Mind Control
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
As a culture, as a nation, we are living through the most difficult time I can remember in my sixty years. The pieces and parts of the national trauma of 2020 are overwhelming.
First, it was the Coronavirus – which would have been plenty to deal with all by itself. But then there were the incredible daily mounting death tolls, and then there were the quarantines, and then the closed businesses – livelihoods destroyed. Thirty-five million people were instantly unemployed. Then, a stop to all relationship interaction outside your home, and we became isolated with no church, no worship together, no in-person strengthening of one another. Then, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and desperation set in.
And then, as if on cue, the horrific murderous act committed by a person in authority, opened the door to a tidal wave of hatred and violence that has engulfed our country. Good people and bad people all flooded the streets. The good people – trying to bring good change while criminals were given free rein to be their criminal worst. Which then led, unbelievably, to previously sane community leaders calling for the defunding and abolishing of police forces – right in the midst of the highest wave of violence, crime, and anarchy most of us have ever seen. It’s really been all together almost too much to process.
And as the trauma of the riots has unfolded before us, it has become clear there are powers behind the violence in the street. Unseen powers that are inciting the violence and anarchy in order to capitalize on it for their own purposes.
My question is – what is actually happening behind the video images, behind all the narratives being promoted, behind all the social media influencing. What is actually happening to us?
And I certainly don’t know all that’s happening, and I’m not in a position to address most of what is happening. But I am called to address one thing that I believe is clearly happening, and that is the battle for control of your mind.
First of all, let me say very clearly:
#1) What happened to George Floyd is an unbelievable act of aggression, ending in a shocking death by a person in authority. It is horrific, and a terrible abuse of power. There is no excuse for it, and it must be addressed. Does everybody hear me clearly when I say that?
#2) Racial prejudice does exist in our culture, and it is wrong in every case. No matter the extent, and no matter which color is prejudiced against which color. Racial prejudice (and even worse, racism) are absolutely wrong and must be continually addressed and healed.
As Christ-followers, we must see all people as God sees them, which is all equal. All colors – created in his image and all colors created equal. And I know (right now) it is not politically correct to say that God created people of all colors and all races equal. But that is what the Bible says. We are all equally created and equally loved by God, and we genuinely need to treat one another according to that truth.
But my focus today is this. As Christ-followers, we must see the world and one another through the lens of God’s Word and hear those words through the lens, because today I want to challenge us… which lens we are seeing both events and people through.
What lens are you seeing the events of these troubled times through? In other words, what lens is controlling what you think? Who is deciding what you are putting into your mind? And, who is telling you how you should respond?
And this is incredibly important, especially now, because whatever controls your mind – controls you. Whatever gets your mind gets you. You will always go to what your mind is set on. That’s why Colossians 3:2 says,
Colossians 3:2
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven (NLT).
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (ESV)
Because what you set your mind on is what your life will move toward.
So, let’s turn over to 2 Corinthians Chapter 10. 2 Corinthians 10:4 calls the thing that controls your mind (outside of God) strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments. And the Bible is clear; this is a key part of the spiritual battle that we are all in. Let’s read 2 Corinthians 10:3-4.
2 Corinthians 10:3–4 (NLT)
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. (I think we can see around us – how humans wage war) – (But we don’t wage war like that)
4 We use God’s mighty weapons (that have Divine Power), not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
Paul is actually talking about division and discord in the Corinthian Church. But I think we might be sensing a little division and discord in our culture right now, and Paul says we don’t fight this like humans do (so put your bricks down). Instead, we use God’s divine, mighty power to take down the source. And the source is the strongholds of human reasoning and the false arguments set up against God. That is what we’re battling for control of our minds.
And then, listen to verse 5 from the ESV.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV)
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Again, Paul is primarily talking here about people who are causing division and discord in the Church. But these verses are also applicable to us as we fight for control of our own minds. We’ve got to destroy the false arguments in our own minds. We’ve got to destroy every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God. We’ve got to Take every thought captive to obey Christ in our OWN MINDS.
Again, the battle for your mind, the battle for who or what controls your mind, is a key part, a central part of the spiritual battle that you are in. And my question today is this: Are there forces, influences in our lives that are attempting to control what we think? Attempting to control what we set our minds on? Are there forces and influences in our culture that desire to set up strongholds of human reasoning in our minds today? I’m here to tell you there are – and especially right now as our country teeters on the brink of civil war with two extremely polarized sides.
But guys, please hear me when I tell you the actual battle that the two sides of this civil war are in right now is a battle for control of your mind.
How? How is that battle being waged? It is being waged, not subtly, through psychological warfare, and here’s how it’s happening. What you put into your mind becomes how you view events and people around you, and right now, the forces that are battling to control your mind have at their disposal access to shoving stuff into your mind as they’ve never had before.
I read about the race riots of ’68 yesterday, and it was noted in the article (an extremely liberal publisher), that there were only three news channels to watch. And so, everybody got their information from the same source. And the point of the article was, we don’t need to do that anymore – we can give people “the truth” now. Meaning, we can make this event say whatever we want it to say, shove it into people’s minds and control them.
And so, again, here is the truth backed up throughout God’s Word. Whatever we put into our minds, impacts our minds, and if we put enough of it in there, it will control our minds. And when that happens, that control of our mind becomes a stronghold of human reasoning, and as Christ-followers, we need to protect our minds from strongholds of human reasoning.
The best example I can give you is pornography. You start putting pornography in your mind, and it starts taking control. You put enough into your mind; it consumes you – it becomes a stronghold in your life.
Listen, please. The social media world knows that, and they’re doing the same thing. They’re just putting, in your mind, what they want to put in your mind so that it will eventually control you.
Again, 2 Corinthians 10:4 says,
2 Corinthians 10:4 says (NLT)
4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
How? How do we do that? How do we knock down and protect ourselves from the strongholds of human reasoning? How do we protect ourselves from the false arguments that the world wants to shove into our minds?
Let me give you three things that we really need to be doing today to allow God to control our minds instead of our social media accounts controlling our minds. Some of these thoughts come (roughly) from a message Rick Warren gave ten years ago on the Battle for the Mind.
#1) Don’t believe everything you think or feel
Why would you just believe what you feel? Here’s the measurement of pride – “Well, it’s what I think, so it must be right.” We call that the “right scale,” and the more right you think you are, the more you need to pray for your pride. Just because you think it, doesn’t mean it’s right. What if it’s been inserted in your head by your cell phone? What if it’s been inserted in your head by someone who’s desiring to control what you think? What now? Don’t believe what you think or feel. Here’s why.
Jeremiah 17:9–10(a) (NLT)
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives . . .
We can’t trust our own opinions or our own feelings. We have to have the courage to say to God what the Psalmist says in Psalm 139:23-24,
Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
We’ve got to start with not trusting our own opinions and feelings, and instead, beg God to point out anything in us that offends him, and then beg him to lead us along the path of everlasting life.
So, #1) Don’t believe everything you think or feel. Understand that your own logic and reasoning will deceive you. So instead, ask God to reveal your own thoughts to you. Ask him to show you anything offensive to him in your thoughts and ask him daily to lead you along the path of everlasting life.
#2) Guard Your Mind
Psalm 101:3-5 says, (in part from the ESV and the NLT),
Psalm 101:3-5 (ESV & NLT)
3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless . . . (ESV)
4 I will reject perverse ideas . . . (NLT)
5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors . . . (NLT).
We must guard what goes into our mind. The fifth piece of armor for the spiritual battle in Ephesians 6:17 is the Helmet of Salvation, and the inference there (Ephesians 6) is: protect your mind with your new life in Christ (your salvation), which means you don’t just embrace everything you see or hear. Instead – judge everything that goes into your mind by your new life in Christ.
And then also, Philippians 4:6-7,
Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Don’t worry – pray – and thank God for all he’s done for you.
7 Then (if you will do this) you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
There it is – guard your hearts and minds. Don’t worry – Pray – and thank God, and his peace will guard your hearts and minds AS you live in Christ Jesus.
So, #1) Don’t believe everything you think or feel
#2) Guard your mind
#3) Nourish Your Mind
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)
7 For as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he . . .
Remember the old computer saying, “garbage in – garbage out.” Well, if you are packing the social media garbage into your mind, then you are dying of spiritual starvation. We’ve got to nourish our minds with solid spiritual health food.
Here’s the difference between toxic food for your mind and health food for your mind.
Romans 8:6 (NLT)
6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
If you nourish your mind on the sin nature… it will lead to death because the sin nature is toxic. But if you nourish your mind on the control of the Holy Spirit, it will lead to life and peace because the Holy Spirit is the life of God – IN you. And then, just write down Philippians 4:8, a great example of how to nourish your mind.
And finally, Isaiah 26:3,
Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
If we’re going to nourish our minds on spiritual health food, then we’ve got to fix our thoughts on God and trust in him, alone, and he will keep us in perfect peace.
Guys, there has always been a battle for the mind. What’s going on today is nothing new; it’s just gotten bolder and more in your face. The problem is the mind control of the media onslaught in our culture is not the mind control God calls us to. Here is the mind control God calls us to.
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world. Instead - let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
First, it was the Coronavirus – which would have been plenty to deal with all by itself. But then there were the incredible daily mounting death tolls, and then there were the quarantines, and then the closed businesses – livelihoods destroyed. Thirty-five million people were instantly unemployed. Then, a stop to all relationship interaction outside your home, and we became isolated with no church, no worship together, no in-person strengthening of one another. Then, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and desperation set in.
And then, as if on cue, the horrific murderous act committed by a person in authority, opened the door to a tidal wave of hatred and violence that has engulfed our country. Good people and bad people all flooded the streets. The good people – trying to bring good change while criminals were given free rein to be their criminal worst. Which then led, unbelievably, to previously sane community leaders calling for the defunding and abolishing of police forces – right in the midst of the highest wave of violence, crime, and anarchy most of us have ever seen. It’s really been all together almost too much to process.
And as the trauma of the riots has unfolded before us, it has become clear there are powers behind the violence in the street. Unseen powers that are inciting the violence and anarchy in order to capitalize on it for their own purposes.
My question is – what is actually happening behind the video images, behind all the narratives being promoted, behind all the social media influencing. What is actually happening to us?
And I certainly don’t know all that’s happening, and I’m not in a position to address most of what is happening. But I am called to address one thing that I believe is clearly happening, and that is the battle for control of your mind.
First of all, let me say very clearly:
#1) What happened to George Floyd is an unbelievable act of aggression, ending in a shocking death by a person in authority. It is horrific, and a terrible abuse of power. There is no excuse for it, and it must be addressed. Does everybody hear me clearly when I say that?
#2) Racial prejudice does exist in our culture, and it is wrong in every case. No matter the extent, and no matter which color is prejudiced against which color. Racial prejudice (and even worse, racism) are absolutely wrong and must be continually addressed and healed.
As Christ-followers, we must see all people as God sees them, which is all equal. All colors – created in his image and all colors created equal. And I know (right now) it is not politically correct to say that God created people of all colors and all races equal. But that is what the Bible says. We are all equally created and equally loved by God, and we genuinely need to treat one another according to that truth.
But my focus today is this. As Christ-followers, we must see the world and one another through the lens of God’s Word and hear those words through the lens, because today I want to challenge us… which lens we are seeing both events and people through.
What lens are you seeing the events of these troubled times through? In other words, what lens is controlling what you think? Who is deciding what you are putting into your mind? And, who is telling you how you should respond?
And this is incredibly important, especially now, because whatever controls your mind – controls you. Whatever gets your mind gets you. You will always go to what your mind is set on. That’s why Colossians 3:2 says,
Colossians 3:2
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven (NLT).
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (ESV)
Because what you set your mind on is what your life will move toward.
So, let’s turn over to 2 Corinthians Chapter 10. 2 Corinthians 10:4 calls the thing that controls your mind (outside of God) strongholds of human reasoning and false arguments. And the Bible is clear; this is a key part of the spiritual battle that we are all in. Let’s read 2 Corinthians 10:3-4.
2 Corinthians 10:3–4 (NLT)
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. (I think we can see around us – how humans wage war) – (But we don’t wage war like that)
4 We use God’s mighty weapons (that have Divine Power), not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
Paul is actually talking about division and discord in the Corinthian Church. But I think we might be sensing a little division and discord in our culture right now, and Paul says we don’t fight this like humans do (so put your bricks down). Instead, we use God’s divine, mighty power to take down the source. And the source is the strongholds of human reasoning and the false arguments set up against God. That is what we’re battling for control of our minds.
And then, listen to verse 5 from the ESV.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV)
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Again, Paul is primarily talking here about people who are causing division and discord in the Church. But these verses are also applicable to us as we fight for control of our own minds. We’ve got to destroy the false arguments in our own minds. We’ve got to destroy every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God. We’ve got to Take every thought captive to obey Christ in our OWN MINDS.
Again, the battle for your mind, the battle for who or what controls your mind, is a key part, a central part of the spiritual battle that you are in. And my question today is this: Are there forces, influences in our lives that are attempting to control what we think? Attempting to control what we set our minds on? Are there forces and influences in our culture that desire to set up strongholds of human reasoning in our minds today? I’m here to tell you there are – and especially right now as our country teeters on the brink of civil war with two extremely polarized sides.
But guys, please hear me when I tell you the actual battle that the two sides of this civil war are in right now is a battle for control of your mind.
How? How is that battle being waged? It is being waged, not subtly, through psychological warfare, and here’s how it’s happening. What you put into your mind becomes how you view events and people around you, and right now, the forces that are battling to control your mind have at their disposal access to shoving stuff into your mind as they’ve never had before.
I read about the race riots of ’68 yesterday, and it was noted in the article (an extremely liberal publisher), that there were only three news channels to watch. And so, everybody got their information from the same source. And the point of the article was, we don’t need to do that anymore – we can give people “the truth” now. Meaning, we can make this event say whatever we want it to say, shove it into people’s minds and control them.
And so, again, here is the truth backed up throughout God’s Word. Whatever we put into our minds, impacts our minds, and if we put enough of it in there, it will control our minds. And when that happens, that control of our mind becomes a stronghold of human reasoning, and as Christ-followers, we need to protect our minds from strongholds of human reasoning.
The best example I can give you is pornography. You start putting pornography in your mind, and it starts taking control. You put enough into your mind; it consumes you – it becomes a stronghold in your life.
Listen, please. The social media world knows that, and they’re doing the same thing. They’re just putting, in your mind, what they want to put in your mind so that it will eventually control you.
Again, 2 Corinthians 10:4 says,
2 Corinthians 10:4 says (NLT)
4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
How? How do we do that? How do we knock down and protect ourselves from the strongholds of human reasoning? How do we protect ourselves from the false arguments that the world wants to shove into our minds?
Let me give you three things that we really need to be doing today to allow God to control our minds instead of our social media accounts controlling our minds. Some of these thoughts come (roughly) from a message Rick Warren gave ten years ago on the Battle for the Mind.
#1) Don’t believe everything you think or feel
Why would you just believe what you feel? Here’s the measurement of pride – “Well, it’s what I think, so it must be right.” We call that the “right scale,” and the more right you think you are, the more you need to pray for your pride. Just because you think it, doesn’t mean it’s right. What if it’s been inserted in your head by your cell phone? What if it’s been inserted in your head by someone who’s desiring to control what you think? What now? Don’t believe what you think or feel. Here’s why.
Jeremiah 17:9–10(a) (NLT)
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives . . .
We can’t trust our own opinions or our own feelings. We have to have the courage to say to God what the Psalmist says in Psalm 139:23-24,
Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
We’ve got to start with not trusting our own opinions and feelings, and instead, beg God to point out anything in us that offends him, and then beg him to lead us along the path of everlasting life.
So, #1) Don’t believe everything you think or feel. Understand that your own logic and reasoning will deceive you. So instead, ask God to reveal your own thoughts to you. Ask him to show you anything offensive to him in your thoughts and ask him daily to lead you along the path of everlasting life.
#2) Guard Your Mind
Psalm 101:3-5 says, (in part from the ESV and the NLT),
Psalm 101:3-5 (ESV & NLT)
3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless . . . (ESV)
4 I will reject perverse ideas . . . (NLT)
5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors . . . (NLT).
We must guard what goes into our mind. The fifth piece of armor for the spiritual battle in Ephesians 6:17 is the Helmet of Salvation, and the inference there (Ephesians 6) is: protect your mind with your new life in Christ (your salvation), which means you don’t just embrace everything you see or hear. Instead – judge everything that goes into your mind by your new life in Christ.
And then also, Philippians 4:6-7,
Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Don’t worry – pray – and thank God for all he’s done for you.
7 Then (if you will do this) you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
There it is – guard your hearts and minds. Don’t worry – Pray – and thank God, and his peace will guard your hearts and minds AS you live in Christ Jesus.
So, #1) Don’t believe everything you think or feel
#2) Guard your mind
#3) Nourish Your Mind
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)
7 For as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he . . .
Remember the old computer saying, “garbage in – garbage out.” Well, if you are packing the social media garbage into your mind, then you are dying of spiritual starvation. We’ve got to nourish our minds with solid spiritual health food.
Here’s the difference between toxic food for your mind and health food for your mind.
Romans 8:6 (NLT)
6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
If you nourish your mind on the sin nature… it will lead to death because the sin nature is toxic. But if you nourish your mind on the control of the Holy Spirit, it will lead to life and peace because the Holy Spirit is the life of God – IN you. And then, just write down Philippians 4:8, a great example of how to nourish your mind.
And finally, Isaiah 26:3,
Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
If we’re going to nourish our minds on spiritual health food, then we’ve got to fix our thoughts on God and trust in him, alone, and he will keep us in perfect peace.
Guys, there has always been a battle for the mind. What’s going on today is nothing new; it’s just gotten bolder and more in your face. The problem is the mind control of the media onslaught in our culture is not the mind control God calls us to. Here is the mind control God calls us to.
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world. Instead - let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.