Breaking the Yoke: The Unruly Mind

By Stephon Rapheal

Breaking the Yoke: The Unruly Mind is a thought-provoking, Bible-oriented book that exposes lawless thinking and how to overcome them with godly principles and weapons of war. It intertwines both a biblical and a psychological perspective. Readers are expected to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of the mind, how it operates, how it affects us, and how we can effect it to affect our future. It is inspired by the author’s direct and indirect battles in the mind and relentless search to get down to the root of the problems he encountered. Of utmost importance, every reader is invited to a deeper intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ as that is the true and right way for chains to be broken off anyone’s life. The unruly mind is common to all man and is a state we are all familiar with. However, breaking yokes of demonic covenants and barricades with this state of mind is where we need to be to daily walk in victory.

Christ has called us to be more than conquerors, but the enemy has made it his point of duty to ensure that you and I live below our identity in Christ by infiltrating us with lies from our childhood and onward through various systems, culture, the media, etc. But I believe what Jesus says in John 8:32 that you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. And that’s why this book has landed on your hands. You’re about to be set free. This is no secret, so share this with others and be empowered!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662446467

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Mind

What Is the Mind?

The mind is said to be a set of cognitive faculties (conscious mental activities or capabilities) including thinking, reasoning, comprehension, and remembering. To accomplish these activities, the brain uses numerous cognitive skills, which experts categorize as auditory processes, visual processes, long-term memory, working memory, logic and reasoning, processing speed, and attention (LearningRx 2018). It also holds the power of imagination, recognition, and appreciation and is responsible for processing feelings and emotions, resulting in attitudes and actions.

Auditory processes—involves analyzing, blending, and segmenting sounds, which are critical for successful reading.

Visual processes—enables us to think in visual images (imagination).

Long-term memory—allows us to hold on to and access stored information that was learned in the past (good and bad).

Working memory—allows us to hold on to information while we are in the process of using it.

Logic and reasoning—allow us to reason, form ideas, and solve problems.

Processing speed—the ability to perform tasks quickly and accurately.

Attention—refers to our focus. It is divided into three subcategories:

Sustained attention—enables us to stay focused on a task for an extended period.

Selective attention—enables us to ignore distractions and stay focused on what we are doing.

Divided attention—enables us to remember information while doing two things at once.

Even though some believers may disagree with a lot of scientific explanations, there is no doubt that there are many proven claims that we can agree with due to the common human experiences. Of course, I am no expert in the field of studying the human mind like these scientists are, so I dare not take credit for someone else’s work (hence the use of references), but I am just as intrigued as you are. However, to a much greater extent, there is one who is the scientist of all scientists and creator and Lord of the mind. His name is Jesus Christ, and I am friends with Him. This gives me sufficient qualifications to speak on this as I integrate the scientific study with the Creator’s manual provided to us. Psychologists have argued that as it relates to emotions, it goes deeper than just the mind as if to say there is an innermost part of our being linked to our emotions that goes deeper than the mind. Is this a fact? What can I say…? Well…this is reasonable, but the human knowledge is limited. This is determined by the Creator. After all, He possesses both knowledge and wisdom that supersedes far beyond human rationalization.

We know for sure we do have a soul as Jesus preached about it after predicting His own death as recollected in Matthew 16:26, What will someone give in exchange for their soul? In theology, the soul is said to be the part of us that pertains to our mind, will, and emotions. Satan has been after the soul of man ever since we know in an effort to manipulate these three. But these psychologists seem to be talking about the heart (not the physical heart but the spirit). The heart is often used interchangeably with the spirit in the scriptures since both are referred to as the core of our being (the heart being the core of the body; the spirit being the core of soul/inner being). Also, in the Greek context, the word heart—kardia—means inner being, the center and seat of spiritual life, and it is also closely related to the mind (Bible Hub 2019). This is not to confuse you but to show you the connection with the mind/soul and the heart/spirit. As we look in the scriptures, Jesus informed us after teaching us how to pray, Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also, in Matthew 6:20–21. The scripture further tells us that when we die, our spirit goes back to God: the same place our heart goes (Eccles. 12:7). According to these two references, the heart is also referred to as the spirit. And if we observe the functions of the natural heart, then we could possibly unlock revelations of how the spirit functions. The heart is the life support of the body; the spirit is the life support of our soul. It was when God blew breath into us that we became a living soul. Without the flowing supply of blood from the heart, the body would eventually die. And it’s so amazing that the same Hebrew word, ruach, for breath and wind is used for spirit (Parsons 2019). This spirit, which is our spirit must, however, not be confused with the Holy Spirit, the spirit of God. To go in-depth on the heart demands another book; for this reason, I am only touching the surface.

My friends, by evaluating and analyzing how the mind works with the definition provided earlier, it explains more than we’ve expected the mind really does. We ordinarily just identify with the mind’s functionality as only those of imagination, reasoning, and just thinking. But that’s not it. The mind plays a huge role in our actions. Proverbs tells us blatantly, the way we think is the way we are (Prov. 23:7). This, though, may sound irrational and condemning especially for those who so often may experience having immoral thoughts more than good ones. We don’t see how just thinking of something dictates who we are. It’s as literal and factual as it could ever be. However, the operative words in this scripture is man and he, which refer to the results being due to an effort that is carried out by the individual themselves as it denotes that it’s what the individual does. Read the sentence again and you will see that the verb (thinks) is attached to the noun (man). Ownership of the action (thinks) is given to the man. Essentially, what dwells in my mind will eventually dwell in my lifestyle. This scripture, often overlooked, dictates how we should think. It is really a thinking formula. Don’t think what you don’t want to become. A famous Bible teacher, Joyce Myer, in her book Battlefield of the Mind, says, Where the mind goes the man follows (2002). Have you seen the relation to where your mind has been in the past and where you’ve followed it? Where is your mind going today?

The mind is like a gateway through which things are transported in and out. It’s like a permeable membrane where information is being exchanged. A thought is not just a mist of air passing through our brain. It’s more like a force or an entity. It has an assignment to be executed. It picks up the stimulus and then sends the appropriate response it perceives to be suitable for the condition. The stimulus is what we see, hear, feel, smell, or taste, which can be affected by different entities. Having said that, it is important to know that the nature of thoughts comes from three different sources: God, Satan, and yourself; when dealing with them, it is essential to know the source they are coming from.

How the mind works

The mind is the most powerful part of our human nature because it’s the source of where our true values, beliefs, ideas, and emotions are stored for manifestation. Man is like a kingdom himself, and his mind is the king. The mind operates as the governing authority over his being. The soul/mind is literally you. How the mind is groomed determines what values and beliefs we esteem and what we don’t and who we also become. It’s where you plan what to say, formulate your actions, and process thoughts, which determine how you feel. This mind is, however, influenced by both internal and external factors. External factors include things that are in our environment that affect us—which may be experiences of hardship, people, and lack of resources—which can contribute to the internal effects of doubt, discouragement, and negative emotions like, anger, hatred, or sorrow. Correlational studies have provided evidence that our genetic makeup, experiences, and choices all attribute to who we become, but even more so, our choices play the largest role.

It all begins in the mind. I consider the mind to be an excellent student as it grasps information very easily and is trained by what it receives. Many of the things we pick up in the environment through our senses—either through personal encounters, observations, and conversations with others—turn out to be learned behavior, behaviors we adapt often through a process called conditioning. Yes, it’s true. You are learning when you are talking to someone; their values and beliefs are being exchanged with you in a simple conversation. And if you are not careful, it has the potential to manipulate and conform you even unconsciously.

The mind also acts as storage, like a computer’s CPU (central processing unit). Oftentimes when we pick up the bad stimulus, the negative observed or adapted response is stored away for future use. It is when the condition arises for which that type of response is related to the stimulus that has been learned that it is most likely to unravel. The mind is just trying to fit in the missing piece of the puzzle. However, it’s imperative to understand that our thoughts and desires do not control us; we control them. One of the biggest lies the enemy says to us is we can’t do anything to alter our circumstances as he wants us to believe that things are set in stone and there is no possible way for change. He tries to enforce negative thinking patterns into our minds so often and seeks to discourage us that we might as well give up because we can’t change our circumstances. That couldn’t be any more further from the truth. The truth is, even though we may not be able to change our circumstances, we can change our perspective of how we view God in our circumstances. A lot of times, it’s not God’s will to change these circumstances. It’s to change us because He knows that removing these circumstances will not bring us to the change we need.

You see, the mind of a man after the fall of Adam has become very unruly and rebellious. It seeks its own (things of its nature/liking). It tends to keep pulling us back to the old Adamic nature (former, unrenewed state of man) as that is what is common to it; it’s sinful nature. So instead of being challenged to think pure, it prefers to stick with its dirty, old, convenient pattern. And because we were not always saved, the most common and convenient thing to it is sin (note: we are referring to the mind of man / mind of sin). However, Romans 8:15 reminds us that we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of adoption. So this proves we weren’t born saved since we’ve been adopted into this covenant with the Holy Spirit through salvation by the blood of Jesus.

Furthermore, the things of the flesh are relatable to the mind as they are physical, and the mind perceives and interprets the natural more than anything else using physical receptors (our senses). While on the other hand, a life of faith is lived by and in the spirit, but the mind becomes confused and rebels against this nature because it’s not used to it. Thus, it explains why it is such a battle for us to have faith in God. Faith defies human logic. It is a human tendency to ascribe things we’ve never done to be very difficult or impossible. We may find ourselves saying It’s too hard or It’s too hard to be like Jesus—which is what the enemy, working behind our thoughts, wants us to think. As usual, we tend to avoid anything that seems to be too hard. Consequently, we end up not doing it or we may seek to run from it. Many of us end up avoiding the very same thing that may be our calling or our required process to the promise.

Also, the scripture informs us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural man (the mind of man) receives not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to Him; neither can He know them because they are spiritually discerned (perceived or understood). Think of it this way. From the stage of being a baby to growing up, our mind has been taught to define reality by what we see and experience tangibly. Though we live in a physical world, there is a spiritual world we exist in as well, which is just as real as the physical if not more real.

Have we ever thought of why babies are the ones to see ghosts/spirits quite often or why when we were at that stage, we tend to sense those a lot too? Well, we are three-part beings: body, soul, and spirit. At infancy, the mind is not fully developed yet; thus, perception can easily branch off like a computer into default and begin to operate by the other greater element, the spirit. The spirit is a mind of itself; thus, it can operate on its own without a brain. Thus, at this stage, babies will see or sense spiritual things quite often because their mind is in its most underdeveloped form to do much on its own, such as to rationalize things. Scientists elucidate that the brain is fully developed roughly around the age of twenty-five (University of Rochester Medical Center 2020). Please do understand, by spirit, I don’t mean the Holy Spirit himself or an angel but that breath of life we received from God (Gen. 2:7) that will eventually return to Him (Eccles. 12:7). Consider the angels and how they, being spirits, are uniquely different from one another and do mightier things than us yet have no brain.

So because the spirit dominates at times in infancy, thus they may also perceive spirits and spiritual things occasionally while their mind develops. Similarly, when we are unconscious in our sleep, we can draw the conclusion that our spirit is still in operation; thus, we dream, and some may experience out-of-body experiences. It is also likely that the older babies become, the less they’ll see these things. In all this, I’m not saying this is the final and complete revelation regarding why babies see spiritual things. This is what I get, but the scripture says we know in part and prophesy in part (1 Cor. 13:9). Throughout the developing process, the mind assumes authority over our whole being. Now we often tend to go by our head feeling (the mind) rather than our gut feeling (the spirit).

The conscious and subconscious mind

There are two main parts of the mind we need to be aware of. They are the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. The conscious mind is the part of the mind that is actively engaged in a current condition, while the subconscious mind acts as the background mind, which is responsible for storing and retrieving data and performing numerous involuntary actions; it is also associated with processing multiple functions that we are not even aware of. Psychologist and well-renowned motivational speaker Brian Tracey says the subconscious mind’s responsibility is to ensure that we respond or operate the way we are programmed to (by the information stored in it). It seeks to align everything we say and do into a consistent pattern with our self-concept. Self-concept is how we perceive ourselves based on our values and beliefs and the responses from others (McLeod 2008). Tracey goes on to say that it is constantly at work even when we are asleep or awake.

Clearly, we see that the subconscious mind is affected by how we view ourselves and will seek to play out responses that are in alignment with these beliefs and perceptions. The thing is if you believe you are not smart or that you might not be that good-looking, this part of your mind is responsible for allowing this perception to show in your actions, resulting in you being anxious, insecure, etc. the subconscious mind reconnects us to our default. Many of us struggle with comprehending how this part of the mind works because we’ve tried changing our behavior to fix the issue, but our results defaulted. It’s like trying to drive forward only to realize you are pressing gas in the reverse gear. In order to go forward you need to not only take your foot off the breaks but also to reset your gear to the appropriate mode that aligns with forwardness. The Gearshift is your beliefs and value systems. Coupled with your actions this determines where you go. Usually when people hear the word belief, they immediately think of God, but beliefs are broader than a specific deity. Beliefs are those associated with what we deem to be true about ourselves, our lives, and our circumstances. Beliefs develop into our values and perceptions. The first step toward the goal of changing how we are programmed to think is mindful awareness.

How can we address an issue if we have not clearly identified the issue?

What are the issues in my mind?

Take the time to write them down.

What are my struggles?

What am I fighting in my mind?

Note possible strategies to combat them as you read along.

Identify references to God’s Word concerning your issue.

The subconscious is what I will relate to as the deadly mind. It plays such an eminent role in what we do even when we don’t recognize it. The receptor for the subconscious is the conscious that can be likened to a gardener, who plants the seeds. The subconscious mind is the garden/soil in which the seeds develop and grow (Tracey 2019). Furthermore, it has been outlined that the subconscious mind is greatly associated with "tying us to thoughts and actions consistent with what we have done and said in the past" (Tracey 2019). This may not sound very biblical since it’s mainly scientific research and explanation, but it explains to a great extent why we have to be constantly renewing our minds (Eph. 4:23). Thus, why do many scriptures teach on this renewal process? That is because the mind is prone to linking up with its old friend: the past—what Jesus came to deliver us from.

Human habits are said to be stored in this deadly part of the brain since it also memorizes all our comfort zones and strives to keep us in them. Comfort is usually perceived as a safe zone and a survival mechanism for humans. We tend to be more inclined to comfort, which represents safety. This explains why addictions are so hard to break. The mind tends to keep going back to where it perceives is a safe place not because it is but because of what it’s used to. Nonetheless, don’t be discouraged upon hearing this. It just means you have a whole new journey to embark on, which includes learning to give up some things and yield to God as you work with Him in the process. To reemphasize, the mind has been doing this for years, which explains why we find it so hard to break these patterns we’ve practiced for years. Malcolm Gladwell, a renowned psychologist and writer, posed the theory in his book Outliers in 2008 that we need ten thousand hours of practice to master a habit/skill. Many of us have doubled, possibly tripled, this principle in wrongdoing. Technically, we have become professionals in our sinful habits—e.g., professional murmurers, professional liars, and professional self-centered human beings. You may be wondering how someone could find comfort in murmuring or lying, but truth be told, these are things that many people have grown into by constantly observing, learning, and adapting from others. Thus, it’s more convenient to the unruly mind. These people often confess that that’s all I’ve really known. Unfortunately, an overnight I’m going to change will not be enough. Again, don’t be discouraged. The scripture says, the race is not for the swift nor the battle for the strong (Eccles. 9:11) but those who endure to the end. So hang in there.

The Holy Spirit once spoke to me, telling me not to get so consumed with the fantasy of getting over something quickly that I rush through the process without gaining anything from it. Sounds crazy, right? Right now, you may be saying, What? What are you saying, Stephon? What is there to gain? Well…many things to be exact—life-learned lessons including wisdom and knowledge, learning how to trust God and not our instincts, and learning how to wait on God’s timing. Be sure to hold the Lord’s hand and be willing to learn every step along the way and document (write down) what you have learned so the Lord can use your process to train you. Consequently, He can use you to encourage others to go through what you’ve made it through. On top of that, these will