The evil one attacks YOUR MIND to seek to tempt YOU to disobey His command and if YOU choose to yield, YOU fail to love Him and YOUR morale is pulled down into the doldrums of despair, fears, hopelessness, and YOU miss the opportunity in YOUR circumstances to glorify Him! The greatest commandment is to “Love the LORD your God with all your… MIND.” -{Luke 10;27}. Note the highest purpose of our mind is to love God with it. Scriptures teaches outside of Christ ALL are “DARKENED” in our mind, spiritually. No understanding of God, His ways.
“The ‘mind’ in Scripture (nous, dianoia etc.) approximates the ‘heart’ and covers not only thinking but choosing and feeling as well. The unregenerate mind is profoundly and perversely affected by sin, which in turn results in all sorts of damaging outcomes (Rom 1:21 , 28).”-{John Campbell}
Consider the MIND, CONDITION of all People outside of Christ in these verses…
- – HOSTILE MIND Towards God – ” ‘the sinful mind is hostile to God and it is not obedient to God’s law, not can it be’ (Rom 8:7),
- – DARKENED MIND,Inability to Spiritually Perceive – “ever learning and never able to come to :knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 3:7).
- -MORAL SPIRITUAL IGNORANT MIND– “They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.“– {Eph 4:18}
- – DEPRAVED MIND – “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”-{Rom 1:28}
- –SIN DOMINATED MIND THAT IS SPIRITUAL DEATH– “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”-{Rom 8:6}
- – A REBELLIOUS MIND– “His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways not our ways- (Isa 55:8-9 ).
- – A FOOLISH MIND-“The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the LORD.”-
HOSTILE- DARKENED- IGNORANT-DEPRAVED-SIN DOMINATED, REBELLIOUS – Such is the “MIND” of the person who does not have a personal relationship with God that comes through repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This “mind” cannot obey the first and greatest command to “Love the LORD your God with ALL your….MIND!” Spiritually dead, deceived, and a prisoner of satan {Read Eph 2:1-3 & 2 Tim 2:24-26}, It is only when we are born again is the mind enlightened to God and alive to GOD and has the power and is commanded to “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”-{Rom 12:2-3- Philipps translation}. TO KNOW HIS WILL. WE must renew our thinking which involves negatively rejecting being conformed, squeezed into the pattern of this world system that rejects the authority of God and His rule as absolute over their lives, instead it is to submit to His Word because you now can and in doing so, you prove His will as revealed in His Word, which is good. It does not say it is easy to do His will,, for there is opposition from the world system indeed at times from those closest to you, but you having your mind, enlightened and made alive to GOD can walk as the pattern of your THINKING which influences your DECISION making and motivation to KNOW and DO His Revealed will and walk in the truth, walk in the light, walk in love to God and others and indeed you are now able to DO the first and greatest command to “Love the LORD YOUR God with all….your… MIND!” THE TRUTH IS WHAT SETS YOU FREE -{John 8:32}
Your MIND is where the attacks come, through the world system that is opposed to the ONE true and Living God and through satan’ who uses that system and people to oppose God being loved through His creation. The thoughts of evil, compromise come and error and false teaching, and this is where you and I must take seriously and GROW UP in our faith through Knowing and DOING His Word. Philippians 4:8 teaches us how to RENEW OUR THINKING, Though we are now in a right relationship with God, we need to change the way we think and view God, life, ourselves and others. This takes work. The work of the Holy Spirit working in us, the Work of His Word, and our submission to it. It is to renounce feelings, as the final authority and submit to HIS WORD as the ULTIMATE AUTHORITY for Life and Godliness-{See 2 Pet 1:3-4}.
As believers if we CHOOSE to reject His Word in failing by faith to apply it we can be deceived –{Read Col 2: and note where Paul says 4 times,”Let no one take you captive…lead you astray ..etc”}
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ”-{Col 2:8.-Read Col 2:16, 18, 21 for three other ways you can be deceived if you are not competent in His Word! } We cannot lose our salvation but we can be deceived though empty humanism, legalism, asceticism, idolatry. How can we guard ourselves? Knowing Him increasingly, following His Word in obedience and in dependence upon His Spirit transforming our thinking so we have DISCERNMENT which comes through the PRACTICE of His Word, which is THE TRUTH -{Read Heb 4:13-15; John 17:17}
- THINK ON THE TRUTH – { Phil 4:8}
- DO THE TRUTH – {Phil 4:9}
BE LIBERATED THROUGH COMPLIANCE, THROUGH THE TRUTH- {Jon 8:32}
- – MEMORIZE THIS TRUTH TO HELP YOU DISCERN;
Philippians 4:8-9 NOTE the “WHATEVER’S” mentioned in this verse. THIS IS THE GATEWAY TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WILL CHOOSE TO ALLOW YOURSELF TO DWELL ON IN YOUR THINKING…IF it does not pass this, then do not entertain the thought. This is as it were the “DISCERNER”- to impart Godly wisdom in an un-Godly world! “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
THINK ON THE TRUTH- V 8
DO THE TRUTH- V 9
THE OUTCOME?- PEACE- V 9
- – MEDITATE ON TRUTH– THE “BLESSED MAN” DOES! -{Psalm 1:1}
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”-{Psalm 1:2}.
You cannot stop thoughts coming to your mind, the evil one shoots as Paul referred to in Ephesians 6″fiery darts” but you can CHOOSE WHAT YOU WILL MEDIATE AND THINK ON OVER AND OVER. At times when an evil thought about God, who you are in Christ, His character comes to mind REJECT IT, REPLACE IT WITH TRUTH AND “REGURGITATE” over and over and APPLY IT….and you will be transformed in your thinking and will increasingly learn and relearn to LOVE God with all of your MIND.
WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO KNOWINGLY THINK WRONG ABOUT GOD, YOU ARE TAKING HIS NAME IN VAIN.
There are thoughts we entertain about GOD that are not TRUE and to continually think and give time, attention and credence so such thoughts is to take His Name in vain. To use His Name in an empty, hollow, disrespectful way. Have you ever viewed and judged your thinking as such? That is why we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. How does the Scripture teach we are to pull down strongholds that are built up like thick walled fortresses in our mind and that of others? Scripture teaches through His Word, which is powerful to the pulling down of such strongholds that EXALT itself AGAINST GOD! “The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments, and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ“-{2 Corinthians 10:4-5}
YOUR MIND IS THE BATTLEGROUND TO LOVING GOD!
BECAUSE THE ATTACK IS TO SEEK TO DIVERT, DECEIVE YOU FROM FULFILLING THE HIGHEST COMMAND WHICH IS TO LOVE GOD… WITH ALL…. YOUR MIND!
Now do you see why you are at times bombarded with lies, subtleties against the character of God, His Word? It is to deviate you from knowing the truth, being continually liberated by the truth and ultimately loving God more intelligently with your mind in how you think about HIM, and apply His Word to your motivations, and living!
Ask yourself this question. “Are the THOUGHTS I am giving my time, attention, and dwelling on at this moment, leading me and leaving me LOVING GOD…with ALL…my Mind- as they are TRUE of Him, who I am In Him and what His Word teaches?” If not, you have succumbed to satanic deception and to continue is to take the Name of the LORD in vain!
DEVELOPING A NEW GODLY PATTERN TO AID YOU IN LOVING GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND!
- RECOGNIZE the evil thought
- REJECT giving it your attention
- REPLACE it with Truth –
- REJOICE IN THE LORD OF TRUTH
{ Jesus is “THE TRUTH”- His Word is TRUTH-“Your Word is Truth”- John 17:17}
RENEW your mind through practicing {Phil 4:8-9}
{**These are imperative verses to memorize to protect your mind and mature in your discernment Write write on a 3 by 5 card and read, re read, meditate on each part. For example.”Whatever is True”- Ask yourself , Is what I am thinking TRUE of God, Who He says I am, what He says? If not reject it , replace it with truth, Replay it again and again in your mind as it will influence your emotions and choices you make!}
REJOICE In the Truth- {“Rejoices with the TRUTH”- 1 Cor 13:6}.