Winning The Mind Games

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
–Ephesians 6:11

In his book “Among The Heroes,” Jere Longman described the extensive preparations made by the terrorists who hijacked United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. They believed that they were in a holy war, and they prepared accordingly. Longman wrote: “By now, the morning of September 11, the four Islamic men in first class were to have made an oath to die, showered, shaved the excess hair on their bodies and splashed themselves with cologne. They had been given detailed handwritten instructions on how to prepare for their final hours on earth. . . . They should have blessed their bodies by reading the Koran. By a rubbing of the hands, they should have also blessed their luggage, clothes, knives, IDs, passports, papers. . . . They should have tightened their clothes before the battle. They should have secured their shoes and worn socks to make sure their feet would stay in their shoes. They should have said a morning prayer in a group. . . . ‘Oh Lord, take your anger out on [the enemy] and we ask you to protect us from their evils.’ And: ‘Oh, Lord, protect me from them as you wish.’ And: ‘Oh Lord, block their vision from in front of them so that they may not see.’ When the confrontation began, they were to clench their teeth and ‘strike like champions who do not want to go back into this world.’”

Now contrast these terrorists’ preparation for warfare with that of the average Christian. Sure, we say we believe in Satan and his demons, but we pray only if our backs are up against the wall. We read our Bibles only if there is nothing to watch on television. We allow ourselves to become so distracted by the enemy that we fail to see his fatal blow against us. No wonder so many Christians fall so easily into the trap of immorality, experience the dissolution of their marriages, or find themselves compromising their integrity. The fact is, we are not prepared for battle.

Contrast the passivity of most Christians with how Paul said we ought to prepare for battle in Ephesians 6:10-11: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” Paul was talking about a soldier who is alert and armed for battle instead of snoozing as the bombs burst overhead. Remember, Satan has a plan to destroy your faith, your family, and your future. If you are going to be aware and alert for his attacks, you need to know where this battle is being waged. Contrary to what a lot of Christians think, the primary battlefield for Satan’s war against you is not in the home, the church, or even in this world. The primary battlefield for spiritual warfare is your mind. Your mind is the battlefield in which the forces of good and evil are waging war for control of your soul. This week we are going to talk about how to win the mind games that Satan wages against you.

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Winning The Mind Games” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2010.

Jere Longman, “Among The Heroes” (New York: HarperCollins, 2002), 38-39.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.