**THE WAR OF YOUR MIND**
**Introduction**
– In a lot of ways, I think the biggest wars you face in your life are in your mind.
– I like how Craig Groeschel says that most of life’s battles are won or lost in your mind.
– And tonight for the next few moments I want to speak on “THE WAR OF YOUR MIND”.
– Tonight I’m coming to challenge you.
– You see, if we are being honest, we all have things that we want to change.
– But we say we don’t know how.
– Can I tell you that a lot of times (and this is said with love) we want to change but we don’t want to change.
– Our mouth says we want to change but see that just the outward appearance that wants to change.
– And what we call that is Religion not saying you are religious just that you are using the religious which you can not do because it won’t work.
– You have to change in your heart but not just that you change your mind and say i won’t do these things anymore.
– I refuse to fall in this dumb trap again.
– Listen.
**HOW DO I CHANGE**
– I know a lot of people that want to change but don’t know how.
– And see there are so many things that you can say when it comes to the theology of changing that it can get confusing.
– But We can start with the problem which could be a lot of things:
– Wounds- It being Practical
– Or Emotional
– But the biggest one always seems to be Spiritual.
– The problems we face a lot of the times are spiritual because you have an enemy that seeks to kill you
**SATAN’S AGENDA**
– I often heard as a kid that if you let satan in your heart your mind becomes his playground.
– Everyone in this room has faced battles in your mind.
– Whether that be a lie, a thought, trauma, and many others
– Satan knows that if he can get in your head lie by lie that he can sit back and watch you destroy yourself with insecurities that are not true.
– The enemy knows what your weaknesses are and he will try to distract you because his goal is to kill you.
– And even right now he will try his best to distract you to where you get the least amount as possible from this Message
– “But the Good news is that The Word tells us God wants to renew our mind”
– This is what he did to Paul over the course of time
– This is also why Ephesians 6: 11-17 tells us to put on the armor of God to protect us from these lies and attack then with the sword of the spirit which is the bible which is sharper than any two-edged sword and you can use it to destroy those lies
**Genesis 3: 1-13 (NKJV)**
– Notice how in verse 5 that the serpent has tried to get in the mind of Eve by kinda making God sound like the bad guy all this is is satan trying to get in the mind of Eve.
– There is a lesson we can learn from this and if we pay attention and if you apply it that will change your life when it comes to the war of your mind
– So I ask you for the next few moments that you pay attention to what the bible is trying to tell us
**1. DON’T BE NEAR THE TEMPTATION! YOU DON’T BELONG THERE**
– I will start this first point with this question
– Why was Eve near the tree?
– Eve and Adams job was to take care of the garden so why was she around a tree that had no meaning no point and no good path
– So this automatically tells us
“EVE WASN’T WHERE SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE!”
– How many Honest people do i have in here that would say there has been times in my life that i know where i was i shouldn’t have been
– Eve wasn’t where God had intended on her to be it put her in the predicament where one small thing after another led her and adam to being kicked out of the Garden and has led to present day 2024 and this evil world
(STATE FIRST POINT)
– There is no reason to be in a predicament or in a place that will lead you to falling into temptation you dont belong there
– Find what your temptations are and what leads up to you falling into sin and kill it
**DAVID AND BATHSHEBA**
– Now there is someone else in the bible that wasn’t where they were supposed to be that led to disaster
– This person was an amazing warrior had a heart after God’s own heart he was a true worshiper
– But because this amazing king named David wasn’t at the place where needed to be at the time he needed to be there, it led to so many losses and in many ways
– During the spring was the time for a king to be at war but David did not this time he stayed back home and let his best man fight in his place
– Here we are a famous king known for his obedience to God and faith in God but because he wasn’t where he was supposed to be and if you know the story then you know that it led to him seeing Bethesda
– Now I just made a quick look on the internet on how many times David was mentioned in the bible it said 900 something
– And if that is true out of the 900 times he was mentioned out of all the psalms he wrote the incredible wars he won the giants he killed he is most known for two things
– Goliath
– And Bathsheba, so all because he wasn’t in the right place he was led into the temptation that changed his life forever
**BE WHERE GOD INTENDED ON YOU TO BE**
– Whenever we are supposed to be fighting the battle that God intended on us to fight to make us stronger and to have victory over but instead of fighting it we are at home watching netflix satan will place us in a trap
– You are a royal priesthood an eternal being that was made in the perfect image of God you have victory over the things that you face because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world but could it be
– You weren’t where you were supposed to be you ended up in the trap of the enemy stuck in a lie
– And what is so sad is you think whenever you fall into this trap that you should keep it a secret
– NO! Bring into the light because sin grows better in the dark
– But when you put it in the light it will die under the perfect light and blood of Jesus
**STAYING WHERE YOU NEED TO BE**
– You may say how do i make sure and stay where in need to be well, through pray and the through the word
– There is no greater way to learn Gods plan his character but through his word
– That’s why the enemy fights you so hard to read it and to pray to him
– John 8 Jesus said I am the truth he is also the door to heaven he is also the light of the world
– So whenever you have a problem whatever that may be whether big or small these are some steps to take
1. Come to the truth of the word and also prayer
2. Accept Jesus because he is the door! You may ask how do I learn about Jesus and who he is?
– My answer would be John 1 in the beginning was the word the word was God and the word was with God John 1 talks about the deity or divine nature of Jesus
– That means that the closest thing we have to Jesus is the word because he is the word so my answer to be exact is read your word
3. Bring it to the light and let the grace of God save you
– It’s the enemy’s job to make your mind war with itself. Because The brain is made up as a control center for the body.
Your biggest thoughts control your actions and what you do. Satan has many areas he can fight you with by only attacking your mind.
– Just like Eve Satan has that tree right in front of you always that tree that has fruit that is so good for food that is desirable to the eye
– But God says don’t even touch unless you want to die
– Kill it before it kills you
– You may ask Connor why is it so hard to gain a relationship with God. and this is why “The enemy knows if you ever Focus on God and keep it there, you will be unstoppable.
This why he attacks your mind so much he doesn’t want you to know that you are stronger than him through Christ Jesus Don’t let him control your mind or get in your mind.
**Conclusion:**
For the next couple of minutes, and Aunt Magin you can come, I would love to have your absolute attention. My goal for this message was for you to leave encouraged knowing how to fight your battles you want to face. Can I tell you that the enemy isn’t as strong as what you think he is.
**HOW TO CHANGE**
1. The first part of changing is on the inside you have to desire to change
– Repent
– You won’t change until you want to change
2. Find where your temptations start and kill it crush that snake’s head and don’t get near that tree
3. Ask for help
– Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness but a sign of wisdom
– Find someone that genuinely can help you if you are a teen don’t ask a teen ask your pastor your youth pastor your mentor
– Know that how honest you are is how strong you are
– Rather that be with God the person you have accountability with