How to Win the Battle of the Mind Before it Begins

The battle of the mind is a hard fought battle. It is also a battle that every single person faces, every single day. Scripture gives us quite a few ideas of how to practice thinking thoughts that are lovely…

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. ~Philippians 4:8

When our thoughts aren’t so lovely or true, we are told to take them captive.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~2 Corinthians 10:5

I think we can all agree it’s much harder to take those thoughts captive and engage in the battle of the mind once those problematic thoughts gain momentum.

The best way to win the battle of the mind before it ever begins is by practicing the kind of thinking outlined in Philippians 4:8. This means being intentional in shaping our thought life with truth.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m not suggesting we engage in magical thinking. Nor am I promoting the power of positive thinking to pretend a bad situation doesn’t exist.

The battle of the mind begins with problematic and untrue thoughts. Using scripture to measure the truth of those thoughts is how we take the thoughts captive.

This article outlines how to prevent the battle of the mind using Scripture as our guide.

We take the time to prevent illness by eating well and being active. Why not take preventative measures in our thought life? After all, our thoughts are really powerful according to Proverbs 4:23.

 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ~Proverbs 4:23

Let’s dive into our prevention plan…

3 Ways to Win the Battle of the Mind Using Scripture as Our Guide

Win the Battle of the Mind by Practicing Gratitude

… always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Ephesians 5:20

… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Scripture actually commands us to practice gratitude. A leading gratitude researcher (Emmons) boasts findings of increased happiness (by as much as 25%) when we practice finding the good.

The Bible tells us to practice gratitude because in all His love, God knows what’s best for His children, long before research identified the benefits of gratitude.

I have to be purposeful in seeing God’s grace in every situation. My heart has a propensity to see what’s going wrong and focus there. When I intentionally practice gratitude, I’m teaching my brain to shift to the positive aspects. That is powerful in preventing the battle of the mind from beginning.

A few simple ways to win the battle of the mind with gratitude before it begins…

Gratitude journaling is a great way to slow the brain down as you write down your blessings. Sign up for the free taking thoughts captive Bible study and receive access to the resource library. In the resource library you will find a printable list of gratitude prompts.

Tell others of your blessings. How often do we get together with friends and commiserate over our frustrations? That’s not to say we should never share our frustrations and concerns. Those make perfect prayer requests! But, carve out time to talk about all the wonderful blessings in your life.

Pray for a grateful heart. God is the ultimate heart surgeon. He is in the heart changing business. Prayers in line with God’s will for your life always get answered affirmatively (1 John 5:14-15). Ask him for help in cultivating a grateful heart.

Win the Battle of the Mind by Renewing Your Mind with Scripture

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~Romans 12:2

Knowledge of the Word of God is a life long journey. God delights in our effort to know Him.

Spending time renewing your mind is never a waste of time (Isaiah 55:11). In fact, it prepares you for the battle of the mind better than anything else. When we know Scripture, we use that truth to battle inaccurate thoughts. It’s also true that the battle of the mind is prevented by knowledge of Scripture.

I once heard, the best time to plant fruit trees in your backyard is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Make a plan to renew your mind to win the battle of your mind. Soldiers don’t go to war without training and weapons. We will not win the battle of the mind without training and weapons either.

Check out the online course, “Taking Every Thought Captive”!

 Here are a few ways to renew your mind…

Dive into a Bible study. You can get taking thoughts captive Bible study (above) for free to get you started. That also gives you access to a handful of other free study’s.

Memorize scripture. Find Bible verses relevant to the thoughts that need challenging and memorize those Scriptures. When inaccurate thoughts creep in and cause you problems choose to believe God’s Word over your thoughts.

Study the attributes of God. Nothing squashes my fears faster than remembering how big my God is as I reflect on His attributes.

Scripture writing is another great way to renew your mind to win the battle of the mind. Putting pen to paper slows our brain down as we write out scriptures. It also writes truth on our hearts and minds.

Meditate on Scripture to prepare and/or prevent the battle of the mind. We actually have a choice on what we think and put our mind to. Whatever we choose to put our mind to, will grow. Do you want truth to grow in your thoughts or problematic thinking to grow?

Win the Battle of the Mind with Praise and Worship

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord most high. ~Psalm 7:17

Praise and worship of the One True God puts everything in perspective. And reminds me of His rightful place as Lord over my life. The loving, caring Lord over my life, who is also powerful enough to change everything in a moment! Let worship music wash over you as you meditate on the songs of praise.

Wrapping up How to Win the Battle of the Mind Before it Begins with Scripture as Our Guide

A fit lean body doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intentional living and training. A healthy mind doesn’t happen by accident either. In order to win the battle of the mind before it begins, we must train our brain by cultivating gratitude, renewing our mind and praising the One True God.

How do you win the battle of the mind – leave a comment with your own tips!