Winning the War in Your Mind P4
Prepare Your Minds For Action | Madz Deyzel | 11 October 2026
1 Peter 1:13 ‘So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”
The KJV says, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind.”
To gird – to be unimpeded in movement by binding a flowing garment to your body with a belt.
WHY...?
• Prepare yourself for a fight or an enormous task.
• Prepare to go into battle
• Prepare to be mindful of this battleground.
In biblical times, they knew this phrase = as the phrase means to tie up their tunic when going into battle = to avoid tripping up.
The Scripture is relevant for today = we need to be consciously engaged with what happens in our minds.
First, I want to share some mental health concepts, give you some practical tools for understanding your mind, apply it to Scripture, and show you practically what it means to engage in the mental fight!
FIRST CONCEPT:
“Whenever the needs for Security, Significance or Self-worth are threatened, it triggers emotions such as anger, anxiety or fear.
Fear can cause rigidity – lack of flexibility
Think about those spaces in your life being threatened??
SECOND CONCEPT:
Is a great tool in psychology called the ABCDE model
A. Activating Event – any trigger / threat / circumstances
B. Belief – the story you tell yourself
C. Consequent Emotion – the emotion – by-product of belief
D. Dictated Behaviour – chosen self-protecting behaviour
E. Effect
THIRD - CONCEPT:
MIND THE GAP
WHY QUESTIONS: Vulnerable space for attack
Eph 6:16 “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.
We capture their rebellious thoughts
(Neoma) and teach them to obey Christ.”
2 Corinthians 2:11 “..in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (Neoma)
2 Corinthians 4:4 “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds (Neoma) of those who don’t believe.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds (Neoma) may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
The space the enemy wants to attack us is our Minds
That is why we need to prepare our minds for action.
In Genesis 37, we read about a large family with a threat in their lives that created destructive cycles that impacted them for many years.
A threat to their security, significance or self-worth
• Father = Jacob, who had twelve sons.
• Ten of whom were very “threatened” by the second youngest, Joseph
• Due 2 favouritism, Jacob “unwisely” showed him
• This triggered huge anger in his brothers
Gen 37:4 “But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.”
On top of that, Joseph adds fuel to the fire…
• He shares these dreams: he would rise to a position of king; how they would “bow” before him• The text goes on to say how this triggered a deep “hatred” in
them.
A. Activating Event = favouritism
B. Belief – consider their WHY story…
• There is something wrong with me – I’m not enough
• That’s why I’m not loved; no favour shown to me.
C. Consequent Emotion – hatred, resentment
D. Dictated Behaviour – nasty speech, murder, slavery
E. Effect = negative effect on the desire of heart…
When we feel powerless, we often choose things that make us feel powerful.
The brothers sold Joseph into slavery
They lied to their father, showing him his blood-soaked cloak.
Jacob goes into a deep depression
The effect of their behaviour never made it better – it made it worse
Genesis 37:35 “All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No," he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.”
Note: What did the brothers focus on? …. The problem.
Joseph three betrayals/threats / triggers / activating events
1. Joseph’s brothers - throw him in a pit and then sell him to some traders, who in turn sold him to a guy named Potiphar (a senior officer of Pharaoh - the king of Egypt), a victim of human trafficking.
2. Joseph has now worked his way up into a senior position in Potiphar’s house; Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him numerous times, and Joseph denies her every time.
She is angry and so accuses him of raping her, so he ends up back in prison – for years.
3. While in prison, he helps Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer, who was also in prison for a time, by interpreting a dream that comes true; Joseph asks him to remember him when he is released, but the cupbearer forgets him for two more years.
(These three events happened over a 13-year time period.)
A. = Activating Event
Sold into slavery
Falsely accused of rape
Used and forgotten…
B = THIS IS THE SPACE WHEN THOUGHT ATTACKS WILL COME AT YOU
• This is your fault = bragged about your dreams
• You are too young to be bowed down to = not good enough
• People don’t care about you = you are nothing in prison
• God is on your side – never leave nor forsake
• He has a plan for you
• God is sovereign & will work all things out
Þ some thoughts bring = blame, insecurity & fear - DEATH
Þ Some thoughts bring = peace, hope and comfort - LIFE
We need to know the SOURCE of our thoughts… I do this by asking myself a simple question… Is it bringing me Life or Death?
• Peace or Fear?
• Reconciliation or Revenge?
• Love or Hatred?
• Forgiveness or Animosity?
• Expanding or shrinking?
• Humility or Pride?
Here is the KEY moment… WHAT I CHOOSE TO AGREE WITH BRINGS LIFE OR DEATH
The biggest scheme of the enemy to get you to believe that… Your value is based on behaviour… yours and or others.
• Joseph’s brothers experienced rejection from their dad, Jacob
Þ Death thoughts… I’m not enough, something wrong with me
Þ Death emotions, of bitterness and revenge
Þ Death behaviours: murderous ideas, selling brother into slavery & lies to their father
(Which keeps them stuck in destructive cycles of behaviour.)•
I failed = becomes I AM a failure….
• They divorced me = becomes I AM unlovable…
• I got retrenched = I AM dispensable…
If the enemy can get you to believe YOU ARE what you or others do
then it sets you up to
So the question is this – Why did Joseph not find himself hooked up in bitterness and revenge…???
The brothers focus on the Problem.
Joseph focuses on the Promise
Genesis 39:2 “The LORD was with Joseph…”
Genesis 39:3 “His master saw that the LORD was with him...”
Genesis 39:21 “But the LORD was with Joseph ....”
Genesis 39:23 “Because the LORD was with Joseph....”
The word LORD is written in capitals…“YEHOVA”
This is the covenant-keeping God. The same God who had made a promise to Joseph’s great-grandfather… Abraham …that he and his descendants would be made into a great nation… God of Abraham, Issac & Jacob...
Joseph focused on promises, not the problems or the prison
(both victims, but what we focus on = victor)
What LENSES are you looking at your THREATS through?
THREE STEPS TO ‘AID’ A HEALTHY MINDSET
1. A = ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EMOTIONS
In any situation you find yourself in, accept and allow yourself to express
what you are feeling in a healthy, constructive way.
2. I = IDENTIFY YOUR REALITY
Understand the reality of the situation you're in. See it for what it is,
HOWEVER, don’t allow this reality to define who you are. Question the
source of your thoughts.
3. D = DEFINE YOURSELF BY TRUTH
All truth is God’s truth. Make sure that His truth defines who you are. His
truth becomes the basis for your new belief. Know the author of your
beliefs. Put on truth lenses.
We began by looking at 1 Peter 1:13, which told us to prepare our minds for action… to gird our loins…
Eph 6:14 “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of God’s righteousness.”
“Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth.” KJV
Loins – was the place the Hebrews thought the generative power resided – new life – reproduction.
The way we prepare (gird our loins) is by putting on the BELT OF TRUTH... produces NEW LIFE
Phil 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Phil 4:8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
A Closing Prayer based on Truth Scriptures:
[Psalm 27:11; 139:23 and Ephesians 1:16-18]
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out lie in me that offends You. I long to live a life that pleases You, where my hope & trust is placed in You! Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, the path of everlasting life, a path of truth, and show me what that looks like day by day.
Lord, I pray for Your spiritual wisdom and insight so that I can continue to grow in the knowledge of You. May my heart be flooded with Your light and truth, so that I can have a confident hope in knowing that I am called and that I have a rich and glorious
inheritance in You.
Amen.
Life Group Discussion Questions
Peter says to “prepare your minds for action” (1 Peter 1:13). What might it look like to be more intentional about noticing and engaging with our thoughts this week?
Madz described how threats to security, significance, or self-worth can trigger strong emotions. Think of a manageable everyday example: what was the activating event, what story or belief followed, and how did it affect your consequent emotions and behaviour?
Joseph faced betrayal, false accusation, and being forgotten, yet Genesis repeatedly says, “The Lord was with Joseph.” How can we acknowledge pain or injustice without letting it define who we are?
The AID tool is: Acknowledge your emotions, Identify your reality, Define yourself by truth. Which of these steps is most natural for you—and which might help you most when you feel threatened or overwhelmed?
Madz invites us to notice whether our thoughts lead towards “life or death”—for example, peace or fear, reconciliation or revenge. How might Philippians 4:6–8 help us respond to difficult thoughts, and how can our group support one another without rushing to fix things?
Helpful Resources
Madz Deyzel— Edify
EDIFY is an organization established by Madz Deyzel in 2019, founder of Grace Counselling, that partners with local churches to offer hope to communities struggling with mental health needs.
Check out these links below for more from Madz:
Dr Andy Yarborough — The Well Clinic
Dr Andy’s free resources include practical tools for emotional awareness, self-leadership and wholistic self-care. Particularly helpful are the Awareness Journal, Emotion and Parts Mapping, Holy Listening, and Rhythms of Wholistic Self-Care and Leadership.
Craig Groeschel
Winning the War in Your Mind — practical help for identifying destructive thought patterns and renewing the mind.
Heal Your Hurting Mind: Biblical Hope for Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, and the Emotions No One Talks About - with Dr Wayne Chappelle — Groeschel shares his own experience of anxiety and burnout alongside practical psychological tools and biblical hope. It is especially relevant to this series because it brings together faith, mental health, and professional wisdom.
Brené Brown
Atlas of the Heart — a helpful guide to understanding and naming our emotions, developing emotional language, and building deeper connections.
Peter Scazzero
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality - A helpful guide to integrating emotional maturity with Christian discipleship.
The Emotionally Healthy Leader - Particularly useful for leaders navigating stress, boundaries and sustainable service.
These resources are intended for reflection, growth, and conversation. They are not substitutes for professional counselling, medical care, or crisis support when you need them.
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