Real Estate

The most valuable real estate in all of creation is your mind...the central part of your heart, which is made up of your mind, your will, and your emotions. There is a great battle being waged over your mind, even right now. Distraction is vying for a piece of your mind, fear, perversion, anger, greed...and God. All these desire the real estate of your mind.


That is because, whether you are willing to admit it or not, there is a great war being raged between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of light all around us. It isn't people against people, it is spirits against Spirit...it is fallen angels against God. This battle is raging right now. It is usually manifested on earth as problems between people. The enemy seeks to make people his agents in the war, while God seeks to free anyone who would choose freedom.


The enemy forces His way in, while God, unwilling to violate love, patiently waits to assist anyone who will ask. The enemy attempts to invade minds, while God's mode is to allow anyone willing to "put on" His help. These are the dynamics of this war:


Ephesians 6:10-13 A final word: 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. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.


The war is waged over the mind, because your mind is chief of your triune heart. In an orderly heart, your mind leads your will and emotion. In a weak heart, the order is reversed....when fear, or any other defiled (demon) spirit comes a callin,' its objective is to get your emotion out in front of your mind, so that your will can be hijacked to serve darkness. Any spirit that comes from darkness tries to overwhelm your mind...unreasonable fear, blinding pride, uncontrollable anxiety, depression...if these spirits are allowed access to your mind, you will eventually make unreasonable decisions that a sound mind would not agree with! Heavy stuff, I know, but understanding the physics of my heart can free me from many obstacles placed in front of me. These obstacles are designed to keep me from the perfect future God made for me to choose, if I want it!


It is simple, but not always easy, to defend against these attacks on my mind. Just like the earth is governed by laws, heaven is governed by laws, too. Because God chose free will, and all of heaven submits to Him, free will is the law of the land. No enemy spirit can attack me legally, but satan's kingdom is made up of lawbreakers and thieves. I need to enforce the law where my enemy violates it, and also guard against giving my enemy legal access to my mind. These are the two points of attack the enemy makes: legal and illegal. That is why James said this:


James 4:7-8 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.


Any illegal attack on my mind is halted by a legal command in the name of the King: Jesus. My weapon in the war is a combination of words like these: "Spirit of fear, leave now in the name of Jesus." This is called using the authority of Jesus' name. Anyone who is saved (has chosen to live under Jesus' leadership) can use this authority, even on behalf of unbelievers. Just like a police officer represents the authority of the US government, every believer represents the authority of Jesus' government. A police officer blows his whistle until the car stops. In the same way, I need to use Jesus' name until the attack against me, or anyone else that needs assistance, stops. This what it means to "resist the devil." This stops any ILLEGAL attacks of the enemy.


There is a second kind of attack, too: LEGAL attacks. I can intentionally, or inadvertently, give the enemy legal access to my mind. Any impure thing that I invite into my life gives the enemy a legal "door" to walk through into my mind. Until I shut that door, all the commands to leave in the world, even in Jesus' name, won't force the enemy out. The enemy knows and believes in the law even more than most people do! That is why James said "wash your hand, and purify your hearts."


If I invite anger to take hold in my life, and act out on it...slandering another person, or saying things in anger at another person, I open a legal door for a spirit of anger to dwell in my mind. That angry spirit, like all forces of the enemy, has an assignment: to destroy my life and witness. As long as he is allowed to stay, he will work diligently at his assignment. If I look at pornography, I open a legal door of access to a spirit of lust...lust has the same assignment and diligence to accomplish it! Greed, hate, pride, selfishness, addiction....there are many enemy spirits who tempt me to open the door to them, and when I do, they are sure to stay, unwelcome as they are, until I legally evict them. I legally evict them through a legal procedure called "repentance."


Repentance is also simple, but not always easy. Repentance is just a fancy word for "agree with God." I declare to heaven that i no longer agree with my sin and that enemy spirit, I admit that God is right about it, and decide to submit that rebellious area of my life back to Jesus' leadership. Every time I allow myself to slip from Jesus' leadership, I repent and close the door again. If I am willing to choose Jesus, He is more than able to defend my mind. As my mind is brought into the light, my will and emotions will reflect it, and God can lead me into the perfect future I was designed for... but for love, it is up to me!


God even has a search team willing to help root out enemies from my mind!





Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.