from the book of Joshua chapter 6 to see the process of liberation of God’s people. This way we can see how our thinking works.
EGYPT —–> JORDAN —–> JERICHO
Saved Baptized Freed
Joshua 6:1-4 1.Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2. And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
REVELATION
- Jericho or our mind is closed until the right time. God watches over us faithfully until we are ready to possess the true place of freedom but until then we endure suffering during the journey. Even in that suffering we are given peace and joy. You may ands why we have to suffer? Because of the fallen nature of men and things that happened to us in the past.
- People are instructed to walk for 7 days around the city. This is a preparation for taking over. 7 days may represent 7 years in our natural life, it could be less or more depending on how we seek God. He is faithful no matter what, he never condemns our ways as we abide in Christ, never rushes us, judges, never criticizes or leaves us. He totally honors our free will. Even if we choose to stay at Jordan He will honor that and will love us the same. Personally for me it took 2 years to come out of Egypt and cross the sea. Then 3 years walking to Jordan. That’s 5 years just to arrive at the walls of Jericho.
- People walked with priests who lead the way. This is a picture of our pastors, teachers. There is no victory without them. God appoints them. We are to follow them, the Christ in them.
- Priests carried the ark of covenant with them. This is a picture of God’s presence. We can have pastors or teachers but if there is no presence of God with them, no victory. God’s presence is what will break the walls. Also because the presence of God was with priests, God was with all His people!
- People watched on the 7th day the walls falling down. It was a supernatural miracle that God did, not a human being that they should boast. God did it bc his people were prepared and did their part, the fighting, the shouting, endured with patience the doubt, unbelief, believed what seemed impossible. Stayed where they were, endured mocking and people of Jericho laughing at them and calling them fools.
- Verse 14: And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. During the whole day they only walked around the city once, then returned to rest. At this stage of the walk it’s important not to overdo bc it can get overwhelming. It’s already a challenging situation so God allows us to rest. During this time our flesh may really attack us with temptations of all sorts, bad or evil thoughts etc. The enemy throws his devices more than ever at this point. But also we are quite strong if we have already arrived here by God’s grace, leading and of course our willingness.
- After walls fell down people destroyed and burned things. God will show what I must get rid off, what relationships to abandon, what to burn.
- Verse 17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. V. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. The scripture says that God cursed Jericho. We have to keep away from many things the world has to offer. Free life in God is a restrained life and a blessed life.
STEPS TO FREEDOM IN THE MIND:
This is where we tear down prisons and build fortresses.
- Identify kingpin
- Weaken the walls
- Watch your words
- Renewed lifestyle
- Identify kingpin.
To identify Kingpins, answer the questions to find roots of strongholds.
EXPOSING EVIL STRONGHOLDS:
? What lies do you hear in your thoughts?
? What was spoken to you that affected you?
? Do you feel unworthy? Why?
? Do you feel unlikable?
? Do you feel rejected?
? Do you feel unloved, abandoned?
? Do you feel like bad thoughts are too strong to fight and they take over you?
? What event took place in your life that let the lies in?
? What abuse did you have to suffer?
? What father/mother wounds do you have?
- Weaken the walls
This is where the work of freedom begins. Working through the issues, facing the pain will accomplish these things:
Root out – generational issues
Pull down – lies
Destroy/abandon – relationships
Tear Down – belief systems
FACING IT:
Write answers to questions above that you relate to on a separate paper and pray over them.
KEY: First deconstruction then construction.
BUILDING NEW GODLY FORTRESSES:
KEY: salvation is instant, renewing takes time.
There will come a time when the walls fall down, we will take possession of our mind and thinking in a new way with God’s help. The prisons will be broken down! Do you want to be free? Are ready to start?
God desires for us to:
Get free – stay free
Gain the ground – hold the ground
How?
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law (God’s word) shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
There is no other way in renting the mind other than God’s word. Personally for me, I have been listening and reading at the same time. When I can’t read I listen and vice versa. Try different ways of receiving the Word. If you limit yourself to just reading you may find yourself away from God’s word. It’s true. If you are a person of strong habits you are in good shape, if not, and many people aren’t, and that’s ok, we are all growing and on a different levels, then different approaches will work the best. I do practice writing the word as well, taking my devotional and writing scriptures in a personal way as I am thinking the scripture. It is powerful and sure bring forth fruit. God’s word is living and never disappointing.
In this season it is critical to find scriptures that will be your fortresses, write them down, meditate and think on them. Scriptures that speak to your situation. Live into them with your mind and thinking.
- Watch Your Words.
Here we take the fortresses that we have defined and wrote down and begin to speak them out verbally. When lies come we speak to weaken them until they are no more.
Words are what a mortar to bricks.
Without mortar the bricks will not stick together and will fall apart.
Mortar = a mixture with cement, sand, and water, used in building to bond bricks or stones. Binding material.
God supplied the bricks already which is His word. I must supply the mortar.
Satan also supplies bricks (bad thoughts), but we must reject them.
To learn what bad thoughts are, read the book by Joyce Meyer “The Battlefield of the mind”.
Revelation.
If you speak out negative things about your life that means you are in the wilderness and not yet arrived at Jericho and ready to allow God to break down the strongholds of the pain. You may have passed through Jordan but you may be discouraged. To break strongholds of wrong and defeated thinking in your life you must be ready to face the roots of your thinking. It’s very painful but it will bring you to victory! Those who come to Jericho already know the kingpins and ready to take them down by God’s help. God is always waiting for us at Jericho to show his mighty power.
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Because Christ was raised up from the dead, we can walk in newness of life. And the newness of life starts in our mind and thinking. Can we walk in newness when we are stuck and defeated by the old?
MORTAR: Scriptures and thoughts
Recently in a meeting with a powerful woman of God, I heard something that made my spirit jump. She said: “it is hard to renew your mind when you have unresolved pain”. The light went on in me, it made complete sense that I tried many time to renew my mind but it didn’t work. First and foremost: we must deal with pain, that includes forgiveness of others who’ve hurt us, facing secret, hidden sins and patterns. Jesus said if we do not forgive, the Father will not forgive us and the scripture says that tormentors will be releases. That’s only fair.
Basically, trying to renew the mind with unforgiveness or unresolved issues from the past is like trying to put a bandaid on a bleeding wound.
Finally, I want to share the thoughts I am writing in my journal journal to help you start writing yours. Think these thoughts. This is your mortar. Speak them out.
- I have a purpose in God, appointed for works that were prepared for me before I existed.
- I have the mind of Christ, focused on a fellowship with the Father and doing His will.
- I forsake my own ways, I deny my flesh and my mind is renewed.
- I confess my sins often to God, I live in repentance, and he delivers me from hidden motives, froward ways, pride and I walk blameless before Him. Right after, whatever the Holy Spirit highlights to confess, go with it.
- No evil will come to me or my family outside of God’s will, I am not afraid of bad things happening.
- I am not rejected but I am accepted by God and others. My ways are pure and holy. My thinking is pure and holy. My words are pure and holy. My motives are pure and holy. Behind closed doors I’m pure and holy. I am not double minded. Note: you may find yourself acting opposite of what you are speaking and that’s only natural. Don’t be discouraged! Press through to pull yourself into the new way of thinking and living, it is possible.
This teaching is based on the message by Pastor Steve at www.DestinyWorshipCenter.com. From the series “Mind Games”. Fall 2017
Written by I.B.