V o l u m e X I I I , I s s u e 1

LEGACY
T H E T E A C H I N G

O F D E R E K P R I N C E

The Battlefield of the Mind

N
ot surprisingly, the Bible addresses the Paul says we are living in physical bodies in a
all in your head syndrome. God material world. At the same time we are in a war, but
understands thatif were not the war is not being fought out in the physical or
deliberatewe are capable of imagining material realm. It is in a different realm. He explains
countless scenarios in which relationships in verse four:
fracture and bad things happen. So He built into
His Word instructions for recognizing and For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but
overcoming the inclination to let our minds run mighty in God for pulling down strongholds...
away with us.
These battles in our minds are actually a normal God has given us the appropriate weapons
part of Christian experience. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul because this war in which were engaged is not in
speaks about this very vividly. In verse three he says: the physical realm. Our weapons are not physical,
but spiritual. God has given us spiritual weapons
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war that will destroy strongholds. In this war there are
according to the flesh. strongholds that oppose us and oppose God. And
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Paul goes on to describe these the law of God, nor indeed can be. year, not merely was I physically
strongholds in verse five: healed, but I had a completely
I grew up with a very highly different mind. I had learned to
...casting down arguments and educated mind. I had attended a think differently. I had learned to
every high thing that exalts itself prestigious university and had think in terms of Gods Word.
against the knowledge of God, become a professor. But the Make no mistake, though. In the
bringing every thought into trouble was that the mind that course of that year, I had many
captivity to the obedience of Christ... was being educated was an enemy prayer battles. I had to fight my way
of God. I had inside me a very through to the truth. I had to reject
All of these words deal with the highly educated enemy of God. lies from the devildoubt,
realm of the mind: arguments, the Many people trust in education. discouragement, fearand I had to
knowledge of God and taking every But education will not change your do that through prayer. By using
thought captive. Paul has made it mind from being an enemy of those two great weaponsthe Word
clear that the battlefield is the mind. God. It will just educate your mind of God and prayerI eventually
Having pressures in your mind, the way it is. If you have a carnal won that battle in my mind.
therefore, is not unnatural or mind and you go to seminary for
abnormal. It is part of the Christian five years, you could likely emerge
life. It is not necessarily a sign you with a highly educated carnal Three Strongholds
are doing anything wrong, or are mind inside of you.
on the wrong path. It is just part of There has to be a total and In 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks about
your total experience as a Christian. complete change. strongholds. Another translation
In 2 Corinthians, Paul says that says, strongholds in our minds.
God has given us the appropriate What are those strongholds? I have
The Enemy Within weapons. There are many weapons given much thought to this, and I
for us to use in this war, but I believe would suggest to you they fall
At a certain point in my Christian the two most essential are time under three main headings.
experience, I made a startling spent in Gods Word and prayer. The first one is pride. The
discovery: I had an enemy of God Early in my Christian life, I had greatest stronghold of all in the
in me. Even though I was a an experience in which I had to unregenerate human mind is
Christian, serving God, I discovered trust the Word of God for an entire prideself-serving, self-preserving,
that my enemy was my own mind. year to bring my physical healing. self-exalting pride.
In Romans 8:7, Paul explains: In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says man Nearly all races and nations have
shall live by every word that a certain amount of national pride.
Because the carnal mind is enmity proceeds from the mouth of God. I was born Britishand, believe
against God; for it is not subject to I had to do that. At the end of that me, the British can be proud

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people. It can take a long while for of something that you havent. minds, and God has given us the
a Britisher to acknowledge he has a Let me offer you a way to check weapons for victory.
problem with pride. yourself for a stronghold. If you
Germany is another country find yourself agitated at the
with a history of national pride. I mention of one of these The Helmet of Hope
believe nationalism is a key to strongholds, you should be honest
how Hitler was able to gain enough with yourself to consider it I learned firsthand how to use those
domination over the German something to be dealt with. The weapons. From 1949 onwards (for
peopleand even over most important reason to face this about nine years) I was pastor of a
multitudes of German Christians. is that these strongholds block the congregation in London, England.
Denominational pride is entrance of Gods Word to your life. I achieved a certain measure of
another way this stronghold is In Psalm 119:130, we learn: success in my ministry. We
seen. Some people say, I know my regularly saw people saved and
denomination, so dont tell me The entrance of Your words gives healed and baptized in the Holy
anything that does not agree with light; it gives understanding to Spirit at our church. Yet, I had
my denominational doctrine the simple. personal problems for which I did
even if it is in the Bible. This could not have any answer. In particular,
be said of Baptists, Methodists, Do you want light and I had a problem of recurrent fits of
Pentecostals, Presbyteriansthe understanding? Or do you want to depression that would come over
list could be endless. If you are continue in semi-darkness and me like a dark, heavy cloud. The
going to hold on to everything that ignorance and prejudice? The cloud seemed to press me down
is under a certain labelbe it choice is yours to make. If you want and cut me off from normal
Protestant or Catholic or light and understanding, youll need communication with other
Presbyterian or Pentecostal or to come against those fortresses in peopleeven with my family.
whateverI believe you have a your own mind with the truth of the I struggled against this by every
stronghold of pride in your mind. Word of God and with the power of means in my power that I knew of.
Out of pride proceeds prayer. Humble yourself and let the I prayed. I fasted. I made
prejudice having your mind Word of God do its work in you resolutions. I did everything that I
made up before youve heard the change you, adjust you, remake knew to do and it got no better. In
facts. Its narrow. Its arrogant. you, refashion you. fact, the more I prayed and fasted,
And its destructive. You may wonder how it is that I the worse it got. I remember one of
The third stronghold is know so much about you. I dont. our daughterswho was about 14
preconception thinking you I know about all of us. We are all years old at the timesaying to
know something that you dont, susceptible to these strongholds. me one day, Daddy, please dont
presuming to have a clear picture We are all in a spiritual war in our fast. Youre worse when you fast.

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I had come to the end of my would bring me the solution to to do my part. He had set my mind
solutions, and one day a phrase in my problem. Joel 2:32 says: free from this demonic pressure.
Isaiah 61:3 captured my attention: Now it was up to me to re-educate
It shall come to pass, that my mindto cultivate a totally
The garment of praise for the whosoever shall call on the name different outlook and way of
spirit of heaviness... of the LORD shall be delivered. thinking. Before I was delivered, I
was not able to do it. After I was
When I read that phrase I I believed this promise was delivered, it was my responsibility to
suddenly realized that I was just as all inclusive as John 3:16: do it. God had done His part in
dealing with a spirita personality delivering me, but I had to do my
that studied me, knew my Whoever believes in him should part in maintaining my deliverance.
weaknesses, knew how and when not perish but have everlasting life. I believe this is true in almost
to attack me. I was not dealing with any realm in which God intervenes
mental or psychological conditions I saw Joel 2:32 as a promise on your behalfsalvation, healing,
merely in myself. I was not dealing specifically of deliverance. I put the deliverance. God does His part and
merely with a habit pattern. But two Scriptures togetherIsaiah then its up to you to do your part.
there was a person set against 61:3 and Joel 2:32and I prayed a Your part is to maintainto hold
meby Satan himselfstudying very specific prayer. I named the on to what God has given you.
me and plotting my downfall. spirit (the spirit of heaviness) and I
Adapted from Derek Princes
Then I saw why the pressure got claimed Gods own promise teachings: Learning by Living and
The Helmet of Hope, available at
worse the more I wanted to serve (Whosoever shall call on the name www.DPMUSA.org.

the Lord: because the mission of of the LORD shall be delivered). For further study, we
recommend Dereks message:
this spirit was to hinder me in my I prayed, God, in the name of
Casting Down Strongholds
service for God. When I was the Lord Jesus Christaccording A contribution to help cover cost will be
appreciated, but is not necessary.
somewhat slack and indifferent, the to Your WordIm asking You to
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receive regular teaching and
dedicated and earnest I became, the heaviness. And when I prayed that encouragement from DPM by
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more the pressure increased. I was specific, scriptural prayer, I was
dealing with a personality with delivered. The pressure was lifted.
understanding that knew just how Then my learning experience
and when to apply the pressure. continued. I learned that its one
Recognizing the identity of my thing to be delivered; its another
Derek Prince Ministries
enemy was a tremendous step thing altogether to stay delivered. P.O. Box 19501
Charlotte, NC 28219
forward. I searched the Scriptures God began to show me that He 704.357.3556
www.DPMusa.org
and found a verse that I believed had done His part, and now I had [email protected]

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