7 November | Youth
«Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.» 2 Corinthians 10:5
This is the greatest challenge of our spiritual battle. If we want to win the physical battle, we will have to control the spiritual battlefield. And the Scriptures make it clear how to control it: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov 4:23). In order to experience a life of purity with a clean heart, we have to identify what keeps us from the heart of God and let go. If you are a Christian, you are acutely aware of the struggle between your flesh (worldly desires) and your spirit (holy desires). This ongoing battle is fought in our mind. The mind is the terrain where the battle takes place. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,” is what the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:4. Our problem is the devil's strongholds. The Greek root of the word here translated as “stronghold” is related to the noun “castle,” or the verb “fortify.” In other words, Paul says that the weapons of God can free those who are “imprisoned by deception.”
We do not want to fall into temptation, but the enemy keeps us locked in this fortress he built in our mind. The links in this diabolical chain are inappropriate text messages, conversations with ulterior motives, inappropriate websites, sexual fantasies, etc.
As Christians, we have powerful weapons at our disposal. We have faith, prayer and the Bible. When you meditate on God, He protects your mind. When you have God's thoughts, He guards your mind. Worry less about who you are fighting and worry more about learning to better wield the weapons that God offers.
Gradually build your defenses for those moments of weakness. Block all paths to impurity. Close each gap. Beware of blind spots. We all have blind spots. Since it is not possible for us to change what we cannot identify, ask God to show you any areas of your life that are harming you, offending those around you and displeasing God. In this struggle, remember what Dwight L. Moody said: “God doesn't seek for golden vessels, and does not ask for silver ones, but He must have clean ones.”