THE RENEWING OF THE MIND
AND DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YOU MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD. Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2.
The mind is where we process and store knowledge and information. Before we came to know Christ, our knowledge and understanding of God and His Word was imperfect and unfruitful. We were unable to process any knowledge of truth because Christ did not reside within us. Jesus is the personification of truth. In order to process spiritual information and knowledge, we must be renewed in the “spirit of our minds.” (Ephesians 4:22). To be renewed in the “spirit of the mind” means our desires, attitudes, and motives must be changed. Our motives and attitudes must be Christ empowered. When our minds have become spiritually renewed, we will become “Christ-like” and spiritually minded.
Before coming to the knowledge of the truth, our minds were conformed to and in bondage to the knowledge, reasoning, and vain imaginations of this world. The Bible says “to be carnally minded is enmity with God, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6).
The Bible says “the carnal mind is the enemy of God.” When our minds are rooted and grounded in the knowledge, reasoning, and vain imaginations of this world, our thoughts can be considered “enmity with God.” The Bible tells us to be renewed in the “spirit of our minds.” The carnal mind cannot receive the knowledge of God because it does not understand or know how to process such knowledge.
It has been said “the mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Spiritually speaking, the devil takes a terrible toll on every person who has not been “renewed” in the spirit of the mind. The mind of believers will not be established in truth and righteousness if they fail to acknowledge or understand the principles in God’s Word.
A mind which has not been “spiritually renewed” through the “power of revelation” is a mind which is bound in spiritual darkness and depravity. True freedom of thought can only come through the Spirit of Liberty.
Christians will remain “carnally minded” when they fail to renew their minds to the truth. Carnal Christianity is a problem found in many churches. People can be born again, however, unless their minds are renewed to the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word their lives will be in vain, and somewhat fruitless.
Our mind is the most important physical organ we possess. It is the place where we make decisions based on what we know, have experienced, and what we have learned over the years. It is imperative that the decisions we make are representative of the “mind of Christ.” The knowledge we possess and how we use that knowledge will determine the outcome of many events which will transpire in our lifetime.
If we fail to “cast down ALL the thoughts and imaginations which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God,” we will be unable to defeat the enemy when he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. When we are vigilant in the battle for the control of our minds, we can be assured victory over our enemy is and will be attainable.
The mind has been called the “fortress of the soul.” Spiritual battles are continually being fought to retain possession of the souls of mankind. All spiritual battles are fought on the battlefield of the mind. We cannot win the battle for the control of our minds without the knowledge and understanding of our enemy and his tactics.
If we are not renewed in the “spirit of our mind,” we will fail to have proper understanding of how we can defeat our enemy. With godly wisdom and knowledge, we will be able to use the godly principles of “spiritual warfare” which will assure us victory in every area of our lives.
Knowledge is the key to understanding how our enemy operates, as well as the ways we will be able to defeat him. Without the knowledge of HOW to wage “spiritual warfare,” we will most definitely lose the battle for the control of our minds. God has given us ALL the weapons we have need of in order to defeat the forces of darkness which are continually trying to hinder our walk with Christ. Our enemy does not take a day off--and neither can we.
The Apostle Paul said “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are “mighty.” Our weapons are “mighty through God” in their ability to destroy the strongholds within the mind which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Without godly knowledge we will be unable to penetrate the darkness which builds and sustains the strongholds. Strongholds which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God subtly, but forcibly, keep the carnal mind in bondage.
Carnal thoughts are the enemy of God. They are satanically sustained strongholds which stand in opposition to the will and knowledge of God and His Word. Carnal thoughts are always rooted and grounded in earthly wisdom, ideologies, and philosophies which are found in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Human logic can be the “enemy” of our soul. There is nothing wrong with logic in a natural setting, however logic is useless on the spiritual battlefield of our mind. When we are dealing with spiritual enemies, we must be spiritually minded, reasonable, and responsible. The Bible tells us our enemy is “going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” In the presence of our enemy we must remain diligent, vigilant, sober, and constantly on guard bearing the “whole armor of God.”
Natural logic in itself is not necessarily evil. However, any logic which exalts itself against the knowledge of God is evil. When human logic and reason is all that is relied upon, natural man will be void of faith. Faith always defies and supersedes human logic. Faith says “with God all things are possible,” however, human logic and reason disagrees. Faith says “we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us;” human logic says we cannot. If we are going to believe God, we must put aside ALL human logic and reason. The faith which gives us advantage over Satan comes from KNOWING, trusting, and believing in the power of God as we fight the spiritual battles in our lives.
When people are carnally minded rather than spiritually minded, natural reason and logic supersedes and super-impedes the Law of Faith. Casting down human reason which exalts itself against the knowledge of God will always lead us to victory and freedom in the Holy Spirit.
Natural reason will always reject the supernatural reasoning of God. Faith goes beyond natural reason, and will take us into the realm where the supernatural triumphs and “all things are possible.” Spiritual weapons do not make any sense to natural man. To Christians, our weapons are “mighty through God” when it comes to casting down and eliminating strongholds which keep the carnal mind in bondage. When the carnal mind has been TRANSFORMED by the renewing of the mind, FAITH will rule and reign in our hearts through righteousness, joy, and peace.
Many people try to understand the Bible by using natural logic and understanding. However, the natural mind will not accept, and will always oppose, the truths which are found in the Word of God. Human logic and reason will always oppose spiritual principles. Spiritual precepts and principles can only be discerned by those who are “spiritually minded.”
Doubt and unbelief are enemies of the mind. They are rooted and grounded in the depths of deception. Faith, on the other hand, is rooted and grounded in the concept of spiritual understanding rather than natural logic. The carnal mind will always doubt and oppose the Word of God. To be carnally minded is DEATH. To be spiritually minded is LIFE. Our righteousness, which comes by faith in God always depends on us believing what God says, not on what the carnal mind dictates to us.
If we are going to be successful in winning the battle for our soul, we must realize how beguilement affects and infects our daily lives. If we fail to recognize the role beguilement plays in our everyday lives, we will be unable to recognize the enemy when he subtly comes to deceive us. Deception is a weapon of the enemy which is designed to draw us away from God and into sin and depravity through the power of beguilement.
When we understand the strategies of our enemy, we will be on constant alert if we desire to walk in freedom. Sooner or later the enemy will place before us an opportunity which “looks appealing” to us. However, in reality, it is an attempt to invade and conquer territory within our minds.
Many Christians lose battles because they fail to have the knowledge and understanding of how the enemy operates through beguilement. Christians must realize that the battle for control of the mind is the BATTLE for the “control of their soul”. If Satan can influence or control the mind, he will be able to capture the soul. Without the “knowledge of the truth,” people will always lose the battle for their souls.
If we are going to be successful at discerning the deceptive tactics of the enemy and how we can defeat him, we must use ALL the weapons we have at our disposal. Our only hope for defeating our enemy lies in the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding which is found in the Word of God. A good book written on spiritual warfare will empower Christians with the knowledge they need to defeat their spiritual enemies.
Satan has been using the same strategies for millennia, and unfortunately he is very proficient and successful at what he does. However, for Christians there is no weapon Satan can form against us that will prosper if we possess and utilize the knowledge and wisdom concerning “spiritual warfare” God has given us.
We MUST put on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD in order for our strategy to work. Strategic weapons only work when they are applied and used properly. If we do not put on the WHOLE armor of God, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to the “deception of the enemy.” If we fail to use godly wisdom and understanding, Satan can and will invade and conquer territory in our minds with his fiery darts.
The knowledge of God gives us strategies which we can use to defeat our enemy. Studying a good book on spiritual warfare would be a good investment for those who are seeking more information on the “weapons of our warfare.” God’s power is unlimited however, Satan has no weapon that can prosper against us when we are “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” The Apostle Paul told us to be “strong in the Lord and the power of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10).
God has equipped us His armor, power, and weapons in order for us to be free from the stumbling blocks which are found entrenched within the carnal mind. There is no weapon our enemy can use against us that can match the power God has imparted to us by His Spirit.
When we cast down human reason and carnal thoughts, we MUST replace them with GOD THOUGHTS. We must be spiritually transformed and renewed in the “spirit of the mind” in order for us to defeat the enemy. We cast down imaginations when we take the initiative to “receive and believe” what God says, and “refuse” to accept what the enemy says. When people replace human logic with the supernatural logic and knowledge of God, they will find themselves free of ALL oppressing, depressing, and distressing thoughts. Any thoughts which are contrary to the Word of God should have no place in the mind of the believer. BEHOLD I GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO TRAMPLE ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY, AND NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU. Luke, Chapter 10, Verse 20.