It has been said that the Christian life is war. Scriptures like Ephesians 6:10-20 certainly concur with such a statement. Yet, how do we understand the armor of God and how to combat the battle we face in our lives? Praise be to God for David Saxton who has written such a resource, God’s Battle Plan for the Mind. Pointing to the principles of Scripture and the practice of the Puritans, Saxton calls for Christians to meditate on God’s Word. Throughout the book he addresses unbiblical and biblical forms of meditation, occasional and deliberate meditation, and the reasons for and benefits of meditation. Especially helpful too was his chapter on the enemies of meditation (Chapter 11).

From this reading, I was again and again convicted, challenged, and edified by Saxton’s exhortation to practice meditation. I found it helpful that he distinguished biblical meditation, filling one’s mind with the Word, from unbiblical meditation, the emptying of the mind. Saxton also continues to reinforce the importance of meditation for the life and mind of the Christian. One of my biggest takeaways was when he said, “Absolute concentration and freedom from distractions are necessary for effective Scripture meditation” (Saxton 55). Deliberate meditation requires us to solely focus a particular set of time on God and grow in intimacy with Him. How often do I do that? Not as often as I should; yet, it is not from guilt but from grace that I desire to meditate on His Word more. Committing to this is no small task, though. That is why I am thankful for chapter 12, which is entitled, “Getting Started: Beginning the Habit of Meditation”. Saxton lays out this practice will take prayer, preparation, and perseverance. It is hard work but hard work that is worth it. All in all, God’s Battle Plan for the Mind is a worthy resource for any Christian who is looking to be convicted, challenged, and edified in the area of biblical meditation.

I received this book for free from Reformation Heritage Books via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.