The Battleground of the Mind

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 55:7-8)

The mind is a battlefield. You will be bombarded with thoughts from the enemy, and you must combat them with thoughts from the Lord. The above verse from the prophet Isaiah explains that God desires repentance from those who have walked away and into unrighteousness. Repentance is not simply being sorry, but it involves a complete change of mind and heart, leading to a transformation of your actions. Where are your thoughts coming from? Are you thinking of God’s thoughts or the enemy’s?

I get up every morning and worship the Lord, yet even in those moments, a negative thought will often pop into my head. I recognize that it is the enemy. The enemy will try to get you to question God and think unrighteous thoughts. You must combat the thoughts of the enemy with the thoughts of God. 

God promises that if we make a point to repent and change our thinking, God will have mercy and abundantly pardon. What a powerful promise of compassion from God! He is full of mercy and compassion and desires us to win the battle of the mind. That’s why He finished the verse with, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.” God knows better than we think we do. Your mind is not on God’s level. When you are faced with difficult situations or questions, remember that God’s thoughts and ways are always better than the best-laid plans of man.

Practical Application

As you pray today, ask the Lord to help you think His thoughts. Reject the thoughts of the enemy and accept the mind of Christ. When you make plans, always submit them to the Lord first. His thoughts and ways are better than yours.

Proverbs 3:7; Romans 11:34

It Always Starts with Thoughts

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.  And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (Genesis 6:5-11)

The history of the worldwide flood in Genesis 6 shows us an absolute truth: sin doesn't just appear out of nowhere; it starts in the mind. As people think unrighteous thoughts, they take root in their hearts and affect their emotions and decisions. Genesis 6:5 highlights the cause of the fall of all of humanity — every thought was bent toward evil. We may think we are in a bad state of affairs now, but it is nowhere near what it was like in Genesis 6. What began as unchecked evil thoughts grew into wickedness that covered all of humanity, resulting in a society so filled with violence and corruption that God regretted creating humankind.

The thoughts we entertain shape the world we live in. Everything starts with a thought. The question is: what kind of thoughts are you allowing to dwell in your heart? As in Noah’s time, unchecked evil thoughts can spiral into actions that lead us far from God’s design. This is a serious matter—one that demands intentional effort.

However, not all of humanity was doomed in Genesis 6. The good news was that God’s mercy, as seen in Noah’s story, is available to those who obey Him.

Practical Application

Make a conscious effort to guard your thoughts. When we control what we allow our mind to think about, we control what takes root in our hearts. Choose to think God’s thoughts and kick out any of the enemy's thoughts that show up immediately.

Isaiah 3:9; Hosea 4:6

What Defiles a Man

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. (Matthew 15:18-20)

The Pharisees were entirely focused on the external acts of following God, such as washing their hands before eating, believing that refusing to follow those things creates impurity. But Jesus taught another view. He explained that what truly defiles a person isn’t what goes into the body but what comes out of their heart. Before any evil action occurs, there is first a thought, which is entertained, nurtured, and eventually spoken or acted upon.

When you hear of mass murderers committing atrocities or of people doing heinous acts, they don’t begin with an opportunity on a bad day. It all started with a thought they entertained. Jesus taught His followers that sin begins in the unseen realm of the mind and heart. In the same way, we don’t just wake up one day and commit a grave sin. Evil actions result from thoughts and ideas we’ve let our minds meditate on over time.

The enemy is always planting suggestions in our minds. Those thoughts grow as we give place to these thoughts—whether it is fear, lust, envy, or anger. Over time, if left unchecked, they become words we speak and actions we carry out.

This is why we must be intentional about what we allow our minds to dwell on. The enemy’s strategy has always followed the same process: he suggests thoughts, we either throw them down or entertain them, and we either have victory or believe his thoughts and act on them.

The devil can plant thoughts like, “I’m going to get hurt” or “No one will ever love me.” If we do not actively and purposely reject those thoughts, they can become reality.

Practical Application

Make it a point to defeat evil thoughts out loud by speaking against them when they appear in your mind. Declare God’s Word, and don’t dwell on fearful or evil thoughts.

Deuteronomy 30:14; Psalm 49:3