2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV) - "For though we live in this world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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."

(Did you realize that there is a battle raging to control your thoughts? No one can take control of your thoughts, unless you give them that control!)

1. The War

Even Peace Time Training Evokes Fear
"The War, The Whereabouts, The Weapons, The Winner"--It was my turn to do guard duty, and in my two hour shift, these were the only words on my mind. "The War, The Whereabouts, The Weapons, and The Winner." We were sent in on a special operation to protect the small strategic airport from a terrorist attack. I knew it was going to be a long night. My shift was from 11pm to 1am. I couldn't sleep before my shift, my heart was racing continuously in fear of what the night held. Now, as my eyes kept scanning and scrutinizing the dark silhouettes and shadows, my cold clammy fingers clasped the cold weapon at my side. Standing alone in the dark, anticipating, contemplating, investigating--my mind was racing constantly, what was that, was that someone or was it not. After what seemed like an eternity, my 2 hour shift was over, my fear wasn't. I crawled into my sleeping bag to try and get some sleep, my rifle riveted to my side, (the picture below illustrates what we looked like while we were doing our peace time training maneuver).

I kept listening for unusual sounds . . . then, moments later, I woke up to a machine gun barrel against my head. I must have fallen asleep. Impossible. We had kept guard so effectively. It was like a dream. "Get up and fall in line, hands above your head!" A man in a camouflaged uniform shouted. "They actually got us," I thought, "How can that be? We had done everything they trained us to do!" So here we were, the whole platoon, captured by terrorists. We walked single file, hands above our heads, to the terrorist headquarters. "How did they do it?" I whispered to the guy behind me. "Our graveyard guards were asleep," he replied. As we arrived at the terrorist camp, the sun was just coming up. We filed into a large room. There our Commanding Officer stood, ready to brief us with regard to our Peacetime Training Maneuver. What a relief. It had only been a training exercise for peacetime recruits, of which I was one. We did everything right, but a few sleepy soldiers allowed the drill Sergeant and his corporals, the enemy in. (This peace time training maneuver was scary enough. What would real war be like? See picture below.)

What About Real War?
As I walked in the line of captives, I thought what would have happened had it been a real war? The enemy would have shot some soldiers, tortured others, and kept everyone captive in the cruelest and most callous manner possible. Have you ever been involved in a war, or close to where a war was being fought? I guess Americans have had first hand feedback as to the fearsome affair--The Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, but probably the most chilling and challenging was the Cold War. The Cold War was a term used to describe the deterioration of relations between the two Super Powers, the United States and Russia, to the point of war, but without the occurrence of actual warfare. Although no physical battle was ever fought, the constant anticipation of the possible assault, was almost worse. Two Super Powers, with opposing philosophies, opposing strategies, and opposing religions, wrestling for supremacy. Both Super Powers hoarded arms and ammunition, both Super Powers spent millions in researching and inventing new counter measures to out whit the other, and both Super Powers were forced into a state of perpetual preparation for war. (War is cruel, merciless, and aims to destroy the enemy. It's enough to make the hearts of the bravest men fail with fear. See picture below).

War Between Good and Evil
There is a war going on between two Super Powers which is a lot worse than the Cold War. It is the Age Old War between the Super Powers of the Universe. These Super Powers are Stronger than Russia and the United States combined. These Super Powers have supernatural abilities that mankind cannot compete with. What makes it worse than the Cold War is that the threat cannot even be seen by most people. Yes, it is an invisible war, of immense proportions, but hidden from the undiscerning eye. The results of this War can be seen all around, but the inhabitants of this earth have become so accustomed living with these, that the presence of the War is not evident. But a War there is! Read the following texts that speak of this war.

Revelation 12:7 - says, "And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven . . ." Verse 17 goes on to say that, "Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus."

Ephesians 6:12 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Where Do I Stand?
So where do I stand in the midst of this raging war between Good and Evil? Imagine Russia with all its tanks, missiles, armed forces, and fighter planes ready at any time to fight the United States with all its aircraft carriers, stealth bombers, armed forces, tanks and advanced "star wars" technology . . . and here a small tribe from Africa, armed with bows and arrows, sticks and flint knives, challenges one of them to war. (See picture below).

Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Well not really. In a sense this is what is happening with you and I. We are caught between the Super Powers of Good and Evil, Super Powers, as we said before, which are stronger than any Super Power on earth, and we have the nerve to walk around unprotected and unaware of the War between these Supernatural Super Powers. We try to overcome the Super Power of Evil in our own strength. Let's take the time to carefully look at "The War, The Whereabouts, The Weapons, and The Winner."

2. The Whereabouts

"The War, The Whereabouts, The Weapons, The Winner." Would you please take the time to just journey with me through a concept that really changed my life. There is no doubt that there is a War on between the two Supernatural Super Powers. It can be witnessed in the lives of people. The crime, the cruelty and the crumbling of the morals of families and individuals, show the presence of the Supernatural Super Power of Evil. The caring, the concern, and the credibility that clings to the characters of Christian families and individuals, shows the presence of the Supernatural Super Power of Good. But how do these Powers work in and through the lives of mankind? Where is the battlefield on which this mammoth mega-battle is taking place? Our text 2 Corinthians 10:5 gives us the punch line. ". . . and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Well, where are the thoughts of man generated? Yes, thoughts are generated in our minds, so the whereabouts of the war must be in our minds. (Our minds have the ability to reason, scheme, think and create . . . this is where the forces of Good and Evil battle for control. See picture below).

The War for Control of the Thoughts of Man
The struggle between the Supernatural Super Powers is to win control over the minds of men. The thoughts and reasoning of man is what distinguishes him from the animals. Animals function on instinct. Instinct is a code of actions that the Creator preprogrammed into His creatures, and are executed without the choice of the creature. For example: If you go up to any strange dog, and lunge at it as if you are going to harm it, it is going to bark, and perhaps bite you. If you pick up any kitty cat, and stroke it lovingly, it is going to purr. (See picture below).

Birds migrate for thousands of miles as the seasons change, on instinct. It is absolutely remarkable, but, animals still don't have that special gift of how the mind of man works. Man doesn't act on instinct. He can reason, weigh up the facts, and make a choice. He then acts on the choices which come from his thoughts.  Jesus taught over and over that what goes on inside the mind of a person, is what is really important. This is because the actions of a man is determined by what goes on inside of his mind.

Matthew 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to judgment." Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matt 23:25-28 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean."

The Final Sealing Takes Place on the Forehead
If a Supernatural Super Power can control the thoughts of a man, that Power also controls the actions of that man. In the final great struggle between Good and Evil, why do those who receive the Seal of God, receive it on their foreheads? Why do those who receive the mark of the beast, receive it on their foreheads? The seal of God and the mark of the beast is on the foreheads of man, because the forehead is the symbol of the mind, and the mind is what either of the Super Powers wants control of. Note the content of the following texts referring to this:

Seal of God - Revelation 7:2, 3
"Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."

(Yes, a mark on the forehead, in the Bible, is a symbol of control and commitment to a specific power. In the case of humans, a symbol of commitment to a person. See picture below).

Seal of God - Revelation 14:1
"Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. . . These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless."

Mark of the Beast - Revelation 14:9, 10
"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: 'If anyone worships the beast and his image and receive his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.'"

The person receiving either the Seal of God or the mark of the beast is giving the control of their minds over to either the Supernatural Super Power of Good, or the Supernatural Super Power of Evil. It is that simple.

3. The Weapons

A War Worse Than the Cold War . . . Unseen !
"The War, The Whereabouts, The Weapons, The Winner." Although there was no actual fighting in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, it was as stressful as war itself. There was a continual watching each other, and a continual anticipation of some military move from the other side. (The Cold War demanded both sides to constantly have a presence in areas where the other side could have launched an attack from. See picture below).

What if neither of the Super Powers could see each other? Wouldn't that be a lot more scary? But what if they didn't know that the other even existed? Well, that is the main weapon that Satan has to his advantage. Satan disguises himself so that no one really believes that he exists. Also, most people, and even Christians, think that it is God whom is permitting the suffering, the murder, the crime, and the natural disasters to take place. It is the work of the Supernatural Super Power of Evil. People think they are thinking their own thoughts, but really, it is Satan that is flashing evil thoughts into their minds.

Here is a statement I found in a book called, More Incredible Answers to Prayer - Roger J. Morneau p. 58.  "A Satanist priest bragged to me how Satan had forced the Creator to leave the devil's newly acquired domain. The man said that Satan declared that such a demand was his legal right before the universe, and that the devil had gotten his wish. "At that time," the priest said, "the master (Satan) stated that he and his angels would make themselves invisible to human beings also, thus leaving people free to live their lives as they wanted to. He emphatically argued that the only fair way for supernatural forces to influence human conduct should be by flashing thought images into individual minds." (Yes, the worst weapon to have to fight against, is a weapon you can't see! Visible weapons can be counteracted. See below)

E.G. White, Great Controvercy, p.516-517
"None are in greater danger from the influence of evil spirits than those who, notwithstanding the direct and ample testimony of the Scriptures, deny the existence and agency of the devil and his angels. So long as we are ignorant of their wiles, they have almost inconceivable advantage; many give heed to their suggestions while they suppose themselves to be following the dictates of their own wisdom. This is why, as we approach the close of time, when Satan is to work with greatest power to deceive and destroy, he spreads everywhere the belief that he does not exist. It is his policy to conceal himself and his manner of working . . . And it is because Satan can most readily control the minds of those who are unconscious of his influence, that the word of God gives us so many examples of his malignant work, unveiling before us his secret forces, and thus placing us on guard against his assaults."

(Satan wants people to just carry on with their lives, ignorant of the unseen weapons which he cunningly uses to influence them to think his thoughts, and then do his deeds. See below).

Satan's Only Weapon Used in 4 Ways
This is Satan's only weapon against us, and what a powerful weapon it is. Not seeing the enemy, and not being aware that he is even there. It takes sober judgment, spiritual discernment, self control, and a surrender of any individual attempts to stand up to the enemy--to win this war. Satan is at war with us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Yes, he never rests, he never lessens the intensity of his attack, and he never gives up. Satan uses his invisible weapon to achieve the following in our lives:

(We think we are thinking our own thoughts, and that they are good and rational. But really, they are thoughts that Satan has planted in our minds, and that mostly lead to evil. See picture)

1. Destroys Personal Relationship with God by Error
Satan distorts the messages we get from studying the Scriptures and from the spoken word. He misleads us to believe that we have the strength to overcome evil. When we fall repeatedly as a result, he tells us that we have to first overcome before we can come to God. This frustrates us, discourages us, and totally overwhelms us.

2. Destroys Family and Marriage Relationships
Satan flashes thoughts into our minds that we are always right and everyone else, especially those close to us, are responsible for our personal struggles. He inspires us to be real easy on ourselves, and very hard on those close to us, making us forget how selfish and stubborn we are. (See below).

3. Destroys Christian Relationships and Fellowship
Satan works on the minds of believers to make them critical of each other, and by criticizing each other, making them think they are better than the other person. When this critical nature of believers is combined with the error of being saved by works, the love of God between believers is totally destroyed. When a person is focussed on his or her deeds, they will also focus on the deeds of others and be critical of them. Consequently, there is no forgiveness, and only division and discord between believers.

4. Destroys Spiritual Discernment and the Ability to Meet With God
A person who is struggling to live a perfect life in their own strength, who has inferior and crippled personal relationships with his or her family and marriage partner, and who has unreconciled disputes with other believers, will not be able to discern the deep spiritual truths in the Scriptures, or hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to him or her.
[Click here] to view a graphic representation of the bombardment of thoughts on our minds from Satan, and the defense we enjoy from the Holy Spirit.

(Our minds determine what decisions we make and therefore what our actions will be---either good or evil. If our thoughts are good our actions will be good. If our thoughts are bad, our actions will be bad. Therefore we should build our lives around letting God control our minds by His Spirit working through His Word. See picture below).

Our Only Weapon that Works in 4 Ways
We know, from the Word of God that The Supernatural Super Power of Good is far stronger than The Supernatural Super Power of Evil. Our greatest weapon against the enemy is to ally ourselves with the Stronger force. Like that small African tribe. Join the stronger of the two super forces. Our only weapon against these invisible thought images which are flashed into our minds, is found in our text, 2 Corinthians 10:5". . . taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Jesus Christ."

An Illustration of How to Take Every Thought Captive
A good illustration of the point is an experience I had when I came over from South Africa this last time. I brought a whole lot of samples of health products with me. Among these products were samples of soya milk . . . white in color, and I it was contained in clear plastic sachets. It looked a lot like drugs. Well, needless to say, I was stopped by the customs official, and my little packs were "analyzed" at this check point. Yes, everything that looks suspicious, is opened and examined before it comes into the United States. Wow, we can relax and feel so safe because of this. This made me think, well, why don't we have this kind of check point at the entrance to our minds?

The Bible says that we must. In our text, and in other parts of Scripture, we are warned to guard and protect what comes into our minds. So let's set up an imaginary check point at the entrance to our minds, and put the Holy Spirit, dressed in a black police uniform, armed with his shiny badge and baton, at the check point. (See picture above). Every thought that comes into our minds must pass through that long tunnel-like x-ray machine, like those situated at the airports, and if there is any suspicious thought present, we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to take it captive, in cuffs and chains, and make it obedient to Christ. Yes, our only defense against Satan's attack of flashing invisible thoughts into our minds takes place in 4 ways:
 

1. Forgiveness From God to Us and Us to All Others (Click here for more on forgiveness)
Without forgiveness from God to us, and us forgiving all other people who have hurt us, we cannot understand the deeper spiritual aspects of God's Word and His truth. We can't allow even the smallest dispute to stay between us and the people close to us, or the people in the church. Our minds need to be relieved of the pressure that comes from resentments, bitterness, and anger.

2. Constant Prayer in All Things (Click here for more on prayer)
Prayer is the link between us, who are so weak, and God who is so strong. Prayer keeps God on our side, and binds us to Him with cords that no evil force can sever.

3. Holy Spirit's Protection, Screening and Censorship
God promises the Holy Spirit to be with us, and in us, to protect us from the unseen attack of the evil forces. The Holy Spirit will guard us and protect us constantly if we ask Him to.

2 Timothy 1:12, 14
"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day . . . Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."

(Before we start our day, we need to spend time alone with God, allowing the Holy Spirit to  work through God's Word to insulate our minds from the evil thoughts that Satan wants to flash into our minds. See picture above).

4. Daily Time in Clearly Understanding the Word
As the Holy Spirit lives in us, He imprints the Word of God on our minds and makes us think and act in accordance with God's Word. The Holy Spirit, is the "Spirit of Truth" who works in tandem with God's Word to bring us closer to having the mind of Christ.

4. The Winner

"The War, The Whereabouts, The Weapons, The Winner." The only way we can lose is when we aren't allied with the Stronger Super Power. The only way we can lose is if we don't realize that there is a war, if we don't realize its whereabouts, if we don't realize what the weapons are that we can use, and if we don't realize the importance of daily allying ourselves with the Stronger Super Power.

E.G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 324
"It is not necessary for us to deliberately chose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not cooperate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his dwelling place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end."

We Die, He Lives and He Fights
Imagine trying to beat up the school bully all by yourself. He is the strongest in the school, and no one you know in school can beat him. But, imagine that Mike Tyson stands behind you, takes your fists in his hands, and fights for you. He will direct your fists exactly to where it is going to put the school bully out of action . . . before he even knows what hits him. If we are too afraid to fight against Satan, the cowardly bully of the ages, before we put our hand on the front or backdoor handle to leave for the day, we have to first ally ourselves with the Super Power of Good.

If we ally ourselves with the Stronger Supernatural Super Power of Good, we will win. Not only do we become part of the Stronger Super Power of Good and of Light, but the Leader of the Super Power actually lives inside of us and fights for us. "Greater is He that is IN YOU, than he that is IN THE WORLD." 1 John 4:4

(When I ally myself with God on a daily basis, He stands in and fights for me. When He gets the chance to fight, He always wins. See picture above).

So, I build my life around having time, before my day starts to ally myself with the Stronger Supernatural Super Power of Good. I fall on my knees, and pray for forgiveness for any independent efforts to change my life, or to work out my own plans. I spend time in thanks for what God has done in my life, I spend time praying for everyone who has come into contact with me over the years, and I then pray for the things for myself, that I know will bring me closer to God. I then spend time, in a meditative mind-set, in studying God's Word and gleaning the crucial truths that would inspire a greater commitment to God, and draw me away from anything in my life that could hinder oneness with God. As I ally myself with God in this way, He promises to dwell in me for that day, He fights away any thoughts that come from Satan or from within my sinful mind. I have the mind of Christ as I surrender my thoughts to His control, moment by moment. Yes, through allying myself with General Jesus in this way, I have His strength, I have His power, and I have His mind. Praise God. I win the war through Christ Jesus. [Click Here] to view the graphic of how this War for the Control of Your Thoughts Takes Place.