THE YOUTH AND MIND DELIVERANCE

Introduction

According to United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), “a youth is best understood as a period of transition from dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence and awareness of our interdependence as members of a community.”Youth is a more fluid category than a fixed age group.

Also, the UN, for statistical consistency across regions, defines youth as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years unlike, Nigeria where the ages of youths are between 18 and 35 years (2009 Nigerian National Youth Policy).

It is unarguably true that many anti social activities and behaviours in our contemporary society are mostly linked to the youth. This social malady has been a major concern to the government, parents, religious personnel and adult citizens of the world at large. When you talk about social ills and vices like terrorism, kidnappings, assassination, thuggery, prostitution, sexual immoralities, lesbianism, homosexualism, armed robbery, examination malpractices, religious extremism, cultism, vandalism etc., you talk about the youth.

The government, schools, religious organizations and parents have also played a major role to curb this social menace perpetrated by youths; but as the days go by, the latest version of such anti social acts are being invented and also gaining more grounds in our contemporary society.

It is for this reason that this write-up is coming. It is worthy of note that after a feasibility study was carried out, it was discovered that the only thing that can transmogrify the youth and reduce social vices to the barest minimum is nothing but mind deliverance.

 

The concept of mind deliverance

The word deliverance is not a new word especially to the contemporary Christian folk. Deliverance, in the Christian context, is to rescue or free one from the powers or activities of the forces of darkness over one’s life. There are different types of deliverance such as deliverance from captivity (Exodus 6:6), deliverance from death (Daniel 6:7), deliverance from the wrath of God (Colossians 1:13-14, Romans 10:9-13), deliverance from the attacks of infernal spirit (Mark 5:20) and mind deliverance.

It is worthy to note that only the first four aforementioned types of deliverance are most common in the Christian religion, especially the deliverance from attacks from by infernal spirit that most Christian Churches have paid attention to. Little or no attention is given to mind deliverance. I, therefore, state that “the best form of deliverance a youth or person can give himself is the mind deliverance.”

Mind deliverance in this context is the process of rescuing, preserving, guarding and freeing the mind from the devices of the pit of hell and Satan.

 The bible said:

    “Guard thy mind with all diligence; for

     out of it are the issues of life”. (Proverb 4:23)

This is important because both good and evil thoughts emanatesl from the mind. Every positive or negative action exhibited by an individual(s) today has long taken place in the mind. Also, the first target of the devil in a man is the mind. The devil knows full well that when the mind is captivated, the whole man is arrested.

The above assertion is in line with what Michael Hyatt said. MICHAEL HYATT is the founder and CEO of Michael Hyatt & Company, a leadership development firm specializing in transformative live events, workshops, and digital and physical planning tools. In his article titled 3 Reasons Why You Must Guard Your Heart, he said, in number two and three reasons that mind is the source of everything you do and it is under constant attack.

God knows the tricks and manipulations of the devil and that is why he first requested that we should guard our mind in order not to be prey in the hands of devil. The armed robbers, vandals, prostitutes, kidnappers, fornicators, drug addicts, cultists, terrorists, etc. are among the people who the devil has captured their minds and their actions prove that they are being controlled and instructed by Satan the devil. Therefore, it is penitent that we guard our minds now so that devil will not take it away from us. Remember, that the devil’s mission on earth is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10a). The devil is interested in getting your mind and after using you, he will destroy you as well.

                  HOW TO DELIVER THE MIND

1. AVOID IDLENESS

   Idleness is the fastest and easiest way, the mind is being polluted. There is a popular saying: “An idle mind, is a devil’s workshop.” The mind of an idle person is more vulnerable to temptations. Have you ever asked yourself why the serpent left the first man who was very busy with his work and came to tempt Eve- the first woman?

Whenever a man is idle, many thoughts run through his mind. Sometimes, 70% of the thoughts are negative. It takes a spirit-filled man, who productively engages himself to subdue the negative thoughts that run through his mind. Engage yourself positively and productively today if you are idle.

2. BE CONSCIOUS OF THOSE YOU CALL YOUR FRIENDS

   It is very important you know everything about the person(s) you call your friend(s). Your friend can be an instrument the devil will use to pollute your mind. 80% of people you see exhibiting negative behaviours today such as smoking, fornication, alcoholism, cultism, prostitution, stealing, etc. are all products of mind pollution by those they call their friends. The book of 2 Samuel 13:1-20 talks about Amnon who developed lust for his stepsister, Tamar who was sister to Absalom. Despite, the lust, he had for his sister, he was afraid to tell or do anything to her because she was a virgin until Jonadab, a son of David’s brother Shimeah, his best friend advised him to rape her. It is worthy of note that that advice which he implemented caused him his life.

3. MANAGE YOUR SENSES OF SIGHT (EYES) AND HEARING PROPERLY

   The mind is greatly influenced by negative things we see or hear. We must be mindful of the things we watch and see with our eyes and hear with our ears respectively, e.g films, pictures, music, etc. It is indisputable that some of the films and music promoted in this our age are of low or negative value. Some of them promote violence, sexual promiscuity, arrogance, godlessness, etc. Tell me the ulterior motive of african musicians that sang ‘Pant no n’ilo(Women’s underwear that is outside)’ , One Corner, Do me I do, etc. I once watched the video of a popular female USA Hip-hop artist, damaging things in the public with a long baton as she sang. Is it pornographic pictures and films that have filled the social media? There is a big task for us here since almost every corner of the earth is battling with this social menace. But God will deliver those who want deliverance.

4. GIVE ATTENTION TO GOD’S WORD

   Engage yourself in constant study and meditation of the word of God. One of the weapons Jesus Christ used in defeating Satan during the temptations was the word of God.

5. REBUKE

  Always rebuke negative thoughts that come into your mind. Our Lord Jesus Christ rebuked the devil when he tempted him and the devil fled.

6. STAY IN THE OPEN

  In 2015, my boss, Rev. Dr. M.E Ngwu taught us the importance of staying in the open. She as well declared the ‘stay in the open’ policy in our school, Intellectual Giants Christian Academy, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. Some temptations find their way to us while in the secret. How many people on normal circumstances can fornicate in the public in the day time? What do you think will be the end result of two people of opposite sex chatting in a locked up room? Have you ever seen a person masturbating publicly? Negative lifestyles find rest in a secret atmosphere. Always stay in the open to curtail the temptations from the pit of hell. I thank God that some men of God have employed this strategy during their counselling, unlike what I heard while growing up of how men of God were being seduced in their office during counselling. To a great extent, this act is no longer common in our contemporary society because many have adopted the ‘stay in the open’ policy.

7. LISTEN TO THAT LITTLE VOICE

  One of the ways we guard our minds from pollution is the ability to listen to that little voice. It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that, that little voice that talks to us is the voice of the Holy Spirit. One of the qualities of the voice is that, it cannot ask us to do things contrary to God’s rules. Some people pay attention to the worldly voice rather than the little voice. The voice of the world can pollute your mind but your mind can never be polluted when you listen to that ‘little voice’. Samuel listened that little voice and his life was transformed forever (1 Samuel 3:1-20).

On this note, I end with this real life story that deeply touched me and each time I remember it, I start shedding tears:

A certain young man had a female sexual partner, which is against God’s warning in 1 Corinthians 6:18. One day, he went out with his sexual partner and on their way back, the little voice spoke to him asking him to divert to the crusade ground. A popular man of God had brought the message of salvation to their area. He listened to the voice and convinced his sexual partner and they entered into the crusade ground. Behold, that was the time the man of God was doing altar call for sinners to surrender their lives to Christ! This young man was persuaded by the little voice to avail himself the opportunity to make peace with Christ. He tried to step out to answer the call, but the devil used his sex partner to deny him of joining in the free banquet with Christ. She succeeded in pulling him out of the crusade ground. As they were about to cross the road, a few minutes’ walk from the crusade ground, he was knocked down by a lorry and he died instantly. The same sex partner the devil used to pollute his mind ran back to the crusade ground and surrendered totally to Jesus Christ.

 

Chinedu Vincent Okoro is a Nigerian writer, teacher and Political activist. He obtained his NCE in Political Science and Social Studies and B.Ed in Educational Management and Political Science from Institute of Ecumenical Education Enugu and Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) respectively. He is the PRO of Association of Nigerian Authors(ANA), Abia State Chapter. Apart from his professional career, he is an evangelist who derives joy in spreading the message of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has several literary works to his credit. Connect with him through ochineduvincent@gmail.com. You can like his Facebook Page: Chinedu Vincent Okoro.