YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Scriptures: Ephesians 6:12, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

The Battle for Your Mind

Did you know you’re part of an epic battle? Not with suits of armor and swords. Not with dragons or spaceships or superheroes. Not with armies or tanks or big explosions. 

You’re in a battle for your mind. It’s a quiet, invisible battle that goes on between your ears. But it’s a fight just the same. 

Don’t worry. You’re not fighting alone. People all around you are fighting it too. Adults are fighting alongside you. God is fighting with you, and He promises the big war is already won. Still, while we’re living in the brokenness of this world, we have to fight through everyday battles. 

What is this daily battle? 

Maybe you’ve felt it. It’s all those messages that trickle into your mind, the ones that make you start thinking, I’m helpless. I’m worthless. I’m unlovable. It’s when out-of-control thoughts and feelings seem to drag you down and take over. 

If it feels like you’re under attack from all sides, it’s because… . well, you are. 

You may hear a lot about anxiety, depression, fears, and worries. People used to be too embarrassed to talk about that stuff, but not as much these days. Kids are talking to one another about their struggles. And that’s great. It’s so much better to be aware of and open about the battles we face, isn’t it? 

Still, you’re under a lot of pressure. Between world problems, family problems, pressures at school, and media – a lot of you are constantly getting input from hundreds, even thousands, of other people! You may feel like you’re carrying a lot of people’s opinions and a lot of people’s burdens. It can be so heavy. 

Yep, there’s a battle going on for your mind. But you have everything you need to step up and fight—and win. The Bible tells us: 

Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. (Ephesians 6:12, ICB).

Sounds scary, right? How do we fight against something we can’t even see? With these special weapons, God gives us: 

We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God. These weapons can destroy the enemy’s strong places…We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4–5, ICB)

Let’s dig in over the next four days and find out more about how to win this fight. 

Discuss

Parents and kids: Discuss the things you feel like you’re battling against in your mind. What feels heaviest to you right now? Pray together and ask God to help you learn how to win the fight for your thoughts!

Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10, John 8:44, 1 John 3:8, Romans 16:20, Colossians 2:15, Romans 12:2

Who Are We Fighting?

We’re not just fighting spiraling minds and bad feelings. There’s someone behind it all. God’s enemy, Satan, the devil—is real. His biggest delight is discouraging God’s children and keeping them from being the powerful warriors they are. The Bible says he “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). “He is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). He’s no joke. 

But Jesus is just as real – and way more powerful. The Bible tells us, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). “God defeated the spiritual rulers and powers. With the cross, God won the victory and defeated them. He showed the world that they were powerless” (Colossians 2:15, ICB). 

He’s got this battle covered! 

Jesus will have the ultimate victory. While on earth, though, we still have to deal with the world’s brokenness. But we get to draw close to Jesus. We can take the weapons He gives us and fight to know His victory in our everyday lives until we see it fully in heaven. 

What you believe and think about matters, and the enemy knows it. He wants to get in your head to distract you from doing good. He wants to sink you so deep that you feel helpless, overwhelmed, and shut down—like you can’t make a difference for the kingdom of God. He wants you spinning and spiraling. 

So, we start by thinking about our thoughts and what we believe. 

The fight starts in our heads. In the brain, God created for you. 

There is much we don’t know about the brain. But one thing we have learned is that the brain is constantly changing, whether or not we mean for it to. That means we can change our thinking! The Bible tells us we can. One verse says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). 

Sounds good, right? Refreshing. Like deep breaths for your brain. 

If we don’t renew our minds—give them a regular refresh or reset—they tend to spiral out of control. Here’s how the spiral works for a lot of us: 

Feelings lead to thoughts. 

Thoughts lead to actions. 

Actions have consequences. 

Consequences make us feel feelings. 

And then it starts all over again 

Kind of makes me dizzy! 

But the good news is, we can stop the spiral. How? By taking control of the thoughts we choose to think. We can do as the Bible says and “take every thought captive.” We can choose what to think about! 

We need help, though. Learning this new skill will take tools, training, and, most of all, prayer and grace from God. Tomorrow, we’ll look at how we can know God and access the best Helper imaginable. 

Discuss

Parents and kids: Share a few thoughts you wish you didn’t have. How does it feel to know you can stop the spiral by controlling your thoughts? Pray together and ask God to show you how to change your thoughts!

Scriptures: Genesis 1:31, John 14:17, John 3:16

Who Is God?

What do you think about God? Who do you think He is? This is an important question. Because what you think about God affects what you think about yourself—and basically everything in your life! 

Why? You were made by God. So was I! And so was every person on earth. 

God made your body. God made your soul and spirit and gave you gifts, talents, preferences, and a unique, precious personality. 

God made your brain. God made your mind with amazing abilities. It can think, learn, and grow. He gave you the ability to have emotions—to laugh and cry. 

God gave us this amazing inner world inside our heads and hearts, and He called it good. After He made the first man and woman, the Bible says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31 NIV). That includes you! He created you – all your inmost parts and called you very good. Still, sometimes we don’t feel good. 

But let me give you a promise: No matter how bad things get, God gives us a way back to good. It all starts with knowing who you are and how you were made. And even before that, who God is: the One who made you so lovingly and carefully. 

So, who is God? What is He like? If you’re not sure, read on! If you know Him already, read on! It’s a great reminder and encouragement for you too. 

Let’s start with one of my favorite things about Him –God likes you. He doesn’t just love you because that’s His job. He likes you so much. He created you! He imagined you in His mind – every little bit. 

He gave you the Holy Spirit to live in your heart, and He has a plan for your life.

He designed everything on this earth to bless you so you would know His love for you. So you would be able to see His delight over you. 

So, how can we know God? 

• We know about Him because of the Word of God – the Bible. The Word tells us who God is. 
• We know about God because of creation. The whole world cries out the glory of God. 
• We know God through His love. God wanted to love you, so He created you! 
• We know God through the Holy Spirit. God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts and minds. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Helper [and] the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17 ICB). 
• We know God through Jesus. Jesus is God’s Son, and He is also God. There is nothing more important than understanding and knowing Jesus. 

We live in a world with a lot of brokenness and disappointment because we have all been touched by sin. But Jesus came to solve this problem! He chose to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins, and three days after he was killed on the cross, He rose from the dead. What hope! 

John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” When we believe Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, when we give Him our lives, we are called adopted sons and daughters. 

This new identity changes everything! It changes our thoughts and how we think about ourselves and other people. We accept forgiveness from God, and we become forgiving of ourselves and others. We are free to love and heal. 

Discuss

Parents and kids: Review the ways we can know God. Which of these stands out as a meaningful way you have experienced Him personally? Pray together and ask God to help you know Him more. If you have never received Jesus into your life, you can pray right now to trust Him with your life!

Scriptures: Philippians 4:6-7, Colossians 3:16, Galatians 6:2, Psalms 139:13-14, Genesis 1:27

The Weapon of Choice

Here’s a powerful thought: 

I have a choice.

That’s it. I have a choice. 

If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, you have the power of God in you to help you choose! You no longer have to let the enemy bully you. You have a God-given choice in what you think about, and God gives you the power to make it. You have a choice in where you focus your energy. You have a choice regarding what you live for. That thought is like a mighty weapon in your hands! 

I have a choice.

That means our behaviors or circumstances are not the boss of us. Our feelings are not the boss of us. Our thoughts are not the boss of us. 

We have a choice because Jesus gives it to us. It’s a huge, strong weapon. 

When we begin to think about our thoughts, we can stop the spiral. We can reset and redirect. That’s our hope. Of course, we don’t have to wrestle with every thought and fear that pops into our minds. That sounds like a ton of work, right? We’d never do anything else! But we can allow God to fight for us—and that looks like letting His truth take up so much space in our minds that our fears will shrink because they have no room. We crowd out the bad with the good. 

We can invite our thoughts to spin around Jesus and His love instead. How? 

• by praying (Philippians 4:6-7)
• by remembering words from the Bible (Colossians 3:16)
• by talking to others (Galatians 6:2)
• by learning about the way your mind is made (Psalm 139:13-14)
• by trying practical tools that work with the way God made you (Genesis 1:27 NIV)

All these things are like mighty weapons powered by God’s goodness and love for you. Every spiral can be interrupted. Not one thing you go through is outside God’s reach. You are not alone in this fight.

Here’s a tool to start thinking about your thoughts – right now. It’s called a Mind Map, and it has three simple steps: 

1. In the middle of a blank piece of paper, write the main feeling you’re feeling right now. It could be good or bad. You might write “anxious” or “afraid.” Around that word, write everything you can think of that is causing you to feel that way. You might write “school” or “sports.” 
2. Talk to God. Pray through each thing you’ve written down, asking God to show you what you’re believing wrongly about Him and yourself. 
3. Look for patterns. Are you worrying about things you can’t control? Are you obsessing about things you don’t have? 

The point of this exercise is to help you see plainly how your thoughts tell a story about God that is either true or untrue. 

How does it feel to know you have these awesome weapons? The battle you’re in doesn’t sound so scary anymore, does it? God has given you His Spirit and the power, weapons, and tools to shift your spinning thoughts. And when you’re willing to go ahead and fight? Pretty cool stuff starts to unfold. 

Discuss

Parents and kids: Take a few minutes to work separately on a Mind Map. When you’re done, come together and share the exercise. What are some patterns you see? Are your thoughts telling a story that is true or untrue? Pray together, and ask God to let His truth fill your minds and crowd out the bad with the good.

Scriptures: James 4:7-8, 2 Corinthians 2:11, John 14:27, John 10:10, 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Corinthians 2:16

You’ve Got This

I believe you can fight untrue thoughts. You can keep going to God, who is more than powerful enough to bring victory and wants you to thrive. You can win this battle! And He gives you what you need—including the weapons to fight what pulls you down. 

James 4:7-8 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” God is so close to us as we fight! As you get better at taking back your thoughts from spinning spirals, the enemy is not quitting. But keep close to God, and the devil can’t win. 

The apostle Paul wrote this about the enemy: “We are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11 NIV). It’s always the same old story. So let’s get wise and bust him. You don’t have to be tricked by his lies again because now you’re awake! God is moving through you, and you are getting dangerous to the enemy. You are getting free in your mind, and the old lies are no longer working. 

The enemy promises to make us feel better. But every time we try his way, we end up empty. He tells us lies, and we believe them. We end up spinning again in the same old way. 

But the peace you need is found in only one source. I’ll tell you right up front – there is no secret here. Just one answer to your spinning thoughts and feelings: Jesus. He alone is the source of everything we want and hope to become. He said to us, 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV).

I love that there are no empty promises in Jesus. He always delivers. The more you go to Him, the more you notice that you don’t feel so alone. You feel loved, you feel known. You can enjoy life. You believe Jesus more that He forgives and is in this with you. You feel the new freedom that comes from a calm and peaceful mind. 

The Bible tells us that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). 

Whoa. What does that mean? 

It means when your mind is spinning, you can welcome the calm, strong, healthy mind of Christ into your head instead. When your mind is a mess, that’s what He promises! A secure and renewed mind. 

Things may be hard, but you have hope. Your mind may feel like a mess, but Jesus gives you a way back to good. The Bible says, “God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid. He gave us a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7 ICB). Some versions of the Bible call that a “sound” or strong mind (NKJV). 

A strong mind starts with Jesus. 

The more you know Him, the closer you get to God and the Spirit, the stronger your mind gets. 

Fighting for the health of your mind will not be easy. But it’s so worth it. I hope you’ll join me and other fighters in your generation in claiming Jesus’s promise to you—for a full and peaceful life. He will be with you the whole way. 

Discuss

Parents and kids: What are some of the lies the Enemy has tried to make you believe? Dig into the Bible together to find promises from God that speak to these lies. Pray together and ask God to continue to help you fight the battle for your minds with His truth!