Dealing with the Battle of the Mind

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

How do we get and stay free? 

 We have to understand that sin and bondage will halt you in your mind in the form of negative thoughts and temptations. Lack of faith and trust causes us not to be free. We have to fight to get and remain free.  Until it comes freely to you, you must:

¨   Make yourself pray
¨   Make yourself worship
¨   Make yourself consecrate

Your mind will tell you all types of negative things that you must battle against. That is why it is imperative that we must keep our mind renewed at all times.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.    Romans 12:1-2 

This is a ‘mind’ scripture. If necessary, read this scripture every day. 

We can not be bound by sin and conformed to the world if we are to be preserved for God's use.  Our ‘Whole’ spirit and soul and body must be be preserved blameless.  Preserved – kept, set apart, put away for the Lord’s use; not to think we are better than the world, just dedicated to His will. 

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

When you start making right decisions according to God, people will turn away from you.

When you know the word of God for yourself you don't have to tell others what the pastor says; you can tell them what the word says.

Body, soul and spirit:

¨   Your soul is made up of 3 parts: mind, will, emotions
¨   I am a being that has a soul that lives in a body that has a spirit
¨   Within that, the soul becomes the mind, what’s birthed out of the mind is free will; our thought processes
¨   But my spirit is what is born again and it is the spirit that gets connected with the Holy Spirit.

The enemy cannot defeat you in the realm of the spirit.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6  

How about getting addicted to Jesus?  We all need to know and understand that everyone is not where you are. We are all in different cycles.  There are some conclusions that you need to grab a hold of in your mind and that you need to grasp a hold to in your spirit and be done with it.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 

– being addicted to Jesus

The enemy tries to attack your soul through your mind through negative thinking; having you think ill against your brothers and sisters in Christ

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;  2 Corinthians 10:5 

Every negative thought needs to be brought under subjection. When necessary – confess that thought so that the enemy does not beat you up with it.

Every thought we have should line up with what God says.

We only follow others; husband, pastor, etc., as they follow God.

There is no temptation that can stand against Jesus Christ.

We have to be honest and admit that we have to guard against our own evil that is residing within us.

Satan did not attack Jesus in the spiritual realm He attacked Jesus’ mind.  Luke 4:1-12 (Temptations of Jesus)

Get to know yourself before your self presents itself.  Before we can get out into the dimensions we are called to, we have to have a face to face with the enemy to see what we are made of; to see if we can take it.

The only way to combat the enemy is with the word; not only in our mind, but in our hearts. Jesus fought Satan with the word of God.  Satan tempted Jesus at 3 dimensions: low realm, middle realm and high realm.  We will be tested in every dimension.

Satan can only have a stronghold in your life if you allow him into your mind and you believe his lies.  The lie starts in the mind. Don’t let Satan have control over your life which begins in your mind.  Curse the negative thoughts that Satan presents to you.

There is authority in the name of Jesus. You need to be baptized in Jesus name in order to have access to the authority of Jesus name.

There is power in the word of God. But you have to know what is written.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

We should be able to let the believer know that their test is common, temporary, a light affliction. We have to have faith to know God is able.

Teach your mind to catch up to where your spirit is.

Sometimes we have to be life restorers to the babes and unbelievers who are fainting.

We have to be in our right mind. We cannot make good decisions in a wrong place.

Be honest enough to admit when you are not thinking right.

Even if no one encourages you, you encourage yourself with the word of God. Know that God does not set us up for failure. He sets us up for perfection. He allows us to be tested so that we can learn and pass.

God makes a way of escape so that we can do the work of the ministry without the enemy pressing down on you.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

We do not let our shames and fears have control. We can’t let our past mistakes have control.

Learn to fight the thoughts and temptations with the word of God.

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. Philippians 4:8

 
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3 

Learn to be satisfied in whatever state you’re in.   

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.Philippians 4:11-13

The question becomes, 

what are you thinking of to keep your mind so messed up?

(Biblical Studies)

09/28/18
03/11/20

Excerpts taken from Bible Study

- Bishop Joel C. Lofton