The Battlefield - Week 1

Last fall I attended a Bible study at church. We studied the book "The Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer. I have repeatedly said on this blog that this book has changed my life more than any other book.

Last year, I started reading the book, and the more I read, the more I could tell that I was under spiritual attack. It was crazy! But the book was amazing, and I got through all of it feeling like my relationship with the Lord was so much stronger.

This summer has been insane. Not in a good way. I am going through some things, and I feel like this book would help me out a lot. Just a year ago I read it for the first time, and now I can't believe I'm at such a vastly different place than I was then, and I feel like the book will take on a whole new meaning and significance now.

I've decided to do it just like I did last year: read two chapters a week. And every Tuesday I will write about what I am learning from the book and how I can apply it to my life. That way, it will keep me accountable to keep reading it, and I will have a reference to go back to.

So on week one, I am studying chapters 1 and 2 of The Battlefield.

Chapter 1: The Mind is the Battlefield

This chapter sets up the idea that there is always a spiritual battle going on that we cannot see. It's crazy to think about! Sometimes I feel funny saying that something I'm going through is a "spiritual attack," because I feel like I am reading too much into the situation. But then I look at 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." So yes, we are constantly being lied to and deceived by "spiritual forces of evil." Yikes! That is creepy! But true.

I'm currently reading "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti. It is a pretty great book to be reading while I go through this study. The book is about a fictional town and some evil things going on there. The author tells the story from the perspective of the town inhabitants, but ALSO from the angels and demons who are in spiritual warfare over the town. Although it is fiction, it is an interesting read, because it really makes you think about what is going on beyond the surface of our lives.

Anyway, this first chapter sets up the idea that the mind is a battlefield. We have to be aware of that before any of the rest of the book makes sense. We have to be able to control our mind, because the mind controls our actions.

Chapter 2: A Vital Necessity

This chapter talks a lot about the nature of our thoughts. You are what you think, basically. For example, on days when I am feeling depressed, am I a joy to be around? Absolutely not. I'm sure Luke likes to steer clear of me as much as possible on those days. On days when I am angry, my actions reflect my anger. If I'm having a day where I'm feeling thankful for all of my blessings, I am more fun to be around.

Joyce says it is important for us to think about what we are thinking about. It sounds funny, but it is important. I guess I just let my thoughts come to me. It feels like a natural thing, and not like something we can control. But we CAN control our thoughts. And it is vitally important that we do. Because our thoughts control our actions.

Applications

So how am I going to apply this information to my life this week? Mostly I'm just going to try to be more aware of my thoughts. I'm going to start writing in a personal journal, just recording my honest thoughts each day so I can see what kinds of thoughts I'm having. Are they envious? Angry? Worried? Or joyful?

Once I have figured out which area needs the most work, the rest of the book will be much more helpful.

I will write next Tuesday about chapters 3 and 4.

Here are my initial thoughts about the book the last time I read it.