Mental Warfare

2 Timothy 1: 7
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

We’ve all heard the slogan of the United Negro College Fund , “A Mind is A Terrible Thing to Waste,” filter from the mouth of the late Lou Rawls, this statement is true; but a mind is also a terrible thing to abuse. Our mindset determines everything within our lives. What we think about ourselves is what we will be or what we will become, unless we change our thought processes. Anyone, who mentally abuses another, aims to do one thing, and that is to control the mind of another person!

If you are living with a mentally abusive spouse, there is mental warfare going on in your home. Your husband views you as the enemy and he seeks to weaken or destroy you by mind control. The mission is clear; yet, the tactic may not be so obvious. Mental abuse (unlike physical abuse) is not always visible. A mental abuser may use words in more of a threatening way, such as; “If you do this, then I will…or I’m going to do that.” He will let you know the consequences if you do anything that displease him. A method to impose fear through threats and belittlement can torment you to no end. It becomes a constant battle between the two of you, until he wears you down. The mind is like a recorder; therefore, the threats and belittlement replay in your mind over and over until you start to believe you are who he says you are instead of realizing who God says you are.

In certain branches of Armed Services, drill sergeants use verbal and mental tactics to impose fear in soldiers to help prepare them for extreme situations they may encounter while performing the service of guarding and protecting our nation and other countries. This, however, is neither the way a husband should treat his wife nor the way a wife should treat her husband. Once something is drilled into your head (especially negative words), it’s challenging to reverse this train of thought.

2 Timothy 1:7
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

In Summary: 2 Timothy 1:6, 7 “Timothy was experiencing great opposition to his message and to himself as a leader. His youth, his association with Paul, and his leadership had come under fire from believers and nonbelievers alike. Paul urged him to be bold. When we allow people to intimidate us, we neutralize our effectiveness for God. The power of the Holy Spirit can help us overcome our fear of what some might say or do to us, so that we can continue to do God’s work.”

Scripture quotation and summary are taken from the Life Application Study Bible (NIV).

I believe that “thoughts become things”, as I’ve heard author Wayne Dyer say on many occasions. What you think of yourself should really be determined by what God thinks of you. If your spouse is mentally abusive, he’s exhibiting learned behavior and needs a lesson on positive affirmations and reassurance of God’s love for him. I would encourage you to seek God’s guidance no matter the situation. He alone can provide the best possible solution based on your experiences. Again, I am aware that there are women who are abusive to their husbands, but men are the majority abusers within marriages.

Find the Jewel in you, See the Gem in Him!

Treazure

My response to the question: “What kind of wife do I aspire to be” can be found under Hidden Treazure