We live in a dual world. The Bible distinguishes the temporal world from the spiritual world. Colossians 1:16 tells us, “…for through Him [Jesus] God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see….” Within the unseen realm, there is God’s Kingdom, as well as Satan’s kingdom, consisting of principalities, powers, evil rulers and authorities. Ephesians 6:10-12 tells us that the devil [Satan] wars against us with strategies meant to destroy us. “…Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

How does Satan do this?—through our thoughts and imaginations that are built on falsehoods. The mind is the battleground where the devil’s strategies are waged against us, using erroneous thoughts and vain imaginations. We serve our thoughts, or our thoughts serve us. Many times, our thoughts come to us from without. For instance, have you said, “Where did that come from?” when a crazy (bizarre, foolish, dangerous) thought just popped into your mind? According to many accounts in scripture, we can receive thoughts in the same sense a radio receives a broadcast over the airwaves. Satan strategizes against us for our harm, using “…evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, mighty powers in this dark world, and evil spirits in the heavenly places. Satan seeks to convince you using lies and deception. If you “buy” his lies, then you empower him to diminish or destroy you, or someone he is trying to reach through you.

Remembering that our mind is the battlefield, spiritual warfare is warring against Satan’s lies and deception. Our part is to take every thought captive that does not agree with God’s word. 2Corinthians 10:3-6 says it this way, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (NKJV)

Our warfare is for freedom and liberty, and a sound mind that Jesus came to give us. John 10:10 tells us, “The thief’s [Satan’s] purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My [Jesus] purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”