Have you had destructive thoughts?  Have you ever been tempted to give up? Have things gotten to the point where it seems that there is no answer and you have no way out?  Let’s look at two scriptures as a foundation:  Proverbs 23:7, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he . . .” and 2 Corinthians 10:5, “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.” The Bible says that your thought life determines your identity. If you are thinking defeat, you will have defeat.  However, if you are thinking victory, then you will have victory.

     Let me begin by saying that many Christians fail to recognize who their enemy is!  Because of a lack of knowledge, Satan and his helpers have been free to steal, kill and destroy unhindered.  God acknowledges this failure to recognize the existence of the enemy in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”  Satan works in two ways that are evident in scripture:  1) He attempts to get us to question God and His Word.   2) He attempts to convince us that we have no identity in Christ.

     Satan used these methods when he tempted Eve in the garden and Jesus in the wilderness.  His temptation of Christians today occurs in the same manner as it did then.  Satan tempted Jesus with thoughts.  Of course, Jesus recognized the enemy immediately! Do you recognize when the enemy is tempting you? Our enemy knows if he can manipulate and impact the decisions you make, he will rule you.

     His method of manipulation is suggestion that He delivers to our minds when we take thought.  Our fight is to recognize this device and be controlled by God’s Word rather than take his thoughts.  We are to cast down vain imaginations.  According to our beginning scripture, we are to bring every thought into obedience to the Word.  This means the real battlefield is the mind.

     The essence of the fight of faith is the discipline of the mind.  It is important for you to realize that you control what you are thinking.  We must realize the thoughts that are in our minds stem from several sources: 1) the influence of others 2) our own experiences apart from God 3) Satan’s suggestion 4) God’s Word.  No matter what their origin, negative thoughts rob us of faith whereas positive thoughts strengthen faith.  The thoughts we entertain against God’s word must be cleansed. These are cleansed through the renewing of the mind.  This process is so important because as Proverbs 23:7 indicates there is a relationship between our thoughts and our character. The thoughts you entertain create your identity. If Satan controls your thoughts, he will influence who you are.

     The Hebrew word for peace, Shalom, means complete in every way, nothing broken and nothing missing. Philippians 4:4-8 tells us that we can enjoy God’s peace by thinking on the right things.  The discipline of the mind brings peace into existence.  God’s peace will guard your heart and your mind and bring completeness into your life. If you learn to live in the peace of God, Satan will be kept out of your thoughts.  As you operate in peace, God is able to impart the knowledge of your victory.  You know God’s peace really places a guard around you and protects you.  Faith that overcomes requires a disciplined thought life that Satan is not able to access.  God bless!