Satan said, “I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). Hence, this prideful attitude is what got him kicked out of heaven. Since the day he was thrown down to the earth (Isaiah 14:12), he’s had a vendetta against God. He’s at war with the Mighty One.

We may ask: Where is Satan’s battlefield? Where does he spend most of his time? The answer? In the minds of God’s people.

Satan invests his time in you and me. He knows our insecurities, weaknesses, and fears. And he continues to plant wrong thoughts in our minds. Satan’s #1 goal is to corrupt the mind. Here’s something we should always remember: most of our problems (troubles) are directly related to what we’re thinking. Wrong perceptions, not getting along with others, relationship woes, depression, discouragement, despair, and hopelessness are often the result of wrong thinking.

After God delivered the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and they arrived in the desert, they grumbled and complained most of the time. Their wrong thinking led to disobedience, rebellion, 40 years of wandering in the desert, and defeat. I’m pretty sure they would have fared much better had they focused on the positive rather than the negative.

Friends, we’re the same as they are. Our troubles, struggles, and defeat in the Christian life are usually directly related to wrong thinking. Satan plants the thoughts, and we water them. Eventually, we believe his lies. When a person is full of wrong thoughts, they are miserable.

Ponder this… Satan wants people to think their troubles are related to what’s going on around them (their circumstances), but their troubles are actually due to what’s going on inside them (their thoughts).

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Do you want to let Satan have the upper hand? Do you want to continue to walk in defeat? If not, then here are two important remedies…

Repent!

The word repent means “to turn around.”  In other words, we need to be willing to change (or turn around) our thinking. Someone said, “When we’re heading in the wrong direction, turning around is the only right direction.” I couldn’t agree more.

1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.” One sure way to stand firm against the great enemy is to turn our thinking around.

Demolish strongholds!

Paul says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). A stronghold is an area in which we are held in bondage due to a certain way of thinking.

Let’s examine three specific ways we can demolish strongholds…

• Replace wrong thoughts with better ones!

Philippians 4:8 offers a powerful message: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” 

We need to examine our thought life. And when we find that our thoughts don’t line up with God’s Word, then we need to replace them with thoughts that do. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. 

• Meditate on God’s Word!

As Joshua took the reins of leadership, God gave him some valuable advice: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8). There isn’t better advice for us either. How often should we meditate on God’s Word? Night and day!

Listen to David’s words: “I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done” (Psalm 143:4-5). It seems that when David was depressed, he meditated on God’s Word. No wonder his legacy lives on and God blessed him.

Unfortunately, most people do not delve into the Word of God very deeply. As a result, they get confused about why they are not powerful Christians living victorious lives. Or why they continue to have so many problems. Let’s not be like most believers. Let’s meditate on God’s Word throughout the day.

• Develop an attitude of gratitude!

The Apostle Paul tells us to “be thankful in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This is one sure way to be controlled by right thoughts, not wrong ones. Learning to be thankful in everything will surely give us victory on the battlefield.

In closing, just remember that our mind (thoughts) play an important role in our victory (or defeat). We choose the outcome.

Blessings,