Daily Devo
Mental Warfare
By: Jenny Hinners
Friday, May 1, 2026
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6
Today, perhaps more than ever – we must be vigilant to recognize and resist the warfare in our minds. These attacks happen in various ways, but in end times, God's Word says false prophets will bring an increased level of deceit in an attempt to mislead God’s people (Matthew 24:24). So, how do Christ followers guard their minds?
1. Fill your mind with God's Truth.
What percentage of your mental diet comes from God’s Word -vs- the percentage that comes from the world? If we don't intentionally guard the "gates" of our eyes and ears, the ways of world will slowly blind and deceive us. As Romans 8:6 says, the world's ways will eventually lead to spiritual death.
2. Ground yourself in God’s Word.
Spend time with Jesus and spend time in the Word. Nourish your mind each day with scripture. God can speak to us in many ways, but the primary way He speaks to us is through His written Word.
God’s Word:
- Is reliable, and it endures forever (Isaiah 40:8).
- Transforms and renews our mind (Romans 12:2).
- Makes us wiser than our enemies (Psalm 119:98).
- Is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).
- Is 100% truth, so everything we are being taught must align with it (Acts 17:11).
3. Take every thought captive.
If you think about it, most of our spiritual armor is defensive. Our primary offensive weapon is the sword of God’s Word. We can attack the enemy's lies and ungodly thoughts from the world with Scripture, just like Jesus did (Matthew 4:4-10).
...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
4. Pray for discernment.
If something is confusing or unclear, ask the Holy Spirit to expose any lies or hidden motives. Then, ask Him for wisdom on how to best proceed (James 1:5).
...if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:3-6
Spiritual discernment helps us know when something doesn't seem right. God may give us wise counsel through one of our brothers and sisters in Christ, but when "alarms" start going off, we must always compare what is being said against the principles in God's Word.
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40