Take Authority Over Your Mind

Winning the Battle for Your Mind

Journey Into The Promised Land

Hebrews 12:1–15 (CSB)

THE CALL TO ENDURANCE

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, ²keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

FATHERLY DISCIPLINE

³For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up. ⁴In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:

My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly

or lose heart when you are reproved by him,

⁶for the Lord disciplines the one he loves

and punishes every son he receives.^,

⁷Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? ⁸But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. ¹¹No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

¹²Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

WARNING AGAINST REJECTING GOD’S GRACE

¹⁴Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.

Paul warned New Testament believers not to become weary and faint in their minds, due to the great opposition and persecution they were facing. He told them:

…let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

The Greek word for faint means “to unloose, relax, and make weak.” Satan wants to weaken you. He wants you to become so overwhelmed by your circumstances, so weary fighting the battles you have day after day in fulfilling the ministry God has given you, that you faint and relax in your mind.

He wants your mind to be spiritually tired and weak, so you will:

let up on your intensified prayer time.
cut down on the time you read and study the Word.
stop resisting his attacks.
stop taking control of your thoughts.
stop casting out doubt and unbelief.
stop releasing your faith.

You may be at this dangerous point right now, where you are spiritually weary and you have fainted in your mind. You may be so tired of the spiritual battles that you are ready to give up. You may be tired of resisting temptation. Your mind may be in constant turmoil. You may be depressed or severely oppressed by the enemy. Whatever strategy Satan may be using to attack your mind, don’t give in! God has made it possible for you to walk in one-hundred percent victory over all the power of enemy. The moment you faint in your mind and stop resisting his attacks, you are surrendering yourself into his hands. You are defeated only when you fail to fight.

It is time to prepare your mind for aggressive action. To win the war against Satan and live in one-hundred percent victory over every attack, circumstance, and strategy Satan will use against you, you must have a strong, powerful, disciplined mind that is controlled by the Holy Spirit.

In his counterattack on the Church, Satan is going to attack your mind with such intensity and such force that you are left in a weakened, vulnerable condition. He doesn’t want you to have a victorious, well-disciplined mind.

Make this declaration:

I will not become passive. I am preparing my mind for aggressive action against the enemy.

*Adapted from MCWE email – Journey Into The Promised Land by Morris Cerullo

Take Authority Over Your Mind – 3/18

Winning the Battle for Your Mind

Journey Into The Promised Land