God has helped me understand that a disciplined mind is entirely necessary for overcoming the wicked one. We know that the battlefield is in the mind, therefore we have to take serious action against the enemy in this area. God in His lovingkindness will teach us how to discipline our minds, but He will not do it for us. We have to do the hard work of disciplining our minds by taking control over our thoughts, and not allowing our thoughts to take control of us. It is a battle, and it is a fight, but we know from Scripture that God has given us the victory.
And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.
Deuteronomy 28:13 NKJV
I used to allow my thoughts to dictate my moods, my daily activities and how I functioned. God showed me that it was because I didn’t have a disciplined mind and I didn’t know how to discipline my mind. I believe the Lord has given me a good understanding of what it means to be the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13), and He taught me how to discipline my mind. I’d like to share this with you because it was such a “game changer” for me and I hope that it may help others who have had a similar struggle.
What it means to be the tail:
Being the tail means that we allow our thoughts and our emotions to dictate our lives. We get dragged around by our circumstances and our thoughts. Our thoughts, our emotions and our circumstances dictate all of our decisions. We feel like we are being dragged around by these, and we just cannot get a grip on them. We feel like they control us instead of us controlling them. Ultimately it prevents us from seeing and experiencing victory in our lives, as it keeps us in an endless cycle of defeat. But, the good news is that God promises us in His word that if we are obedient to His instructions, He will make us the head and not the tail. Thank You Jesus!
What it means to be the head:
The head of something makes the decisions, and the tail must follow. The tail has no decision making abilities, it merely gets dragged around behind the body. Being the head means that we decide to follow and obey Jesus – no matter what! No matter what the enemy throws at us. No matter what trials and difficulties come our way. No matter what forces of darkness try to oppose us. It means that we make the decision to fight for the victory Jesus has already won for us. It means that we stand on His unchanging eternal Word – no matter what.
Being the head means that we no longer allow our emotions to dictate our moods, instead we choose joy and we choose to walk in love and truth. (Emotions themselves are not the problem, the problem is when we allow our emotions to bring us into negative moods or self-pity.) Being the head means that we choose to get up every day wearing the whole armor of God, walk in the Spirit, and live a life of victory and freedom from sin. We choose to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus – no matter what. We choose obedience over disobedience and we push past the enemy into victory.
So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober (in spirit – steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert), fix your hope completely on the grace (of God) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:13 AMPC
How then do we discipline our minds?
Don’t allow your thoughts to take control. Take control over them.
If we find ourselves having unwanted thoughts which we give a lot of attention to, or we merely just let these thoughts play out in our minds, this is allowing our thoughts to take control.
Think of these thoughts as a little plant. Every time we give attention to the thought we are watering this plant. Every time we entertain the thought we are giving fertilizer to the plant. Every time we argue the thought we are giving sunlight to the plant. When we give a plant plenty of water, fertilizer and sunlight – it’s going to grow and thrive. If it’s good thoughts we are having, then the growing, thriving plant is welcomed. But if it is unwanted, unfruitful thoughts which are contrary to God’s Word and His ways, then we don’t want that plant to grow and thrive. Instead we want to starve the thought to death.
God’s Word says that we need to cast down arguments or imaginations and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV
We give power to unwanted thoughts when we give them a lot of attention, and the result is that the thought grows in strength until it becomes a stronghold in our minds. When our thoughts seem to be completely consumed with a specific thought or idea which we find ourselves giving a lot of attention to because these thoughts are causing great distress (extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain), it is possible that we have a stronghold in our minds. If this is the case, you have my compassion because I was there, and I know what it’s like. But thanks be to God because He has given us spiritual weapons to pull down these strongholds. (At a later stage, I will be sending out a blog post specifically on overcoming strongholds)
Scripture also helps us by telling us what we should set our minds on:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8 NKJV
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV
The Lord is good, and He will help you shift your focus onto eternal matters, just like He helped me when I was struggling to overcome unwanted thoughts. He helped me to see that any thoughts which cause fear, distress or anxiety normally come from the enemy – but we don’t have to accept these thoughts. We can fight back. The Lord taught me to keep my mind and my thoughts entirely focused on Him. Memorizing Scripture from the Book of Psalms equipped me to fight the enemy using praise as a weapon, when unwanted thoughts entered my mind. This was a game changer for me, and I will always be so grateful to Jesus for helping me with this.
Another point which helped me significantly is to pray over anything which causes me to worry. Worrying thoughts can keep our minds occupied for hours. Instead of continually worrying about things, we can let go of what is causing us concern, give it over to the Lord, and ask Him for His wisdom and counsel over these matters. I’ve learned by experience that God is faithful and He will help us! Thank You Lord Jesus.
I hope this message helps and encourages anyone who may be going through a similar struggle. This is still a daily walk for me, and at times I still have to push past the enemy, but I know that there is victory in Christ. Let us therefore move forward and focus our minds on God’s goodness, His grace and those things which have eternal value. Let us keep our eyes continually on Jesus and pursue those things which please Him.
Blessings until next time. Goodbye.