Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind

This chapter emphasizes the necessity of getting one’s thinking in line with the principles of the Bible. Since the Bible teaches that the way one thinks affects who one is, patterns of thought become crucial: “If our thoughts are going to affect what we become, then it should certainly be a priority that we think right thoughts” (27). One cannot have a negative pattern of thinking and, at the same time, a positive life. Some readers, though, might feel that overhauling one’s whole way of thinking will be difficult, if not impossible. To them, Meyer points out that humans have the capacity to work hard at fixing a problem if it is urgent enough (she gives the example of a banking error in one’s account), and this problem is as urgent as it gets. Further, the means of changing one’s thinking are readily available and as simple as praying and learning to walk in close relationship with God: “One of the best aids to freedom is asking God for a lot of help—and asking often” (28). 

If one neglects the vital disciplines of prayer and seeking God’s help, then negative patterns of thought will spill over into behavior. The Bible teaches that one’s thoughts turn into actions, just like a tree producing fruit: A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. Through her continued use of biblical references and her repetition of the vital necessity of her point, Meyer imparts the urgency of reordering one’s thinking.

Though Meyer’s argument is theological rather than scientific, the idea that changing one’s mindset is possible has considerable backing; contemporary neuroscience regards the brain as “plastic” and able to alter itself. That said, labeling certain thought patterns as “wrong,” though common in many religious traditions, is generally regarded as counterproductive by modern psychiatry, as doing so can actually reinforce the pattern.

Chapter Lessons

• One’s thoughts influence and shape who one becomes.
• It is vitally important to get one’s thinking in line with the truth of Scripture.
• One of the best ways to change one’s thinking is by praying and asking for God’s help.

Reflection Questions

• Think about the biblical imagery of a tree and its fruit. If you were to look at the fruit your life is currently producing, how would you assess the health of the tree?

In this chapter, Meyer continues to lay the groundwork of thoughts and attitudes necessary to transform a carnal, fleshly mindset to a spiritual, biblical one. The main point of this chapter is encapsulated in the chapter title itself—“Don’t Give Up!” The process may be long and difficult, so it is important to resolve not to turn back and revert to the old carnal way of thinking. Drawing on God’s call in Isaiah 43: 2 to pass through the waters, Meyer encourages her readers to set their minds on going all the way through whatever difficulties they might face. The choice belongs to the individual, she writes, whether to press on and take hold of the life God has for them or to revert to the old life of unhealthy thinking and negative living. 

Not only must one choose to follow that course all the way through, one must choose every day to think right thoughts: “[I]t is vitally important that we choose life-generating thoughts” (34). Meyer then turns to another scripture passage, from Deuteronomy 1, which recalls the Israelites’ long history of wandering in the desert before God would allow them to enter the Promised Land. Meyer believes that the Israelites had a “wilderness mentality” and argues that if Christians are not careful, they too can get trapped in the patterns of a wilderness mentality. The remedy is to choose right thoughts, as guided by Scripture, and to press on in that resolution every day: “Make up your mind that you will not quit and give up until victory is complete and you have taken possession of your rightful inheritance” (36).

Meyer’s use of the collective struggle of the Israelites to illustrate a harmful mindset epitomizes one of the principal theological critiques of The Battlefield of the Mind: that Meyer overemphasizes the individual struggle against sin, neglecting Christianity’s message about the need for community and collective liberation. That said, most mainstream Christian thought would frame these two strands of the faith as complementary, so Meyer’s focus on internal practice does not necessarily preclude other approaches.

Chapter Lessons

• Christians cannot give up and turn back to their old way of thinking.
• People have the power to choose, so they must choose to think right thoughts every day and to press on even in the face of great challenges.
• Christians are in danger of getting stuck in a “wilderness mentality” if they give up too easily.

Reflection Questions

• Have you had a time in your life where you felt like you were stuck in a “wilderness mentality”?
• What are some ways that you can train yourself to choose right thoughts instead of wrong thoughts on a daily basis?

Meyer begins this chapter with a quotation from the biblical book of Deuteronomy, which declares that God will deliver Israel from its enemies little by little. In the same way, Meyer argues, a Christian’s deliverance from the bondage of negative thoughts and sinful habits often comes little by little. God allows a period of suffering and struggle in order to help a person grow in patience and rejoice even more fully in their freedom. Using the analogy of a baby learning to walk, Meyer reminds her readers that they will often fall down in their attempts to think and live rightly, but the important thing is to get back up and keep trying. 

Using Romans 8: 1 as her key passage, Meyer asserts that God does not condemn Christians even in their struggles and downfalls. Any condemnation Christians feel, then—whether in the form of discouraging thoughts, self-reproach, or something else—comes from Satan. Such condemnations must be resisted: “I repeat: don’t receive condemnation. Your total victory will come, but it will take time because it will come ‘little by little’” (40). Meyer advises readers to resist condemnation with the Word of God, by quoting Bible passages to oneself—aloud, if possible. Through God’s encouragement, one can remind oneself of the falsity of discouragement.

Meyer’s framing of discouragement as categorically sinful may be alienating to some readers, particularly those who have mental illness. Recognizing the potential for ableism, other authors have sought to integrate Christian teaching with current psychiatric understanding; for instance, Peter Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality employs a broadly Christian framework while advocating for acceptance of thoughts via techniques like mindfulness.

Chapter Lessons

• God will give individuals total victory in their thought lives, but it will come little by little.
• Condemnation comes not from God but from Satan and should be resisted.
• Christians should use Scripture to combat thoughts of discouragement.

Reflection Questions

• Does the idea that God only brings victory little by little, rather than all at once, resonate with you?
• Where in your life have you experienced condemnation or discouragement?

Maintaining a positive, hopeful attitude in one’s life is one of the best ways to experience God’s goodness and victory: “Positive minds produce positive lives” (45). Meyer explains that she held a negative perspective for much of her life, expecting disappointment and anticipating that things would fall apart. By studying the Bible, however, Meyer learned that Christians are called to have an attitude of hopeful expectancy, trusting in the goodness of God. She draws on Romans 8: 28, which asserts that everything that happens in a believer’s life will be worked out for the good—even those things that may be challenging or sorrowful at the time. People can hold on to a positive attitude in such circumstances by reminding themselves that God will bring good out of the current situation and expressing trust in his plan.

Meyer is clear, however, that she is not asserting that positive thinking will always conjure up positive events in one’s life: “Even a person who is really positive won’t have everything work out the way he would like it to all the time” (47). She encourages readers to face reality and approach difficult situations with a ready mind, prepared for good news or bad news and ready to trust God in either case. To those readers who fear that they are already too habitually negative in their thoughts, she reminds them that Scripture calls them a new creation in Christ and urges them to trust in the Holy Spirit to change them little by little. Even amid disappointments and setbacks, Christians can learn to put trust in God and look hopefully toward his purposes. By training one’s mind in this way, aided by the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, one can become a positive person with a mind set on rejoicing in God’s work and expecting to receive good things, regardless of whether one’s own plans are working out.

Coming in the 1990s, Meyer’s emphasis on positive thinking coincided with a broader cultural interest in positivity; positive psychology, though otherwise quite distinct from Meyer’s biblical approach, also gained traction in the late 20th century. Meyer’s arguments also evoke earlier attempts to wed positive thinking to Christian teaching, such as Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 The Power of Positive Thinking. However, Meyer is more cautious than Peale in promoting positivity’s ability to effect real-world change, instead emphasizing surrendering oneself to God’s providence.

Chapter Lessons

• Christians should practice thinking positively, trusting God to work out all circumstances for their good.
• Christians can trust in the Holy Spirit to change their perspective, even if they have a long history of negativity.
• Christians should expect to receive the good things God promises in his Word.

Reflection Questions

• Do you think Meyer’s advice to hold on to hopeful expectancy, even in the hardest parts of life, is realistic? Why or why not?
• How does Meyer’s advice compare to that of the positivity movement, which holds that thinking positively will automatically produce positive effects in your life?

Meyer shares a time in her life where she found it hard to believe in some of the things God had revealed to her—not about core issues of the faith, but about God’s purposes for her ministry and her future. She wrestled with skepticism and doubt, thinking that perhaps those revelations were wishful thinking rather than a communication from God. However, she felt a repeated urge to pray regarding the influence of “mind-binding spirits,” and in doing so, Meyer found that she was delivered of her doubts. She resolved to believe both the Word of God (the Bible), as well as what she calls the “rhema” (a biblical Greek term), God’s words and promises to her. She challenges her readers to believe such revealed words, even when they might struggle intellectually to reconcile their beliefs. 

There are times, she asserts, when God will reveal a message that a person’s heart will believe but that their mind will want further understanding of. God does not always grant that further understanding, but in such cases, Meyer says, the Christian should simply decide to believe and pray against the influence of mind-binding spirits that seek to raise doubts.

Chapter Lessons

• Christians should be vigilant regarding evil spiritual influences that might raise doubts about what God has communicated.
• Christians should decide to believe in what God reveals to them about his will, even if their minds struggle to understand it completely.
• When in doubt, one should pray against the influence of mind-binding spirits.

Reflection Questions

• Do you think it’s always wise to immediately accept one’s personal revelations from God, or should these be handled with some testing and reflection?
• Have you ever experienced an immediate deliverance from doubt like the one Meyer describes?