Have you ever been utterly amazed by what your mind does and can do?   I had a friend in high school that could multiply 3 numbers by 3 other numbers and give you the answer without using a calculator.  I remember being amazed by his mind.  I am amazed at my mind too, but for a different reason.  I am amazed at what a battlefield it is, and how often I am losing the battle.

So, if Ephesians 6 is true, and it is, that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, then it makes sense that a big part of the war is going to be fought in our minds.  And Satan’s forces will often come against me at the point of what I think.  Paul said in 2 Cor 10:5 that he was taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  I think he knew he was in a war and that his mind was a big part of the battlefield.  For example, someone says something that sounds like it could have been a criticism, and before you know it the mind has given it all kinds of meaning and started down an unhealthy path.  If you are married, have you ever done that with your spouse?  Ever find that you read into the situation more than actually happened?  Why do we do that?  I think part of the reason is Satan knows God wants to speak to us in our mind, and tell us He loves us, and that we are His precious beloved son/daughter in whom He is well pleased.  If our mind is confused and cluttered with bitterness, resentment, and anger about the past, or fear, worry and anxiety about the future, then we will have a hard time living in the present and hearing that loving voice of our Father.  So for me, 2013 is the year of the mind.  It is the year of hearing the voice of my Father with new clarity.  It is the year of taking thoughts captive in a new way.  It is the year of living out Phil 4:8, which says, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” 

In this crazy fallen world, there are tons of things to think about that are unhealthy.  Lets go radical this year with our minds.  Lets all agree we are going to control our minds like never before, by the power of the Holy Spirit and for the great name of our great God, and for the advance of His great Kingdom.