If you want to learn to manage your mind, you have to be delivered from destructive thoughts. That isn’t easy because you are in a battle with three enemies trying to control your thoughts.

The first enemy is your old nature. Paul said in Romans 7:23, “There is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me” (NLT).

Do you ever find yourself doing things you don’t really want to do? That’s the battle in your mind between your old, sinful nature and your good intentions.

The second enemy is Satan. Satan cannot force you to do anything, but he can make suggestions. Those suggestions are incredibly powerful. He is constantly planting negative thoughts in your mind. He’ll use other people or what you watch on TV, or he’ll just throw a thought in your mind.

The third enemy is the world’s value system. Modern society rarely encourages self-discipline. Advertisements tell you, “You deserve a break today. Have it your way. We do it all for you.”

The Bible says in 1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world” (NIV).

With enemies like that, no wonder people struggle with discouragement, despair, and failure!

So, how do you fight this battle? Look at what 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says: “Though we live in the 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” (NIV).

You have a choice. Your mind has to listen to you. God didn’t give you just a mind. He gave you a will too!

The Bible says, “I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no matter what” (Psalm 119:112 CEV). The best time to win the battle with temptation is before it begins.