The great Controvesy and The mind
Written by Nqoba.M Sibenke
2 Corinthians 2:11"....Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary controversy refers to :
1.a discussion marked especially by the expression of opposing views : DISPUTE
The decision aroused a controversy among the students.2: QUARREL
Cambridge dictionary defines controversy as meaning: 1. a lot of disagreement or argument about something, usually because it affects or is important to many people: 2. a disagreement, often a public one that involves different ideas or opinions about something:
The Oxford dictionary helps us by giving us synonyms of controversy ,which are words which best describe Controversy: Synonyms of controversy - disagreement, dispute, argument, debate, dissension.
Most definitions of the word controversy suggest an argument,"conflicting ideas", "disagreement"
These definitions are helpful in broadening our view of the great controversy .The great controversy can be pictured as a "disagreement between two parties which hold conflicting ideas". The two parties are Michael and His angels and Lucifer and his angels(see Revelatons 12). The object of controversy is the law of God,and His governance.
Humanity is involved in this cosmic warfare,as some would say"humanity is the battlefield in which the controversy takes place". It is not much of a physical war but rather a spiritual war;
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:12 (kjv)
The presentation seeks to discuss some of the spiritual weapons that the devil uses to fight the great controversy.
The great controversy has often been explained within the context of Revelations chapter 12 verse 7 to 9.
" And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
Revelations12:7-9(kjv)
A war setting is described, the two main characters are Michael and the dragon, both have angels fighting on their side. As in every battle one side must be the victor while the other side is a loser. In this case Michael and His angels triumph and the dragon loses his place in heaven. The dragon was cast down on earth with his angels. Allow me to call this conflict"The battle of territory"
" Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." ..
Revelations 12:12(kjv)
The devil now launches his attack on planet earth,he makes war with "the woman and ge remnant of her seed", see Revelations 12:17. "From the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. He is now preparing for his last campaign against the church. All who seek to follow Jesus will be brought into conflict with this relentless foe
Great controversy 510.
The war has been directed to the church of God because they "keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus" Revelations 12:19.
The battle also comes down to each individual,the devils wages war with the individual members of the church.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8.
The christian should not at any moment lose focus. While men are ignorant of his devices, this vigilant foe is upon their track every moment.;
Great controversy 508.
The Spiritual battle at an individual level is fought mainly in the mind. The devil seeks to win the mind of the christian as his territory.
Every organ of the body was made to be a servant to the mind. The mind is the capital of the body.
3Testimonies for the church 136.
God seeks to write His law in our minds,
I will put my laws into their hearts,and in their minds will I write them
Hebrews 10:16, and as such the devil hates the law of God,hence he fights that our mind may not be the residence of the law. It is our duty to "guard diligently the avenues of the heart,for in it are the issues of life,"
Proverbs 4:23.
We should be aware of the ways in which he works so we may escape his traps.
For thousands of years Satan has been experimenting upon the properties of the human mind, and he has learned to know it well. By his subtle workings in these last days he is linking the human mind with his own, imbuing it with his thoughts; and he is doing this work in so deceptive a manner that those who accept his guidance know not that they are being led by him at his will. The great deceiver hopes so to confuse the minds of men and women that none but his voice will be heard.
1Mind character and personality 18
It is the duty of the christian to know the properties of the mind so as to be able to stand against this cunning enemy.
It is important for us to have an understanding of what the mind is.
The mind should not be confused with the brain, which is a physical component of the human body. A brief view on the definitions of the mind can help us to understand betters The Oxford dictionary refers to the mind as;
the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
a person's intellect.
a person's attention.
The Merriam Webster dictionary explains it as;
the part of a person that thinks, reasons, feels, and remembers. —used to describe the way a person thinks or the intelligence of a person.
The third definition that we will focus on is the Collins dictionary version; " 1. You refer to someone's mind when talking about their thou is your ability to think and reason."If I were to put it in my words I would define the mind as "the medium for mental processes." Mental processes include perception,emotions, thinking,reasoning,imagination,belief,cognition among others.These processes play an important role in our daily lives and in our spiritual life. When the devil attacks the mind he attacks these processes.
Perception in psychology can be defined as the analysis of sensory information within the brain. Sensory information refers to information that we gather through our senses, sight,smell,taste, hearing and touch. In simpler terms perception is the process where our view of the world is organized to create meaningful information and hence influence our daily life. Perception determines decision making and our behaviour. Understanding the concept of Perception is important in order to understand how the mind is involved in the great controversy between good and evil. As previously established that the devil seeks to win the mind,the manipulation of the perceptual faculties is one method that he uses to achieve his goal. The bible provides us with some examples of how this takes place. A good example is the scenario in the garden of Eden as he was tempting Eve. God had said;
Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ,thou shalt not eat of it,for in the day that thou eatest it thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:16,17. The devil being "subtil" devised a way to reach out to the mind.After the dialogue the woman:
saw that the tree was good for food,and that it was pleasant to the eyes,and a tree to be desired to make one wise,she took of the fruit thereof and did eat,and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat.
Genesis 3:6. Another example is that of Samson in Judges chapter 14. He fed his eyes on that which he should not have seen and he made wrong choices that led to his spiritual.and physical downfall.
Perception is largely influenced by what enters into the mind through the various avenues for example the eyes,the ears.
By beholding we become changed" does not apply only to the Word of God but also to the evil around us. If we ingest evil through our senses we give the devil an advantage over us.
God does not wish us to hear all that is to be heard or to see all that is to be seen.
1Testimonies 707.
We are to honour God in that which we behold an choose to hear. Secular music and books are an effective tool which can draw the mind away from Christ.
We have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul,they must avoid reading,seeing or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts.
Patriachs and Prophets 460. If this admonitition is taken heed of,we will be safe from many temptations.
Hypnosis is one dangerous method that has proven detrimental to mind health.
Satan tempted the first Adam in Eden and Adam reasoned with the enemy thus giving him the advantage . Satan exercised hypnotism over Adam and Eve and this power he strove to exercise over Christ.
5BC 1081.
Various definitions of the word suggest a condition or state where one loses consciousness and can be easily manipulated to act or think in a particular way. In Matthew 4 we find the devil tryng to use this method to lure Christ into sin. He presented his temptation in an attractive way but even through the deception Christ
overcame because of prayer and the study of the word.
Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee
Psalms 119:11(kjv)
And no marvel; for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2 corinthians 11:14(kjv)
Satan does not come in his form or else we would be able to recognize him.He hides behind false doctrines and theories.
It is when satan appears as an angel of light that he takes souls in his snare ,deceiving them
Evangelism 360
Satan's doctrines and teachings always appear attractive and exciting. In his very first encounter with humanity he presented them with the hope of becoming better than what they were if they disobeyed God.
....your eyes shall be opened ,ye shall be as gods,knowing good and evil.
Genesis 3:5(kjv)
Satan tempts men and women to disobey ,with the promise that in disobedience they will find liberty and freedom that will make them as gods.
Prophets and Kings 178
However this is a great deception.as Adam realized after falling into the trap.
Some christians are excited by "new doctrines" and "new theories". This is one of the devil's ways of deceiving humanity. In spiritual matters as well as in everyday issues,the devil has appealing teachings to captivate the mind. Through "so called science" the devil has led many to question the word of God.
To many scientific research has proved to be a curse. God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in discoveries ,in science and art ,but even the greatest minds if not guided by the word of God in their in their work or research,become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation.
Great controversy 522
The most popular misguiding theory is the origin of the earth as presented by most scientists. The theory of Evolution which attributes the existence of the earth to chance rather than design. This has led many to doubt the scripture narrative if six day creation. Care should be taken when treafing in the paths of secular science as the devil can use it to our doom.
"....he tempts men to distrust God's love and to doubt His wisdom."
Patriachs and Prophets 55
To Eve he created a distrust in God's word:
"ye,hath God said"
He presented God as a man who does not keep His wird but rather who demands obedience through threats. It has been his motive to paint the character of God as a manipulative ,authoritarian leader who forces obedience yet God is a God of freewill.and choice.
There is nothing that he desires more than to destroy confidence in God and in His word. Satan stands at the head if the great army of doubters and he works to the utmost of his power to beguil souls into his ranks.
Great controversy 526
The first parents trusted the devil's word against God's command thus he won them to his side.
We should be sober and be vigilant of these and the many other ways in which the devil may beguil us and lead astray. Christ longs to write His law in our minds. The apostle Paul says:
...But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2(kjv)
And renewal of the mind means a recreation and the cultivation of new thoughts.
Finally breathren whatsoever things are true,whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,whatsoever things are pure,whatsoever things are lovely ,whatsoever things are of good report,if there be any virtue,if there be any praise,think on these things.
Philipians 4:8(kjv)
Set your affection.on things above,not on things on earth.
Colosians 3:2(kjv)
The safest course for us to follow is to surrender our minds to Christ.
The Lord is exact and infalliable in His comprehension.He understandstge working of the human mind,the active principles of the human agents He has formed,just how they will be moved by the objects that come before them and in what manner they will act under every temptation that can try them,and in every circumstance in which they are placed.
2Mind character and Personality 781-782
On the other hand thedevil had no true knowledge of our minds. He uses speculations to come to conclusions on how we will act.
Satan cannot read our thoughts, but he can see our actions, hear our words; and from his long knowledge of the human family, he can shape his temptations to take advantage of our weak points of character. And how often do we let him into the secret of how he may obtain the victory over us.
2Mind Character and Personality 494
It is us who can give him the power to control the mind.
The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds,unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent,faith must let go upon Christ,before satan can exercise his powers over us.
Desire of Ages 125
Surrenderin the will to God will ensure our victory in this ernomous battle. Carefully guarding the avenues of the mind and safeguardiding against polluted thoughts and influences should be the aim of every christian. Paul gives us valuable counsel in the book of Phillipians chapter 4 in verse 8, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.</b> As we come to the end of the Great controversy we have assuarance that the devil is a defeated foe.
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
Revelations 12:11
The 144 000 were seen to have "the Father's name written in their foreheads" and this is evidence that Christ had gained victory and had won the territory of their minds. Through prayer and study of the word we will conquer.
"No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer."
GC 530
2 Corinthians 2:11"....Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary controversy refers to :
1.a discussion marked especially by the expression of opposing views : DISPUTE
The decision aroused a controversy among the students.2: QUARREL
Cambridge dictionary defines controversy as meaning: 1. a lot of disagreement or argument about something, usually because it affects or is important to many people: 2. a disagreement, often a public one that involves different ideas or opinions about something:
The Oxford dictionary helps us by giving us synonyms of controversy ,which are words which best describe Controversy: Synonyms of controversy - disagreement, dispute, argument, debate, dissension.
Most definitions of the word controversy suggest an argument,"conflicting ideas", "disagreement"
These definitions are helpful in broadening our view of the great controversy .The great controversy can be pictured as a "disagreement between two parties which hold conflicting ideas". The two parties are Michael and His angels and Lucifer and his angels(see Revelatons 12). The object of controversy is the law of God,and His governance.
Humanity is involved in this cosmic warfare,as some would say"humanity is the battlefield in which the controversy takes place". It is not much of a physical war but rather a spiritual war;
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:12 (kjv)
The presentation seeks to discuss some of the spiritual weapons that the devil uses to fight the great controversy.
The great controversy has often been explained within the context of Revelations chapter 12 verse 7 to 9.
" And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
Revelations12:7-9(kjv)
A war setting is described, the two main characters are Michael and the dragon, both have angels fighting on their side. As in every battle one side must be the victor while the other side is a loser. In this case Michael and His angels triumph and the dragon loses his place in heaven. The dragon was cast down on earth with his angels. Allow me to call this conflict"The battle of territory"
" Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." ..
Revelations 12:12(kjv)
The devil now launches his attack on planet earth,he makes war with "the woman and ge remnant of her seed", see Revelations 12:17. "From the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. He is now preparing for his last campaign against the church. All who seek to follow Jesus will be brought into conflict with this relentless foe
Great controversy 510.
The war has been directed to the church of God because they "keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus" Revelations 12:19.
The battle also comes down to each individual,the devils wages war with the individual members of the church.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter 5:8.
The christian should not at any moment lose focus. While men are ignorant of his devices, this vigilant foe is upon their track every moment.;
Great controversy 508.
The Spiritual battle at an individual level is fought mainly in the mind. The devil seeks to win the mind of the christian as his territory.
Every organ of the body was made to be a servant to the mind. The mind is the capital of the body.
3Testimonies for the church 136.
God seeks to write His law in our minds,
I will put my laws into their hearts,and in their minds will I write them
Hebrews 10:16, and as such the devil hates the law of God,hence he fights that our mind may not be the residence of the law. It is our duty to "guard diligently the avenues of the heart,for in it are the issues of life,"
Proverbs 4:23.
We should be aware of the ways in which he works so we may escape his traps.
For thousands of years Satan has been experimenting upon the properties of the human mind, and he has learned to know it well. By his subtle workings in these last days he is linking the human mind with his own, imbuing it with his thoughts; and he is doing this work in so deceptive a manner that those who accept his guidance know not that they are being led by him at his will. The great deceiver hopes so to confuse the minds of men and women that none but his voice will be heard.
1Mind character and personality 18
It is the duty of the christian to know the properties of the mind so as to be able to stand against this cunning enemy.
It is important for us to have an understanding of what the mind is.
The mind should not be confused with the brain, which is a physical component of the human body. A brief view on the definitions of the mind can help us to understand betters The Oxford dictionary refers to the mind as;
the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
a person's intellect.
a person's attention.
The Merriam Webster dictionary explains it as;
the part of a person that thinks, reasons, feels, and remembers. —used to describe the way a person thinks or the intelligence of a person.
The third definition that we will focus on is the Collins dictionary version; " 1. You refer to someone's mind when talking about their thou is your ability to think and reason."If I were to put it in my words I would define the mind as "the medium for mental processes." Mental processes include perception,emotions, thinking,reasoning,imagination,belief,cognition among others.These processes play an important role in our daily lives and in our spiritual life. When the devil attacks the mind he attacks these processes.
Perception in psychology can be defined as the analysis of sensory information within the brain. Sensory information refers to information that we gather through our senses, sight,smell,taste, hearing and touch. In simpler terms perception is the process where our view of the world is organized to create meaningful information and hence influence our daily life. Perception determines decision making and our behaviour. Understanding the concept of Perception is important in order to understand how the mind is involved in the great controversy between good and evil. As previously established that the devil seeks to win the mind,the manipulation of the perceptual faculties is one method that he uses to achieve his goal. The bible provides us with some examples of how this takes place. A good example is the scenario in the garden of Eden as he was tempting Eve. God had said;
Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ,thou shalt not eat of it,for in the day that thou eatest it thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:16,17. The devil being "subtil" devised a way to reach out to the mind.After the dialogue the woman:
saw that the tree was good for food,and that it was pleasant to the eyes,and a tree to be desired to make one wise,she took of the fruit thereof and did eat,and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat.
Genesis 3:6. Another example is that of Samson in Judges chapter 14. He fed his eyes on that which he should not have seen and he made wrong choices that led to his spiritual.and physical downfall.
Perception is largely influenced by what enters into the mind through the various avenues for example the eyes,the ears.
By beholding we become changed" does not apply only to the Word of God but also to the evil around us. If we ingest evil through our senses we give the devil an advantage over us.
God does not wish us to hear all that is to be heard or to see all that is to be seen.
1Testimonies 707.
We are to honour God in that which we behold an choose to hear. Secular music and books are an effective tool which can draw the mind away from Christ.
We have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul,they must avoid reading,seeing or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts.
Patriachs and Prophets 460. If this admonitition is taken heed of,we will be safe from many temptations.
Hypnosis is one dangerous method that has proven detrimental to mind health.
Satan tempted the first Adam in Eden and Adam reasoned with the enemy thus giving him the advantage . Satan exercised hypnotism over Adam and Eve and this power he strove to exercise over Christ.
5BC 1081.
Various definitions of the word suggest a condition or state where one loses consciousness and can be easily manipulated to act or think in a particular way. In Matthew 4 we find the devil tryng to use this method to lure Christ into sin. He presented his temptation in an attractive way but even through the deception Christ
overcame because of prayer and the study of the word.
Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee
Psalms 119:11(kjv)
And no marvel; for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2 corinthians 11:14(kjv)
Satan does not come in his form or else we would be able to recognize him.He hides behind false doctrines and theories.
It is when satan appears as an angel of light that he takes souls in his snare ,deceiving them
Evangelism 360
Satan's doctrines and teachings always appear attractive and exciting. In his very first encounter with humanity he presented them with the hope of becoming better than what they were if they disobeyed God.
....your eyes shall be opened ,ye shall be as gods,knowing good and evil.
Genesis 3:5(kjv)
Satan tempts men and women to disobey ,with the promise that in disobedience they will find liberty and freedom that will make them as gods.
Prophets and Kings 178
However this is a great deception.as Adam realized after falling into the trap.
Some christians are excited by "new doctrines" and "new theories". This is one of the devil's ways of deceiving humanity. In spiritual matters as well as in everyday issues,the devil has appealing teachings to captivate the mind. Through "so called science" the devil has led many to question the word of God.
To many scientific research has proved to be a curse. God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in discoveries ,in science and art ,but even the greatest minds if not guided by the word of God in their in their work or research,become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation.
Great controversy 522
The most popular misguiding theory is the origin of the earth as presented by most scientists. The theory of Evolution which attributes the existence of the earth to chance rather than design. This has led many to doubt the scripture narrative if six day creation. Care should be taken when treafing in the paths of secular science as the devil can use it to our doom.
"....he tempts men to distrust God's love and to doubt His wisdom."
Patriachs and Prophets 55
To Eve he created a distrust in God's word:
"ye,hath God said"
He presented God as a man who does not keep His wird but rather who demands obedience through threats. It has been his motive to paint the character of God as a manipulative ,authoritarian leader who forces obedience yet God is a God of freewill.and choice.
There is nothing that he desires more than to destroy confidence in God and in His word. Satan stands at the head if the great army of doubters and he works to the utmost of his power to beguil souls into his ranks.
Great controversy 526
The first parents trusted the devil's word against God's command thus he won them to his side.
We should be sober and be vigilant of these and the many other ways in which the devil may beguil us and lead astray. Christ longs to write His law in our minds. The apostle Paul says:
...But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2(kjv)
And renewal of the mind means a recreation and the cultivation of new thoughts.
Finally breathren whatsoever things are true,whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,whatsoever things are pure,whatsoever things are lovely ,whatsoever things are of good report,if there be any virtue,if there be any praise,think on these things.
Philipians 4:8(kjv)
Set your affection.on things above,not on things on earth.
Colosians 3:2(kjv)
The safest course for us to follow is to surrender our minds to Christ.
The Lord is exact and infalliable in His comprehension.He understandstge working of the human mind,the active principles of the human agents He has formed,just how they will be moved by the objects that come before them and in what manner they will act under every temptation that can try them,and in every circumstance in which they are placed.
2Mind character and Personality 781-782
On the other hand thedevil had no true knowledge of our minds. He uses speculations to come to conclusions on how we will act.
Satan cannot read our thoughts, but he can see our actions, hear our words; and from his long knowledge of the human family, he can shape his temptations to take advantage of our weak points of character. And how often do we let him into the secret of how he may obtain the victory over us.
2Mind Character and Personality 494
It is us who can give him the power to control the mind.
The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds,unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent,faith must let go upon Christ,before satan can exercise his powers over us.
Desire of Ages 125
Surrenderin the will to God will ensure our victory in this ernomous battle. Carefully guarding the avenues of the mind and safeguardiding against polluted thoughts and influences should be the aim of every christian. Paul gives us valuable counsel in the book of Phillipians chapter 4 in verse 8, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.</b> As we come to the end of the Great controversy we have assuarance that the devil is a defeated foe.
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
Revelations 12:11
The 144 000 were seen to have "the Father's name written in their foreheads" and this is evidence that Christ had gained victory and had won the territory of their minds. Through prayer and study of the word we will conquer.
"No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer."
GC 530