04 Oct Book Review: Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at your Table
As we explore Psalm 23 in this month’s mental health awareness, Louis Giglio’s look at the battle of the mind could not be more relevant. While there are many factors contributing to mental health including chemical imbalances and trauma, it is often in our thought-life that everyday downturns can halt the momentum in our relationship with God and consequently, our spiritual and mental wellbeing.
Louis Giglio’s book expands on Psalm 23: 5, “You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies,” and he does this through simple and effective demonstrations, drawing on general examples as well as personal anecdotes from his own life to land this analogy and give us practical applications of Psalm 23. This includes giving modern-day examples to fill in applications of, “Even though….I will….” (Psalm 23:4).
One of the key themes is the sacred – figurative – table. It has been specifically laid out for us by our Father and Savior for the purpose of communing with Him in the midst of the chaos the enemy creates in the world and in our loves. But too often we diminish the power of this table when we entertain thoughts that are not true to His word or heart for us; thoughts that the enemy plants. “In whatever way the Devil gains access to your table, his goals are the same. He wants to gain access to your mind so he can destroy you.” (pg. 47).
There are numerous types of thoughts that the enemy can “scatter like seeds”, as Giglio describes. He deep dives into thoughts of temptation, making a poignant observation that when Jesus was tempted, it was temptation to be in opposition to God’s instruction, self-glory as opposed to humble surrender to the Father’s will. The enemy will tempt us in everyday sins, seeking worldly comforts in times of trouble as opposed to God, but even in seemingly innocent fantasies, we may be led astray through self-glorifying thoughts that twist God’s purpose for us and dethrone Him as the one to be glorified. Then there are of course the thoughts that can lead to depression and anxiety, the self-deprecating thoughts, thoughts of comparison and lies the enemy says about us that are in stark contrast to our identity in Jesus.
Giglio describes the long-term impact of thoughts by drawing on 2 Corinthians 10:5 and reminding us the importance of allowing Jesus to reign over every thought, “See, if a thought is not taken captive by you in Jesus’ name, that thought will take you captive. You will bind the thought, or the thought will, in time, bind you.” (pg. 130). If we allow lies from the enemy to stay, they will become entrenched and begin to define our life, which can often lead to many interruptions to our spiritual journey, and even lead to mental health problems.
However, we do not need to fear the influence of the enemy. Even when he has been sitting at our table. Giglio wraps his narrative in the encouraging and empowering truth of our identity in Christ, that we already share in Christ’s victory. Repentance is our antidote to guilt and shame, and we can protect our thought life by not only defending against the power of lies, but by being offensive, starting our days with positive thoughts. The greatest encouragement that the book captures is that the war is won. While there are many battles that need to be fought, we can hold on to the truth of our identity in Jesus and focus on him on the other side of the table that he has laid out for us. We don’t need to allow the Devil to intrude in this union. We can win the battle of our minds.
I am a volunteer blogger with a passion for God and writing. My hope is to help others choose faith – or to walk deeper in their faith – through my own introspections and observations.
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