Jesus on the Mind
By Dawn Dyson

But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but does not find any. Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation. â€" Matthew 12:43-45

Jesus cares deeply about your mind. God’s Word is thoroughly saturated with mental health principles that so many Christians seem to be overlooking (can’t find the forest for the trees). In the Amplified version of the Bible (Zondervan, 1987), there are twenty-six verses on the mind, twenty-one verses on meditate or meditation, forty verses on thinking or thoughts, etc. and as I looked through the concordance, I was astounded to see the number of verses related to mental health, awareness processes and practical solutions! When one takes the time to look, nearly all verses in the Bible have something to do with thought, belief, or perception. Why then do Christians as a body have such extreme difficulty with the mind, with confusion? After all, aren’t we as Christians supposed to have peace? Absolutely, But it seems only natural to become frustrated with the state of our mental health these days. I mean, why must we cast down one wrong thought after another? And why do areas of past victory become weak again?

The answer to these questions is simple - because the enemy’s plan is to wear us
down. We need to accept this as our current state on earth. Wishing it away just won’t work.
Those who believe in God and His Word know there is an enemy â€" Satan. The Bible talks openly about him. The Bible instructs us to fear not. We must be bold here. To ignore the enemy is to ignore an important part of God’s Word (II Corinthians 2:11). As Christians, how much time do we really give ourselves to do spiritual battle? How much patience do we have for uncovering Satan’s devices? How much do we know about his evil tactics? His plan? These questions may seem uncomfortable to us at first, but understanding how Jesus handled satanic attack can give us the tools we need to experience victory in the realm of mental health.

Second Corinthians 10:4&5 states:
For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. [In as much as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Jesus is our Savior. He successfully thwarted each one of Satan’s attacks. He has ultimate power over the enemy and therein lays our peace of mind. When our mind is being mercilessly attacked with wickedness, addictive thought patterns (strongholds), or anything contrary to the peace found in God’s Word, you can be certain it is the enemy at work. Satan is trying to destroy your life by attacking your mind. But there is no reason to loose heart, just gain Wisdom - your weapon of warfare is Jesus. Turn every thought and purpose of evil over to Him. Allow Him to lead sinful temptations away captive unto His power, His strength, and His goodness. Actually visualize this process in your spirit. Then ask Him to fill your mind with positive thoughts about yourself, about your life, about Him and His never-ending love for you. Be prepared to do this as many times as Satan attacks you. Be prepared to have a period of rest only to be attacked again at a more opportune time for the devil, and a less opportune time for you such as when you are tired, when your mind is not concentrating on spiritual warfare, when you’ve been dealt an unexpected or unfair change in circumstances, etc. Remember â€" we are at war, spiritually. And your spirit is made up of primarily your mind, and also you’re will and your emotions. The enemy attacks you when you least expect it and when you are not prepared. Have patience! You will overcome! In John 16:33, Jesus stated, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]â€?

*For further teaching in this area, the author recommends Battlefield of the Mind and The Battle Belongs to the Lord â€" both books are by best selling author Joyce Meyer.
*Dawn Dyson is the author of Mercy Sky, a historical novel and spiritual journey based on the true stories of the Reverse Underground Railroad and the Lost Trail of Tears.

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