Transcription
Well, let's bow our heads and lift our hearts to the Father. Father, in the mighty and holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come before you today with reverence, with gratitude, and with expectation. We thank you for your holy written word, your word that never changes, your word that lives and abides forever. We thank you that heaven and earth will pass away, but your word shall never pass away. And father, we thank you that the entrance of your word giveth light. It giveth understanding to the simple. Hallelujah.
Thank you for the great and mighty one, the Holy Spirit, whom you have sent to dwell within us. Not to visit us temporarily, not to simply move upon us occasionally, but to abide with us forever. Jesus said in John 14:16, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever." Thank you that the Holy Spirit is not a distant influence. He's not a fleeting feeling. He's not a momentary emotion. He is a divine person dwelling within our spirits, leading us, guiding us, strengthening us, and unveiling to us the deep things of God. Glory to God.
And father, today as we open your word, we don't come as careless hearers, nor as forgetful listeners. No, we come as doers of the word. James 1:22 tells us plainly, "Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." So we purpose right now before we even begin that we will receive, we will act, and we will apply everything you show us. We refuse to set in your presence casually. We choose to set with open hearts ready to receive revelation knowledge that will change our lives.
Lord, your word says in Proverbs 4:20-22, "My son, attend to my words. Incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh." So we attend to your word today. We incline our ear. We lift our eyes toward your promises. And we thank you in advance that life, your very life will flow into every area of our being. Not because of our merit, not because of our goodness, but because you are faithful. Hallelujah.
Father, I pray the same prayer Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus. And I pray it for every listener right now. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding, being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe. Glory to God.
And father, I also pray as Paul continued in Ephesians 3:16-19 that you would grant unto us according to the riches of your glory to be strengthened with might by your spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. that we being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Lord, we thank you that the Holy Spirit is enlightening our minds right now. Even as we pray, even as we speak, even as we open our hearts, the spirit of truth is shining light upon areas where confusion once lived. Darkness cannot resist light. Fear cannot stand in the presence of your word. Anxiety bows before the authority of the name of Jesus. Every tormenting thought, every oppressive imagination, every whisper of the enemy must submit to the truth of scripture.
Father, we recognize that you have called us to live in victory, not in our own strength, not by our own ability, but through the victory already won by Christ Jesus. For your word says in 2 Corinthians 2:14, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, not sometimes always, not maybe always, not in our own might in Christ." Glory to God.
So, Father, as we begin this message today about taking authority over our minds, we ask you to help us see what we've never seen before. Help us to understand that the battleground is not primarily the natural world, not our circumstances, not our surroundings, but the battleground is in the mind. The enemy wages war through thoughts, suggestions, imaginations, fears, and pressures. But you have not left us helpless. You have given us your word. You have given us your spirit. You have given us the authority of the name of Jesus. So today, Father, we hold up the shield of faith. We grip the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. We refuse to be passive. We refuse to be victims. We refuse to be dominated by thoughts of fear, doubt, worry, or confusion. Your word tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." A sound mind belongs to us. A stable mind belongs to us. A clear mind belongs to us. Peace belongs to us. Victory belongs to us. We thank you for it. We receive it by faith and we give you all the glory in Jesus mighty, wonderful, matchless name. Amen. Hallelujah.
Now friends, before we go any further, let's open our Bibles. Let's look at the word of God. Not your feelings, not your circumstances, not what the world calls mental health, not what fear whispers to you at night, but the eternal unchanging word of God. Because the word is truth. The word is light. The word is power. And the word will set you free if you'll let it. Hallelujah.
Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. And let's read these verses slowly, carefully, and with an open spirit. Paul writing by the Holy Ghost says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
Now, I want you to notice something here. Paul did not say demons, devils, diseases, storms, or persecution were the first battleground. He said the battlefield is imaginations, thoughts, mental strongholds. And beloved, if the enemy can defeat you in your thought life, he can defeat you everywhere else. But if you learn to win in your mind, if you learn to take authority over your thought life, then the devil loses his greatest avenue of access. Glory to God.
You see, many Christians think their problem is out here somewhere out there. They think if the devil would stop bothering me if circumstances would change, if feelings would improve. But your greatest challenge is not out there. It's right between your ears. And God's word deals with that issue directly, powerfully, and repeatedly. Look again. The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God. Your thoughts are not conquered by logic, not by psychology, not by grinding your teeth, not by emotional straining. No, the word says your weapons are mighty through God, mighty through the spirit, mighty through the authority of the name of Jesus, mighty through the truths of the word.
Now, let's look at Romans 12:2. "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Now, what does the world want to do? The world wants to squeeze you into its mold. Be afraid like us, think like us, panic like us, worry like us, live in confusion like us, accept hopeless thoughts because everyone else does. But the word says, "Do not be conformed. Do not accept the world's programming. Do not let the enemy tell you how to think. Instead, it says, "Be transformed." How? By the renewing of your mind."
I want you to notice the Bible does not say, "Pray that God would renew your mind. Beg God to remove your thoughts." Ask God to stop the devil from influencing your mind. No. Scripture puts the responsibility right on you, the believer. You renew your mind. You cast down imaginations. You bring every thought captive. Now, someone says, "Brother Hagen, that sounds like hard work." No, it's not hard work when you understand your authority in Christ. When you know who you are in him, thoughts don't dominate you, you dominate them. Fear doesn't chase you, you chase it. Confusion doesn't set on you, you tell it to get up, move out, and stay out in Jesus' name. Hallelujah.
Let's look at another scripture. Turn with me to 1 John 4:4. "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them. Because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." Greater is he who lives in your spirit than he who tries to attack your mind. Greater is the spirit of truth within you than the spirit of fear coming against you. Greater is the peace of God which passes understanding than the confusion of this world.
Now, some Christians read that verse but live as if it said, "Greater is he that is in the world." They walk around speaking fear, expecting defeat, anticipating anxiety, and accepting every tormenting thought as if it had a right to be there. But thoughts are not your master. Fear is not your landlord. Anxiety is not your inheritance. Confusion is not your identity. The word declares, "You have overcome them. Not by your strength, not by your willpower, but because the greater one lives in you."
Beloved, the enemy tries to deceive you into thinking he has more access to your mind than he truly does. He whispers thoughts to see if you'll adopt them. He paints imaginations to see if you'll accept them. He suggests fears to see if you'll embrace them. The devil does not dominate you. He only suggests, pressures, pushes, and waits to see if you'll believe the lie. But the moment you resist, the moment you stand your ground, the moment you say, "No, you don't, devil. I cast that thought down in Jesus' name, he flees." James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Not might flee, not hopefully flee, but he will flee." The problem is that many believers resist feelings instead of resisting the devil. They resist pressure instead of resisting the source. But the word doesn't say resist fear. It says resist the devil and fear will lose its power.
Now let's look at one more scripture. Turn with me to Ephesians 1:16-23 and Ephesians 3:14-19. The great Pauline prayers. These prayers were inspired by the Holy Spirit to deal with the very issue we're discussing. Your understanding, your mind, your inner sight, your spiritual perception. Paul didn't pray that God would change the devil. He didn't pray that God would change the circumstances. He prayed that God would change the believer's understanding that their eyes would be open. Because when your eyes are open, the devil's lies lose their influence. When your understanding is enlightened, fear loses its strength. When revelation comes, mental bondage collapses.
The word says in Ephesians 1:18, "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened." The Greek actually means the eyes of your heart, your inner perception, your spiritual awareness. When the light of revelation shines, confusion goes. Darkness cannot resist revelation.
Now beloved, don't misunderstand me. Thoughts will still come. The enemy will still try to attack. The worldly system will still try to press you into fear, anxiety, worry, and overthinking. But the moment you realize that God has already provided weapons, mighty weapons, you stop fighting with your feelings, and you start exercising your authority. Let me say it again so it gets down into your spirit. God never designed for your mind to dominate your life. God never designed for your emotions to dictate your destiny. God never designed for fear to write the script of your story. Your mind is the servant, not the master. The word of God is your master. The spirit of God is your guide. The peace of God is your portion. The authority of Jesus is your victory. Glory to God forevermore.
Now friends, before we dive further into how the mind is attacked, let me give you an illustration the Lord gave me many, many years ago. I've used it all over the world. And I suppose I'll use it until Jesus comes because it explains spiritual authority better than almost anything else I've ever shared. And those who hear it, when they truly catch it, never think the same way again.
I want you to picture a busy intersection in a large city. Cars coming from every direction, engines roaring, horns honking, steel and weight and motion everywhere. Now imagine a policeman, just one man, stepping out into the middle of that intersection. He's not a big man. He's not muscular. He's not stronger than those cars. But he lifts his hand and instantly the traffic stops. Automobiles weighing thousands of pounds, engines capable of immense power, all come to a halt. Why? Is it because the policeman is stronger than the cars? No. Is it because he has more physical power? No. Is it because he could force the cars to stop by strength alone? No. It is because he carries authority. The moment he lifts his hand, every driver recognizes a higher law, a higher office, a higher backing, something beyond the man himself. The uniform he wears represents a system, a government, a power far greater than his own ability. So it is not the strength of the policeman that brings the traffic to a stop. It is the authority vested in him.
Now listen carefully. The Holy Spirit said to me one day, "That's how it is with the believer. Thoughts come against the mind like heavy traffic, fast, loud, intimidating, forceful. Fear comes rushing in. Anxiety barrels toward you. Worry speeds toward your emotions. Negative imaginations come like roaring engines. But you are not at the mercy of those thoughts. You are not weaker than those pressures. You are not helpless before those mental attacks. You have authority, delegated authority through the name of Jesus Christ."
Are you listening to me? I'm not talking about human willpower. I'm not talking about positive thinking. I'm not talking about natural strength. I'm talking about spiritual authority. Authority derived from your position in Christ. Luke 10:19 says, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
Now, the King James version uses the word power twice there, but in the Greek text, they are two different words. The first power is *exousia*, authority. The second power is *dunamis*, ability or strength. Jesus literally said, "Behold, I give you authority over all the ability of the enemy." Glory to God. You see the difference? The devil has ability, but you, child of God, have authority. Authority always outranks ability. Think of that policeman again. The cars have the power, the ability, but the policeman has the authority, and authority always wins.
Now beloved, listen closely. Your thoughts may feel powerful. Fear may feel overwhelming. Worry may feel like a runaway car heading straight toward you at full speed. But feelings are not authority. Thoughts are not authority. Pressure is not authority. The devil's suggestions are not authority. Authority belongs to the believer. Authority belongs to the one who stands in the name of Jesus. Authority belongs to the one seated with Christ in heavenly places. Authority belongs to the one who says in Jesus' name. You stop right there. Hallelujah.
I remember years ago I was preaching on this very subject and someone asked me, "Brother Hagen, if I tell the devil to stop bringing those thoughts, will he stop?" And I answered them the way the Holy Spirit taught me. Yes, he will. But he may try to come back. And when he does, you stand your ground again and again and again. It isn't that he doesn't hear you the first time. It's that he wants to know if you really believe what you're saying. Remember James 4:7. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." But notice it doesn't say resist the devil once and he will flee forever. No. Beloved, the Amplified Bible says he will run from you in terror, but he may test your resolve. He may push once or twice. He may nudge your emotions. He may whisper again to see if you're serious. But every time you stand your ground, every time you lift the hand of spiritual authority, the name of Jesus, the word of God, the truth of scripture, those thoughts must stop. They may try to rush again later, but they must obey authority.
I've said this for decades, and I'll say it again. You cannot stop birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair. Thoughts may come, suggestions may come, feelings may rise, pressure may push, but they do not belong to you unless you accept them.
Now, let me show you something in Ephesians 2:6. Paul says, "And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." That's your position. Not someday, not in the millennium, not after the resurrection. Now. You are seated with Christ now. You share his authority now. You reign in life now. Romans 5:17 says, "They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ." Reign where? In life, not in heaven, in life, not after the battle, in life, not when you're perfect. In life. Reigning means taking authority over your thought life, over your emotions, over fear, over the whispers of the enemy, over the imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.
Now listen carefully. When you lift your hand in the spirit, so to speak, when you say, "No, you don't, devil. You stop right there. I cast that thought down in the name of Jesus." All the pressure of that thought must bow to the authority of Christ working through you. Why? Because the devil recognizes authority. Because demons recognize authority. Because fear recognizes authority. Because your own mind when trained by the word recognizes authority. So the next time fear speeds toward your mind like an oncoming car, lift the hand of authority, speak the name of Jesus, declare the word, stand your ground, and watch the mental traffic obey. Not because of you, but because of the one who backs you, because of the one whose authority you carry, because of the one who said, "I give you authority over all the power of the enemy." Glory to God. Hallelujah. Forever more.
Now, beloved, if you've been following along with us, you know we are talking about authority over the thought life, authority over fear, worry, imagination, and the harassment of the enemy. And I told you earlier that the greatest revelation I ever received, the truth that changed my whole life, the truth that changed my ministry. The truth that opened the door to visions and revelations did not come from reading books. Did not come from listening to sermons. Did not come even from preaching. It came from praying the prayers of Paul in the book of Ephesians over myself again and again and again. And I want to tell you something. If the believer would ever learn to take those prayers and make them personal and pray them persistently, the eyes of their understanding would become so flooded with light that the devil would no longer have the foothold he used to have. Fear would lose its grip. Worry would lose its grip. Mental torment would lose its grip. Confusion would lose its grip. And divine revelation would rise up like the noonday sun.
Now turn with me or mark it in your mind to Ephesians chapter 1 beginning at verse 16. Paul said, "I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened." Oh, I love that. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened. That means flooded with light. That means illuminated. That means seeing what you couldn't see before. Understanding what you didn't understand before. Grasping what you never grasped before.
Now, I want to show you something. Paul wasn't praying for sinners. He wasn't praying for unbelievers. He wasn't praying for people in darkness. He was praying for Christians, born again, spirit-filled, tongue-talking believers, and yet he prayed that their eyes would be opened. Well, now if they needed it, so do we. And I discovered something. When you pray these prayers for yourself, put your name in them, make them personal, present them before the Father again and again, not vain repetition, but persistent expectation. The Holy Ghost doesn't get tired of hearing scripture. The word never loses power. And these prayers are spirit-given and spirit-anointed. So when I pray them, I pray them like this. Father, I bow my knees before you. The God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you. Let the eyes of my understanding be enlightened. Oh, glory to God.
Now, listen to me. You don't have to feel anything when you pray that. You don't have to shake or tingle or have goosebumps on your goosebumps. You don't have to sense anything at the moment. Just pray it and keep praying it. Pray it morning and night. Pray it going to work. Pray it coming home. Pray it until it becomes part of you. Paul didn't say, "I prayed it one time for you." He said, "I cease not to give thanks for you." He prayed it continuously.
Now look at verse 19. This is the part most Christians skip over, but this is the part that changes your life. "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe?" Not power in heaven, not power in the past, not power after we die. Power toward us, toward the believer, toward the one living right now, walking right now, fighting right now, thinking right now. The exceeding greatness of his power, not just power, not just great power. Exceeding greatness of power. Glory to God.
You say, "Brother Hagen, what does that have to do with my thought life?" Everything in the world, dear friend. Because when revelation starts coming, confusion starts leaving. When light comes, darkness has to flee. When understanding comes, fear evaporates. Listen carefully now. Revelation is the greatest deliverance tool God has given the believer. Not emotion, revelation. Not tears, revelation. Not desperation, revelation. Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32. The knowing makes you free. The revelation makes you free. The understanding makes you free.
Now, let me tell you something from my own experience. I was pastor of a little church in East Texas. My parsonage was right next door. I left my Bible open on the altar bench day after day. And every spare moment I had, I slipped in, knelt down, and prayed these prayers over myself. Sometimes two or three times a day, sometimes five or six times a day, sometimes late at night, sometimes early in the morning. And after several weeks, I couldn't tell anything had happened. No revelation, no visions, no great insights. Felt exactly the same. But I kept praying them. And then one day, oh, I remembered as if it happened yesterday. Revelation began to come. Light began to shine. Scripture after scripture that had puzzled me for years suddenly became clear. Things I had preached for 14 years. I suddenly understood for the first time. It came like waves. Sometimes early in the morning, sometimes late at night, sometimes while I was shaving, sometimes while I was driving, light, revelation, understanding. And much of that revelation had to do with authority, my authority in Christ. And part of that authority was authority over the mind.
Beloved, your mind is not meant to lead your spirit. Your spirit illuminated by the Holy Ghost is meant to lead your mind. That's why Paul said in Ephesians 3:16 to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. Your inner man is where authority flows from. Your inner man is where faith rises. Your inner man is where revelation lands. And when the inner man is strong, the mind cannot dominate you. You may be pressured, but you won't be ruled. You may be tempted, but you won't be overtaken. You may be attacked, but you won't be defeated. That's why I tell believers everywhere I go, if you want mental victory, pray those prayers. If you want freedom from fear, pray those prayers. If you want clarity, direction, discernment, guidance, insight, pray those prayers. If you want to break the cycle of tormenting thoughts, pray those prayers and pray them out loud. Your own ears need to hear them. Say, "Father, open the eyes of my understanding. Flood my mind with light. Strengthen my inner man. Let Christ dwell in my heart by faith. Root me and ground me in your love. Fill me with all the fullness of God." Oh, hallelujah. When the fullness of God begins to rise on the inside, there is no room left for fear. When wisdom rises, confusion leaves. When revelation rises, darkness goes. When light rises, the devil loses his grip. This is the spirit's way of renewing your mind through revelation, through light, through spiritual understanding, springing up inside your inner man until your thoughts bow their knee to the authority of Christ within you.
Now, beloved, I want you to listen very carefully to this next part because if you understand what I'm about to say, half of your battles in life will disappear. I don't say that lightly. I don't say that to sound spiritual. I say it because it's the truth. Many of the things Christians are wrestling with, many of the battles they think are demonic attacks, many of the struggles they assume are spiritual strongholds, are nothing more than unchecked thoughts. Thoughts that have gone unchallenged. Thoughts that have been permitted to linger. Thoughts the devil has injected into the mind and the believer never cast them down.
You see, Satan does not come wearing a red suit and a pitchfork. He does not stand at the foot of your bed with a sign that says, "I am the devil." No. If he did that, every Christian in the world would rebuke him in a heartbeat. Satan is subtle. Satan is deceptive. Satan works through thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
Now notice those words. Casting down imaginations. That's the mind. Bringing every thought into captivity. That's the mind. The battleground is the mind. The warfare is in the mind. The enemy's strategy is in the mind. And unless the believer learns to guard, govern, and guide their thought life, the enemy will make inroads they don't even realize he is making.
Now, let me show you something Jesus said. Turn with me. At least mark it to Luke 12:29. "And seek not ye what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind." That phrase doubtful mind means wavering, shifting, unsettled thoughts. Satan knows he cannot stop the believer's spirit. But if he can disturb the believer's mind, he can weaken their faith. That's exactly what happened with Peter. Remember Matthew 14? Jesus came walking on the water. Peter said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come." Jesus said, "Come." And the Bible says, Peter walked on the water. As long as his eyes were on Jesus, he stood. As long as his attention was fixed on the word, he stood. As long as his focus was on Christ, he stood. But what happened? Matthew 14:30 says, "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid." When he saw when he shifted his attention, when he moved from faith to natural reasoning, as long as his heart believed, he walked. But the moment his mind entertained fear, he sank.
You see, beloved, it wasn't the storm that sank him. It wasn't the waves that sank him. It wasn't the water that sank him. It was the thought. Fear is not a force until you think it. Worry has no power until you embrace it. Temptation cannot overthrow you unless you meditate on it. Defeat has no authority unless you agree with it. Satan must have your cooperation to defeat you. He has to get inside your thinking. Oh yes, he'll bring pressure from the outside. But the real battle is inside internally in the thoughts, the imaginations, the inner conversations of the mind.
Remember Genesis 3. How did Satan deceive Eve? Not with a threat, not with a whip, not with a weapon, with a suggestion. "Yay, hath God said?" That's how he enters. Questioning God's word, making you re-examine what you already know, planting uncertainty in what God has already spoken. That is his method. That is his pattern. That is his strategy.
I remember many years ago before I was healed, lying on that deathbed as a five-year-old boy. The devil would speak to my mind every day, "You're going to die. This is the end. You'll never grow up. God won't heal you. Prayer doesn't work. The word doesn't apply to you." They weren't loud thoughts. They weren't violent thoughts. They were subtle whispers, suggestions. And I didn't understand at the time that those thoughts weren't mine. They were fiery darts of the wicked one. And Ephesians 6:16 says, "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." What are fiery darts? Random negative thoughts, sudden blinding fears, unexpected temptations, condemning imaginations, pictures of failure, mental rehearsing of defeat. And if you don't lift the shield of faith, if you don't answer those thoughts, if you don't resist them, if you don't cast them down, your mind becomes the devil's playground, and your faith becomes paralyzed.
Now, I want to show you something else. Turn to 1 Peter 5:8. "Be sober. Be vigilant. Because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour." Notice the phrase "seeking whom he may devour." Not whom he can devour, but whom he may devour. That means he needs permission. And his permission comes through unguarded thoughts. A believer who refuses to resist lies grants permission. A believer who meditates on fear grants permission. A believer who accepts thoughts of defeat grants permission. A believer who allows worry to dominate grants permission. But the believer who lifts the shield of faith, who speaks the word, who casts down imaginations, who guards their mind, who refuses to dwell on the enemy's suggestions, puts the devil on the run.
James 4:7 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Most Christians want the fleeing part, but they don't want the resisting part. Resisting begins in the thought life. You resist him by refusing his thoughts. You resist him by answering with the word. You resist him by speaking truth. You resist him by refusing to meditate on anything that contradicts God's promises. That is why the enemy fights the mind so fiercely. If he can weaken your thinking, he can weaken your believing. If he can weaken your believing, he can weaken your authority. If he can weaken your authority, he can weaken your victory. But thank God, we are not ignorant of his devices. We know his strategy. We know his methods. We know his tactics. We know how he attacks. And we know how to win. Beloved, listen to me. Your mind is the first battlefield. It is also the first place you must take authority.
Now, beloved, we've laid the foundation that the mind is the battleground. We've shown you from scripture how the enemy uses thoughts, suggestions, imaginations, and whisperings to weaken your faith. And we've established that you, not your pastor, not your spouse, not your feelings. You are the one commanded by scripture to take authority over your thought life. Paul didn't say pray that God will cast down imaginations for you. No. No. He said, "casting down imaginations." 2 Corinthians 10:5. Who does the casting down? You do. He said, "bringing into captivity every thought." 2 Corinthians 10:5. Who brings a thought captive? You do. God supplied the authority. God supplied the word. God supplied the power. God supplied the spirit. But God did not supply the resisting. That's your part. Just like when the policeman lifts his hand, the power isn't in the hand. The power is behind the hand, but he still must lift his hand. You must take the step. You must lift the shield. You must open your mouth. You must guard your mind.
Now, I want to give you practical daily applications. If you will do these faithfully, just as faithfully as you brush your teeth or comb your hair, your mind will become a fortress of peace instead of a playground of fear.
One, you must recognize thoughts immediately. Many Christians lose the battle because they don't recognize the enemy fast enough. They let thoughts linger too long. They treat every thought as if it originated from themselves. But hear me, not every thought that enters your mind is your own. Some thoughts are fiery darts. Some thoughts are demonic suggestions. Some thoughts are planted by fear. Some thoughts contradict God's word so clearly that you should recognize instantly this is not from God. This is not from my spirit. This is from the enemy. For instance, a thought of fear. God never leads by fear. So when fear comes, you recognize it immediately. This is not God. Dismiss it. A thought of condemnation. God does not condemn his children. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Recognize it. Dismiss it. A thought of hopelessness. Thoughts that say, "It will never change. You'll never be free. The word isn't working. Your prayers don't matter." None of that originates from heaven. Heaven never sends hopelessness. Heaven never sends despair. Heaven never sends discouragement. Recognize it. Dismiss it.
Two, you must answer every thought with the word. This is where most believers fail. They think resisting the devil means remaining silent and hoping he leaves. But Jesus set the example for us in the wilderness temptation. Luke 4:3 says, "The devil spoke to him." And the Bible says, "And Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written.'" Jesus did not stay silent. He didn't think resistance. He spoke resistance. Three times the devil spoke. Three times Jesus answered with the word. Beloved, if Jesus, the spotless Son of God, filled without measure with the spirit of God, walking in perfect righteousness, if even Jesus had to answer every suggestion of the enemy with scripture, what makes you think you can overcome thoughts by staying silent? You resist with your mouth. You answer with the word. When fear speaks, say out loud, "God hath not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." When anxiety whispers, "I will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." Isaiah 26:3. When temptation suggests, "Sin shall not have dominion over me." Romans 6:14. When depression presses, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10. When hopelessness speaks, "Now thanks be unto God who always causeth me to triumph." 2 Corinthians 2:14. Answer thoughts with the word. That's how you take them captive.
Three, you must replace the thought with truth. It's not enough to reject lies. You must replace them. If you cast a thought down but leave an empty space, another thought will come fill the vacancy. So after you answer with scripture, meditate on the truth. Philippians 4:8 tells you exactly what to meditate on. "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report. If there be any virtue, any praise, think on these things." That's not a suggestion. That's a divine instruction. You can't think wrong and live right. You can't meditate on defeat and walk in victory. You can't dwell on fear and walk in faith. You can't feed your mind garbage and expect peace. Replace the lie with truth. Feed your mind the word.
Four. You must speak the word daily out loud. Your mouth is the rudder of your mind. You steer your thought life with your tongue. Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night." Notice the order. Mouth first, mind second. You meditate by speaking. Your thoughts follow your words. If you want a peaceful mind, fill your mouth with peaceful words. Say this every morning. "I have a sound mind. I have the mind of Christ. I cast down imaginations. I take every thought captive. My mind is strong. My thoughts are clear. Fear has no place. Confusion has no authority. The Lord is my peace." You cannot speak truth daily and remain mentally defeated.
Five, you must build a habit of immediate resistance. The longer you allow a thought to linger, the stronger its grip becomes. A fiery dart can turn into a stronghold if you ignore it long enough. So resist immediately. Don't wait until the thought grows. Don't wait until it builds momentum. Don't wrestle with it for three days. Don't entertain it for two hours. Don't meditate on it for five minutes. Answer it instantly. Jesus answered instantly. Paul resisted instantly. James taught immediate resistance. The devil dreads a believer who answers him immediately with the word of God.
Six, you must make this a daily practice, not an emergency response. Most Christians only resist thoughts when crisis hits. But the mind must be guarded daily. You don't brush your teeth only on days you fear cavities. You don't take a bath only when you smell bad. You do these things daily because neglect brings trouble. Renewing your mind is the same. Romans 12:2 says, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Not a one-time renewal, a continual renewing. Daily word intake, daily confession, daily meditation, daily resistance, daily victory. Your spiritual life rises or falls based on the consistency of your thought life.
Beloved, if you will practice these principles consistently, not emotionally, not occasionally, but faithfully, your mind will become strong, stable, and governed by the spirit rather than by circumstances. You'll begin to recognize the enemy instantly. You'll begin to resist automatically. You'll begin to speak the word reflexively. You'll begin to live in peace continually and your faith, your precious faith will operate unhindered.
Now, beloved, we've come a long way together. We've seen how the mind is the battleground. We've learned how Satan uses thoughts to wear down your faith. We've taught you how to cast down imaginations and answer every thought with the word. But now, we must move from reaction to preparation. Because the greatest victory is not simply resisting the devil when he attacks. It is preventing the devil from finding an unprepared mind in the first place. You see, many Christians deal with their thoughts only when the crisis hits. But the word of God was not given just to save you from trouble. It was given to shape your thinking long before trouble arrives. Renewing the mind is not a panic button. It is a lifestyle. And the degree to which your mind is renewed is the degree to which your faith will flourish. Your thoughts determine your outcome. Your meditation determines your manifestation and your discipline determines your freedom.
Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Now notice that word transformed. In the Greek, it is *metamorphu* from which we get the English word metamorphosis. It's the same process that turns a crawling caterpillar into a soaring butterfly. The caterpillar didn't get wings by praying harder. He didn't leap into the air and try to fly. The transformation came from a process slow, sure, internal, consistent. That's what renewing the mind is. Not a one-time prayer, not a weekend conference, not an emotional moment, but a process, steady, daily, internal.
You see, feeding on the word is to your spirit what breathing is to your lungs. You don't breathe once and say, "I think that'll do for the week." You breathe day and night. Why? Because life depends on it. And spiritual life depends on the word every bit as much. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." If you only eat bread occasionally, you get weak. If you only feed on the word occasionally, you get spiritually weak. Weak minds are susceptible minds. Weak minds are unguarded minds. Weak minds are easily influenced minds. But a strong mind renewed by the word day after day becomes an impenetrable fortress. The devil may attack, but he cannot prevail. Thoughts may come but they cannot dwell. Fear may knock but it cannot enter. The word is spiritual food.
In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter said, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby." And Hebrews 5:14 says, "Strong meat belongeth to them that are full age." Spiritual infancy, spiritual adolescence, spiritual adulthood. What determines your level of growth? Not how long you've been saved, not how many church services you've attended, not even how emotional your worship life is. Your spiritual maturity is measured by your word level. Little word equals little strength. Little word equals little stability. Little word equals little resistance. But much word diligently and consistently consumed produces strong faith, clear thinking, stable emotions, quick discernment, instant spiritual reflexes, and a renewed mind.
You cannot renew the mind by accident. You cannot drift into spiritual discipline. You cannot coast into maturity. No one becomes spiritually strong by hoping. It takes discipline, spirit-led discipline, but discipline nonetheless. The process of renewal.
Now, I want to show you something powerful. Psalm 1:2-3 says, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night, and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, not a bush, not a weed, a tree deep-rooted, unmoved, unshaken, unbent by the winds." Who becomes like a tree? The one who meditates on the word day and night. That doesn't mean you walk around with the Bible open all day, but it means the word is always in your mouth, always in your thoughts, always in your inner conversation, always ready on your tongue when a thought comes. Meditation is not memorization alone. Meditation is repetition, consideration, rumination, turning the word over and over until it becomes part of you. And that process rewires your mind. It rearranges your thinking. It replaces the old thought patterns with new spiritual ones. It takes out fear and puts in faith. Takes out worry and puts in peace. Takes out confusion and puts in clarity. Takes out lies and puts in truth. Nothing changes your mind like meditation on the word. Set a daily word routine.
Now, I want to be very practical here. Many Christians want peace but don't want the discipline that produces peace. They want clarity but avoid the habits that create clarity. They want spiritual maturity but don't want to establish spiritual routines. Let me give you simple workable steps.
One, read the word every morning before anything else. Start with Paul's epistles. They are written to the church. Five to 10 minutes of spirit-filled reading can stabilize your mind all day.
Two, speak the word out loud daily. Confession renews the mind because the mind follows the mouth. Say, "I have the mind of Christ. My thoughts are sound. I walk in divine peace."
Three, meditate on one scripture throughout the day. Just one. Repeat it. Think on it. Whisper it under your breath. Build it into your spirit.
Four, listen to the word while driving, walking, or cleaning. Feed your mind constantly. Let the word fill every margin of your day.
Five, write scriptures on cards or notes. Put them where you see them. Reinforce the truth visually.
Six, end your day by thanking God for the word you received. Gratitude seals it. Thanksgiving strengthens it. Praise anchors it.
Renewing the mind is not a struggle. It's a habit. The word transforms your mind from the inside out. You will notice something remarkable after several weeks, sometimes days of consistent word intake. Your reflexes change. What used to panic you no longer does. What used to confuse you becomes clear. What used to frighten you feels powerless. What used to overwhelm you now meets resistance automatically. That's the renewed mind. That's the transformed mind. That's the mind governed by the spirit.
Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." Perfect peace, not temporary peace, not fragile peace, not emotional peace, perfect peace. But notice the condition, "whose mind is stayed on thee." Your peace is not based on your circumstances. Your peace is not based on your feelings. Your peace is not based on your season of life. Your peace is based on where your mind is fixed. And the word is what fixes your mind on Him.
Beloved, spiritual discipline is not bondage. It's victory. It's not restriction. It's freedom. It's not religious striving. It's walking in the spirit. When you discipline your mind with the word, you become a person the devil dreads because the renewed mind is the mind he cannot manipulate. And that's exactly what God wants for you.
Now, beloved, I want to bring you into something extremely important. It's one thing to renew your mind. It's another thing to maintain that renewed mind when circumstances are shaking, when the news is troubling, when the world is panicking, and when pressures come from every direction. It's possible, very possible, to walk in perfect peace while the world is in chaos. It's possible to walk in divine clarity when everything around you is confused. It's possible to live Christ-minded in the middle of troubling times. But hear me carefully. It does not happen automatically. It happens intentionally. It happens by choice. It happens through spiritual discipline. It happens by setting your mind, fixing your attention on the right things, not the wrong things. Paul said in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." To set means to fix, to lock into place, to establish firmly. It is the same word used to describe setting
A jewel in a ring, fastening it so it cannot move. God is telling us, "Fix your mind above. Anchor your thoughts above. Let your awareness be heaven-filled, not earth-filled, because trouble never originates in heaven. Confusion is not born in heaven. Fear is not cultivated in heaven. Anxiety does not grow in heaven. Doubt does not exist in heaven. So when you set your mind above, you detach from the world's troubled atmosphere and attach to heaven's perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wil keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trustth in thee."
Perfect peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of focus. Where your mind stays, your life follows. If your mind stays on the news, anxiety follows. If your mind stays on circumstances, fear follows. If your mind stays on problems, stress follows. But if your mind stays on him, peace follows.
Now, let me tell you something I learned through years of ministry. Many believers are not defeated because of the size of their storm. They're defeated because of the size of their focus. They let the world occupy more mental space than the word. They meditate more on headlines than they do on God's promises. They talk more about what the devil is doing than what God has already done. But beloved, you cannot remain Christminded if you fill your thoughts with the world's noise.
Jesus himself warned us in Luke 21:26 that in the last days, men's hearts will fail them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Notice that phrase "for looking after those things." Fear didn't come from the events. It came from their focus. Their attention produced their anxiety. Their meditation produce their collapse. What you look at long enough will fill your heart. And what fills your heart will steer your life.
But for the believer, oh glory to God, you have a higher focus. You have a different meditation. You live under a different government. You stand on a different covenant. You walk by a different spirit. You receive from a different kingdom. Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth." The world can only offer peace when things are calm. Jesus gives peace that works in storms. The world gives peace that depends on circumstance. Jesus gives peace that creates confidence in God. And if Jesus gives it, the devil cannot take it. If Jesus gives it, circumstances cannot remove it. If Jesus gives it, the world cannot intrude upon it.
But listen now, you must guard it. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence. For out of it are the issues of life." That means your inner life, your thought life, your emotional life, your meditative life must be guarded like a treasure. In troubling times, the enemy tries to slip thoughts of fear, discouragement, despair, and uncertainty through the gates of your mind. But you must stand watch like the policeman in our illustration earlier. You must hold up the hand of faith and say, "Stop right there. That thought is not of God. That imagination is not truth. That fear does not belong to me. I take every thought captive in Jesus' name."
Now, let's get practical. Let me give you five spiritual practices that will maintain a Christminded life when everything around you is shaking.
One, limit your external inputs. You cannot immerse yourself in fear-filled voices and expect a peace-filled mind. If your primary intake is the news, political commentary, fear-driven social media, crisis updates, and the negativity of the world, your mind will not stay renewed. Jesus said in Mark 4:24, "Take heed what you hear, because what you hear becomes what you think, and what you think becomes what you believe, and what you believe becomes what you live." Limit worldly voices and increase the word's voice.
Two, practice daily thankfulness. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "In everything with thanksgiving, the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds." Thanksgiving fortifies the mind. Gratitude closes the door to fear. Praise uproots anxiety. A thankful Christian is a peaceful Christian. A peaceful Christian is a stable Christian. A stable Christian is a Christminded Christian.
Three, remind yourself daily of your position in Christ. Your mind cannot be troubled when your spirit is aware of its position. Ephesians 2:6 says, "And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." You are seated with Christ above the storm, above the pressure, above the fear, above the circumstance, above the devil, above the world. Christmindedness flows from knowing where you sit.
Four, practice speaking the word in troubling moments. When the winds of worry blow, speak. When pressure rises, speak. When fear whispers, speak. A quiet Christian in troubling times will be a defeated Christian. But a word-speaking Christian will be a victorious one. Jesus rebuked the storm with words. He didn't think peace, he spoke it.
Five, rehearse God's faithfulness constantly. David said in Psalm 42:6, "Oh my God, my soul is cast down within me. Therefore will I remember thee." When your soul sinks, your memory must rise. Recall God's goodness, recall victories, recall answered prayers, recall past deliverances. Why? Because a mind that remembers God remains anchored in him. When you remember God, storms shrink. When you remember God, fear dissolves. When you remember God, confidence rises. When you remember God, Christmindedness prevails.
Beloved, troubling times do not weaken the believer who is Christminded. Troubling times expose what is truly in the mind. But you, yes, you can maintain a Christ-focused mind regardless of the season, regardless of the world, regardless of the news, regardless of the storm. Because the one who lives in you is greater. The peace he gives is stronger. The word he spoke is eternal. And the victory he won is final.
Now, beloved, we've talked about recognizing thoughts, resisting thoughts, replacing thoughts, and renewing the mind with the word. But now, we must move into something that ties all of these truths together. The power of daily confession. I've said it for decades. Your faith will never rise above your confession. Your mind will never rise above your confession. Your victory will never rise above your confession. Your authority in Christ will never rise above your confession. Too many believers want victory while speaking defeat. They want peace while speaking fear. They want clarity while meditating on confusion. They want the mind of Christ while confessing the mind of the world. But hear me now. You cannot walk in victory while talking defeat. You cannot walk in peace while talking anxiety. You cannot walk in faith while talking fear.
Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Your mind listens to your mouth. Your emotions respond to your mouth. Your spirit is stirred by your mouth. Your circumstances shift when your mouth aligns with God's word. Jesus said in Mark 11:23, "He shall have whatsoever he saith," not what he thinketh, not what he hopeth, not what he wishth, but what he saith. The Holy Ghost didn't make a mistake when he inspired those words. Seven times in Mark 11:23, 2:4, Jesus referred to speaking and only once to believing. Because believers don't have a believing problem, they have a speaking problem. They say, "My mind is weak. I'm always anxious. I can't focus. My thoughts overwhelm me. I can't hear God. I'm under pressure. I'm losing it." Then they wonder why their mind collapses at the slightest trial. Their confession trained their mind to obey the wrong master.
But thank God, we can retrain our thoughts by retraining our words. A sound mind is not the result of perfect circumstances. It is the fruit of a disciplined confession. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." That word "sound mind" in the Greek is sopheranmos. It means disciplined mind, controlled mind, stable mind, balanced mind, self-governed mind, healthy whole mind. And what God gives, the devil cannot cancel. Let me say that again. What God gives, the devil cannot cancel. But if you don't confess what God has given, your mind will behave as if he never gave it. That's why daily confession matters.
Your mouth is the gatekeeper of your mind. Most people don't realize this. Your mind follows your words. If your confession is weak, your mind will be weak. If your confession is fearful, your mind will be fearful. If your confession is unstable, your mind will be unstable. But if your confession is strong, your mind will become strong. If your confession is filled with the word, your mind will align with the word. Psalm 45:1 says, "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." You write God's truth on the tablet of your mind with the pen of your tongue. If you don't like what your mind is doing, change what your mouth is saying.
Confessions shut the door to the devil. Ephesians 4:27 says, "Neither give place to the devil." How do believers give place? With their words. How do believers shut the door with their words? When you say, "I refuse fear in Jesus' name," you close the door to fear. When you say, "My mind is sound," you close the door to confusion. When you say, "Great peace have they which love thy law," you close the door to anxiety. When you say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength," you close the door to depression. Demons understand authority. They don't obey feelings. They obey words spoken in faith.
Why daily confession matters? Confession is not a crisis tool. It is a lifestyle. You don't confess the word because you feel good or because circumstances are easy. You confess the word because it keeps your spiritual life in alignment with God's truth. Your mind is like a garden. If you don't intentionally plant the right seeds, the wrong seeds will grow automatically. Fear grows by neglect. Worry grows by neglect. Doubt grows by neglect. Confusion grows by neglect. But the word grows by attention. Truth grows by repetition. Peace grows by meditation. Faith grows by confession.
Jesus said in John 8:32, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, but you will never know truth deeply until you speak truth consistently." Kenneth E. Hagen style daily confessions for a sound mind. These are confessions drawn from scripture. Confessions I've spoken for years. Confessions that train my spirit and mind to walk in victory. Speak them out loud. Speak them consistently. Speak them until your mind believes them more than it believes the world.
One, confession of authority. In the name of Jesus, I have authority over every thought. My mind belongs to the Lord. I cast down imaginations. Every thought bows to the word of God.
Two, confession of soundness. God has given me a sound mind, a disciplined mind, a stable mind, a peaceful mind. Fear cannot live here.
Three, confession of peace. Great peace have I because I love God's word. My mind is stayed on the Lord and he keeps me in perfect peace.
Four, confession of renewal. I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. My thoughts are governed by the word. My meditation is holy. My mind is clear.
Five, confession of Christmindedness. I have the mind of Christ. I thank the thoughts of God. I walk in spiritual understanding. The Holy Ghost enlightens my mind.
Six, confession against fear. I refuse fear. I reject worry. I resist anxiety. I will not be intimidated by the devil. The peace of God rules my mind.
Seven, confession of divine help. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
Eight, confession of victory. Thanks be to God who always causes me to triumph. My mind is victorious. My spirit is victorious. My life is victorious.
Confession must become a lifestyle. Beloved, these confessions are not magic formulas. They are not man-made affirmations. These are scripture wrapped in your voice. And scripture spoken in faith produces transformation. Say them when you feel good. Say them when you feel bad. Say them when you feel strong. Say them when you feel nothing at all. Faith works when you feel nothing. Because faith is not feeling. Faith is action. Make these confessions daily and your mind will become a fortress the devil fears.
Now beloved, as we come to the close of this teaching, I don't want you merely informed. I want you transformed. I don't want these words to remain ink on paper or vibrations in the air. I want them to sink down into your spirit, take root in your heart, rearrange your thinking, and lift you into a new realm of mental peace, spiritual clarity, and divine stability. What we have taught is not theory. It is truth. It is the living word of God. It is revelation that has changed my life, changed my ministry, and changed millions around the world. And the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is here now, ready to minister peace to your mind, strength to your spirit, clarity to your thoughts, and victory to every battleground of the soul.
Let us pray together. Close your eyes, lift your heart, and open your spirit.
Father, in the mighty and wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for your holy written word. We thank you that the entrance of your word giveth light. We thank you that your word is truth. Your word is power. Your word is life. Your word is peace. And Father, we thank you for the precious Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Our comforter, our teacher, our guide, our strengthener, our standby, the spirit of wisdom and revelation, the spirit who unveils Christ to our hearts. Father, we come boldly tonight for your word declares in Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." And Father, your people need help in their minds, help in their emotions, help in their thought life, help in their inner battles. But thank God, grace is available, mercy is available, strength is available, peace is available, revelation is available, and we receive it now.
Father, I pray for every man, every woman, every young person under the sound of my voice. I take authority in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ over every spirit of fear, every tormenting thought, every lying imagination, every oppressive suggestion of the enemy. According to Luke 10:19, you have given us authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm us. So in the name of Jesus, I command fear to go. I command confusion to leave. I command anxiety to break. I command torment to cease. I command mental darkness to disperse. I command every fiery dart of the wicked one to be quenched by the shield of faith.
Father, your word says in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." So right now in Jesus name, I declare over every listener, you have a sound mind. You have a Christ-governed mind. You have a peace-filled mind. You have a disciplined mind. You have a stable mind. You have the mind of Christ.
Lord, your word says in Isaiah 26:3, "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." So, Father, let that perfect peace rise. Now, let that supernatural calm settle upon every heart. Let that divine tranquility overshadow every troubled place in the soul. Let the peace that passes all understanding guard hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. I thank you, Father, that confusion is clearing up right now. I thank you that the fog is lifting. I thank you that clarity is coming. I thank you that wisdom is rising. I thank you that the eyes of their understanding are being enlightened to know the hope of your calling, the riches of your glory, and the exceeding greatness of your power.
And Father, we pray the great Pauline prayer of Ephesians 3:16-19 that you would strengthen them with might by your Spirit in the inner man; that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith; that they, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love; and that they would be filled with all the fullness of God. Oh, Father, fill their minds with your fullness. Fullness of peace, fullness of revelation, fullness of confidence, fullness of joy, fullness of stability. Drive out every leftover trace of fear. Drive out every residue of anxiety. Drive out every echo of the enemy. Drive out every lying whisper that contradicts your word. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in them. Let the peace of God rule in their hearts. Let the spirit of God govern their thoughts. Let the joy of the Lord rise like a river.
And now, Father, I lay hands on them in faith, not physically, but spiritually. I stretch forth my faith toward them. And in Jesus' name, I impart peace. Peace that settles storms. Peace that anchors minds. Peace that strengthens hearts. Peace that overrides feelings. Peace that guards emotions. Peace that stands watch like a soldier at the gate of the mind. Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." So in the authority of that word, we say to every troubled heart, be not troubled. We say to every fearful mind, fear not. We say to every weary soul, the Lord is your strength. We say to every anxious thought, "Be still." We say to every imagination that exalts itself against God, "Come down."
Father, I thank you that victory is rising, peace is rising, strength is rising, revelation is rising, stability is rising, and from this night forward, they will walk in the authority of a renewed mind, the clarity of a disciplined mind, and the peace of a Christ-governed mind. They will not be tossed. They will not be shaken. They will not be manipulated. They will not be defeated. They will stand strong, think clearly, overcome boldly, and walk victoriously. And Father, we thank you for it. We give you all the praise, all the glory, all the honor in the mighty, matchless, wonderful, sovereign, unchanging name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. And amen.