Chapter 11 – A Doubtful and Unbelieving Mind

A normal mind is resting, but alert and receptive. A normal mind is resting, but alert and receptive. A normal mind is resting, but alert and receptive. A normal mind is resting, but alert and receptive. A normal mind is resting, but alert and receptive.

An abnormal mind is busy, distracted, logical, doubtful and unbelieving.

A doubtful mind holds to two opinions and cannot decide which is the right one or it vacillates between the two depending upon which suits its purpose. Different versions of the Bible might refer to this as being double-minded.

My favorite class offered at church was called Spiritual Warfare and we learned about being double-minded in the following way: the Devil places a wall in our mind between that which is heavenly and that which is earthly. God wants all of our mind, but the Devil prevents this by creating that block within our mind through strongholds or belief systems that our minds have been trained to believe even though they are Biblically false.

For example, one of my current "strongholds" seems to be that I am not worthy. The godly portion of my mind knows this to be false. I am worthy and the proof is that God loves me so much that He sent His son to take my punishment for my sins. However, Satan has set up a stronghold within my mind that says if I were truly worthy, my life would be different. I would be more important, or I would have a voice, or I would be busy. Hahaha. I am doubtful.

A normal mind is not doubtful. It is strong in the knowledge of the Truth. God's truth.

A doubtful mind is not the same as an unbelieving mind. The problem with an unbelieving mind is that unbelief, disbelief?, leads to disobedience. "Disobedience is disregarding the voice of the Lord, or whatever God is speaking to us personally, not just transgressing the Ten Commandments."

So you hear clearly God calling you to do something, you don't believe you have the skills to do it, (or that God will empower you to do it,) OR you don't believe that God would actually ask you to do it and so you disobey out of unbelief. This is the Devil operating in your mind. And it takes me back to those pesky mind-binding spirits that prevent you from believing what you used to believe!

Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.
1 Kings 18:21 (NIV)

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
James 1:5-7 (NIV)