T’Edra Knox joins us this week and speaks about the battle that begins in our minds. She shares her own journey to move from stagnancy to fulfilling the purpose God calls us to. The battle begins in our minds.
Scripture Focus: Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Thriving
As someone who thrives on action and results, I’ve often wondered why so many, especially believers, struggle to move forward in their God-given assignments. This frustration led me on a journey to uncover the root causes of stagnation. What I discovered was transformative: doubt and unbelief are often the primary culprits, subtly sabotaging our ability to take dominion in the areas God has called us to.
The Battle Begins in Our Minds
Our mind, as part of the soul (mind, will, and emotions), is where the enemy often strikes first. He seeks to distort our:
Thoughts (mind): Planting limiting beliefs.
Motives (heart posture): Tainting intentions.
Movements (actions): Hindering progress.
The enemy doesn’t need to attack our actions if he can paralyze us with a cycle of doubt and impure motives. By the time we recognize this attack, we’re often entrenched in inaction, far removed from the dominion God intended for us.
Flipping the Script: Philippians 4:8 as a Framework
Philippians 4:8 gives us a divine strategy to renew our thoughts. I began applying it as a mental checklist:
- Is this true?
- Is it honorable?
- Is it right?
- Is it pure?
- Is it lovely?
- Is it admirable?
- Is it excellent and worthy of praise?
By the time I reached the third or fourth question, I often realized the answer was no. That was my cue to redirect my thoughts. This practice helped me replace limiting beliefs with godly perspectives, setting the foundation for breakthroughs.
Understanding the Conscious and Subconscious Mind
As part of this journey, I also studied the distinction between the conscious and subconscious mind.
Conscious Mind: Logical and aware, processing information from our five senses.
Subconscious Mind: Emotional and instinctual, storing beliefs, experiences, and patterns.
The subconscious mind is like the hidden part of an iceberg, influencing our conscious actions more than we realize. Limiting beliefs take root here, creating cycles of distress rather than dominion. We must confront and reprogram these deeply ingrained patterns through God’s Word to break free.
Putting It into Practice: A Process, Not Perfection
Philippians 4:9 reminds us to continuously practice these principles. It’s not a one-time fix but an ongoing process of refining our thoughts, motives, and actions. The more we align these with Christ, the more peace and purpose we experience.
Mind: Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable.
Motives: Examine your intentions through the lens of purity and love.
Movements: Act with excellence, ensuring your actions reflect God’s will.
Living in Dominion
Breaking through limiting beliefs requires intentionality. By anchoring our thoughts in Philippians 4:8 and consistently practicing these principles, we can step into the fullness of what God has for us. Let’s choose today to renew our minds, purify our motives, and boldly move in obedience, reflecting the character of Christ in all we do.
Reflection Questions:
What thoughts have been holding you back from God’s calling?
How can you use Philippians 4:8 as a framework for renewing your mind?
What small steps can you take today to align your motives and movements with God’s purpose?
Remember: The God of peace is with us as we walk this journey, one step at a time.
Meet T’Edra:
T’Edra Z. Knox operates in her purpose by guiding individuals to live a CROWNED life through spiritual, personal, and career development.
If you catch her with a Bible in her hand, jewels in her heart, and a message in her mind, you will understand why people seek her to drop jewels of wisdom and knowledge.
T’Edra is a conference speaker, training and seminar facilitator, panel moderator and panelist, and thought leader on personal, professional, and spiritual development topics. Whether she is speaking to a business crowd on career growth or discussing personal development at a women’s event, she effectively breaks down complex problems into bite-sized information that the audience can understand and implement.
Share Your Story
Briannagrams invites you to share your own story or testimony as a guest blogger. Check out our submission guidelines to share your story today.
11 Comments On “The Battle Begins in Our Minds”
This post is spot on! Oh how the enemy has attacked my mind over the years. Great reminders!
Thanks for stopping in Traci and reading! Great reminders!
I often pray and ask God to purify my motives. That leads me to examine the “why” behind what I do. I have found you can start with pure motive, but if left unchecked, the motive can shift. Thank you for sharing this reminder.
What a great reminder Lori to keep checking in on your motives. Thank you!
Thank you for the wonderful reminder! I’m recording your chart in my journal.
So very thankful that you found this chart useful, it has helped me tremendously break broken beliefs
I’m definitely keeping it in mine too!
Wonderful reminder! Thank you!
Janet it is a great reminder. Thanks for stopping in.
Thank you for the opportunity to share the things I have released to God
Thank you for sharing with us!