The preacher at church speaks very bluntly. His sermon series title is “Mind Games,” and he tells the congregation flat out that he will be dealing with uncomfortable things that shock some church people. His teaching builds on the widely known trilogy that wars against us: the world, the flesh, and the devil. He tells us that the battle all comes back to the mind: the devil plants the idea or the temptation of sin; the sinful, fallen flesh likes the idea; and the world affirms and normalizes the idea. This is all-out war on three fronts, all working in unison against our souls.

The preacher does not shrink back from the real issues of life that many are embarrassed to talk about publicly, let alone in the church. This reminds me of the apostle Paul, who wrote to the Ephesian elders:

“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house …” (Acts 20:20)

This includes things like pornography and gender identity, and the biblical teaching about sex being a very good thing—but only when reserved for marriage, between a man and a woman. The preacher emphasizes that every one of us should be reading the Bible every day—and he backs that up with a periodic five-week course where he trains men (yes, men, because we guys are much more deficient in the Bible-reading area of the Christian life).

Praise God for preachers like this, whose message is biblical and relevant! You go, preacher-man! You are helping us all to wage the battle of our minds and to win!

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. (2 Cor. 10:3–6)

Lord, thank You for the godly teachers of Your Word who are not afraid to apply Scripture to our everyday lives.