In an age of endless distractions, it’s never been more vital to guard your mind. What you allow into your mind affects how you feel, act, and live. I am convinced there are no neutral thoughts. At their core, every thought will either glorify God or ourselves. Over 2,000 years ago, Paul exhorted the Church to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Infiltrating our minds is the primary way Satan wages war against us (Ephesians 6:11-12). The goal of the devil is to implant thoughts in our heads to make us doubt what God has said (Genesis 3:1), question who we are in Christ (Matthew 4:3-4), and erode our faith in Jesus (Luke 22:31-32). Every lie we’ve ever believed is another attack from the devil and his demons (John 8:44).
I’m reading more and more studies that are coming out detailing the harm social media is causing to young minds. While the damage may be more dramatic for a child, adults are every bit as susceptible. None of us are immune to the effects of social media. Some people are active consumers of it, but even if you are not, have you noticed that most news stories now contain many references to what someone said on social media? There is no way to escape from it, underscoring how important it is to guard your mind.
Constant exposure to news and opinion will eat away at your soul. I’ve yet to see a study that discovers how social media improves your mood or long-term outlook on life. Like narcotics, the addictive nature of social media produces a quick high that degrades into a mind-numbing lull. Continuing to fill our minds with news of violence or vile rhetoric will change who you are and blind you to the spiritual truths found in scripture. We need to reject the pull of endless media and noise, and tell the world to keep all their junk to themselves.
There’s a reason Paul says to guard your mind. He understood the schemes of the evil one. The Devil is employing the same tactics today that he has since the beginning (2 Corinthians 2:11). One would think we would have become wise to his deceit and could deflect it by now. The reality is we continue to indulge every wicked thought he throws our way. Instead of taking such thoughts captive, we invite them in.
In contrast with our habits of mental consumption, Paul gave us the strategy to defeat the devil centuries before social media ever became a thing. He tells us what we should fill our minds with: anything true, just, honorable, pure, lovely, or commendable. What we think about should be of moral excellence and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Anything else is of the Devil, and we know anything from Satan is a lie (John 8:44). If you choose to fill your mind with lies, why would you expect to live a happy and fulfilling life? That’s illogical.
If you want to live a life worthy of your calling in Christ, guard your mind. No one has a mind full of junk and a heart full of purity. If you want to live a pure and holy life, begin by consuming pure and holy content. Read your Bible. Focus your mind on Christ in prayer. Your mental clarity cannot help but improve with such habits because this is what God intends you to do with your life: seek Him first (Matthew 6:33)! Don’t worry about what you will miss by not plugging in all the time. I promise you aren’t missing a thing. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and dare to experience the enormity of who He is. Only He can bring peace, rest, and freedom to your soul. Guard your mind. He is all you will ever need.