In this message, the pastor continues a series on “where to put God,” shifting from last week’s focus on decisions to this week’s focus on thoughts—because believers often “battle” in the mind. He frames the mind as a primary battleground where spiritual defeat often begins, not necessarily through external circumstances, but through internal patterns of thinking that resist God’s truth. Using 2 Corinthians 10, he explains that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth while facing criticism and false accusations—people were undermining Paul’s authority and suggesting his ministry was “of the flesh.” Paul responds carefully: he wants to be bold without being harsh, and he appeals to the church through the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

The pastor pauses to define these two traits because they set the tone for how spiritual conflict should be handled. Meekness, he explains, is not weakness; it is having authority but refusing to “throw it around.” He illustrates how people can become “power crazy” when given a small position, using their title to push others. Paul, however, had authority but restrained himself. The pastor applies this to everyday relationships, especially within the home: husbands should exercise leadership with humility, not domination, and wives should also recognize their influence and refuse to use it destructively. He emphasizes that meekness also belongs among siblings and within church relationships—learning to yield, care, and stop acting as if everything must center on oneself. Gentleness, he says, is careful, tender handling—like holding a baby with attention to its weakness. Paul’s posture toward the Corinthians reflects Christ’s: God has all power, yet He often withholds immediate judgment, showing patience and compassion toward human frailty.

From there, the pastor explains Paul’s main argument: though believers “walk in the flesh” physically, they do not fight their battles with fleshly methods. The conflict is spiritual, and it is crucial to remember we are not at war with each other. He stresses this repeatedly: Christians are not truly enemies of other Christians who differ, nor of people with different political views, races, or backgrounds. He calls out modern division as something amplified by media outrage, which trains people to feel constantly “at odds” with others. This adversarial posture, he warns, damages the mind and makes it harder to think clearly and biblically. To illustrate healthy difference, he uses the image of puzzle pieces: people can be very different yet meant to fit together. Often relationships don’t “fit” because we decide the other person is the enemy simply because they aren’t like us.

With that foundation, he moves into the key text: 2 Corinthians 10:4–5, where Paul says spiritual weapons are not physical but are “mighty through God” for pulling down strongholds. The pastor explains that strongholds are walls of resistance—internal defenses that keep “what’s right” out even when we know better. A stronghold forms when a person repeatedly resists what God says is right, choosing a different path despite knowing the truth. Because Satan’s most effective attacks happen in the mind, these strongholds become especially dangerous; if the enemy can distort the way a believer thinks, he can cripple their spiritual progress and keep them from moving forward for God. The pastor highlights that Scripture demands every mental faculty—reasoning, imagination, reflection—be submitted to Christ. He quotes the idea that no thought should remain independent or exalt itself above the Creator, because thoughts always lead somewhere in a person’s life.

He then lays out how believers are to “put God” in their thought life, giving several practical spiritual steps drawn from the passage and supported with other Scriptures:

1) Demolish ungodly strongholds. The pastor begins here because the mind cannot be renewed while walls of resistance remain. He asks listeners to examine what is holding them back from thinking rightly: for some it is doubt, for others fear, and for others pride. He revisits a statement from earlier: God has not given His people a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind—meaning God intends stability, not mental paralysis. Regarding doubt, he raises a sobering point: many people attend church but may not be genuinely saved, and that uncertainty can create relentless fear about eternity. He asks the listener to imagine taking their last breath—where does their mind go? Not knowing, he says, is a dangerous place. A sound mind rests in knowing whom one has believed, recognizing salvation is not based on personal goodness but on Christ’s goodness.

Then he focuses on pride as a major stronghold, describing how pride often shows up as insisting on “what I want” over “what God wants.” He illustrates this with a story from early in his ministry: a man in massive debt sought spiritual help, yet refused to cut unnecessary spending because it mattered too much to him. The pastor describes the man’s reckless habits, including gambling, and how even obvious changes were rejected because pride clung to lifestyle and image. The pastor identifies this as the essence of a stronghold: refusing what is right and good even while recognizing it is destroying you. He connects this to David’s prayer, “Search me, O God…try me and know my thoughts,” emphasizing the necessity of letting God expose what we have “raised up” against His will. He also references the broader reality of spiritual warfare: believers are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against spiritual darkness, and often the fiercest fight is against Satan’s influence and one’s own sinful impulses.

To show how strongholds are torn down, he points to divine weapons—not human force. He turns to Philippians 4, where the solution to anxious, unstable thinking is spiritual practice: rejoicing in the Lord, practicing moderation/meekness, refusing anxiety, and replacing worry with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. Gratitude becomes a critical weapon because it is difficult to stay angry when one is truly thankful. When believers bring burdens to God with prayer and gratitude, God’s peace guards the heart and mind.

2) Capture your thoughts by meditating on Scripture. Returning to 2 Corinthians 10:5, the pastor explains that imaginations and “high things” rise up when people begin to place themselves above God’s knowledge. The “knowledge of God,” he says, is found in God’s Word; when thoughts run against Scripture, the mind becomes unstable and eventually betrays the person spiritually. He illustrates this with Peter: Peter insisted he would never deny Christ, tried to prove loyalty in the flesh, then later denied Jesus repeatedly—ending in despair and a retreat back to his former life. The pastor notes the tragedy of that retreat: Peter wasn’t even successful when he returned to what he used to do, showing how rebellion against God’s Word leads to confusion and loss. He also references Judas as a warning—knowing what was right but choosing betrayal, then being overwhelmed by his own thoughts.

He emphasizes that Scripture doesn’t cleanse by mere exposure but by application. He cites Psalm 119—cleansing comes by taking heed to God’s Word, meaning obedience rather than simply hearing. He uses a doctor-and-medicine illustration: receiving instructions doesn’t help until the medicine is actually applied. Likewise, many hear truth, take it with them, but never apply it—and so they continue losing the mental battle. He also references Philippians 4:8, urging believers to discipline their focus toward what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. He observes that people often spread bad news quickly while ignoring quiet faithfulness, even within ministry, and that fixation on scandal or negativity damages the thought life. God’s Word redirects the believer’s focus toward what strengthens rather than corrodes.

3) Renew the mind daily through obedience to Christ. The pastor returns to 2 Corinthians 10:5, emphasizing the phrase “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” This is not simply “trying harder,” but replacing worldly patterns with submission to Christ’s example—Jesus lived to do the Father’s will, not His own. The pastor warns that “my will” destroys people; Scripture repeatedly shows that those who follow their own will ruin themselves. He connects this to Romans 12, where transformation comes through the renewing of the mind and refusing conformity to the world. Obedience to Christ becomes a catalyst for changed thinking: walking in the Spirit produces Spirit-shaped thoughts, which then produce Spirit-shaped actions.

4) Guard against deception through accountability. Finally, the pastor warns that outside influences—often polite, well-meaning, and “nicely packaged”—can infiltrate the mind and throw believers off course. He mentions interfaith settings and how people may be kind yet still carry beliefs that would weaken Christian conviction if embraced. He stresses the believer’s responsibility to remain “on guard,” comparing deception to the Trojan horse: something attractive brought inside becomes the very vehicle of destruction. Therefore, believers need accountability and ongoing exhortation—iron sharpening iron, and daily encouragement so hearts do not become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. He notes that mental struggle often tempts people to withdraw from church and from the very relationships that could help them, but biblical community is one of the protections God provides.

The sermon closes with a direct heart-check: Have you put God in your thoughts—not as an afterthought, but where He belongs? The pastor prays for believers struggling with anxiety, insecurity, depression, anger, sadness, rebellion, and other mental battles, asking God to help them align their thought life to His will. His central message is clear: victory in the Christian life is deeply connected to mental submission—tearing down strongholds, saturating the mind with Scripture, yielding to Christ’s obedience, and staying guarded through godly accountability.