The Battle for the Mind, Part Two
In last week’s sermon we saw what to do with our doubts and thoughts that harm our confidence in God: Submit your thought to the obedience of Chris and ask the Holy Spirit to fill your mind with Godly, encouraging thoughts. This week we continue The Battle for the Mind by learning how we can develop a Godly mind and renew your thinking through the Word of God.
Remember these three rules for a Godly mind:
The rule of exclusion— Don’t entertain ungodly thoughts! When you know a thought will defeat you spiritually or bring you fear, anxiety, guilt, or shame, do not dwell on this harmful idea. Stand firm and submit it to Christ, who will instead send you a word of encouragement.
The rule of inclusion—Think about the things that are excellent and praise-worthy in the world around you. If you are having trouble thinking of any, submit your thoughts and concerns to Christ and He will provide some.
The rule of repetition—Exercise Kingdom thinking; training your mind to think about heavenly matters as a priority over worldly matters takes practice.
Renewing your mind through the Word of God is a long-haul process that requires commitment to accomplish. You mind was not programmed in days or weeks, but years. It takes time to transform your mind for the Kingdom of God. You must make God’s Word the central source of authority in what you believe and how you behave.
Be on guard for attitudes detrimental to your spiritual growth. You may feel you have “arrived” and have no more growing to do if you have grown up in church and attend regularly. But you can still be immobilized spiritually and deceptive thinking is a great spiritual threat.
The member with a “know-it-all attitude” shows that a vast volume of Biblical knowledge alone won’t sustain your spiritual walk. If you haven’t changed your mind about church doctrine recently, you might be spiritually stagnant. Always be reflecting on the things you know about about God’s teachings.
The “spiritual retiree” is a member who has slowed down in disciplines and activities in the church and in their lives. We have a tendency as we age to back down from our commitments to Christ. We must be careful to stay active in the Kingdom of God. Everyone has room to grow spiritually.