Freedom - the battle for the mind - Part III

Dwight Fletcher

The Word of God is one of the most powerful weapons we have at our disposal. Scripture is far more powerful than we can fully understand. As the battle for our mind rages on, we must put into practise the Bible verses we memorise and make them into weapons.

Ephesians 6:10-18 describes in detail the spiritual fight and outlines God's provision for our protection. It says. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood..." Ephesians 6:10-12a (KJV)

As we fight, the first encouragement is to "be strong" not in our own strength but in the strength of "the Lord and the power of His might". We are also taught how to prepare ourselves for battle. The passage describes six elements of a Roman soldier's armour as examples of spiritual weapons highlighting how to use them properly.

1. The belt of truth.

A Roman soldier would wear a wide belt to protect his 'loins'. The Bible says to use truth, the Word of God, as the basis of all reproduction and elimination. In other words, if something agrees with the Word of God, we receive it and teach it to others, but if it clashes with the Word, we eliminate it.

2. The breastplate of righteousness.

The breastplate protected a soldier's vital organs, especially the heart. The devil always aims for the heart, trying to rob us of our joy and faith. He shoots to kill by condemning us, telling us that we're no good or that God loves other people more than He loves us. The breastplate of righteousness declares that the blood of Jesus is the strongest cleansing and purifying agent in the universe. When our sin was touched by the blood of Jesus, it was gone forever.

3. The helmet of salvation.

The helmet protects a soldier's head and the helmet of salvation protects our minds. Christ's salvation protects our minds. We can be tempted to doubt our salvation or worth in God's eyes, but God helps us to remember we are eternally secure in Him. Colossians 1: 22 (NIV) reminds us, "Christ saved us and made us holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation". We can enter the battle confident of the outcome.

4. The shoes of the gospel of peace.

A Roman soldier's sandals had cleats on the bottom, so he could be stable no matter what the terrain. That's what the gospel can do for us. Jesus came to make peace between us and a holy God. The devil wants us to take off our shoes, so we will be unstable when we walk. But living with constant reminders of the gospel of Christ keeps us steady. This means our lives become about glorifying God and not about pleasing ourselves, or accumulating fame or fortune or finding someone to love.

5. The shield of faith.

A Roman soldier's shield was a full-body shield. It was portable, strong, and protective. That's what faith is for us. "So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17 (NIV). We need to constantly run scripture through our minds. The more we hear God's Word, the bigger and stronger our shield of faith becomes to block all the flaming arrows of the enemy!

6. The sword of the Spirit.

The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It is a sword against the attack of the enemy, but it is a scalpel in our hands for the healing of our wounds. Hebrews 4:12 (ESV). describes the Word as being "... living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword"

The full armour of God is more powerful than any other weapon at our disposal. God wants us to dress for battle daily.

To win the battle for the mind we must renew our minds by memorising scripture. Then we must use the Word of God as a spiritual weapon. When we do this, we can live our lives free from fear, anxiety; thoughts of suicide, low self-esteem, lust, addictions; and so much more. Just put into practise what you have learnt and fight for your minds.

Let's pray right now

Lord Jesus, we declare You Lord of our thought lives. We bring every thought captive to You, and we declare war in Jesus' name on any stronghold of the enemy in our lives. We gird our loins with truth. We put on the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, and the shoes of the gospel of peace. We arm ourselves with the sword of the Spirit. We will delight in Your Word and meditate on it day and night. We thank You for freedom. In the name of Jesus.