In warfare the geographical area where the armed conflict is taking place is called the “theater.” Military planning and strategy must be geared to the particular theater of warfare… If the “theater” has coastal areas, valleys, mountains etc. these characteristics of the theater are an important part of the strategic planning.
The word describes the enemy as one that is mainly spiritual (Ephesians 6:12). However, the spiritual warfare theater is described according to 2 Corinthians 10:5 as the mind.
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.
It is the seat of the will and the intellect, where reasoning goes on, that is the seat of spiritual warfare. Paul further explains this in 2 Timothy 2…
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Tim 2:22-26)
In warfare, one must protect the boundaries of the theater. In this case, we are referring to ways the word teaches us to protect our minds. Paul, using the emphatic, writes, “Flee the evil desires of youth…” and actively pursue the things of God. Boundaries to put up to help guard your mind are choosing godly behaviors like not getting involved with foolish and stupid arguments with others and might I say, with yourself as well. This is huge because most of us spend inordinate amounts of time dialoguing with ourselves in our minds.
Much of what we are thinking or dialoguing about fall into the categories of: mental arguments, pretensions (a claim concerning one’s own merit or right to honor), quarrels, or vain imaginations that erupt from our subconscious mind and are generally far from being grounded in the word of God. Our inner thoughts betray what is hidden deep within our unconscious. But God’s word says that He desires truth in the inner parts (psalm 51).
How well are you guarding the boundaries of your mind…by taking thoughts captive, by recognizing the unfruitful dialogue that goes round and round, unabated in your mind and unchallenged by God’s truth?
God’s answer to this mental malady is to “gird up the loins of your mind” by immersing yourself in the word of God.
(Excerpt from Finding Freedom in Christ)
