July 14
“If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)
This discussion about the thoughts is an essential one, because this is where the battles are won or lost, in our minds. Whatever can control our minds can control us. We make the decision each and every minute what to think about and what to focus on. When we are tempted, we are tempted to think that it is our bodies that have been aroused or our emotions have been unleashed or some other powerful and irresistible force external to us is acting on us. But it just appears that way on the surface. Our minds and what we choose to think about are the key. Our minds set the agenda, our minds decide what we do or don’t do. The key is always the mind. As Christians, our bodies follow what our minds decide, not the other way around.
That is why the apostles focused on teaching, on communicating doctrines and information. This is why key exhortations of scripture are directed at the mind. Note the following verses, all aimed at our minds, the place of our decision making, the “driver’s seat” and control room of our beings, so to speak:
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Col.3:2)
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2)
“Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pe. 1:13)
“…lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted according to the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self…” (Eph. 4:22-24)
“for the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6)
“we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9-10)
“watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Pr. 4:23)
These and many other scriptures state or imply that it is the mind that must be renewed, our mental “programs” rewritten so to speak, in order for us to gain the victory over sin and walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Our minds are renewed first and foremost by scripture, so we must give quality time to that each and every day, multiple times a day. And when temptation comes, especially when temptation becomes strong and more and more difficult to resist, we must become aware of how much our minds have been given over to fleshly thoughts, and then make a concerted effort to replace fleshly thoughts with spiritual thoughts.