Zambia Hunt

Based on 1 Peter 5:8-9

We are engaged in an ongoing spiritual battle for control of our thinking. Many protagonists vie for a place in our minds, each seeking to influence us to think in a certain way. The world relentlessly pounds us with a man-centered philosophy without biblical moorings. Our flesh wars against our spirit, continuously seeking to influence our thinking to satisfy its own immoral desires.

The Authority of Scripture Alone

One of the primary purposes of biblical teaching is to challenge our thinking biblically. We believe that the Word of God is the complete revelation of God to mankind and provides the sole authority for our faith and practice. Scripture alone is our authority! In fact, so important is this truth that one of the battle cries of the reformers was sola Scriptura, “Scripture only.” What this meant for the reformers was that “the church should not preach, teach, command, or practice anything contrary to the written Scriptures of the biblical canon.” It became the basis for the reformation.

There have always been those who have refused to give the Scriptures their proper place. There have always been those who wished to add to Scripture their own authority and unique teachings that set them apart. Indeed, Basil of Caesarea encountered some of the same problems long ago when he replied to opponents who appealed to their customs and traditions as relevant and authoritative. He said:

“If custom is to be taken in proof of what is right, then it is certainly competent for me to put forward on my side the custom which obtains here. If they reject this we are clearly not bound to follow them. Therefore, let God-inspired Scripture decide between us, and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the Word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth.”

The Subtle Danger of Evangelical Trends

More subtly, we who champion the Truth may become victims in the battle for biblical thinking. We must be on guard lest we are influenced by the latest evangelical fad of the day—whether it’s the Prayer of Jabez, WWJD, or the Purpose Driven Life movement.

Consider, for example, Tony Campolo’s argument that today’s evangelical seminary students need to be taught marketing savvy rather than theology and Scripture. This is from a book he co-authored with Brian McLaren, ironically titled Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel. Yet Campolo himself has missed the point. He writes:

“What if the credits eaten up by subjects seminarians seldom if ever use after graduation were instead devoted to more subjects they will actually need in churches, like business and marketing courses? It is not true that with a gifted preacher, a church will inevitably grow. Good sermons may get visitors to stay once they come, but getting folks to come in the first place [will] take some marketing expertise.”

This approach fundamentally misunderstands the nature of biblical ministry. Jonah did not enter Nineveh and begin a marketing survey. Noah was a preacher of righteousness who, after 120 years of ministry, only saw his immediate family of seven people find salvation in the ark. If Paul had been trained in marketing skills, perhaps he would not have been stoned, beaten, imprisoned, and run out of town so often—but then again, perhaps his ministry would have lacked the divine power that comes from faithful proclamation of God’s Word.

The Sufficiency of Scripture

The Bible claims to be the sole and sufficient rule of faith for the Christian Church. The Scriptures are not in need of any supplement. Their authority comes from their nature as God-breathed revelation. Their authority is not dependent upon man, church, or council. The Scriptures are self-consistent, self-interpreting, and self-authenticating. The Christian Church looks at the Scriptures as the only and sufficient rule of faith, and the Church is always subject to the Word and is constantly reformed thereby.

Since Scripture alone is the basis of our belief and practice, it is vitally important that we know the Scriptures. We want to be true to the God of the Word by being true to the Word of God. There is a second reason why we must know the Scriptures: what we believe determines what we do. No person will live beyond what they are convinced is true. Biblical faith is based upon the revelation of God through His written Word. Genuine faith always moves us to action—we act upon what we are convinced is true, while lack of action reveals lack of genuine faith even though the lips may profess otherwise.

The Historical Context

The Book of 1 Peter was written around 63 AD when Emperor Nero was on the throne. During this time, great persecution was being carried out against Christians. Christians were arrested and commanded to declare that Caesar was Lord, to deny their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. If they maintained their allegiance to Jesus Christ, all sorts of inhumane tortures were carried out upon them:

• They were covered with the skins of wild animals and then wild dogs were turned loose on them
• They were crucified
• They were impaled upon poles and set along the road leading into Rome, then set ablaze as human torches
• Some fought the beasts in the Roman coliseum, where starving lions would devour them before the Emperor and thousands of screaming subjects

Jerome, an early church father, said, “There is no day in the whole year unto which the number of five thousand martyrs cannot be ascribed, except only the first day of January.”

This is the background in which Peter writes: “Be sober minded, be watchful, because your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion prowls about seeking whom he may devour!” (I Peter 5:8-9)

The Place of Battle: Our Minds

There is an urgent warning to be heeded—we must be sober-minded and watchful. “Sober” means sober-minded, watchful, the opposite of being drunk. “Vigilant” means to refrain from sleep; one is mindful of the threatening dangers that keep the mind alert.

Scripture has much to say about the mind:

• Before we were saved, we fulfilled the desires of the flesh and the mind (Ephesians 2:3)
• We were enemies in our mind (Colossians 1:21)
• To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6-7)
• We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2)
• We are told to gird up the loins of our mind (1 Peter 1:13)

Satan directly engages with individuals on the battlefield of the mind. Scripture warns us not to underestimate him, as he can remove truth from the minds of those who are steadfast in their unbelief (Matthew 13:19), suggest his own thoughts into people’s minds (Acts 5:3), obscure the understanding of those who do not believe (2 Corinthians 4:4), and mislead the minds of those who do believe (2 Corinthians 11:3). Therefore, we must be vigilant and guard our minds against his schemes.

Whatever controls our belief system controls our actions. Satan cannot touch the will of a believer—any control Satan has over the believer is by permission or by individual surrender to him. Because Satan cannot touch the will, he works on that which controls the will: the thought life. As Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

The Enemy’s Strategy

Satan employs several strategies in his assault on our thinking:

Circumstances

Like a roaring lion, Satan uses circumstances to intimidate and cause fear. The enemy uses circumstances to cause us to think wrong thoughts about God. For example, he might whisper lies like “We cannot support our own pastors and ministries—look at our financial circumstances” or “We cannot send missionaries.” These are Satan’s lies! We must recognize our position and calling regardless of circumstances.

Critique of Peers

Satan used Peter to try to discourage Christ from the cross (Mark 8:33). He used Job’s friends to try to discourage him. He continues to use the criticism and discouragement of others to attack our thinking.

Carnal Desires

Satan schemes to fill our minds with thoughts opposed to God’s plan for us. The Greek word for “thoughts” in 2 Corinthians 10:5 is noema, used only six times in the New Testament, five times in 2 Corinthians. We are commanded to “take every thought captive”—why? Because they are often the enemy’s thoughts!

Cultural Factors

Satan uses cultural philosophies to influence our thinking:

• Pragmatism: “If it works, it must be right. If the church grows, it must be right.”
• Pluralism: “Everyone is okay; don’t be dogmatic about truth and doctrine.”
• Worldly philosophy: Questioning why we do what we do based on worldly wisdom
• Worldly priorities: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17)

If Satan can get you to believe a lie, he can control your life! We see this in David numbering the people (1 Chronicles 21:1), Judas betraying Jesus (John 13:2), and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-3).

The Secret to Victory

The key to victory is found in 1 Peter 5:9: “Resist him, steadfast in the faith!”

“Resist” means to stand against. “Steadfast” means firm and solid, as opposed to liquid. The devil is a liar (John 8:44), and Satan has no power over you except what you give him by failing to take every thought captive and thus being deceived into believing the lie

Expose the lie, and you win the battle!

Our weapon is truth! Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). He prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

Your Part in the Battle

Transform Your Mind

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Fill your mind with God’s Word: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16).

Prepare Your Mind for Action

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). Just as girding up the loins meant tucking up the robe into the belt to free the legs for running, we must do away with fruitless fantasy and prepare our minds for spiritual action.

Take Every Thought Captive

“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Evaluate every thought by the truth, and don’t give place to the lie.

Turn to God

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Bring the attack to God. By doing so, you are acknowledging God and exposing your thoughts to His truth. His peace will guard your mind.

Conclusion

The battle for biblical thinking is real and ongoing. We must remain vigilant, grounded in Scripture, and committed to taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Our victory lies not in human wisdom or marketing strategies, but in the faithful proclamation and application of God’s unchanging Word.

Scripture alone remains our authority, our guide, and our weapon in this spiritual battle. May we be faithful stewards of the truth, thinking biblically in an age that desperately needs the clarity and power of God’s Word.

Edited from sermon transcript with help of AI