Reviewing “Winning the War in Your Mind”
by Craig Groeschel (Zondervan, February 2021)
Although he is a prolific writer, an internationally known leader, and a popular podcaster, Craig Groeschel found the success of his newest book surprising. Having garnered an Amazon five-star rating with over 3300 reviews, Winning the War in Your Mind speaks strongly about the why, what, and how of taking (as the Apostle Paul writes) “every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5b, ESV). The power of Winning the War comes from its meshing of vulnerability and practicality. Groeschel, the pastor of Life.Church (multi-site megachurch and source of the YouVersion app), discusses how dryness and depression threatened to shipwreck his focus and ministry. Discovering that long-held, erroneous thought-patterns were stifling both his progress and his hope, Groeschel looked for and found a pathway back to his joy-filled self.
In life and the Scriptures, our mindsets control our actions. Rather than drifting toward fear and negativity, Groeschel asks Christians to become thought-warriors, rewiring their minds by exchanging old lies for new truths. He contrasts debilitating mental ruts to “trenches of truth” that provide accurate lenses for viewing our experiences. I particularly resonated with the author’s discussion about “what God didn’t do,” an attitude of thankfulness for God’s wisely denying us desires and prayer requests that, if granted, would have proven shortsighted or even dangerous.
Groeschel also talks about the “God box,” a mental container that needs to be bigger than our worries. Groeschel concludes: “You can’t change what you don’t confront.” Confronting our “God box” issues is often the prelude to change. Another mindset changer Groeschel forwards is a “perspective of praise.” And at the conclusion of this book, the author offers a collection of Scripture-based affirmations. These helpful and inspiring declarations prove a fitting conclusion to his Winning the War.
Christian leaders need both to win the war in their minds, and they need to teach their disciples to how to win this war. To help in this process, Groeschel has also published a Winning the War in Your Mind Workbook: it offers Scriptures, reflection questions, and a leader’s guide. Winning the War in Your Mind is a worthy read—I have already read it twice, and my mindset has changed substantially—and for the better. I have acquired practical tools to help me take my thoughts “captive to Christ.” No wonder so many readers are finding Groeschel’s book transformational.
