Never in the history of mankind has there been such a battle to gain control of the minds of men as we are now facing. And never has it been so hard to keep from being swayed by the propaganda.. The, swift and total coverage by the media of communications has intensified the barrage. The lack of restraint from the extremes of political; economical, amoral, sociological and religious ideologies has given strength and' courage to the forces of such rebels. The results of this battle for our minds are manifested in the confusion, mental disorder, crime, fear, family breakdown, and lack of interest in the church and religion:

The forcefulness of this barrage of propaganda has kept many from accepting the truth of the gospel and has turned the minds of many weak Christians from:. the path of righteousness. "And even if our gospel, is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn, upon them" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4).

Communism and its near relative, socialism, are presented as a desirable way of life by far too much of the news coverage and social studies in this land of freedom and free enterprise. We are saturated day and night with the propaganda of the entertainment world, portraying, as the way of life, murder, civil rebellion, lasciviousness, adultery, perversion, drunkenness, nakedness and every other crime and social evil which the writers can think of and which the actors can portray. The trend in the highly influential field of education is not only to remove any reference to morals, but to play up much of that which has throughout the ages been considered immoral as acceptable in today's society. Direct attack is made on the Bible and those, who would show faith in its teaching, by denying creation and substituting evolution, by denying inspiration and claiming it to be myth and superstition or mere historical development, by denying its precepts and substituting human standards of morality or amorality and pseudo-spirituality.

God demands the undivided mind of the person. There is no middle ground. There is no double standard. There is no split-loyalty. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matt. 22:37).

The truth of the gospel is the weapon which the Lord has, provided for the enslavement of our minds. He battles for our minds also, to release us from the brainwashing which the world has inflicted upon us. "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4,5).

Make no mistake about it; we, preachers of the gospel, are after your minds also. This is the only way we can save you from sin, make you children of God and keep you under his protection and blessings. We must make our voice heard above the den of voices in the land. For the safety of children of God we have this urgency. "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3). We are attempting to get men to heed the following admonition: "And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:2).

This is the only thing that will turn the world from its present mad rush toward social, moral and, spiritual disaster. Let us strive with all our might to control men's minds with the gospel of Christ. Let us always try to keep our spiritual and moral sanity as we have to live under the brainwashing influence of moral filth, deceit, ungodliness, and wickedness that is so nearly pervading the sight and wound.

Truth Magazine, XX:7, p. 2
February 12, 1976